₦airaland Forum

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has again condemned the federal government over its nonchalant attitude towards ending the fuel scarcity being experienced across the country, calling for immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Minister of Petroleum.

The governor called for the immediate resignation of President Buhari as the Minister of Petroleum, noting: “It is obvious that the president has failed in all ramifications and he needs to do Nigerians a favour by relinquishing the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum.”

Fayose who reiterated his position that the All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government was punishing Nigerians with fuel scarcity so as to achieve its planned increment of petrol pump price from N145 to not less than N185 per litre, added; “Already, fuel is being sold officially at between N180 and N200 at petrol stations across the country.”
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In a release issued on Friday, Governor Fayose’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, quoted him as saying that “it is sad that this government had to choose this Christmas and New Year period to ground Nigeria with the fuel scarcity that it deliberately orchestrated.”

Fayose said: “Like I said a few days ago, what the federal government is doing is to create scarcity so that Nigerians will be willing to buy at any price, provided the product is made available.

“It was to achieve this planned increment of petrol pump price that they restricted supply of petrol to NNPC alone.”

The governor, who sympathised with Nigerians for the hardship they are being made to go through by the APC government, said: “I warned Nigerians before President Buhari was elected and I am telling Nigerians now that the only option to rescue our country from being brought down completely is to vote out Buhari and APC in 2019.”
http://guardian.ng/news/fayose-calls-for-presidents-resignation-as-petroleum-minister

BUSINESSREPORT: Massive corruption in Buhari’s govt. as ghost companies lift N1.1tr Crude Oil in ten Months

REPORT: Massive corruption in Buhari’s govt. as ghost companies lift N1.1tr Crude Oil in ten Months

President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that claims to be fighting corruption in Nigeria has once again been involved in an alleged crude oil racketeering.

Some indigenous companies not registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) have lifted Nigerian crude oil grades valued at $3.5 billion (about N1.1 trillion) in the last 10 months, an investigation by Daily Trust on Sunday has revealed.

A four-month enquiry into Nigerian and global corporate registries by the paper showed that the repeated failure by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to provide clear and accurate identity of some companies it awarded multi-million dollar oil lifting contracts this year is helping these companies to escape public scrutiny.

This is even as the corporation prepares for another round of award, as it had, in late October, issued a tender seeking companies to engage in the lifting of Nigerian crude oil grades for the 2018/2019 term.

The main problem started on January 3, 2017 when the NNPC announced 39 successful winners for its crude lifting contract that would run for 12 months. The announcement was followed by a release of the names of the winners to newsmen and in a post on its official website.
The names of the 18 beneficiary Nigerian companies were simply given as Prudent Energy; Setana Energy; Emo oil; Bono; Optima Energy; Shoreline Limited; AMG Petroenergy; A. A. Rano; Cassiva Energy and Arkleen Oil and Gas Limited. Others are North West Petroleum; Brittania-U; Hyde Energy; Eterna Oil and Gas; Masters Energy; MRS Oil and Gas; Sahara Energy and Oando.
Part of the mandatory pre-qualification requirement for the Nigerian companies that applied for the contract as requested by the NNPC was evidence of company registration issued by the CAC.

Daily Trust on Sunday wrote to the CAC seeking information on the registration statuses of the 18 indigenous companies that won the contract. But the commission replied that it had no evidence of the registration of seven of the 18 companies.
It listed AMG Petroenergy Limited, Brittania-U, Cassiva Energy, Hyde Energy, Masters Energy and Bono Energy Nigeria Limited as companies that didn’t exist on its database.
“If you have any document to support their registration, you may wish to forward them to us to enable us investigate further,” CAC’s reply dated September 26, 2017 and signed by Terver Ayua-Jor stated.

The name of the last company in the CAC response letter was misspelled as Savana Energy instead of Sahara Energy as requested by the newspaper.

“That shows that the company is not registered, the name does not exist,” said an Abuja-based lawyer with experience in companies’ registration.

“You cannot build something on nothing,” the lawyer, who did not want to be named, said about the legal implication of a company not being registered, adding that Section 30, subsection 1 (a) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) states that the CAC cannot register companies with identical names.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request dated August 9, 2017 to the NNPC asking for the authentic names of the 18 indigenous companies as well as their crude oil entitlements, has not been replied by the corporation as at the time of filing this report.

Some top NNPC officials responsible for crude sales approached for confidential response to the discrepancies in the companies’ identities also did not respond for months.
The refusal to make information about the real identities of the companies available contradicts provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, which is the legal framework for contract award and public procurement in Nigeria.

