Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya, Mohammed Younis Menfi, has informed President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria that his country now has one united government.
The two leaders spoke on the sidelines of the Summit of Lake Chad Basin Commission held in Abuja yesterday, May 25, to discuss the situation in Chad, and the implications for security in neighbouring countries.
The Libyan leader said that his country is fast evolving, “and we now have one government, active on the ground.
“We are expelling the mercenaries, and unifying the institions.”
He announced that democratic elections would be held in due course and that the historical relationship between his country and Nigeria in the areas of oil and agriculture meant that one country could not ignore the other.
“We aspire for joint cooperation, and reactivation of previous agreements.”
This was even as President Buhari made it clear that a stable or unstable Libya has implications for countries in the Lake Chad Basin area, including Nigeria.
“Republics of Chad, and Niger, have extensive borders with Libya, and they are our immediate neighbours. Whatever affects them affects us. The stability or instability of Libya will directly affect us.”
He stressed that security of Nigeria is number one priority to him, adding: “unless a country or institution is secured, there’s no way you can efficiently manage it.”
Mali’s interim President and Prime Minister have resigned as part of mediation efforts after being arrested in an apparent second military coup in nine months, a top junta aide said.
President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, tasked with steering the return to civilian rule after a coup last August, resigned “before the mediator.” Baba Cisse, Special advisor to junta boss Assimi Goita said that negotiations were under way for their release and the formation of a new government in the poor Sahel country.
A member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediation mission confirmed the president’s resignation to AFP, requesting anonymity.
The team travelled early today, May 26 to the Kati military camp around 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the capital Bamako to visit the two detainees.
Ndaw and Ouane had been heading the interim government with the declared aim of restoring full civilian rule within 18 months.
Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has arrested one Onuoha Onachi, a graduate of the Imo State University and her lover, Chinedu Okoro, specialising in job scamming.
They were found to be impersonating the Executive Chairman of the Service, Muhammad Nami on Facebook, to defraud unsuspecting job-seekers.
Onuoha Onachi claimed to be a graduate of Imo State University, awaiting call-up for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
In a statement today, May 26, the Director in the Communications and Liaison Department of the FIRS, Dr. Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad said that the arrest of the suspects followed a complaint by their victims.
He said that Okoro, who claimed to have been the owner of a failed boutique business, confessed that he took to the crime of impersonating the FIRS chairman on Facebook in March 2020 and that he created a phantom Director of the service with the name, Alhaji Tanko to dupe their victims.
According to Okoro, he opened two false Facebook accounts in the name of the FIRS chairman and the fictive Alhaji Tanko and populated one of the accounts with pictures of Mr Nami and the other with the internet-generated pictures of an innocent person to stand for Alhaji Tanko.
Through an elaborate scheme, Okoro proceeded to represent himself to unsuspecting job applicants whom he directed to one Kayode who in reality is the female suspect, Miss Onuoha. Speaking as the phantom Kayode, Miss Onuoha then redirected their victims to the fictitious Alhaji Tanko who in reality is Mr Okoro, the mastermind of the crime.
Speaking as Alhaji Tanko, Okoro then confirmed the availability of jobs at a price at the FIRS to the victims who were then cajoled to part with at least 60 per cent of a lump-some to secure their purported slots. Okoro confessed that he charged as much as N350, 000 per victim while Miss Onuoha admitted to having made N170,000 from the crime before being caught.
The suspects also confessed to have impersonated the Head of Service of the Federation to defraud job seekers in the past. They also confessed that the FIRS chairman knew nothing about their fraudulent activities as they have never met or had any kind of communication with Nami.
FIRS has consistently alerted the public in general to the activities of fraudsters like Okoro and Miss Onuoha through periodic job scam disclaimers published in national dailies and on many online news websites in the country.
Meanwhile, the suspects have since been handed over to the police for further investigations.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its Production Sharing Contract (PSC) partners – Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG), Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL) and Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) – have struck agreements to renew Oil Mining Lease (OML) 118 for another 20 years.
The five agreements signed include, Dispute Settlement Agreement, Settlement Agreement, Historical Gas Agreement, Escrow Agreement and Renewed PSC Agreement.
A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted the Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, as saying that over $10bn of investment would be unlocked as a result of the agreements which signaled the end of the long-standing disputes over the interpretation of the fiscal terms of the Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) and the emplacement of a clear and fair framework for the development of the huge deep-water assets in Nigeria.
According to him, this is an indication of “a renewed confidence between NNPC and her partners; between the Government and the investing communities which include NNPC. It produces value for all of us by providing a clear line of sight for investment in the Bonga bloc of around $10billion,” Mallam Kyari stated.
