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how time flies


Diezani Allison-madueke & Chris Aire Sweetheart Deal - Politics - Nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/699557/diezani-allison-madueke-chris-aire-sweetheart

On Jun 26, 2011

Oil minister, her jeweller and their sweetheart deal


By Musikilu Mojeed

June 26, 2011 01:26PM



On April 7, 2010, a day after her appointment as minister for petroleum resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke flew to Beverley Hills in Los Angeles to revel in a lavish party and fashion show put together by Christopher Aire, a United States-based Nigerian celebrity jewellry designer and merchant, whom she met during her 15-month tenure as minister for solid minerals and steel development.

By the time the bejewelled Mrs Alison-Madueke returned home a few days later to assume duties as Nigeria's first female oil minister, she had achieved three clear objectives from the trip - she had unlimited fun, acquired some of Aire's exotic gold and gemstones, and handed Mr Aire an invitation to become one of Nigeria's biggest crude oil lifters.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.


At the time, the 47-year-old Mr Aire had nothing whatever to do with the oil business. His company, Solid 21 Incorporated, dealt strictly in jewellery and timepieces. Those close to him said Mr Aire was content with his jewellery business and had no plan to venture into Nigeria's murky oil waters. But all that changed after his meeting with Mrs Alison-Madueke that fateful April 7.

As the minister was flying home, Mr Aire also kick-started the process of registering brand new companies with which he planned to lift Nigerian crude. On July 9, 2010, the jeweller incorporated Siseno Oil Nigeria Limited, with him and one Patience Iluobe (believed to be his relative) as directors, to carry out the business of petroleum products sales and distribution.

Twelve days later (July 21, 2010), Mr Aire, through his agents, headed again to the Corporate Affairs Commission, where he incorporated another firm, Caligeria Oil Limited, also for the purpose of conducting petroleum products sales and distribution.

This time, one of his US-based companies, Osiri Holdings, Ms Iluobe, and one Otaigbe Onyekwere Agba, were named as directors. Mr Aire also proceeded to incorporate a US version of Caligeria with himself, his bodyguard, Joseph Agbi, and Jivani Davoodian, a Californian lawyer, as directors.

Favourite crude oil lifter

Mr Aire passed the papers of his newly minted companies, which have neither fixed addresses nor personnel, to the Crude Oil Marketing Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Shortly afterwards - a month after the companies were born - Mrs Alison-Madueke discretionally approved the award of crude oil lifting contracts to the two firms, in violation of NNPC guidelines for lifting of Nigerian crude.

She also disregarded the fact that the "briefcase company" had no track record and lacked the ability to perform. According to a stringent guideline released by the NNPC in early 2010, companies which wish to lift Nigerian crude must prove that they are bona fide end users and that they are established and globally recognised large volume traders with evidence of their global network, their activities, and volumes of crude oil handled in the last three years.

Such companies must also provide evidence that they are registered Nigerian companies with operations in Nigeria's oil and gas industry, and must have a minimum annual turnover of at least $100 million and net worth of not less than $40 million.

Applicants are also required to show commitment to the development of the Nigerian economy by investing in any number of opportunities that abound either in the oil industry or gas sector. Besides, successful companies are expected to post a $1 million performance bond through a first class Nigerian bank in addition to the regular crude oil contract provisions.

In the same guideline, the corporation promises transparency, fairness and equity in the contract award processes. "The NNPC further wishes to emphasise that there is absolutely nothing like ‘Presidential', ‘Task Force', ‘Ministerial', ‘Diplomatic' or any other form of special or privileged allocation, which can be peddled by hawkers or anyone," the guideline states.

Mrs Alison-Maduekwe approved this guideline, which was posted on the NNPC's website on June 24, 2010, over a month after she became minister. But by allocating crude oil to Mr Aire's companies without regard for these rules, the then minister, insiders say, demonstrated a penchant for violating laws, including regulations she helped put in place.

Those who should know at the NNPC say Siseno and Caligeria did not meet any of these requirements. In fact, NEXT was able to determine that the companies do not have fixed addresses or personnel in Nigeria. Caligeria has Plot G19, House 34, Dan Alhaji Road, Barnawa, Kaduna, as its registered address. Siseno, on the other hand, listed Dollar Shop at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja as its operational address.

But visits to those addresses showed that these companies never operated out of those locations. Plot G19, House 34, in Kaduna is an unpainted residential bungalow, and residents and neighbours said no company known as Caligeria has ever operated in the building. "Just because their owner knows the minister and hosted her well at his glamorous event in California, the companies are today two of the biggest lifters of Nigeria's crude oil," said a source at the petroleum ministry.

