The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced that some candidates in the November 11 Governship election in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States did not submit their agents at the end of the deadline it gave them. In a statement today, November 8, the INEC’s National Commissioner & Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun said that the detailed breakdown shows that not all the parties nominated agents for the polling and collation centres across the States.
“Indeed, some political parties have no polling unit or collation agents in some States despite having candidates in the election.” He said that a publication that contains infographic summary of registered voters and Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) has since been distributed to Local Government Areas, including the distribution of registered voters by gender, age group, occupation and disability. “The publication also includes the list of candidates and detailed information on the two polling units in Bayelsa and 38 in Imo State without registered voters. “The Commission has repeatedly said that elections will not hold in these polling units. No materials have been produced for these locations and no officials will be deployed to them.” Sam Olumekun said that 16 political parties are sponsoring candidates for the election in Bayelsa State and 18 in both Imo and Kogi States. “The elections will be held in 10,470 polling units (excluding the 40 polling units without registered voters). “Each political party is expected to nominate polling agents for all the polling units as well as 649 Ward, 56 LGA and three State collation centres. “However, at the close of the deadline for uploading the list of agents to the INEC dedicated portal by political parties, 34,704 agents were uploaded for Bayelsa State, 65,274 for Imo State and 37,995 for Kogi State, making a total of 137,973 polling and collation agents for the three States. “The information booklet as well as the comprehensive summary of the agents and their distribution by polling units as well the Ward, LGA and State collation centres have been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information.”
The Kogi State police command has said that the level of insecurity in the State preceding the November 11 Governship election has made the entire State to be a security flashpoint. The command announced therefore that as much as 40,000 policemen will be deployed across the state to ensure peaceful conduct of the election. The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Bethrand Onuoha, in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the planned deployment of large number of personnel is due to the past experiences. “As it is, we have marked out some security flash points for more vigilance even though recent happenings signaled to us that the whole Kogi is a flashpoint. “From the number of security personnel we are deploying for this election, it’s an enough testimony to tell you that the state needs more security checks. “With the presence of adequate security personnel in Kogi, we are calling on every body to come out and exercise his or her civic right in this forthcoming Nov 11 governorship election. “We are going to swam the state with enough security personnel and by the special grace of God, with our actions and sanctions, we are going to confound our detractors. “God is telling me that this election is going to be better than all the elections ever held here in Kogi. “We have directed our personnel to be fair to everybody because we come here to serve the people and not any particular individual.” The Police boss advised politicians to play according to the rules of the game, saying that election would come and go while the people would remain. “We expect that they should adopt Politics without bitterness. Your brother is your brother, no matter where he belongs politically.”
The Kogi State Governship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muritala Ajaka has refused to honour an invitation by the State police command for a chat on the November 11 election in the State, even as officers of the command raided the residence of his campaign Director General, Sheikh Ibrahim, leading to the death of a police man and others. The Command’s Commissioner, Bethrand Onuoha, who confirmed the raid on the Ayigba residence of Sheikh Ibrahim yesterday, November 7, said that candidates of other parties have since honoured similar invitation to them. Onuoha said: “Sheikh Ibrahim is not among the people killed during the gun duel between our operatives and political thugs who met in his residence this morning. “This morning raid of the SDP D-G’s house followed a privilege information, during which four persons lost their lives. “We were able to arrest eight suspects and recovered four AK-47 rifles during the exercise. “Among the suspects arrested are two security personnel, one of whom could not properly identify himself or tell who his Commander is in Abuja, where he claimed to have come from. “It’s very unfortunate that lives were lost to the raid, which was a normal routine operation of our security operatives. “We will, as security operatives, continue to go after all criminals disturbing the peace of Kogi, even kidnappers. “We won’t give them any breathing space at all.” The police chief called on residents to remain calm and be law abiding before, during and after the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the state. NAN reports that among those picked by the security operatives is the Director/Media Consultant of MuriSam Campaign Council, Isaiah Ijele.