Press Statement NIGERIANS SHOULD IGNORE ANY BLACK MARKET INJUNCTION
There are rumours circulating that the desperate Jonathan administration has purchased a black market injunction possibly from the National Industrial Court (NIC). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is not aware of any such injunction, we were no…t served any paper of court appearance, we were not present in court nor were we represented in any capacity.
Also, the NLC was not served any court summons nor were we served any court order. The cretins in the Jonathan administration imagine that by seeking to drag the judiciary in the mud, they can avert the general strikes, rallies and mass protests that will begin on Monday 9th January, 2012. They cannot make the simple analysis that the whole populace is angry and that Nigerians do not need any group to ask them to protest an evil policy that seeks to impoverish them.
The NLC asks Nigerians to ignore this childish ploy and rumour; there is no going back on next week’s protests and shutdown. The issue of the strikes, protests and against an obnoxious policy, is not and industrial relations one; it is not between an employer and an employee. Rather it is one between the Nigerian People versus the Jonathan Government. So if the issue was taken before the National Industrial Court, then it is the wrong place to shop for a black market injunction.
To obtain an injunction from a court that has no competent jurisdiction is to try playing ping pong with the judiciary. Labour reiterates that the constitutional and fundamental right of Nigerians to protest cannot be annulled. The NLC asks Nigerians to ignore such rumours; the strikes, mass rallies and protests will go on as scheduled. The NLC advises the Jonathan administration to listen to the people or face their justifiable wrath.
The leadership of the lower house of the National Assembly has summoned the lawmakers for an emergency session scheduled for Sunday January 8, 2012. The announcement was made on the late evening of Friday January 6, 2012. The aim of the emergency session is not readily clear.
The call for emergency meeting came on the heels of an injunction obtained by President Jonathan from an industrial court against the planned mass-action strike starting Monday January 9, 2011. The Labor Congress and the other organizers of the strike who waved aside to the injunction stated an Industrial court does not have the power to issue injunctions rather it is given the power to mediate between labor unions and the employer [government].
Already, sources have pointed to hushed moves to initiate impeachment proceedings against the President for his mishandling of the Boko Haram menace and the oil subsidy removal. 247ureports.com had reported on the imminent impeachment threat last week. Our sources reveal that the legislators may call for a vote of no confidence of the President.
Two persons have been killed and three others wounded by unidentified gunmen in Mubi, Adamawa.
An eye witness, Malam Sulaiman Bappa, said that two gunmen on a motorcycle shot the victims at a residential area, adjacent to a beer parlour in Sabon-Pegi area of Mubi, at about 8:30 pm yesterday.
Bappa said the two persons died instantly, while three others sustained injuries from the attack.
“One of the victims is a dealer in cattle and he might have been tracked by armed robbers”, Bappa added.
Mr Sakawa Israel, the Principal Medical Officer of Mubi General Hospital, confirmed that the corpses were deposited at the mortuary and that those injured were currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
When contacted, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), ASP Altine Daniel, also confirmed the incident, saying that investigation into the case was in progress.
However, the bandits had on December 28, 2011, killed four traders at the Mubi Central Market.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said deregulation of the petroleum sector is a necessary change Nigeria must make if government will have a significant impact in the lives of citizens.
President Jonathan was speaking to Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Special Adviser to the United Nations’ Secretary General, at State House, Friday.
He said the country’s 2010 capital budget was funded with borrowed money, the equivalent of which was used to fund the subsidy last year, adding that “no meaningful infrastructural development is possible in such an environment”.
President Jonathan stated that Administration was committed to making significant and enduring interventions in the areas of power generation and supply, roads, railways, capacity building and health, adding that these sectors have already been opened to private sector participation.
The President expressed appreciation to Prof. Sachs for his concern for the development of Nigeria and Africa.
Earlier, Prof. Sachs had commended President Jonathan for the conditional grants to local governments for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, describing it as “one of the most innovative schemes of using national resources for local government development”.
He described President Jonathan’s decision to withdraw petroleum subsidy as “a bold and correct policy”, adding that funds so released would go a long way to rapid infrastructural development and the health sector.
