Buhari Admits Heavy Casualties Inflicted On Lives, Resources By Boko Haram, Seeks UN Help

June 15, 2021

President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted the enormous casualties Boko Haram insurgents have inflicted on human lives and vital resources, especially in the Northeast Nigeria.

The President, who spoke today, June 15 while receiving in audience, the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mahamat Saleh Annadif, a Chadian at the presidential Villa, Abuja described the problems brought about by the Boko Haram insurgence as “enormous.”

President Buhari emphasized that Boko Haram has exacted heavy toll in terms of lives and resources in Nigeria and some neighbouring countries, while Mali equally has a large swathe of the country occupied by militants.

Buhari stressed the need for countries in the West African sub-region and those in the Sahel, rocked by security challenges, to team up to confront the menace.

“You are our neighbour. You have vast experience on matters affecting the Sahel, having served for five years in Mali. I hope you will get the countries to work together to confront the issues affecting them.

“I hope under the auspices of UNOWAS, you will help get the problems sorted out. Most of them have to do with the instability in Libya, and it affects all of us.”

President Buhari pledged the assistance of Nigeria to the Special Representative, so that he could succeed in his assignment.

This was even as his guest, Annadif said that he was visiting shortly after his appointment because he recognized the crucial role of Nigeria in West Africa.

He said that he was quite familiar with the problems of the Sahel region, and would depend on the help of Nigeria to succeed.

Buhari Challenges Stakeholders To Harness Over 600 Trillion Cubic Feet Of Gas Reserve

Editorial staff

June 15, 2021

President Muhammadu Buhari has challenged stakeholders in oil and gas industry to harness over 600 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserve Nigeria is endowed with.

The President, who spoke today, June 15, at the virtual groundbreaking ceremony of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7

project in Bonny Island, Rivers State, said: “as we flag off the Train 7 project today, I look forward to the development and execution of more gas projects by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and indigenous operators, and more Trains from Nigeria LNG to harness the over 600 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves we are endowed with.

”Let me use this opportunity to commend the shareholders of NLNG, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum, NNPC and the NCDMB and other stakeholders for very exemplary collaboration which has culminated in this great opportunity for Train 7.

”I want to thank the foreign investors for the confidence reposed in Nigeria, and assure all Nigerians and potential investors in the Oil and Gas sector that the Federal Government will continue to create the enabling environment in order to develop the sector and bring the full benefits of Gas closer to our people.”

Going down memory lane, President Buhari recounted that the story of Nigeria LNG was one he had been ”passionately associated with during the formative years of the project.

”As Minister of Petroleum Resources, I kicked off our first foray in LNG Business in 1978. At the time it was already apparent that Nigeria was mainly a gas-rich country with a little oil!

”It therefore gives me great joy to see the organization transform from just a project in the early 90s to a very successful company with over 20 years of responsible operations and steady supply of Liquefied Natural Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Natural Gas Liquids into the global market.

”This is proof that Nigeria has great capacity to deliver value to the world by harnessing our natural resources.’

The President congratulated NLNG and its shareholders – NNPC, Shell, Total and Eni for proving that a Nigerian company can operate a world class business safely, profitably and responsibly.

He praised the consortium for clearly setting the stage upon which Nigeria’s vast gas resources will continue to grow well into the future.

The President added that the focus of his administration is to boost the development of Nigeria’s abundant gas resources, strengthen the gas value chain, develop the much-needed infrastructure and enhance safe operations in the sector as outlined in the National Gas Policy of 2017.

”Through the Decade of Gas initiative, which I recently launched, we will transform Nigeria into a major gas and industrialised nation with gas playing the key role as revenue earner, fuel for industries and necessary feed for petrochemicals and fertiliser plants.”

Buhari also expressed delight that the NLNG as the pioneer LNG company in Nigeria, has conscientiously proven the viability of the gas sector over the years, currently contributing about one percent to Nigeria’s GDP.

”NLNG has generated $114 billion in revenues over the years, paid $9 billion in taxes; $18 billion in dividends to the Federal Government and $15 billion in feed gas purchase.

”These are commendable accomplishments by the company’s 100 percent Nigerian Management Team.

”With this level of performance, I can only hope that the company continues to grow starting with this Train 7 project but also positioning Nigeria to thrive through the energy transition.’

In his address, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva described NLNG as a ”blessing to the nation”, noting that it has positively complemented crude oil exploration by monetising flared gas and yielding huge revenue to the nation and investors.