He disclosed that the deal would yield over $780million in immediate revenues to the Federal Government while it would also free the parties from over $9billion in contingent liabilities.
“Ultimately, these agreements will engender growth in our country where investment will come in for other assets, not just in the deep-water, but even for new investors. It is an opportunity for them to see that this country is ready for business,” the GMD enthused.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timpre Sylva, and the NNPC Board of Directors for enabling the Corporation to achieve this laudable landmark.
Also speaking at the event, the Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Osunbor, said the OML 118 renewal agreement would remain a watershed in the history of deep-water investments in Nigeria, assuring that the giant stride would further bolster investor confidence in the country.
Speaking in a similar vein, the Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mr. Bayo Ojulari, noted that the agreements marked the end of a twelve-year dispute that had marred business relationship and affected trust and investment.
“Today, we have signed agreements that define the future of deep-water for Nigeria. This is the first deep-water block that was developed in Nigeria and it is also the first one that we are resolving all the disputes that will lay the foundation for the resolution of other PSCs,” the SNEPCo helmsman stated.
On their parts, the Managing Directors of Total, Mike Sangster, Exxonmobil, Richard Laing and NAOC, Roberto Danielle, all applauded the GMD NNPC, Mallam Kyari, for providing leadership which engendered the resolution of the disputes, assuring that the agreements would attract more investments into the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry.
Fighters of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) have sustained their aggressive onslaught on the Abubakar Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram terrorists, killing and arresting some of the rival sect’s Commanders and terrorists.
Information reaching us indicate that ISWAP also captured some top Commanders of the Shekau faction like Mustapha Krimima Jaysh, Ba’akaka, Malkin Tijjani, Hirasama and Mallam Ballu who refused to surrender and attempted to escape.
It was gathered that large gun trucks of terrorists were recently sighted at Marte, East of Tumour, Tumbumma and Tumbuktu Triangle in Sambisa, after a heavy gun battle of supremacy between ISWAP and Shekau’s Boko Haram fighters at Garin Malam.
This was even as series of meetings are being held in Sabeel Huda camp in the heart of Sambisa forest between ISWAP Commanders and other surrendered senior Boko Haram members.
It was gathered that the fate of the arrested Boko Haram Commanders and fighters would be decided by Albarnawy’s disciplinary Committee, headed by one Muhammad Malumma, ISWAP’s Chief Judge.
The ISWAP leadership was said to have vowed to eliminate all terrorists belonging to the Shekau group, if they refuse to surrender.
An intelligence operative disclosed that an intercepted communication between two leaders of ISWAP indicated that a Committee led by one Abu-Mosad Albarnawy, a self-proclaimed appointee of Amirul Mu’uminoon, (ISIS Caliphate Leader) had dissolved all formations and structures of Shekau’s Boko Haram in an agressive raid in Sambisa Forest, recently.
It revealed that the fight is being coordinated by the Wali of ISWAP, one Muhammad Dawud, who is also known as Abu Hafsat, with four other ISWAP Fiye (Service Chiefs), and Khalids, (Commanding Officers) from Lake Chad, Tumbuktu and Marte.
According to the operative, the ISWAP Service Chiefs and its Commanding Officers are all under the supervision of Abu-Mosad Albarnawy, who is coordinating the mission.
Multiple sources reported that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had died or mortally wounded in a confrontation with ISWAP fighters, a group that separated from Shekau’s Boko Haram in 2016. The Nigerian military has not confirmed the reports and is investigating.
The Presidency has regarded the ban on open grazing for herdsmen by the governors of the Southern Nigeria as politicking and show of power. The Presidency, in a statement yesterday, May 24 by the Senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that President Muhammadu Buhari had taken action to address the herders farmers’ clashes long “before the actions of the Southern Governors Forum which attempts to place a ban on open grazing and other acts of politicking intended by its signatories to demonstrate their power. Garba Shehu said that the President had approved a number of specific measures to bring a permanent end to the frequent skirmishes as recommended by Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture in a report he submitted and the President signed off on it back in April. The Presidency regretted that Southern governors only banned open grazing without offering resolutions to the herder-farmer clashes that have been continuing in the country for generations. “But the citizens of the southern states – indeed citizens of all states of Nigeria – have a right to expect their elected leaders and representatives to find answers to challenges of governance and rights, and not to wash their hands off hard choices by, instead, issuing bans that say: “not in my state.” “It is equally true that their announcement is of questionable legality, given the Constitutional right of all Nigerians to enjoy the same rights and freedoms within every one of our 36 states (and FCT) -regardless of the state of their birth or residence. “Iortunately, this declaration has been preempted, for whatever it is intended to achieve and Mr. President, who has rightly been worried about these problems more than any other citizen in consultation with farmers and herders alike, commissioned and approved an actionable plan of rehabilitating grazing reserves in the states, starting with those that are truly committed to the solution and compliant with stated requirements. “With veterinary clinics, water points for animals, and facilities for herders and their families including schooling – through these rehabilitated reserves, the Federal Government is making far-reaching and practical changes allowing for different communities to co-exist side-by-side: supporting farmers to till their fields, herders to rear their livestock and Nigerians everywhere to be safe. “The entire country is acutely aware of the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on public finances, for both Federal and States. Still, given the pressing urgency of addressing the perennial challenges, the federal funding for the project that has been delayed is now being partly unlocked. Actual work for the full actualization of the modern reserve system in a few of the consenting states should take off in June.”
