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The five- year unresolved crisis of the troubled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ogun State Chapter, took a dangerous dimension on Wednesday as two factions loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Governor Gbenga Daniel, engaged themselves in a public brawl.

Members of both factions used charms and other weapons in a free for all fight at the party’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Both factions fought over which group will control the party secretariat located along Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta.

The Police and the State Security Services, SSS, have as a result of the violence taken over the secretariat.

The faction loyal to the former President had few months back sacked the Gbenga Daniel faction from the secretariat, and controlled the building.

However, on Wednesday, Mr. Daniel’s faction, said to be financed by a multi-millionaire, Buruji Kashamu, stormed the party secretariat armed with a court judgement pronouncing the faction’s executive as the authentic PDP leaders.

The court judgement had been secured even before they were made to leave the secretariat earlier.

Reports said the leaders of the Daniel faction had sought for a meeting with the leaders of the other group at the party secretariat, to present the latter with the court order. Before the meeting could hold, violence erupted between supporters of both factions

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111923-obasanjo-daniels-supporters-fight-with-charms-over-pdp-secretariat.html

About 56.3 million Nigerian adults, one third of the country’s population, have never been banked, a recent Survey by EFInA, a financial sector development organisation promoting financial inclusion, stated.

According to EFInA, the banked include all adults who have access to or use a Deposit Money Bank in addition to having/using a traditional banking product, including ATM card, credit card, savings account, current account, fixed deposit account, mortgage, overdraft, loan from a bank, or Islamic banking product; including indirect access.

“64.1 per cent of the adult population (of Nigeria) has never been banked, an equivalent to 56.3 million people while 3.4 per cent of the adult population, an equivalent to 3.0 million people, were previously banked,” the survey stated.

The Survey, which has the objective to provide “relevant and reliable data on the demand for and usage of a range of financial products, both formal and informal in Nigeria,” said that Nigeria lags behind in the quest for financial inclusion, when compared with some of its African counterparts.

Results from the survey showed that Nigeria lags behind South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana in terms of the percentage of the population who are financially included formally or informally.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/business/111886-56m-nigerian-adults-have-never-had-bank-accounts-transactions-survey.html

The Super Eagles ended 2012 on the FIFA Rankings on a high after moving five steps to finish the year on the 52nd spot in the December edition of the monthly rankings released on Tuesday. The Eagles were ranked 57th in November.

The Eagles had started the year in the 45th position and sixth on the African continent but will now end the year occupying tenth spot in Africa behind the Elephants of Ivory Coast who are the highest ranked African team going into next month’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Algeria, Mali, Ghana, Zambia, Egypt, Gabon, Tunisia, Central Africa Republic are the other African teams rated above Nigeria in the World rankings.

Meanwhile, World and European Champions, Spain, has completed a full year atop the FIFA rankings, and Brazil has plummeted to No 18.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/sports/111881-super-eagles-climb-five-places-in-fifa-rankings-now-52nd-in-world.html

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Some gunmen on Monday abducted four Chinese nationals working for Hyundai Fabrication Company.

The incident took place on Okpoama Island, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

Confirming the report, Fidelis Odunna (DSP), the Police Public Relations Officer in Bayelsa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the gunmen stormed the company’s site by boat and abducted the Chinese workers.

He, however, said that the police command had since deployed detectives to comb the creeks for possible clues, adding that “strategic security measures are being put in place to forestall a reoccurrence’’.

Community sources earlier told NAN that one of the four kidnapped men was the company’s Operations Manager, who was simply identified as Mr J.H. Kin.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111649-gunmen-kidnap-4-chinese-construction-workers-in-bayelsa.html

Drop A Comment For President Goodluck Jonathan For His 2012 Performance.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Monday accused indicted petroleum products marketers of masterminding the recent kidnap of her mother, Kamene Okonjo.

She however refused to name any of the indicted marketers suspected to have sponsored the dastardly act, saying: “I can’t give all the details, because we don’t want to compromise on-going investigations.”

The octogenarian wife of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, Chukuka Okonjo, was abducted from her home in Delta State and forcefully taken captive on Sunday, December 9, by gunmen.

