The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) wednesday said it would raise the level of current petrol stock from 45 to 50 days, stating that this should provide adequate supply buffer for the country going into the impending Christmas and New Year season.

The NNPC also urged, through its subsidiary, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), oil marketers under the aegis of Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), to regulate the volumes of petroleum products they send to their members’ affiliate stations close to Nigeria’s borders with other African countries


The move is to stem the smuggling of the country’s cheap petroleum products to other countries.

A statement from the Group General Manager Public Affairs of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, quoted the Managing Director of PPMC, Mr. Umar Ajiya, to have said these when he met with executives of MOMAN in Lagos.

Ajiya explained that price arbitrage which is the differential between the regulated price of petrol in Nigeria and high products prices in neighbouring countries now encourages smuggling of products from Nigeria to these countries.

He, however, expressed confidence that MOMAN would take up the challenge, adding that its members have remained the most reliable partners in the country’s downstream petroleum sector.

According to him, the NNPC and PPMC have built up adequate stock of petrol and other products, and that their petrol stock alone would last about 45 days even in the absence of fresh supplies.

But he stressed that their target was to get the sufficiency level to 50 days.

“We have 2.2 billion litres of petrol, 1.1 billion on land and 1.1 billion on marine, 800 million litres in PPMC depots in addition to 27-day sufficiency of AGO, 98-day sufficiency of ATK and 48-day sufficiency of DPK,” Ajiya said.

He implored MOMAN to take advantage of the stock sufficiency and request for more products for their stations across the country.

Ajiya equally stated that the corporation has stocked in products in its nine Inland depots, including Enugu and Aba and will begin to sell them by December 1, 2018, with a view to forestalling frequent shortages being experienced during Christmas and New Year in the eastern part of the country.

In the statement, the Executive Secretary of MOMAN, Mr. Clement Isong, said the association was committed to taking more products to their stations across the country.

Isong said: “We are ready to support NNPC/PPMC to flood the country with products during the Yuletide season and beyond as we go into general elections next year.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/nnpc-to-raise-petrol-stock-levels-to-50.html

Last week Monday, November 19, 2018, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the media and civil society activists converged in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, to discuss security as it affects the forthcoming 2019 general elections.


The event was the opening ceremony of the 2018 Media Week of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council with the theme: “Promoting Security in the 2019 Election: The Role of the Media.”

Setting the tone for discussion, the keynote speaker and Director-General of the Initiative for Credible Election (ICE), Barrister Ledum Mitee, said history of elections in Rivers State has been one characterized by electoral fraud associated with political tension, crisis and violence.


Mitee said: “As indicated earlier, the history of elections in Rivers State in the recent past has been one characterized by electoral fraud associated with political tensions, crisis, and violence perpetrated by some political actors and unprofessional conduct of some few INEC staff and security agencies.

“The result is that the outcome of elections has been the subversion of the democratic process rather than its consolidation. Indeed the INEC Report into the last Rivers Legislative Re-run elections indicated that apart from politicians, some security operatives and INEC officials that were expected to protect the electoral process, subverted it.”



He said the starting point to these electoral violence in Rivers State could be traced to violent languages and hate speeches by political leaders even before the elections without regard to violent actions of their followers.

The ICE Coordinator said: “The starting point in festering these violence is obviously before the elections when violent languages and hate speeches by political leaders are deployed without regard to the implications for violent actions by followers.


“The media’s role in stemming the effects of such behavior must therefore start with ensuring that information that exposes such threats are provided and reported in a timely, equitable, fair and balanced manner. Politicians who use or whose followers use such language capable of inciting violence must be exposed and condemned.”


Mitee, who is former President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) accused security agents of working with politicians to commit electoral fraud, thereby leading to violence.


He said: “In the same way, when the police or army accompanying a politician to an election venue, most times to manipulate the electoral process are resisted and violence erupts, the reporting at times are framed as being in defence of public property and to restore peace and order.

“Reporting security issues and violence by armed security agents as failures of INEC reinforces the clearly unconstitutional roles by such security agents that threatens free and fair elections. What, for instance do we expect the unarmed INEC officials to do in the face of such armed invasion?


“The situation becomes more disturbing in the face of evidence that tends to show that the security agencies that have variously been accused of subverting the electoral processes act outside established security institutional frameworks. They are , according to various accounts, not usually part of the security personnel officially deployed for election duties.

“They are often said to be those accompanying politicians and those operating outside established routine duties. If SARS is the acronym for Special Anti-Armed Robbery Squad, why shouldn’t we ask what armed robbery duties are they on on election days?



“In any case, why should the media not interrogate and question the establishment and maintenance of SARS and IGP’s Monitoring Squad by the Inspector-General of Police outside the control of the Commissioner of Police in the state?”

To the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major-General Jamil Sarham, soldiers do not guide civilians and electoral materials during, before and after elections in the country.


Sarham, who was represented by the Commander, 56 Signals Brigade, Brigadier-General Basset Etuk, said the Nigerian Army does not get involved in electoral activities but only support the Nigerian Police and other security agencies involved in the process.


He said: “You will all agree with me that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, has done a lot since he assumed command and administration of the Nigerian Army. His vision is to have a professional and responsible Nigerian Army in the discharge of its duties.


“On many fora, he has said that the Nigerian Army is an apolitical one and this has transcended to all men and officers of the Nigerian Army. When troops are called out for internal security operations, it is as usual with the authorization of the Commander-in-Chief and we have our rules of engagement.

“The Nigerian Army does not have any business with elections. All we do is to support Police and other security agencies that are normally deployed for such elections. So, of you see a soldier escorting a ballot box, that order must have been passed illegally.


“You cannot see a military man involved in electoral activities. I make bold to say that soldiers do not guide civilians.”


To the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Obo Effanga, there is the need for the media to be objective and transparent in the reportage of the forthcoming 2019 general elections in the country.


Effanga, who was represented by the Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Chief Edwin Enabor, said the electoral umpire will be transparent in all its dealings with the media and the electorate.

He said: “Considering the role of the media and strong influence of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, which is the umbrella body of journalists practising in the country, the commission wishes to use this opportunity, once again, to appeal to you to assist in ensuring the transparency of the electoral process through correct reportage of events in the country.



“The media should downplay issues capable of having negative effect on the system by engaging within the confines of their profession and the code of conduct for election reporting.

“As the 2019 general election is fast approaching, we have just 90 days, the commission urges you exhibit unbiased reporting before, during and after the elections to avert a breakdown of Nigeria’s democracy.


“The commission on its part pledges to be transparent in its dealings with the media and the electorate throughout the period of the election and beyond. We will continue to regard you not only as critical stakeholders but as partners in progress. We all should work for democracy and ensure that democracy works in our country.”

To Hon. Emma Okah, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, the Nigerian journalist can hardly report the nation’s volatile politics fairly because he is also affected by the challenges in the country.


Okah stated that the precarious situation the Nigerian journalist faces as a critical stakeholder in enthroning credible election is further aggravated by poor remuneration.


Presenting a paper, a senior lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Rivers State University, Professor Godwin Okon, canvassed for immunity for journalists practising in the country.

Okon described election period as a defining moment in the history of any country, saying that the 2019 election will be a defining moment for Nigerians.

He said: “Election period is always a defining moment in the country’s timeline. The 2019 election will be a defining moment for Nigeria and it is better we rise up to the occasion.”


Welcoming participants to the event, Chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, Chief Ernest Chinwo, said tension is building up as political parties and all relevant stakeholders step up activities towards the advancement of their interests during the 2019 elections.

Chinwo said: “Expectations are high and tension is once more building up as political parties and all relevant stakeholders step up activities towards the advancement of their interests during the 2019 general elections.

“Some people are once more scared considering their experiences during the 2015 elections: some lost loved ones, some were maimed while others escaped by the whiskers in the violence that characterised the last elections. Indeed, prophets of doom are already predicting bloodshed and all forms of harm in the forthcoming elections.

“While the electorate suffered untold hardship and violence, the greatest victims were arguably journalists whose duty it was to report the goings-on in the various polling units across the length and breadth of the state.

“Their conditions, in most cases were not helped by security agencies as most operatives saw the journalist as a threat, out to expose their involvement in electoral fraud.


“Thus journalists are an endangered species in the electoral process in Nigeria because inasmuch as they are expected to inform the populace of the electoral process, they are neither protected nor equipped to protect themselves while discharging their responsibilities.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/media-inec-security-agencies-and-2019.html

The Nigeria Law School on Tuesday said that 4790 candidates were successful at its August/ September 2018 Bar Final Examinations and 161 of them made First Class.

The Director-General of the School, Prof. Isa Ciroma (SAN) disclosed this while presenting the candidates to the Body of Benchers at the 2018 Call to the Bar ceremony in Abuja.

“At this Call to the Bar ceremony, a total of 4,779 graduates were successful at the August/ September 2018 Bar Final Examinations; as well as 11 candidates from previous Bar Final Examinations.

“A total number of 5,846 students participated in the examination.

” While 161 candidates were graded in First Class, 694 made Second Class Upper, 1, 275 made Second Class Lower and 2, 649 got a Pass mark,” he said.

Ciroma noted that the 161 candidates, who made the First Class, cut across 15 federal universities, 14 state universities and five private universities.

He said that the general performance, which he described as unprecedented, justified the huge investment and sacrifice made by all stakeholders.

He said that the school would put more efforts to sustain and surpass the attained record, adding that as long as its students were willing to excel, the school would avail them the opportunity to achieve their goals.

He explained that the graduates have successfully completed their vocational training at the school as prescribed by the Legal Education Act and have met the conditions set by the Council of Legal Education.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman, Body of Benchers, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, described the 2018 ceremony as unique.

He said it was the first in history of the country the school was graduating 161 students with First Class degree.

“The bottom line is, we should have a system of law teaching and practice which is up to standard and of which we are all proud of and can be defended at any given point”, Dalhatu said.

