₦airaland Forum

Senior workers in Nigerian universities have indicated their intention to embark on an industrial action any time soon against the decision of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to stop the funding of federal universities staff schools in their budget.

The workers under the umbrella of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and other non-teaching staff in the universities yesterday notified President Muhammadu Buhari of their intention, seeking his intervention in the planned funding stoppage.

President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke, told reporters in a press conference at the headquarters of the association within the University of Abuja that the union has already mobilised all its members across board to prepare for a prolonged strike.

The NUC reportedly issued a circular directing the management of all universities to stop the funding of staff schools from their budgets. NUC in this regard classified them as private schools.

It also said that SSANU and other university-based unions were aware of the decision taken on the issue and should know where to direct their grievances, adding that their grouse should be directed to the Salaries and Wages Commission.

But Ugwoke alleged that NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, was not factual in his presentation of the issue of the staff schools which he said are demonstration schools.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/07/universities-workers-threaten-to-embark-on-nationwide-strike/

How did the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spend N3.8 trillion in three years?

This is the puzzle a four-man committee has been asked to resolve.

The four “wise men” are: Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna).

Oshiomhole yesterday broke the news to State House correspondents after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He was accompanied by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari, Kaduna State El-Rufai and Udom Emmanuel.

According to him, from the reports presented to NEC by NNPC and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation on Monday, N8.1 trillion generated from oil sales during the period ought to have been remitted to the Federation account.

Only N4.3 trillion was remitted to the Federation Account by NNPC, Oshiomhole said.

He also disclosed that former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spent $2.1 billion from the Excess Crude Account without approval between November last year and May 2015.

His words: “This is the first time we had a National Economic Council meeting in which under the instructions of the President, NNPC and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation were compelled to provide information in black and white on issues as they relate to the total sales of Nigeria crude from 2012 to May 2015. This has never happened before and for us this is profound.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/nec-sets-up-four-man-panel-to-probe-how-nnpc-squandered-n3-8tr/

The Ramadan fast is a time when Muslims take out 30days in the year to consecrate their life’s onto God. But most of the time people only look toward the spiritual benefits alone forgetting their is also a health benefit to the Ramadan fast. Here is a list of ten health benefits of the Ramadan fast.
1. Fasting Helps Weight Loss

Fasting can be a safe way to lose weight as many studies have shown that fasting controlled within a set number of hours allows the body to burn through fat cells more effectively than just regular dieting.

Fasting allows the body to use fat as it’s primary source of energy instead of sugar. Many athletes now use fasting as means to hitting low body fat percentages for competitions.
2. Fasting Improves Insulin Sensitivity

Fasting has shown to have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, allowing you to tolerate carbohydrates (sugar) better than if you didn’t fast. A study showed that after periods of fasting, insulin becomes more effective in telling cells to take up glucose from blood.
3. Fasting Speeds Up The Metabolism

Fasting gives your digestive system a rest, and this can energise your metabolism to burn through calories more efficiently. If your digestion is poor, this can effect your ability to metabolise food and burn fat. Fasting can regulate your digestion and promote healthy bowel function, thus improving your metabolic function.
4. Fasting Promotes Longevity

Believe it or not, the less you eat the longer you will live. Studies have shown how the lifespan of people in certain cultures increased due to their diets. However, we don’t need to live amongst a foreign community to reap the benefits of fasting. One of the primary effects of ageing is a slower metabolism, the younger your body is, the faster and more efficient your metabolism. The less you eat, the less toll it takes on your digestive system.
5. Fasting Improves Your Brain Function

Fasting has shown to improve brain function, because it boosts the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF.)

BDNF activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons, and triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health. This protein also protects your brain cells from changes associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/health-is-wealth-10-health-benefits-of-the-ramadan-fast/

1. TRAINEE SHIFT MANAGERS (PACKAGING)

Job Type: Full Time
Qualification: BA/BSc/HND/MBA/MSc/MA

Job Description
This role targets inexperienced, young Engineers who are desirous of an Engineering career in a conducive manufacturing environment with best – in – class systems and processes.

After a highly competitive selection process, successful candidates will undergo a 12-month residential modular training programme involving formal training and experiential attachments. At the end of the training, the successful candidate will be appointed as Shift Manager (Packaging) in any of our Breweries across Nigeria.

Job Requirements
The ideal candidates must not be older than thirty (30) years and should possess the following:
* Five (5) credit grades in WASC/GCE/SSCE including Maths, English and 3 other relevant subjects obtained in one sitting.
* Bachelor’s Degree (BSC) minimum of Second Class Honours (Lower Division) in any of the Engineering disciplines listed below.
PLUS
* Master’s degree (MSC) in any Engineering discipline.
* NYSC Discharge Certificate.

