To further strengthen the ongoing reforms and transformation of Nigeria’s Petroleum sector, and in furtherance of efforts to achieve greater transparency and accountability in government, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the re-composition of the executive management team of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as follows:
1. Engr. Andrew Yakubu – Group Managing Director
2. Mr. Bernard O.N. Otti – Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts)
3. Engr. Abiye Membere – Group Executive Director (Exploration and Production)
4. Dr. Peter S. Nmadu – Group Executive Director (Corporate Services)
5. Engr. Anthony Ogbuigwe – Group Executive Director (Refineries & Petrochemicals)
6. Dr. Attahir B. Yusuf – Group Executive Director (Commercial & Investments)
7. Dr. David Ige – Group Executive Director (Gas & Power)
The incoming Group Managing Director, Engr. Andrew Yakubu graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He joined the NNPC in 1980. Positions he has held in the corporation include Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company and Group Executive Director (Exploration and Production). Engr. Yakubu is an indigene of Kaduna State and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
President Jonathan has also approved the appointment of Engr. Victor Briggs as the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
The incumbent Group Managing Director, Engr. Austen Oniwon, and Mr. Michael Arokodare (outgoing Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts), Mr. Philip Chukwu, outgoing Group Executive Director (Refineries & Petrochemicals), and Engr. Billy Agha, outgoing Group Executive Director (Engineering & Technology) are to proceed on retirement.
President Jonathan commends the outgoing directors for their service to the nation and urges the new management team to be fully committed to rapidly implementing the critical interventions needed to positively transform Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that 20 bombs have exploded in a town within Dala Local Government Area [LGA] in Kano – followed by intense gun fire.
Security reports from the field in Kano indicate that the incident – which is still ongoing as at 8:11pm – is believed to be occurring at Gworon Dutse axis near Gwanmaja town. It is gathered that the area where the explosions occurred is near a Prison and the home of a weathly Kano indigene, Malam Ishiaku Rabiu. The area is said to house a Mosque erected by Ishiaku Rabiu – the Mosque is populary refered to as Ishiaku Rabiu Mosque – located along Ishiaku Rabiu road. The prison is located across from a historic rock/mountain along the same road.
The security operative who spoke to 247ureports.com indicate that the secutiry agents are unsure what the target of the attack was but “these guys are serious” stated the security source. The men of the joint task force [JTF] are said to have mobilized to the area – but the gun fire is reported to be heated.
The gun battle began at about 7:20pm following the bombs which exploded at about 7:15pm.
According to the security operative in Kano, the attack mimics the attack in Damaturu by agents of boko haram on Sunday at the Prison – where 44 prisoners were freed.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday shunned a debate organised in Benin City by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) for deputy governorship candidates of political parties participating in the July 14, 2012governorship election in the state.
The debate, moderated by Nancy Iloh, was organised to afford the parties the opportunity to sell their programmes and policies to enable the voters in the state make informed choice in the governorship election next month.
No reason was advanced for the absence of the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Mr. Johnson Abolagba. Feelers from the party, however, indicated last night that it was a party decision not to attend any debate for the governorship candidate and his deputy.
Two other parties, the Labour Party (LP) and National Conscience Party (NCP) also stayed away from the debate.
Four parties presented their deputy governorship candidates for the debate. They are Dr Pius Odubu of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); Mr Felix Konomoore of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP); Dr. PaulOyarenua of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Elder Isaac ogona of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP).
The candidates answered questions from a three-man panel consisting of senior journalists selected by the Nigeria Election Debate Group.
The second leg of the debates will bring the governorship candidates together today (Wednesday) while the final leg of the debates will hold on July 5, 2012.
Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has stated that his
administration is investing heavily on education to secure a brighter
future for Imo children.
Governor Okorocha, who stated this during an interactive session with
leaders of Oru West LGA in Government House, Owerri, maintained that available statistics have indicated that education remains the biggest
industry in the state.
The governor, who also reeled out the achievements of his
administration in other sectors within one year said, “Yes, we are
investing heavily on education because it has remained the biggest
industry for us in the state. Also, as a responsible government, we
must ensure that we secure a brighter future for our children through
free, compulsory and quality education”
Governor Okorocha further enumerated the achievements in the education
sector to include free education to the tertiary level, improved
subvention of N252 million to Imo State University from N56 million,
improved subvention of N98 million to Imo State Polytechnics’, Umuagwo
from N45 million, construction of Imo College of Advanced Professional
Studies [ICAPS], Young Scientist College and 305 European standard
schools in the state.