Section 38 (2) of the Act requires every procuring government entity to, on request, make available the comprehensive record of procurement proceedings to “(a) any person after a tender, proposal, offer or quotation has been accepted or after procurement proceedings have been terminated without resulting in a procurement contract.”
Independent analyses conducted through foreign corporate registration databases like open corporate, fara.gov and websites of the 18 indigenous companies showed that the NNPC may have deliberately fed the public with the incorrect legal names of entities to which it is entrusting billions of dollar worth of oil sales.

For instance, a web-based search for ‘Cassiva Energy,’ one of the companies given by the NNPC as oil lifting contract beneficiary, showed that no entity exists as ‘Cassiva Energy.’ Instead, Casiva Limited was found.
Casiva Limited announced on its website, NNPC’s 2017/2018 crude off take award to the company as one of the jobs it had executed.
Also, AMG Petroenergy, which the NNPC awarded the contract and the CAC said didn’t exist in its database, has a company website named as AMG Petroenergy Limited.
“AMG is very well established in Nigeria’s oil and gas downstream. Currently, AMG markets 90,000 barrels per day of crude oil in the international market from the NNPC,” the website stated about the company’s business objectives.

Daily Trust on Sunday wrote to AMG Petroenergy Limited through the main contact email address on its website, asking questions pertaining to the exact name it signed the NNPC contract with, its crude entitlements, as well as how it markets, transports or otherwise disposes of the crude cargoes it receives under its contract(s) with the commission, but the company did not reply.
Again, Brittania-U, one of the companies the CAC said didn’t exist in its database, has a website that announced the company as “a leader in Nigeria’s petroleum industry” and “a major player in the upstream and downstream sectors” operating in Nigeria for over 20 years as an indigenous integrated company.

“You can’t find Brittania-U Nigeria Limited? Please! Please!” Catherine Uju Ifejika, chairman/chief executive officer of the company responded in an irate tone when our reporter contacted her about why the company could not be found in the CAC record.

“I signed the contract (as Brittania-U Nigeria Limited). There is only one company that is Brittania-U Nigeria Limited,” Ifejika said after reminding our reporter of her 35-year experience as a lawyer and, therefore, couldn’t have made any mistake about the contract she signed.

“There is nobody in the industry that does not know Brittania-U as a group with almost seven companies in it,” she also added.
When she was told that the name emanated from the NNPC, Mrs Ifejika said, “It is not the NNPC, you people (journalists) are the ones that make up this state of confusion. Why would the NNPC give a company that is not in existence?’’
In response to a question on why the NNPC published her company’s name simply as Brittania-U, she said, “I don’t care what they (NNPC) have out (published). I didn’t even look at what they have out. I signed an agreement between myself, my company and the NNPC. The grand norm is the agreement.”
A web-based search of ‘Masters Energy,’ another company in the NNPC award list the CAC records showed didn’t exist, pulled Masters Energy Oil and Gas Ltd instead, as the closest semblance to the latter in Nigeria.
Masters Energy Oil and Gas Ltd, according to the information in its website, was incorporated in Nigeria in 2005 to “operate fully in the oil and gas sector.”

It is as a member of Masters Energy Group owned by a Nigerian oil magnate and politician, Mr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, who, on June 27, 2016, was declared governor of Abia State by a Federal High Court in Abuja, but a Supreme Court judgement truncated his ambition.

Daily Trust on Sunday contacted the company’s spokesman, Emmanuel Iheanacho, on the name of the entity or subsidiary/sister company/companies the contract was directly awarded, including examples of cargoes of Nigerian crude that the company traded prior to signing the contract with the NNPC. Mr. Iheanacho acknowledged receipt of the questions but replied in a text: “I cannot respond from where I am. Thanks so much for your professional approach,” explaining earlier that he was “out of office for the next three to four weeks,” so he couldn’t reply.

Our reporter reached out to the other companies through an email address or phone numbers on the websites that matched their companies’ names, but they did not respond to either say they received or did not receive crude sales award from the NNPC in 2017.

The spokesman of the NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu, promised to address the questions raised in the August 9, 2017 FOI request, but response was still being awaited as at press time.
The NNPC, however, had in January 2017 replied a query on similar matter, stating that it made the “difficult choice” not to publish the winners’ full names in an effort to protect them and “gullible buyers” from fraudsters.
Crude market and industry professionals, however, disagreed, saying that in an oil market commonly marred by fraud and illegal sales, precision around company identities is important.

