I’ll Rebuild Nigeria For Our Children, Grandchildren – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, reaffirmed his intention to rebuild Nigeria, including the volatile Niger Delta region that have been marked by several acts of violence and instability.
Speaking at the reception of delegates of Niger Delta Dialogue led by the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, Bayelsa state, Alfred Diette-Spiff, at the state house, Abuja, the President vowed that Nigeria would utilise her resources appropriately.
He noted that his administration was studying the gazette on Niger Delta amnesty programme used by the former administration of Umaru Yar’Adua.
“We intend to rebuild this country, so that our children and grandchildren will have a good place they can call their own.
A lot of damage has been done, so I want you to tell the people to be patient,” he said.‎
“When you get together with other leaders, please pacify the people. We will utilise the resources of Nigeria with integrity and rebuild the country.”
Speaking on the Niger Delta amnesty, the President said, “I want to get as much intelligence as possible on the situation in the Niger Delta.
I have encouraged law enforcement agencies to contact leaders like you in order to have enough information to deal with the issues once and for all.”
Buhari sympathised with investors who had borrowed money to invest in the Niger Delta region and have been unable to make profits from their investment due to militancy.
He further charged the group to appeal to the militants to embrace peace and allow government do its work.

800 Nigerians Sponsored By Dangote To Study Refinery Operations In India.

Billionaire business mogul, president of Dangote Group and Africa's richest man, has yesterday, sent about 800 Nigerians to India, to learn the operations of a petrochemical refinery.

 President of Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man, is sending about 800 Nigerians to India, to learn the operations of a petrochemical refinery.

 A source in the multi-billion Naira company, Dangote Group, has exclusively confirmed to the Cable on Friday that billionaire business mogul and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is sending about 800 Nigerians to India, to learn the operations of a petrochemical refinery, adding that the first batch to be trained will leave for India on Sunday, March 20, 2016.

It was learnt that the 800 Nigerians will travel to the Asian country over the next 24 months in a batch of fifties, to learn from the nation with the largest refinery in the world.

India is home to the world’s largest refinery, Jamnagar Refinery Reliance Industries, Jamnagar, which refines as much as 1.2 million barrels per day.

“About 800 will be trained in batches within 24 months. The first batch of 50 is leaving for India on Sunday,” the source said.

Dangote is looking to creating employment within the Nigerian economy, rather than importing expatriates to run the first private refinery in Nigeria.

The refinery, projected to worth $9 billion, is being built to have a refining capacity of about 500,000 to 650,000 barrels per day.

“After receiving a private licence to build a refinery, Dangote has commenced the building of a 650,000 barrel per day (BPD) petroleum refinery, which will be the single largest in the world.

“The refinery would have a larger capacity than all of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) refineries put together,” the conglomerate said in a statement more than a year ago.

Dangote, who hosted Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), at the site of the refinery in January, assured Nigerians that the refinery would be ready to meet the nation’s need by 2018.

INEC Schedules Rerun In Rivers, Imo, Kogi, Kano For July 23 & 30

At last, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday and other stakeholders,agreed on dates for the completion of the rerun in four states of the federation.

According to the chairman of the commission, Professor Mamood Yakubu, at a national consultative forum with relevant stakeholders, the rerun in Imo and Kogi states have been scheduled for July 23 while those of Rivers and Kano states, would hold on July 30, respectively.

“However, the meeting advised the commission to further engage the stakeholders and where necessary, after due consultations, review the dates with respect to all or any of the states”.

The INEC boss stated that if the need arises to “adjust the dates due to any circumstances, we shall do so. So, nothing is cast in iron,” he said.

The INEC chairman had earlier said in his opening remark: “For us in INEC, stakeholders engagement is central to our commitment to credible and transparent elections.You would recall that following the 2015 general election, 80 constituency elections were nullified by tribunals out of 627 election petitions filed nationwide. Majority of the elections have since been conducted by INEC”.

He lamented that inconclusive elections were due to the perpetration of violence in the affected states, stating that although, INEC is determined to conclude all the elections .

According to the INEC helmsman, elections anywhere in the world are not automated processes as they are conducted by human beings, stating that disruptions in one polling unit can change the tide in the results, hence, the commission would not improperly conclude elections.

He, however, lamented the violence unleashed on some INEC staff and materials in the areas where the reruns were earlier suspended.

“In Kogi State ,it was as a result of large scale disruption and physical assault of staff. In Kano State, it was suspended due to violence and intimidation of staff on duty. In Rivers State, which account for about 50 percent of the 80 nullified elections, many of our staff were assaulted. One of them, Samuel Okonta, was killed. There was widespread violence”, he said.

The Inspector General of Police, who was represented on the occasion by a Commissioner of Police, Habila Joshua, expressed the readiness of the police to mobilize men for the reruns.Other stakeholders such as the National Orientation Agency(NOA), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) , political parties and their candidates, all expressed readiness to play critical roles but called on INEC to ensure adequate provision of security at the election venues.

However, Senator Magnus Abe, who is one of the candidates in the Rivers State senatorial rerun, said that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) ,in the state should be sacked, having compromised his impartiality.

Buhari And Niger-Delta Dialogue Team Meet + What PMB Told Them - Photos

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration would rebuild Nigeria, including the Niger Delta region, and therefore solicits patience and understanding from the citizenry.