He further disclosed that the state government would soon take
delivery of 15 container loads of school uniforms, sandals, desks,
books and other learning materials that will be freely distributed to
school children under the free education programme.
Similarly, governor Okorocha has promised to partner with the Joint
Admission and Matriculation Board [JAMB] in its proposed Information
Technological Institute. He expressed that such partnership becomes
necessary considering the fact that Imo has always led other states in
the education sector in the country.
The governor, who stated this when the management of JAMB led by the
Chief Registrar/CEO, Prof. Diobu Ojerinde paid him a courtesy visit
in Government House, Owerri, urged the body to consider Imo as
priority state as it has continued to record the highest number of
applicants seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Earlier, Prof Ojerinde said his team is in Government House to
congratulate the governor on his wonderful achievements in the
education sector.
CAPTAIN WADA, STOP THIS BLACKMAIL OF THE JUDICIARY, PDP AND EFCC
1. Our attention has been drawn to series of articles, press statements as well as coordinated campaigns in both electronic and print media aimed at tarnishing the reputation of our principal, Alhaji Jibrin Isah (Echocho) orchestrated by one Captain Idris Wada, parading himself as the governor of Kogi State.
2. As a responsible organization, and conscious of the fact that most of the issues been bandied about are before competent courts in the country, we had earlier opted to keep mute, knowing that only fools would continue to hit their heads against the wall even after being told that they have come to the end of the road.
3. However, it has become absolutely necessary for us to speak up, in view of the desperation and brazen impunity with which some of the characters associated with the said Captain Wada have carried on with the mission to “destroy at all cost” the character, person and reputation of Alhaji Jibrin Isah, who remains the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State.
4. Needless to say that it is impossible to ignore last week’s ignoble plea by the same Captain Wada to the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur that the latter should rescue him from Alhaji Jibrin Isah who he claimed was making it impossible for him (Wada) to rule Kogi State.
5. Captain Wada’s plea follows after an evil campaign in the media seeking to compel (at all cost) the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to make Jibrin Isah ‘an accused’ instead of a prosecution witness? The main objective being to have Echocho detained while Captain Wada holds sway as the lord of the manor in Kogi State.
6. There is no doubt that the plea to the PDP National Chairman was meant to enroll him into a satanic and illegal project, since it is public knowledge that judgment is to be delivered by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, June 29 , 2012. Counsel for Wada and Isah have already submitted addresses and judgement is due. Perhaps, Wada and his cohorts seek to smear the integrity of our able Chairman, Alhaji Tukur and his team who have consistently said that the era of impunity and lack of internal party democracy are over with their election. We must not allow these men with less than positive motives have their way.
7. Most importantly, well meaning Nigerians ought to call the said Wada to order as his comments and actions convey a more sinister intention of seeking to blackmail the judiciary by cleverly obfuscating the duty of the judge who by now must be considering issues raised by counsel of both parties and to decide either way, based on his conviction on the points of law. Is it possible that Captain Wada has foreseen the curtain drawn on his illegal mandate by the forthcoming judgment? Does his plea to the PDP chairman not amount to seeking to truncate a process?
8. Similarly, there is no other conclusion that could be reached by the current effort to compel the EFCC to ‘convert’ Alhaji Jibrin Isah Echocho who was made a prosecution witness since 2008 to an accused except to state unequivocally that this is the handiwork or machination of a drowning man. Why did Captain Wada wait till 2012 before calling on the EFCC to arrest and detain Alhaji Isah? Is there any new evidence been leveled against Echocho while serving as executive director of Afribank to warrant such an obnoxious request? Or is it just a case of simply holding on to any straw to stay afloat?
9. We have repeatedly stated that our mandate is of God and freely given to us by PDP faithful in Kogi State. It is the same mandate that we have put before the judiciary based on the rule of law. We have neither resorted to self help, nor attempted to circumvent the process by arm twisting the judiciary and the EFFCC. Why is it so difficult for Wada and his fellow travelers to follow this time tested route? The other day, they compelled the President of the Customary Court of Appeal to swear in Wada as governor, while there is a subsisting Chief Judge in the state. Now they want the PDP national chairman, the Federal High Court and the EFCC to do their bidding. Is there no end to this blatant greed for power?