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and Aiteo Joint venture has announced the introduction of Nembe Crude Oil Grade, a new crude oil grade into the international crude oil market. The announcement of the Nembe Crude Oil Blend, produced by Aiteo, the Operator of the NNPC/Aiteo Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 Joint Venture (JV), was made at the ongoing Argus European Crude Conference in London, on Tuesday. OML 29, an asset located onshore Nigeria, is operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration & Production Ltd, Africa’s leading indigenous hydrocarbon producer, following a historic acquisition from Shell in 2014. The Nembe Crude was previously blended with the popular Bonny Light grade and exported via the Bonny Oil & Gas Terminal. The unique selling point of the Nembe Crude Oil grade with an API gravity was highlighted by both the Aiteo E & P and NNPC Limited Leadership at the Argus Conference in London. The Nembe Crude Oil grade also has a low sulphur content and low carbon footprint due to flare gas elimination, fitting perfectly into the required spec of major buyers in Europe. Two cargoes of 950,000 barrels each of the Nembe Crude Oil grade have since been exported to France and the Netherlands. With its attractive Assay of API 29 and low sulphur content, the Nembe Crude Oil grade commands a premium to the global Brent benchmark. With the NNPC-Aiteo OML 29 JV back onstream, Nigeria now boasts of an additional crude oil export of 2 Cargoes at 950,000 barrels each per month and 1.2 Bcf of export gas monthly. A statement from the NNPC spokesman, Olufemi Soneye described the venture as a remarkable achievement that has signalled the commencement of activities at Nigeria’s newest crude oil terminal, the Nembe Crude Oil Export Terminal (NCOET), which was licensed in line with the extant laws and Crude Oil Terminal establishment regulations. “The terminal was conceived as a Floating Storage and Offloading Vessel (FSO) with a storage capacity of two (2) Million Barrels and the ability to offload crude oil to any export tanker from AFRAMAX to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC). “It has a loading capacity of 25,000 barrels per hour and will be exporting over 3.6 million barrels of Crude oil monthly at full scale of operation. “Currently, hydrocarbon production from OML 29, which was hitherto constrained due to evacuation challenges owing to the security issues around the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) corridor, has now been debottlenecked through a collaborative and creative approach that led to the innovation of the Alternative Crude Oil Evacuation Solution. “The Argus European Crude Conference 2023 in London is a gathering of energy majors, refiners, NOCs, traders, financial institutions, and other representatives from across the global oil markets. The event also provides a critical opportunity for business leaders to connect, discuss, share and learn from one another.”
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has stressed the critical role the ICT is playing in efforts to combat financial crimes in Nigeria and the world. “Continued investment in ICT solutions, as well as a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder strategy, combining technology specialists, legal professionals, and legislators, are critical in keeping up with emerging criminal methods.” Dr. Maida, who delivered a keynote address at the annual Realnews Magazines Lecture in Lagos today, November 7, stressed that ICT plays a critical role in combating financial crimes by enabling real-time surveillance, regulatory compliance, and secure data processing. “It provides advanced analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning to law enforcement organizations for better crime detection. “Furthermore, hard technologies such as CCTV cameras and security systems supplement physical security measures.” He said that as technology advances, new avenues for illegal conduct emerges, adding that cybercrime, deepfakes, and the exploitation of IoT devices all represent substantial concerns. “It is critical to strike a balance between using ICT to prevent crime and protecting data privacy. “Collaboration and international cooperation are required to effectively tackle financial crime. “Financial crimes frequently cross borders, necessitating a collaborative effort by States to track down and capture culprits. “Conferences/lectures such as the Realnews Magazines Lecture Series allow worldwide stakeholders to share knowledge and best practices. “Public education and understanding of internet safety are also important in limiting the risks linked with the spread of criminality via technology.” Full text of the speech is reproduced hereunder: I am delighted to be in your midst today, and most especially, to discuss this topic which has become very important in our ecosystem: The Use of ICT in Curbing Financial Crimes. Financial crimes refer to criminal activities that involve transactions, abuse, misuse, deception, or manipulation of financial systems for personal gain. They include a wide range of offenses such as