₦airaland Forum

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu says the Federal Government, through automation initiatives by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has realized over N1.66 trillion from royalties and renewal of oil block licenses within one year; about 80 per cent rise against the previous year’s.

Speaking in Lagos, yesterday, during the launch of Crude oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Tracking (COLT) and automation initiatives, Kachikwu said until now, the process of royalties payment was determined by the oil firms, adding that today, the process is being determined by the DPR through automation initiatives.

The breakdown, according to the minister shows that a total of N1.3 trillion was realised from royalties while $1.2 billion was earned from 42 oil blocks renewals.

“This is part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate to improve earnings in the nation’s oil and gas sector as well as strengthening regulations to enhance efficiency in the daily crude oil production and exploration.

The minister noted that the country now has a computer based application that enables the regulatory agency to track crude oil, petroleum products from different terminals to their destinations both within and outside the country.

“It is a vessel tracking mechanism so that at any given time, we can tell what the country has produced for the very first time in the history of the country. We can also tell where the products have gone in term of export and where they are discharged.

The new technology monitors on a forensic basis, if there are some suspicious movements of vessels after we have products loaded into them.

“It has also been extended to the downstream sector to be able to capture everything that is brought into the country in terms of product importation of refined products. And also to be able to track the distribution,” he said

He noted that the regulatory agency has also launched a benchmarking system to track the expenses and reduce cost of producing oil in the country which, according to him, had been a major challenge.

“The benchmark system will help cut down cost of producing crude oil in the country and given the oxalating price oil all over the world, unless we are able to do this, we will produce all the oil and we will make no money out of it.

“The new scheme has been very helpful. With this we can challenge the oil companies with what they have externally in terms of best practice”, he said.

Kachikwu explained that henceforth, oil companies must ensure that they don’t have royalty arrears for payment before renewal of their licenses, adding that no oil company’s license will be renewed with royalty debts.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-earned-n1-662trn-from-oil-block-license-renewals-royalties-in-one-year.html

Home of peace and tourism

This broom has no use to ordinary Nigerians

The federal government has described reports in the social media that Leah Sharibu, the abducted Dapchi schoolgirl, has died in captivity as fake news.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement issued to journalists on Sunday said the report is “absolutely fake news. There is nothing like that”.

He said the rumour, which surfaced just a few days to the presidential election, is another ploy by the political opposition to tarnish the image of the administration and exploit primordial sentiments ahead of the polls.

“I think it’s part of the opposition’s strategies to throw everything at the administration and at the President. I think every day they are realizing the hopelessness of their position.

“Every day they are amazed by the support Mr. President is receiving from every part of the country and they have decided that they are going to spread falsehood, inflame passion and make this election a Muslim-Christian affair or North-South affair, but people are not listening to them,” the minister said.

Speaking on the Monday’s presidential campaign rally in Ilorin, he said the All Progressives Congress (APC) has put everything in place to ensure that the visit of President Buhari is a huge success.

He said the crowd that will come out to receive the President will be organic as the party does not engage in renting crowds.

Mohammed appealed to security agencies to create a level playing field for all the contestants in the election to allow the people to freely exercise their franchise.

He also described the protest in some circles over the redeployment of police commissioners as the handiwork of the opposition, which is working to discredit the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news-of-leah-sharibus-death-fake-fg.html

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday despatched a team to Jalingo, Taraba State, to condole with the government and people of the state over the loss of lives at his campaign rally last week.

The team, led by Mr Boss Gida Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), included Governor of Adamawa, Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla; Senator Ali Ndume; Mallam Mohammed Bello, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Dr Ali Isa Pantami, Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); and Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

Senator Yusuf A. Yusuf, a Taraba stakeholder, also joined the team.

At the Taraba Government House, where the team was received by Governor Darius Ishaku, Mr Boss Mustapha, speaking on behalf of the President, lamented the sad loss of eight people during and after the rally, saying they did not die in vain.

Responding, Governor Ishaku expressed “sincere gratitude and thanks to Mr President for promptly sending a delegation to condole with us,” adding that the people of Taraba were grateful for the show of concern.

An official letter of condolence personally signed by the President was presented to the governor by the SGF.

At the palace of the Emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Tafida, the leader of the delegation condoled with the monarch and the people on behalf of the President, praying that God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss.

In response, the Emir said it was President Buhari that needed to be condoled, since he lost his supporters, who loved him dearly.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/deaths-at-rally-sgf-leads-buharis-delegation-to-taraba.html

The Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong has said he would concede defeat if he loses the gubernatorial elections scheduled for March 2nd and therefore, stressed that no one should resort to violence on his behalf.

Lalong, who stated this on Thursday while commissioning the Forgiveness and Peace Garden in Jos, urged his political opponents to ensure they do the same, adding that this would ensure a violence free polls.

“Today we are going into an election and people are already predicting that there would be violence, violence for what? I am a candidate and I don’t want anybody to shed his blood for me.

“If I lose the election, I will accept it but I also expect that anybody who would lose the election should accept defeat and that way, there would be no violence,” he said.