10. While we believe in any reconciliatory move by them, we state that there can be no reconciliation devoid of fairness and the rule of law. Threats and the litany of sponsored media propaganda by the Wada’s camp is only a lazy form of grief: a man must accept his fate or be destroyed by it. As we contend with the disdainful oddities of Capt.Wada and his group, we are hopeful that the law will eventually take its full course. For however long the night may take, dawn must surely break.
11. Friday 29th June, seems so far away for our traducers. But we have been waiting for over thirty weeks for justice to be done. Our faith in the judiciary remains unshakeable. No blackmail or intimidation would dissuade us from our avowed path of righteousness. We shall overcome….!
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on June 26, 2012, arraigned the duo of Adolphus Reuben, 80, and Miguel Enwerem before Justice Suleiman.B. Belgore of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory , Abuja , on a 19 count charge of forgery. The offence is punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The suspects were alleged to have forged a Corporate Affairs Commission document, Form CAC7, in the name of Ideal Travel Agency Limited and used same as genuine sometime in October, 2010.
When the charges were read to the accused persons, they all pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Counsel to the first accused person, J.O.Obono-Obla moved a motion asking the court to grant the accused bail. The application supported by a ten paragraph affidavit, urged the court to consider the age of the accused person and the fact that he has been on administrative bail since February, 2011, assuring that he will not jump bail.
Counsel to the second accused person, E.T.Bukar, who aligned with Obono-Obla urged to court to exercise its discretion in favour of his client, assuring that he will not jump bail.
The prosecution counsel, Mammud Bello raised no objection to the bail application by the accused persons.
After listening to both counsel, the Judge granted the accused bail in the sum of five million naira each and two sureties in like sum. The sureties, the judge said must be a civil servant not below the rank of a level seven officer.
Count six of the nineteen count charge reads:
“That you Adolphus Reuben, Miguel Enwerem and others at large on or about the 18th of October, 2010 at Abuja in the Abuja judicial division of the high court of the federal capital territory made a false General Title Form ‘A’ of the High Court of the federal capital territory in the name of one Enwerem Evan and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 364 of the penal code Act cap 532 laws of the federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 2004”.
The case has been adjoined to 24th and 25thOctober, 2012 for hearing.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Monday announced the suspension of all part-time programmes run by universities in the country.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Julius Okojie, also announced the results of accreditation of courses run by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Prof Okojie said the commission wanted to streamline part-time programmes such that it would accommodate not more than 20 per cent of the students in universities and stop the establishment of satellite campuses.\\The commission announced that 30 NOUN programmes have been granted accreditation.
Prof Okojie said four programmes- Cooperative Management, Entrepreneurship and Business Management, Agric Extension and Management and Hotel & Catering Management were granted full accreditation, 29 programmes were granted interim accreditation while Nursing Science was denied accreditation for failing to meet requirements.
It is becoming a pattern for the Nigerian National Petroleum corporation and her sister corporation, the Department of Petroleum Resources to start up a nationwide recruitment that is duly published in the national dailies for qualified Nigerians in different fields of studies, and later abandon the process unattended. This unacceptable trend has elicited so much condemnation among the Nigerian populace as it poses a threat of serious malfunction in the public service system.
There is no doubt that, the NNPC has one of the best recruitment process in Nigeria owing to the standard applicants go through during recruitment process stages. This best recruitment process will have no difference with a waste in the bin if after spending tax payers money to hire one of the best recruitment consultants through which qualified Nigerians for the job are selected, it then ends it with a perpetual silence as was the case of NNPC, 2008 nationwide recruitment.
In March, 2010 the Department of Petroleum Resources called on qualified Nigeria graduates (University and Polytechnics) for various positions in the establishment through the national dailies through Eraproserve, a consulting firm. Qualified graduates applied and were invited for aptitude test across the nation. Those who made the aptitude test were subsequently invited for oral interview; but to our greatest dismay nothing has been heard from the DPR concerning the release of appointment letters to the successful candidates even after the list of the short-listed candidates has sailed through Federal Character Commission(FCC).
Also, in the last quarter of 2010, the hope of many graduate Nigerians was heightened with the release of the recruitment campaign by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC in November. This was a period when political campaigns were at the centre stage for 2011 elections. The job advert was made public with a large number of applications in four categories namely: Graduate Trainee, Trainee Operators, Experience Hire and Contractors; as applications were made till the advert expired December 31, 2010.