Insider abuse, Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing, Proliferation Financing, embezzlement, Fraud (E-fraud, Banking, securities, corporate, Intellectual Property) etc. These crimes do not only have a huge economic and social impact but can also be linked to violent crimes that lead to loss of lives. These crimes threaten the integrity, trustworthiness, stability, security, safety, and future of an entity (Country, enterprise, individual). With the increasing adoption of digital technologies, the emergence of new technologies, and the often-transnational nature of these crimes, the scope of financial crimes has broadened and created further concerns. The Role of ICT in Curbing Financial Crimes Robust information and communication technology (ICT) systems are critical for preventing/investigating financial crimes or mitigating the risks associated with virtual assets in financial markets. These systems facilitate compliance with established standards or regulations, they also provide a platform that allows the monitoring, tracing, and analyzing of digital transactions in real-time. ICT systems support secure data storage and encryption technologies, which are critical for safeguarding sensitive financial data. Technological advancements have significantly aided crime prevention and law enforcement agency performance. Large datasets have been analyzed using advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning algorithms to look for trends that indicate criminal activity. Based on historical data and real-time intelligence, predictive police programs have arisen to foresee and prevent crimes. Digital forensics techniques have also proven useful in criminal investigations. Historically, a variety of legacy technologies have been used to combat crime; however, in more recent times, novel computer softwares and hardwares are being utilized to monitor individual transactions and communications for suspicious activity. For instance, anti-money laundering (AML) software uses algorithms to detect anomalous patterns in financial transactions that could suggest money laundering or other illegal activity. Law enforcement agencies are increasingly employing communication monitoring softwares to follow and analyze digital communications, such as emails, social media interactions, and instant messaging, in order to discover potential threats or illegal behaviour. These technologies improve the ability to detect and prevent illegal digital activity. Nigeria’s telecoms sector has grown significantly, resulting in massive amounts of data being generated on a daily basis. The advent of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) provides a gateway to identify suspicious digital patterns indicative of crime. Through partnerships with financial institutions data can be filtered to identify these suspicious patterns and nip them in the bud. These technologies provide real-time transaction monitoring, allowing for a proactive approach to crime prevention. Specific Applications of ICT in Curbing Financial Crimes To combat financial crimes, innovative solutions such as blockchain, instant payments, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, regulatory technology solutions, and automated procedures are being deployed. The use of technological tools has made it significantly easier to deal with financial crime while building a long term strategy for combating it. Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT): is a group of experts, (of which the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is part of) that handles security incidents that can affect the operations of organisations. Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science that focuses on identifying, acquiring, processing, analysing, and reporting on data stored electronically. Electronic evidence is related to criminal activities and can be admitted in the process of prosecuting offenders in law courts. Verification of Biometrics: The incorporation of biometric authentication into financial transactions represents a big step forward in fraud prevention. The NCC makes certain that telecom carriers follow strict biometric registration rules, which improves the accuracy and security of customer data and in turn financial transactions. Palantir Technologies Solution: Law enforcement agencies and financial institutions have used Palantir’s data analytics platform to examine massive volumes of data for patterns indicative of financial crimes. It permits the integration of many data sources, allowing for more thorough investigations. Chainalysis Solution Case Study: Chainalysis specializes in blockchain analysis and provides tools for tracking cryptocurrency transactions. This platform supports law enforcement in tracing illicit blockchain activity such as money laundering, ransomware payments, and illegal transactions. Concerning the significance of data security and privacy in the use of ICT for crime prevention, strong encryption and access controls ensure the security of critical information. Strict respect for data privacy standards, such as the GDPR (General Data Privacy Regulation) in the European Union and the (NDPA) Nigerian Data Protection Act, aids in the preservation of trust in the use of ICT solutions for crime prevention. Potential concerns linked with the use of Information and Communication Technology to combat