Though the retired Professor of Sociology regained her freedom last Friday, five days after she was seized by her abductors, her daughter, who spoke on the circumstances of her old mother’s ordeal, said she was exposed to both mental and psychological torture throughout the period.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111592-okonjo-iweala-accuses-indicted-oil-marketers-of-sponsoring-mums-kidnap.html

In what seems a discourse to set the stage for the re-emergence of toll gates in the country, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, on Monday said the resuscitation of toll gates in the country would boost revenue generation to enable government repair federal roads.

The head of the agency in Osun State, Isaac Omojeingbesi, made this disclosure in an interview in Osogbo, the state captal.

He expressed support for a re-introduction of toll gates, saying the initiative would help generate more money for road maintenance as well as enhance government’s ability to repair bad roads across the country, a stance both the Federal and State Governments have always held.

But the re- introduction of toll gate fees has been nothing but disturbing for majority of road users who usually complain of the hazards of toll gates.

In Lagos State for instance, the Lekki toll gate fee, introduced by the state government, was greeted with animosity, with residents complaining that the amount of money they are made to part with is a rip off; and road users saying the traffic and the attendant health hazard the collection of money at the toll gate causes is heinous.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111574-ferma-wants-toll-gates-re-introduced-in-nigeria.html

The Federal Government has so far released N3.5 billion for the take-off of the Federal University, Lokoja, the Minister of Education, Rukayyatu Rufa’i, said on Monday in Lokoja.

Speaking at the first matriculation ceremony of the university, Ms. Rufai said that N1.5 billion was for the provision of facilities at the temporary campus, while N2 billion would go to the development of the permanent site.

She said the bill legalising the nine recently established federal universities would soon be signed into law by the president; implying that though billions have been released for the universities (including the one in Kogi), they are still illegal.

The minister said that approval had also been given for the physical master plan of the Kogi University.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111584-nigeria-releases-n3-5bn-for-take-off-of-illegal-university-in-kogi.html

There are indications that the Nigeria may not be able finance its 2013 budget given the declining level of its crude oil demanded by major buyers such as the United States and the glaring fact that the nation will have to look at other light oil importers to supply its oil.

A report by Financial Derivatives Company, a diversified financial services institution, states that at present, the total crude oil imports into the U.S. (which accounted for 30 per cent and 33 per cent of Nigerian crude oil exports in 2010 and 2011 respectively with oil receipts ranging from $19bn, $31bn and $34bn in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively) are declining and those from Nigeria are declining at an even steeper rate as the U.S. is expected to become the world’s top oil producer by 2017 and to be possibly self-sufficient in its energy needs by 2035.

The firm said the implications of these developments are very crucial for Nigeria whose budget revenue depends on oil.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111156-nigeria-may-not-be-able-to-finance-2013-budget-report.html

Nigeria and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have signed five grant agreements worth $335 million. This is to support programmes that would aid prevention and treatment of HIV and tuberculosis in Africa’s most populous country.

The information is contained in a release sent out on Thursday in Lagos and signed by Mark Edington, Head, Grant Management Division of the Global Fund.

Mr. Edington said that the grant agreements were a critical part of the three billion dollars in 169 grants that the Global Fund has committed in 2012.

“For Nigeria, the grant agreements address a tremendous need: Nigeria has the second highest number of people living with HIV in the world and only 30 per cent of people requiring HIV treatment are receiving antiretroviral therapy.”

Mr. Edington said that the grant-signing followed the launch in October by Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, of a national program aimed at “Saving One Million Lives” by 2015 by increasing access to effective basic health services.

He said that Nigeria announced that it was committing $500 million to support the program.

“Nigeria has made some big strides and to turn back now is unthinkable, but the challenges are formidable and much remains to be done,” he said.

He said there is now an excellent opportunity for Nigeria’s government to close the funding gap for antiretrovirals.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111141-nigeria-signs-335-million-grant-with-global-fund-to-fight-hiv-tb.html

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa on Thursday in Dutse said that his son was not in any way involved in money laundry.

He described the arrest of his eldest son, Aminu Lamido, 34, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged money laundering as “false and mischievous”.

Mr. Lamido’s son was arrested on Tuesday by operatives of the EFCC at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport with $50, 000.

In a statement signed by the Director of Press to the Governor, Umar Kyari, Mr. Lamido said his arrested son was not involved in money laundering.