Musa Aduwak
For: Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity)
The prices of petroleum products in Nigeria have been a source of contention and controversy. This paper proposes to clarify the actual total cost by adding the costs of all components in retail supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS aka Petrol or Gasoline) the most widely demanded and utilized petroleum product.
BACKGROUND
The prices of petroleum products in Nigeria have been a source of contention and controversy. This paper proposes to clarify the actual total cost by adding the costs of all components in retail supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS aka Petrol or Gasoline) the most widely demanded and utilized petroleum product. The cost components are finding, developing, producing, refining, distributing and marketing. The amount of subsidy on the retail price is then determined by the difference between the actual cost and the retail price.
The method adopted for this cost determination is similar to that used by the American Petroleum Institute (API) for the analysis of the actual total cost of gasoline (PMS) in the U.S. It splits the retail cost into the major components: cost of crude oil, the cost of refining and marketing and the sum of all taxes. This method is simple and accurate.
The most accurate industry data has been obtained from and confirmed independently for this effort by industry experts. The draft paper was also reviewed and endorsed by several other experts. The data and analysis herein are as at October, 2005. Exchange rate applied is N130/USD.
THE PETROL PROCESS
To purchase petrol in Nigeria, we typically drive to a Fuel Station. The fuel attendant pumps the requested quantity and payment is made in cash, electronically (Value card, Top card, etc.) or otherwise. The Fuel station typically receives its supply from road tankers which have been loaded at an NNPC or other fuel depots. The NNPC depots receive their supply from local refineries through pipelines. Imported petroleum products are evacuated from ocean-going tankers to local depots which then supply to Fuel stations by road tankers.
Local refineries receive their feed Crude oil through pipelines from oil terminals. The Crude oil is produced by oil companies from wells in their OMLs (Oil Mining Lease). The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) is the senior partner in Joint Ventrure (JV) oil producing companies. The NNPC manages FGN investments in the JVs. Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) are a different relationship from Joint Ventures. This determination is based on JV production which represents most of the Nigerian production. PSC production can be similarly treated.
COMPONENT COSTS Crude oil is first discovered (Exploration), then the discovery is developed (Field Development) before it can be produced (Production Operations). It is then refined into petroleum products which are distributed and sold for utilization. The costs of Exploration, Field Development, Production Operations, Refining, Distribution and Marketing (Retail sales) are identified herein. The sum of all product cost components is the actual cost of the product.
EXPLORATION COSTS
Exploration costs typically include seismic acquisition and interpretation costs. Exploratory well costs can be included in development costs since the exploratory well can be easily converted to a development well. 3D Siesmic acquisition costs vary based on contractor, coverage, terrain, time, season, water depth, methods, commercial terms, special considerations, etc. Typical costs range from 20 – 70,000 USD/KM2. Interpretation costs range typically from 2-8,000 USD/KM2. We will use 50,000 USD/KM2 as estimated cost of 3D seismic acquisition and interpretation. For a 10 KM2 field with 20 Million barrels recovery; exploration costs can be estimated to be about: – 0.025 USD/Bbl. This is equivalent to, 0.02 N/Litre.
DEVELOPMENT COSTS
Opportunity development costs depend on field location, size, development philosophy and concept. Development cost will include capital costs of field facilities design, procurement, transportation, installation and commissioning. Cost of wells and pipelines to existing terminals are also included. It will typically vary from 2-5 USD/Bbl.
At the NAPE (National Association of Petroleum Explorationists) annual conference in 2005, offshore development costs was indicated as 5 USD/Bbl. However, historical data for completed projects offshore are closer to 3 USD/Bbl. Onshore development costs are also significantly lower than offshore costs. To averagely represent the entire JV operational environment scenarios (offshore and onshore) this paper will capture development cost as: – 4 USD/Bbl. This is equivalent to, 3.27 N/Litre.
OPERATION COSTS (OPEX)
Current (2005) production operation costs of major oil companies surveyed indicated a range of 1.5-4 USD/Bbl. This includes all overhead costs across relevant functions. This paper will capture OPEX as: – 3.0 USD/Bbl. This is equivalent to, 2.45 N/Litre.