financial crime: Threats to Cybersecurity: As ICT systems get more complex, so do cybercriminal activities. Criminal actors take advantage of the inherent and emerging flaws identified in the ICT systems exploiting these flaws and causing harm. False Positives and Algorithmic Bias: Relying too much on automated systems for crime detection might result in false positives, in which innocent people or transactions are identified as suspects. Based on the data on which they are taught, algorithms may exhibit biases, potentially leading to biased conclusions. Human Capacity issue: Compliance officers continuously need to be kept abreast of emerging technologies and innovations, and develop requisite competences required to use these solutions. Regulatory Compliance: Navigating the complicated world of data protection and privacy rules as well as financial regulation compliance, can be difficult. It is critical to ensure that ICT solutions adhere to legal regulations. Technological Obsolescence: As technology advances, ICT solutions must be constantly updated and adapted in order to tackle evolving financial crimes. Funding issue: Due to the evolving nature of technologies, investing in ICT solutions can become a challenge especially where there is paucity of funds. Adequate funding is required to ensure that the latest solutions are deployed, up to date and remain relevant. Other Areas of consideration: While ICT has transformed the fight against financial crime, there are still difficulties that must be addressed collaboratively: Inclusion and the Digital Divide Access to ICT services is not equal for all parts of the population. The NCC is actively working to close the digital gap by pushing projects aimed at providing inexpensive and accessible ICT services to underprivileged communities. This inclusion is critical in ensuring that all citizens have the tools they need to conduct financial transactions safely. Harmonization of Regulations Collaboration among multiple regulatory authorities is critical for developing a united approach to addressing financial crime. The NCC actively collaborates with other regulatory authorities to share best practices, thereby guaranteeing a coordinated effort to protect Nigeria’s financial sector. Continuous Improvement and Adaptation Criminals adapt quickly to new technologies and strategies. To keep ahead of developing dangers, the NCC understands the importance of ongoing innovation in ICT solutions. The Commission invests hugely in both Research and Development and in training its manpower on emerging innovations in the tech space. The NCC is also cultivating beneficial relationships with technology companies in this regard. Collaboration and International Cooperation Financial Crimes often occur across territorial borders. Criminals take advantage of loopholes in rules and enforcement systems across jurisdictions. Collaboration between countries is thus critical for tracking down and apprehending these criminals. Some strategies for international collaboration and cooperation include: Sharing Intelligence and Expertise: Each country has its own set of insights, intelligence, data and skills when it comes to tackling various types of financial crime. By pooling these resources, we can gain a better grasp of emerging criminal techniques and methods. Leveraging Resources: Combating financial crimes requires enormous financial, technological, and human resources. Collaboration allows for the sharing of resources, making participating nations reduce the burdens of the huge associated cost while maintaining effective and efficient results. International conferences and gatherings where important players gather to debate and share best practices in preventing financial crime are crucial as well. The purpose of these fora are to provide a platform for worldwide law enforcement agencies, cybersecurity specialists, and financial institutions to discuss insights and tactics for countering cyber-enabled financial crimes. Conclusion ICT plays a critical role in combating financial crimes by enabling real-time surveillance, regulatory compliance, and secure data processing. It provides advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning to law enforcement organizations for better crime detection. Furthermore, hard technologies such as CCTV cameras and security systems supplement physical security measures. However, as technology advances, new avenues for illegal conduct emerges. Cybercrime, deepfakes, and the exploitation of IoT devices all represent substantial concerns. It is critical to strike a balance between using ICT to prevent crime and protecting data privacy. Collaboration and international cooperation are required to effectively tackle financial crime. Financial crimes frequently cross borders, necessitating a collaborative effort by States to track down and capture culprits. Conferences/lectures such as the Realnews Magazines Lecture Series allow worldwide stakeholders to share knowledge and best practices. Continued investment in ICT solutions, as well as a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder strategy, combining technology specialists, legal professionals, and legislators, are critical in keeping up with emerging criminal methods. Public education and understanding of internet safety are also important in limiting the risks linked with the spread of criminality via technology. Dr. Aminu Maida Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. 7th November, 2023