The Nigeria’s Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 has declared some travellers from Brazil, India and Turkey wanted, for violating the provisions of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Regulations Protection, 2021.
The committee had, on May 1, 2021, issued a Travel Advisory for Passengers arriving in Nigeria from Brazil, India and Turkey.
The precautionary measures are a necessary step to mitigate the risk of importation of variants of concern and break the chain of transmission to the population. Under the new measures, passengers arriving from/or that have visited any of these three countries within fourteen days prior to the visit to Nigeria, are required to follow mandatory arrival quarantine and testing protocols in designated facilities.
The Presidential Steering Committee, in a statement today, May 23, said that that while most of the arriving passengers dutifully observed the guidelines, some (Nigerians and Foreigners) have violated them in contravention of the regulations.
“Accordingly, the underlisted persons who arrived in Nigeria between 8th May 2021 and 15th May 2021 through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and whose names and passport numbers are displayed, have been declared Persons of Interest (POI) on account of posing considerable danger to overall public health and for the violation of Nigeria COVID-19 travel protocol by evading the mandatory 7-day quarantine for persons arriving from restricted countries.
“Members of the public are by this notice advised that these persons of interest constitute an immediate health hazard to the society. They must therefore transport themselves safely, to the nearest state public health departments within 48hrs of this notice for immediate evaluation and call the Port Health Services, Federal Ministry of Health on 08036134672 or 08032461990 for further directions. The PSC shall in addition, take further steps to sanction these violators. “These steps include: Disabling their travel passports for a period not less than one year; Cancelation of visas/ permits of foreigners that have abused our hospitality; and Prosecution under the 2021 Health Protection Regulations. Additional list of Batch II defaulters shall be published in subsequent announcement by the PSC.”
The identified passengers, their names, nationality, passport number, airline, date of arrival were provided.
President Buhari participates at the African Finance Summit in Paris, France on 18th May 2021
The first official visit to Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic saw President Muhammadu Buhari going to Paris, France to participate in a summit convened by Emmanuel Macron, his counterpart in France, on the financing of African post-COVID economies.
The beginning of the idea of this meeting is traced to a conversation between the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. The conversation started like this: How would Africa come out of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic?
It is a notorious fact that COVID-19 has led to unprecedented economic and health challenges all over the world. Africa which has recorded continuous growth in the last 25 years suffered its worst recession in 2020.
The International Monetary Fund, IMF postulates that the continent needed a whopping USD 285 billion between 2021 and 2025 to achieve the growth momentum lost to the pandemic. Where do they start from?
That is why President Macron called this important summit, bringing together about 20 African leaders, about a dozen others from Europe and Asia as well as an impressive gathering of all the big players in the global financial system, the AfDB, the World Bank, the IMF and others. Also present were the G7 and G20 groups of countries, the World Trade Organization, WTO, the Organization for European Cooperation and Development, OECD and very many operators in the Financial Sector as well as investment and manufacturing.
The meeting ended with a strong resolve to make African states attractive to investment. This should change the existing notion that investment on the continent is risky and something to be avoided. That is one of the reasons why many African countries had turned towards China. From here going forward, Macron is promising that there would be in place, a guarantee scheme to make it less risky to invest in Africa.
The Macron-Africa summit also scored big on the issue of debt forgiveness. It made a strong case for debt cancellation or a new relationship between Africa and Europe.
Equally significant is the decision to support the private sector financially to form partnerships between the players in Europe and their counterparts on the African continent.
An important resolution of this summit is the agreement for the formation of an Alliance for Entrepreneurship in Africa “to help mobilize all partners ready to support, through technical and financial resources, the development of African Private Sector, Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) including women entrepreneurs promoted by the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA).”