Therefore, actual crude oil production cost to the Nigerian JV can then be estimated as:
(0.025 + 4.0 + 3.0) USD/Bbl = 7.025 USD/Bbl.
(0.02 + 3.27 + 2.45) N/Litre = 5.74 N/Litre.
Previous government (NNPC) estimates (1994 – ’98) yielded 5 USD/Bbl. The difference in these estimates can be attributed to rising oil industry service costs due to international market dynamics, inflation and/or to estimate basis differences.
For typical refinery yield of 95%; 5.74 N/Litre translates to – 6.04 N/Litre.
This compensates for volume losses inherent in the crude oil refining process.
REFINING COSTS
Installed refining capacity in Nigeria stands at 445,000 Barrels per day (BPD).
This is made up of:
1. Old Port Harcourt Refinery – 60,000 BPD
2. New Port Harcourt Refinery – 150,000 BPD
3. Warri Refinery – 125,000 BPD (Upgraded from 100)
Refining cost data from these refineries could not be obtained during our survey. Even when such data is available, they are very unreliable. According to the Nigerian Vice-President during an interview with Thisday newspaper in August 2005, “We have never got correct statistics from NNPC. They will never be able to tell you the correct thing. We have that problem with NNPC”.
To estimate refining costs, we can rely on international industry data from similar refineries. Contemporary refining technology is of the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) process like most Nigerian refineries. This process requires fluidizing the solid catalyst and re-circulating it continuously from the reaction section of the cracker to the catalyst regeneration section and back to the reaction section.
Data published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) estimates Gross Refining and Distribution/Marketing Costs and Profits at $1.00 per Gallon in October 2005. Using a 50/50 split as established by historical U.S. cost trends, it can be clearly concluded that Refining costs and Profits, account for $0.50 per Gallon. This value includes the profits of the refineries.
The estimate can be used for this determination since it is from mostly FCC process based refineries just as most Nigerian refineries. Actual refining costs may be lower in Nigeria since labour costs are significantly lower in Nigeria. $0.50 per Gallon translates to $21/Bbl. We will capture refining costs as $21/Bbl. This is, 17.17 N/Litre.
DISTRIBUTION COSTS
Distribution costs in Nigeria are established by regulation. This is the cost margin allowed for Road Tankers that transport Petrol from the Depots to the Fuel Stations. As at Oct. 2005, it was, 2.42 N/Litre.
MARKETING COSTS
Marketing Costs in Nigeria are also established by regulation. This is the cost margin allowed for Oil marketing companies that operate Fuel Retail Stations. As at Oct. 2005, it was, 5.87 N/Litre.
TOTAL COST
The total cost can then be determined as the summation of all relevant cost components previously estimated viz., Exploration, Development, Production Operations, Refining, Distribution and Marketing.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Average cost of the Petrol dispensed at retail Fuel Stations in Nigeria is, 31.50 N/Litre.
CURRENT RETAIL PRICE
Current retail Price as established by regulation has been, N65/Liter since 2005. This regulated price is split to cost components in line with the following benchmarks;
56.71 – Depot Price.
2.42 – Transportation Margin.
1.15 – Dealer’s Margin.
4.72 – Marketing Company Margin.
65.00 Retail Price.
SUBSIDY
Subsidy can be determined as Actual Cost – Sale Price.
Consequently,
Subsidy = (31.50 – 65) N/Litre. =-33.50N/Litre
CONCLUSION
We can confidently conclude that government makes a profit of 33.50 N/Litre on PMS (Petrol) at the current price of 65 N/Litre. This translates to a very high 106% profit per litre.
In addition the government benefits from royalties, taxes and fees which were not factored in this simplified analysis. When factored, the actual crude cost per barrel to government is significantly less and its profit correspondingly higher.
The claim of subsidies on petroleum products is clearly incorrect.
POST SCRIPT
This analysis has been deliberately simplified to ensure wider appeal and easy comprehension. A much more detailed and rigorous analysis will be inappropriate for the objective indicated. It will also come to the same conclusion and have only an added academic value.
For imported Petrol, this estimate will not apply.
