₦airaland Forum

I hate noise makers. If you do not get any answers, what will you do? [color=#006600][/color]

0lumide: Why would Bayelsa State government own a house in Lagos used to stash Weapons?

Where is the fucking intelligence OPC was bragging about? And what was Gani Adams doing at the burial of a man who sold weapons to militants that bombed Yoruba land?

This is a serious matter! This is not the first time the Niger Delta is connected to an attack on Lagos. First the Atlas Cove was bombed by the stoopid militants, now Bayelsa State Government bought a dirty, Shanty house used to stash weapons in Lagos state.

This is not the time for some Edwin clark or some Afenifere to start trying to bring focus on Boko Haram and North. This is the time for the South to start pointing their fingers to the south of Nigeria.

The freaking paid hacks and tom foools called Afenifere started pointing North as soon as the matter was blown open. Why should we blame the north again? Isn't The house used to stash the weapons owned by a southern state government? Everybody is trying to downplay the matter.

When a military officer pointed accusing fingers at Azazi for masterminding the escalation of Boko Haram attacks, everybody said the north was trying to cover up their filth. Hasn't the military officer been vindicated?
Azazi called for American troops in Niger Delta but the US refused and instead built a mission house in the north.

Mend bombed Abuja but Jonathan was quick to say they didn't even though Mend took responsibility. Azazi was accused of gun running in Kaduna and years later, he was killed in air crash along side the Kaduna state governor (Coincidence?).

Ask yourself why a Boko Haram "fighting" for Northern Muslims have majority Northern Muslims as casualties? Don't give me the Taliban excuse because Talibans don't bomb the Taliban controlled areas so your analogy will fail. Have you heard of Hamas blowing up Palestinians? .

If the east should start going anti Jonathan, Bombs will start rocking their terrain too or we will have the usual scare tactics of bombs going off.

Ijaws are creating a problem they will never solve for themselves. Let's be sincere for once and face the truth in Nigeria. People with evil and secessionist intents are manipulating the "northern factor" of the issue. Yes we all know the Northern corrupt elites want to keep power in the North but that is not possible in the 21st century especially when the nation's economic backbone is in the south. Let's not kick a dying dog to give say it barks too much noise; we may end up turning the dog to a wild beast.

This is not an Article.

NUJ President, 74 others escape death as aircraft loses engine mid-air
on MARCH 28, 2013 · in NEWS
9:52 pm
0
BY Kenneth Ehigiator & DANIEL ETEGHE

Over 75 passengers and crew narrowly escaped death Thursday as a Rabat, Morocco-bound Royal Air Maroc flight lost one of its engines mid-air.

The flight, which took off at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 7:30am, had on board National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Garba Mohammed, and seven other Nigerian journalists who were to attend the Federation of Africa Journalists conference in Morocco.

The other journalists include National Secretary, NUJ, Shuaibu Liman, National Treasurer, Fatima Abdulkarim, Mukhtar Gidado, former Vice President, Zone E, Gbenga Onayiga, as well as chairmen of Bauchi and Kogi states chapters of the union.

Also on board the flight was a group of Beninois journalists who were billed to attend the same conference.

Vanguard gathered that the aircraft, Boeing 737-800, was already an hour into the flight when the pilot noticed failure in one of the engines of the twin-engine aircraft.

He was said to have immediately embarked on a return to point of take-off and called for emergency landing.

Lagos airport officials who preferred anonymity, said fire tenders and ambulance vehicles were deployed in response to the emergency declared by the pilot.

Fire hydrants were reportedly deployed in runway 18R where the pilot was expected to land the aircraft, having shed off fuel.

The pilot was, however, said to have landed safely without any injury to passengers and bodily damage to the aircraft.

Passengers who had urgent appointments to keep in Morocco reportedly engaged officials of the airline in war of words for deploying an aircraft deemed not airworthy.

The intervention of airport officials was said to have prevented what could have been an ugly spectacle at the airport.

NUJ President, Garba Mohammed, who thanked God for averting what could have been a major disaster, said the aircraft engines on take-off made some deafening vibrations, which frightened passengers on board.

He quoted the Beninois journalists as saying the engines gave a similar sound when they took off in Cotonou yesterday morning en route Lagos.

At press time, it was learnt that the airline was making arrangements to check the passengers into an hotel as stipulated by international civil aviation regulations, with a promise to airlift them to their destination today.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/03/nuj-president-74-others-escape-death-as-aircraft-loses-engine-mid-air/

Yes na! Some South Africans during the yellow fever card''s imbroglio.

[quote author=talktimi]How canyou sack someone who's obviously performing due to pressure ? There's something obvously wrong somewhere but definitely with the spokesman who released this statement without packaging it well.

I bow o!

