The Department of State Service (DSS) has announced the brutal killing of two of its officers in Emene, Enugu State by members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
A statement by the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, said that the unprovoked attacks were carried out today, August 23 against its patrol team, leading to the death of the two officers.
Afunanya said that all measures have been put in place to ensure that their killers and everyone involved in the dastardly act are promptly apprehended and brought to justice.
“Consequently, a full scale investigation will be carried out with regard to the incident.
“Once again, the Service reaffirms its commitment to assiduously work with other security agencies to maintain public safety and order. It, therefore urges law abiding citizens and residents to go about their normal businesses without fear.”
The Service condoled with families of the departed officers and also prayed for the repose of their souls.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced a total crude oil and gas export receipt of $378.42 million in June as against $133.16 million it posted in May 2020, signalling a marked improvement in revenue earnings following the ease of coronavirus pandemic global lockdown and the subsequent increased demand and firmer prices for the black gold in the international market.
In a statement today, August 23 by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, the Corporation said that petroleum receipts for the month reflected crude oil earnings of $230.65 million, with gas and miscellaneous proceeds standing at $75.97 million and $71.80 million, respectively.
The statement said that details of the earnings were contained in the June 2020 Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) of NNPC, which it said, is the 59th edition in the series.
The report, which was released in Abuja today, put total crude oil & gas export receipts for the period, June 2019 to June 2020 at $4.60 billion.
In the Downstream Sector, the NNPC monthly report said in order to ensure continuous supply and effective distribution of petroleum products across the country in June, 2020, 1.34 billion litres of white products were distributed and sold by NNPC’s Downstream subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), saying that the figure was significantly higher than the 950.67million litres of white products sold and distributed in May 2020, again an apparent reflection of the gradual ease of the lockdown in the Country and the picking up of business activities.
A breakdown of the June 2020 figures indicated that over 1.3 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 5.10 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and 1.65 million litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) were sold and distributed during the period.
White products sale for the period June 2019 to June 2020, the report said, stood at over 19.104 billion litres, with PMS accounting for over 18.9billion litres or 99.36 per cent
In monetary value terms, the volumes translated to a total sale of ₦134.22 billion of white products by PPMC in June 2020, compared to ₦92.58 billion sales in May, 2020.
Total revenues recorded from the sales of white products for the period June 2019 to June 2020 stood at over ₦2.267 trillion, where PMS contributed about 99.12 per cent of the total sales with a value of over ₦2.247 trillion.
During the month under review, 33 pipeline points were vandalized representing about 11 per cent decrease from the 37 points recorded in May 2020.
Mosimi-Ibadan accounted for 33 per cent, while Atlas Cove-Mosimi and Warri-River Niger recorded 27 per cent of the breaks each; other locations made up for the remaining 13 per cent.
The NNPC monthly Financial and Operations Report for June, 2020 explained that in collaboration with the local communities and other stakeholders, the corporation would continuously strive to rein in on the incidences of pipeline breaches across the Country.
In the Gas sector, out of the 232.03 billion Cubic Feet of gas (BCF) supplied in June 2020, 148.66BCF of gas was commercialized; consisting of 34.64BCF and 114.01BCF for the domestic and export market, respectively.
This, the report explains, translates to a total supply of 1,154.78 million Standard Cubic Feet of gas per day (mmscfd) to the domestic market and 3,800.45mmscfd of gas supplied to the export market for the month, implying 64.07 per cent of the average daily gas produced was commercialized, while the balance of 35.93 per cent was re-injected, used as Upstream fuel gas or flared.
The NNPC report stated that gas flare rate for June 2020 stood at 6.11 per cent, that is: 472.94mmscfd, compared with average Gas flare rate of 7.84 per cent, equivalent of 611.73mmscfd for the period June 2019 to June 2020.
First Lady, Aisha Buhari, returned to Nigeria today, August 22, from a medical trip to the United Arab Emirates, recounting a near plane mishap experience on her way coming back.
In a statement today, Aisha Buhari herself said: “I want to use this opportunity to thank all Nigerians for their prayers and well wishes while I was away on medical treatment in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE). I am well now and fully recovered and had since returned back home, Nigeria.
“On our way back, the Nigerian Airforce Flight encountered a violent clear air turbulence which was navigated safely and professionally by the Captain and crew of the Flight.”
The First Lady commended and appreciated the courage and professionalism of the Captain and his crew, the wonderful gallant service men and women of the entire Nigerian Airforce for their dedication to duty and the quality of maintainance of its Fleet.