He expressed dismay that some politicians encouraged youths to go into violence when they lose elections and warned youth that, “you will kill yourselves for nothing and the candidates will be there after with their children enjoying.

“Nobody would even announce or recognise that you are one of those who died. That is why I always say that when politicians ask you to go and fight, tell them to bring their children,”

The governor assured that the government would provide a conducive atmosphere for free and fair election while also putting the necessary machineries for those who would make trouble.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-elections-i-will-concede-defeat-if-i-lose-governor-lalong.html

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state has relieved Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo of his appointment as Commissioner of Information in the state with immediate effect.

This is coming hours after Goronyo announced his defection from PDP to APC.

A statement by the governor’s Director General of Media Affairs, Abu Shekara, said the sack was sequel to his sabotage of state government efforts on it laudable programmes and activities.

The statement directed the Permanent Secretary to take over the affairs of the ministry immediately.


But speaking at the APC campaign rally at Wamakko Local Government area of the state where he announced his defection, Barrister Goronyo said: “I am back into the fold of the APC. Senator Wamakko is my able and dependable father. He is a just, honest and a transparent leader.”

He added: “This day is very historic for myself, my family and all my political associates. I have admitted making mistakes, but I should be forgiven .”

He promised to work assiduously to ensure the success of the candidates of APC at all levels during the forthcoming general polls.

According to the former Commissioner, “President Muhammadu Buhari had made giant strides, to move Nigeria forward just like Senator Wamakko did between 2007 and 2015, when he was the Governor of Sokoto State, hence, bolstered the growth as well as its development.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/tambuwal-sacks-commissioner-who-dumped-pdp-for-apc.html

The PDP presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku, (Turakin Adamawa) has revealed his intention to restore local government autonomy by scrapping the joint account system and make sure that hunger ends in Nigeria if elected in 2019.

Atiku made the pledge before a large crowd of supporters during the Kebbi PDP presidential campaign rally yesterday in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, saying he will stop the current joint account system where the governors control local government money from the federation account.

“I will stop state governors from tampering with local government funds from the federation account. I will make sure that all local government areas in Nigeria get their money directly and not through the state governments,” he said.

The PDP presidential gay-bearer told the mammoth crowd in Kebbi that he will make food easily available to Nigerians and end poverty if the party succeeded in coming back to power in 2019.

According to him, “If you vote PDP in 2019, I will end hunger, insecurity and provide decent jobs to our youths. I will empower our youths and women through skill acquisition and small businesses.”

He urged Kebbi people to vote for the entire PDP candidates.

Earlier in his remarks, the PDP national chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, accused INEC of planning to rig the 2019 election with the ruling APC, even as he warned the INEC chairman to conduct free and fair election in 2019.

‘’I warn INEC chairman not to rig our election, APC has submitted list to them. We are also aware that some of the lecturers they will use are members of APC,’’ he stated.

https://leadership.ng/2019/02/04/ill-restore-lg-autonomyend-hunger-atiku/

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the alleged defilement of a 14-year-old girl in Ingawa town of Katsina State.

The suspects are Ali Isah, 68; Ayuba Sada, 65; Danjuma Sale, 62; Ibrahim Saidu, 46; Salisu Dahiru, 46 and Ibrahim Mohammed, 38.


Others are Yahaya Salisu, 40, Shehu Umar, 55, and Ibrahim Umar, 45.

Parading the suspects before journalists at the weekend, the Katsina State police command spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, said the suspects, all of Ingawa town, have at different times had sexual intercourse with the victim.


It was gathered that the victim’s mother noticed unusual behaviour from her daughter and confronted her which led the girl to mention one Ibrahim as the one having sex with her.

Upon his arrest, and during interrogation by police the victim reportedly mentioned the other eight persons who had at different times and places took advantage of her.

One of the suspects, Ali Isah, 68, said “It was the work of devil and I regret my actions. I had sex with her. I seek forgiveness. It is a thing I did three years ago and only came up now.”

It was gathered further that the suspects have since been charged to court and are all facing rape charges.

Sources at the court said the case would be coming up on February 28.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/9-men-nabbed-over-defilement-of-14-year-old-girl.html

Daura straight come feb 16

Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has described the recent endorsement of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s second term gubernatorial bid in the upcoming general election by President Muhammadu Buhari during his presidential campaign visit to Kano as an added advantage to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Speaking during a two-hour programme on a local radio station in the state, Kwankwaso, a serving Senator representing Kano central, stated that Buhari’s endorsement of Ganduje was a big mistake done by the President, considering all the circumstances surrounding the candidature of the governor.

“For those that genuinely love Mr. President, the endorsement was seen as a mistake and I strongly believe that it was a mistake.

“However, for us in PDP, President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Kano state and his endorsement of his party’s gubernatorial candidate was a big campaign for us, go round and sample views, you will understand what I am saying,” said Kwankwaso.


He further revealed that, his party and the Kwankwasiyya movement were always committed to serving the general public’s interest, questioning the way government activities were being conducted in present day democracy.

