The Inspector-General of Police (IG) Mohammed Adamu on Friday directed the immediate withdrawal of all police operatives serving at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The directive which was contained in a signal to the Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Police Mobile Force (PMF), PMF Squadrons one to 79, Force Secretary and Commissioners of Police of all the state commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also directed that the exact number withdrawn be replaced with new operatives.
According to the order, only staff of EFCC should be allowed access into the premises, while withdrawn police personnel from PMF 21, 44, 45, 46 and 50 must report to the Force Headquarters by 8am on Monday.
Sir Louis Nwachukwu Mbanefo was born in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria on the 13th of May 1911. He was educated at The Methodist Boys High School in Lagos and subsequently at the prestigious Kings College, also in Lagos, which was modeled on Eton and Harrow Colleges and where he was a keen Cricketer and Footballer- all these between the years 1925-1932. He was then admitted to the University College London, where he studied Law, graduating Second Class Upper in 1935 and was called to the Bar at The Middle Temple later on in the same year. He was then admitted to Cambridge, where he obtained a further Degree in the Humanities in 1937.
He returned home to Nigeria and set up practice in his hometown of Onitsha and is on record as the first Lawyer from the East of Nigeria. He veered into politics and was elected into the Eastern Region Parliament in 1950, where he distinguished himself as an excellent Orator and Lawmaker. However the pull of the Legal profession was such that he returned after 2 years, but this time to the Bench, as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1952, with his first posting being to Warri in the Mid-West of Nigeria, where he sat as resident Judge.
He was later seconded back to the Eastern Region as Chief Justice in 1961 and in 1962, reached the peak of his Judicial career by appointment to the International Court of Justice, as an ad-hoc Judge, a position he occupied till 1966, when he returned to his post as Chief Justice of the Eastern Region. His appointment to the ICJ being to sit on South-Western Africa Cases i.e. Liberia v South Africa and Ethiopia v South Africa ICJ Reports 1966 ICJ which spanned over four years.
In 1961, he received a Knighthood from the Queen and assumed the title which he proudly answered till his death- Sir Louis Mbanefo. Upon the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War, he was appointed the Chief Justice of Biafra and Ambassador Plenipotentiary. He was actively involved in the Peace talks with the Nigerian Government and worked actively towards a diplomatic resolution of the Crisis. He remained in Biafra till the very end.
He dedicated his later years to Charity and Church work, serving variously as President of the Christian Council of Nigeria, Chancellor of the Niger Diocese- a position he had held since 1946, President of the Anglican Consultative Council from 1972 and a Fellow of the University of London.
Due to mistake, carelessness and a plethora of other factors, people have transferred or paid money into accounts different from the one they intended to pay or transfer the money into.
Most times, individuals who find themselves in this type of situation usually fall into hopelessness and helplessness owing to ignorance, and, as such, they end up losing and forfeiting the money to either the bank or to the account they wrongly paid the money into.
The English Philosopher Francis Bacon, once said that knowledge is power, and so we’ll try to explain the procedure for recovering money mistakenly paid into an account different from the one intended.
The first step to take in this situation is to promptly inform the bank, either by writing, calling the customer care line, or by personally visiting the bank to explain the situation. Ideally, one should personally visit the bank and explain the predicament viva voce.
Once the predicament is explained to the bank, it then behooves on the bank to immediately reverse the money back to the transferor or the account the money was originally intended to be paid into.
Secondly, the bank on receipt of the complaint made by the transferor, will have to act quickly to correct the mistake. This the bank will do by immediately reversing the money to the transferor. This is only possible if the transferor and the owner of the wrong account operate accounts in the same bank.
In such a situation all the bank should do is to either contact the owner of the wrong account, or suo moto reverse the money to the transferor without the consent of the wrong account holder.
The third step to take will only be necessary if the bank is unable to reverse the wrong payment as explained in the last two steps. This may occur as a result of various factors.
These factors include: (1) when the transferor or and the owner of the wrong account don’t operate accounts in the same bank; (2) when the owner of the wrong account refuses to give consent to reverse back the money to the transferor; (3) when the owner of the wrong account has moved the money into a different account; and (4) when the owner of the wrong account has immediately withdrawn the money.
In any of the aforementioned scenario, the transferor will have to file an application to the court by way of motion on notice, praying for an order of court to reverse the money to the transferor.