Sylva said that since NLNG became operational in 1999, the nation has recorded a drastic reduction in operational flare status from 65 per cent to 12 per cent.

”I boldly say that the ground breaking of Train 7 is a guarantee to every stakeholder of more dividends in terms of further reduction in gas flaring, more revenue to the nation and shareholders, more job opportunities especially at the construction phase and more social investments for the society, ” he said.

Also speaking, Anthony Attah, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, said the Train 7 will increase NLNG’s overall capacity to 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) from the current 22 million mtpa, while further adding immense value to the nation and the people.

Attah noted that the project would stimulate inflow of about 10 billion dollars FDI into Nigeria, create 12,000 direct jobs in Bonny Island and additional 40,000 indirect construction jobs.

He said the project would also further the development of local capacity and businesses through the 100 per cent in-country execution of construction works, fabrications and major procurement.

‘‘Nigeria has ridden on the back of oil for over 50 years, but with this Train 7 project Nigeria is now set and I believe it is now time to fly on the wings of gas.”

FCT Minister, Dr. Ramatu Bags Ebira Chieftaincy Title: Onyize

Greenbarge Reporters

June 14, 2021

The Ohinoyi of Ebira land in Kogi state of Nigeria, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Ado Ibrahim, on Saturday, June 12, 2021, conferred the traditional title of Onyize (mother of wealth) on the minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu at a grand occasion in Azad Palace, Okene.

Friends, relations and well wishers of the minister as well as other traditional rulers were on hand to add colour to the occasion.

We in the Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine heartily felicitate with Dr. Ramatu and wish her long rein in good health and blessing of Allah.

ISWAP Releases Aide Workers, Christian Cleric, Others, Captured By Boko Haram In Borno

Editorial staff

June 14, 2021

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has released several humanitarian workers and civilians abducted during attacks by Boko Haran in Borno State and other parts of the Northeast.

According to reports, the aid workers were freed by the group today, June 14 alongside other civilian captives, after negotiations.

Among those released is a staff of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees abducted along the Damaturu-Maiduguri road in Jan Idris Alooma.

The group also released a senior Christian cleric Reverend Zango and one Barka Wasinda a former staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority and some aid workers abducted from a facility in Dikwa in March.

It was observed that Dikwa, which lies about 90 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, was targeted in a series of attacks by Boko Haram, led by late Abubakar Shekau in March, April and May, and recently in June.

During the Attack in March, the terror group overran the town, destroyed support facilities, including a primary health care centre, and also laid siege at the United Nations humanitarian hub, which forced aid workers to seek shelter in a bunker.

The United Nations suspended operations in response to the attacks on humanitarian operations in Dikwa and Damasak, affecting humanitarian assets and personnel.

The aid workers and the other freed persons are currently receiving medical support.

We Didn’t Write Threatening Letter To Gov Okowa, It’s Fake News – Fulani In Delta

Editorial staff

June 14, 2021

The leaders of the Hausa/Fulani Community in Delta State have disassociated themselves from the threat letter posted to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over the ban on open grazing by the Southern governors, saying it was a fake news.

The leaders acknowledged that they have lived in the state for decades and would not do anything untoward to their host community.

At a briefing today, June 14, at Abraka axis of Asaba titled: “Our Hand No Dey,” the leaders condemned the threat message in its entirety.

The Heads of Fulani (Myettialallah) in the state, Alhaji Musa Muhammed, who spoke on behalf of other leaders said: “we are not responsible for the threat letter. The Governor, who is peace-loving and the good people of the state that have played host to us for years, should look elsewhere for the perpetrators.”

He emphasized that the Hausa/Fulani Community is ready to provide any necessary assistance to the state government and security agencies in their bid to fish out the perpetrators.

They pledged unalloyed loyalty to the ‘Stronger Delta’ mantra of state and commended him for his giant strides over the years.

This was even as the Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Alhaji Muktar Usman, supported by Alhaji Musa Muhammed and Alhaji Abubakar Aruna (Fulani Coordinator) and eight others noted that Hausa people in the state have been in fear since the threat letter littered Asaba and Agbor towna.

JAMB Extends UTME Registration To June 15

Editorial staff

June 14, 2021

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has asked candidates for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) who have not completed their registration process to visit its special centres to finish it by June 15.

The Board’s head of media, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement today, June 14, said that only those who could not complete their registration during the stipulated period should visit the said centres.