“I am not contesting for any position, I have observed the happenings for three good years and now is the time for all well-meaning Nigerians to use their constitutional right to effect the needed readjustments.

“The way government and government activities are being conducted in present day democracy in Nigeria calls for a serious attention to the dictate of real democracy,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-campaigning-for-pdp-in-kano-with-gandujes-endorsement-kwankwaso.html

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Plateau state - home of peace and tourism

The Catholic faithful and other Nigerians have been urged to shun ‘see and buy’ which was used as vote buying in the 1979 elections.

The President, Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CTAN), Dr. Raymond Olusesan Aina, said yesterday in Abuja that Catholic Bishops then sensitized the people and the efforts yielded some positive results.

He was speaking at the one-day coaching session and presentation of an election manual organised by the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN), an organ of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) an the Kukah Centre.

The 80-page book was titled, “Vademecum for Electors in Nigeria: Manual for Responsible Citizenship According to Catholic Social Teaching”.

Also, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna and Chairman of Caritas Nigeria, Most Rev Matthew Man-OsoNdagoso, urged all Catholics to hold their consciences and become involved in the political process.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/how-catholic-church-handled-vote-buying-in-1979-2.html

The wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo on Friday urged Nigerians to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari for the future of their children to be meaningful.

She said the only avenue for the country to develop further lies with the ruling All Progressives Congress APC (APC) government.


She, however, tasked women in Oyo State to speak in one voice for the re-election of the duo in the February 16 general election.

Mrs. Osinbajo who was hosted by wife of the state governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, while speaking at the Town Hall Meeting held at Kola Daisi Civic Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Friday, remarked that it became imperative for women ho care for the future of their children to vote for a government that puts the future of the younger generation into priority, which the administration of President Buhari places premium on.

She noted that: “What we are doing today is because of our children and every work a parent does if for the future of his or her children.”

“Every money earned is for the children. We have to monitor those that will take care of our children.”

“What we here to discuss is who will direct our children, which is why our vote is very important and what we saw today has explained the government of President Buhari as one that thinks and plans for the humanity,” adding that whoever that is selfish could not think of another person’s welfare.

The wife of the Vice President who spoke with parables in Yoruba Language, described the President as not only a kind man, but someone who served as a voice to the children that are voiceless.

“What President Buhari’s government is doing is also helping the traders across the country. The farmers have benefitted the gesture as well. This are the reasons I said the time of Buhari is beneficial. Apart from that, unemployed graduates are gainfully employed.”

While reeling out the achievements of the President, Mrs. Osinbajo did not means word to remind parents especially mothers on the need to caution there children not to used as instruments of violence for politicians.

Adding that: “It is time mothers that are here to admonish our children not to be used as instruments of violence for politicians.”

“Politicians can fight with each other and at the same time become friends. If you take side and get yourself killed, you will have yourself to be blamed for the loss,” reminding them to remember the sons of whom the are.

Earlier in her address, wife of the state governor, Mrs. Florence Abiola Ajimobi, lauded the Buhari and Ajimob’s administrations for their unprecedented achievements.

She said that the meeting was timely and important, noting that it would enlighten them on the present administration’s policies and achievements.

“The Buhari administration deserves our support and cooperation for another term, having done so well in their first term. Is it the 500,000 N-Power beneficiaries or school feeding.

“The Ajimobi-led administration apart from transforming the state into a modern one has empowered no fewer than 130,000 women in the state,” she said.

In a remark, representative of the Bank of Industry(BoI), Mrs. Abimbola Soyode, said trader money was not for vote buying as being insinuated by the opposition political parties.

She said that the money was accessed by petty traders irrespective of ethnicity, religion, age or political affiliation.

“TraderMoni is not vote buying as insinuated by some people. We started with Market Money and after two years, we commenced TraderMoni for petty traders to benefit,” she said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-vote-buhari-for-the-future-of-your-children-osinbajo.html

Ogun Police Command disclosed the arrest of a 47-year-old man, Kazeem Adebayo for allegedly killing his 30-year-old lover, Abosede Adesanya over N530,000 and subsequently buried her in a shallow grave.

The suspect was arrested following a complaint lodged at the Ijebu-Igbo police station by the deceased’s mother, Amoke Onasanya.

According to the complainant, her daughter received a telephone call from the suspect informing her that he had got a plot of land for her to buy as a result of which the deceased was given N530,000 to purchase the land.

Onasanya told the police that few hours after her daughter left home, her cell phone was switched off.

The Command’s Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Friday said following the arrest and interrogation, the suspect led the police to a shallow grave in his house where he allegedly buried the deceased.

“He confessed further that he used a club to hit her on the head which led to the deceased death and subsequently buried her in his house, in order to cover any trace of the woman’s death to him. He also confessed that he has used N30,000 out of the money he took from the deceased to settle an outstanding debt while the remaining N500,000 is been kept with one his friends,” the statement said.