President Jonathan Fires Director-General of NCAA, Harold Demuren
Posted: March 11, 2013 - 21:11

Dr. Harold Demuren
By SaharaReporters, New York
Harold Demuren, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, has been removed from office with immediate effect.

A statement by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said Mr. Demuren was removed as a result of pressure from "aviation stakeholders". The statement did not say the nature of the pressure, nor indicate the stakeholders involved.

President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have approved the removal. Dr. Demuren also confirmed his removal via a text message to to Saharareporters.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday warned that his administration would no longer tolerate a situation where security operatives are killed at will in any part of the country.
He also vowed not to withdraw soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force deployed in troubled parts of the country until normalcy returns to the affected areas.
Jonathan spoke at a town hall meeting in Maiduguri as he concluded his working visit to Borno State which has remained in the centre of activities of members of the fundamental Islamic sect, Boko Haram, that have been responsible for bombing campaigns in the northern part of the country.
He said, “I cannot preside over this country as a president and security officers are killed. These people leave their families, stay on the road and the bush so that we will sleep and I will not want to hear that one of them is killed.
“So nobody should make an analogy that one soldier killed. We have admonished the soldiers not to kill innocent civilians but we will not allow and I will not celebrate the death of one security officer anywhere in this country whether it is in Bayelsa State, whether it is in Niger Delta, whether it is in Anambra State, whether it is in the South East, whether it is the South West, whether it is in North West, whether it is in North Central, anywhere. We will not, and I repeat, we will not accommodate it.”
Jonathan took a swipe at some politicians in the state whom he accused of playing to the gallery on the issue of insecurity in the state.

http://www.punchng.com/news/i-wont-tolerate-killings-of-security-agents-again-jonathan/

Supporters of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) pushed their case further yesterday at the Senate, with startling facts on the sector.

Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East) described the opposition to the 10 per cent host community fund by mostly northern senators as “misplaced”.

Enang, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, said that those opposed to the fund should know that over 83 per cent of oil blocks are owned by northerners.

But he did not give the number of oil blocks Nigeria has.

Senate President David Mark, who seemed to have been shocked by what Enang said, said the Akwa Ibom lawmaker should not be distracted (some senators were grumbling) because he was making an important point.

Mark asked Enang whether he could substantiate his claim.

Enang promptly pulled out a document from his folder and reeled out oil blocs and their owners.

He said he did not intend to divide the country but to guide those who wanted to contribute to the debate to be truly informed.

He listed northerners who own oil blocks to include Alhaji Mai Deribe, Borno State and owner of Cavendish Petroleum, which operates OML 110 with an average of about N4billion monthly.

He also listed Seplat/Platform Petroleum, operators of the ASUOKPU/UMUTU Marginal Field with Mallam (Prince) Sanusi Lamido, Kano , as a major shareholder and director.

South Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO) established by General T. Y. Danjuma, Taraba State , who is also chairman of Eni Nigeria Limited.

SAPETRO partnered with Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI) and Brasoil Oil Services Company Nigeria Limited to become operators of the OPL 246.

AMNI International Petroleum and Development Company is owned by Alhaji (Colonel) Sani Bello of Kontangora , Niger State.

“They are operators of OML 112 and OML 117,” he said.

He said that a former Petroleum Minister and former OPEC Chairman, Rilwanu Lukman, another northerner manages AMNI oil blocks “with very key interest in the NNPC/Vitol trading deal.”

He said that Oriental Energy Resources Limited, a company owned by Alhaji Indimi, runs three oil blocks – OML 115, the Oldwok field and the Ebok field.

He said that Alhaji Aminu Dantata’s Express Petroleum and Gas Limited, operates OML 108.

Enang said that OML 113 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Limited is owned by Alhaji W.I. Folawiyo. Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Gambo, North East Petroleum Limited, is the holder of the OPL 215 Licence.

North East Petroleum was awarded blocs OPL 276 and OPL 283 and closing thereupon a Joint Venture Agreement with Centrica Resources Nigeria Limited and CCC Oil and Gas.

He said that INTEL is owned by former Vice President Atiku, the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Ado Bayero. It has substantial stakes in Nigeria ’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe .

He said that Mike Adenuga’s Conoil is the oldest indigenous oil exploration company with six blocks. OPL 291 was awarded to Starcrest Energy Nigeria Limited, owned by Emeka Offor, which was sold to Addax Petroleum.

Enang urged the Senate to cause the immediate revocation of all oil blocks licences and their redistribution, in accordance with the Federal Character Principle.

He said: “My submission is that when you look at the distribution of those who own oil blocks and the amount of money that comes from the different oil blocks to the Federation Account and you see the owners of these oil blocks, you will agree with me that there is inequity in the distribution of oil blocks.