She recalled hosting the private healthcare Providers earlier in the year “and we had a very productive engagement where the issue of building the capacity of Nigeria health sector was the major focus, and funding was discovered to be the major challenge.
“I therefore call on the healthcare providers to take the advantage of the Federal Government’s initiative through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines for the operation of NGN100 Billion Credit Support for the Healthcare Sector as was released recently contained in a circular dated March 25, 2020 to the Commercial Banks. “This will no doubt help in building and expanding the capacity of the Nigerian health sector and ultimately reduce medical trips and tourism outside the Country.”
The Debt Management Office (DMO) has described as false and outright lies a report published in the Vanguard newspaper of an alleged N1 billion fraud in the organization.
In a statement today, August 22, the DMO said the Vanguard story titled: “Alleged N1.08 billion corruption scandal hits DMO” is a twisted and distorted information designed by the purveyors to discredit the credible image of the Office.
“The DMO hereby states unequivocally that the story is false, full of lies and the documents referred to in the Vanguard’s report have been twisted and distorted with the intention to misinform the general public and discredit the institution. The Vanguard story is not a true representation of the dealings in the DMO,”
The statement said that the DMO is an accountable, transparent and responsible organization that works in accordance with laid down civil service procedures and that it is highly regarded by Multilateral Agencies and financial institutions as a reputable Government Agency.
“The sponsors of the story are disgruntled elements who have not only breached the Civil Service Rules but have also contravened laid down procedures for dealing with official matters.”
The DMO said that those who authored the false documents “have resorted to illegally leaking official documents due to their recent redeployment” and “colluded with other disgruntled persons who have failed in their attempts to control the running of the affairs of the DMO, which has blocked their ability to pilfer public funds.
“The story referred to documents that, on their own, are incomplete and do not reflect the whole story or the purpose of any transaction. The claims that events and travels by officials of the DMO either did not take place or did not hold are false and an attempt to discredit the impeccable records of the organization. These speak to their desperation to give the institution a bad name.
“It is unfortunate that a reputable news medium such as Vanguard would lower its guard by allowing its platform to be used to promote falsehood by disgruntled and fraudulent elements in the DMO without cross-checking with the management of the organization”.
“The DMO, in line with laid down Civil Service Regulations, will brief relevant security agencies in the country to thoroughly investigate the sources of the documents, on which the sponsors based their story, with a view to bringing the perpetrators to bookin line with Public Service Rules No. 030401 and 030402 which prescribes dismissal for unauthorized disclosure of official information as a serious act of misconduct.”
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has made it clear that churches must get ready to start obeying the new Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) which has come to stay in the country despite the public outcry that has greeted it.
The Commission said that it is only waiting for the legislature to gazette it for immediate implementation of the law.
The CAC Registrar General, Alhaji Garba Abubakar, who spoke to newsmen today, August 22 in Abuja, wondered why the act is being opposed by religious bodies, especially the churches.
“They must henceforth subject their finances and expenditures for proper auditing, and copies sent to us at the CAC.
“The new legal framework applies to all organizations registered with us; be it a religious organisation, NGO or CSO.
“Remember that they also have constitutions guiding them. The criteria to be a trustee of registered organisations are clearly spelt out in the laws establishing them.
“How is it that a registered member who qualifies to be a trustee in an organisation would not want government to know how the organisation is run? What are the responsibilities of the trustees?
“What are the responsibilities of the governing council or the board?
“How do you manage the affairs of the organisation?
“How do you use or expend the income and properties of the organisation? How do you appoint members of the governing board? “These are the issues the new CAMA has come to address.”
The CAMA bill was recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, and was included in his list of achievements for the last one year.
Recall that the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), had recently described CAMA as satanic, demanding that the President halts the implementation of “the obnoxious and ungodly law until religious institutions are exempted from it.”