To actualize this major aspiration, President Macron plans to host an African Business Summit later in the year. Nigerian and other African Businessmen will sit together with their European counterparts to address the issues of partnerships, the problem of African financing needs and supporting vibrant private sector initiatives on the continent.
It is hoped that this summit will open the channels to more private financing for Africa, and lead to reduction in poverty levels, boost jobs and employment among youths, and widen the donor base especially for climate change initiatives.
Climate change is very important to both Nigeria and France. For Nigeria, President Buhari is of the strong view that recharging the Lake Chad, which shrank in size to only 10 percent of its original size, with water from the Central African rivers will be actualized if and when France comes on board the idea.
Another important issue the summit addressed is that concerning the inequitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Nigeria and all African countries face the danger of a COVID crisis similar to that of India without the western nations opening the doors to a fairer vaccine access. France, which is believed to hold a surplus of COVID-19 vaccines, says it will help Nigeria.
In the area of business, France and Nigeria agreed that outside of Morocco, Nigeria is the biggest destination for French Foreign Direct Investment, FDI.
There are 120 active French businesses in Nigeria with oil giant, Total leading the pack. Altogether, they have investments worth more than USD 7 billion.
The two countries agreed to increase trade and investment especially in agriculture, aviation, consumer goods, the creative arts and renewable energy, among others.
The important issue of security in Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin area and the entire stretch of the Sahel was also enthusiastically discussed. Both countries agreed that security is an important part of our relationship.
France already participates in the Abuja-based intelligence fusion center which brings the West European nations and the countries bordering Lake Chad Basin together in sharing information.
President Macron promised a strong solidarity with Nigeria as the country squares up to the security challenges in many parts of the country. He also expressed support for the emergency meeting of the countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, LCBC coming up on Tuesday 25th of May, called to discuss the demise of Idris Deby-Itno and the future that lies ahead for Chad, its new leaders and the ongoing war against terrorism in the sub-region.
In addition to the summit and the bilateral with the French leader, President Buhari held six meetings including that which he traditionally holds with the Nigerian communities wherever he went.
He met Total, the largest French investor in Nigeria; the Dassault Systems, a leader in digital communications and software development; and Airbus, makers of airplanes and a prospective-partner in the new national airline starting in 2022. Airbus is also doing so much with the Nigerian Air Force and other players in the aviation sector. He also met Danaflex, a spare parts manufacturer in France, founded by a proud, inspiring Nigerian from the Southeast.
On a final note, the trip to France was a highly successful one for Nigeria with concrete promises and agreements.
Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Abuja.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has challenged the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to engage in research that will be of benefit to the city as a host community to the University.
The Minister who spoke when he received the Chairman and members of the Visitation Panel to the University in his office explained that centers of learning such as NOUN, should, in addition to carrying out their primary function of providing educational support to its students, also carry out research that will be beneficial and relevant to its immediate host communities.
“Centers of learning and research like your university should also, in addition to providing the needed educational support to the wider world, should also look at specific issues within the FCT and encourage your students and your faculty members to undertake appropriate research in areas that would be relevant to your immediate host community.
“You might want to say let’s do a study on the traffic situation and the requirement for public transportation in the FCT.”
Muhammad Bello asked the management of the University to invest more in the publicity of its activities and called for greater mutually beneficial collaboration between the University and the FCT Administration.
He commended the founding fathers of the University for their Foresight in establishing the Institution, adding that many personnel of the FCT Administration have seized the opportunity provided by the University to acquire good quality education while earning their livelihood.
He pledged the cooperation of the FCT Administration to the Visitation Panel in the discharge of its assignment.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Visitation Panel, Alh Isa Bello Sali said that the Panel was at the FCTA to appraise the FCT Minister on its activities and seek advice as it sets out to discharge its duties.
The Chairman said that the Panel was mandated to review the performance of the University with particular focus on the areas of governance, academic standards, quality assurance, management of finances, relationships between management, staff students and other stakeholders and the condition of physical infrastructure and advice government appropriately.
He said that the NOUN has a total of 103 study centers spread across the country with 5 of such centers located in the FCT in addition to its headquarters located within the Jabi Area of the city.
Chibiri community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is set to enjoy power supply again after over 10 months in total darkness.
The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) was confirmed to have provided the community a new 500 KVA transformer on Thursday, May 20, in place of the one that packed up in July 2020.
Some people in the community, who spoke to our reporter, thanked the management of the AEDC for responding to their cry, even though over 10 months after the old transformer blew up.
Our reporter gathered that the AEDC approved the release of a new transformer to the community since December 2020, but that there had not been any in store to be supplied since then.