Imported Petrol has unnecessary additional costs like;
1. International Crude Oil Sale Price and Profit Margins.
2. Transportation Costs of Products from source Country to Nigeria.
3. Port Charges, Taxes and Export duties at source Country.
4. Insurance costs for transportation.
5. Brokerage costs for agents.
To improve domestic supply and reduce cost, the following can be considered;
– Maximize existing local refining capacity utilization.
– Increase existing local refining capacity by building additional refineries.
– Improve JV crude oil development and production efficiency to reduce costs.
C SUPA 2006.
References;
> Offshore Engineering Operations Overview, JM Campbell and Company.
> Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), 2005 Annual Conference Proceedings.
> API Statistics: U.S. Pump Price Update – Oct. 3, 2005, API Website.
> National Petroleum News, Vol. 96, No. 6, June 2004.
> Thisday Newspapers, August 22, 2005.
> Petroleum Marketing Monthly, June 2004, Energy Information Administration.
> Behind the bottom line, Energy Information Administration, June 2006.
Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman representing Kogi Central on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has debunked media report in a national daily that several vehicles were burnt in Okene, the headquarters of the senatorial district during the anti-fuel subsidy removal protest.
A national newspaper had reported that scores of vehicle plying Okene highway, especially those suspected to belong to state and federal governments were said to have been set ablaze in the course of the demonstration.
But in a statement signed by Michael Jegede, the Media Assistant to the Senator, Abatemi-Usman said the report was untrue and a mere figment of the reporter’s imagination.
The Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs maintained that the said protest in Okene was very peaceful, as the people only came out to register their dissatisfaction over the withdrawal of subsidy.
“I wish to state very clearly that the report that several vehicles were burnt in Okene during the protest against subsidy removal in my senatorial zone, written by one Emmanuel Adeyemi in Lokoja and published on page 14 of the Daily Sun of Thursday, January 5, 2012 was untrue and misleading. The people of my constituency only came out to express their grievances over the removal of fuel subsidy which has caused them untold hardship since the beginning of the New Year. Unlike some other places that such protest turned violent, the people of Kogi Central Senatorial district, who have since resolved to live in peace, comported themselves in a peaceful manner during the protest, which according to my findings did not last as long as five hours as indicated in the report,” Abatemi-Usman said.
The Senator advised that journalists should always endeavour to verify any information before them to ensure factual reporting of events, so as to avoid misleading the public and creating a wrong impression about a person or group of persons.
He once again called on Nigerians to exercise caution and restraint on the issue of fuel subsidy, while expresing hope that something would definitely be done to reduce the unnecessary hardship the people are made go through.
Umuodagu Ntu in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area L.G.A is one of the
two parts into which Ntu town is traditionally divided. It is made up
of Umuogba, Umuaku, Umuolokoche, Umuokpo and Umuhoko villages. The
other part of Ntu is known as Umuneche, and is composed of Umuogbo,
Uvuru and Umuhitte village. Umuocham, which is part of Umuneche is
predominantly protestant with very few families of Catholics that
prefer to worship at Umuodagu Ntu. The traditional division of the
town has played a very important role in the sharing of amenities in
the town and also in determination of alliances during politics and
crises. It is interesting to note that the two sides are now two
parishes.
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:
In
the early twentieth century the people of Umuodagu Ntu were
predominantly idol-worshippers. What was known as Christian Church in
the place came into existence early in 1929. It was called the Delta
Church. Only very few relatively enlightened persons embraced it.
Later in the same year, one Mr. Ukaulor Asonye married from Umuaga
Nguru in Ngor Okpala L.G.A where the Catholic Church was already in
existence. Impressed and enthused with what he saw of the church, he
came home and summoned young men in the village. He explained to them what he saw and sold the idea of establishing the church in Umuaku. He
then led a deputation of young people to Umuaga to request for a
Catholic teacher to establish a station in Umuaku Ntu. The deputation
consisted of Ukaulor Asonye, Obasi Obikaram, Stephen Nwaorgu, all
late. The request was finally granted and one Mr. Micheal Nwagu was
sent as a teacher. He established the Catholic Church at Umuaku Ntu
inside the compound of one Nwaeke Odu. By then the station, like
Umuaga Nguru was under Emekuku Parish. Notable among those who
worshipped there were: Dennis Nwoko, Matthias Obikaram, Christian
Eshie, Joseph Nwaorgu, Livinus Amadi and Innocent Echebiri.