Oyeyemi added that the Corpse of the deceased has been deposited at the General Hospital morgue for post mortem.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/man-allegedly-kills-buries-lover-over-n-5m-in-ogun.html

The ruling APC has said it will not get tired of reminding the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that Nigerians will never return to Egypt.

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who addressed journalists yesterday in Abuja, said the era of unbridled corruption and impunity was one mission the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was determined to fight and win under a free, fair and credible electoral process, with the support of well-meaning Nigerians.

After Wednesday night’s televised town hall meeting tagged: “The Candidates”, attended by Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi, Malam Issa-Onilu said a redefinition of their presidential campaign slogan, “Let’s loot Nigeria again” was now trending heavily in the social media.

He said going by Atiku and Obi’s shocking confession that their administration would grant amnesty to looters, the party aligned with the wide section of Nigerians who were now clear of their intentions if elected and therefore appreciated the collective need to stop them.

He said the insistence of Atiku and PDP to take Nigeria through the “dangerous route” where the nation’s economic policies and programmes were driven mainly by the interests of leaders, their local friends and foreign partners constituted a present danger every well-meaning Nigerian must rise against.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/apc-to-atiku-nigerians-will-never-return-to-egypt.html

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the APC, yesterday, said the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Peter Obi, lied six times during a town hall live television programme: “The Candidates”.

Spokesperson of the PCC/APC, Festus Keyamo, enumerated the six lies in a statement he issued yesterday.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) Nigerians watched with shock and dismay the barefaced lies and outright dishonest claims of Atiku and Obi in the television show tagged: ‘The Candidates’. Let us tell Nigerians some of the lies they told in that programme, which a simple fact-check will easily expose,” he said.

Keyamo said Atiku’s claim that at handover in May, 2015, the country’s GDP growth rate was six per cent was wrong.

“Fact Checked Truth: It is a well-documented fact that at handover, the GDP growth rate was 2.35 per cent. The economy was on a free fall as the GDP growth rate had dropped for three consecutive quarters,” he said.

He said the claim that recession was caused by the APC government was a lie.

“Fact Checked Truth: With a consistent and rapid drop of our GDP, their Coordinating Minister of the Economy at that time, Okonjo Iweala, a former Central Bank Governor Prof. Charles Soludo, and the Central Bank Governor at the time, now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, warned the PDP government and Nigerians that we were headed for a recession,” he said.

“Obi’s claim that out-of-school children grew to 13.5 million under this administration was a lie.

“The figure of 13.2 million out-of-school children was a 2015 survey by UNICEF. An alarm was raised by several global bodies then because the figure had grown from 10.5 million in 2010 to 13.2 million in 2015 despite record earnings of the government at that time. In other words, Peter Obi’s claim is self-indicting,” he said.

He said the claims by Atiku that as a customs officer, there was nothing wrong at that time with setting up a company that had dealings in the ports that were under customs supervision was untrue.

“Truth: The Code of Conduct for public officers was first enshrined in the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Atiku Constitution came into operation.

“According to Section 1 of the Fifth Schedule to the 1979 Constitution, a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities. By establishing a company involved in port-related business at a time when he was an officer in the Nigeria Customs Service charged with managing the ports, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar definitely put himself in a position where his personal (business) interest conflicted with his duties as a public officer.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/atiku-obi-lied-6-times-during-town-hall-programme-apc.html

Very soon Nigerians will be charge for voter cards....

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has promised to use all legal means to ensure that it fields candidates for the coming elections in Zamfara and Rivers states.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who fielded question from journalists on Thursday in Abuja on INEC’s final resolution on Zamfara State, faulted the argument of those insinuating that the electoral body was working for the ruling party going by its current plight.
When asked to react to the INEC decision on Zamfara, Issa-Onilu said, “The issue of Zamfara, we heard that INEC is relying on the fact that courts of equal jurisdiction have given conflicting judgements.
“We can understand that. What it thus means is that it is not over and then we will continue to take steps. We are very certain, we did the right thing. The primaries held, INEC was not satisfied with that but it is our right to field candidates and we would follow up all the legal means to ensure that our candidates stand for elections in this 2019 general elections in Zamfara. Same situation for Rivers.
“It also shows for people who are discerning to ask that question, this supposed to be the APC that INEC is or ought to be working for?
“And this is what we are going through in the hands of INEC that PDP has repeatedly claimed is put in place to rig elections for APC.
“May I remind all of us, that we had primaries in Zamfara which was affected by conflicts but the process allows for three different options.
“You could go for indirect which is an electoral college, you could go with direct that allows every card-carrying member of the party to vote for their chosen candidates and then thirdly, you go by consensus. We have the right under the constitution to exhaust these options. We did so.
“But let me add that in Kano State, PDP did not do primaries. PDP did not take any of these options and yet today, INEC is not saying anything regarding PDP and all the candidates submitted for PDP in Kano were accepted. This is a fact that nobody can deny but we will not go to town to start pillorying INEC, this is a very critical institution to the success of any election.
“We will continue to trust all institutions because we believe that is by having strong institutions that we can develop this country and we support institutions so that when they make mistakes rather than vilify them we will try to work with them following due process to ensure the right thing is done.”