However, with respect to where the wrong account holder has transferred the money into a different account or has withdrawn the money, the transferor will have to contact the police who will in turn approach the court to place a lien in the form of post no debit on the account of the wrong account holder.
The application to the court by way of motion on notice will contain a supporting affidavit, wherein the transferor (Claimant) will state his/her account number, the name of the bank, the bank of the wrong account holder, plus the statement of account of the transferor and the wrong account holder.
The fourth and final step is for the transferor to obtain a certified true copy of the court order from the court registrar and then serve same on the bank.
The bank on receiving the certified true copy of the court order will have no option but to reverse back the money to the transferor.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been saddled with the task of leading the team to ensure effective monitoring and steering of the overall implementation of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020-2025.
This followed the designation of NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr. Ubale Maska, as the Chairman of the newly-inaugurated Broadband Implementation Steering Committee (BISC) by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.
While inaugurating the inter-agency and multi-sectoral committee in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister said the central responsibility and mandate of the Committee, which will have its secretariat in NCC, is to ensure “effective monitoring for implementation of the National Broadband Plan (NBP), 2020- 2025.”
The Minister said the inauguration of the committee was part of the ongoing journey for a Digital Nigeria, which had received a boost since his assumption of office in August, 2019.
“The journey started with the approval for the transformation of the ministry and its parastatals in October, 2019 from mere ICT institutions to digital economy institutions by the President. This was followed by the unveiling of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) in November, 2019 and the development of a new NBP 2020-2025, which was launched by the President in March 19, 2020,” he said.
He explained further that all the efforts were meant to put Nigeria on the global digital economy map, supported by robust broadband infrastructure. He noted that under the NDEPS, Solid Infrastructure components which is the 3rd pillar will provide the bedrock for the realization of the country’s digital economy vision.
“In the new National Broadband Plan, there are many targets. Principal of which are to cover 90 per cent of Nigerian population with broadband access and 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025. We also plan to achieve a broadband speed of 25 megabits per second (mbps) in urban areas and 10 mbps in rural areas by the end of implementation of the new Broadband plan,” Pantami said.
While noting that the implementation of the new NBP had started fully and is resulting in the increase in broadband penetration currently at 40.14 percent, up from 35.10 per cent in August, 2019, the Minister said the ICT industry contributed 14.07 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2020. He noted that increased broadband penetration will help Nigeria to achieve increased GDP growth.
The Minister, however, explained that problems of Right of Way, protection for telecom infrastructure and multiple taxations, which are critical to fast-track broadband infrastructure deployment and penetration are being addressed from all fronts. He added that the efforts are already yielding positive results with the engagement of relevant stakeholders including state government and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, commended the Minister for the inauguration of the committee and promised the support of the Commission towards realisation of the mandate of the Committee.
The Chairman of the Committee, Maska, also assured the Minister of the Committee members’ readiness to deliver on the assignment.
Also present at the inauguration are the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Abdullahi; Managing Director, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Dr. Abimbola Alale and Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Muhammed Abubakar.
The Committee draws membership from the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and agencies under its supervision, Including the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), World Bank, Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), among others.
PRINCIPALS of secondary schools nationwide under the aegis of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) have also expressed surprise over Minister of Education, Mr Adamu Adamu’s announcement on Wednesday withdrawing all the SS3 students in all the 104 Federal Government colleges nationwide from participating in the forthcoming West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) being conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
It said the association was fully represented at the education stakeholders’ meetings on Tuesday where they were all voluntarily agreed that WAEC could go ahead with its pending exam with all safety guidelines and protocols applied.
The national president of the association, Mr Anselm Izuagie, said this in an exclusive interview with Tribune Online on Thursday, noting that the sudden twist by the government on the exam is still baffling them more than 24 hours after the minister’s pronouncement.
He said both the Federal and various state government had representatives at the said meeting with the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, as the chairman.
He added, “The representatives of WAEC, National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Board for Technical Education (NABTE) and other critical stakeholders in the sector were also in attendance.
“We all reviewed and considered the safety of everyone who would be involved in the exam and promised that all hands would be on deck to ensure no lapses is recorded only for the minister to announce the contrary the following day. That is why the news is shocking to us and also confusing.