“I believe transparency is a major challenge in the Nigerian business environment. It should be easy to know who the traders and shippers are and their qualifications to undertake the tasks,” said Emeka Duruigbo, a professor of Energy and Business Law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Houston, Texas.

“Corruption, ineptitude and inefficiency thrive in the midst of opacity,” Duruigbo, who has knowledge of the workings of the international oil market said.
How dodgy companies pocket margins from $3.5bn oil

The crude term sale contracts to companies, including those awarded the 18 Nigerian oil companies, are among the most significant deals the NNPC signs yearly because crude sales are government’s largest revenue stream.

When in January 3, 2017, the corporation announced successful winners for the contract, it also stated that all the companies (excluding Duke Oil, NNPC subsidiary), were to receive 32,000 barrels per day (b/d) of the Nigerian equity crude.

Consequently, about 67.2 million barrels of Nigerian crude may have been lifted from January to October 2017 by AMG Petroenergy Limited, Brittania-U, Cassiva Energy, Hyde Energy, Masters Energy, Bono Energy Nigeria Limited and Sahara, which are the seven companies that were not found in the CAC database.

The 67.2 million barrels of oil was arrived at after multiplying 32,000 barrels daily lifting by the seven companies for 10 months.

The NNPC, in a November 27 statement, quoted its Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, Mr. Bala Wunti, to have said that average crude oil price between January and October 2017 was $52.49 barrels per day.

Therefore, multiplying $52.49 by 67.2 million barrels crude shows that the value of oil lifted by the seven companies with identity problems may be worth as much as $3.5 billion in the market, or N1.1 trillion at the official exchange rate of N307 to a dollar.

The margins collected by these companies from the sales of the $3.5 billion worth of oil are mind-boggling if Daily Trust on Sunday’s calculation of the margins is anything to go by.
Market analysis shows that the NNPC sells the country’s crude share to the trading companies at a discounted price, when compared to Brent crude, the global crude benchmark.
Our reporter studied Argus and Platts, two of the leading global commodity markets price producers and found that the official selling price (OSP) the NNPC sets for Nigerian crude generally fluctuates, but they are often lower than a barrel of Brent crude, the benchmark for most of the oil produced in Africa.

Because some of these trading companies lack the financial and operational wherewithal to sell the oil, they instead resell or ‘flip,’ the oil they receive to larger, more experienced commodity traders and collect a margin on the sale.

According to findings by Daily Trust on Sunday, the standard margin traders rake in is about $0.3-0.4 per barrel, although the margin may vary considerably, depending on market conditions.
According to our estimates, each of the trading companies could be reaping as much as $3.8 million ($0.4 per barrel) margin monthly on a standard cargo load of 960,000 barrels (32,000 per day), depending on what it negotiated in the crude marketing agreement with the NNPC.

A 2012 House of Representatives committee audit, led by ex-lawmaker, Mr. Farouk Lawan, named some of these dodgy companies among oil marketers that collected subsidy funds from the Federal Government illegally. They were also listed as chronic tax defaulters to the government.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) relied on Section 14 (1) (d) of the FOI Act to decline a Daily Trust on Sunday’s request for information on the seven companies’ outstanding tax liabilities.
“A public institution must deny any application that contains information required of any taxpayer in connection with the assessment or collections of any tax…” Wahab Gbadamosi, head of communications of the FIRS said.

There is no available public record that the companies made refunds to the government, but the NNPC continues to award oil lifting contracts to them.
This investigation was supported by a grant from the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). The NRGI had no editorial control over the content.

http://leaders.ng/report-massive-corruption-buharis-govt-ghost-companies-lift-n1-1tr-crude-oil-ten-months/

sarrki:
Not again

If we buy at 140

What is the issue again ?

Oil slump: Bring down fuel price immediately, Fashola tells FG

Lagos—As the global oil prices slid further downward, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, asked the Federal Government to review downward the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, from N97 per litre in the country in tandem with the slump in world oil price.



President Jonathan and Gov Babatubde Fashola of Lagos
President Jonathan and Gov Babatubde Fashola of Lagos
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, had last Friday, on its website pegged the oil price at $66.27 per barrel.

Fashola who blasted FG for its reluctance to adjust the pump price of PMS, made the remarks while addressing hundreds of youths at the Lagos State and After School Graduation Development Centre, AGDC, IGNITE Employability Project 5, Ikeja.


He lamented that Nigerians were not receiving fair treatment from the central government like others in oil producing nation.