We have learnt that, between them, Mr Aire's two companies lift 60,000 barrels of crude per day, the highest for any established industry player and twice as much as well-known companies such as Addax, Vermont, Oando, Unicorp and others who are allocated 30,000 barrels per day. The government, through the NNPC, subcontracts crude marketing by allocating crude lifting contracts of 30,000 barrel per day; but some traders like Glencore, Travigura, Vitol and Sahara get as much as 60,000 barrels per day.

Nobody got more than the minister's jeweller friend

As usual, Mrs Alison-Madueke declined to state her own side of the story to our reporters. She called off an interview appointment scheduled with our editors for June 13. She also did not return calls and text messages seeking her comments for this story.

Mr Aire did not respond to our enquiries either. When our reporter called his California office, a spokesperson who identified herself as Adriana, requested that questions should be e-mailed directly to her. She did not respond to the email as at the time this newspaper went to print. But the spokesperson of the NNPC, Levi Ajuonoma, rose in stout defence of his organisation, saying the organisation did nothing wrong. "The process for crude oil lifting license is so cumbersome. If you don't meet the requirements, you cannot be approved to lift crude," Mr Ajuonoma said. He confirmed that Caligeria, which he claimed had been around for a long time, got a one-year lifting contract that had since expired. He denied that Siseno was awarded contract to lift crude, saying "there is no such company on my list." But information at our disposal shows otherwise.

Caligeria's registration documents, obtained officially from the Corporate Affairs Commission, indicate that the company was incorporated less than a year ago and has a subsisting contract with the NNPC. High level sources also confirmed to us that Siseno, also less than a year old, is on the list of our country's crude oil traders. With the arbitrary allocations to his no-address companies, Mr Aire and his associates earn about $11 million a year in profit for doing virtually nothing. Crude lifters make about 50 cents a barrel per day, which cumulatively comes to about $30,000 per day in profit for the jeweller-turned-oil magnate.

Typically, what these ‘briefcase companies' do is team up with influential officials such as Mrs Alison-Madueke, lobby for contracts independently, and then sell their allocations to more established traders. Mr Aire's companies also benefitted from Mrs Alison-Madueke's discretional award of contracts for the lifting of products from the Oso condensate (an extra light Nigerian hydrocarbon) and the Escravos liquefied petroleum gas terminal. Our sources said Caligeria lifts 45,000 metric tonnes of condensate, while Siseno gets 30,000 metric tonnes of LPG from Escravos. Industry insiders said profit from this also runs into several millions of dollars.

Some industry operators described the obvious in calling Mr Aire's a "sweetheart deal". "We just can't understand why briefcase companies without any track record became Diezani's most favourite companies to lift crude oil," said one highly placed source in the petroleum ministry, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal. "This is the highest level of arbitrariness and corruption I have ever seen, and this woman must be made to answer questions," the source said.

Allison-Madueke's bazaar

Arbitrary awards of crude lifting contracts to obscure companies is indicative of the corruption in the oil industry, which allegedly skyrocketed during the tenure of Mrs Allison-Madueke to a degree last seen during the Sani Abacha administration. Insiders said that during her tenure, awards of contracts were characterised by bribery of top politicians, cronyism in allocation and indirect ownership in some of the lifters, and payment of huge bribes to high level facilitators within the petroleum ministry and the NNPC.

But this has not stopped Mrs Allison-Madueke, who has alienated the entire industry as well as her cabinet colleagues and senior aides to the president, from lobbying furiously for reappointment. Sources say Mrs Allison-Madueke, who is close to the president, is also opposed by Patience Jonathan, the president's wife.

Despite what appears to be overwhelming opposition, however, insiders still rate Mrs Allison-Madueke's chances high, as the president finalises his list of cabinet ministers for transmission to the Senate this week. Our investigation revealed that apart from Caligeria and Siseno, the former minister also trampled on due process in awarding crude lifting contracts to other companies such as Sullom Voe, Spog, Tempo and Tacomo. Insiders also accuse her of discretionary awards of Escravos liquefied petroleum gas contracts to Addax Energy, Avidor Oil and Gas Limited (believed to have connection to Vitol), Taleveras Business, Accoldis Limited (with connection to Spog), Elan Oil (believed to be another version of Traffigura) Tempo Energy Limited, and Blissfield Enterprises. Yet, the bazaar did not end there.