“But all the same, we ANCOPSS will meet tomorrow with the NUT to review the whole issue and take position and make it public.”
Abuja – Prof. Uche Uwaleke, an experts on Finance and Capital Markets at the Nasarawa State University Keffi, has described the 2020 revised budget signed by President Muhammadu Buhari as a realistic assumption.
Uwaleke stated this when he appeared on Channels news at 10, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
NAN recalls that Buhari on Friday signed the revised N10.8 trillion 2020 budget into law.
He said the president needed to be commended for coming up with a realistic 2020 revised budget.YOU MAY LIKE
The economist said the benchmarks were realistic as well as allocation of resources in the estimate.
He noted that the allocation reflected the government’s priorities, adding that in the breakdown, work and housing, transport, power and agriculture had the largest share.
“The 2020 revised budget is a child of necessity, in the sense by now, we would have been six months into the implementation of the budget.
“Again that brings me to commend the Federal Government’s effort in restoring the budget cycle from January to December but just that COVID-19 is affecting this one.
“That the budget is high or higher than what was initially presented, it is expected, in a period of recession, we wouldn’t be reducing spending, if you want to stimulate the economy and avert a severe recession as being projected, the option is to spend,” he explained.
Uwaleke, however, commended Buhari for giving a marching order to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to ensure MDAs got at least 50 per cent of their capital allocation before the end of the month.
He said that with this development, a significant implementation would be recorded before the end of the year.
He, therefore, advised the government to revisit recurrent expenditures and make some amendments by reducing budget on contingencies, outsourcing services, international sporting events and defence among others.
It happened some time ago but . I was in an audience listening to a motivational speaker. The speaker got out his wallet & pulled out a 500 Naira note. Holding it up, he asked, “Who wants this 500 naira note?” Lots of hands went up. Including mine. A slow chorus began to build as people began to shout “Me!” “Me!” I began to wonder who the lucky one would be who the speaker would choose. And I also secretly wondered (and I am sure others did too ) why he would simply give away 500 naira. Even as the shouts of “I want it” grew louder, I noticed a young woman running down the aisle. She ran up onto the stage, went up to the speaker, and grabbed the five 500 naira note from his hand. “Well done, young lady,” said the speaker into the microphone. The speaker simply say “Most of us just sit and wait for good things to happen. That’s of no use. You’ve got to make things happen. Make a move” ‘Simply thinking about doing something is of no use and not gud enough’. Our lives are like that. We all see opportunities around us. We all want the good things. But the problem is we don’t take action. We all want the 500 naira notes on offer. But we don’t make the move. We look at it longingly. Get up, and do something about it. Don’t worry about what other people might think. Take action.
later, the speaker got another 500 naira note and held it up for all to see, I thought I knew what’s up. But he just asked a simple question. “How much is this worth?” “Five Hundred naira!” the crowd yelled in unison. “Right,” said the speaker. He then took the note and crumpled it into a ball and asked “How much is it worth now?” “Five Hundred naira!” screamed the audience. He then threw the note on the ground, stamped all over it and picked up the note and asked one more time: “And how much is it worth now?” “Five Hundred naira!” was the response. “I want you to remember this,” said the speaker. “Just because someone crumples it, or stamps on it, the value of the note does not diminish. We should all be like the 500 naira note. In our lives, there will be times when we feel crushed, stamped over, beaten. But never let your self-worth diminish. Just because someone chooses to crush you, that doesn’t change your worth one bit!
Don’t allow your self-worth to diminish because someone says something nasty or does something dirty to you.”
Patrick O. Okigbo III in conversation with Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah
Socio-cultural diversity plays a significant role in the life of Nigerians. Despite efforts by successive governments to create the legal and constitutional framework for a nation, Nigeria still lacks the myths and stories that enable a shared nationality. There are more centrifugal forces that pull the country apart than there are centripetal forces that pull it together. Many of these forces are rooted in ethnicity, religion, classism, and many more. As such, there are hardly Nigerians in Nigeria.
Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Archdiocese, is one of Nigeria’s leading scholars whose books and essays provide fresh insight into some of the most intractable development challenges in the country. He writes extensively on religious militancy, politics, governance, development, and more.