Fashola said, “Now we should be enjoying cheap fuel if the price of oil has dropped globally. Even as we import the product, a major component has reduced in price and while this has reduced, the pump price of fuel in the country still remains the same.


“Then something is wrong. If the price increases in the country when the price of oil goes up globally, then it should also reduce when the price of oil drops.

“I understand that I am not an economist; they (Federal Government) are the economists. But I have some logic and common sense to ask critical questions. For instance, if one buy flour at N10 per kilogram, and the bread was sold at N1 per loaf. If the price of flour drops, the price of the bread should also change,” Fashola added.

The governor, therefore, urged President Goodluck Jonathan led administration to follow the footstep of other countries that have reduced the pump price of oil products for their citizens.

Fashola noted that the oil sector of the country had not been improved to address challenges confronting the nation especially unemployment, saying “The economy is not doing well. Some of you (audience) are compelled to try to survive through whatever means.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/oil-slump-bring-fuel-price-immediately-fashola-tells-fg-2/amp/



So Mr sarrki how much is oil now and why is the APC government yet to bring down the price?

suffer just full this country what is this again!!!!

“Funny enough, instead of directing its anger at President Muhammadu Buhari who is the Minister of Petroleum on December 7, 2017, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) choose to give the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu seven days ultimatum to end the fuel scarcity. Today is December 17, exactly ten days after the misplaced
 ultimatum was given, the situation has even gotten worse.”

the fuel situation here in Abuja !! Na die !!!

Lalasticlala and mynd44 abeg una get fuel?

PENGASSAN begins strike, Fayose blames FG for fuel scarcity

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said it had mobilised its members for a nationwide strike beginning from today following inability of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kackikwu, to resolve the disagreement between it and an oil and gas firm, Neconde.

The industrial action will worsen the current fuel crisis in some parts of the country.

A meeting facilitated by Kachikwu in Abuja at the weekend between PENGASSAN and Neconde over the sack of some workers by the oil company was deadlocked.

PENGASSAN, in a statement by its National Public Relations Officer, Fortune Obi, said the union would hold an emergency meeting this morning. He said the oil workers were being put on standby for the strike that might begin midnight today.

PENGASSAN had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning that the industrial action would result in shutting down of oil and gas installations and disruption of fuel supply across the country.



Niger Delta leaders say extra $1b for B’Haram discriminatory



The union is also protesting against alleged anti-labour practices by some indigenous oil and gas companies, marginal field operators and agencies of government.

The Communications Manager of Neconde, Segun Fafore, told The Guardian that the allegations against the firm by the oil workers were unfounded. He said the workers were sacked due to failure to meet the firm’s expectations after series of assessment.

“The allegations against us are unfounded. As an organisation that is performance-driven, we do reviews and we pass assessment regardless that you are an affiliate of a labour union. If you don’t measure up to the expected standard, you’ll be sacked. It is propaganda to ensure that unnecessary attention is focused on us.

“We will continue to operate above the standard level and we’ll continue to protect the welfare of our workers. We don’t just throw people out, we review our performance frequently and any one that does not work to meet up will be walked out,” Fafore said.





Odoh wins Plateau Governor’s cup



Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has accused the Federal Government of causing the current fuel scarcity to justify alleged plan to increase the pump price of petrol from N145 to N185 per litre.

In a statement, Fayose said: “Petrol is scarce across the country because the Federal Government deliberately reduced supply since it is only the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that is importing the product.

“Allowing fuel scarcity to persist for over two weeks when Nigerians are preparing to celebrate Christmas and New Year is the height of wickedness on the part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government.

“Funny enough, instead of directing its anger at President Muhammadu Buhari who is the Minister of Petroleum on December 7, 2017, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) choose to give the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu seven days ultimatum to end the fuel scarcity. Today is December 17, exactly ten days after the misplaced
 ultimatum was given, the situation has even gotten worse.”

“By the time PENGASSAN goes on strike as being threatened,
 the whole country will be shut down and one wonders what will become
 of Nigerians that desire to move around during the festive season.”

The governor urged the government
 to tell Nigerians the truth about fuel supply in the
 country, noting that the restriction of supply to NNPC caused the situation.

“The thinking is that by 
the time the scarcity persists for like one month, with Nigerians 
already buying at N200 per litre, the people will jump at it if petrol price 
is increased from N145 to N185 per litre. This time, Nigerians will resist any attempt to further impoverish 
them by increasing the price of petrol.”