“The impression the EFCC gave to Sahara Reporters that he had been making several trips overseas on money laundering on my behalf is false and mischievous.

“For the purpose of removing the notion that he embarked on money laundering on my behalf, I find it necessary to clarify the allegation,” the governor said in the statement.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111076-my-son-not-a-money-launderer-governor-lamido.html

A 46-year-old Ilorin resident, Bello Zakariyau of Niger Road, Ilorin, on Thursday told an Ilorin Area Court that his wife was in the habit of slapping him whenever he asked her for food.

He prayed the court to dissolve the three-year-old marriage with Fatimoh Zakariyau, because he was tired of her slaps.

The petitioner told the court that his wife was hot tempered and aggressive.

“My wife slapped me just because I asked her for food and also shouted on me to get off her sight if I don’t want trouble,” he said.

Mr. Zakariyau told the court that the problem started on Sept 11 when his wife refused to cook for him and their only child.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/regional/111006-my-wife-slaps-me-when-i-ask-for-food-man-tells-court.html

Only seven out of the twenty four members of the Plateau State House of Assembly were present, Thursday, when Governor Jonah Jang presented the 2013 budget to lawmakers.

The absence of the other seventeen legislators is believed to be a result of the protests earlier held by local government workers at the House of Assembly complex.

It is not clear if the seven members present were enough to form a quorum, but Mr. Jang presented a budget of N133.5 billion amidst tight security.

“Mr. Speaker, Hon. Members, the proposed 2013 budget which is christened, “Budget of Continuity and Inclusive growth III” has a total budget size of One Hundred and Thirty-three Billion, Four Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, One Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Three Naira only (N133,459,176,903.00),” the governor said while presenting the budget.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/111001-plateau-governor-jang-presents-2013-budget-to-seven-lawmakers.html

An embattled Senator, Mohammed Ndume, who is facing charges for alleged links to the militant group, Boko Haram, contacted the group’s spokesperson 73 times within a month, investigators told a federal court on Wednesday.

Mr. Ndume was arrested late 2011 by the State Security Service, SSS, and accused of sponsoring the Islamist sect.

Mr. Ndume claims his contact with the group was necessitated by his membership of the Presidential Committee mandated to help restore peace to the troubled North East of the country.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for series of bombings and gun attacks that have plagued Northern Nigeria resulting in more than a thousand deaths.

The SSS said Mr. Ndume, who is from Borno State, the hotbed of the crisis, was constantly in touch with an alleged spokesperson of the group, Mohammed Konduga.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110878-senator-ndume-contacted-boko-haram-leader-73-times-in-one-month-sss.html

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Rivers State, said on Wednesday that a five-party system would guarantee and strengthen the electoral process in Nigeria.

Aniedi Ikoiwak, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, said in Port Harcourt that the nation’s electoral system needed to be sanitised.

He said a five-party system was the best for the country to overcome electoral irregularities and shake off corruption among political parties.

“We don’t want unserious political associations whose members stay at home with their wives to demand money from government.

“Many of them are registered to disappear during elections,” Mr. Ikoiwak said.

He said a five party structure will raise the standard of Nigeria’s electoral process because all the parties will be serious in contest for power.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110758-inec-suggests-5-political-parties-for-nigeria.html

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday warned the public against indiscriminate consumption of sex enhancement drugs.

The Jigawa Coordinator of the agency, Kenneth Azikwe, said in Dutse, the Jigawa capital, that most of the libido drugs in circulation were not certified by the agency.

“The libido drugs in circulation are not certified by NAFDAC and the description on them is in Chinese and other alien languages,” he said. “Consumption of such drugs is harmful because its pharmaceutical composition could not be guaranteed.”

The coordinator further advised the public against patronising drug hawkers and self medication.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110762-dont-consume-libido-enhancing-drugs-nafdac-warns-nigerians.html

The lawyer representing Wale Babalakin, accused of laundering N4.7 billion for former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, has announced his withdrawal in the ongoing suit at the Ikeja High Court.

Ebun Sofunde, who represented the Bi-Courtney boss when the suit began last week, said that his withdrawal was “a personal thing.”