As years progressed teachers were posted and transferred out. However,
they were known as catechetical teachers and they taught catechisms
and prayers only; they were also known as station teachers. The name,
St. Paul, was given to the station right from the onset. It is
pertinent to mention that two Mary League girls of the 1930s and early
forties. Namely Miss Maria Nwaorgu and Bernadette Eletuo. They were
outstanding and exemplary in character.
THE RELOCATION OF THE CHURCH AND THE EARLY CHRISTIANS:
After few years of
existence, the population of worshippers increased and could not be
contained in the little mud house erected in Pa Nwaeke Odu’s premises,
the church was relocated to a site in Umuogba Ntu village which was
central to all the villages of Umuodagu Ntu. The relocation of the
church to a central venue brought about further increase in the
population of worshippers.
Prior to the establishment of Mbutu Okohia Parish in 1942 many of our
early catholic members had been baptized at Emekuku Parish, and a
handful had wedded there. The following were the early faithful who
married in church then: Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Onyeuche (1936), Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph Nwaorgu (1937), Mr. and Mrs. Christian Eshie (1938), Mr.
and Mrs. Silvanus Nwoke, Mr. and Mrs. Matthias Obikaram and Mr. and
Mrs. Livinus Amadi, all late.
Of particular mention among the above named couples was the family of
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Onyeuche. Dennis became the God father of most of
all that married in church after him and the wife, Agnes, became their
God mother. The wife, Agnes, was indeed the spark that kept the
Christian women in motion in church affairs. She gave the women all
the necessary information on what was expected of them, spearheaded
actions and went to the parish centre as often as her strength could
carry her. She liaised between the women members and the station
teachers and even the parish priest. No wonder, she was the daughter
of Chief Gabriel Ekpe, one of the key persons who opened up Mbutu
Okohia Parish.
St. PAUL’S UMUODAGU NTU AS A STATION UNDER MBUTU OKOHIA:
In the year 1942, St.
Paul’s Umuodagu Ntu became a station under Mbutu Okohia Parish, the
very year Mbutu Okohia parish was created. The Parish Priest then was
Rev. Fr. Doyle. The following Irish priests of blessed memory
evangelized the catholic faithful in Mbutu Okohia Parish; Rev. Fr. PJ
Doyle, Rev. Fr. Thompson, Rev. Fr. Shepherd, Rev. Fr. Reynald who died
in a motor cycle accident at Ohekelem, Rev. Fr. Gorman etc. St. Paul’s
Umuodagu remained as station under Mbutu Okohia Paris up to 1963, when
Rev. Fr. Gorman was the parish priest. Later in the early forties, the
station attracted a primary school. Both church and school grew side
by side adopting the same name and operating in the same building
until 1976.
THE CRISES IN NTU TOWN AND ITS IMPACT ON UMUODAGU CATHOLIC CHURCH:
In 1963, an internal crisis broke
out in Ntu and tore the town into its two traditional parts. The
crisis was of such a proportion and seriousness that the church and
schools in Ntu were affected and there was insecurity of life.
The strife rendered impossible, the movement of the faithful from
Umuodagu to Mbutu, Okohia Parish Centre as they had to pass through
Umuneche before getting to Mbutu Okohia. The alternative route to
Mbutu Okohhia which was through Okpala was a long way expensive. The
faithful could not attend sacrament as before and some were in danger
of falling away from the catholic faith. Our people withdrew all their
children who were attending school at Pa Patrick’s Central Ntu which
was located within Umuneche zone.