Relevant Fields of study:
– Mechanical Engineering
– Production Engineering
– Industrial Engineering
* Ability to work with basic computer applications (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
* Geographical mobility within and outside Nigeria.
* Initiative and drive.
2. TRAINEE SHIFT MANAGERS (BREWING)

Job Type: Full Time
Qualification: BA/BSc/HND/MBA/MSc/MA

Job Description
The Trainee Shift Manager (Brewing) position is an integral part of the NB Graduate Management Development Scheme, targeted at identifying young, bright, ambitious and talented Nigerian graduates who are desirous of a Brewing career in the foremost Brewing organization.

After a highly competitive selection process, successful candidates will undergo a 12-month fully residential training programme involving formal training and experiential attachments in our Breweries. At the end of the training, the successful candidate will be appointed as Shift Manager (Brewing) in any of our Breweries across the country.

Job Requirements
The ideal candidates must not be older than thirty (30) years and should possess the following:
* Five (5) credit grades in WASC/GCE/SSCE including Maths, English and 3 other relevant subjects obtained in one sitting.
* Bachelor’s Degree (BSC) minimum of Second Class Honours (Lower Division) in any of the science disciplines listed below.

PLUS
* Master’s degree (MSC) in any of the under listed Science disciplines.
* NYSC Discharge Certificate.

Relevant Fields of Study:
– Microbiology
– Biochemistry
– Chemical Engineering
– Industrial Chemistry
– Chemistry
– Food Science & Technology
* Ability to work with basic computer applications (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
* Geographical mobility within and outside Nigeria.
* Initiative and drive.

Click link to apply
http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/fresh-graduate-trainee-jobs-at-nigerian-breweries-plc/

Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday described as very painful the inability of some states to pay workers’ salaries.

Aregbesola said this in Osogbo when a non-governmental organisation, Osun Action Strategy Development Group, paid him a courtesy visit.

He stated that it is disheartening for people to work and such work fails to translate into wages, saying it is a harrowing experience for both workers and government.

The governor, however, said the challenge of unpaid salaries should not be seen as opportunities by some to pillory either his government or others facing the same challenges.

According to him, though the issue of unpaid salaries is tragic and painful, all stakeholders must gloss over the challenges it created so as to find a lasting solution to it.

He attributed the current misfortune to gross mishandling of the nation’s economy by the last regime of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/unpaid-salaries-aregbesola-sympathises-with-workers/

The new Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II, yesterday received the staff of office with a stern warning that he would not condone thuggery, disrespect for law and order or any other act of violence in the city.

The monarch gave the warning in his address after receiving the staff of office from the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo.

At the ceremony held at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office, he declared his determination to promote peace, respect for constituted authority and the traditional institution of the emerging millennium city.

He promised that the Deji traditional institution would be used as an important agent of meaningful development.

Aladetoyinbo promised to encourage participatory traditional governance within the kingdom and other arious component towns.

The monarch appreciated Mimiko for his spirit of justice, equity and fairness in the process of selecting a new Deji.

Speaking at the occasion, Mimiko said the presentation of staff of office to the Deji marked the beginning of a new era in the kingdom.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/new-deji-of-akure-ill-not-condone-thuggery-violence-in-akureland/

Former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo in this interview earlier published in an online publication, Premium Times, speaks on burning national issues.

Thank you sir for granting me this audience. You promised not to keep quiet again and to ask more questions about the running of the economy after elections but you seem to have been very quiet since the elections. Can you now raise the questions?

Great to see you too! And I hope this will be a short interview please. Two quick points: The elections have come and gone but that was the easier part. The hard part now begins. Like most Nigerians, I am happy that Nigeria made history with the election. On your question, No; there was no need to raise further questions for the outgone administration. President Jonathan raised the bar and set a new tone in his statesmanly acceptance of defeat. That was noble.

Last month, the government admitted that they were borrowing since January to pay salaries. What more do you want me to say? The two articles I wrote in January and February (which Vanguard newspaper still posts on its website as ‘The Soludo Debate’) remain living documents and raised some of the salient questions, some of which may be bold markers for the new government. Our focus should be on the future and the new government.

How is your relationship with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala now?
Why do you ask? Of course, she is and will always be my dear elder sister and Madam; someone I deeply respect. We may not always agree, especially on public policy. The public spat was unfortunate. She felt she had an obligation to defend her government but she did so in a manner that I also felt an obligation to respond in equal measure. But all that is now history. There is nothing personal. Now without the encumbrances of government and its pressures, I look forward to our returning to the good old days in our personal relationship.