He charged the graduates to imbibe professionalism and stick to the truth, guided by their conscience and the law.

He also urged the senior colleagues in the profession to mentor the young ones who desire to learn from them.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/161-make-first-class-in-law-school-4790.html

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has pumped $26.765 billion into the interbank segment of the foreign exchange (forex) market since it started its forays into the market in February last year, figures compiled by Akelicious have shown.

The amount of the weekly forex sales increased by $3.508 billion, from N23.257 billion as of August 8, to $26.765 billion as of November 21.


A breakdown of the forex intervention in the past three months showed that while between August 10 and August 28th, the central bank intervened with a total of $1.290 billion; in September it sold $1.250 billion; in October only $210 million was sold and in November, the regulator has so far intervened with $757.16 million.

An analysis of the dollar sales showed that in 2017 alone, the bank intervened with a total of $15.043 billion and between January and November 21 in 2018; it has pumped in $11.5 billion in the market.

The naira exchange rate has remained stable since last year when the central bank commenced the forex sales.

Average exchange rate of the naira to the US dollar on the interbank and BDC segments is N305.79/US$ and N362.25/US$ respectively.

The average exchange rate at the Investors’ & Exporters’ Window has been around N363/US$.

In April 2017, the CBN introduced a new exchange rate window, the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Fixing Mechanism (NAFEX), commonly known as the Investors’ and Exporters’ (I &E) window.

The I & E window and the interbank market have been seen as the main exchange rate windows utilised in foreign currency trading.

Analysts recently predicted that the combination of tightening global financing conditions, which has resulted to capital outflows in the country, the elevated global risk aversion, 2019 election uncertainties and high services payments were likely to put pressure on the naira going into next year.

Analysts at CSL Stockbrokers Limited and the Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), who stated this in two separate reports obtained by Akelicious recently, argued that capital repatriation by foreign investors was also expected to heighten dollar demand.

But the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had insisted that it has enough war chest to meet forex demand in the country.

To the CSL, Nigeria’s periodic currency crises are mainly due to policy makers’ inability to deal with the macroeconomic phenomena called the “impossible Trinity.”

It said, “The impossible trinity (also known as the trilemma) postulates that it is impossible to have all three of the following at the same time: a fixed foreign exchange rate, free movement of capital (absence of capital controls) and an independent monetary policy.

“We think pressure will appear in the foreign exchange market and a parallel market premium in the range of 10-20 per cent will return. Given this view, we recommend that local fixed income investors shorten duration and remain focused on the short-end of the curve.”

Crude oil price plunged to a one-year low of $58.41 a barrel at the weekend, down more than 22 percent, following global oversupply. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, fell close to $50 a barrel.

The development may further hurt Nigeria’s external reserves which has fallen to $41.523 billion as of last Thursday.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, last week pointed out that “the downside risks to global economic activity remained the elevated financial fragilities and policy uncertainties, the gradual erosion of rule-based multilateral trading system, tighter financial conditions with latent disruptive portfolio adjustments, increased capital flow reversals with potentials for heightened exchange rate depreciation and some volatility, fiscal fragilities and increased debt burden, geo-political tensions and increasingly depressed aggregate demand in some countries. These factors will continue to shape developments for the rest of 2018 and into 2019.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/cbn-pumps-26765bn-into-fx-market-in-20.html

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) wants President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent steps to address the lingering issue onthe new national minimum wage by immediately forwarding an executive bill to the National Assembly to legalise the recommendation of the tripartite Committee.

President of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said Nigerian workers were running out of patience with the government over the delay and we’re getting more and more agitated.

The National Minimum wage tripartite committee put in place by the President to review the current N18.000 Minimum wage had two weeks ago presented its report to the president recommending N30,000 as the national minimum wage, but the Nigeria Governors Forum has said they can’t pay the figure presented by the committee.

Speaking at the 2018 Harmattan School of the Congress in Abuja, Comrade Wabba said workers are running out of patience on the implementation of the new wage.

He described as unfortunate the position being taken by some Governors who are saying they can’t pay the N30.000, but are spending billions of dollars in the name of security votes which they can’t account for.

The NLC President dismissed claims that the implementation of the new national Minimum wage would lead to inflation in the country, adding that when salaries of political Office holders was increased by 800 percent in 2008, it did not cause inflation, and wander why just N30.000 for workers can cause inflation.

“We don’t know why the president has not transmitted an executive bill, the report of the tripartite committee to the National Assembly for an enactment into law, because Workers patience is running out.

“We have maintained that any governor that said he can’t pay the N30.000 should go to his state, gather workers and tell them they are spending billions of dollars in the name of security votes but once it comes to payment of N30.000 Minimum wage, they are saying workers are just 20 percent.

“How can they say that because without workers which include health workers, police, army and others, most politicians can’t sleep. Minimum wage is not a favour but a right of a worker because the law states that after 30 days, a labourer is worthy of his wage”.

More details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/minimum-wage-labour-urges-buhari-to.html

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says it is expecting 32 ships with petroleum products, food and other goods from Nov. 26 to Nov. 30, at Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports.

The authority said, while 12 of the 32 ships were conveying petrol, the other 20 ships would sail in with buckwheat, frozen fish, general cargo, ethanol, aviation fuel and containers carrying different goods.

It said 12 ships had arrived the ports and were waiting to berth with bulk fertiliser, general container and petrol.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/32-ships-with-petrol-other-products.html

The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) in collaboration with the special presidential investigation panel for the recovery of pubic property have set a timeline of 18 months to recover about N43 billion from delinquent debtors.

This is even as the bank has recorded significant progress in its revenue drive by recovering N3billion from debtors in 2018, in addition to the N2.4billion recovered in 2017.

Managing director of FMBN, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, stated this at the just- concluded 2018 Annual Management Retreat in Kano with the theme: “Improved Transaction Turnaround Time: Getting it Done.”


He hinted that after twelve years of failed attempts at institutional restructuring, that the management’s proactive stakeholders’ engagement drive resulted in the passage of key amendments to the laws establishing the institution and the National Housing Fund (NHF) by both chambers of the national assembly.

The amended laws, when assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, would lead to more independent and financially stronger FMBN with a robust capital base of N500 billion.

He emphasised that the bank was strengthening its collaboration with key stakeholders, especially the labour unions, whose members constituted the bulk of contributors to the NHF scheme.

This he said, culminated in the commencement of the National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme (NAHDEP) for Nigerian workers, in collaboration with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).


He stated that the bank intend to cover every state across the country adding that the central focus was to establish a template for affordable housing delivery in Nigeria.


Dangiwa hinted that the implementation concept was in line with the housing designs and bill of quantities (BoQ) directly commissioned by the bank to ensure the profit motive was greatly minimised.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/fmbn-goes-after-debtors-to-recover-n43bn.html

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is initiating an appropriate blueprint that will serve as the guiding principles for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Research programmes in the country.

The initiative is expected to enhance Nigeria’s participation in the ongoing global digital revolution.


To achieve the initiative, NCC has appointed a seven-man panel of technology experts to look critically at issues relating to ICT research.

The panel, which is chaired by the former Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, submitted its final report to the NCC Board and Management at the weekend.

Other members of the panel include: Chairman, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Titi Omo–Ettu; Administrator of DBI, Dr. Ike Adinde; Prof. Mohammed Ajiya; Alhaji Abdullahi Maikano; Johnson Asinugo and Mr. Shehu Olaniya.

Chairman of NCC Board, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, who received the report in the presence of Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Mr. Sunday Dare and other members of the executive management, said the initiative was to invite eminent Nigerians with “deep knowledge, expertise and experience in ICT to serve on the panel of experts and in their capacity to advise the NCC on ICT discovery, technology innovations, through the instrumentality of research and capacity building.”

Premised on the commitment of the NCC to the establishment of ICT learning and education in Nigeria, Durojaiye said: “The Board deeply considered setting up a merit based process for objective selection of young Nigerians resident in the country and in diaspora for special training and capacity building to enhance Nigeria’s participation in the ongoing global digital revolution.”

Durojaiye added: “It is pertinent to note that the Digital Bridge Institute, an innovation of the commission, already has ample basic facilities to house ICT Research Centres in Lagos and Abuja to start with.

“The Commission is desirous of refocusing the DBI to actualise its mandate in accordance with the ideals of its founding fathers. This includes the need to identify the numerous ‘Bill Gates’ and ‘Mark Zukerberg’ of Nigeria, who are currently roaming the streets of Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Port-Harcourt and indeed across every other city and state in Nigeria in search of paid Jobs.”

The challenge is for our youths to be major actors in the world fourth industrial revolution by discovery, innovating and inventing solutions that will address current and future needs of mankind. Nigeria will thereby earn more foreign exchange and respect in the comity of Nations, Durojaiye said.

While presenting the panel report, Ndukwe said: “When I was contacted by the NCC Chairman, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, to lead this assignment, I was a bit hesitant because of the tight schedule I was running at the time which left little room for any extra demand on my time.

“But on a second thought, I did not see how I could say. Let me assure the Chairman, the EVC and members of the commission that I have been both excited and happy that I took up the assignment for several reasons.

“First being that the panel is truly a team of experts and with the required know-how and unmatched commitment to get the job done.

“Secondly, I equally felt challenged that such a bold, creative and revolutionary idea was coming from someone as advanced in age as the NCC Chairman. His speech at the inauguration of the panel was not only impassioned, it also presented a robust vision whose sense of urgency was palpable.”

According to Ndukwe, the World Economic Forum in its 2017 Global Information Technology report had stated that “ICTs are vectors of economic and social transformation by improving access to services, enhancing connectivity, creating business and employment opportunities”.

He also pointed out that the Heads of States and Government in the United Nations’ declaration at the beginning of the new millennium had resolved, among other things, “to develop and implement strategies that give young people everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work.”