References 17th Annual European AML & FC Conference 2023 | AMLP Forum. (n.d.). https://www.amlpforum.com/european-aml-financial-crime-conference/ Conferences on “financial crimes” 2023, 2024, 2025 | Conference Locate (Clocate). (n.d.). https://www.clocate.com/conferences-on+financial-crimes/eHMtMTc=/ Consequences of money laundering and financial crime | Office of Justice Programs. (n.d.). https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/consequences-money-laundering-and-financial-crime Dow Jones. (2023a, March 30). What is the Threat of Financial Crime? | Dow Jones. Dow Jones Professional. https://www.dowjones.com/professional/risk/glossary/financial-crime/threats/ Exadel Financial Services Team. (2023a, August 15). 5 Technologies for Financial Crime Prevention | ExADEL. Exadel. https://exadel.com/news/financial-crime-prevention/ Feedzai. (2023, September 19). International Conference On Financial Crime And Terrorism Financing 2023 | Feedzai. https://feedzai.com/event/international-conference-on-financial-crime-and-terrorism-financing-2023/ Financial Crime Summit. (n.d.). 1LOD. https://www.1lod.com/financial-crime-summit https://www.refinitiv.com/. (2018). Revealing the true cost of financial crime. In https://www.refinitiv.com/. Omkar. (2023a, October 19). The impact of Financial crimes | Money laundering | KYC Hub. KYC Hub. https://www.kychub.com/blog/the-impact-of-financial-crimes/ Patel, S. (2021, June 29). Top Technology Trends in Combating Financial Crime. Eastnets. https://www.eastnets.com/newsroom/top-technology-trends-in-combating-financial-crime Statista. (2022, August 5). Usefulness of selected technology in financial crime prevention worldwide 2019. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1091173/technology-help-financial-crime-prevention-global/ Writer, G. (2023, July 14). ICT key in curbing virtual assets abuse. Monitor. https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/commentary/ict-key-in-curbing-virtual-assets-abuse-4303296
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has expressed its commitment to the ideals of transparency in all its transactions. It also expressed determination to continue to collaborate with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and all relevant stakeholders in the Reconciliation Committee set up by President Bola Tinubu to investigate, review and reconcile the financial records on alleged indebtedness to the Federation by both NNPC Limited and Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC. This is coming on the heels of calls by a non-governmental organisation for a probe of several monies allegedly owed to the Federation by the national oil company. In a statement by the NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi O. Soneye, the giant oil company said that the claims by the NGO were baseless, considering the fact that NEITI itself had dismissed many of the allegations in the said 2021 report, following a series of engagements with NNPC Ltd. It said that at the outset of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, it was made to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imported into the country at one third of its value, a development that gave rise to an average of N400 billion monthly subsidy bill, which subsequently put a strain on its revenues and finances. NNPC Ltd said that subsidy bill accumulated to up to N3.736 trillion as at May 31st 2023. “With respect to gas-to-power debts, the non-payment of NNPCL’s share of upstream joint venture gas supplied to the government-owned plants had led to the accumulation of indebtedness of N174.07 billion by the Federation. “Similarly, the receivables due from the federation to NNPC Exploration & Production Limited (NEPL) as of 31st May 2023 amounted to $712 million (equivalent to N309.07 billion at N434.08/US$1) for revenues not remitted to NEPL but paid into the Federation account. “While the Federation owed NNPCL the sum of N4.207 trillion as net indebtedness, the Company was only indebted to the Federation in the sum of N2.852 trillion, made up mainly of outstanding Good and Valuable Consideration (GVC) in respect of government upstream divestments, royalties and Petroleum Profit Taxes (PPT). “We would like to also use this opportunity to clarify that over the years, our relationship with NEITI has been very cordial, as seen in August 2020 when we became an EITI supporting company, joining a group of over 65 extractives companies, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), commodity traders, financial institutions and industry partners committed to observing the EITI’s supporting company expectations. “Indeed, aside being a signatory to several EITI’s global ethics and standards, NNPC Ltd had on the sidelines of the United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA) in Washington DC, in September this year, signed up to the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption, thereby becoming the first state-owned oil company to join the global initiative. “NNPC Ltd’s book remains open to all our stakeholders as we remain committed to delivering value to Nigerians with integrity and as espoused in our principles of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE), the bulwark of the Mele Kyari leadership of the company.”