People in the community went through Christmas, New Year and other recent festivals in darkness, with some of them spending a lot on fuel daily to power their generating sets.
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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has challenged the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to engage in research that will be of benefit to the city as a host community to the University.
The Takeaways From President Buhari’s Visit To France, By Garba Shehu
The first official visit to Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic saw President Muhammadu Buhari going to Paris, France to participate in a summit convened by Emmanuel Macron, his counterpart in France, on the financing of African post-COVID economies.
The beginning of the idea of this meeting is traced to a conversation between the Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. The conversation started like this: How would Africa come out of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic?
It is a notorious fact that COVID-19 has led to unprecedented economic and health challenges all over the world. Africa which has recorded continuous growth in the last 25 years suffered its worst recession in 2020.
The International Monetary Fund, IMF postulates that the continent needed a whopping USD 285 billion between 2021 and 2025 to achieve the growth momentum lost to the pandemic. Where do they start from?
That is why President Macron called this important summit, bringing together about 20 African leaders, about a dozen others from Europe and Asia as well as an impressive gathering of all the big players in the global financial system, the AfDB, the World Bank, the IMF and others. Also present were the G7 and G20 groups of countries, the World Trade Organization, WTO, the Organization for European Cooperation and Development, OECD and very many operators in the Financial Sector as well as investment and manufacturing.
The meeting ended with a strong resolve to make African states attractive to investment. This should change the existing notion that investment on the continent is risky and something to be avoided. That is one of the reasons why many African countries had turned towards China. From here going forward, Macron is promising that there would be in place, a guarantee scheme to make it less risky to invest in Africa.
The Macron-Africa summit also scored big on the issue of debt forgiveness. It made a strong case for debt cancellation or a new relationship between Africa and Europe.
Equally significant is the decision to support the private sector financially to form partnerships between the players in Europe and their counterparts on the African continent.
An important resolution of this summit is the agreement for the formation of an Alliance for Entrepreneurship in Africa “to help mobilize all partners ready to support, through technical and financial resources, the development of African Private Sector, Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) including women entrepreneurs promoted by the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA).”
To actualize this major aspiration, President Macron plans to host an African Business Summit later in the year. Nigerian and other African Businessmen will sit together with their European counterparts to address the issues of partnerships, the problem of African financing needs and supporting vibrant private sector initiatives on the continent.
It is hoped that this summit will open the channels to more private financing for Africa, and lead to reduction in poverty levels, boost jobs and employment among youths, and widen the donor base especially for climate change initiatives.
Climate change is very important to both Nigeria and France. For Nigeria, President Buhari is of the strong view that recharging the Lake Chad, which shrank in size to only 10 percent of its original size, with water from the Central African rivers will be actualized if and when France comes on board the idea.
Another important issue the summit addressed is that concerning the inequitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Nigeria and all African countries face the danger of a COVID crisis similar to that of India without the western nations opening the doors to a fairer vaccine access. France, which is believed to hold a surplus of COVID-19 vaccines, says it will help Nigeria.
In the area of business, France and Nigeria agreed that outside of Morocco, Nigeria is the biggest destination for French Foreign Direct Investment, FDI.
There are 120 active French businesses in Nigeria with oil giant, Total leading the pack. Altogether, they have investments worth more than USD 7 billion.
The two countries agreed to increase trade and investment especially in agriculture, aviation, consumer goods, the creative arts and renewable energy, among others.
The important issue of security in Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin area and the entire stretch of the Sahel was also enthusiastically discussed. Both countries agreed that security is an important part of our relationship.
France already participates in the Abuja-based intelligence fusion center which brings the West European nations and the countries bordering Lake Chad Basin together in sharing information.
President Macron promised a strong solidarity with Nigeria as the country squares up to the security challenges in many parts of the country. He also expressed support for the emergency meeting of the countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, LCBC coming up on Tuesday 25th of May, called to discuss the demise of Idris Deby-Itno and the future that lies ahead for Chad, its new leaders and the ongoing war against terrorism in the sub-region.
In addition to the summit and the bilateral with the French leader, President Buhari held six meetings including that which he traditionally holds with the Nigerian communities wherever he went.
He met Total, the largest French investor in Nigeria; the Dassault Systems, a leader in digital communications and software development; and Airbus, makers of airplanes and a prospective-partner in the new national airline starting in 2022. Airbus is also doing so much with the Nigerian Air Force and other players in the aviation sector. He also met Danaflex, a spare parts manufacturer in France, founded by a proud, inspiring Nigerian from the Southeast.
On a final note, the trip to France was a highly successful one for Nigeria with concrete promises and agreements.
Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Abuja.