“I have a letter from Mr. Wale Akoni (another lawyer) which shows that they don’t intend to oppose the application to withdraw,” said Mr. Sofunde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Another Senior Advocate, Bolaji Ayorinde, announced to the court that he would replace Mr. Sofunde as counsel to Mr. Babalakin.

Meanwhile, there is no sign of Mr. Babalakin yet in court. The-Courtney boss was on admittance at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital for an undisclosed illness.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110756-breaking-news-babalakin-absent-in-court-as-lawyer-withdraws-from-suit.html

A 40-year-old commercial motorcyclist, popularly called okada rider, Segun Olowomako, has been arraigned before an Ore Magistrate Court for allegedly stealing two baskets of kolanuts and two kegs of palm oil.

He was alleged to have conspired with one other person, still at large, to commit the offence.

According to the charge, Mr. Olowomako, and one other person, sometimes in September, 2012, conspired to commit felony to wit stealing at about 7.00 p.m. at Zaccheus Junction Ore, in the Ore Magisterial District.

The duo thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the criminal code ,Cap 37 ,Volume 1 ,Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.

The prosecutor, Sikiru Momoh, a police inspector, said that he had four witnesses to call in the case and two were in the court.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110751-40-year-old-okada-rider-docked-for-stealing-kolanuts-palm-oil.html

Efforts by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest the former Kogi State Governor, Abubakar Audu, Tuesday, failed as the ex-governor allegedly fled his 32 Suleiman Barau Street, Aso Villa, Asokoro, Abuja, residence.

The attempted arrest of the former governor, who is accused of fraudulently enriching himself to the tune of over N4 billion while he was Kogi Governor between 1999 and 2003, followed a Supreme Court ruling of November 23 which dismissed the ex-governor’s appeal to continue to protract his corruption trial by the EFCC.

Read more here: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/national/110633-ex-kogi-governor-abubakar-audu-evades-arrest-over-n4bn-fraud.html

The Prime Minister of Mali, Cheik Diarra, has resigned from office.

Mr. Diarra announced his resignation after hours of being detained by soldiers, the BBC reports.

He was scheduled to travel to France for a medical check-up, before his arrest and detention in his house in Bamako, the Malian Capital, on Monday, by soldiers who partook in the military coup of March.

The arrest was reportedly done on the orders of the coup leader, Amadou Sanogo.

“Men and women who are worried about the future of our nation, you are hoping for peace. It’s for this reason that I, Cheikh Modibo Diarra, am resigning along with my entire government, ” the former Prime Minister said while resigning.

Mali has been in crisis since March when soldiers toppled the civilian regime. The soldiers accused the government of not doing enough to check the Islamist rebels in the north of the country. The rebels have since controlled the North of Mali since the soldiers took over.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110625-mali-prime-minister-resigns.html

The police in Delta state has denied abductors of Kanene Okonjo, mother of Nigeria’s Finance minister, are demanding $1billion as ransom.

Delta state police commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, told PREMIUM TIMES the police is not aware of speculated demands. He said the police are working hard to rescue the 85 year old professor.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently confirm the ransom demand as close associates of the victim refused to comment about her kidnap on record.

The mother of the Finance Minister was kidnapped Sunday afternoon from her home at about 1:30 pm by eight gunmen who invaded her husband’s palace at Ogbe-Ofu quarters in Ogwahi-Uku.

Shortly after her arrest, the police declared they already had information about the kidnappers and have deployed a “massive manhunt” for them.

The police promised to rescue her in 24 hours.

Although the 24 hours given by the police has long passed, the state’s police commissioner is optimistic his officers will bring the professor back home, unscathed “soon.”

“We have been able to rescue about 40 victims before,” Mr. Aduba said.

Insider factor

As part of its investigation, the police said it is inviting family members and close associates of the victim for questioning.

Mr. Aduba said in cases like this, there is always an “insider factor” and his command is not leaving that out.

One of the children of the Okonjo family, Onyema Okonjo, had earlier blamed security lapses for the kidnap of his mother.

Lucrative industry

Kidnapping, once used as a tool by militants to challenge marginalization of the oil rich states of the Niger Delta, has become the most lucrative crime in the area.

Security experts estimate the kidnap crime industry is worth over N10 billion in the Niger Delta states.

In Delta state, atleast a dozen government officials and others with familial links to government officials have been kidnapped.