The corporation in conjunction with Phillips consulting limited invited thousands of pre-qualified candidates to an aptitude/skills test which was held on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at various centres across the country. Many of these graduates took the risk with the hope of contributing their worth to the national development and took part in the aptitude test.
Subsequent to the release of the result for the aptitude test, candidates were invited for oral interview as usual at the NNPC towers, Abuja between July and August, 2011 to end the interview process of over four thousand persons that made it to the interview stage. However, till this moment, the NNPC and DPR have not published the names of the successful candidates according to the Federal Character commission act. Neither have they reimbursed these candidates who threw caution to the winds to make the interview at the period when the security situation was very sensitive.
The Nigerian 2010/2011 NNPC/DPR recruitment online Movement reminds his Excellency, president Jonathan of his promise to fully implement the job creation committee’s recommendations. According to the president at the first ever presidential summit on job creation, he said and I quote “This government will seize the opportunities that abound in the agricultural and downstream petroleum sectors of the economy to engage the country’s youths productively so they don’t become prey for mischievous elements”.
Nigerian will be as productive as the government under which they support. In February 2012, many organisations and MDA’s came defending their 2012 annual budget of which the Minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke also came highlighting the cause of high cost of 2012 budget comprising N51,324,227,840.00 for recurrent expenditure while N8,340,300.00 is for completion of ongoing capital projects. She could be right to say that, the intending recruitment was responsible for it; hence it is amazing to know that this NNPC/ DPR recruitment has spanned for twenty seven months and nineteen months respectively. Thus, this memo is hinged on the disheartening situation of the 2008 recruitment which did not see the light of the day after undergoing the same recruitment processes, even to medical level.
All relevant bodies ARE CALLED UPON, agencies and government; the National Assembly, the Federal Characters Commission, NNPC and DPR board , National Human Rights Commission, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the presidency to inquire into this ugly pattern being set by the NNPC and DPR in this recruitment saga, to urgently come to the aid of these Nigerian youths who holds the peace & unity, growth & development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to a very high esteem and have made it on the final list on merit, in view to resolving the perpetual delay of the recruitment exercise ,as well as to eschew any potential protest by concerned Nigeria youths which may misconstrue the highly rated Good luck Jonathan’s Administration as not adhering and supportive of programs geared towards the empowerment of the Nigerian youth.
Expelled ANCYL President also denies being bankrolled by Zanu-PF linked businessmen
This weekend the Zanu-PF supporting Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe) published extensive reports on an interview between Assistant Editor Munyaradzi Huni and expelled ANC Youth League President Julius Malema. Malema was quoted as saying that he did not think that South African President Jacob Zuma was “a neutral facilitator in the Zimbabwean problems. He has very strong views about President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.” This “hatred” he put down to Mugabe’s perceived past support for former President Thabo Mbeki.
Malema also denied allegations that he had been bankrolled by elements in Zanu-PF stating: “I don’t have any business in Zimbabwe and I don’t get any funding from Zimbabwe. I wish Zimbabweans can make an offer which we can declare in public because I am now unemployed. I will never be shy to do business with my fellow Africans…if I had anything to do with Zimbabwe, I would declare it. I am under investigations by South African authorities. We all know that they are chasing me so they have access to my bank accounts, access to my cellphone…Tyson (Minister Saviour Kasukuwere) is my only friend in Zimbabwe and if I was involved in any deals with him, they should have picked it up.”
He said that his earlier visit to Zimbabwe had sharpened his pre-existing radicalism. “The reason why I was welcomed properly in Zimbabwe is because of my radical stance, but I must say I even got more inspired in Zimbabwe . I learnt that people can take charge of what rightly belongs to them. Not cowards. Zimbabweans are not cowards. They are not scared to take a risk. That’s why even those who leave Zimbabwe illegally to cross into South Africa, they cross through rivers that have crocodiles.”
Malema also commented on white South Africans, Jacob Zuma, Kgalema Motlanthe and other matters. Key extracts follow below.
On white control of the South African economy:
“They [whites] control everything. They hold 80 percent of the economy. They have got huge influence in the judiciary, they have got huge influence in the media and even in politics. Some of them have even co-opted some of our leaders into their neo-liberal agenda of undermining a progressive change. So you should not undermine their influence and actually they have noticed that because there is some lack of unity amongst the freedom fighters, that represents an opportunity for them to infiltrate us and to regroup and still perpetuate the apartheid laws and an attitude by manipulating the democratic laws. So they use our own laws, they use our own state to actually continue with their agendas of making the black majority South Africans suffer. And they do that unashamedly, some of our leaders are part of that now. There are some amongst us who have just sold out and are not prepared to continue with the struggle.”