Mrs Alison-Madueke, our sources further revealed, proceeded to discretionally approve the awards of Oso condensate contracts to Algasco (also linked to Vitol), Optima Energy Services, Theydon Petro SA, Ocean Bed (with connection to Sahara Energy), Mangrove Energy, Havistar Petroleum (linked to Taleveras), Hyson, Ascon limited, Nipco Plc, Vitacan Services Limited, AMG Petro Energy, Energy Resources Management, Ultimate Gas Limited, Tempo Energy, Caligeria Oil Limited, Mez Technical Limited, Messrs Affiliate Global Exchange Limited, and Mezcor SA. Most of these companies have little or no investment in Nigeria, as required by the NNPC guideline for crude oil lifting.

A stench of corruption

The former powerful minister worked through a group of very small, even shadowy, companies that always seem to get the best contracts from the NNPC in the upstream and downstream sectors and on occasion in the services industry.

The tangled web of questionable deals includes last-minute assignment of production rights in five large oil blocks to Septa Energy and the obscure Atlantic Drilling Concept Limited without a public tender. The practices also include the secretive award of kerosene allocations, crude oil allocations, fuel oil allocations, LPG and condensate exports, automotive gas oil and naphtha. Oil traders, according to insiders, regularly pay substantial kickbacks into the offshore accounts of top oil sector executives. Insiders say the Isle of Man has been a favourite jurisdiction for such offshore accounts.

The funds are paid directly into the accounts from outside Nigeria and thus the funds never enter Nigeria and cannot be tracked internally. The funds are often then laundered through real estate purchases. A source familiar with the arrangement said London remains the dominant location where funds are laundered in this fashion.

It is said that since Farida Waziri became the chairperson of the EFCC, the Metropolitan Police had enjoyed zero local co-operation in pursuing such matters. In fact, the source added, when the Met briefs the EFCC on such cases with a view to getting its assistance, elements in the commission promptly informs the target - for a fee of course. Under Mrs Allison-Madueke, all sorts of gaps have been exploited. As at April this year, 600,000 metric tonnes of diesel had been imported, with importers shaken down at a rate of N10 per litre.

We have no evidence that these bribes directly involved the former minister. NEXT had also uncovered an elaborate bribery scam at the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), where oil marketers were compelled to pay bribes in US dollars in exchange for obtaining authorisation to import gasoline.

Our investigation at the time showed that oil marketers were instructed by PPPRA to call a mobile telephone number and pay a bribe of $8 per metric tonne of petroleum allocated to them, such that a firm with a 100,000 metric tonnes allocation would be required to pay a bribe of $800,000 in cash. We were also able to establish in subsequent investigations that Mrs Alison-Maduekwe appeared to have violated Nigeria's procurement law by quietly signing away operatorship rights in five lucrative oil blocks to two barely established companies.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5721486-146/story.csp#


Nigerian Jewels Bling in Hollywood as Chris Aire launches the “Hollywood Glamour Collection”

http://www.bellanaija.com/2010/04/09/nigerian-jewels-bling-in-hollywood-as-chris-aire-launches-the-hollywood-glamour-collection/




Revealed: $700 million raw cash found in Petroleum Minister’s house
By Nigerian Insight on February 26, 2015

http://nigerianinsight.com/revealed-700-million-raw-cash-found-in-petroleum-ministers-house/

was it an honest internet mistake or mischief makers at work?
it fooled a lot of people on NL.

i didn't see this posted ....

Nigerian Inauguration 2015: Channels Television - Multi Platform Streaming


http://www.channelstv.com/live/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANM-dq5USTc

calming waters ....

fellas, can u imagine looking at that red horned creature while doing your duty from the back?

[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/1059108_tonto-dikeh-tatoo_jpg09d25f1ccd07f183076e30c780b824ae[/img]

and for the next entertainment cossy will perform the cup toss

https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9zldsr7rn1qefm89o1_250.gif

update ...


Swiss arrest top global soccer officials in U.S., Swiss corruption cases
Reuters 6 minutes ago
By Mike Collett and Brian Homewood

ZURICH (Reuters) - Seven of the most powerful figures in global soccer faced extradition to the United States on corruption charges after being arrested on Wednesday in Switzerland, where authorities also announced a criminal investigation into the awarding of the next two World Cups.

The world's most popular sport was plunged into turmoil after U.S. and Swiss authorities announced separate inquiries into the activities of the game's powerful ruling body.

U.S. authorities said nine soccer officials and five sports media and promotions executives faced corruption charges involving more than $150 million in bribes. Swiss police arrested seven FIFA officials who are now awaiting extradition to the United States.

Those arrested did not include Sepp Blatter, the Swiss head of FIFA, but included several just below him in the hierarchy of sport's wealthiest body.

Of the 14 indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice, seven FIFA officials, including Vice-President Jeffrey Webb, were being held in Zurich. Four people and two corporate defendants had already pleaded guilty to various charges, the department said.