Fayose said that instead of the Federal Government withdrawing $1 billion from the Excess Crude Oil Account to fight insurgency, it should tackle hunger in the country.

He threatened to challenge the decision of the government to withdraw the money that belongs to all tiers of government.

“In the first instance, the money belongs to the federal, state and local governments and if anything would be taken out of it, it must be with support and agreement of all tiers. If there is any tier that is not interested in spending the money in a particular manner, the total amount must be calculated and the said tier of government be given its appropriate money.

“States and local governments have peculiar needs and many are finding it difficult to meet their constitutional obligations. There are many ‘harams’ in the land that we must fight and hunger is one of them,” he said.

http://www.hopefornigeriaonline.com/pengassan-begins-strike-fayose-blames-fg-fuel-scarcity/

Keneking:
Apart from EEG - Export Expansion Grant, the rest are suspicious sef
- Useless government of suspense
But where is lalasticlala sef

He said it

Keneking:
Apart from EEG - Export Expansion Grant, the rest are suspicious sef
- Useless government of suspense
But where is lalasticlala sef

He said

Mrjo:
Monitoring sp**st

Mr man you think this is a joke? some group of people are trying to loot our common wealth, no make me vex for you

Watch out for more tomorrow!!!

N750m for floor and wall partitioning? How much would it have cost to rent the building? How much will a new building cost? #AskQuestions

N907.1m for cars and spare parts again? Every year, Nigeria budgets for new cars and State House has budget for maintenance of vehicles. How is this CAPITAL PROJECT?

The Office of National Security Adviser budgets N1.14bn for cleaning and fumigation. We need to be sure that this has to with refuse. This is outrageous.

Be careful and we need to raise our voices. DSS budgets N2.2bn for social media mining. $8m?

How much does a University or teaching hospital get in a year? "routine" installation at N4.9bn. This CAN'T be capital projects.

More

Suspicious

We have combed the proposed #Budget2018 and we have found SUSPICIOUS & FRIVOLOUS items and this is our THREAD.

I would like to know how they got their data Cos I doubt the authenticity and veracity of this!!

Can't wait for 2019!!! Enough is enough!!!!
Lalasticlala mynd44

SPECIAL REPORT: November of Deaths: Over 200 killed in attacks across Northern Nigeria
Before the coming of the present administration, the major security challenge confronting the country was the menace of Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria including Abuja. Kidnapping was also on the rise, especially in the South-east and South-south regions.

President Muhammadu Buhari during his swearing in, May 2015, promised Nigerians that his administration will tackle and bring an end to the activities of Boko Haram and insecurity in other regions.

For Mr. Buhari, tackling Boko Haram and achieving maximum security for Nigerians was his primary campaign promise.

Upon assuming office on May 29, 2015, the president ordered the immediate relocation of the Military Command Centre from Abuja to Maiduguri, Borno State, in June 2015.

Since then, the government has largely been able to curtail the activities of the terror group and ensured no attacks occur outside Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

However, while results are being achieved in the fight against Boko haram terrorists, residents of the North-east still suffer several attacks by terrorists in the region.

Other Nigerians are also suffering all forms of security challenges ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery and inter-communal clashes across the nation.

In November, for instance, over 200 persons lost their lives including soldiers and other security operatives in various Boko Haram, communal attacks, and by other armed bandits.

Adamawa Suicide Attacks

In November 21, at least 80 persons lost their lives in Adamawa state in two separate attacks that took place at different communities, hours apart.

The highest casualty recorded in the attacks was in Mubi where 50 people were killed during Islamic morning prayers by a suicide bomber.

At least, 30 women and children were also killed in a separate attacks launched by militiamen in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Mubi attack was carried out by a young man.

Residents, who spoke to this newspaper said they saw many lifeless bodies on the ground and dozens injured in the aftermath of the blast.

“As people converged on Massalacin Madina at Anguwan Shuwa to observe Subh (morning prayer), an unknown man rammed himself into the mosque with IEDs , killing many people,” a resident of the area who identified himself as Bello explained on how the attack occurred.

Also, police confirmed the killing of at least 30 women and children in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State, on November 21 by suspected militiamen.

Residents and security sources said the attacks on the mainly Fulani settlements were launched by armed gangs suspected to be of the predominant Bachama ethnic group in the area.

They said the death toll was possibly higher.

An affected resident, Oriwa Hammadu, said the militia members chanted songs as they launched attacks on the settlements in Shafaran, Shawal, Gumara, Kikam and Kadamti villages in the area.