“The Secretary General of the United Nations, in his report to the Millennium Assembly, highlighted the need to explore imaginative approaches to this difficult challenge. This must be what NCC seeks to achieve for the nation by this initiative,” Ndukwe said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/ncc-moves-to-enhance-ict-in-nigeria.html

The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari has called for collaboration between Muslims and Christians in tackling the menace of sex abuse in Nigerian universities, work places and families.

Mrs Buhari made this call at a Public Lecture with the theme “Life of an Ideal Muslim in Public Office,’’ organised by the Aisha Buhari Foundation on Saturday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

She said that the target audience of the lecture was the youths in order to help them have a full grasp of the Islamic way of life and avoid being led astray by some leaders they looked up to.

The Wife of the President tasked the Jama’atu Nasril Islam and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to work towards coming up with a code of conduct for Nigerian Muslims.

“I will like to plead with the two notable bodies- that is the Jama’atu Nasril Islam and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to work together to fine-tune the way of life of an ideal Muslim; to make it compulsory for all Nigerian Muslims to follow a specified way of life.

“We have to implement. It not just reading the Koran and fail to implement either because of politics or societal intimidation.

“It is high time we set a standard for every Muslim in Nigeria; the Supreme Council has started working on something; very soon, we are going to have a workshop that will bring all Nigerian Muslims together and to come up with specific way of life for every Nigerian Muslim.

“I will also like to plead with the two bodies to work hand in hand with the other religion in Nigeria –Christianity to see how we can tackle sex abuse that is going on in universities; in the work place and within families where the family members tend to keep quiet because of stigma or other things.

“We suppose to use both religions to fight against it,‘’ she said.

The Wife of the President said that the two bodies should continue organising lectures that would remind Muslims of the Islamic way of life.

She said that the targeted audience should be the public office holders’, heads of agencies and parastatals.

Mrs Buhari said that she would want them to start with Judiciary, Police, the military, and the anti-graft agencies and extend it to some other ministries.

Earlier in his lecture, Abubakar Khalid, the Secretary- Gen, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, said that for ideal Muslim, life was a call to service and humanity and to be righteous and conscious.

He said that every worker was a shepherd and would render account of his stewardship to the Almighty Allah.

According to him, there is need for the psyche of Nigerians to be ignited to understand that service to man, by extension, was service to God.

Khalid said that people in positions of authority should be mindful of the fact that the stigma of corruption and mismanagement would stand before them when they left office.

He reminded Muslims that everybody would give account before Allah on how they discharged their responsibilities at work.

President Muhammadu Buhari and some prominent Islamic preachers and scholars graced the occasion.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/universities-sex-abuse-aisha-buhari.html

Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, yesterday assured President Muhammadu Buhari of massive votes from North Central geopolitical zone in the 2019 presidential poll.


Bello gave the assurance when he received the newly elected House of Representatives member for Ekiti/Isin/Oke Ero /Irepodun federal constituency of Kwara State, Hon Raheem Olawuyi.

Governor Bello said all North Central APC governors are working hard to ensure landslide victory for the president in next February’s Presidential poll, assuring the electorate that they will be “protected to freely express their choice”.


He stated: “Nobody will be allowed to intimidate anyone because it is the fundamental right of the electorate to make their choices. Kwarans have proved beyond doubt that despite all odds, they remain solidly behind President Muhammadu Buhari and our great party.

“We now know what Kwarans want and where they want to be and we shall do everything within the ambit of the law to protect them against any form of intimidation.



“Our aim is to give 95% of North Central votes to a President that has been good and fair to North Central”.

The governor called on all aspirants in the North Central to preach against violence and criminality, saying popular candidates do not need violence to win elections “convincingly”.


He assured that his government will ensure the people of Kogi State are well protected from “those who are beating the drums of war”, adding that the 2019 general elections will be peaceful.


Bello congratulated the newly elected member, urging him to support bills and motions that will have direct impact on the people of Nigeria as encapsulated in President Buhari’s development agenda.


The governor said, “Let me use this medium to congratulate you and the people of Kwara for this landmark victory that is timely and historic as a forerunner of our victory next year.

“Your victory is symbolic in many ways and the jubilation that has greeted the free and fair election is a demonstration of the determination of the people of Kwara State and indeed North Central to support President Muhammadu Buhari and our great party in 2019”.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/well-deliver-north-central-to-buhari.html

A new report, ‘Knowledge is Power’, has revealed that an estimated 9.4 million people who are infected with HIV are not aware they are carriers of the virus.

According to the report, released by UNAIDS, 75 per cent of all people living with HIV or 27 million people, know their HIV status.

The report called for increased efforts to reach the 9.4 million people living with HIV who are not aware that they are living with the virus and the estimated 19.4 million people living with HIV who do not have a suppressed viral load.

The new report from UNAIDS showed that intensified HIV testing and treatment efforts were reaching more people living with HIV.

To remain healthy and to prevent transmission, the HIV virus needs to be suppressed to undetectable or very low levels through sustained antiretroviral therapy.

According to the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Michel Sidibé, to effectively monitor viral load, people living with HIV need access to viral load testing every 12 months.

“Viral load testing is the gold standard in HIV treatment monitoring. It shows that treatment is working, keeping people alive and well and keeping the virus firmly under control,” Sidibé said.

The report outlined that access to viral load testing was mixed; in some parts of the world, getting a viral load test is easy and fully integrated into a person’s HIV treatment regime, while in others, there may be only one viral load machine for the entire country.

Sidibé stressed: “Viral load monitoring needs to be as available in Lilongwe as it is in London.

“HIV testing and viral load testing should be equal and accessible to all people living with HIV, without exception”.

The report showed that one of the biggest barriers to HIV testing was stigma and discrimination.

Studies among women, men, young people and key populations revealed that fear of being seen accessing HIV services, and if the person is diagnosed, fear that this information would be shared with family, friends, sexual partners or the wider community, was preventing them from accessing HIV services, including HIV testing.

According to UNAIDS, however, access to HIV testing is a basic human right, and the UN HIV/AIDS agency said it was calling for a global commitment to remove the barriers preventing people from testing for HIV.

The barriers include eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination, ensuring confidentiality in HIV testing and treatment services, and deploying an optimal mix of HIV testing strategies to reach the populations most in need.

Others are integration with other health services, removing policy and legal barriers hindering access to HIV testing and treatment, expanding access to viral load monitoring in low- and middle-income countries and ensuring access to early infant diagnosis for newborns.

The report demonstrated that implementing these measures would hugely advance progress towards ensuring that all people living with and affected by HIV have access to the life-saving services they need.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/94m-hiv-innocent-carriers-unaids.html

Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and Consolidated Hallmark Insurance (CHI) Plc led the price gainers yesterday at the stock market as the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index (NSE ASI) appreciated marginally by 0.05 per cent to close at 31,984.60 , compared with the depreciation of 0.78 per cent recorded the previous day. In all, 16 stocks appreciated compared with 13 stocks that declined.

Apart from Flour Mills of Nigeria and CHI Plc, other gainers that bolstered the trading included: GTBank, Zenith Bank, FBN Holdings and PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc.


Analysts at Cordros Capital Limited said the absence of a positive catalyst, as well as brewing political concerns, we guide investors to trade cautiously in the short-to-medium term.

“However, stable macroeconomic fundamentals remain supportive of recovery in the long-term,” they said.

Market operators said some investors are reacting to the nine months results of CHI Plc and plans to inject fresh capital into its operations.

CHI Plc will hold its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on 28th November 2018 in Lagos where directors will get formal approval of shareholders

approve additional capital raise through private placement of 1.130 billion shares at the price of 65 Kobo per share. This private placement will bring in an additional N734.5 million to the coffers of the company.

The company said the private placement is next in the series of proactive efforts of the board and management to boost the working capital of the company and adequately position it as a leading player in the underwriting of big ticket insurance transactions.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr. Eddie Efekoha has already expressed optimism of a very successful outing at EGM as shareholders of the company have often been delighted with the regular dividend payments over the years.

Out of 10 financial years that the company has been quoted on the NSE, it has paid out dividends seven times amounting to a total of N1.22 billion.

The deployment of capital raised during the rights issue is impacting positively as shown in the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Efekoha said future plans of the company includes broadening its product offerings to take advantage of the on-going market development initiatives of the industry regulator and strengthening its technology in order to deepen its footprints in the retail market whilst delighting its existing corporate customers.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/flour-mills-chi-plc-lead-gainers-as.html

The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions has expressed concern over the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to increase the minimum capital base of microfinance banks. The CBN had increased the minimum capital base of Unit MfBs to N200 million from N20 million; State MfBs to NI billion from N100 million, and that of national MFBs to N5 billion from N2 billion. Speaking during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Chairman of the Committee, Sen. (Dr.) Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim said that the new minimum capital base announced for MfBs by the CBN is inimical to the objectives of the financial inclusion strategy.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee has expressed a strong commitment for the accelerated amendment of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Act, 2006, to eliminate the gaps that have hindered the full realization of the public policy objectives of the implementation of the Deposit Insurance System (DIS) in Nigeria. Managing/Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, Umaru Ibrahim, updated the committee on the recent activities of the corporation including the response of the NDIC to the revocation of the licences of 153 Micro-Finance Banks (MFBs) and six Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs), by the CBN. Members of the Committee were informed that the corporation had already commenced the payment of depositors of 25 MFBs and the deposits verification of 50 others. He listed the challenges encountered by FMBs in particular to include non-performing loans, insider credit and abuse, non-compliance with extant regulations on their establishment and the overbearing indulgence in other fringe operations, along with poor earnings. The NDIC boss further used the opportunity to inform members of the committee of the strong resolve and commitment of the corporation to assist in the investigation and prosecution of all those who contributed to the collapse of the defunct Skye Bank. On the issue of the long suffering depositors of Savanah Bank, Fortis MFB, Aso Savings and Union Homes, the Ibrahim expressed the view that unless the enabling Act of the corporation was speedily amended, the corporation was handicapped in acting to end the plight of depositors of the institutions.