Receiving a delegation of Niger Delta Dialogue and Contact Group, led by His Royal Highness, King Alfred Diette-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, Bayelsa State, at State House, Abuja, Thursday, President Buhari pledged that under his watch Nigeria will witness judicious utilization of resources. 

"We intend to rebuild this country; so that our children and grand-children will have a good place they can call their own. A lot of damage has been done, so I want you to tell the people to be patient.

"When you get together with other leaders, please pacify the people. We will utilize the resources of Nigeria with integrity and rebuild the country."

The President said the gazette on the Niger Delta amnesty programme by the Umaru Yar'Adua administration is being studied with a view to determining what had been fulfilled, promising that whatever is left would equally be addressed.

"I want to get as much intelligence as possible on the situation in the Niger Delta. I have encouraged law enforcement agencies to contact leaders like you in order to have enough information to deal with the issues once and for all, “the President said.

He sympathized with investors who borrowed lots of money to invest in the Niger Delta region and have not recouped their investments due to insecurity.

He used the occasion of his audience with the Group to reiterate his appeal to those who perpetrate violence to embrace peace and give government a chance.

The leader of the Group, King Alfred Diette-Spiff, said the group was made of peace builders, dedicated to peace and stability in the region.

Femi Adesina    




Special Adviser to the President

Oshiomhole: I Have Reconciled With Odubu, My Deputy

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State Thursday announced that he has settled the political differences between him and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu.

The governor made the announcement at a reconciliation and thank you party organized for ward leaders of the All Progressives Congress.
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Dr. Odubu and some of his supporters were, however, absent at the party.

P.M.NEWS recalled that the once cordial relationship between Oshiomhole and his deputy became frosty after the governor supported the Chairman of his economic team, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to succeed him.

Oshiomhole who told the APC members to go back to the wards and reconcile with all aggrieved party members, disclosed that he would personally visit some APC members to heal the wounds.

He said the campaign message of the APC would change since, according to him, ”a more credible candidate has emerged in the PDP.”

He said: “Let us imbibe the spirit of oneness. I was excited of having the privilege to brief President Buhari of the outcome of our primaries and the Preisdent said he is proud of all you who participated in that process. This will be the first time a sitting president will hold the hand of our party candidate and present him to the people of our great state.”

“As you return to your wards, align with leaders of each of those wards to call a meeting and had time together. Remind them that they voted for the party. Convene meetings at the ward level to bring all the ward leaders together. We need to visit them and we will visit them. They worked much harder. They deserve our commendation.

“This is the time to settle small quarrels within the party. No more rumours. Help us to unite, to reconcile, to restore old friendship and old alliances. I have renewed mine with my deputy governor. It is one party, one family and one destination.

“PDP has elected a more credible candidate. The problem with that is that the candidate is not carrying the kind of baggage the fake pastor is carrying. Our campaign message must be different.”

In his speech, the State Chairman of the APC, Anselm Ojezua, disclosed that many of the governorship aspirants of the party have promised to work for the successes of the APC during the elections.

Also speaking, the party’s flag-bearer in the September 10 governorship election, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, promised to continue the process of reconciliation and work towards making the party solid.

His words, “Every member of APC will benefit. We are one party. We watch the language we use because we know one day will come when we will come together to work. Forgive and forget whatever mistake of the past. Come September, we will sing victory song.

Money Laundering: You’ve A Case To Answer, Court Tells Ohakim

ABUJA—The former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, on Thursday, failed to persuade the Federal High Court in Abuja to quash the three-count criminal charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.

The court, in a ruling by Justice Ademola Adeniyi, held that the former governor who piloted the affairs of Imo state between May 2007 and May 2011, has a case to answer pertaining to the charges against him.

The charges border on money laundering, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds.

Justice Adeniyi held that the anti-graft agency successfully established a prima-facie criminal case against the defendant that would warrant him to
enter his defence before the court.

Consequently, Ohakim’s no-case-submission was dismissed by the court which ordered the former governor to open his defence on October 10.

The charge against Ohakim arose from his alleged purchase of the property at 60, Kwame Nkrumah Street, Plot No 1098, Cadastral ZoneA04, Asokoro District, Abuja with cash payment of $2.29m which was said to be dollar equivalent of N270m in November 2008.

The property, according to the agency, was acquired with funds the defendant allegedly laundered from Imo state treasury.

He was also accused of failing to declare the property as part of his assets when asked by the EFCC to do so.

The prosecution said the erstwhile governor violated section 15(1)(d) and section 14(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004. Ohakim was said to have paid for the property in cash.

Guinea bans illegal foreign fishing vessels

Guinea has banned all international fishing activities in its waters.
It comes a day after leading think-tank the Overseas Development Institute recommended such a ban, saying West African countries could create more than 300,000 jobs by awarding more fishing and exporting rights to national fleets.
The rule will come into effect at midnight.
Maritime Minister Andre Loua said that illegal fishing by foreign ships denied the nation of vital foreign exchange earnings and reduced fish stocks.
However, corruption in the fishing industry here is also a big problem.
Fishermen I have spoken to fear only the big fishing establishments will benefit from the ban.