The economy is really bad; falling oil price, dwindling revenue, debt, inflation, unemployment, collapsed Naira, etc. Where does President Buhari start from?
I don’t envy President Buhari and his team. His government will preside over the transition to a post-oil economy, and it won’t be a tea party. If Buhari works 8 hours a day, he last less than 7,500 hours left to bring about change in his first term in office or less than 9,700 if he works 12 hours a day, with three substantive annual budgets to go before the next elections. The clock is ticking already. But the Rescue, Stabilize, and Transform (RST) Plan requires a 24 by 7 operation. There must be something in the President’s natal chart that keeps bringing him to govern us just when things are in shambles. But I see hope; I see opportunities.

The president and his team have a historic opportunity to create a new Nigeria without oil; a Nigeria powered by competition and compassion. Fortuitously Nigeria’s centenary was last year, 2014. This year marks the beginning of the next 100 years. President Buhari and the new crop of elected officers at all levels must lay the foundation for the next Nigeria; a re-engineered Nigeria with the structures and incentives to move from cake-sharing or consumption to cake-baking or production. Old thinking and ways of doing things won’t work. But an attempt to drive change from Abuja will fail. It will be akin to trying to clap with one hand. A coordinated national (not federal) response is required.

On your specific question as to where President Buhari should begin, let me say that I don’t want to join the new industry in town which is ‘agenda setting’. Everyone is grabbing the microphone to ‘set agenda’. That’s ok. I am aware that the transition committee is working hard on an agenda, and I believe that the committee is made up of eminent Nigerians. For me, let us wait for them to unveil their action plan and we would have something to comment upon or contribute to. I am aware that the African Heritage Institution (Afriheritage) is planning a session focused on the agenda after it is announced. So, I won’t join this fashion parade of the day. Not yet.

Let me be more specific. With the terrible condition of the economy, and the high expectations of Nigerians on the new government, what practical steps should Buhari take to create jobs speedily?

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/soludo-why-im-silent-on-economy-politics/

Niger State civil servants numbering 50 have taken the immediate past governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu to Minna High Court 4 for unlawfully seizing their motorcycles.

The 50 civil servants said the action of the former governor violated their fundamental human rights. They were in the High Court demanding for compensations and general damages amounting to the sum of N100 million from the former governor.

In a suit filed on the 25/5/2015 by the counsel to the applicants, Barrister Adegoke Omoloja of Cosmic Chambers, Abuja, they prayed that the court should declare the seizure and the subsequent sale of their motorcycles by the former governor as illegal, null and void.

Consequently the applicants prayed to the court for an order awarding compensation of one million naira in favour of each of them against the respondents and another N50million as general damages.

In a 60 paragraph affidavit in support of the case deposed to by one Ndagi Mohammed, the applicants said that the arrest, seizure and sale of their motorcycles has brought untold hardship and difficulties to their families especially in getting to places of work, taking children to school and taking their wives to places of work or maternity checks

Read full story
http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/50-civil-servants-sue-ex-gov-aliyu-demand-n100m-compensation/

Job Type: Full Time

Qualification: MBA/MSc/MA/PhD/Fellowship

Experience: 10 years

Location: Abuja
Description
The Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) of the International Monetary Fund is looking for qualified candidates to fill positions as Public Financial Management (PFM) Advisors to be based in Africa. The initial appointment term would be for a period of one year, on a renewable basis, subject to satisfactory performance.
Duties
The Advisors will provide technical assistance on a wide range of PFM areas including:

the legal, regulatory, and institutional framework for budgeting and public financial management;
budget preparation and formulation, and medium-term expenditure frameworks;
program and performance budgeting and management;
budget classification and chart of accounts;
budget execution and financial control;
accounting and reporting;
internal control and internal audit;
government banking, cash and debt management arrangements, treasury management;
financial management information systems;
fiscal decentralization; and
assessment of the performance of the PFM system, through the PEFA performance, measurement framework.

Activities will include diagnostic reviews, provision of technical advice, training, preparation of technical manuals, and support to planning of PFM and related organizational reforms, as well as supervision of the work of short-term experts hired for delivering specific aspects of the respective work programs.

Click link to site to apply
http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/public-financial-management-pfm-advisors-needed-at-imf/

Senate President, David Mark, in Abuja on Wednesday, said he joined politics in order to serve God and humanity.

Mark said this at a thanksgiving service organised in his honour by Christian Legislators Fellowship International, National Assembly.

He added that through the prayers of the people, God saw him through the years and ascribed his achievements from the military era to the present dispensation to God’s grace.