The above was the situation that impelled the members of St. Paul’s
Umuodagu to request His Lordship Bishop JB Whelan to be allowed to
join Okpala Parish which was safer for the people. The parish priest
at Mbutu Okohia did not take kindly to the request. On 11 April 1964,
the Bishop’s reply was received granting us the request to join Okpala
Parish. The reply came through Rev. Fr. Doheny, the then Parish
Priest/Rector of Okpala Seminary. On the same date, Saturday 11/4/1964
Fr. Doheny held the first confession in Umuodagu Station and on the
following day 12/4/1964 he said Mass and declared Open to join Okpala
Parish. The parishioners hived a sigh of life. Thanks should be given
to the following that fought relentlessly to ensure that separation
from Mbutu Okohia was a success. They are Mr. Paulinus Nwaorgu, late
Mr. Akanabu Augustine, late Mr. Livinus Amadi, late Boniface Agomuo,
late Innocent Echebiri, Mr. Vincent Eletuo and Sir. Bonaventure Okere.
It is now a self-evident truth that tore Ntu town apart, over the
years, has now been resolved and peace restored.
ACQUIRING LAND FOR A CHURCH BUILDING:
Hitherto the church has been worshipping in a mud house, which it
shared with the Holy Rosary School which is located in the same
premises. At this point in time the population of the church has so
increased that the building became so small for the number. In 1974,
the Church acquired a piece of land from late Pa Livinus Amadi and
Bernard Njoku C. from Umulokoche and Umuogba Ntu respectively. On 8
April 1974, work started on the construction of a new church building.
It is the building that is still serving the parish.
The church made tremendous progress under Okpala Parish. The C.M.O and
C.W.O members as well as the youths in the church knew no second
position in any competition in the parish. They were exemplary.
Inspired by the feat so far achieved and the great population some
members of the station started to nurse the idea of a separate parish.
Considering the station as qualified for a parish status, members on 3
February 2001, applied to the Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Dr.
A.J.V Obinna for separate existence for a parish. The struggle for a
parish was by Mr. Augustine Akanabu, Dr. Titus Okere, late Mr. Patrick
Ikeagwuonu, late Boniface Ihesiolu and some others. To ensure the
success of application, members were asked to start a Rev. Father’s
House which was embarked upon immediately. By then, Rev Fr.Ononiwu the
then Parish Priest of Okpala was directing affairs. On 13 April 2006,
St. Paul’s Umuodagu was granted a Parish Status by the amiable
Archbishop A.J.V Obinna. After date the church still operated under
Okpala Parish until the Rev Fr’s. House was ready. Mr. Michael Anaele
was appointed the Parish Council Chairman.
On 20 February 2007 the church had full autonomy and the first parish
priest Rev. Fr .Bethrand Osinachi Ujunwa arrived. He celebrated a
thanksgiving mass on 21 February 2007. Being Ash Wednesday.On Sunday,
25th February we celebrated a thanksgiving mass and a reception of the
pioneer parish priest. Then Sir Bonaventure Okere was appointed the
parish council chairman and comrade Maria Eke the secretary. The C.W.O
was manned by an indomitable woman, Mr.Anthonia Amadi who with her
then secretary, Mrs. Cecilia Okere saw to the smooth transition from
station to parish.
The first parish priest Rev. Fr. Ujunwa is still with us and is
someone loved by every member of the church,old and young. His
reputation as an ideal and exemplary priest spreads over to our
protestant neigbours, some of who occasionally attends his masses and
come to him for resolution of their problems. Fr.Ujunwa knows every
member of the parish by name. The parish also boasts of an
indefatigable catechist by name Mr. Vincent Eletuo who has been in
that post for decades. He has been the official catechist of St.
Paul’s Catholic Church since the end of the civil war, assisted by Mr.
Augustine Akanabu. Never to be forgotten is Pa Paullinus Nwaorgu, who
has guided the youth right from the forties and early fifties when he
was a student of CKC Onitsha. He has never relented in church affairs
and is presently the parish C.M.O president and parish treasurer.
At is early stage and in its own way, the church contributed in
abolishing the killing of twin babies. It fought and succeeded in
destroying idol worship and converted a number of juju priests to
Christianity. Educationally, the church established St. Paul’s
Catholic School Umuodagu where all the children born in Umuodagu
acquired early education, though the school was later taken over by
the government. The parish, under the present parish priest Rev. Fr.
Bethrand Ujunwa has recently established its own Nursery and Primary
School which will eventually metamorphose into a bigger institution.