“The oil is produced in the Niger Delta yet it is the people of the Northeast and the Northwest and a little of the Northcentral, almost nothing of the Southwest and the Southeast, that are the persons owning and controlling these oil blocks.

“Almost nothing for the Southsouth, Niger Delta oil producing areas.

“They are quarreling with the area that takes just 13 per cent when you are producing the entire 100 per cent, you give some to the Federation Account and they give only 13 per cent of what you give and, of course, it is whatever you declared that you have produced. It is actually produced by you.

“I did not want to introduce something that is divisive.

“It is not intended to divide the country, it is intended to say ‘look, let us be realistic’.

“What some of the oil wells and the owners of the oil wells produce in a month and take as profit is sometimes more than what two or three states receive from the Federation Account.”

Enang noted that “when a group of people are richer than a state and then it is produced by you, then there is so much opposition that even the people who suffer the effect of the oil production should not be give host communities’ fund; and we have explained that the host communities fund is not only for the oil producing; it is for any of the communities that hosts oil infrastructure, which includes oil pipelines, refineries, gas pipelines and anything that is capable of causing danger.”

“If we had the host communities fund, the danger that we have been having in Arepo in Ogun State, the area would have benefited from the host communities fund.”

Enang said that other areas, such as Kaduna and some other states, will benefit from it.

He went on: “If you are producing and declaring only what you like and only the 10 per cent now being provided for the host communities and the 13 per cent which is after deducting everything, that cannot be in the interest of the country.

“What I am asking now is that oil blocs in the whole country should be revoked and redistributed according to Federal Character Principle.

“We are not saying that we in the Southsouth should have all or the Southeast should have all or the Southwest should have all.

“In fact, if there are 18 oil blocs or 36 oil blocks, we don’t mind that you give us at least four, Northeast four, Southeast four, Northwest four.

“At least, let there be equity, but then there should be the principle of who owns it and then you give us more.

“But at this time, we don’t even have it. The 13 per cent is what we are even suffering to sustain.”

Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South) praised the maturity of Senators in considering the bill.

He urged the Senate to look at the “absolute and sweeping powers” granted the President in Section 191 of the bill.

The Section, he said, gives the President absolute and unqualified powers to grant petroleum licences to whoever he pleases.

Lanlehin prayed the Senate to use the opportunity of the bill to design a template that would grow the economy.

Senator Adegbenga Kaka (Ogun East) said he was supporting the bill with mixed feelings.

He noted that the trend of the debate seemed to indicate that senators were more concerned about how to share the cake and not how to bake it.

Kaka said the power granted the minister of petroleum in the bill should be reconsidered “so that we don’t give too much power to the minister.”

The lawmaker who insisted that the bill should be finetuned, said certain percentage of earnings should be set aside to fix electricity, agriculture and other infrastructure.

Senator Mohammed Goje (Gombe Central) said before the debate, he was completely against the bill.

He said the trend of the debate showed that the Senate was poised to do justice to the bill by removing offensive sections.

To him, it seems a consensus is being built around certain sections of the bill.

He noted that most contributors agreed that the power of the minister should be reduced, such that the minister will just be like any other minister.

Goje said: “We should not create a super minister.”

He said that definite provision should be made for frontier exploration, especially adequate funding.

He opposed 10 per cent host community fund.

Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East) described the bill as very important and long overdue.

Gemade said an adage says: “Wherever you find oil, corruption creeps in and wherever you find diamond war emerges.”

He said the adage had been proved to be true.

Gemade said the bill contained good and bad provisions. He listed the good sections to include development of the gas sector, increase in promotion of local content and the unbundling of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The bad sections, he said, include the minister’s economic power.

On the host community fund, Gemade said efforts should be made to ensure that it does not degenerate to very poor management of resources as it is, according to him, in the Niger Delta Development Commission, 13 per cent derivation and others.

On the frontier exploration, he said more effort should be geared towards discovering oil in other places.

Senator Akin Odunsi ( Ogun West) described the bill as the most important legislation before the National Assembly.

Odunsi noted that the bill becomes even more important when it is recognised that the country runs a mono economy based on oil.

The lawmaker cautioned against undue sentiment in the consideration of the bill.

He agreed that the bill was not perfect but posited that it could be fine-tuned to engender development.

Senator Abdulahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) said he was giving the bill “a reserved support”.
Adamu expressed worry about the absence of transparency and accountability in the oil sector.

He said the bill appears to contradict the Constitution (as amended), especially when it is recognised that oil and gas as well as other minerals are in the Exclusive List and under the control of the Federal Government.

The lawmaker cautioned about the unbundling of the NNPC in order not to put up the corporation for outright purchase by wealthy Nigerians.
On the host community fund, Adamu said the provision would create the fourth tier of government.

To Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), the bill will be counter productive in its present form. He demanded the definition of host community.
Ashafa said pipelines burst at times not because of vandalisation but because of the integrity of the pipes.

Senator Ayogu Eze said his support for the bill stemmed from the realization that the oil sector should be reformed.
Eze highlighted issues of details in the bill, which, he said, should be addressed at the committee and public hearing levels.

Happy birthday Baba!

It is called Uge among the Afemai speaking people of Edo North.

Happy birthday sir! More anointing IJN

@ poster: please send a copy of your complaint to oshobanjo@nse.com.ng. That is the e-mail address of the head of the broker dealer regulation department of The Nigerian Stock Exchange. I can assure you that your complaint will be treated immediately he receives it. You may copy nahmed@nse.com.ng. Thank you.

Na youth leader dem call am not be children leader

Happy birthday sir. More Grcae and More Annointing

Happy birthday sir. More Grcae and More Annointing

Happy birthday sir. More Grcae and More Annointing

Great Ife made me what I am today. I am always glad to be associated with Great Ife! - For Learning and Culture!!

God bless logic mind. I am for subsidy removal. We voted GEJ, we should allow him to work. May God continue to keep and lead Mr. President.

@greall12: since I have right to my opinion I return all ur curses to you in a 100 fold in the mighty name of Jesus (Amen).

God bless Mr. President (Amen).

Why should he revert to N65? I am praying seriously that he revert not. When the protesters are tired they will look for cold water to take,

bodejohn:
Beaf, thank heavens you are here, Can you answer my question below? If you can succeed in convincing only me without abuses, I will be glad!

BodeJohn, the savings will be from excess crude sales. What I mean is this, the benchmark for expected revenue in the budget is is lower than the actual crude price. The difference normally goes to a federation account call the excess crude account. This money is then shared among the threee tiers of government (Fed, state and LG), FCT, derivation and ecology, devlpmt of natural resources and stabilization funds. The Federal goverment has been using this excess savings to pay for subsidies and share the remnant among the tiers of government. Governors and other stakeholders have kicked against this approach. Hence their tactical support for the removal. Whereas there was provision in the last year budget, the difference was taken from the above mentioned account including borrowing. In the same way thogh there is no provision in the current budget, government can still fund it from the excess crude account. This is what government plan to save and use through the subsidy reinvestment and empowerment programme headed by Christopher Kolade.

conquerorb:
Given the foregoing exposition, can we infer/deduce from wot you guys are saying that it all translate to more money for us as pay-check?just asking.

Yes. I have done a comparison between the PITA 2004 and PIT (Amendment) Act 2011 just signed into law and the current one is better. The reason being the adjustments in the bands and the consolidation relief allowance of N200,000 subject to a minimum of 1% whichever is higher plus 20% of the gross income.

alj_harem:
Breaking News: Jonathan's Media Adviser - Dr Reuben Abati has tendered his resignation - Presidency

See the link below:

http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9338:i-have-not-resigned-abatiiwealla-did-not-threaten-to-resign&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67
He has not resigned.

The congress continues. You are all invited.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/29721-adeboye-urges-nigerians-to-seek-god%E2%80%99s-face.html

olajide_07:
In the case of aregbesola he still had a deputy he didn't say he wanted to under-study or audit the structure he just said he was looking for the right set of hands to fulfill his government direction the metreage or kilometreage between the ACN and PDP can't be measured at all though some elements portray some in a funny light the majority of them have a direction if we want to be honest with ourselves and admit that we do not have sight challenges the truth is all over the wall for us to see.

The Gombe state Governor had a deputy who died in Germany hospital on 4th Nov. 2011. I think the Governor is taking his time before appointing another deputy.

You will not see the likes of Blacksta, Gbawe, Eko-Ile, Dayokanu, etc contributing in knowledgeable task like this. There own expertise is calling people names. Beaf I know has done something like this before and I was so impressed. Omo_to_dun also receive my resppect. Keep it up. It shows that NL is not only for names calling and insulting our leaders.

About 18-20hrs in my area of Ketu, Lagos

OBJ is not a fool; you may not like his person but you can not take away his leadership quality. Among Nigerian leaders, he is my number one.

xtremeidea:
source please!!!

make we know wetin we dey do abeg?

Just wacthed the announcement by NLC president on NTA

Happy birthday Pa Africa

I just watched the news now on NTA network news. The completed airport, tower, departure hall, state of the art equipments in the control room and a maiden flight to Abuja with passengers were shown on the NTA news. Congratulation to all Deltans!!!

~Bluetooth:
Why not jonathan himself ?

They dare not touch a fowl from the ND not to talk of GEJ. They can continue bombimg themselves in the North. Any attempt on anything near the ND will be met with comesurate force.