He recalled that the Senate had five presidents between 1999 and 2007 but he remained president for a period of eight years, from 2007 to 2015.

He said “I joined politics to serve not only humanity but to serve God; I chose to be a team player in order to carry the senators along and I call each of the senators my boss.

“People of God, I cherish your prayers so much; it is not yet over until it is over by God so continue to pray for me.’’

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/david-mark-i-joined-politics-to-serve-god-and-humanity/

The House of Representatives on Tuesday shoved aside the report of an ad-hoc committee which probed the alleged involvement of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in shady oil deals.

The report was compiled by the Muraina Ajibola-led ad-hoc committee and contains three recommendations which didn’t see any wrongdoing by the former minister.

The House had last year set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged shady deals involving the former minister, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited; and Septa Energy Limited, with respect to the farm-out or allocation of oil mining leases OML 4, 26, 30, 34, 38, 41 and 42.

The investigation was aimed at uncovering truth about the alleged shady deals involving the minister, NNPC, NPDC, Shell, Atlantic Energy, Septa Energy Limited and any other entity with respect to the farm-out or allocation of leases in question.

The said leases were sold by Shell and its partner – Eni and Total – to Seplat Development Company Limited (OMLs 4, 38 and 41); Neconde Energy Limited (OML 42), ND Western Nigeria Limited (OML 34), Elcrest (OML 40) and Heritage Oil (OML 30) between 2010 and 2013 under a tender process that was widely reported by local papers, and were later approved by Alison-Madueke as stipulated under the Petroleum Act.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/house-throws-out-report-clearing-alison-madueke-over-allocation-of-oil-leases/

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has sent a delegation to Ilorin, Kwara State to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of a corps member, Miss Yetunde Shukrah Idowu.

Idowu was found dead along Tanke road, Ilorin recently.

The delegation led by the NYSC director of Corps Welfare and Inspectorate, Mr. Michael Ahile, met with the state director of State Services, the police and the Emir of Ilorin.

The team was received at the palace by Mogaji Are, Alhaji Aremu Zubair who promised that the emir would act on the issue.

The head of the delegation, Mr. Ahile said, “The NYSC management received the news of the death of Miss Yetunde Idowu with a heavy heart particularly the circumstances surrounding her death. So the director-general of the NYSC delegated us to come down to Kwara State to discuss with the security agencies and the traditional institution here to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of this corps member.

“The NYSC places importance on the welfare of corps members and when things like this happen particularly when they border on death, the NYSC does not take it lying low and that is why we are here in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital to see all the security agencies and the traditional institution, so that they would use their good offices to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of this corps member.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/nysc-probes-killing-of-corps-member/

The Managing Director/CEO of Kaduna Electric (Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company),  Garba Haruna, has announced a two month extension of the contract of its workers. The contract will now terminate on July 31.

A press statement signed by the Head Corporate Communication of the company, AbdulAzeez Abdullahi revealed.
Garba, who made the announcement in a memo to staff, also said the contact extension was to allow management complete the ongoing evaluation of existing staff.

He said the contract was extended under the existing terms and conditions, adding that all concerned staff would be issued letters of renewal of contract.

In another development, the managing director disclosed that staff welfare was key to actualising the vision of the company.
He said this at the closing ceremony of a two-day capacity building workshop on entrepreneurship and e-business management organised by the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, Kaduna Electric branch, held recently in Arewa House, Kaduna.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/kaduna-electric-extends-workers-contract-by-two-months/

In the escalating duel over oil production between the United States of America and Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), few countries’ oil industries have been hit as hard as Nigeria, highlighting a challenge for the petroleum cartel ahead of its meeting on Friday, a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has shown.

Nigeria has lost business in its main market in the US and struggled to gain footholds elsewhere, raising a question for OPEC over whether its decision to fight for market share may have left behind more vulnerable members.

Once a highly desired, easy-to-refine product, Nigeria’s oil is now hard to sell. In 2014, it fetched over $2 a barrel more than the global benchmark, Brent crude, according to OPEC data. This year, that premium has plunged to 74 cents, on average—the lowest in a decade.

Nigerian cargoes that normally sell a month ahead of delivery have languished without buyers. In early May, at least 80 million barrels of Nigerian and Angolan crude were still seeking buyers, according to Barclays.