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/well-field-candidates-in-zamfara-rivers-apc.html

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, says the Federal Government is targeting about two billion dollars from oil and gas lease licences renewal.

Kachikwu disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen at the just concluded Nigerian International Petroleum summit, yesterday, in Abuja.

“We projected for the licences renewal probably around two billion dollars; right now, we are at about 1.2 billion dollars, 1.3 billion dollars.

“I don’t have the total number of the people renewing but I’m aware it should be around 20 to 30 renewals,” he said.

He said although most of the licences were due for renewal between 2019 and 2020, the ministry decided to start early for some policy reasons.

According to him, the law allows that one can renew licence six months before expiration.

“We decided to start the process early to generate some revenue for government.

“We also looked at the terms under which they are renewed; that is all what we are doing,” he said.

Kachikwu noted that early renewal was necessary for many companies to have the opportunity to access money from banks for investment.

He added that companies that had less than six months for their licences to expire would not have access to fund from any financial institution.

“So, you need a long span to be able to get all these and that is what we are trying to do,” he said.

He noted that terms under which the licences were being renewed were reviewed, adding that a lot of revenues were being generated. (NAN)

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-targets-2bn-from-oil-gas-lease-licence-renewal.html

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Yobe State says it has identified 24 inaccessible areas with security challenges where elections will not hold.

Ahmad Makama, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, stated this at a stakeholders interactive session on Wednesday in Damaturu.


He said security operatives had confirmed some communities in Gujba, Gulani and Giedam with security challenges that were inaccessible and not conducive for election.

Makama said the commission was liaising with the communities for a more accessible alternative polling units to cast their votes.


“We are determined to ensure that every eligible voter exercises his franchise, and are therefore collaborating with all political parties and stakeholders for a generally acceptable alternative polling units so that no one will cry foul,” he said.

According to the commissioner, 69,000 Permanent voters card had not been claimed in the state. (NAN)


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/inec-identifies-24-inaccessible-polling-units-in-yobe.html

The quest to help individuals eat healthier drove Ivan Oluchi Okaro into starting a business that provides healthy juices, smoothies and fruits salad. She started the Vani Wellness Shop with just N2000 few years ago, and today the business has grown into a million naira business employing many people. She tells us more.



How did you start?

I studied Computer Science at Bingham University, Abuja. Initially, going into this business was not on my mind. But my mum had a life threatening ailment and she started introducing us to healthy foods. So, we started eating more vegetables and fruits. That is how my interest in vegetables and eating healthy came about. So, I turned it into a business.

After graduation, I worked for a while, but then it came to a time that I wanted to start my own business. So, I asked myself what I loved to do and I discovered that I became an advocate for healthy fruits and vegetables.

I remember while I was working that there were times that I wanted to eat fruits and vegetables but there were none readily available, so you end up eating junk. So, I said there may be people like me who want to eat healthy and may not find, so I went to the market, got vegetables and sliced them into chunks and transparent cups. I took it round in cups and showed people that I have fruits for sale in cups. People patronized me. So while I was selling to people, a client asked ‘why don’t you make juice too’. I did my research and decided to try that out as well.

I discovered that you don’t just make the juice, you have to know the calories and other nutritional content. So, you can help people who want to eat healthy and lose weight as well.

The motto of my business is ‘let’s fight diseases, with healthy foods’. From juices, we started introducing smoothies, and then parfait and then granules. We tell our clients the amount of calories they are taking and the benefits.

How many people do you have working for you?

We have five staff now and we started in 2017. We will be two years old in April. The business excites me because we are creating awareness about healthy living. I have a Facebook page were I enlighten people and tell them of the need to eat healthy. And what they should eat. We incorporate healthy seed like flaxseed and others into our product.

What is the secret of a successful business?

There are days you would want to quit and say ‘who sent me’? You don’t have a boss, so the buck stops at your table. So resilience and perseverance are what keep you going as an entrepreneur.

Why did you start this business?

This is to ensure that each Nigerian takes healthy juices and vegetables. Also, I turned my passion for wanting healthy juices and fruits into a business.

What are the five things you think start-up entrepreneurs should know?

Every entrepreneur should now how to manage their books/finances. It is very important. Also , you should know where to get your raw materials at an affordable rate.

You have to know how to run your business. You should go for training. Also, you should know your strength and your weaknesses. Know who you are.

What challenges do you face in this business?

Our major challenge is electricity. You know we work with fresh vegetables so we need light. Also, to expand your business, you need investors. I started this business with N2000 but now the business is worth millions.

How has technology enhanced your business?

There is the cold pressed juicer. It’s good technology. A cold pressed juicer requires low heat to extract juice and most of the nutrients are preserved and go into the body. This is not the same with other juicers.

Also, online technology has helped boost this business. I use that platform to market my business. I market it through different platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Our dream is to be in the home of every Nigerian in the next five years.

What is your advice to other young people out there?