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has accused some multinational companies operating in the Niger Delta of funding militants to create insecurity in the region. Wike therefore expressed anger and surprise at the same multinational companies who use insecurity to justify their refusal to relocate their operational headquarters to the region. Governor Wike, who spoke during a courtesy visit by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipri Sylva and the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at Government House, Port Harcourt, wondered why insecurity does not prevent the drilling of oil but could be used to deprive the State what is due to it. “They use insecurity issues to place us in a disadvantaged position and deny us our right. “There is insecurity in Lagos, Kaduna and Katsina States. Yet, companies do not run away from those States. The railway projects are not stalled too. “The multinationals are sometimes to blame because they instigate insecurity by paying militants and turn around to blame it on the people. “There is no excuse to operate outside our State. The Federal Government should compel them to relocate their headquarters to the State as the hub of the hydrocarbon industry.” The Governor noted that the NNPC has not done anything substantial for the State after many years of operation. “The Port Harcourt Refinery has continued to operate below installed capacity. Even the access road has been in a poor state for years. “I urge you as minister and members of the board of directors to dualise the three kilometres Road and change the narrative.” Governor Wike said that the patriotism Chief Sylva has demonstrated by attracting federal projects to his State and called on other Ministers to emulate him. He said that even if the Minister is of the opposition Party in Bayelsa State, his sense of patriotism has made him to place the interest of the State above partisan interests. Earlier, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipri Sylva, had told the Governor that plans have reached an advanced stage to rehabilitate the existing refineries in the country. He said that the Federal Government decided to start the rehabilitation programme from the two refineries in Port Harcourt because Rivers State is the headquarters of the hydrocarbon industry. The Minister announced that a third refinery would be built to bring the number of refineries in the State to three. Chief Sylva commended Governor Wike for being persistent in his quest to get the Refinery Road dualized and promised that the Ministry would support the move.
The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), an Exploration and Production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is looking at boosting its gas supply to the domestic market by 600 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) in the next three to five years.
The Managing Director of NPDC, Engr. Mansur Sambo, spoke today, August 21, during a facility tour of the company’s Oredo Gas Handling plant by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, in Benin City, Edo State.
On the medium term projection of the company which is currently the highest supplier of natural gas to the domestic market, the NPDC boss said besides the 1billion standard cubic feet per day (bscf/d) it currently produces, the company would add another 600mmscf to its production portfolio in the next three to five years.
Giving a breakdown of the projection, Sambo said the company’s OML 34 is expected to deliver 360mmscf/d, while OMLs 42 and 111 would deliver 120mmscf/d apiece.
He said that NPDC has revved up production in OML 111 by 2,100barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 27mmscfd of gas, thereby increasing cumulative production from the acreage to 10,699bpd.
Sambo, who also announced the successful drilling of Well 16 in OML 111, said the well was essentially for gas with associated crude oil, adding that the plan was for the Gas Plant to be fed from the well.
On the Gas Handling Facility, the NPDC boss disclosed that the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) unit would be ready for commissioning in October, 2020.
Speaking at the occasion, Mallam Kyari described the development as a significant step towards growing the nation’s crude oil reserves and increasing production, stressing that more of such was needed to meet the target of 3million barrels per day production and sustain the nation’s economic growth.
“This gas facility in particular will deliver at least 240 metric tons of LPG to domestic market within a year and that is a very significant fraction of current level of supply into the market. It will ease the spending on foreign exchange by the country. This is monumental and underscores government efforts of making sure that this is the year of gas. The gas is the cheapest and easiest way of getting development in this country,” the GMD enthused.
He congratulated the Management and staff of NPDC for fast-tracking the completion of its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Gas Plant, reiterating that gas development was key to the nation’s quest for industrialization.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has made a Nigerian music maestro, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, better known by his stage as name D’banj, Agro-Rangers’ Ambassador.
The Agro Rangers is a special unit set up within the NSCDC, called the Agro-Rangers, to primarily protect investments in the agricultural sector and farmers-herders clashes across the country.
In a statement today, August 21, Ekunola Gbenga, Media Assistant to the Commandant General, said that Agro Rangers is the brain-child of the federal government for the purpose of curtailing herdsmen and farmers conflicts in the country.
The Commandant General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu was quoted to have advised the Agro-Rangers’ Ambassador, D’banj to see the honour as a call to service which comes with a lot of responsibilities.
He further advised him to use his talent and popularity to mobilize Nigerians towards unity, peace, tolerance, and productivity.
The CG urged the Ambassador to speak against vices that destroy societies like vandalism, thuggery, insecurity, drug abuse, human trafficking and child abuse etc.
Gana praised Oladapo Daniel for using his creativity to inform, educate and entertain the populace and mobilize them towards good behavior, as well as best practices and good choices.
“It is, therefore, my firm conviction that with your collaboration, our fighting against insecurity and making lives meaningful for farmers-headers will yield result.”
Gana said that the idea is to spread security awareness and sensitisation to citizens in crime prevention.
In his acceptance speech, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo expressed happiness for the unique honor bestowed on him and promised to work with the Corps, especially as Agro-Rangers squad to ensure that farmers return to their farms and operate in peace atmosphere.