“Nigeria is in immense pain,” said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects.
OPEC last year abandoned its traditional role of propping up prices through production cuts, figuring that surging American production would depress prices no matter what it did and opting to fight for market share instead. Within OPEC, Ms. Sen said, Nigeria has been the worst affected by these changes.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/nigeria-hit-hardest-in-opec-us-tussle-over-oil-output/

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its flag bearer, Muhammadu Buhari, are finally in charge of the nation’s government.
Desirous of change, Nigerians have voted for the APC, whose mantra was anchored on the promise of “Change” in several aspects of the nation’s life.
During the electioneering campaign,    President Muhammadu Buhari; his vice president, Yemi Osinbajo; and other top members of the party, made lots of promises to Nigerians.
TheCable, an online publication has compiled a list of some Buhari’s and APC’s promises to Nigerians, drawn from  APC manifesto, documents and promises made at campaign rallies. They will undoubtedly form the standard against which the APC government would be assessed when this new tenure ends in 2019.
Some of the promises , in no particular order include:
1. Public declaration of assets and liabilities

2. State and community policing

3. Ban on all government officials from seeking medical care abroad

4. Implementation of the National Gender Policy, including 35% of appointive positions for women

5. Revival of Ajaokuta steel company

6. Generation, transmission and distribution of at least 20,000 MW of electricity within four years and increasing to 50,000 MW with a view to achieving 24/7 uninterrupted power supply within 10 years.

7. Empowerment scheme to employ 740,000 graduates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

8. Establishment of a free-tuition and scholarship scheme for pupils who have shown exceptional aptitude in science subjects at O/Levels to study ICT-related courses

9. 720,000 jobs by the 36 states in the federation per annum (20,000 per state)

10. Three million Jobs per year

11. [In another policy document by the APC] We will embark on vocational training, entrepreneurial and skills acquisition schemes for graduates along with the creation of a Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme to create at least 5 million new jobs by 2019.

12. Churches and Mosques would not pay taxes under national laws, but if they engage in businesses, the businesses would pay tax.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/06/some-campaign-promises-of-president-buhari-and-the-apc/

TODAY shall be recorded in our history as the moment when democrats have finally been allowed to participate in Democracy Day. The reason for this is the millions of average Nigerians, who voted to make the day a reality. Should any of you wish to see a true hero of democracy, don’t fret. Just look into the nearest mirror.

The celebrations, prior to this, were false showings; they were the commemoration of wrong. The path we have taken to come to this august moment has not been one of easy victory or swift progress.

Instead, it has been a path hewed by the triumph of resilience over broken promises and fraudulent avowals of representative governance. Reaching this fine moment has been a story told in the cadence of the victory of the common good over arrogant power.

The voice of the solitary poor man, no one hears. But the votes of the poor became a potent army, capable of toppling the very citadel of high privilege in order to bring forth national awakening, no less historic and important than the very birth of this nation.

Today, we shall witness the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari, a great, honourable and dedicated public servant as our President. This is indeed an inspiring moment, a turning-point in our national direction and the reclamation of our best destiny.

We shall celebrate this achievement but not in mindless, care-free fashion. The road ahead is still choked with the debris of problems left too long unattended.

Read full story
http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/tinubu-a-new-nigeria-begins-today/

Ikeja Electricity Distribution Plc has apologised to its esteemed customers over the state of power supply in the last few weeks, particularly the zero allocation it received from the national grid on Sunday.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje, said in a statement yesterday that the dismal power situation was a shared challenge across the nation.

He explained that the situation was particularly critical as allocation to Ikeja Electric fell to less than 10 per cent of the energy required to serve all its customers from the national grid

“As at monday, allocation to Ikeja Electric has been zero as against 1,250 megawatts required to satisfy our customers. The situation is quite challenging. However, we will do all that is humanly possible within the circumstances and assure all our customers that we will continue to ensure equitable distribution of power received within our network,” he said.

Ajifowobaje said Ikeja Electric had since placed its staff on stringent schedules to ensure that customer issues are promptly addressed via its contact centre and walk-in experience centres.

“We, on behalf of our customers, plead with the government and all stakeholders to address all issues militating against the availability of power to save lives and boost economic prosperity in Nigeria. It is our hope that these issues are resolved, so that we can continue to serve our customers without any inhibitions,” he added.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/ikeja-electricity-distribution-apologises-to-customers-over-zero-power-supply/

Former minister of defence, Gen Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (rtd) yesterday said that Nigerians have suffered unnecessary pains in the last few years.

He spoke at the 64th graduation ceremony of students of Baptist Theological Seminary, Kaduna, through his representative, Mr John Dara, a chieftain of the PDP. He stressed that Nigerians were living at a time many conflicts facing the country.

Danjuma said Christians in the north were always the target of disgrace and humiliation out of public offices for no just cause.

He noted that Christians from the northern region have passed through delirious times both politically, socially and economically, adding that the way forward was for the people to unite and speak with one voice to achieve progress and development in the zone.