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/senate-expresses-concerns-over-new.html

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Sule Zakari Kazaure has expressed dismay over the Niger state NYSC orientation camp describing it as the worst camp he had visited in the country.

Speaking on Minna while inspecting the hostels of the camp, Kazaure said the state of the camp does not reflect what he had been told about the camp.

Commenting to the Niger state NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Theresa Ibunkun Arokoyo, Kazure said that the state government has not given the camp its best, “they are not dealing with the camp well”, he complained.

Full report at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/niger-nysc-camp-is-worst-ever-kazaure.html

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Wednesday intervened in the interbank foreign exchange market by injecting the sum of $210 million into the market.

The central bank offered the sum of $100 million in the wholesale segment, while the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) segment received the sum of $55 million.

Similarly, the invisibles segment, comprising tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others, also received a $55 million boost.


The Director, Corporate Communications at the CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, while confirming the figures, said the CBN was pleased with the state of the forex market, adding that the Bank would continue to intervene in order to sustain the liquidity in the market and guarantee the international value of the naira.

He said the Bank was determined to achieve its objective of exchange rate stability, thus the continued injection in the foreign exchange market.

According to him, the level of transparency in the market was also a confidence boost for the market.

The CBN in its intervention last week injected the sum of $318.03m and CNY 62.18m into the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS).

Meanwhile, the naira continued to maintain its stability in the forex market, exchanging at an average of N361/$1 in the BDC segment of the market Wednesday

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/cbn-intervenes-in-forex-market-with-210m.html

Nollywood actress, producer and director Ufuoma McDermott posted a message on her social media page, revealing that her son Isio was born via In vitro fertilization (IVF).

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child.

During IVF, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs are implanted in your uterus. One cycle of IVF takes about two weeks.

IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. The procedure can be done using your own eggs and your partner’s sperm. Or IVF may involve eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. In some cases, a gestational carrier — a woman who has an embryo implanted in her uterus — might be used.

Your chances of having a healthy baby using IVF depend on many factors, such as your age and the cause of infertility. In addition, IVF can be time-consuming, expensive and invasive. If more than one embryo is implanted in your uterus, IVF can result in a pregnancy with more than one fetus (multiple pregnancy).

Ufuoma is blessed with two kids, She wrote below…

DO NOT DENY YOURSELF …If you so desire, the joy of #motherhood .

My son was born EXACTLY 2 And half years after we got married.
I wanted to wait. My husband obliged.
When we were ready, I wanted twins.
#IVF was the choice. We could afford it.
I had two embryos inserted. God decided Isio would stay.
On the 10th of October 2010 my beautiful #IVFBaby was delivered by C-section.

SO WHAT? This post is for all of you keyboard cowards trying to downplay and devalue the joys of a child’s arrival into a new “world” whether it’s by #Surrogacy #Adoption #ArtificialInsemination #DonorSperm #DonorEgg #DonorEmbryo #GIFT Gamete intrafallopian transfer #ZIFT Zygote intrafallopian transfer … You are just illiterate chickens.
And to my fine women and men out there who wish on parenthood, there are options. Speak to your doctor and don’t let any illiterate chicken in the society stop you from pouring all that love unto a child no matter what method you decide on.
#TheArrivalOfAChildHeraldsJoy
Our society needs to wake up and appreciate the knowledge God has bestowed on doctors and medical practitioners.
#InternationalChildrensDay was yesterday, but I choose to celebrate all our children everyday.

Much love to all who have reached out to me. We must stop the ignorance. No fear #stigma …who stigma help?
We are proud mamas. irrespective of whatever legal means we choose. Na who born this fine boy? @mcdermottkids
Na God… through #IVF … by @bridgefertilityclinic … to Mr and Mrs McDermott.
#SeeShakara
#IVFBaby
I support #IVF and other fertility options.
#OriginalNigerianJollof #MamaIsio #Isio #Cuteness #TheArrivalOfAChildHeraldsJoy #WeAreIndeedBlessed

More details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/nollywood-actressufuoma-mcdermott.html

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has blamed former president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, and Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, for frustrating the rescue of Chibok schoolgirls, which contributed to his defeat in the 2015 presidential election.


Jonathan, who stated this in his book, ‘My Transition Hours’, which was launched yesterday in Abuja, said Obama, for some strange reasons, tactically penciled Nigeria and his administration down to fail.

The book launch was part of events to celebrate Jonathan’s 61st birth anniversary.


In the book, the former president gives his own account of the intrigues that heralded and trailed the 2015 presidential election.

The event, which was attended by former heads of state, Gen Yakubu Gowon (rtd) and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and foreign serving and past leaders also witnessed the unveiling of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.

President Muhammadu Buhari was represented at the event by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha. Also represented were former military president, Gen Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) and Gen T.Y. Danjuma (rtd), as well as the family of the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Akelicious reports that in the book, Jonathan said ex-US President Obama, amongst other maneuvres, refused to provide real military backing, including selling military hardware to Nigeria’s Armed Forces to fight Boko Haram as well as rescue the Chibok girls.


The former president, who recounted how an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in 2014 exposed members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement as being APC members, said the protesters carried out their campaigns against his government in anticipation of a reward.


Jonathan wondered why those he tagged “hash taggers and crucify campaigners” against his administration did not ask the Borno State governor why he insisted that the girls must remain in the danger zone.


He said, “The governor of the state (a member of the opposition party) rather than join the federal government in the efforts to rescue the girls opted to stage a cross-continent roadshow in Europe and America, addressing foreign media when the issue that was burning was in his home state and the attention of the world was locked on Nigeria.

“It is instructive that apart from a few habitual agitators and regular activists, some of the leaders of the #bringbackourgirls movement were mostly key members of the opposition who had a view to a future reward. On October 16, 2014, Chief Audu of the APC, who later became a minister, had said on camera at an APC rally at the Eagle Square Abuja, I want to thank members of the #bringbackourgirls group which is being led by members of our party.’”


Fingering Obama for the plot against his administration by some western powers, he said, “We were presented as the problem of Nigeria. For beyond the Chibok issue, they made it a point that they were only interested in regime change. If the Jonathan administration goes and the opposition comes, the security challenges posed by Boko Haram will vanish, the Chibok girls will be rescued and the country will be better off, it was echoed. Of course, it was a deliberate attempt to distort history and build faulty premises to worsen Nigeria’s future.”

On Obama’s role he said, “The tactical attacks by the Obama administration were many. They refused to provide any real military backing for equipment to aid the rescue of the Chibok girls, citing the Leahy Law which they claimed prevented them from supporting any military that was engaged in human rights abuses, but this law did not stop them from assisting the armed forces of Nigeria’s neighbours which had been accused of serious human rights violations.

“Even when the state of Israel expressed the willingness to sell attack helicopters to Nigeria, the gesture was frustrated by the Obama administration that kept waving the same Leahy Law like a banner. I believe one day some of the security experts and actors that were involved in the search and rescue will tell the world the truth about the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.”

He stated that his administration and a team of international partners and their governments devoted considerable amount of resources in the search and rescue of the girls.


However, in his reaction to the content of the book alleging that the Chibok girls matter was an act of grand conspiracy, Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, said he had not read the book and that he would get a copy of the book last night before deciding whether to respond or not.


“Governor Kashim Shettima has not read the book. I am yet to also read it, but the governor will pick the book this night and after reading it, he will determine whether to react or not,” the special assistant to the governor on communication and strategy, Mallam Isa Gusau, who spoke on his behalf noted.

Earlier, Jonathan and the former first lady, Dame Patient Jonathan, walked into the venue at about 11:42 to the tumultuous applause of a large crowd of guests.

Speaking during the book presentation yesterday, former President Jonathan expressed concern at the increased incidences of vote buying in the country ahead of the 2019 general elections.


He said that vote buying, which was gradually replacing other forms of electoral malpractices, had become scandalous and put the country in bad light.


He pointed out that voter inducement through engraving of pictures of candidates and political party logos on gift items during elections was another rampant strategy for vote buying.


He advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to borrow a leaf from other African countries and create polling centres in public places such as schools where classrooms were used for voting to make it difficult for vote buyers.

He explained that the book he launched was essentially an account of happenings during the 2015 general election and the events that caused him to place the concession phone call to President Muhammadu Buhari, which doused tension and ensured the peaceful transition from the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC).

In his own speech, President Muhammadu Buhari described Jonathan as a leader of the future, saying that he will rise again.

The president who was represented by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, noted that history will judge Jonathan as a patriotic leader.


The president also commended Jonathan’s statesmanship and sportsmanship, noting that without any pressure, he willingly conceded defeat in the 2015 presidential election even when the collation of results was still ongoing.

He hailed Jonathan’s singular act of placing the country above himself and thanked him for “being a true democrat”.


“That kind of decision can only be taken with a depth of integrity of a man’s heart and the conviction of his soul. And I want to congratulate you for that decision you took in 2015,” Buhari said.


“I therefore recommend this book for all and sundry. I thank you today for all Nigerians, for us and for generations yet unborn. Your excellency, please accept my personal, deep appreciation for what you have done for this country. You are a leader of the past, you are a leader of the now. You are a leader of the future. You will rise again.

“Your Excellency, your singular act of placing a call to me doused and calmed frayed nerves all over the country and I sincerely thank you for being a true democrat and a patriotic Nigerian.”

President Buhari recalled that in the run-up to the election, he and Jonathan were parties to a common purpose, to ensure that the 2015 general elections were violence-free and credible.


“The accomplishment of that objective has placed Nigeria as a leader in the development of democracy in Africa. To underscore his desire for peace and non-violence, Jonathan kept reiterating that no Nigerian blood should be shed for his ambition. With this book being launched today, Nigerians, historians and scholars now have a first-hand account and an insight into what transpired during the transition hours,” he said.

He further urged all Nigerians to imbibe the spirit that guided the 2015 elections so that the 2019 polls would be fair and credible.