Often, families of the victim are made to part with huge sums to secure their release.

Most victims also deny paying ransom to secure their release, thereby encouraging the crime which thrives on intimidation.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110552-police-deny-1billion-ransom-for-okonjo-iwealas-mom.html

Charles Okah, a suspected member of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), blamed for the 2010 Independence Day bomb that killed at least 10 people with many more injured, has written to the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, saying he was pressured by government to implicate leading opposition figures in the incident.

“At the SSS Headquarters Abuja where we were flown to, blindfolded with our legs and hands bound, my ‘cooperation’ was solicited for something completely different to my surprise,” Mr. Okah, whose younger brother is being tried in South Africa over the same allegation, said in his November 19, 2012 letter from the Kuje Prison in Abuja. “My captors threw me a lifeline; offering me our freedom and a lucrative contract in exchange for false testimony against my younger brother Henry, who is resident in South Africa.

“I was to write a false statement claiming to have been told by Henry about the bomb plot and naming the following persons as his conspirators: Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, Chief Timipre Sylva, and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. I bluntly refused.”

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110397-how-govt-pressured-me-to-implicate-babangida-el-rufai-others-in-2010-bombing-okah.html

A short documentary about Africa’s kissing culture made by Ken Saro Wiwa‘s daughter, British Nigerian writer, film-maker, Zina Saro-Wiwa, has put the spotlight on how Africans kiss.

It is a popular narrative that Africans are averred to public display of affection traditionally. So, the documentary made in interview style featured native Africans, mostly young and middle aged, residing in America describe their perception of kissing in Africa, and how they like to be kissed.

The documentary plays up the sustainability of the culture among young Africans and the answers gotten were revealing, thoughtful, and hilarious!

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/arts-entertainment/110494-how-do-you-like-to-be-kissed.html

Hundreds of facebook users have besieged President Goodluck Jonathan’s facebook page asking him the reason he broke his promise to release funds to clean up poisonous Lead in Zamfara State.

On Thursday, two rights groups, Human Rights Watch and the Nigerian Youth Climate Action Network, NYCAN, called on the public to prevail on Mr. Jonathan to release the said funds.

“Unless the promised funds are released immediately, cleanup of the contaminated areas won’t be able to start until after next year’s rainy season, leaving thousands more children at risk of death and permanent disability,” said Babatunde Olugboji of Human Rights Watch.

Over 400 children have died from the lead poisoning, according to Mr. Olugboji, and thousands more are in dire need of medical attention.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110223-zamfara-lead-poisoning-hundreds-besiege-jonathans-facebook-page.html

The Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University, Bokkos, Nenfort Gomwalk, has lamented the shortage of qualified lecturers in Nigerian universities.

Mr. Gomwalk said this in an interview on Friday in Jos.

He described the situation “as so terrible” adding that 70 per cent of the lecturers in the nation’s universities were assistant lecturers.

“The fact of the matter is that several Nigerian universities have dearth of PhD holders as lecturers. Most of the lecturers in the nation’s Ivory towers are Masters Degree holders and some of them have spent years pursuing their PhD degrees without success.

“I am aware that some of the Masters Degree holders have spent 10 to 15 years pursuing their doctorate degrees,” he said.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110205-vc-laments-dearth-of-lecturers-in-nigerian-varsities.html

A Federal High Court in Lagos has thrown out a suit brought by a mobile phone subscriber asking it to compel Etisalat Nigeria to publish the names of winners in a lottery which stated that N500, 000 is won daily and Range Rover jeeps monthly.

Paschal Ozioko, the subscriber, who said he spent N50, 000 during the promo had also asked the court to award him N100, 000 as damages for the “deception” by the telecommunication company.

Joined as defendant in the suit is the National Lottery Regulatory Commission.

In delivering his ruling, the judge, Mohammed Yunusa, held that the telecom company is a non juristic person, which falls outside the court’s jurisdiction.

“It is trite law that a plaintiff can only sue a legal personnel or person, on whom the law bestows the power to sue and be sued,” said Mr. Yunusa.

“The first defendant in this suit is not a juristic person and a proper party capable of suing and being sued.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110121-you-cant-sue-etisalat-for-fraudulent-promos-court-tells-subscriber.html

The Kano Command of the Nigerian Police Force said it has arrested eight persons in connection with an attempt to blow up one of its patrol teams on Thursday.