Danjuma was honoured with an award by the seminary for his contribution to the growth and expansion of missionary works.

called on the graduating students to be of good character and Ambassadors of peace wherever they may find themselves.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/ty-danjuma-nigerians-are-living-in-difficult-times/

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, since it lost the general election took a turn for the worst on Wednesday morning when the national chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu, tendered his letter of resignation.

His resignation took effect immediately.

Also , it was reliably gathered that President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the chairman of PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Anthony Anenih, to resign. But it is not known whether Anenih has accepted to resign or not.

The acting national chairman of the Party, Chief Uche Secondus, and Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, met behind closed-doors with President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mu’azu was said to have tendered his resignation letter, citing health grounds as the reason he resigned.

Secondus arrived the Presidential Villa about 5.15pm.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/muazu-resigns-as-pdp-chairman-chief-uche-secondus-as-acting-chairman/

he post-election crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from over as the media director of President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, lambasted the National Working Committee (NWC) for blaming Jonathan’s loss on the media strategy adopted by the campaign organisation.

Fani-Kayode, who served as the director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPCO), disclosed that “President Goodluck Jonathan would have lost the election by at least 10 million more votes than we did” but for the intervention of his campaign team.

The campaign director was reacting to the accusation by the PDP NWC that Jonathan’s loss and subsequent electoral misfortune that hit the party after the 2015 elections was due to hate campaigns adopted by the party’s campaign organisation.

The national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, while reacting to calls for the NWC members to resign because they failed to ensure victory for the party at the recent polls, said they were sidelined from playing active roles in the campaigns and their attempts to caution the campaign organisation against the hate campaigns against the then APC presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, were rebuffed.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/fani-kayode-blasts-pdp-nwc/

Marte, a town on the northern border of Borno State has again fallen into the hands of the Boko Haram terrorists.
It was gathered from security sources that Marte was recaptured by the Boko Haram on Friday after a massive attack.
One of the sources said intelligence report has it that several female suicide bombers who are presently at large could have been unleashed on Maiduguri during the Wednesday attempted attack on the town.
The source said most of the terrorists who fled Sambisa Forest camps of the outlawed sect and their other strongholds across Borno State regrouped in Marte, a border town north of Maiduguri, the state capital.
The deputy governor of Borno state, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha also confirmed the recapture of Marte by Boko Haram terrorists during a press conference in Maiduguri.
He said: “It is sad as we have been made to understand that Marte is today (Friday) completely fallen under the control of the insurgents, which to us is a very huge setback.”
Mustapha also raised the alarm that several women and girls are on the loose having been dispatched by Boko Haram terrorists as suicide bombers with the aim of causing multiple explosions in Maiduguri.
The deputy governor who had to cut short his official engagements in Abuja to attend to situation in the state said residents must be patient with the security agencies in spite of the attendant hardships caused by the dusk to dawn curfew.
“It is unfortunate that we are experiencing yet another attack in Maiduguri at this time that we are thinking that the insurgency should have subsided following the taking over of Sambisa forest by the military.”

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With just 13 days left of his tenure and the May 29 handover date beckoning, President Goodluck Jonathan and his family have practically packed out all their belongings from Aso Rock, the seat of government in Abuja.
A Presidency source told said that what Jonathan and his family still have in Aso Rock are few hand luggage that could be moved out in the morning of May 29.
His post-presidency plan, the source said, would commence immediately after he hands over on May 29 to Muhammadu Buhari.
“The President has not been a free man in the last 16 years. He is savouring his freedom. He has been working in the last 16 years from Deputy Governor, to Governor, to Vice-president and eventually the President of Nigeria with all the complexities. He is enjoying his freedom again. His itinerary as revealed include a tour of some African countries, earthquake devasted Nepal, a trip he is said to have planned before the earthquake and a medical check-up in Germany.
“After the handover, he would rest for a week or two in his village, Otuoke after which he would return to Abuja to spend another week or two.
“Thereafter, he would embark on some international trips to Mozambique, Nepal and South Africa. He is also expected to travel to Germany for medical checkup,” said the source.

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The country’s monthly revenue prospects continued to plummet as gross receipts stood at N282.06 billion in April compared to N315.04 billion the previous month. This represented a drop of N32.98 billion from last month’s receipts.
Also on Friday, Nigeria’s interbank lending rates rose to 14.25 percent on average from 9.25 percent last week, after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) recalled some of its deposits from banks.
Nevertheless, a total distributable sum of N388.33 billion was yesterday shared among the three tiers of government for April compared to N435.05 billion shared in March.
Briefing journalists at the end of the monthly meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) in Abuja, Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda said mineral revenue dropped to N180.47 billion in the period under review compared to N228.58 billion the previous month.
However, Non-mineral revenue increased to N101.59 billion from N86.46 billion in March.
The Value Added Tax (VAT) receipts also increased to N75.16 billion from N71.19 billion.
The minister however blamed the shortfall in statutory revenue on the frequent shut down and shut in of trunks and pipelines at terminals, impacting negatively on crude oil revenue.
But he added that an increase in average price of crude oil from $55.34m in February 2015 to $56.03m in March brought about $21.67m gain in revenue.