“In approximate, 88 days from today Nigerians will be exercising their civic duty of electing new leaders in another general election. I call on all political leaders to see elections as a contest based on principles, programmes and aspirations that will uplift the nation. Elections should never become a declaration of war; rather it should cement our brotherliness and nationhood.

“We must therefore eschew bitterness, violence, hate speeches, falsehood and bigotry. Once again, I thank Dr. Jonathan for documenting his experience and for providing guide for current and future leaders to follow.

On his part, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was chairman of the occasion, hailed Jonathan for his statesmanship disposition, urging him to remain committed to his residual responsibility of continuous service to his immediate community, Nigeria, Africa and beyond.


Obasanjo said there is no substitute to democracy as it unifies the people, even as he noted that Nigeria has the responsibility to unify West Africa, Africa and the black race across the world.

On his part, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, also thanked Jonathan for conceding defeat in 2015 to save Nigeria from impending war and consolidating democracy, not only in the country but the entire African continent.

He also applauded Jonathan for his role in fostering unity, peace, progress and strengthening democratic rule in Africa, saying “Goodluck Jonathan is a good man and when the history of democracy in Africa is written, his name will be etched in gold”.


Also, former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, said Nigeria is not at war today because of Jonathan’s decision to concede defeat during the 2015 general election.

“We cannot thank you enough for the peace we are having in the country today; for the peaceful transition we had when you freely and voluntarily conceded defeat. By your decision, you have shown that you love your country more than you love power,” he said.

For former president of Ghana, John Mahama, ex-President Jonathan is more of an academic who found himself in politics.

“I was not surprised when Jonathan conceded defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015”, he said.

Mahama said Jonathan approached leadership in a relaxed manner and that was why he left a good legacy worthy of emulation by all leaders in Africa.


For his part, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said Nigeria was fortunate to have had a selfless leader like the former president.

He said Jonathan’s decision to concede defeat in 2015 had helped to consolidate democracy, not only in Nigeria but on the African continent.

Atiku added that Nigerians and Africans would continue to remain grateful to Jonathan for upholding national interest at the expense of his personal interest.

Also speaking, Senate President Bukola Saraki saluted Jonathan for his statesmanship, sportsmanship and uncommon courage of conceding defeat to Buhari in 2015 when collation was still on.

Saraki said that the act of accepting defeat by Jonathan helped to stabilise the already charged political atmosphere during the elections.

Recalling how Jonathan used to vow that his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian, he called on political leaders to toe the same path and should not look at elections as declaration of war as the 2019 polls approached.

Barely minutes into the book review by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Justice Alfa Belgore, the chairman of the event, former President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived at the venue, causing much stir.

And about five minutes later, the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole alongside the former Akwa Ibom governor, Sen Goodswill Akpabio entered the venue.

The arrival of the APC chieftains ignited a political tussle at the event which hitherto had the colouration of a PDP affair. Oshiomhole and Akpabio, took turns to shake hands with dignitaries at the event including those of Senate President Bukola Saraki, whom they recently exchange brickbats with.

Other dignitaries at the event include the former chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe; former SGF, Yayale Ahmed; former Senate President David Mark, and Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

Others are chairman of Leadership Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah; governors of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal; Delta, Ifeayi Okowa; Taraba, Arch. Darius Ishiaku; Cross River, Professor Ben Ayade; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeweremadu; Sen Ahmed Makarfi; former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ambassador, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo and president of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.

Many members of the diplomatic corps, serving and former Senators, former governors and former ministers were present.

Young Ghanaian Entertains Guests With Live Drawing Of Jonathan

A young Ghanaian, Bright Kpoha, artistically known as Realpen pencil, yesterday entertained guests at Transcrorp Hilton, Abuja, where he did live drawing of the image of Goodluck Jonathan from a billboard, as the former president launched his book, “My Transition Hour”.

Kpoha was being watched in an open space transforming Jonathan’s image into paper from the bill board placed in front of the Congress Hall, venue of the book launch.

He was able to attract attention of some of the people going into the hall as well as those denied entrance for not having formal invitation letter to the book launch.

People gathered to watch Kpoha dramatise his drawing process, with his display of dancing, jumping and other skills, as he drew Jonathan on Paper with pencils.

Kpoha said he was motivated into drawing the former president as part of his contribution to the book launch.

“I just want to present this sketch and present it to former President Jonathan as a way of my contribution to the launching of his book “My Transition Hours”, he noted.

He said that he had been in sketch drawing for the past 13 years and it took him an average of 50 minutes to transform an image on paper.

“I did not check the time that I started this particular sketch but people watching me should know. I am sure this was not up to 50 minutes.”

Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/how-obama-borno-govt-frustrated-chibok.html

As the political parties begin their campaigns and rallies for the 2019 elections, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has directed the 36 Commissioners of Police in the State Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and their supervisory Assistant Inspectors General of Police in the 12 Zonal Commands to protect and safeguard all venues of campaigns, rallies and other INEC approved electioneering activities of all political parties throughout the country.


Briefing journalists in Abuja, the Force PRO, Jimoh Moshood said “Threat Assessment and deployment of Police personnel to flash points and vulnerable areas have been carried out to prevent and nip in the bud any form of inter-party frictions, political thuggery and clashes that can lead to disturbance of public peace anywhere in the Country.”

The Police also advised all political parties “to abide by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and INEC Guidelines, and play the game according to the rules. They are to prevail on their flag bearers, members, supporters and fans not to engage in any act or conduct that can incite violence or disturbance of public peace anywhere in the Country during the campaigns and beyond.


“The Commissioners of Police in the Commands and Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police throughout the Country are under strict instructions of the Inspector General of Police not to tolerate any form of political thuggery, intimidation, demonstration of violent conducts and over dramatization of political fans that can precipitate political clashes and jeopardize prevailing peace in their Commands from any political party or politician(s).





“Commissioners of Police are to effect arrest and immediately prosecute any party member or supporters in possession of firearms or dangerous weapons during political campaigns and rallies in their respective States. “




On hate speech, the Jimoh said “the Force will not condone hate speeches, indecent and criminal defamatory conducts from any individual(s) or group(s) that can cause threat to public peace and safety anywhere in the Country during the campaigns and beyond. The full weight of the law will be applied on any individual(s) or group(s) arrested.”


He equally noted that “the Commissioners of Police are to continue the meetings of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) with INEC and other security and safety agencies on the implementation of the action plans and security arrangements of the Nigeria Police Force in ensuring adequate security for the political campaigns and rallies for the 2019 general elections.

“The Inspector General of Police has equally warned all Commissioners of Police and other senior officers that have one role or the other to play in the implementation of the security arrangement for the 2019 general elections not to engage in political partisanship or bias but to remain focus and provide security for all throughout the period. “

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/igp-orders-cps-to-protect-secure.html[url][/url]

Senate President Bukola Saraki has been trending since Friday, after an audio of an address he gave to young supporters was leaked, by the activist, Kayode Ogundamisi.

One of the shocking things he said was that he left the All Progressives Congress, for his old party, the Peoples Democratic Party, because President Muhammadu Buhari did not reward him financially.

Here are the highlights of the audio, that has drawn flaks for the politician from Kwara State :

“All that you have complained about tonight is on point, I can not find anything you have said that is not on point, you complained about empowerment”

“Let us agree that the last three and a half years, things have not been easy at all, I agree and accept things have not been easy at all, particularly in the area of empowerment”

“Before 2015 I have always tried to empower the youth and get you involved in appointments, but this time around as a result of what I call human factor, things have not been the same, I believe it is the will of God”

“When you all are complaining and you give example of Gegele and co and you compare it to what is happening now, I am sure you are asking yourself, what is happening? how come all of you struggling with me are not rewarded, it is unacceptable”

“What is the point of putting everything into the emergence of a government and we could not benefit anything from the government, you are asking yourself, what have you benefited”

“If you have not benefited personally in the last 3 and a half years, how do you go to market us, wont people ask you what you have benefited for yourself?

“It got to a stage that people will be making fund of you and asking you what you have benefited, but what is happening from Abuja, use me as an example, in 2015 I carried @OfficialAPCNg on my head around Nigeria

“Hardly any state in Nigeria that I did not campaign for @MBuhari, up to the time of the election in 2015, out of 36 states I paid for the election of 30 states”

“Out of 36 states in Nigeria I funded @MBuhari campaign in 30 States, some states I paid 200 Million Naira, some 300 Million, some 400 Million, the only states I did not fund are South West States”

“Many times I will be calling my banks to send money to fund elections across Nigeria for @MBuhari my thinking was that when we get elected, the next thing is that we will get majority of our people appointments”

“In fact I had already promised some of you here that you will either be MD of Federal agencies, either road maintenance, NIPDA (inaudible) even Nigerian Ports Authority, SUBEB and so on and so forth”

“I know if I put someone amongst you from Kwara even in the smallest Federal agencies, the contract you will sign out, 1Million, 2 Million, but for the first time that I have been in politics even speaker can’t appoint a cleaner”

“I as President of @NGRSenate I could not even appoint a cleaner not to talk of Board appointment, if you look at Executive positions I have nothing even after spending Billions for three and a half years, I am as angry as you are.

“I am fighting @MBuhari because of you, if it because of me I wont fight, it is not easy to fight the federal government, the sufferings you are all going trough is because they did not fulfil our agenda”

“In 2018 I told you all I won’t be going with @OfficialAPCNg but in the last one or 2 months that I left I have been doing a lot for you people, my politics is for all of you, I am just here to empower you all, dont mind the one who just bought form for 33M ”

“It was not my plan not to appoint you, when when David Mark was @NGRSenate President, every confirmation he made for the @NGRPresident came with something, if they really love us now you will be empowered”

“In the past we they have a cut for Senate President and Speaker but not anymore, so we are no longer going with APC as soon as we joined PDP they called me National Leader when I lost election @atiku came to me immediately”

“Now we have seen the sign that if @atiku becomes @NGRPresident things will come to us, he told me I am the only one that can run his campaign, I know it is not easy for you all, but let me assure you things will be better”

“God see my “aniyan” (Arabic word meaning the mind) now in PDP they have brought us closer, how many people in Kwara did APC bring together in Kwara, now we will soon have power, today in APC they want us to go to @AsiwajuTinubu in Lagos”

“If I am the only one in PDP I will fight alone, my Father made Kwara and took Kwara to the top 10 in Nigeria and I also took Kwara to between number 1 to 3 in Nigerian politics and they now want us to bow to Lagos.