The Miami, Florida, headquarters of CONCACAF, the soccer federation that governs North America, Central America and the Caribbean, were being searched on Wednesday, the DoJ said.
"As charged in the indictment, the defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world," said FBI Director James Comey. "Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks, and bribes became a way of doing business at FIFA."

The arrested FIFA officials appeared to have walked into a trap set by U.S. and Swiss authorities. The arrests were made at dawn at a plush Zurich hotel where FIFA officials are staying ahead of a vote this week where they are expected to anoint Blatter for a fifth term in office.

"DIFFICULT MOMENT"

FIFA said the arrests were a "difficult moment" but Blatter

would seek a fifth term as FIFA head as planned and the upcoming World Cups would go ahead as intended.

Separate from the U.S. investigation, Swiss prosecutors said they had opened their own criminal proceedings against unidentified individuals on suspicion of mismanagement and money laundering related to the awarding of rights to host the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Data and documents were seized from computers at FIFA's Zurich headquarters, the Swiss prosecutors said.

Officials said that following the arrests, accounts at several banks in Switzerland had been blocked.

The U.S. Department of Justice named those arrested in its case as: Webb, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, FIFA Vice-President Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel and José Maria Marin.

The DoJ said the defendants included U.S. and South American sports marketing executives alleged to have paid and agreed to pay "well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments".

"The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States," U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

"It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks," she said.

BILLIONS OF DOLLARS

The international governing body of soccer collects billions of dollars in revenue, mostly from sponsorship and television rights for World Cups.

It has persistently been dogged by reports of corruption which it says it investigates itself, but until now it has escaped major criminal cases in any country.

In particular, the decision to award the World Cup to Qatar, a tiny desert country with no domestic tradition of soccer, was heavily criticized by soccer officials in Western countries. FIFA was forced to acknowledge that it is too hot to play soccer there in the summer when the cup is traditionally held, forcing schedules around the globe to be rewritten to move the cup.

Qatar's stock market fell sharply as news of the Swiss investigation emerged. A Russian official said his country would still host the 2018 World Cup.

Three years ago FIFA hired a former U.S. prosecutor to examine allegations of bribery over the awarding of the World Cups to Qatar and Russia, but last year it refused to publish his report, releasing only a summary in which it said there were no major irregularities. The investigator quit, saying his report had been mischaracterized.

Most of the arrested officials are in Switzerland for the FIFA Congress, where Blatter faces a challenge from Jordan's Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in an election on Friday to lead the organization. Other potential challengers to Blatter have all dropped out the race.

Prince Ali, who has promised to clean up FIFA if elected to the top job, called it "a sad day for football".

CONCACAF FOCUS

Much of the U.S. inquiry focuses on CONCACAF, whose Trinidadian former boss Jack Warner was regularly dogged by accusations of corruption before he resigned in 2011, at which point FIFA terminated its investigations of him.

U.S. law gives its courts broad powers to investigate crimes committed by foreigners on foreign soil if money passes through U.S. banks or other activity takes place there.

Damian Collins, a British member of parliament who founded the reform group New FIFA Now, said the arrests and could have a massive impact on the governing body.

"The chickens are finally coming home to roost and this sounds like a hugely significant development for FIFA," he told Reuters.

"It proves that Sepp Blatter's promises over the last few years to look into corruption at FIFA have not materialized and because he has totally failed to do this, it has been left to an outside law enforcement agency to do the job and take action."

(Additional reporting Curtis Skinner in San Francisco and Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Writing by Peter Graff and Giles Elgood, editing by Peter Millership)

every time i see a pic one one of these Jezebels i can't help but think of that film with that german shepard dog.

Swiss open criminal proceedings in 2018, '22 World Cup votes

[img]http://pics.mcclatchyinteractive.com/wire_photos/rzgx13/picture22405275/ALTERNATES/FREE_960/Switzerland%20Soccer%20FIFA%20Raids.JPEG[/img]

[img]http://pics.mcclatchyinteractive.com/wire_photos/hbvq75/picture22405998/ALTERNATES/FREE_960/Switzerland%20Soccer%20FIFA%20Raids.JPEG[/img]

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer

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ZURICH

Swiss federal prosecutors opened criminal proceedings related to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, throwing FIFA deeper into crisis only hours after six soccer officials were arrested and 14 indicted Wednesday in a separate U.S. corruption probe.

FIFA, meanwhile, said Friday's presidential election would go ahead as planned with Sepp Blatter going for a fifth term. Blatter was not named in either investigation.