Importantly, the church through the current parish priest has been at
the forefront in restoring peace among some families’ members and
villages. Worthy of mention and a case in point was the role played by
Rev. Fr.Thomas Agaziem and Rev. Fr. Bethrand Ujunwa in the case that
tore Umuaku Ntu Village apart. The church in the recent past, gave
thousands of naira to support the less privileged to enable them set
up small scale business. It is has become a tradition of the church to
take care of the indigent as it provides bags of rice, rappers and
cash at end of every year especially during festive periods. The above
philanthropic gestures and assistance to the indigent was made
possible by friends of Rev. Fr. Bethrand Ujunwa; prominent among is
Mr. and Mrs. Emmanuel Agbachi owners of A.O.EMMACO GLOBAL (NIG.) Ltd.
Given the remarkable contributions of the church in the areas of
civilization, conflict and dispute resolution, education of children,
abolishment of the killing of twins, conversion of idol worshippers to
Christians, assistance to the less privilege among others, the sky is
not only St. Paul’s Catholic Parish Umuodagu Ntu ‘s limit but its
starting point. To God is the glory.
Produced by the elders of the church; assisted by the Parish Priest.
*priests say prayers against unnatural occurrences
From Chuks Collins, Awka
It was a very sad situation for the family of the Okoyes of Irefi village, Oraifite in Ekwusigo council of Anambra state when their father and breadwinner, Mr Augustine Okoye drowned in the local Omelu Lake in the neighbourhood along with two of his sons.
The incident which occurred on the Dec 28, 2011 almost marred the community’s mass-return activities and prayer rally scheduled for Dec 30.
The late Okoye was said to have gone to the lake as he must have routinely done all his life to do some laundry for his family alongside his two sons-Chibueze, an Junior Secondary school 3(JS3) student and Chinemerem, also a Junior Secondary school 1(JS1) student.
His wife and the other children stayed back at home to prepare breakfast and to tidy up the premises. It was while Okoye and Chibueze washed the clothes that Chinemerem strayed into the deeper part of the water and got swept off. An attempt to rescue him by his elder brother unfortunately didn’t work out as both of the got stuck, more so when the younger one held tightly unto him in addition to his seeming resolve not to let his brother go.
Their father on seeing the unfolding incident reportedly quickly dived in by ended up being stuck also. Their mysterious disappearance was not immediately known until late in the day when the family reported to the village head and the local vigilante.
More so, barely anyone fetches water from the lake now as boreholes were sunk in most homes. So a search party was dispatched which turned in no tangible report, except that their items-fetching buckets and clothes were seen littered all over the bank of the lake.
According to a community leader and former chairman of Nnewi North Council, Chief Azuka Okwuosa who confirmed the sad incident, “such thing has never happened in the community before. Though the lake was regarded as mysterious, but it had never drowned anyone from the community. This is sad, it’s unusual”, he stressed
One of the local divers who teamed up with some divers that were eventually brought in from Onitsha the next day, Dec 29, said they were able to recover the corpses after some rituals and rites were performed in the lake.
According to the man who gave his name simply as Chiedu, “it was amazing that even after being inside the water for more than 24 hours none of the victims’ stomach got swollen from water intake. They were all extracted from one particular hole inside the water”.
At the prayer rally held as part of the community mass-return activities, Venerable Okwuosa who flew in from London for the event prayed fervently against futher negative occurrences.
Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan hassigned the 2012 appropriation bill of 437 billion naira into law andpromised to pay special and prompt attention to the Transport,Education and power sectors.
Dr. Uduaghan who signed the budget in Asabasaid the transport sector would enjoy prompt attention to cushionthe effect of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.
He said his administration has already takendelivery of over 200 buses and was expected to receive more by April thisyear.
His words “We are paying special attention tothe transport sector because we are providing palliatives to reduce thehardship the removal of fuel subsidy would cause the people”.
The governor said the energy sector would enjoyspecial funding so that there would be uninterrupted supply of electricity andreduction on the use of generators.
Dr. Uduaghan explained that the state governmentwould take delivery of 300 transformers in a few months time and promised toinstall them to increase electricity supply. “We are expecting about 300 transformers andwe hope to use them to boost electricity supply. Once this is done, people willreduce the use of generators and consequently fuel,” he said.