“In the coming election we will put Youth into power in Kwara, let us take @Atunwa_1 as he his, he will take care of you all, all those who contested against him are loyal but Atunwa will….. inaudible” (applause)

“When I was Governor I gave a lot of young people contract, they buy land etc and then empower others, I want to return you to the days of when I was Governor when you were all enjoying, @atiku will open things when we win election”

“You know as a leader I see things that followers don’t see, when we followed @MBuhari we felt after spending money, we saw that he failed to reward us, so we said this Baba is not coming back, no money, no patronage all over Nigeria”

“Even with all the problem we have with @MBuhari the little cut I get I always send to Kwara but I can tell you that we had to design a method to make the little we have, they did not involve us in sharing”

“The only agenda APC have for Kwara is to fight Bukolasaraki , they favour Osun State with empowerment, for the remaining time of @MBuhari we will still get some things, we gave them list for FIIRS for 3 years they did not employ our list”

“Thank you for listening to me”

Someone declares that Bukola Saraki gave the young listeners 3 Million Naira

*Applause

*Listen to the audio in Yoruba.

More reports at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/shocking-things-saraki-told-supporters.html

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved its third equity investment of $40 million in Africa Infrastructure Investment Fund (AIIF3).

AIIF3 is a closed-ended pan-African infrastructure fund managed by South Africa-based Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM).

AIIM is one of Africa’s most experienced infrastructure fund managers.

The Fund will focus on acquiring positions of significant influence in roads, airports, rail links, bridges, ports, logistics, power generation, utility distribution, as well as telecommunication assets.

AIIF3 boasts an extensive pipeline of bankable or near-bankable infrastructure projects.

Having reviewed hundreds of potential investments, AIIM has narrowed down a pipeline of circa $ 500 million, including key projects such as Bugesera Airport, Libreville Bypass, and Kampala-Jinja Expressway.

The proposal represents the Bank’s third investment with this fund manager, following a 1996 investment in SAIF and a 2010 investment in AIIF2.

With this, the African Development Bank stands to have positive additional role through this investment, given that the fundraising market continues to be very challenging, leaving an important role to be played by DFIs.

Commercial and institutional investors are likely to view the Bank’s investment as a positive demonstration effect.

The Bank’s investment will also ensure the highest environmental and social standards are applied to AIIF3.

In terms of development outcomes, AIIF3 will create a quantifiable and measurable social and environmental impact by supporting energy and transport infrastructure access across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Fund will support the creation of over 1,500 jobs at the project level and enhance capacity building and skills-transfer.

In his presentation to the Board, the Bank Group’s Director of Infrastructure and Urban Development, Amadou Oumarou, said that private equity in Africa remains a nascent sector.

“The recent downturn in global commodity prices and a reorientation away from private equity in Africa by a few DFIs have lowered fundraising expectations across the board.


Full details at https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/afdb-approves-40m-infrastructure-fund.html

In a bid to boost agriculture in the country, the federal government has approved N60 billion subsidy to support rice industry in the country.

Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting of the National Food Security Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, in Abuja, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Ogbe who was flanked by the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu explained that the purpose of the subsidy was to help bring down price of the commodity in the country. According to him, “There is a subsidy programme coming up. Government has approved some money N60 billion to support the rice industry to bring down prices. But we are going to handle it differently. “We don’t want to get into petroleum subsidy problem. So, a committee is looking at it with the Ministry of Finance. “We think that it is better for us to loan money to the millers, farmers and distributors at a very low interest rate, so that the capital doesn’t disappear, so they have cheaper credit to do their business that should impact on the price of rice in the market. “When we are ready we will let you know.” The minister spoke of plan to ban fertilizer NPK 151515 which has been in use in the country for many years, saying that the ban became imperative because it adds no value to crops. He said, “We call for the ban of fertilizer NPK 151515 which has been used in the country for many years but recent research revealed it’s not useful for any crop or any soil. “Soils differ and so do crop, to believe there is one uniform fertilizer you can spread for every crop is a fallacy. And it’s because we have done soil test and change the formulations of fertilizers, local blenders that some of the yields we are getting now are rising from two tonnes per hectares to five and six. So the president is looking into that and to how we can deal with it.” In his remarks, Governor Bagudu said the council’s attention was drawn to the report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which suggested that Nigeria remains a heavy importer of rice despite government’s claim to the contrary. He said: “We drew the attention of the council to a report by the US department for agriculture which suggested that Nigeria has been importing rice or about to the tune of about three million tonnes. “We informed the council that contact has been made with the US agency to tell us the basis for the report because it’s not consistent with the report available to us. “The only official importation in Nigeria is about 4,000 metric tonnes of rice. Secondly, the biggest exporter of rice, Thailand exported 1.1 million metric tonnes of rice to West Africa between January to October this year and India exported 402 million metric tonnes of rice to West Africa between January to end of July this year. That is a total of 1.5 million metric tonnes. “Even if all was smuggled into Nigeria, that was the total amount of importation one could attribute to Nigeria. “So, the US authorities responding by saying that their assessment was based on satellite imaging of flooded areas and consideration that we are about to enter electioneering period and that demand for rice by politicians or for political purposes will increase. “Thirdly, that most West African countries depend on Nigeria. So, because of the flooding, they concluded based on those assumptions that Nigeria will import more. “Certainly, that is an erroneous report. Even in spite of the flooding, the upland rice production has been quite strong this year. Even though prices have increase in response to flooding, we still have adequate paddy rice in Nigeria.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/fg-approves-n60bn-for-rice-subsidy.html

Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South in the Senate on Friday called on the Federal Government to institutionalise peace among the tribes and federating units of the country.

Abaribe made the appeal when members of Pearl Trade West Africa (PTWA), an NGO, visited in Abuja on Friday.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that government was the only body capable of restoring lasting peace among religious and ethnic groups in Nigeria.

He explained that government having the sole instruments of coercion was best positioned to chart the cause of peaceful coexistence, especially in a heterogeneous nation like Nigeria.

The Senator condemned the reckless use of hate speeches by some appointees of government, warning that it was capable of causing acrimony.

“There is very serious intolerance going on in the country even among same ethnic groups.

“Nigerians need to be their brothers’ keepers and government has to do much in that aspect,’’ Abaribe said.

Also, Ms Ijeoma Akwara, President of Pearl Trade West Africa (PTWA), called for tolerance among Nigerians for national integration.

Akwara said the imperatives of peaceful coexistence which could only be realised through religious and tribal tolerance.

She promised to continue to pursue unity and peace in Nigeria through reorientation and sensitisation of the people with the support of stakeholders.

NAN reports that Pearl Trade West Africa (PTWA) is an NGO promoting international day for tolerance.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/sen-abaribe-urges-fg-to.html

Armed police personnel were on Thursday been deployed in strategic areas leading to the Anambra State House of Assembly to prevent unpleasant situation.

The House was expected to resume sitting after its crisis which began on Tuesday over attempt to impeach the Speaker, Mrs Rita Nmaduagwu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that policemen were stationed at Ekwueme Square, NULGE Secretariat Junction and barricaded roads leading to the Complex with patrol trucks.

Workers in Anambra Universal Basic Education Board, Independent National Electoral Commission and the High Court, all within the assembly area were forced by the police to disembark from commercial vehicles and walk.

Those in private vehicles were thoroughly screened to establish their identities and destinations while some vehicles were diverted from the area.

Some members of assembly on Tuesday purportedly impeached the Speaker and elected Mr Ikem Uzozie as her replacement.

The attempt which was reportedly botched has since split the house into two factions as Mmaduagwu insisted that her purported removal was invalid.

Police spokesman in the command, SP Mohammed Haruna, did not take calls or respond to messages to his phone on enquiries over the deployment of personnel in the assembly area.

A source close to the assembly, however, told NAN that Thursday’s sitting may have been shelved to give room for more consultations and reconciliation among the lawmakers and other stakeholders. (NAN)

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/breaking-police-take-over-anambra.html

With over nine million Nigerian women said to be pregnant every year, only about 3.6 million have access to antenatal care and about 2.4 million of them tested for HIV.

This was disclosed by Head, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Ijaodola Olugbenga.


He said of the 2.4 million pregnant women that get testing for HIV/AIDS in the country annually, at least 64,000 of them are positive to the virus every year.

Stating this during a two-day media dialogue on PMTCT in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, recently organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (FMIC), he said the gap between pregnant women and those who are eventually tested for HIV is big because only 3.6 million access antenatal care.

“The remaining five million plus do not access antenatal, both in private or public healthcare facilities, hence it is difficult getting them to undergo HIV tests, in other to ascertain those with the virus, so as to prevent mother to child transmission and also put the women on anti retro viral drugs.

“Of the 64,000 pregnant women living with the virus, only 74 per cent of them are put on ante retroviral drugs immediately, with a high expectation that they deliver without transferring the virus to the babies.

“However, about 8.4 per cent of these babies end up been born with the virus. These children are then put on HIV treatment for life,” he said.

He explained that in general, 221,772 children are living with the disease in Nigeria, while only about 54,167 are on treatment in the country, adding that for those on treatment, their viral loads suppresses overtime, such that they no longer transmit the virus to other people.