FIFA also ruled out a revote of the World Cups won by Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

The Swiss prosecutors' office said in a statement they seized "electronic data and documents" at FIFA's headquarters on Wednesday as part of their probe. And Swiss police said they will question 10 FIFA executive committee members who took part in the World Cup votes in December 2010.

The Swiss investigation against "persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering" again throws into the doubt the integrity of the voting.

The announcement came only hours after six soccer officials were arrested and detained by Swiss police pending extradition at the request of U.S. authorities after a raid at a luxury hotel in Zurich.

The case involves bribes "totaling more than $100 million" linked to commercial deals dating back to the 1990s for soccer tournaments in the United States and Latin America, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice said in a statement.

The Swiss prosecutors' office said the U.S. probe was separate from its investigation but that authorities were working together.

Dozens of soccer officials are in Switzerland for the FIFA congress and presidential election, where Blatter is widely expected to win re-election at the helm of the governing body of world soccer.

"He is not one of the ones arrested. He is not involved at all," FIFA spokesman Walter de Gregorio told The Associated Press. "We are trying to find out more from the police."

Two current FIFA vice presidents were among those indicted, Jeffrey Webb and Eugenio Figueredo, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Others indicted include Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Rafael Esquivel, Jose Maria Marin and Nicolas Leoz.

"The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States," Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said in a statement. "It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks."

Blatter had been scheduled to attend a meeting of the Confederation of African Football in a different downtown Zurich hotel, but he canceled his appearance.

Blatter's only opponent in Friday's presidential election, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, said it was "a sad day for football," but declined to comment further.

The arrests were made at the lakeside Baur au Lac Hotel in downtown Zurich, long favored as a place for senior FIFA officials to stay. It was the stage for intense lobbying for votes ahead of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting decisions in December 2010.

The North American regional body, known as CONCACAF, reported itself to U.S. tax authorities in 2012. Then based in New York, the organization had not paid taxes over several years when its president was Warner and secretary general was Chuck Blazer of the United States.

Warner, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, left soccer in 2011 to avoid FIFA sanctions in a bribery scandal during that year's presidential election. Blazer left in 2013 and has pleaded guilty to charges, the Justice Department said in Wednesday's statement.

Warner's successor as CONCACAF leader and FIFA vice president is Webb, who is from the Cayman Islands and was staying at the Baur au Lac this week.

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said in its statement that U.S. authorities suspect the six arrested officials of having received or paid bribes totaling millions of dollars and that the crimes were agreed to and prepared in the U.S., and payments carried out via U.S. banks.

"The bribery suspects — representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms — are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the soccer functionaries (FIFA delegates) and other functionaries of FIFA sub-organizations - totaling more than USD 100 million," the FOJ statement said.

A statement in German added that the probe involved tournaments in the United States.

International media gathered at the street entrance of the Baur au Lac in scenes reminiscent of the World Cup votes won by Russia and Qatar more than four years ago.

Then, former President Bill Clinton was inside meeting FIFA voters who later rejected the American bid in favor of Qatar, and Britain's Prince William was part of the losing English bid team.

Suspicions of vote-buying and wrongdoing in those bidding contests have dogged FIFA ever since.

[img]http://img.ksl.com/slc/2553/255369/25536928.jpg?filter=ksl/pgallery[/img]

CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, right, speaks, as Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter looks on during a Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean

yeah, power to put the giant of Africa in debt to the western banks!

One of the most dynamic, hardest working brothas on the planet!!!

double salute

the statue of limitations is up on this non-capital case.



Federal Drug Charges Statute of Limitations
An oft-quoted federal statute, 18 USC 3282, provides a five-year window of limitation for the prosecution of noncapital federal offenses. Although some offenses are exempt, the majority may not be prosecuted 60 months after the alleged offense.
http://www.federalcharges.com/drug-narcotics-laws-charges/



Why The US Government Is After Buruji Kashamu
http://saharareporters.com/2014/01/11/why-us-government-after-buruji-kashamu

Kashamu was ordered detained following his December 1998 arrest and he was incarcerated in London’s Brixton Prison during the pendency of extradition proceedings based on the government’s warrant in the instant case. Kashamu’s arrest triggered the commencement of the time limit for the government’s submission in support of extradition.

London town is focused on Africa's biggest economy.


Fuel shortages cripple Nigeria

William Wallis and Maggie Fick in London

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/15cffc66-02ec-11e5-b31d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3bDdAbN3f


Advisers to Nigeria’s president-elect Muhammadu Buhari are in talks with multinational oil companies in an effort to alleviate fuel shortages that have brought business in Africa’s largest economy to a virtual standstill.