A statement from the Command’s spokesperson, Magaji Majiya, said some men riding in a Volkswagen golf vehicle trailed the patrol team and threw an Improvised Explosive Device, IDE, on them.

“At about 0730hrs when a Police Patrol team in a Vehicle were heading to a duty post along Ring Road, a Taxi Golf make was following behind threw an explosive device in the Police Vehicle,” the statement said.

The statement added that “The Policemen immediately disembarked their Vehicle, cordoned the area and arrested the eight occupants of the car”.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110066-police-arrest-eight-over-attempt-to-blow-up-patrol-team-in-kano.html

Africa, the second largest continent by land mass is still the least illuminated at night, an unprecedented new look at our planet at night, released by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, on Wednesday shows.

A global composite image, constructed using cloud-free night images from a new NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, satellite, shows the glow of natural and human-built phenomena across the planet in greater detail than ever before.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110026-nasa-noaa-new-views-of-earth-at-night-shows-africa-still-darkest-continent.html

Nigerians should stop complaining about fuel scarcity and suffer the pains of it because the scarcity was caused by their demand for transparency in the petroleum sector, the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke, who said this on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing journalists, said the demands by Nigerians for transparency and accountability coupled with the government’s determination to ensure same was the cause of the sufferings.

“We cannot eat our cakes and have it. We cannot keep calling out for transparency and accountability and pointing at corruption if we are not prepared to bear some of the hardship that will obviously come when you are trying to clean up a sector,” the minister said.

Mrs. Madueke was, however, not done with blaming Nigerians for the fuel scarcity, she also claimed that the government has already reduced the scarcity being witnessed.

“The verifications were being done; payments could not be made by Finance and I think they have said that severally, but the verifications have been done; payments are now being made and like I said the queues have actually begun to go down,” she said.

In Abuja where Mrs. Madueke claims the scarcity has reduced and where she is based as minister, motorists still spend several hours on petrol queues which sometimes are over 200m long; with many petrol stations not even selling the product. Black market operators can be seen selling the product at over 100 per cent the approved price with their transparent jerry-cans everywhere in the Nigerian capital.

The minister however gave Nigerians some hope as she said the scarcity should disappear before the festive period.

She said already the ministry had released petroleum products from its strategic reserve to reduce shortages.

“We too, on NNPC side we have pushed out a lot of our strategic reserve in a bid to ensure that people are not overtly put out in terms of fuel scarcity. And if not for this recent union issue I think it would have been completely alleviated, but I am sure that over the next few days it will die down completely.

“We are doing everything we can on ground to ensure that this Christmas will be like last Christmas, as well,” she said.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke attributed shortages being experienced in almost all parts of the country to stringent measures being taken by the Federal Ministry of Finance in the payment of subsidy claims.

She assured that only genuine subsidy claims by marketers would be entertained in line with the transparency and accountability policy of the government.

“Initially, the queues came out of the whole fuel subsidy issue and the fact of course that verifications of certain amounts and certain marketers’ claims were being made very stringently and this had to be done.

The minister also assured that the NNPC would continue to ensure a level playing field for all interested marketers and operators in the oil and gas sector of the economy.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/109943-diezani-alison-madueke-blames-nigerians-for-petrol-scarcity-says-they-should-stop-complaining.html

A gang of kidnappers struck in Ogun State, Tuesday, kidnapping the wife of a member of the State House of Assembly, Samson Onademuren.

The lawmaker, who just returned from the U.S. alongside other members, represents Ijebu North East State Constituency.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the woman, Folasade, was allegedly abducted by four gunmen in Ijebu-Ode at about 12 noon.

A source disclosed that the gunmen abducted Mrs. Onademuren few minutes after she got to an uncompleted building being constructed by her husband.

The victim was reportedly whisked away alongside her close female friend in a white Opel car with no registration number.

The abductors reportedly entered the compound and ordered all occupants to lie on the floor before they took away their target.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the State, Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident.

‘The command is investigating assiduously, we urge the public to assist in giving the police useful information that will lead to her rescue as soon as possible,’ the police spokesman said.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/109851-ogun-lawmakers-wife-kidnapped.html