He added that the designated registration centre for each candidate will be forwarded to them through text messages and also be available on the board’s website from June 14.

“At the end of the period originally scheduled for the 2021/2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) registration on May 15, the registration period was extended.”

The statement read: “Another two weeks that elapsed on May 29, was given to accommodate candidates who, largely due to issues related with newly introduced pre-requisite of National Identification Number (NIN), could not register.

“Additional extension of two weeks was made to compile the list of all prospective candidates who for any reason were unable to register.

“The candidates who have not registered but have secured the profile codes and initiated the registration process are expected to visit the specially designated registration centres to complete the registration on Tuesday, June 15.

“Designated registration centre for each candidate is being forwarded to them through the GSM text (SMS) messages and also available on the website of the Board (www.jamb.gov.ng) from 12 noon on Monday, June 14.

“The identification number on each form given to the candidates has been used to assign the candidates to their registration centres.

“Only candidates who have secured their profile codes are expected to visit the centres.

“Also, the names of the few who have not yet obtained their NIN or profile codes have been forwarded to NIMC and would be contacted as soon as they are cleared by NIMC.

“Each candidate posted to any non-JAMB owned CBT centre is expected to pay the registration fee of N1,000 to such CBT centre.”

This year’s UTME is scheduled to commence from June 19 to July 3.

I’ve Been Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Announces

Editorial staff

June 14, 2021

CNN Journalist, Christiane Amanpour has announced that she has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

The veteran journalist, who took to her Twitter page to share a clip of the announcement, said she decided to make public disclosure of her health condition in the interest of transparency.

She said that she will undergo chemotherapy for some months as she continues to battle the disease.

“…Like millions of women around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I’ve had successful major surgery to remove it and I’m now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible long-term prognosis and I’m confident,” Ms Amanpour said.

Ms. Amanpour, who have been absent from her hosting duties at CNN for the past four weeks as a result f the diagnosis, said that ovarian cancer is a common disease affecting millions of women around the world.

She recommended early diagnosis, and advised women around the world to always pay attention to their body to ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished.’

She also advised the female folks to constantly educate themselves on the disease, and get all regular screening and scans that they can.

Kano Gov Asks Secessionists To Call It Off Because Their Elders Don’t Support Them

Editorial staff

June 14, 2021

The Governor of Kano State, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje has asked those young Nigerians who are agitating for new nations out of the country to call it off because they don’t have the support of their elders and leaders.

“And for those young ones who thinks that they could divide the country by their agitations, they should know that they are alone in their quest and this is because their elders have actively identified with one Nigeria entity”.

Ganduje, who spoke to news men today, June 14 in Kano commended regional socio-cultural groups like Ohanaeze Ndigbo, ACF, Afenifere and the Middle Belt group for identifying themselves with one Nigeria projects.

He said that the position of the leaders of such regional groups has finally nailed the agitations for secession movements.

“These young Nigerians should know that our diversity is a source of our strength and pride, and we should use it for a better Nation than create problems that would consume us.”

Speaking on his likely successor in 2023, Governor Ganduje refused to commit himself to a candidate, but said that it is only the delegates that would determine the next governor of the state.

“On who will succeed me, I think one should allow the delegates to decide that because as you rightly know, Kano politics is something else you don’t sometimes interfere and if you do you will be on your own”.

Governor Ganduje said that Nigeria is in a dire need of peaceful resolutions out of the several insecurities, and as such all hands should be on deck to make things better.

Tax defaulters To Pay 50 Percent Of Disputed Amount In Court Account – FIRS Boss

Editorial staff

June 14, 2021

Tax defaulters who plan to institute legal cases against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) will now have to pay 50 percnt of the assessed amount in dispute into an interest-yielding account of the Federal High Court before the court can hear such matters.

Executive Chairman, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, disclosed this on Friday during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts investigating revenue leakages arising from tax waivers and incentives to foreign companies granted pioneer status.

According to Nami, the new rule is contained in a recent Practice Direction issued by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, under Order 57 rule 3 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019. He also confirmed that the Practice Direction took effect from 31 May 2021.

Nami also stated that the Management of FIRS “has initiated a process for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with critical stakeholders as far as information sharing and amendments to the relevant laws are concerned”.

“We have gotten several amendments to our tax laws which require companies operating in the Free Trade Zones to file tax returns on their operations to the FIRS”.

These amendments are aimed at checking the activities of taxpayers currently taking advantage of some gaps in our tax laws and fiscal policy by establishing businesses in the nation’s tax-free zones.

