NEWS MIRROR

Drivers refuse to work By Akinola Ajibade Nigeria may experience a more daunting economy, if the threats by the  Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN),to down tools over the lingering fuel scarcity soon, is anything to go by. Penultimate week, PENGASSAN through its President and General Secretary,  Comrades Festus Osifo and Lumumba Okugbawa respectively threatened to embark on a national strike, in the event that the Federal Government and other relevant authorities in the nation's petroleum industry, refuse to stop the on-going r as racketeering in the fuel supply chain and further put an end to acute shortage of fuel, which has entered its third months in Nigeria. According to a statement, signed and issued to the News Mirror yesterday ( Monday), the body does not see any justification for increase in price of fuel and the attendant agony imposed on majority of Nigerians. The group further carpeted oil  marketers for selling fuel to

Sawan  By Akinola Ajibade Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Shell, Mr Wael Sawan, yesterday, unfolded plans to effect major changes in the multinational oil company. He said the firm would combine its oil and gas production and liquefied natural gas (LNG) divisions, in line with plans to have broader institution under his control, adding that the development may lead to some job cuts  The new entity, which combines Shell’s most profitable operations, Sawan said,will be headed by current Upstream Director, Zoe Yujnovich, the company said in a statement made available to News Mirror.  Sawan took office on Jan. 1 after heading Shell’s integrated gas division, which included the group’s LNG and renewables businesses, with a vow to simplify and improve the company’s operations. Under the internal restructuring, renewables operations will be combined with Shell’s oil refining and marketing operations led by current downstream director Huibert Vigeveno, the company said. Th

DSS's officials By Akinola Ajibade The Department of State Services(DSS) has  arrested some members of an organised syndicate selling the new naira notes in parts of the country,the agency has said in a statement. DSS, however, has refused to disclose their  names and locations.  Also, the agency said that some  officials of a commercial bank  were aiding and abetting the crime.  This comes on the heels of efforts of the anti-corruption agencies namely  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC,  to invoke the acts establishing them on the banks.  In a statement issued yesterday and signed  by the agency's Public Relations Officer, Dr. Peter Afunanya,  DSS warned that it would go after those involved in the malfeasance. The statement read: “The Department of State Services, thereby informed the public that it has intercepted some members of organised syndicates involved in the sale of the new re-designed n

Scene of the fatal accident By Favour Ajibade No fewer than nine passengers have been reportedly crushed to death as a 20feet laden container fell on a commercial bus in the Ojuelegba area of Lagos State. It was learnt that the commercial bus was picking up passengers at the bus stop along the Ojuelegba Bridge when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge on yesterday. Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident in a statement. He said a woman was rescued alive from the crushed bus. “Upon arrival at the scene, a truck conveying a 20ft container was found to have landed on top of a commercial bus. Further investigations revealed that the bus was picking up passengers when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge. “After suspending the container load with the aid of the agency’s forklift and cutting off the top of the bus with light rescue equipment, a single ad

By Akinola Ajibade A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday,  sentenced a businessman, Kenneth Ndubushi Amadi to 18months imprisonment over N2.4billion fraud. Presided over by Justice Lewis- Allagoa, the court found Amadi , a Chief Executive Officer, IDID Nigeria Limited, guilty of counts 4 and 5 of the criminal chsrge made against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria ( FGN) through the office of Attorney General of the Federation  (AGF) In his judgement, Allagoa sentenced  Amadi to eighteen months jail term without an option of fine and also equally ordered IDID Nigeria Limited be liquidated with immediate effect. Recall that the Amadi and the firm were dragged before the court by the FGN when he held sway as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Eunisell Limited, a company founded by Chief Chika Ikenga. Prior to Justice Allagoa’s judgment, counsels had adopted their final written addresses on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. Meanwhile, at the last proceeding on the c

New naira notes  By Favour Ajibade Nigerians, yesterday (Sunday) felt relieved when President Muhammadu Buhari extended deadline for the exchange of old currency  from January 31st, 2023.  Reason: They have been having  a harrowing experience changing their old naira notes to new ones, despite spending many valuable time and hours in the banking halls without success. Many, as a result of this, are complaining that it is extremely difficult to get hold of the new naira notes.  The issue worsened last Friday, as the currency faced rejection from members of the public, specially traders and even bus drivers.  The situation looked hopeless at weekend given the number of people that thronged all the banking halls across the country, either looking for new note or what to deposit old money..  First Bank for instance had sent notices to its customers that its branches would be opening to customers on Saturday and Sunday in order to beat the deadline of January 31st.  So also othe