Mr Buhari, who became the first opposition candidate in Nigeria’s history to unseat an incumbent president at polls in late March, is due to be sworn into office on Friday in the middle of one of the worst fuel crises the country has experienced.

[img]http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/64febd9f-144e-4584-9301-7c63d71dcfa1.img[/img]
Guaranty Trust Bank, a leading Nigerian bank, announced it would be shutting early on Monday because it had insufficient diesel to run generators across its branches. Airlines have cut back internal flight schedules, international flights have been rerouted due to the lack of aviation fuel, and three of the country’s mobile phone operators have warned that their networks will be degraded unless there is an immediate remedy.

The crisis has crept up in recent weeks amid wrangling by national fuel marketers over more than $1bn in alleged outstanding payments by the outgoing administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

A last-minute deal late on Monday with the marketers’ association could see fuel supplies improving steadily “over the next seven to 14 days”, according to a senior executive with one of the companies, who claimed arrears to January amounted to about $1.5bn. But he said Nigeria has only about two days of fuel in stock.

A spokesman for the finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the marketers were demanding a balance of 200 billion naira ($1bn). The minister wanted the claims verified first “but the marketers are kicking against this and saying they must be paid or they won’t supply”.

The shortages have been compounded by a series of strikes by tanker drivers — over the non-payment of haulage fees — and at the state oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Oil mystery

[img]http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/404ebcec-edbc-11e4-987e-00144feab7de.img[/img]
Nigeria's ousted central bank chief Mall...Nigeria's ousted central bank chief Mallam Lamido Sanusi speaks during an interview in Lagos on February 23, 2014. Lamido was suspended by President Goodluck Jonathan for alleged financial recklessness, and sidelining a prominent government critic. Lamido Sanusi, whose term was due to expire in June, became embroiled in controversy after he accused the state Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of misappropriating $20 billion (14.5 billion euros) of public funds.Nigeria's ousted central bank chief Mall...Nigeria's ousted central bank chief Mallam Lamido Sanusi speaks during an interview in Lagos on February 23, 2014. Lamido was suspended by President Goodluck Jonathan for alleged financial recklessness, and sidelining a prominent government critic. Lamido Sanusi, whose term was due to expire in June, became embroiled in controversy after he accused the state Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of misappropriating $20 billion (14.5 billion euros) of public funds. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEIPIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEIPIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images

Unanswered questions on Nigeria’s missing oil revenue billions

Nigeria pumps about 2m barrels of oil a day and is Africa’s leading producer. But it imports more than two-thirds of its domestic fuel requirements because of the poor state of its four ageing refineries. Private investment in refining has been stymied by the artificially low pump price of petrol, which the government subsidises at the cost of billions of dollars a year.

The subsidy, which in the past has soaked up about a quarter of the federal budget, is notoriously inefficient and has been the target of alleged multibillion-dollar fraud, according to a string of officially sponsored audits and parliamentary investigations.

Mr Buhari, a former military ruler, made stamping out such fraud the centrepiece of his campaign and some of the marketers fear he will drag his heels before settling arrears. “The real issue here is that the marketers see this as a way of blackmailing the incoming government. A lot of them are associated with those leaving power and after Friday they will have no hold,” a senior adviser to Mr Buhari told the Financial Times. He said the incoming administration was talking to the oil majors about bringing in cargos as a short-term remedy after the handover, but he said there was a limit to how far they could lock in deals before formally taking office.

The crisis would be a “distraction” from day one, he added, but it would also allow the new government to review the subsidy regime and consider deregulating the market as a long-term solution. “These challenges present an opportunity to break the mould and do things differently,” he said.

Meanwhile, official power grid production has dropped to about 1,300 megawatts, about half its normal output, as a result of a cut-off of gas supplies to power plants because of the strikes. The impact on the economy, already slowing as a result of the fall in world oil prices since last year, is expected to be severe, according to analysts.

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest businessman, told Thisday newspaper he had been forced to shut down operations at several of his cement plants, and had rushed to Abuja, the capital, at the weekend to impress upon Mr Jonathan the urgency of the situation.

“I reminded him that he had won praise at home and abroad for putting the country first by conceding defeat after the elections, but could squander all the goodwill if he failed to do anything to reverse this unprecedented energy crisis,” he said, in a rare shot across the bows of government.


______________________________

Nigeria fuel shortage cripples businesses, banks and flights

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32873349

listen for yourself ....


Mossad Agent/Author Reveals ISIS is Israeli Secret Intelligence Service on C-SPAN


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2uK6fs2KmI




and recent headlines ......