‘’The attacks came when all the men were out of the areas. Many had gone to the market and a wedding ceremony in Mayo-Belwa, so they took us by surprise,” said Mr. Hammadu.

Borno Attacks

In November, at least 46 persons lost their lives including 17 suspected Boko Haram terrorists from different attacks in Borno State.

The highest casualty recorded in the state was that of the suicide bombers’ attack in Maiduguri the state capital on November 15.

Police confirmed that at least 18 persons were reportedly killed and 29 others injured when two suicide bombers attacked a crowded suburb of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Deafening blasts were heard echoing over the Maiduguri metropolis late in the evening of Wednesday as the suspected Boko Haram attackers detonated explosives.

The spokesperson of the Borno police command, Victor Isukwu, who later provided details via a text statement, said the attacks were carried out by four suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers.

He said the suicide bombers – two male and two female – targeted some crowded locations of Muna Gari, a suburb of Maiduguri that falls under Konduga Local Government Area.

The second highest casualty recorded in the state was the beheading of six farmers at Dimge plantation in the Mafa Local Government Area of Borno by suspected Boko Haram on November 19.

On November 26, the Nigerian Army also confirmed the death of three soldiers in a battle with Boko Haram members after the insurgents invaded an army base and Magumeri community in Borno State.

However, the military killed at least 17 terrorists in different confrontations and rescued ‘hundreds of persons’ held hostage by terrorists.

The Nigerian Army on November 25, in a joint operation with the Mobile Strike Team, MST, killed 14 terrorists and rescued 30 hostages.

The hostages were rescued from Boko Haram terrorist’s enclaves in Abusuriwa, Newchina, Bonzon, Usmanari, Goyayeri, Shitimari, Gashimari, Awaram amongst other villages in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.

Again, on November 29, Nigerian soldiers rescued at least 212 persons held hostage by the terrorists after they cleared remnants of Boko Haram insurgents from some villages in the northern fringes of the Sambisa forest.

According to a statement by the army spokesperson, Sani Usman, the soldiers also captured one Boko Haram commander, “Ameer” of Chawa, Amman Judee, and killed four terrorists.

On November 26, a 5-year-old boy was reportedly killed in a Boko Haram attack on Magumeri town of Borno State.

Kidnappings

While Boko Haram insurgency is still a major security challenge this administration is facing, kidnapping activities is also another menace troubling Nigerians particularly those that ply roads across the six-geopolitical zones.

The Kaduna-Abuja highway in the northern region is perhaps one of the notorious routes where kidnapping activities are rampant.

A former minister of environment, Laurentia Mallam, and her husband, Pius were abducted along Bwari/Jere axis on Kaduna-Abuja highway on October 2.

On November 21, a Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, confirmed the death of one of its marshals by suspected armed kidnappers on the same highway.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reported how the attack occurred on November 21 at Sabo-Wuse Area on the Niger axis of the highway.

The report added that the deceased was traveling in a commercial bus alongside other passengers when the hoodlums struck at about 6.30 a.m.

The Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, who confirmed the official’s death to NAN, said two other marshals were abducted by the gunmen.

Mr. Kazeem identified the deceased as Ardo Njiga, a Marshal Inspector 1, and one of those kidnapped as Garba Bello, a Senior Road Marshal Assistant.

UNABATING ATTACKS ON COMMUNITIES

At least 77 persons have lost their lives via violent attacks by unknown gunmen in different communities in Benue, Zamfara and Plateau States between November 6 and 20.

The highest casualty recorded is the killing of at least 40 people in Zamfara.

Zamfara Attacks

The Police in Zamfara confirmed the killings of many people on November 6 by gunmen suspected to be cattle rustlers at a mining site in Gidan Ardo Village of Bindin district of Maru Local Government Area.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, Shehu Muhammad, disclosed the development to journalists in Gusau on November 8.

Mr. Muhammad, however, said the command was yet to ascertain the actual number of those killed during the mayhem; although residents said over 40 people were killed.

The police said investigation into the killings had begun.

It also said the anti-terrorism squad of the command had already been deployed to the area to join the Army in trailing the gunmen.

Similarly in another separate attack, at least 25 people were killed on November 20 when gunmen stormed three communities in the state.

The lawmaker representing Zurmi West in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Yusuf Moriki, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the incident occurred at Dole, Tudun Bugaje and Kwangwami communities in Zurmi Local Government Area.

Mr. Moriki said 25 were killed, while many others were injured during the attack.

On November 17, another tragedy befell Zamfara State as about 40 people were kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be cattle rustlers.