He assured Deltans that his administration woulddo better this year and accelerate infrastructural development so that peoplewould enjoy more dividends of democracy.
He therefore called on Deltans to support hisadministration and provide useful and constructive criticism ratherthan destructive and injurious ones.
“My administration welcomes constructivecriticism and not destructive ones. We need constructive criticism from theopposition and all other camps but not the criticisms that willdistract us and lead to the distraction of the state. We are focused andneed positive advise,” Governor Uduaghan said.
The governor who said that his election victoryat the court of appeal Benin City would spur him to greater achievementsenjoined Deltans to trust him.
Dr. Uduaghan described the victory as victoryfor the people, for democracy and for development. “This victory is for all our people for the truth and for makingthe votes count,” he said.
The governor who commended the state House ofAssembly for promptly passing the appropriation bill described it as a recordin the history of the state.
Dr. Uduaghan promised to work harmoniously withthe House to enable it make good laws that would improve the living standard ofthe people.
Presenting the bill to the governor the Speakerof the state House of Assembly Engr. Victor Ochie said the House decidedto make a difference and pass the bill in a record time.
Engr. Ochie promised to continue to keep to thetrend over future bills.
The Ohaneze Ndigbo Nigeria on Thursday January 5th 2012 rose from a meeting of its Youth Wing in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State following deliberation on the State of the Igbo indigene resident in Nigeria [Ohaneze claims to be the apex Igbo organization in Nigeria]. As 247ureports.com gathered, the said meeting, which saw the attendance of the entire State Chairmen from across the Nation, sanctioned against the deliberation on the resultant effects of the shocking hike in petrol prices.
Aggrieved sources within ruling council of Ohaneze disclosed that the Chairman of Ohaneze, Uwechue, had issued a directive to the executive council of the Ohaneze to remain silent on the supposed oil subsidy removal. It is understood that the Chairman of the Ohaneze enjoys a cozy relationship with the President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan. For this reason, the source explained that the group has chosen to direct their efforts to addressing the menace of the Boko Haram rather than oil subsidy.
One of the State Chairmen representing Ndigbo resident in one of the northern states espoused that the ruling council of the Ohaneze has lost teeth and has longed been sedated by her blind support for the Jonathan administration. The State chairman expressed gross disappointment in the Chairman’s silence over the hardships imposed by the Jonathan administration on the people of Nigeria.
247ureports.com made efforts at reaching the National Chairman of Ohaneze. Several calls were placed to his MTN line [0803 310 8763]. One of the calls placed at 8:09am on January 6, 2012 was answered by a voice claiming to be his aide – who indicated that the Chairman was still asleep- and so could not answer the call.
At 9:15am another call was placed and the ‘aide’ answered again. This time he stated that the Chairman was taking his bath and would return our call later. But when the aide was asked why the Chairman gave the Ohaneze ruling council a directive to stay mute on the issue of oil subsidy, he retorted that the Chairman “was not even in the Enugu meeting. He is not even in Abuja or Enugu”. This he stated without denying the allegation. The Chairman did not return our call or answer his phone as at 12:30pm.
Allegations are that the Chairman of Ohaneze bowed to the candidacy of the then presidential candidate of Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan in return for monetary rewards and some input into contract awards. Knowledgeable observers of Ohaneze’s activities point to the sedated nature of the group towards to the present administration as indicative of his inability to mount a critical response to the Nigerian federal government. They cite the contrast in the group’s sturdy utterances against the bombings and killings by Boko Haram and that of the 100+% over night increase in the price of petrol from N65 per liter to N140 per liter – as a testament against the group’s integrity.
Apologists for the Chairman discard the allegation against the Chairman stating that the chairman has no business reacting publicly to the fuel price hike – that the threat of Boko Haram is more important to the group. And that the Chairman has made public the group’s stance on Boko Haram without being critical of the federal government. They added that Ohaneze’s scope of activity does not cover oil subsidy removal.
The Ohaneze is scheduled for a general meeting at the home of the Chairman of Ohaneze in Delta State on January 16, 2012.