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The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Michael Ikpoki, has disclosed that over 120 of its masts have been destroyed in the North-east with 80 masts destroyed in the fourth quarter of 2014 alone.

According to Contruction Review Online, Ikpoki noted that the rampant destruction of infrastructure by Boko Haram has hampered the growth of mobile telecommunications penetration in Nigeria, especially in the northern parts of the country.
MTN Nigeria is the largest telephone operator in Africa with its Nigeria operations having 61.1 million users.
According to MTN Nigeria, the company has invested 13 billion in fixed assets and facilities nationwide in its 13 years of operation in the country

The militant organisation has caused untold suffering in recent years in Africa’s most populous nation by waging a war against the national government in a bid to create a separate state. Bombings, assassinations and abductions have become the hallmark of the group. They promote a version of Islam that forbids Muslims from associating with western society in any form.
The organisation has caused development to lag behind in its area of operation and coupled with destruction of infrastructure has raised a bill running into millions that will be required for reconstruction.

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Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday said the federal government had treated the state with outright prejudice by selling parcels of land it acquired for public use from the state to private interests or individuals.
The governor lamented the decision of the federal government to issue certificate of occupancy (C of O) in Abuja for parcels of land in Lagos, pointing out that it was illegal for the federal government to issue such document.

He said this at a public presentation of two books by former Federal Commissioner of Works, Alhaji Femi Okunnu and the wife of former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore respectively in Victoria Island.
At the presentation of the books titled “Contemporary State Land Matters in Nigeria: A Case Study of Lagos State and In Her Own Right: Abimbola Fashola,” Fashola lamented that rather than return the land to the official owners, the federal government continued “to sell them to individuals for commercial purposes.

“I think we have received the short end of the stick as a people (residents of Lagos). Lagos is one of the few states that are bounded by lagoon and ocean on the side. Yet, that is the place I think we have been most treated unfairly by the central government.
He said the federal government took over Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on Lagos Island, noting that the federal government “is only a manager and not landlord. It belongs to Lagos. It was originally crown land. It was given to the central government to manage. It is alarming that the manager has started selling the land left in its care.

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The signs that the worsening fuel scarcity may last longer than expected came clear Wednesday when Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), importers and storage companies said the federal government was yet owing them more than N200 billion ($1 billion) in subsidy payments.

The members of MOMAN, which include Total SA, Oando Plc, Forte Oil Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp’s local unit, are owed about 40 per cent of that amount as at the end of March, with more costs incurred since then, the executive secretary, MOMAN, Thomas Olawore, Stated.

This revelation has led to the chaos in the oil industry which has had ripple effect in other sectors of the economy.

The traffic snarl caused by the legion of tankers seeking to load petroleum product in Apapa for instance has caused incalculable discomfort to motorists in Lagos.

Yesterday, the Association of Nigeria Licence Customs Agents (ANLCA) said the nation was losing about N5 billion daily on account of the traffic lockdown on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway.

A “recent meeting” with the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala “was not conclusive,” Olawore said in an interview in Lagos.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/oil-marketers-fg-owes-us-1-billion/

UOP LLC, a subsidiary of Honeywell company, has said that its process technology, catalysts and proprietary equipment will form the basis for the largest refinery in Africa and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuels and petrochemicals

Dangote Oil Refining Company has selected UOP technology for a world-scale integrated refinery and petrochemical plant to be built in Lekki, Lagos.

Nigeria has the second-largest amount of proven oil reserves in Africa with an estimated 37.2 billion barrels, according to Oil & Gas Journal. However, the country currently imports most of its refined product requirements due to lack of domestic refining capacity.

“UOP has been designing state-of-the-art refineries and petrochemical plants for more than a century, so we are well-equipped to help Nigeria develop a massive new installation to meet its domestic needs.

“This project will enable Dangote to improve Nigeria’s oil refining capabilities, reduce the country’s dependence on imports, and work to revive and transform the Nigerian economy “ said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP’s Process, Technology and Equipment business.