Bishop Kukah will be the guest on the July 2020 “Development Discourse with Patrick Okigbo III”. The discourse will explore a broad range of topics: religious competitiveness and the dynamics of a modern Nigerian state, bigoted politics and its impact on development, impact of religion on a pseudo-secular nation, elites and the poverty of the masses (think of the Almajiri), identity politics, democracy and development, demographic bomb, place of women in Nigeria, ethnic hegemony, the performance of the Buhari administration on nation-building, and many more. The conversation will interrogate how to reverse the centrifugal forces pulling the nation apart.
Our investigation, interviews and other inquiries have revealed that there is more politics in the activation and commissioning of the AKK Gas pipeline project by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 30, 2020 than holistic real economic target.
A point not in dispute is that there is no known and exploitable natural gas along the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano axis of the natural gas pipeline Buhari commissioned.
From our investigations, the gas comes from the Niger Delta and Imo and Abia states in the South East.
President Muhammadu Buhari commissions AKK gas pipeline virtually from his office
The foundation project that started in about 2008 ensured that pipeline was laid from Calabar through Akwa Ibom, Abia, Imo, Enugu into Ajaokuta in Kogi State. The gas fields of these regions are the raw material base for the mega project. So it confounds how the activation started from the receiving end instead of carrying the supplier end along for equity, profitability and total development of the sector with high economic potential for the whole country.
AKK gas project best secured, beneficial if South East, South South axes are activated, says Ndukwe
On June 30, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the 614km mega Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano natural gas pipeline to serve as impetus for better economy through the exploitation of natural gas for power generation and industrialization.
We monitored the interview Engr. Sam Ndukwe, former top management staffer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) granted Arise TV, a day after the commissioning
Ndukwe is one of the most informed Nigerians about the nation’s gas pipeline system, having supervised the NNPC’s West Africa gas pipeline project. In his 35 years of service with the NNPC, he was once coordinator of the West Africa Gas Pipeline project. He later served as the General Manager, Gas Pipelines Infrastructure and also Group General Manager, Power and at last, Managing Director, NNPC Gas and Power Investment Ltd. Currently, he is the MD of GVL Nigeria Ltd
With his pedigree, he is just the right person to discuss the gas pipeline project, a brainchild of the NNPC.
Nigeria’s gas endowment
Engr. Sam Ndukwe, former MD, Nigeria Gas and Power, NNPC. He knows where the pipes are buried and where the natural gas is located
Managing and preparing our gas infrastructure has been a big issue over the years. The pipeline project has been on for years and it is gratifying that some of us that worked on the project are here to witness the activation of the AKK project Nigeria is a country richly endowed with natural gas which I would say we happened on. The quantity has always been estimated between 187 and 203 trillion cubic liters, depending on source, including the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)
So, Nigeria found gas by accident when looking for crude oil. As we produced crude oil, by happenstance, we got natural gas in an amazing quantity.
Since the discovery of natural gas, we have put it into use as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and partly also as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) which we have exported and also converted into local use for power generation in some gas power plants such as in Lagos and Port Harcourt and also in powering industries near Lagos that have access linkage to the national gas pipeline to power the factories in the Agbara Industrial area in Ogun State.
Yet, a little of the gas is flared. We used to flare up to some 20 percent but now, it’s as low as between 10 percent and 7 percent.
Because of the benefits of natural gas in aiding industrialisation, the AKK happening now is a good development and enabler for the economy of Nigeria.
Mega AKK project
This Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano pipeline project is some 614km stretch and of 40-inch diameter. Forty inches diameter means a little child playing can walk through the interior. It is meant to impact all the states on the corridor for power generation and industrialisation.
Many state governments today discuss and target to develop industrial parks, but that can’t happen or be achievable without natural gas. We need it to activate such industrial processes and dreams. So, AKK is a major impetus to the northern axis where it would operate. However, this project is just part of the larger Trans-Nigerian gas pipeline system, some on going, most completed.
Security of project
The design I managed was intended not for just the AKK. What was commissioned is a subset or a segment. The whole project is from Calabar, through Ikot-Ekpene up to Umuahia, Enugu State and then linking Ajaokuta and north. There should be the phase 2 from Calabar, and the South East. The Obiafu-Obrikom pipeline is even bigger than AKK and ferries natural gas to Oben and later Ajaokuta.