Sudan's President claims CIA and Mossad 'stand behind' Isis and Boko Haram

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/sudans-president-claims-cia-and-mossad-stand-behind-isis-and-boko-haram-10051024.html

found another one

WHITE WOMAN says, "I LOVE BLACK MEN" KISSES THE BOOTS OF HEBREW ISRAELITES - ISUPK Washington DC



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMC0qovMwDk

dude had to get back to work.


[img]http://img.thenigerianvoice.com/story.aspx?img=XGltYWdlc1xjb250ZW50XGJ1aGFyaWRhdmlkYnJvd24ucG5nfDY3MHwzNzB8NS8yMy8yMDE1[/img]

https://www.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/000_DV2041434-e1432382935942.jpg

Nigeria’s President-elect Muhammadu Buhari gets into his car in Downing Street, central London following a meeting with Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/buhari-meets-cameron-in-london/#sthash.GGeVxOE8.dpuf

i tire of this confusing a swimsuit with a bikini threads


bi·ki·ni
biˈkēnē/
noun
noun: bikini; plural noun: bikinis

a very brief two-piece swimsuit for women.



bi·ki·ni (bĭ-kē′nē)
n. pl. bi·ki·nis
1.
a. A very brief, close-fitting two-piece bathing suit worn by women.

You won't believe this act of humility, faith, and belief in God ......


JEWISH BOYS KISSED THE BOOTS OF THE REAL JEWS - ISUPK HEBREW ISRALITES



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9g7z8IBVkg




______________________

WHITE MAN KISSES THE BOOTS OF THE REAL JEWS - 1WEST ISUPK NO COWARDS


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pau03d-U7XU

so many fine babes on NL .... too many for me to choose

congrats, wishing u and yours a happy future together!

i finally checked out two brides and a baby, tight work ....

https://www.gistus.com/gs-c/uploads/2012/04/Snapflix-Premiere-Two-Brides-and-a-baby.jpg

the plot thickens in Plateau state


Nigerian troops accused of killing civilians in Plateau state

4 May 2015


https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/81666000/jpg/_81666408_125666485.jpg
Disputes over grazing rights in Nigeria have often led to violence


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32578818

Community leaders in central Nigeria have accused government troops of killing dozens of civilians and burning villages following the deaths of six soldiers at the hands of tribesmen.

Residents of Wase district in Plateau state said troops arrived on Saturday night and opened fire indiscriminately.

The army denies killing civilians but a spokesman said one of its units had engaged a local militia group.

The group is not connected to the Islamist militants Boko Haram.

Last week six soldiers were killed and mutilated by tribesmen - reportedly members of the Tarok tribe - who were allegedly involved in cattle rustling.

Plateau state has witnessed violence blamed on land disputes between semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers.

Addressing a news conference in the Plateau state capital, Jos, community leader Comrade Jangle Lohbut said he had documented at least 38 deaths at the hands of troops.

"Soldiers stormed some villages in Wase. Villages belonging to Tarok and other tribes were razed and many lives, men, women and children, were lost," he said.

Local traditional ruler Chief Jessie Miri said he believed that up to 80 people had been killed.

Military spokesman Captain Ikedichi Iweha denied soldiers had targeted civilians, saying that troops were battling militiamen in the area.

"Yesterday, contact was made with the militia group and a firefight ensued. It is still going on," he said.

Last year, Amnesty International accused the Nigerian army of committing atrocities in the north-east in its fight against Boko Haram.

The military said it would investigate any alleged attacks on civilians.

all those millions that Jonathan paid him and he's still making noise and crying

baba o is helping ....

https://allafrica.com/download/pic/main/main/csiid/00261056:b7cbf56eb6aa4e9e957334924c0bdd7b:arc614x376:w614:us1.jpg


Nigeria: Obasanjo Recommends Way Forward for Nigeria to Buhari

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo through his think-tank group, studied critical areas of the economy and submitted a report to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, recommending way forward for his administration in leading a new Nigeria.

The Committee which was established four months ago by former President Obasanjo under the Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library studied five key areas of education, power, the economy, security and infrastructure.

Head of Buhari's Media team, Mallam Garba Shehu told newsmen that Vice Chairman of the Committee and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu presented volumes of the report of the committee to Gen. Buhari during a brief ceremony held behind closed doors.

He also said that former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria, Dr. Christopher Kolade who was head of the power committee, gave various stages of the proposed power sector development plan to include, short term, medium term, long term solutions.

Shehu said under the short term solution, the plan seeks to raise the country's power generation to 10,000 MW within a short period of time, adding that "the whole idea was that Obasanjo set up his own think- tank with the aim of carrying out a study on challenges facing the country in five key areas of Education, Power sector, Economy, Security and Infrastructure. The study was commissioned four months ago so that the outcome will be made available to the incoming administration after the election."