He advised pregnant women across the country to access ante natal, as this was a major step in knowing whether they are positive to HIV or not, noting that those confirmed to be positive and on antiretroviral drugs have a very high chance of not transmitting the virus to their babies.

“That only 40 percent (3.6 million) of the over nine million pregnant women attend ante natal care yearly is unacceptable. We must increase ante natal care uptake, increase testing coverage, and put those positive to the virus on treatment, if we must reduce the burden of PMTCT in the country.”

On why the HIV prevalence is increasing in Nigeria, he said reduced funding and low media publicity are some of the factors responsible.

“It is becoming more prominent with adolescents in the country. So if we are able to prevent mother to child transmission, and target the adolescent group, we would have ended up reducing the statistics.

The assistant director in the federal ministry said PMTCT was one of the indices used in measuring success rates for countries, adding that if Nigeria does not meet the global target, the world in turn would not be able to meet it.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/despite-9m-pregnant-nigerian-women-only.html

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has asked the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole to resign from politics.

Saraki was reacting to the allegations of collecting kickbacks in dollars levelled against Oshiomhole, adding that there is no moral justification for him to continue to remain in politics.

Saraki also described a statement credited Oshiomhole, asking him to resign his position as the Senate President on moral ground as a “joke.”
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin yesterday on the sidelines of the sixth remembrance prayer for his late father, Dr Olusola Saraki, the Senate President said that Oshiomole has no locus standi to talk about morality in today’s Nigeria’s politics.
He said, “That must be a joke coming from Oshiomole talking about moral ground. I think Oshiomole has no locus standi to talk about morality today. Oshiomole is somebody, who we have been told had been collecting not even Naira but dollars from candidates and he is being accused by his party’s aspirants and Governors. I don’t think he has any moral ground, even to continue to be in politics not to talk about being a Chairman of a party.
“I remember in those days even Oyegun, they never accused him of something like this. I have left that party. I’m sure the President, based on integrity, knows the right thing to do. So, on moral ground, he cannot speak on moral ground.

Also speaking on the Saturday by-election in Irepodun /Ekiti /Oke Ero /Isin federal constituency, Saraki decried huge deployment of policemen and sudden change of divisional heads of police in four local government areas for the by-election.
“You see, the mistake we sometimes make, we forget that Nigeria is a big nation in this global world, not only in the context of Africa. We provide leadership. An action that we take that tries to suggest that we are not civilised with rule of law and processes, doesn’t augur well with the image. Today, the President is the President of ECOWAS likewise the Chairman of INEC as chairman of electoral bodies in Ecowas, even show that we are a responsible country.
“So, when the Inspector General of Police(IG) begins to do things like this without following due process, it is not good for our country. And that is what we always stand for. And all those who are supposed to caution him should ensure that due process is followed in things like this.
“We have been doing bye-election here, I have never seen where the Divisional Police Officers( DPOs), are being transferred. We have been doing bye-elections here, I have never seen where 200 or 300 security personnel are being deployed. It is not about Kwara, it is about the country. It is about how the world sees us. It is about how we provide leadership in the continent.
“And we keep on saying that people like these are not doing the President any good. The people at the end of the day will speak, and they should allow people to exercise their rights, vote in peace and vote their wishes and should not do anything that creates fear or break law and order.
“In spite of all these, I see PDP winning the election because we are on ground. There is no doubt about it. If you go round, you will know who is on ground. And you will see that in the results. They should allow people to exercise their rights”, he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/quit-politics-now-saraki-advises.html

The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has sought the intervention of the Senate in the refund of N21 billion spent on construction and

rehabilitation of federal roads in the state.

Fayemi made the appeal while receiving in audience members of the Senate Committee on Works who were on an inspection visit to federal

roads and other projects in the state as part of their oversight functions.

The Senate Committee led by the Chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya, was received on behalf of the governor by his deputy, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi.


According to a statement on Wednesday by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, other members of the Committee on the visit include Senator Biodun Olujimi, Senator Clifford Odia and Senator Mustapha Sani.
The senators were joined by staff members of the National Assembly and officials of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
Fayemi added that he was not yet satisfied with the number of federal projects in the state, noting that he would not relent until projects like railways and airport become reality in the state.

He argued that no amount had been refunded despite the fact that Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, certified the expenditure of N11 billion out of the N21 billion spent by the Ekiti State government on the maintenance of federal roads across the state.
The governor further solicited the intervention of the Federal Government in the completion of the dualisation of Ado-Akure Road and the rehabilitation of Ado-Aramoko-Ijero Road, Ado-Ifaki-Ilorin Road and Ifaki-Omuo Road.
Fayemi said: “We wish to use the opportunity of your visit to also present the following request to you, trusting you that you will use your good office to help us.
“The Ado-Ifaki-Ilorin Road, part of which was reconstructed the other time, but were badly done, we wish you travel on these roads, especially Ado-Ilorin Road.
“Then apart from that, Ifaki-Omuo Road is begging for total
reconstruction. It is a journey that should not take more than an hour but now takes two hours, thirty minutes to get to the town.
“Ado-Ikare Road needs to be dualized, we have done part of it. It is my hope and prayer that the outcome of this tour will have a significant and positive impact on the infrastructural development of this zone.”
Earlier in his speech, Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Gaya, promised that more federal road projects in Ekiti State would be included in the 2019 budget.
Gaya said: “I learnt that there were few projects done by Federal Government in the state even though Senator Biodun Olujimi and Senator
Fatimat Raji Rasaki are working hard to ensure that new projects come into the state.
“Presently we are working on Efon Alaaye-Itawure-Iwaraja Road. Hopefully, the contractor handling the project will deliver it by March next year.
“I think Ekiti State needs more roads by the Federal Government and I believe Governor Fayemi is dynamic and very hardworking
“We have gone round to see the roads, have seen where we want the contractors to move fast and some, we asked for the termination of their contracts because we will not allow people to misuse government money for personal interests.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/fayemi-demands-refund-of-n21bn-spent-on.html

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Rob Shuter, has said that despite the challenges the telecommunications firm is facing in Nigeria, it will, next month, apply for a mobile-money licence.

Shuter, who said MTN was making progress on resolving the issue around the $10 billion fine slammed on it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Office of the Attorney General, noted that after securing the license, it will be followed by a concerted financial-services roll out in 2019 to its more than 60 million Nigerian subscribers.

Nigeria announced last month that it would allow telecom companies to provide banking services, aiming to give millions of Nigerians without bank accounts access to so-called mobile money services, a policy that has been very successful in Kenya.

The Guardian checks showed that Nigeria currently has 21 CBN licensed mobile money operators, but their impacts have not been fantastic, as millions of Nigerians still shun the service.


The Global System for mobile Telecommunications Association (GSMA) in April, revealed that after about five years of operation in Nigeria, mobile money has only been able to attract just one per cent penetration.

Unlike in Ghana, and Kenya where penetrations have reached 40 per cent and 60 per cent respectively, where only about two million of Nigeria’s estimated 198 million populations are participating.

Addressing the audience at the 2018 AfricaCom conference and exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa, yesterday, Shuter said the new move around mobile money is a clear sign that MTN is committed to Nigeria into 2019 and beyond; despite a run of disputes that had halved its market value over the past three years.

“We will be applying for a payment service banking licence in Nigeria in the next month or so, and if all goes according to plan, we will also be launching Mobile Money in Nigeria probably around Q2 of 2019,” he said.

Recall that the $10 billion crisis is so severe that South Africa’s Reserve Bank warned last week that the country’s entire financial system would be at risk should MTN be forced to transfer the full money.

According to Bloomberg, a full withdrawal from Nigeria would be a “worst-case scenario,” the institution said in its Financial Stability Review.

But for now, that doesn’t appear to be on the table. Sitting alongside the MTN CEO at the same conference, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Chairman, Olabiyi Durojaiye, said the regulator is “ready to work and co-operate” with the phone company. Shuter added that he’s working with the relevant authorities to get to a suitable resolution.
A deal is close, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday, and Shuter may be making plans with an end game in sight.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/mtn-to-apply-for-mobile-money-licence.html

A report by the United States -US-based International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned of potential upheavals in the global crude oil market between this year and 2020.


The report specifically hinted of a potential supply gap in the early 2020s.

In its flagship publication, World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2018, which was released yesterday, IEA alerted that the oil markets were entering a period of renewed uncertainty and volatility, including a possible supply gap in the early 2020s.


The report said that the global energy market will undergo major transformations ranging from growing electrification to the expansion of renewables, upheavals in oil production and globalisation of natural gas markets.

Appraising the role of governments, the report said that policy choices made by the authorities would determine the shape of the energy system of the future, adding that such decisions would have a critical influence in the direction of the world’s energy system.

The WEO analysis added that under current and planned policies, modelled in the New Policies Scenario, energy demand will grow by more than 25 per cent to 2040, thereby requiring more than $2 trillion a year of investment in new energy supply.

Commenting on the report, IEA’s executive director, Dr. Fatih Birol said: “Our analysis shows that over 70 per cent of global energy investments will be government-driven and as such the message is clear – the world’s energy destiny lies with government decisions.


“Crafting the right policies and proper incentives will be critical to meeting our common goals of securing energy supplies, reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality in urban centres, and expanding basic access to energy in Africa and elsewhere,” he said.


IEA said that its analysis showed oil consumption growing in coming decades, due to rising petrochemicals, trucking and aviation demand. It however remarked that meeting this growth in the near term means approvals of conventional oil projects need to double from their current low levels.


The agency warned that without such a pick-up in investment, US shale production, which has been expanding at record pace, would have to add more than 10 million barrels daily from today to 2025, the equivalent of adding Russia’s quota to global supply in seven years – which would be an unprecedented feat.

In the power markets, the report said that renewables have become the technology of choice, making up almost two-thirds of global capacity additions to 2040, thanks to falling costs and supportive government policies.


The report observed that the move was transforming the global power mix, with the share of renewables in generation rising to over 40 per cent by 2040, from 25 per cent now, even though coal remains the largest source and gas remains the second-largest.