From our experiences, not even the entire Nigerian Army can provide adequate security around the pipeline. The peace of mind in the local communities within the corridor is the only thing and way to secure them. At construction, the locals were engaged to weld and do some other works. Welding pipeline of this size involves high level skill and it impacted in making the local people who did the work professionals, a way of finding livelihood. People are restive when they are not busy. Industries would spring up along the pipeline axis. Moreover, the pipeline is a waste without an off taker.
AKK- A mesh of pipelines for delivering natural gas PHOTO: Google Images
Setting up power plants along the corridors of the project helps create other opportunities instead of taking generated power from Lagos and Niger Delta.
The politics
Yes, I am aware that some interests in the Niger Delta are agitating and that is normal given our past experiences.
The AKK 3.6b cubic feet of gas draws from Asa in Abia, Egbema/Izombe in Imo State and there is no gas economic possibility in the East and Niger Delta yet. The plan was originally for activation in the entire area the pipeline covers. So it would be improper to let crises happen before palliatives. The best is to make sure that the gas pipeline benefits the entire axes of its coverage including the South South and the South East. We need to do the CAP as we did the AKK. If that is not done, there will be agitation and security problems. The gas sources must be attended to or there would be no results.
The reason for the AKK coming on just now is because the project takes time to mature. It is a mega project and if we are to borrow, they are many conditions before maturity. Yes, it has been long, but gas didn’t have so much value and utility from time. Today, all over the world, the use and economic benefits keep expanding. For instance, USA natural gas usage stands at 35 percent while it is 41 percent in the UK.
To get this project done, eventually, we had to borrow from China and the equity supplied by the NNPC as its contribution, and that is what is powering its progress now. The planned 3.6gw power plant is tied to this project and if it is not done, then constructing pipeline is not viable.
I supposed that the borrowing is going to be safe for the project completion. It is my thinking that NNPC will ring fence the project and its financing and make sure it is not just a part of the NNPC costs. That way, the project will run on the West Africa pipeline which I managed and that involves transparency.
Gas is of no use to the individual if not converted to petrochemicals, fertiliser, power plants and its ancillary uses.
So the plan was to target steady power supply and that makes life and economic activity easier. That way smaller players in the economic chain would set up businesses that derive from this project
FURTHER INQUIRY
The superficial facts from the interview nudged us to probe further into why the project activation started with the AKK and not from Calabar and other parts of the South South and South East gas fields where the pipelines are already complete and ready for activation.
Some documents we got from the NNPC website and other sources gave a better picture
AKK flag off at Ajaokuta on June 30, 2020 PHOTO: Google Images
Gas master plan
As part of Nigeria’s resolve to become a major international player in the international gas market as well as to lay a solid framework gas infrastructure expansion within the domestic market, the Nigerian Gas Master Plan was approved on February 13, 2008. “The Master-Plan is a guide for the commercial exploitation and management of Nigeria’s gas sector” an NNPC web source said. It aims at growing the Nigerian economy with gas by pursuing three key strategies:
Stimulate the multiplier effect of gas in the domestic economy
Position Nigeria competitively in high value export markets
Guarantee the long term energy security of Nigeria
Based on this thinking, the NNPC for the Nigerian government mapped out an original holistic natural gas pipeline project that is so detailed not to leave out or leave behind the areas of Nigeria where the natural gas is drawn from. It is also important to know that the gas pipeline infrastructure is already there, reason many don’t understand why the government isolated the AKK axis for activation leaving behind the South East and South South end of the same project
Nigeria’s total completed gas pipeline
Four Backbone Gas Transmission Networks
Over 2000km of pipelines with about 2bcf/d flow capacity
3 World Scale Gas Processing Hubs Scope to extract over 1mtpa of LPG each
To be developed on a Private sector Build, Own and operate basis with initial capacity to process about 250-300mcf/d increasing to 1.5 — 2.5bcf/d
Numerous Gathering and Spur Lines
There is also on ground, 261 km x 20/36 inches pipeline from QIT-Ikot Abasi-Ukanafun-Obigbo-Ob/Ob with:
Artery to connect gas supply to feed the Ajaokuta-Kano line and the ELPS via OB3 pipeline
418km x 36 inches pipeline from Obigbo-Umuahia-Enugu-Ajaokuta; 683 km x 40 inches pipeline from Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kaduna/ Kano
Another trunk is to connect gas supply from SPDC/CNL’s Assa North development via the Eastern axis through AKK. There is also further reinforcing supply to the East and to AKK 174 km x 24 inches pipeline from QIT axis, traversing Calabar-Ikot-Ekpene-Umuahia.