By Akinola Ajibade No fewer than twenty seven herdsmen have been killed in an airstrike in Doma Local Area of Nasarawa State,  the State's Deputy Supretendent of Police ( DSP)Ramhan Nansel has confirmed. Nansel, who is also the Command’s spokesman, gave this figure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN). While conducting the interview on Thursday in Lafia,  Nansel said that preliminary investigation revealed that the pastoralists had on Tuesday gone to Benue State to pay fines for the release of cattle impounded by the Benue State Livestock Guards implementing the State’s Anti-Open Grazing and Ranching  Law. According to him, something like a drone or an aircraft hovered in the air and shelled the herdsmen on Tuesday day, when they were loading some of the cows into vehicles in a vehicle in Kwatiri village, a border community between Benue and Nasarawa. Nansel further said that the Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Mohammed-Baba, had visited the scene of the i

By Favour  Ajibade The saying that beggars have no choice no longer holds across the world. Reason being that they are choosey now, as they are carefully taking their time to select from the arrays of gifts, which they are being offered by people around them by people around them. Recently, there was a mild drama at the popular Kano-road, Kaduna, when some group of beggars rejected old 1,000 naira notes gifted them by a good Samaritan. Reason for rejecting the old naira notes, News Mirror gathered, was in connection with the January 31st deadline for the submission of old naira notes by Nigerians. Our correspondent who witnessed the drama narrated that a young was accosted by three beggars on wheelchairs as he alighted from a bus, realising they were asking for handouts, the man took an N1000 note from his wallet and stretched it towards the most senior beggar among the three. However, in a rather hilarious reaction, the beggars looked at themselves, swiveled their wheelcha

Late Ikonne  By Akinola Ajibade The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has lost one of its governorship candidates about  days to March 5th 2023. The Presidential poll is slated for February 25th, while the Governorship Election holds March 5th.  The deceased name is Prof Uche Ikonne.  News Mirror reports that Ikonne died fourty days to the election, starting with Presidential polls on February 25, and Governorship on March 5. His death was announced in a statement by his son, Dr Chikezie Uche-Ikonne recently.. The statement read, “I regret to announce the death of my dear father, Prof Eleazar Uchenna Ikonne, who died at the National Hospital Abuja today January 2023 25, by 4 am after a brief illness. “He was recovering after taking proper treatment in the United Kingdom but relapsed a few days ago leading to multiple cardiac arrests from which he didn’t recover from. “Further details and arrangements would be made known to the public after deliberations and meetings are made

CBB's Governor, Emiefele By Akinola Ajibade The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday (Tuesday) said that the January 31 deadline for the withdrawal of old Naira notes from circulation is sacrosanct, implies that it remains unchanged. This happens as the apex banking regulatory authority, raised  its benchmark lending rate by 100 per cent basis points to 17.5 per cent, with a view to rein inflation without choking off lending rates to the private sector.  Its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who stated this at the end of bank's  Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, said that enough time has been given to Nigerians to swap old naira notes to new ones, adding that the authority would not extend the deadline further. Kidnapping,  ransom-taking and other untoward practices, the Governor said, have have reduced since the three banknotes were redesigned. The CBN governor said, “I must say here that unfortunately, I don’t have good news for those who fe

By Akinola Ajibade An unidentified nursing mother has  been arrested for allegedly killing her baby in order to club with friends in Cameroon.  News Mirror findings reveal that the woman alledgdly gave his son tramadol, with a view to enable him to sleep and further go clubbing. The incident, News Mirror, further said, reportedly happened last night in Likomba, Tiko, South-West region of Cameroon. According to reports, the young mother who wanted to go have some night’s fun with her friends decided to give her few months old baby tramadol. She locked him alone in the house and went out to the club with her friends but returned the next morning to find the lifeless body of her infant. She has been arrested by the police after residents mobbed her over the death of the baby. The caption which accompanied the suspect and her baby’s lifeless body reads: “This lady you see here committed an abomination last night in Likomba, Tiko. Despite having a newborn baby of a few months ol

By Akinola Ajibade Parents and Guardians of students of Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi state capital are demanding for the sack of the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, in the event that he fails to reverse the 300 per cent hike in the tuition fees. The school's spokesman, Mr Moses Abraham, who addressed the parents and newsmen at the Nigerian Union of Journalists ( NUJ) Press Centre in Lokoja, said that the management of the institution did not take due cognizance of the current economic situation in the country to effect the hike. “The Vice Chancellor is a civil servant and we expected that he should be aware of the current economic doldrum the people of this country are passing through recently. The Parents decried the almost 300 per cent “arbitrary” increase in tuition fees newly introduced by the management of the institution. Abraham said the parents would soon take to the streets in protest and swore to continue until the management of