Plateau Attacks

Similarly on November 7, eleven people were shot dead by gunmen along Rim, Riyom Local Government Area of northern Plateau State.

Other attacks by gunmen include the killing of three persons in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on November 19 when gunmen stormed the country home of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Udo Ekpenyong.

Again, on November 17, a similar incident occurred where armed men, riding a motorcycle shot dead a policeman and two other persons at a filling station in the local government area.

The various cases of insecurity of lives and property across Nigeria in November point to the fact that the government still has a lot to do to achieve its primary purpose and promise.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/252540-special-report-november-of-deaths-over-200-killed-in-attacks-across-northern-nigeria.html/amp?

biazarre:
unjust in wat sense? please define unjust..!
please try to understand English words b4 using them on public forum like this...

Nigerian n stupid religious believes...
and it has never stopped us from looting public fund...

I swear the sense wey you talk eeeh big pass Atlantic Ocean!!!

The NBA chairman is very stupid!!

Lizard of ubima !!

It is quite possible that Rotimi Amaechi is losing his marbles otherwise why else would he be asking former President Jonathan to account for the $65 billion that former Olusegun Obasanjo left in the Excess Crude Account when there was never any such amount?

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria who served under his tenure, Professor Charles Soludo are both alive and journalists can take advantage of the Freedom of Information Act signed into Law by former Jonathan to verify from them if there was ever any $65 billion in the Excess Crude Account.

Rotimi Amaechi is a notorious ignoramus who speaks without thinking and it is suspected that he is going senile.

The reason I say so is because Rotimi Amaechi as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum is precisely the reason why the Excess Crude Account had to be phased out and below are the facts:

The Jonathan administration met $6.5 billion in the Excess Crude Account upon inception in 2010 and not $65 Billion as wrongly asserted by Rotimi Amaechi. In fact, the Jonathan Government ought to be praised for increasing the amount in the ECA to almost $9 billion by 2012.

However, the Nigerian Governors Forum led by no other person than Rotimi Amaechi, using their influence at the House of Representatives, had gotten that August body to declare the Excess Crude Account illegal in 2012.

So excruciating was the pressure from the Nigerian Governors Forum and most notably from the then Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, (now the minister of transport) for the Jonathan administration to end the Excess Crude Account and the Sovereign Wealth Fund regimes and instead share the funds in those accounts amongst the three tiers of government that they approached the Supreme Court, to challenge the legality of the Excess Crude Account and then President Jonathan’s decision to transfer $1 billion from that account to the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

In fact, after hosting a meeting of the forum on September 21, 2012, at the Rivers state Governor’s lodge, Rotimi Amaechi said inter alia:

“On the Excess Crude Account, Forum unanimously decided to head back to Court to enforce the Federal Government’s adherence to the constitution.”

To those who do not know what the Constitution says, let me give you an insight by quoting from Section 162.

Section 162, provides that

“(1) The Federation shall maintain a special account to be called ‘the Federation Account’ into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or department of government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“(2) The President, upon the receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account, and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account, the allocation principles especially those of population, equality of States, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density;

“(3) Any amount standing to the credit of the Federation Account shall be distributed among the Federal and State Governments and the Local Government Councils in each State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.”

From the above, it was clear what the Amaechi led Governor’s forum wanted.

Mr. Amaechi led the governors in taking the Federal Government to court. The Jonathan administration offered an out of court settlement with the governors in a deal that would have seen the federal government sharing some of the money and saving up the rest for Nigeria’s future but the governors rejected the offer.

In fact, the Jonathan Administration had argued at the Supreme Court that sharing the money in the ECA would affect “the day to day running of the nation’s economy”.

Working in tandem with Mr. Amaechi and his supporters in the Nigerian Governors Forum, the then minority APC members of the House of Representatives approached a Federal High Court on the 7th of February, 2014, for a perpetual injunction restraining the Jonathan administration from operating the ECA and to pay all the proceeds of that account into the Federation Account for sharing amongst the three tiers of government.

As a result of these actions, the Jonathan administration paid the 36 states of the federation a total of N2.92 trillion from the Excess Crude Account between 2011 and 2014. Using the value of the Naira at that time that amount was just above $20 billion dollars.

So it is quite clear that anyone who accuses the Jonathan administration squandering $65 Billion ECA funds is speaking in ignorance.