The Dangote Group is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest in Africa. The company has a number of interests, including cement, real estate, oil, natural gas, telecommunications, fertilizer and steel, and the group also focuses on local, value-added products and services that meet the needs of the African population.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/honeywell-partners-dangote-on-africas-largest-refinery/

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has expressed disgust over a newspaper editorial in the Sunday Trust Newspaper of May 10, 2015 titled: “The Sorry Record of Madam Ngozi.”

Reacting to the editorial in a statement issued by her Media Adviser, Miss Constance Ikoku, the minister said rather than launch vicious attacks on a woman, who has worked very hard for the country at enormous personal cost, including the kidnap of her mother due to her fight against oil subsidy fraudsters, “Sunday Trust should focus on being a professional organisation.”

The piece, the minister noted, seemed to have been deliberately aimed at destroying her reputation, adding that a publishing outfit that flaunts a logo of “The Newspaper that you can Trust” has shown that it does not and cannot adhere to its own guiding principle because of its bias, prejudice and knack for unprofessionalism.”

According to the minister, “Daily Trust Newspaper Group cannot be trusted and I will explain why in the following paragraphs.”

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari will not persecute anyone, contrary to statements credited to President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement issued in Abuja monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said, however, that those who have played poker with the nation’s destiny must be willing and eager to clear their conscience before man and God.

‘’That the president-elect is a man of integrity is not an issue for debate, and he has made it clear that he will not be bogged down by endless probes.

‘’However, the hands of the incoming government will not be tied by those who have chosen to play the victim and exhibit a persecution mentality. Whoever has any reason to be afraid must lay bare such reason before Nigerians,’’ the party said.

It said under the climate of change that Nigerians have ushered in with their votes, only the guilty needs to be afraid, and those with a guilty conscience, on account of their actions in the public sphere, must clear such so they can be at peace with themselves.
‘’The last time we checked, this does not fit the definition of persecution,’’ APC said.

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A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Godwin Obla, has refuted claim by Ajibola Oluyede, counsel to a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Buruji Kashamu that he leaked the alleged plans to extradite Kashamu to the United States of America.

In a petition against Oluyede to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, Obla who accused Oluyede of fabricating the story to make his client’s case looked good, is asking the committee “to inquire into the infamous conduct of Ajibola Oluyede with a view to bringing him before the committee to account for the misdeed to save the legal profession of loss of reputation and integrity of its members.”

Kashamu, now a senator-elect, representing Ogun East, said a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (apparently referring to Obla), who is “very close” to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke (SAN), leaked the plot to his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, while on a flight from Lagos to Abuja.

He said this in an April 15, 2015 letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in which he is seeking the commission’s intervention.

But in the petition, Obla said except for the media report on the Kashamu’s alleged indictment in the United States of America, he had, “never had any connection, nor shown any particular or special interest beyond the media effects of consistent reportage, on the person of Kashamu and his associates, including the said Olueyede, his lawyer, with whom I only had a brief encounter in court in the year 2013 in the course of my professional duties in suits totally unconnected with Kashamu.”

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/lawyer-faults-kashamu-on-extradition-claim/

A group of youths who served as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the general elections in Edo State monday protested over the alleged under-payment of their allowances by the commission.

The aggrieved protesters, many whom wore identity card belonging to the University of Benin, said that they were engaged by INEC as Collation Officers, Returning Officers and Supervisory Officers and decried an alleged plan by the commission to pay them the sum of N35,000 rather than N65,000, which they said was obtainable in other states.

One of them, Edegbe Uyi, said INEC needed to explain why it “refused to credit our accounts as stipulated by law” and “why there is discrepancies” between the amount they received as collation officers in Edo from other states.

He added: “It is only when that has been done that we can receive our money from INEC. If we don’t have explanations to these two points, we are not going to accept that money from INEC.

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http://monitor9ja.com/2015/05/inec-adhoc-staff-protests-non-payment-of-allowances/

The acting Inspector General of Police (IG), Solomon Arase, has called on the Police Service Commission (PSC), to recruit more people into the Nigeria Police, stating that the Force is understaffed.

Arase, who made this call monday during his visit to the Chairman of the commission in Abuja, lamented that about 20 to 30 policemen die on a monthly basis and that no provision had been made yet for their replacement.

The visiting acting IG also complained of stagnation in the Force where he said some officers had been on one rank for upwards of eight to nine years because of non availability of establishment vacancies, a development he said had seriously affected the morale of the officers.

He appealed to the commission to assist the Force in ensuring that more establishment vacancies are created to cater for the backlog of promotions in the Force.

The Chairman of PSC, Mike Okiro, in his response, admitted that Nigeria was under policed and noted that there was need for urgent recruitment into the Force to ensure that the nation is well policed.

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