Former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh has said that National Assembly members, made up of 109 senators and 360 House of Representatives members, are not involved in the procurement of the controversial Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs). According to him, the procurement has been the responsibility of the National Assembly Service Commission and other relevant bodies, even as he stressed that the vehicles are the properties of the National Assembly and not the individual member. Speaking in a Live programme on TVC, Hon Eyiboh, who is currently the Special Adviser on media and publicity to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, advised members of the public to raise eyebrow if they observe any sharp practices in the procurement processes, “and stop pointing accusing fingers at wrong people.” He recalled that since 2003, the national assembly has been running an annual budget of N150 billion, and said that people always viewed the NASS budget as only concerning the 469 federal legislators. According to him, the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, the National Institute of Research and the National Assembly Service Commission and other administrative staffers are “the institutes that handle bureaucratic services of the NASS. “Whenever there’s need, they do requisition and follow their procurement standards.” “No senator or member of the House of Representatives has ever been given money to buy vehicles and indeed, they have never bought vehicles.” Eseme Eyiboh said that it is the bureaucratic arm of the the national assembly that does valuation of the vehicles at the expiration of tenures of lawmakers. “Obviously, they are always given the right of first refusal. In the event that a lawmaker doesn’t have the money to pay at the valued rate, the vehicle is being sold out. “So this shows that it doesn’t belong to the lawmakers.” He called on Nigerians to allow the federal legislators work unimpeded, encouraging individuals to proceed to doing audit, instead of using a generic approaches to describe what is not true. “We should be able to encourage the federal lawmakers, just as we encourage the state lawmakers and the members of the federal executive council. “If anyone feels that there is an infringement or sharp practices in the way the procurement of the vehicles were carried out, then they should take proper steps towards uncovering it. “One must understand that the vehicle issue has never been directly connected to the lawmakers. “The lawmakers have never participated in the requisition, or the tender, or the qualification or payment. “No lawmaker participates in each of these processes as it is purely administrative issues within the beaurocratic arms of the legislature.” Asked why the lawmakers do not go for locally made vehicles to boost Nigeria’s economy, Eyiboh said: “I’m sure you are aware of the Extant Procurement Act. Truth is, in every competitive bidding, there’s no weaver. “Such biddings have a technical evaluation and a financial evaluation which collectively take so many things into consideration. “I have said here that one thing about the national assembly is that they have not been able to inform as much as they perform. “But you can’t blame them because as a beaurocratic mix, there is this civil service mentality that you can only be seen but not heard.” Hon Eyiboh said that NASS budget include the salaries and wages of the civil servants, such as the permanent secretaries; the director-general, professors and lecturers of the Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, and other staffers of the National Assembly Service Commission. Eseme Eyiboh said that there is hope for a scaling performance of the 10th Senate, adding that the Akpabio-led Senate would deploy enterprise enterprise development initiative to deliver renewed hope to Nigerians.