What I would advise Rotimi Amaechi to do is to take his own advise from last week when he said “I agree with those who said we should stop criticising the last government and that we should do our own”

It is very wrong for Rotimi Amaechi to keep blaming the Jonathan administration while at the same time enjoying the fruits of its labour like the Abuja-Kaduna railway and the national railway that was revived by the Jonathan government after years of being moribund. If they are drinking from Jonathan’s well, let them appreciate the man who dug the well

Reno Omokri (for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan)

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/rotimi-amaechi-is-an-ignoramus-here-are-facts-to-prove-it-reno/amp/?

SalamRushdie:
The problem with this kind of thoightful thread is that FASHOLA paid goons will rush here and start spewing their 20 hours a day lies to derail the thread.

you are not far from the truth!!! BMC crew bastards !! God will surely punish them!!!

Haven't seen light since Friday last week !!!

I hope we make it to 2019

APC should suspend this man !!

Okorocha urges Air Force to create happiness department, says 89% Nigerians unhappy
Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has said that 89 per cent of Nigerians are not truly happy, maintaining that only “four per cent could really be happy to some extent,” while “seven per cent might claim to be happy.”

He argued that the vital aspect of human existence, which is happiness, must be addressed.

Okorocha, who recently created the Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment, made the claim when officers of the Nigeria Air Force, led by the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command, Air Vice Marshal Sampson Akpasa, visited him at the Government House at the weekend.

Okorocha said agitations, insurgence, and hate-speech come up when people are not happy.

He said, “I commend the Nigeria Air Force for the good job they are doing in this country, especially their fight against insurgency and currently, what is happening in Numan and all the efforts they are making to restore peace in that area. I’m particularly proud of the Nigerian Air Force.
“But one thing is certain, if you observe recently, the level of crisis and agitations are on the increase. While we fight insurgence, I would advise that we also should find the cause of this agitation.

“Agitation comes up when people are not happy and the whole essence of life is to be happy. For this reason, I advice that the Air Force too, just like what I have done recently, which most people didn’t understand, should create a department for Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment.

“This will help to address the need of even junior officers, who may have some forms of dissatisfaction in the discharge of their duties.

“Sometimes, you may think that they are happy when they are not and this sabotages the efforts of the Federal Government,” the governor counselled.

“In Imo State, we have introduced the Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment.

“I urge the Air Force to emulate what we are doing in Imo State to let everyone have a sense of belonging,” Okorocha added.
In his speech, Akpasa commended Okorocha for what he termed “the tremendous transformation” his administration has recorded in the state.

He said they had come on familiarization tour of the constituent security outfits established on July 3, 2017, adding that their new training ground has helped to handle insurgency in the North-East.
http://punchng.com/okorocha-urges-air-force-to-create-happiness-department-says-89-nigerians-unhappy/amp/?

I weep for my country!!! Can we make it to 2019? Life getting harder!!

Port Har-court— NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has decried the high rate of poverty, hunger and suffering in Nigeria, and called on government to urgently find solution to the problems to avoid social upheaval.

NUPENG in a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, suggested various ways government could address the problems.
In the communiqué by NUPENG President and General Secretary, Igwe Achese and Joseph Ogbebor respectively, the union also expressed concern over upsurge in the cases of suicide bombings, kidnappings, ritual killings, communal clashes, herdsmen menace, armed robbery and other security threats across the country.

According to the communiqué, “The meeting-in-session notes that the state of insecurity is a disincentive to investors, national unity and economic development and should therefore be immediately addressed through adequate use of modern intelligence gathering and technological security infrastructure.

The NEC-in-Session further expresses serious concerns over the obvious unhealthy rivalry among the various arms of security agencies in the country as evident in series of missteps on issues of national security and fight against corruption. The Council-in-session calls on President Mohammadu Buhari to immediately overhaul the entire national security apparatus for efficiency and cohesiveness to avoid anarchy.
“The current level of poverty, hunger and high rate of unemployment/ disguised employment in the country were of serious concerns to the NEC-in-Council.

They were extensively deliberated upon and all the levels of government in Nigeria were called upon to urgently address the ugly and unwholesome situation by opening up the economy, establishing cottage industries, helping small/medium scale businesses, embark on massive agricultural projects, and ease the processes of business set up through access to loans at reasonable rates and tax holidays.”

According to the communiqué, “The NEC-in-Council notes with deep worries the emerging stories of apparent disjointed, uncoordinated and blurred war against corruption by the current administration. The police pension scam is a clear case of corruption within the war against corruption, it stinks to high heavens.”
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/nupeng-fg-increasing-poverty-hunger-may-cause-social-upheaval/amp/