He stated that Buhari as appreciated Obasanjo and his team for their effort, describing their intervention as a great impetus for the incoming government.

Buhari, he said regretted that the out-going government that is supposed to give him tips on how to take-off has done nothing so far and thanked Obasanjo and his team for their gesture, assuring them that his incoming administration will be needing their advice as time goes on.

Speaking with the press after the meeting with the President elect, Chairman of the Governing Board of Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Professor Akin Mabogunje said the centre has been working on some critical areas of the economy which they hope will be of help to the incoming government.

He said the "Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library has being working on a number of critical issues for the development of this country and they have now sent a delegation of those who've been involve with the preparation of those policy documents to talk to the president-elect and get him to appreciate what is being done to help his administration. That's why we are here."

Prof. Mabogunje said they looked into such sectors like education, security, economy, power and Infrastructure, saying these "are the areas we've made recommendations and which we hope the new administration will be able to work on."

Asked how the President elect received the report, the Professor of Geography said "he was very happy that we've been thinking about how to help him hit the ground running and he expressed his appreciation for what we've been doing."


Nigeria: Obasanjo Lends Helping Hand to Incoming Administration

A think-tank constituted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to support incoming administration's transition on Thursday presented its report to President-elect, retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Malam Garba Shehu, Director Media and Publicity to the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, made this known in a news briefing in Abuja.

Shehu said that the report was presented "at a brief closed-door ceremony by Vice Chairman of the think-tank, and former Finance Minister, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu.

He said that the report focused on education, power, economy, security and infrastructure, adding that Obasanjo commissioned the committee on the assignment about four months ago.

"The whole idea was that Obasanjo set up his own think-tank with the aim of carrying out a study on challenges facing the country in five key areas.

"The study was commissioned four months ago so that the outcome will be made available to the incoming administration after the election," he said.

"Dr Christopher Kolade, who heads the power committee, gave various stages of the proposed power sector development plan to include, short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions.

"Under the short-term solution, the plan seeks to raise the country's power generation to 10,000 MW within a very short period of time," Shehu said.

He said that the president-elect expressed gratitude to Obasanjo and his team, describing their intervention as a great impetus for the incoming government.

"The president-elect regretted that the outgoing government that is supposed to give him tips on how to take-off has done nothing so far.

"He thanked the Obasanjo think-tank for its gesture, assuring them that his incoming administration would need its advice as time goes on," he said.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2420945_112440601445160019127771700196933n_jpegee0ccacd154fcea03d7ac9e2a073ae6c


a lot of dem girls didn't get the memo


Ivory Coast bans potentially deadly skin-whitening creams

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/07/ivory-coast-bans-potentially-deadly-skin-whitening-creams

https://i.guim.co.uk/media/w-620/h--/q-95/c7cd63a03841d76581eecc4806a0f553e926a4b0/0_156_4902_2939/1000.jpg

solar is the way to go, especially in a sunny climate ...pics from yankee


https://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/36/24/34/7948063/3/628x471.jpg


https://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/36/24/34/7948059/3/628x471.jpg


https://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/36/24/34/7948050/3/628x471.jpg


https://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/36/24/34/7948058/3/628x471.jpg

one night with these sweet babes and i'd have them both lookin like Tiwa looked last week. happy and big bellied. rukky got first cause see know how to cook for a man!

God bless tiwa and teebillz with their safe and healthy delivery.

REMMEI:
Some girls opinion here are just pathetic..

Damn!.. bunch of hypocritical comments.

i agree, got quite a few revealing their nature like


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gjGCxh5spQU/hqdefault.jpg

this story sounds like a script from a couple of movies i recently viewed

i won't post the links but they are easy to find online.


Take my wife (Clean version) - Nigerian Nollywood Movie


A Dirty Marriage - - Nigerian Nollywood Movie 2013

grandstar:
They look Caribbean. Where are they from?

In Trinidad, some of them bear the name Lara. Apparently, a lot of Yoruba slaves were taken there

5 things you should know about governor’s bride-to-be

http://pulse.ng/local/adams-oshiomhole-5-things-you-should-know-about-governor-s-bride-to-be-photos-id3753914.html

Her name is Lara Fortes.

She is from Cape Verde

She’s said to be a former model and air hostess.

She’s in her thirties.

She was earlier seen with the governor at the 50th birthday party of Grace Ihonvbere, wife of Secretary to the Edo State Government, Julius Ihonvbere on March 21 in Abuja.

UPDATE: The governor's wife-to-be is from Cape Verde and not Ethiopia as previously stated.