Start something. Don’t wait for government. I will like to say that government should invest more in agriculture. And for us that process agricultural produce into finished goods, we want more encouragement.

If you are offered a N1 million job and managing this business, which do you prefer?

I will stay back running my business. I will choose my business because my business can make that kind of amount if I work very hard in one month. A lot of people are in the train of eating healthy. So I want to remain here to provide them with healthy juices, smoothies, vegetable salad. So, why won’t I stay to help them?

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/i-started-my-business-with-n2000-but-today-its-worth-millions.html

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state, Mallam Hassan Mijinyawa, and five others have been kidnapped along Bali-Gembu road on Wednesday, Daily Trust learnt.

Also kidnapped were a foreign national and four other officials of Taraba state government who were travelling along with Malam Mijinyawa in the same vehicle

Daily Trust gathered that the kidnappers, who were more than 10 in number and armed with sophisticated weapons, blocked the road on Wednesday morning before kidnapping several travellers.

Mijinyawa was travelling to Gembu town in Sardauna local government area to meet his principal who had travelled to the area yesterday for a function to be conducted by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai in Gembu town.

It was gathered that the kidnappers took their abducted persons into a forest including the foreign national whose country of origin is yet to be known.

Mijinyawa’s wife, Madam Salinas Hassan, said her husband had left home at about 7am to meet his principal in Gembu for an official function.

She said she put several calls to her husband but all his lines were switched off.

Mrs. Salinas however called on the state government and security agents to help secure the release of her husband.

The spokesperson of Taraba state police command, ASP David Misal, wasn’t available for official comment on the incident as he neither picked phone calls nor replied text message sent to him by our reporter.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/governors-aide-others-kidnapped-in-taraba.html

A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, says the whole world is watching Nigeria regarding the forthcoming general elections in the country.

Anyaoku spoke yesterday in Lagos where he chaired the unveiling of “New Look Tribune” organized by African Newspapers of Nigeria PLC, publishers of the Tribune titles, to mark its 70th anniversary.

He said the views of the international community on the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria should not be ignored.

He charged the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the elections reflect the will of Nigerians.

According to him, any attempt to ignore the warning of the international community for a free and fair election would return the country to its “pariah status which it happily exited in 1999 when it once more embraced democracy”.

He also challenged the security agencies to be impartial during the elections.

The elder statesman also declared that Nigeria was currently underperforming in all indices and “lacking in national cohesion as never before”.

He identified restructuring as the only solution to the nation’s problems.

He said: “Nigerian friends and international community as a whole are watching, watching the behaviour of the Federal Government and its agencies including especially the police, the army and the other law enforcement instruments to see how far they respect the country’s constitution, the rule of law and their inherent obligations to act impartially and fairly in playing their roles in respect of the elections.”

According to him, while guiding its sovereignty, Nigeria, just like any other country of the world, “cannot be an island of itself especially with our increasingly globalizing world”.

He said if Nigeria must overcome its political instability and realize its rich potentials, it must restructure and return to true federalism practised in the years before the military intervention.

He decried the spate of killings in the country, saying, “We read every day of killings in tenth, twentieth and sometimes more and people and the government are not reacting commensurably to the situation”.

In his keynote address, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, said the ongoing crisis in the judiciary over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria must be addressed by the Supreme Court justices.

He said the issue was the “fate” that had befallen the temple of justice.

He said as the elections approached, Nigerians should do an introspection and see if their lives were better off from the last election to determine which of the parties to vote for.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/elections-whole-world-watching-us-anyaoku.html

Presidential candidates for the February 16, 2019, election under the umbrella of Forum of Presidential Candidates and Political Parties for Good Governance (FPCPPGG) have said President Muhammadu Buhari has their backing on the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.

Chairman of the FPCPPGG, Alhaji Shittu Muhammed Kabiru, who made the position of the forum known yesterday at a press conference in Abuja, argued that Onnoghen’s removal would not have any negative effect on the 2019 general elections.

Alhaji Kabiru argued that the offence allegedly committed by Justice Onnoghen was not a judicial offence, adding that Buhari’s action was just a suspension and not total removal that would have warranted the attention of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

“We strongly believe that President Muhammadu Buhari’s suspension of Hon. Justice Onnoghen as CJN is proper and timely. Onnoghen would have proceeded to constitute the Election Petition Panels,” he said.

“No wonder some interested elements are shocked that their game plan has been punctured. A desperate disease needs a desperate treatment. President Buhari acted in the overall interest of the masses of Nigeria.

“So much is required from the judiciary since they hold the power of life and death. Judges are, therefore, expected to live above board and be incorruptible.

“We urge the National Assembly, as it reconvenes, to view the president’s action as non-partisan or motivated by any mundane consideration, but taken purely in the best interest of Nigeria.

“Politicians and interest groups should desist from misinforming the people on the patriotic move by the president,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/presidential-candidates-back-buhari-on-cjns-suspension.html

Federal Government has launched a new crackdown on dozens of illegal higher institutions and their promoters.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu made the remarks at a media conference in Abuja, where he revealeded the list of 66 unlawful universities and 68 polytechnics, monotechnics and specialised technical and vocational institutions that were closed down.