Nigeria’s Presidency has termed the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi as a man reeling in what it called “grand self delusion” to think that he won the 2023 presidential election. The Presidency emphasised that it is a grand delusion that made Peter Obi to believe that “he could have won a national election where he ran the most hateful, divisive and polarising campaign that pitched Christians against Muslims and one ethnic against another.” A statement today, November 6, reacting to Peter Obi’s earlier world Press conference where he lampooned the Supreme Court on its verdict in the election, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga said: “we are at a loss as to how the copy-cat Obi and his faction of Labour Party convinced themselves they won an election in which they came a distant third.” He took Peter Obi to the cleaner for casting aspersions on the Supreme Court and the Independent National Electoral Commission for not declaring him the winner of the February 25, 2023 election. “The grand delusion that made Mr. Obi believe he could have won a national election where he ran the most hateful, divisive and polarising campaign that pitched Christians against Muslims and one ethnic group against the other in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like Nigeria should be a matter for deeper examination. “At the press conference where he tried, in vain, to gaslight Nigerians with false claims and innuendos, Mr. Obi contradicted himself. “Here was a beneficiary of judicial pronouncements in the past now castigating the same court because its judgment did not go his way. “Mr. Obi claimed the Supreme Court justices didn’t consider public opinion in delivering what has been applauded as a most profound judgement in an election appeal where the Labour Party candidate presented the most watery and unreasonable petition before any court in the history of electoral cases in Nigeria. “He made false allegations of rigging and other electoral malpractices yet could not produce any evidence to back up his claims at both the court of first instance and at the apex court. “In a failed effort to mobilise and retain the support of his supporters, Obi gave them a forlorn hope that he won the election and would prove it before the courts. “Throughout the trial, his lawyers didn’t present any alternative results different from the results INEC uploaded on the IReV portal and the ones signed by all party agents from the 176,000 polling units.” Onanuga wondered how the Labour Party candidate expected the courts to do justice on the basis of rumours, lies and false narratives by sponsored partisans and fanatical members of his Obidient Movement. He said that the Supreme Court or any other court does not give judgment based on public opinion and mob sentiments, adding that Judicial pronouncements are based on evidence, precedents and the rule of law. “Having admitted that the Supreme Court ruling brought an end to litigation and any challenge to the bona-fide of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the validly elected leader of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Obi should have congratulated President Tinubu for his victory and pledge his support, in the spirit of statesmanship. “But instead, he brought up extraneous matters that he thought the apex court should have considered to declare him the winner. “In our view, the drowning Obi, just like Atiku, was merely attempting to hold on to a straw in raking up new allegations, which exist only in his imagination and that of his hordes of supporters. “Our admonition to Mr. Peter Obi is to find another worthwhile vocation to engage his time henceforth, having been rejected by majority of Nigerians who didn’t consider him qualified to lead our country. “Nigerians rejected Peter Obi and his demagoguery at the poll because he posed present and future danger to the peace, progress and stability of our country. “Obi’s antecedents as Governor of Anambra for eight years didn’t inspire any confidence as someone capable of running a country like Nigeria. No tangible records of achievement in the state he governed recommended him for the Presidency of Nigeria.” The Presidential spokesman said that if Peter Obi truly believes in Nigeria, the time to prove it is now when all men and women of goodwill are rallying support for President Tinubu in his determination to lead a new era of prosperity, inclusive governance and economic growth in Nigeria. He however, welcomed Obi and his party to play the role of the opposition and start preparing for another shot at the presidency in 2027 and hoped that by then, he would campaign on issues and not whip up religious and ethnic sentiments as he did in the last campaign.
The ongoing construction of the $5 billion Train -7 project being undertaken by the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) at Finima, Bonny Island, Rivers State, has reached 52 percent and currently engages 8,300 Nigerians of diverse skills. These facts emerged on Friday as the Management of the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited (NLNGL), led by its Managing Director, Dr. Philip Mshelbila held an engagement session with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote at the gas company’s operational base at Finima, Bonny Island. A statement from the NCDBM today, November 6, said that the high-level engagement was part of the three-day Nigerian Content Stakeholders Retreat. It said that the forum provided a platform for the two oil and gas industry leaders to sign an agreement on the Oil and Gas E-Market Place. The agreement will see the roll out of tender opportunities from the Nigeria LNG Ltd on the E-Market electronic platform, thereby implementing a key provision of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. The statement said that Section 106 of the NOGICD Act defines the “Oil and Gas E-Market Place” as a virtual platform for buyers and sellers of goods and services in the oil and gas industry that allows for speedy and transparent transactions.” It quoted the NLNG boss, Mshelbila, as saying that the relationship between his organization and the NCDMB has been conscientiously nurtured