Submitting that the expansion brings major environmental benefits but also a new set of challenges that policy makers need to address quickly.



With higher variability in supplies, power systems would need to make flexibility the cornerstone of future electricity markets in order to keep the lights on, the report emphasised.

The issue is of growing urgency as countries around the world are quickly ramping up their share of solar PV and wind, and would require market reforms, grid investments, as well as improving demand-response technologies, such as smart meters and battery storage technologies.


“Electricity markets are also undergoing a unique transformation with higher demand brought by the digital economy, electric vehicles and other technological change,” the report said.


…OPEC Assures Nigeria, Others Of Market Stability


Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, has assured Nigeria and the global oil community that OPEC would do all it takes to sustain the “relative stability” currently witnessed in the global energy market.

Barkindo gave the assurance at the opening ceremony of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) on Monday.


He said that the assurance on sustainable stability was necessary in the wake of emerging uncertainties in world energy demand, the resurgence of non-OPEC supplies as well as international geopolitics.


The Nigerian-born OPEC scribe said that the global energy market needs stability on sustainable basis. As we approach 2019, I am happy to assure the industry and the global community that the partnership between us and non-OPEC countries, now numbering an unprecedented 25 producing nations, has come to stay.


“What we are discussing now is the mechanics of the marriage. But all I can say now is that I am confident and hopeful that we will continue to jointly sustain this stability going forward,” the OPEC scribe added.

Meanwhile, the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, participated in a panel discussion yesterday.



A statement from the corporation said Dr. Baru joined other global CEOs to discuss “creating forward-thinking strategies, supporting upstream operations and market diversification,” where he will share NNPC’s drive to join the world in delivering future energy needs in line with anticipated global demand and population growth.

ADIPEC is an annual global oil and gas event attended by over 110,000 oil and gas professionals from across the world and where latest innovations and technologies in the global industry are showcased.


Now in its 21st edition, this year’s conference was opened by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) president, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the theme: “Shaping the future of the world’s oil and gas industry.”

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/global-crude-oil-market-faces-renewed.html

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has reiterated Senate’s commitment to fast-tracking passage of the Nigerian Police Reform Bill.

Saraki gave the assurance in a statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Mr Olu Onemola, on Tuesday.

He said that the passage of the Bill would help to create a more responsive and efficient Police institution for all Nigerians, particularly with current security challenges.

“Guaranteeing the safety of the lives and property of Nigerians remains a fundamental concern for all members of the 8th Senate.

“As the representatives of Nigerians, all senators agree that there is a need to make our Police more responsive and effective to meet our security demands.

“In putting together the updated version of the Police Reform Bill, we have consulted widely, involving serving and former members of the Nigerian Police Force, private sector, members of the civil society and legal experts.

“These consultations have been done in a bid to ensure that this Bill is not only comprehensive in its coverage, but effective in building stronger institutional guidelines for our police,” he said.


The president of the senate also noted that the bill was aimed at amending the existing framework between the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force.

He added that the bill would create community police fora at the state level to ensure closer oversight and participatory policing by the public.

He also said that the bill would ensure divisional and state police boards, which would be responsible for maintaining partnerships, promoting communication and building cooperation between communities and the police.

“These new incorporation to the bill touch on issues that will address the professionalism that should be enforced in the Nigeria Police Force.

“This is why it is our fervent hope that by the end of November, Nigerians across the country will be able to celebrate the passage of this bill.

“Our determination to fast-track work on the bill informed the recent decision to change the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs.

“The mandate given to the new leadership is to ensure that the bill which has passed second reading stage quickly goes through public hearing and committee stages so that we can pass it in the next few weeks,” Saraki said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/saraki-reiterates-senates-commitment-to.html

In discharge of its oversight functions and to rid Ekiti State of corruption, the state House of Assembly has begun the probe of the finances of the 16 local government chairmen under the administration of the former governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

The council bosses are still on seat under Governor Kayode Fayemi owing to the fact that their two years’ tenure has not lapsed having
been elected on December 19, 2017.

Speaking with journalists at the premises of the House on Tuesday, the Leader of Business, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, said the House must
look into the financial books of the councils to prevent embezzlement of public funds.


He stated that the programme would require rendering of accounts of stewardships by the council bosses to know how well they have impacted positively on the populace.

Aribisogan, representing Ikole constituency I, said the House took the action to also ensure that the lean resources at the third tier of
government is not misappropriated.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker assured the journalists that any
corrupt council boss won’t be spared by the Assembly, saying such will be handed over to the anti-graft agencies for proper action.

Aribisogan stated that it would be a great disservice as representatives of the people to allow council bosses to mismanage public funds without proper action taken to ensure probity and
transparency in the system.

He said part of their statutory duties is to exercise oversight functions on the house, particularly in the area of prudent management of public funds.

“This probe is a routine work being carried out by the Assembly to ensure that our people, those who elected us get values for their money.

“You know the local governments are the closest to the grassroots and we must not shy away from taking those actions that will ensure that
the government’s developmental programmes get to the downtrodden masses.

“This can’t happen when the House is not alive to its responsibilities of playing oversight actions to serve as checks and balances on the council bosses.

“This should not be misinterpreted to mean a witch-hunting of the past government but was done to make political office holders alive to
their responsibilities to the people in terms of finances.

“But we are going to make our findings public and whoever found to have mismanaged public funds will be handed over to the appropriate
authorities for action,” he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/ekiti-assembly-begins-probe-of-lgs.html

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are monitoring the investigations the law enforcement agencies instituted against the directors and management of the defunct Skye Bank Plc determine their culpability in the failure of the financial institution.

Managing Director and Chief Executive of the NDIC, Umaru Ibrahim, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the corporation’s, 2018 sensitisation seminar for Federal High Court Judges in Abuja.


A statement from the corporation which was signed by its Head, Communication and Public Affairs, NDIC, Mohammed Kudu Ibrahim, quoted Ibrahim to have said the corporation’s risk assessment and forensic investigation reports had revealed that the erstwhile management of the failed Skye Bank Plc. contributed to its failure by engaging in insider abuse, poor corporate governance and banking malpractices.

He added that the reports identified various malpractices such as fraudulent false accounting, manipulation of accounting records to present false profits and ratios, unlawful loan and credit facilities, non-disclosure of directors’ interests and lending beyond the single obligor limit.

The NDIC boss noted that the corporation’s implementation of the bridge bank resolution option that established Polaris Bank Limited, which assumed the assets and liabilities of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, resulted in depositors’ unhindered access to their funds, the continuity of the operations of about 300 branches and the preservation of over 6,000 jobs.

Speaking further, the NDIC boss informed participants that the corporation has commenced the payment of insured deposits to depositors of the 153 microfinance and six Primary Mortgage Banks whose licences were recently revoked by the CBN.

He noted that the Corporation performs this statutory mandate by its appointment as Liquidator through a Winding Up Order granted by the Federal High Court.

The NDIC boss described the collaboration between the corporation and the judiciary as a valuable engagement towards the development of the financial system and the effective implementation of the corporation’s mandate.

He said the seminar for Federal High Court Judges with the theme: “Challenges to Deposit Insurance Law and Practice in Nigeria,” was specifically designed to address topical issues in bank supervision such as the regulatory framework of systematically important banks, the robustness of the legal system to facilitate criminal prosecution of bank directors and debt recovery under the failed Banks Act.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/management-directors-of-defunct-skye.html

The Federal Government yesterday said it has signed $5.72 billion for the construction of the 40-year-old Mambilla Hydro project.

Giving a progress report on his third year in office as Minister of Power, Works and Housing in Abuja, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has already approved the amount which would be raised as loan from the Chinese Government.

“They (Chinese) have the technology. They have done it before. We are now trying to negotiate the final tranche of the loan,” he said.

He explained that the Federal Government would put down 15 percent of the cost of the project as counterpart funding, promising that the project would take off this year.

“We have received Expression of Interest (EOI) from 116 Nigerian companies for the construction. They are interested in providing security, banking services, insurance of goods, transport and logistics. So, we are drawing the guidelines for the procurement. Nigerians will benefit the most. We are going to need 31,240,000 bags of cement. We are going to need 18,981,000 metric tons of aggregate gravels, stones, granite and sand to mix the cement. We are going to need 42,000 tons of steel. The 31,240,000 million bags of cement have to be transported. Imagine the number of drivers. Also, imagine the demand for tyres,” he said.

Fashola also said that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has increased power generation from 4000 MW to 7000 MW; transmission from 5000 MW to 7000 MW and distribution from 2,690 MW to 5,222MW.

“We are still delivering additional generation from Kaduna 215MW, Afam IV 240 MW, Kashimbilla 40MW, Gurara 30 MW, Dadinkowa 29 MW; Power for nine universities, 15 markets and two big hydro power plants of 700 MW in Zungeru and 3,050 MW in Mambilla,” he said, adding that the government also delivered additional transmission from 90 projects nationwide with Apo, Mayo Belwa, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Odogunyan and Ejigbo.

The Minister said that the government was in the process of delivering additional distribution through over 100 injection substations and distribution expansion programme to be funded by the Federal Government now in an advanced state of procurement.

Meanwhile, Fashola, has said that work is currently ongoing in the internal roads of 14 federal educational institutions across the country.

He said the intervention is the first phase under the 2017 budget, declaring that the government is preparing to do more under the 2018 budget.

“Our intervention on roads does not stop on inter-state highways. It has also entered 14 federal higher institutions where unattended internal roads are now receiving attention in: University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University, Oye, Ekiti; University of Benin; Federal University, Lafia; Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa; Bayero University, Kano; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; University of Maiduguri; Federal University, Lokoja; Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi; Federal University, Gashua; Kaduna Polytechnic; Federal College of Education, Katsina and University College, Ibadan,” Fashola said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/mambilla-hydro-project-to-cost-572bn.html