He said the proliferation of illegal higher institutions especially, universities, has become a source of embarrassment to the government.

He stated that the phenomenon of illegal providers of tertiary education was more notorious in the university subsector than the polytechnic or college of education subsector adding that 66 illegal ‘degree mills have been identified’ by the National Universities Commission.

He said, “I want to use this opportunity to direct all regulatory agencies in the public education sector, namely, The National Universities Commission (NUC), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), to work with relevant security agencies to immediately crackdown hard on all illegal tertiary institutions within their jurisdictions. “Promoters of such institutions should immediately be apprehended and prosecuted. Let me warn those promoting illegal institutions that the days of treating promoters of such institutions with kid gloves are over. Anyone caught in the act will be severely punished,” he said.

He further said most of the unapproved higher institutions were usually manned by unqualified and unrecognized personnel and that while some of the illegal providers were operating illegal institutions based in Nigeria, some were on-line in unapproved linkages and affiliations with substandard foreign institutions that have no accreditation or recognition of regulatory bodies either in Nigera or their home countries.

“They have no admission quota, they run unaccredited courses with practically no standards. Their products are half baked and unemployable,” he said.

According to him, some of the major factors responsible for the recent upsurge in the number of illegal providers of degree-awarding institutions were greed and endemic corruption as well as insufficient access for the large pool of qualified candidates that sit for the yearly Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations organised by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-closes-dozens-of-illegal-universities-polytechnics.html

The proposed construction of a new refinery in Katsina state has failed to take off one year after agreement for the project was reached between Nigeria and Republic of Niger, Daily Trust reports.

Officials familiar with the project said it has not kicked off because the Nigerian government was yet to secure the commitment of China’s state oil firm the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to supply its crude share in the Agadem oil field to the proposed refinery in Katsina, Nigeria.

In February last year, Nigeria’s ministry of petroleum resources announced that a mutually beneficial agreement was reached for the construction of a refinery in Mashi, the border town between the Republic of Niger and Katsina State, Nigeria, and a crude oil pipeline from the Republic of Niger to the new refinery.

Later in July, the minister and his Nigerien counterpart, Foumakaye Gado, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja on the construction of the refinery in the presence of both countries’ presidents.

Two committees – a Steering and a Joint Technical Team – were set up to determine the feasibility of the projects and were expected by December 2018 to come up with a detailed road map and guideline leading to actual execution of the projects.

But Daily Trust gathered that the Katsina refinery and pipeline project would not start except the Nigerian government is able to convince CNPC to commit its crude share in the Agadem oil block in Niger for the proposed refinery.

CNPC holds operating permit and 80 per cent of the proven crude oil reserve in the Agadem block located in the semi-arid eastern region of Diffa, bordering Chad with estimated one billion barrels oil reserves. CNPC is already pumping oil in the Agadem block for primarily Niger’s domestic use.

Niger, which owns 20 per cent of the crude, is keen to ramp up its production and had opened talks with its southern neighbour Benin on the possibility to export its oil via a pipeline that will link its oil fields to the port of Cotonou in Benin.

Though safer than the Chado-Cameroonian pipeline route, which already exists, experts said this alternative is much more costly, as Niger would have to double its investment in the project and build a pipeline in its territory, and another one in Benin.

Speaking on some of the challenges holding back the Katsina refinery project, Nigeria’s Engr. Rabiu Suleiman, who heads the Joint Technical Team that is developing a road map and strategy for the refinery and pipeline projects, noted the Nigerien government, as of today, has committed its 20 per cent oil share at the Agadem oil block to Nigeria.

“The owners of the 80 per cent, the Chinese were looking at Nigeria in the first instance, Benin Republic and Cameroon through Chad.

“We are discussing on how the Chinese can withdraw from the understanding they have with Benin Republic without any litigation and come back to Nigeria and dedicate crude for Nigeria,” Suleiman said.

“The minister of Niger confirmed to us he is pushing hard for the Chinese to agree to the Nigerian project rather than Benin,” he added.

“To run a pipeline from Agadem to the Benin Republic sea port is like 2080km which will be very costly compared to Agadem-Katsina which is just 120 to 150km. The cost of 1km pipeline of the size we are talking about is about $1.5m. If you do a 2000km plus pipeline it means you have to invest over $3bn on the pipeline alone,” he said.

Nigeria lobbies China

Engr. Suleiman said a Nigerian delegation, including petroleum ministers of Niger and Nigeria, will head to China between now and March to convince the Chinese authorities to agree to the Nigerian project rather than Benin.

“We had a meeting with the ambassador of China and the minister of foreign affairs on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that we should use whatever political and diplomatic pressure on the Chinese government to talk to the company in Niger to bring their crude to Nigeria,” he said.