On the need for whites to surrender their land:
“They need to just change the conditions and they need to be prepared to share with the rest of the country, including surrendering the land they stole through committing black genocide when they engaged in the wars of dispossession. They need to begin surrendering some of those things because our people are running out of patience. We are now going into almost 20 years into democracy and our people have got very little to show for this democracy, and this cannot be correct. So the sooner they surrender, especially the economic power, which is what our people need today, the better in order to guarantee their security.”
On his views of Jacob Zuma:
“I think I have made a point that we actually misled ourselves because, like artists, we decided to throw our own imaginations which were not real. We used to say President Zuma knows everything about the economy, he is an economist . . . but the reality is that, he didn’t know anything about the economy. We said he was a unifier, but the reality is that he is a divider. The ANC is more divided today than it was before and his style of leadership is that of being intolerant to those who have got a different view.”
On who will be elected ANC President in December:
“I don’t want to predict that because there are many names that the comrades are throwing around, but it’s definitely not President Zuma. I don’t see him coming back. He should face reality and start packing his bags. As a way to show that he has no confidence, he has suppressed anybody from speaking about that because he is scared of rejection.”
On Kgalema Motlanthe:
“The ANC has contributed a lot to what we are today and the ANC continues to play that role. I wouldn’t single out one individual because we are close to many leaders of the ANC, but I know that Cde Kgalema Motlanthe made a huge contribution, especially when he became a national leader when I was president of COSAS we would make radical statements and he would make time to sit down with us . . . he would sit down with us and engage us on the statements we would have made, including giving us guidance as to how some of those statements could be very dangerous. We always listened to his advice and we always appreciated his patience.”
On Zuma’s views of Mugabe and Zanu-PF
“I think Zimbabweans and Zanu-PF and President Mugabe, what contributes more to his hatred of those comrades is because of their close relationship with President Mbeki then. And I think he suspects that they might have supported President Mbeki and not him and this is an opportunity to get to them.”
On the reasons for his expulsion from the ANC:
“… I was expelled for Botswana, but Botswana is the resolution of the Youth League. It’s there in black and white. I was expelled for African leadership, but there has been a decline since the departure of President Mbeki. It’s there in the resolutions of the Youth League. Those are not Malema family trust resolutions. They are resolutions of the Youth League. They didn’t expel me because of those things. They are scared of the Youth League. They are scared of children. They are cowards because if they were not cowards, they were supposed to challenge our views through branches of the ANC.
They must put those views to the test and see if those views will see the light of day. But they know that if this Youth League is still there, its views will prevail. They are scared of nationalisation because they are in the pockets of capitalists.
On whether he believes he will one day lead the ANC:
“Yes, I will lead the ANC. When you grow up in the ANC, in the Youth League, you are actually in a school to become the leader of the ANC.”
On the recent South African court rulings against Zanu-PF regime:
“South African courts should never create an impression that they have jurisdiction in Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans have their own courts. Zimbabwe is a sovereign country and South African judges and the judiciary should respect that. They can’t instruct the government of South Africa to say go and do this investigation about Zimbabwe. It’s wrong. It’s not done. Zimbabwe should be respected. It’s not a tenth province of South Africa.”
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (2nd R), State Information Commissioner, Chike Ogeah, (R) Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, Commissioner for Works (2nd L) and Chief Frank Omare, of Environment during the Governor’s inspection of flooded roads and the ongoing drainage projects in Asaba.
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Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State (3rd L), the State Information Commissioner, Chike Ogeah (ESQ), (3rd R) Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, Commissioner for Works (2nd L) and Chief Frank Omare, (1st L) of Environment during the Governor’s inspection of flooded roads and the ongoing drainage project in Asaba.
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Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and others during the Governor’s inspection of flooded Roads and the ongoing drainage projects in Asaba
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Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and others during the Governor’s inspection of flooded roads and the ongoing drainage projects in Asaba.
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Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and others during the Governor’s inspection of flooded roads and the ongoing drainage projects in Asaba.
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Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, fielding questions from Journalists shortly after his inspection of flooded roads and the ongoing drainage project in Asaba.