over the years, with both parties striving ceaselessly to fulfil statutory obligations. ‘We recognise the role of the regulator and are happy you recognise that of the operator and the need for regular engagement.” He acknowledged the crucial role played by the Board in the take-off of the Train-7 project and assured of the company’s resolve to stretch its local content practice beyond mere compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. He said the company was committed to engaging in initiatives that would boost in-country productivity and economic diversification. “We cannot have a better Nigeria unless we develop the capacities of Nigerians,” he stated, restating the vision of his company to be “a globally competitive LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria.” He bemoaned the difficulties the company is facing in getting adequate gas supply and the resultant under-production by its six plants to below 50 percent of their total installed capacity. He remarked that feed gas to the NLNG plants comes mainly from some its joint ventures (JV) partners, including, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited, Total Energies and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), but their supply pipelines suffer recurrent vandalism, coupled with facility failure and low production from aging wells, resulting in serious disruption of supplies. The Nigeria LNG, he explained, was exploring several options to mitigate the challenge, including partnering with critical security agencies to curtail vandalism on the pipelines and working with their JV partners to increase their gas production. He added that the Nigeria LNG Board of Directors had also approved for the company to procure gas from other international and indigenous gas producers in the country, with the goal of enhancing the performance of Trains 1-6. Mshelbila expressed deep concerns that deepwater gas projects that would provide feed gas for the upcoming Train-7 and other future expansions had not been commenced by the international oil and gas companies (IOCs), despite the significant progress made in the construction of the Train-7 plant. This situation, he said, could lead to the completion of the plant without gas being available for it to liquify. He solicited the Board’s support for the development of the deepwater gas projects, which are critical to keep Trains 1-6 full and provide gas for Train 7 and future expansion plans. Responding, the Executive Secretary affirmed that the E-Marketplace will be a game-changer, which will enhance the Service Level Agreement (SLA) guiding the relationship between two organisations. He noted that the Board decided to start with NLNG because the company’s record of excellence. He added that the intention of the E-Marketplace is to increase transparency in the tender process, “remove human interference in business processes, move things electronically and achieve better results”. He described the Final Investment Decision (FID) and other critical steps that were taken for the Train-7 project taken at the height of COVID-19 as a proof of stakeholders’ enthusiasm for the project. He expressed concern over the challenges of inadequacy of gas supply and promised to support the company along the lines of approving third party gas injectors and sanctioning new deepwater gas projects. He added that most of the marginal operators have also found gas but part of their challenge is where to send the gas. He lauded the NLNG for its remarkable success, recalling that at the initial phases of the company’s take-off the Management level had 90 per cent expatriates and 10 per cent Nigerians. “However, the table has now turned the other way, with the entire Management now consisting of Nigerians.” On milestones achieved by the foremost gas company since inception, its General Manager, Production, Engr. Nnamdi Anowi, said that NLNG has as its core areas of operation – Liquefaction, Transmission, Transportation, Marketing and sales. He disclosed that over 5,770 LNG cargoes have been delivered as of September 2023 and over 500,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced and sold to markets overseas and in Nigeria.
Jazimine Okafor, daughter of a popular Nollywood actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Ibu, has confirmed that her father’s leg has been amputated. In a statement shared via Instagram today, November 6, Jazimine wrote: “Good afternoon, Nigerians. We want to appreciate everyone who has come through for our dad, saying we are grateful is an understatement and only the good Lord can thank you all enough for every help you’ve rendered. “As of 1 pm, noon today, Daddy has gone through 7 successful surgeries but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery, one of his legs had to be amputated. This development has been hard on us all but we’ve had to accept it as Daddy’s new reality to keep him alive. “Please we are still soliciting for support from well-meaning Nigerians as this stage Daddy is still one very delicate one and he needs all the help he can get. “Thank you, everyone, the Okafor family is grateful and we don’t take you for granted. In due time Daddy will personally acknowledge everyone who supported during this period as soon as he’s stable!” On October 31, Ibu’s family expressed gratitude to God and the general public for their support and encouragement, while disclosing that he recovering in an intensive care unit (ICU) after undergoing five successful surgeries. The movie star celebrated his 63rd birthday in an undisclosed hospital in Lagos on October 17. He said in a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday that he needed financial support so his leg would not be amputated. On October 21, it was reported that the Bukola Saraki Foundation had paid the medical bills of ailing actor. This happened after Ibu’s wife, Stella Maris put up a video, claiming that the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) lied about helping her husband. The statement was immediately debunked by the guild’s director of communications, Kate Henshaw who insisted that the guild has been supporting Ibu.
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