He emphasized that such companies produce goods that are meant for export and then sell the goods to our custom’s zone thereby making it impossible for the companies operating in our custom’s zone to operate competitively with them.

However, as part of efforts to attract investment vis-a-vis raising revenue for the government, Mr Nami also hinted that as a first step, “FIRS has set up a high-power committee which is made up of senior officials of FIRS and the National Investment Promotion Commission(NIPC) to look into issues patterning to tax waivers and granting of pioneer status.”

Nami, who maintained that tax evasion and tax avoidance were global phenomena, said that such practices were equally fiscal policy issues. He then urged the National Assembly to, as a second step, amend the relevant tax laws that would make it almost impossible for these companies to exploit loopholes in our tax laws to shift both profits and taxes to their countries of origin. He pointed out that taxes not paid to Nigeria or waived by the Nigerian Government are returned to the treasury of defaulting companies’ home countries operating in Nigeria, hence the need for legislation to address the issue.

Igbos Are Not Marginalized Under Buhari Govt, Chris Ngige Swears

Editorial staff

June 14, 2021

Minister of Labour and Employment, and one of the leaders from Southeast, Dr. Chris Ngige has swore that Igbo speaking people from the region are not being marginalized, especially under the President Muhammadu Buhari government.

He said that if anything, President Buhari had shown friendship to Ndigbo for six years and that the South-East had gotten a fair share of what is due to the zone, especially infrastructure wise.

Dr. Ngige, who spoke at an emergency stakeholders meeting of the Association of Eze Ndigbo in the 19 Northern States and Abuja during the weekend, blamed propaganda made by some unnamed elites on several attacks on the five states in the region.

He emphasised that there is no maltreatment of Igbos in the federal cabinet of President Buhari, saying: “we are in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which is composed of a minister per state.

“But we have one extra ministerial slot. So, the South East is effectively represented to ensure justice is done to our people.

“We are there to talk when there is no justice,” he said.

Dr. Ngige berated those criticising President Buhari that his appointments were lopsided, stressing that the people should stop talking about it because they don’t know how government works.

He made it clear that Igbos had enjoyed key positions in the past.

“People can say that we are not honoured with appointments of Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Army Staff and Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF). These are positions we have enjoyed before in the Nigerian Federation.

”We had two Inspectors-General of Police (IGPs), Ogbonnaya Onovo and Mike Okiro. We had an SGF, Senator Pius Anyim. We had four Senate Presidents. Twice we produced Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker, Ike Ekweremadu and Emeka Ihedioha respectively.

“They were in charge of federal budgets for eight years from 2007 to 2015. That is the rule in the National Assembly.

“So, if you now talk about appointments, it becomes a matter of perception. I won’t blame them. Perception and reality are in the same line.

“A lot of them don’t understand how government works. A lot of them don’t understand that I, as a member of FEC can influence things that will come to my State, my zone or any other area and where we think things should be sited or done in Nigeria.

”For me, those people perceiving that are ignorant. I don’t want to use the word mischievous. But much more importantly, propaganda against the government by the elite in the South-East should stop because it is that propaganda that provoked troubles that we are now noticing.

”People have been brainwashed and the separatists humped on that foundation to now shout from the rooftops that we will give you Biafra and when we give you Biafra, all these things will disappear.

“There is no country that does not have its own problems. We have economic problems here and that is why we have unemployment and of course, we have a youth bulge in our population.

“About 60 per cent of them are youths and a lot of them are unemployed.

“So, the government is devising ways to tackle that. It is a work in progress.”

Dr. Ngige who is former Anambra State governor stressed that the Owerri-Aba and Owerri-Umuahia roads construction are ongoing, just as the international highway from Enugu to Abakiliki to Cameroun where the stretch from Enugu to Abakiliki is completed while the stretch from Abakiliki to Cameroon is ongoing.

“Enugu Airport used to be the worst airport in Nigeria.

“We had three Aviation Ministers, Fidelia Njeze, Stella Odua and Osita Chidoka and they did nothing there. Buhari put N10 billion in Enugu Airport. He does not hate Ndigbo.

“Then, the Second Niger Bridge is the biggest of them all. President Buhari took it up from a Private Public Partnership (PPP) Project by which tolls were to be collected.

“By which foreign loan companies’ financiers were relieved of doing what they wanted to do to stay there forever and ever and it is now a legacy project out of the five that is being done in the whole country.”

Source: Vanguard News.

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