He added that “the ambassador has been given a letter to send to China to arrange for a meeting between Nigerian and Nigerien delegation led by the two ministers for petroleum to meet with the headquarters of the Chinese company (CNPC) and convince them that the crude to Nigeria is more economical and more beneficial and to come back with the commitment that they have agreed either in whole or in part to give us their 80% and to add to the 20% that Niger has so that we can put a sizeable refinery in Katsina.

“These are the discussions that are going on. Unless we achieve that we may not be able to kick start the project.

“If we had resolved this issues long time ago December was enough to have taken President Buhari to Katsina to go and lay foundation.

“We have gotten extension up to March to go to China to discuss all these with them, come back and report back to the two presidents of Niger and Nigeria,” he said.

Katsina refinery versus Kaduna pipeline project

Daily Trust reports that the initial plan by the federal government to construct about 1,000km pipeline that will convey crude oil from Republic of Niger to the Kaduna refinery in Nigeria has been jettisoned for the Katsina refinery project.

As part of efforts to address frequent disruptions of crude supply to the Kaduna refinery, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, had in November 2016 confirmed that the federal government was planning to construct about 1,000km of pipelines that will transport crude oil from the Nigerien oil field in Agadem to the Kaduna refinery.

To actualize the plan, the NNPC GMD said the corporation would hold discussions with the Chinese firm operating the Agadem oil field.

But it was learnt that the project would no longer go ahead because it would not be economical to run a pipeline all the way from Niger Republic to Kaduna refinery.

NNPC spokesman Ndu Ughamadu said either the Katsina refinery or both projects “are in national interest.”

Engr. Suleiman said it was tested and discovered that Niger crude could not be processed in Kaduna refinery.

“The design of Kaduna refinery cannot process Niger crude 100 per cent. You have to blend it with Nigerian crude coming from Warri and Escravos. You can only blend 8% of Niger crude with 92% of Nigerian crude. 8% of Niger crude means only about 5000 barrels per day if Kaduna refinery is running at 100% capacity. So, 5000 barrels per day is not economical to run a pipeline all the way from Niger to Kaduna,” Suleiman said.

“That is why we are looking at the option of a border town like Katsina to do a brand new refinery that will process entirely Niger crude. That will save the cost of pipeline to Kaduna and will save the cost of upgrading Kaduna refinery to satisfy Niger crude. If you upgrade Kaduna refinery to satisfy Niger crude you have jettisoned the pipeline from Warri to Kaduna. What would you do with the pipeline and crude that we have spent money to build a refinery for and a pipeline for that?” he added.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/why-construction-of-katsina-refinery-stalled.html

The smart card reader will not fail as it did during the 2015 elections at some polling units, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Cross River State, Dr. Briyai Frankland, has said.

“Our smart card readers have been enhanced and upgraded. We have tested them at Osun, Ekiti as well as Anambra Central Senatorial District,” the REC said.

“In Anambra State, the failure rate was about 0.0%, in Osun State, I did not hear of any smart card failure. In our by election in Obudu, there was no smart card failure. The reason is that at each polling unit, we have technicians that fix these smart card readers in case of any challenge,” he said.

“Results will be transmitted from the polling units electronically and the result box will also be carried physically by the collation officers. When the collation officer comes with the physical result, it will be confirmed with the electronic results in the presence of the party agents and INEC staff.

“It is only when the physical result and the electronic results correspond that it will be approved by the party agents and the results will be accepted,” he added.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/card-readers-will-no-longer-fail-inec.html

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said yesterday that the ongoing attempts by politicians to drag its name into partisan politics was a potent danger to the corporation’s business interests, contract deals, and MoUs which should ordinarily be insulated from politics.

The corporation, therefore, called on politicians and those canvassing for votes for the impending general elections, to refrain from using NNPC or its top management as cannon fodders for their electioneering strategies.


NNPC spokesman, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in a statement in Abuja, said using the corporation as a launchpad for political attacks against opponents was not only a disservice to the overall national interest but also inimical to the national economy, given NNPC’s pivotal role as the cash cow of the nation.

The NNPC spokesperson said the call for restraint by politicians became necessary in the wake of the names of some of its top management being dragged into partisan politics.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/dont-drag-us-into-politics-nnpc-warns-politicians.html

Majority of senators yesterday stayed away from plenary, a development that forced the only nine senators present to adjourn sitting to today for lack of quorum.

It was learnt that most of the senators were at their various senatorial districts campaigning for their reelection, while those that got governorship tickets were also said to be campaigning for votes.


Daily Trust had on Sunday reported that 41 senators lost the opportunity of returning to the Red Chamber based on the list of Senate candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Thursday. A total of 68 senators got return tickets.

Our correspondent reports that this is the second time that senators would adjourn plenary sitting in about three months for lack of quorum.

On November 13, 2018, the senators were forced to adjourn their plenary session due to a similar reason for not meeting the quorum.

There are 109 senators in the Red Chamber, and based on their rules, a plenary sitting could only be held when there is at least one-third of the senators present at the commencement of the session.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/senators-abandon-plenary-for-campaigns.html