Most of these data are on the NNPC and Nigeria Gas Limited websites and other sources, including www.nnpcgroup.com
2800 hectares Ogidigben Industrial Park
This is the industrial park Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made reference to in 2017 during his visit to the Delta State to quell the renewed restiveness by the local people claiming that the government side-lined them.
* Desirable location by the ocean and the Escravos River, for inland access
* Dedicated gas based industrial park with FTZ & Port Status
* Proximity to existing ELPS gas infrastructure and enables relatively easy gas access with less pipeline infrastructure development cost
* Dedicated Power Plant, CPF, Petrochemical, Fertilizer and Methanol Plants
â–ª Centralized utilities provision, world class Integrated fibre optic network (broadband and telecoms)
Although this document was obtained from the NNPC website, it’s not clear the extent of effort to make it a reality.
AKK gas project is another robbery of the South – Ankio Briggs
I am aware just like most Nigerians are and also witnessed the commissioning by President Buhari. He left me with no doubt about the intention of the north and especially this government to continue with the old robbery of the south, especially the Niger Delta for the benefit of the north.
In the 1970s they started by building a refinery in Kaduna, laid pipes all the way from the Niger Delta to the place and stole our crude oil that was piped to Kaduna for refining. Unfortunately for them, and without assessing how far they have progressed in this cheating, the Kaduna refinery has been down for years. Yet they start another project to steal the natural gas this time.
I don’t care where the pipelines started, but what matters is that the people of Niger Delta and now the South East in addition are to face another round of robbery and exploitation, targeting natural gas and the hazards would be ours while they take the benefits as usual.
It’s most unfortunate that while President Goodluck Jonathan completed the laying of that trans-Nigeria gas pipeline from the Niger Delta and the South East up to Kano, this present government is so heartless that it isolated the activation for only the north, starting from Ajaokuta.
Ankio Briggs, Niger Delta activist…The government and North insist on culture of looting us forever
President Buhari in continuation of the pursuit of his segregative policy he announced from the beginning, carving Nigeria into 97% and 5%, never thought it proper to at least show a little kindness to the people the natural gas that will power the AKK project he commissioned would be tapped from their domain. He doesn’t pretend about his lack of feelings for us, not even once. It is the same region or regions that the trans-Sahara gas pipeline beyond Nigeria is to derive from.
Now the government has borrowed from China to implement this project, my fear is that the Niger Delta would be exploited continuously to offset that loan with its unknown and undisclosed conditions by China, a country its loan conditions remain questionable. We don’t know the duration of repayment and what the interest rate is to estimate the extent of exploitation. Buhari didn’t tell us and he has bypassed us, the owners of the resources, to activate the northern end of the national project.
This is the latest invasion of the Niger Delta and now the South East in addition, and before this, advance militant teams coming in various cover-up names had been drafted over time to our farmlands and bushes. They come and raid and kill and the target is that should there be any resistance from the exploited people, these terrorists all laid ambush in our bushes would be unleashed on our people to kill them off. So they are out to take everything with the highest form of force and brutality. It is a move not meant to favour us in anyway. They care not about our happiness and I can tell you that I am really worried, especially for the fact that our people are no longer speaking out. So I am afraid if they really know the meaning and intention of what is going on.
How else could one describe this gross injustice by this government that previous administrations handled the project to benefit all and right now at the activation, the South South and South East where the natural gas is sourced stand shortchanged and suppressed to make sure the north takes the benefits alone?
So the president and those that advise him on how to handle Nigeria are ok with creating economic opportunities for the north and sidelining the regions and areas the resources derive from.
To worsen the matter, the minister of state in charge of petroleum is Timipre Sylva, a Niger Delta man from Bayelsa. To him this injustice doesn’t count or the people denied also don’t count in the scheme of things in Nigeria because he as an individual is favoured.
Buhari never relented in executing his segregation of the 5% in denials in all facets, economic, social, infrastructure etc, even to the point of robbing them of their resources to feed the north.