Federal Government of Nigeria has itemised conditions for the reopening of airport for international flight operations, beginning from next week Saturday, August 29
Aviation minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, at a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on coronavirus said that airlines would be informed on arrangements that have been put in place to ensure that the resumption of flights are hitch-free.
He said that for now, only a few flights per day would be permitted and that they would operate as test runs of the protocols put in place to ensure the safe return to international operations.
The protocols, according to him, would be made public in due course.
Sirika said that inbound international passengers would be limited to 1,280, stressing that this number would be allowed to fly into the Lagos and Abuja airports once international flights resume on August 29.
The minister said that in resuming the international flight operations, Nigeria will observe the principle of reciprocity in granting permission to airlines to fly into the country.
The minister explained that what this means is that only airlines from countries that allow flights from Nigeria will be allowed to fly into and out of Nigeria.
He specifically said that airlines from the European Union (EU) would not be allowed into Nigeria as it had recently banned flights and visitors from Nigeria.
The Aviation minister, who was represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Musa Nuhu, said: “on the list of countries (that are banned), we are working on the comprehensive list, but the main one that came up is when the EU opened their borders effective 1st July, Nigeria was among the list of 54 countries that were not allowed to enter the EU.
“To my understanding, as the situation changes, they are going to look at the list and change it. But so far, we don’t have any contrary information to that first one that Nigeria is banned from going to the EU.
“So, as we open our airspace, we are going to apply the issue of reciprocity to those (EU) countries.”
On July 2, 2020, the Council of the European Union had opened its borders to 15 countries, excluding Nigeria.
According to information obtained from the EU website at the time, Nigeria was still not a part of the countries from where visitors are allowed into Europe.
The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami has vowed to block all tax revenue leakages brough about by among others, what he called “systemic abuse of the pioneer incentive scheme.”
Speaking when he played host to State Commissioners of Finance, at the Revenue House, headquarters of the FIRS in Abuja on Wednesday, Nami said that the blocking of tax revenue leakages will lead to generating more revenue for the three tiers of government.
Coordinating Director, Tax Operations Group, FIRS, Femi Oluwaniyi, who expressed appreciation to the state commissioners of finance on behalf of the Executive Chairman, said that their support so far in revenue generation for the Federation is commendable.
He however, decried the indiscriminate tax waivers and incentives granted to undeserving companies, which he stressed, has impacted negatively on revenue generation.
Oluwaniyi said that the FIRS has discovered that pioneer status certificates had been issued to companies that were not pioneers of their fields in the real sense, hence undeserving of such status. He stated that this development has led to loss of considerable tax revenue to the three tiers of government.
However, the FIRS hinted that it was auditing its findings with a view to pressing for the cancellation of pioneer certificates issued to undeserving companies in violation of the law.
The FIRS stated that pioneer status otherwise granted outside the law would not enjoy tax relief regardless of the certificate issued to them and owners of such certificates were requested to regularize their tax positions otherwise sanctions shall apply in accordance with the law.
Earlier, Nami stated that tax revenue accounts for nearly 70% of what was shared at the last FAAC meeting and lauded the collaboration between the Service and the State Commissioners of Finance, saying this is key to bringing about increase in tax revenue.
He said without this collaboration it would be difficult for government to meet its obligations to the citizenry in such areas as infrastructure development and salary payment, which could lead to social dislocation.
The Executive Chairman emphasised the need to diversify the economy in order to create more sources of taxable income and increase tax revenue for the nation.
He charged the states to focus on other forms of taxes like the Stamp Duty which he described as “the black gold” which has been ignored before now.
He also charged all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to scrupulously deduct Withholding Tax from contracts at point of payment.
Nami also solicited the states’ support in terms of taxpayer sensitization campaigns and education, stating that rental obligation was incomplete without the payment of Stamp Duties. He emphasised that if these initiatives were pursued at both local and state levels more revenue would be generated.
Team lead of the delegation cum Benue State Commissioner of Finance, David Olofu, congratulated Nami on his well-deserved appointment and on his accomplishments in office so far.
Olofu assured that the states were looking forward to working closely with FIRS in order to generate more tax revenue for the country.
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The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), an Exploration and Production subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is looking at boosting its gas supply to the domestic market by 600 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) in the next three to five years.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has made a Nigerian music maestro, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, better known by his stage as name D’banj, Agro-Rangers’ Ambassador.