Ms. Briggs and Chief Nnia Nwodo, President General , Ohanaeze Nd’Igbo, South East…All shortchanged and neglected by Buhari… at a function in Abuja, March 2020
About three years ago when the Niger Delta renewed its agitation against the unpretentious denial by Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo came to Delta State and promised a gas power plant of about 180,000 cubic litres capacity that was meant to be the backbone of an industrial park in the area to serve as economic impetus to the people who have been over exploited for the benefit of the north and the Nigerian government.
His promise also included the construction of a major road to the denied peoples and places from Omadino to Escravos which would shore up the living standards of the people and open them up to economic possibilities. Till date, nothing has been said or done after that empty promise. Again, the same government is out for another robbery through this AKK gas pipeline.
Sylva as I mentioned earlier, Godswill Akpabio, the Minister for Niger Delta, Chibuike Amaechi, Minister for Transportation and other Niger Delta people serve in this same government and they cannot to tell Buhari that this ruthless denial won’t work, because the people may decide to say no tomorrow and that means the gas to feed the project won’t be there. That will be double loss to us since we would face the exploitation to repay the loan and possible raid and mass killing of our people by the bands of militants they have already stationed around us.
I need to remind our people that they have started playing a very disheartening role against their own people. There should be a point party politics stops and real interests are addressed as the northern politicians do for their region.
The Interim Management of Committee of Niger Delta Development Commission said it had uncovered how the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, inserted a training cost of N6.4 billion into the 2019 Budget and vowed not to release the signed copy of the budget until 60 per cent (N3.8 billion) of the money was released.
The IMC also revealed how the same lawmakers inflated N750 million road repairs project to N2.9 billion in the 2019 Budget of the Commission.
Speaking on behalf of the Commission before a Senate adhoc Committee on Thursday, the Executive Director of Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, said Senator Peter Nwaboshi also collected 1,000 contracts to share it among lawmakers.
Ojougboh, who indicted all the previous chairmen of committees overseeing the Commission in the National Assembly, said the hands of Senator Nwaboshi are soiled from turning the NDDC into a “cookie jar” for him to be an objective investigator.
He said the Committee chairmen injected new projects into the budget without recourse to the Commission or to the need of intended communities.
He added that budget proposal submitted by the Commission and the budget approved were always at huge variance.
Ojougboh said: “For the budget, there was a training programme at the cost of N6.4 billion inserted in the budget by the House Chairman, Committee on NDDC, who insisted that the signed copy of the budget would not be released unless payment of 60 per cent of the sum was made.
“This is was a programme that has not been executed.”
On the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on the NDDC, Ojougboh said: “This emergency road repairs project was meant to be a single contract valued for Ajowa Akoko at less than N750 million.
“One of the National Assembly Committee on NDDC Chairmen coerced the then management to break it into four lots.
“This pushed the cost of the project to N2,931,655,712.69 (four times the project value)
“The contracts were awarded on 16 April, 2019 to four companies nominated or linked to him.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, said the Panel was only saddled with probing the tenure of the IMC since October last year.
Adetumbi said the activities of NDDC before October 2019 was under forensic audit and the Committee will not look into it.
The forensic audit was ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
(Meanwhile) The sum of N1.5bn was used as COVID-19 relief fund for staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Kemebradikumo Pondei, Acting Managing Director of the commission, said.
Pondei disclosed this at the investigative hearing on the N40bn corruption allegation against the commission.
The Senate had on May 5 set up a seven-man ad-hoc committee to investigate the financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.
The MD and other delegates from the commission appeared before the committee on Thursday for the hearing.
The lawmakers raised concerns over the spending at the NDDC, noting that the commission spent N40bn last three months without due process.
However, Pondei when giving account of how money was spent, said staff of the agency had to be catered for, too.
He said, “We used it (N1.5bn) to take care of ourselves. We are NDDC, we need to take care of ourselves too.”
Part of the audit report read out by the Chairman of the committee, Olubunmi Adetunmbi, said N3.1bn was spent as COVID-19 funds between October 2019 and May 2020.
In the report, the lawmaker said, “N10m was paid to one person, N7m to two people, N5m to three people, 148 people took N3m each, 157 people got N1.5m each, 497 people got N1m each and 464 people were paid N600,000 each.”
Another N475m was given to the police to purchase face masks and hand sanitisers, he added.
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