By Akinola Ajibade The National Association of Energy Editors (NAEC) has called on the Federal Government, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria ( MOMAN), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria ( IPMAN) and other relevant stakeholders in the country's downstream sub-sector sector to proffer solutions to the lingering fuel crises in the country.  The group, also said in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Messrs Olu Phillips and John Meze respectively, that it is a high time the National Oil Company, which is also known as  (NNPC) to put in a place a transparent subsidy system, with a view to end the persistent fuel scarcity in the country.  It further said that a clearly defined subsidy programmes would end in verifying claims made on payments of imported petroleum products and in the long run, assist in ending the problems. In the statement, which was made available to News

By Akinola Ajibade Electricity distribution companies( DISCO) have taken to social media to appeal for understanding over the worsening power situation in the country.  They include Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Benin, Eko, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Enugu, Abuja and two other renaming electricity firms. The firms, News Mirror, gathered, at the weekend,  took to the social media networks to plead for understanding over the incessant power failure in the country in recent times. The social media,used by the companies, include facebbook and Instagram, but are not limited to them. Being institutions, with understanding that customers are always the king, no matter what happens, the companies have no choice than to plead for understanding concerning the matter. Investigations show that electricity customers badly hit by this problem are those  that are placed on bands C, D and E which usually received the lowest supply even when things are normal. Those in these bands are considered as those

By Akinola Ajibade Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria,MOMAN has ruled out the possibility of increasing the price of Petroleum Motoring Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as fuel, despite the scarcity of the product in the country. Its members include Conoil, AP( Ardova Plc),  MRS, OVH Energy, Total Energies and 11 Plc. The group, in a statement, made available to the News Mirror at the weekend,  said that it would sympathize with Nigerians, expecially customers over the current challenges encountered in the course of obtaining fuel for their domestic and industrial usage by refusing to increase the price of the product, as against adding to their woes.  This came, as fuel scarcity bites harder nationwide, with resultant effects on homes, who rely on generators to survive the epileptic supply of electricity in the country. According to MOMAN, the problem itself is  huge, a development, which informed its decision to see that the product is sold at the pump at prices curre

CBN's Governor, Godwin Emiefele By Akinola Ajibade The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will sanction any bank that is dispensing old naira notes at its automated Teller Machines(ATMs) in Calabar, South South-South state of the country. This happens, as the apex bank branch in Calabar, decided to  sensitise people in the markets  and streets in Calabar and beyond on the need to comply with the CBN directives on the use of new naira notes in the country. In a statement issued by CBN in Calabar recently, its officer, Mrs. Glory Iniunan, reminded banks operators of the threat  during the sensitisation exercise on the acceptance and deadline of the redesign naira notes at Watt, Ikot Ishie, 8miles and Marian markets. Iniuan said: “What we are here for is to sensitise the people on the acceptance, the deadline of the redesign naira notes. To let them know that as from 31st January, 2023, the old notes will size to be a legal tender and as at 1st, February, 2023, the new note wil

By  Favour Ajibade  Nigeria has engaged the services of the global energy consultant, Wood Mackenzie to drive the 2022/23 oil bid round. The firm would assist in guiding the process and ensure openness and transparency. The Chief Executive officer, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, who disclosed this at the official mini bid exercise flag off in Lagos yesterday, said exercise is designed to attract competent investors from across the world, both local and foreign, that have the capability and competence in operating in deep water environment,  Komolafe, also said that would help in boosting the country’s production capacity, as well as  ensuring energy security and sustainability. Speaking on the theme of pre-bid conference, “Growing Upstream Investment in Nigeria through Licensing Round: The Bid Process and Opportunities”. Komolafe said that the seven Deep Offshore blocks on offer which covers an area of approximately 6,700 km2 i

By Akinola Ajibade Nigeria's former  president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is highly hypocritical in the ways and manners, in which handles socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof Itse Sagay has said. Sagay said this, while reacting to a recent letter, which Chief Obasanjo wrote in support and endorsement of Mr Peter Obi  for the February 2023'  presidential election. He said:" I  think Obasanjo is a hypocrite in many ways. He tries to show off as he was the best thing that ever happened to Nigeria, even though under his regime, we had a lot of setbacks. While he was in office, he himself wanted a third term which would have been a breach of our democratic practice and renewal. Adding that: " Another thing I have always said about Obasanjo is that he doesn’t control himself. He is a retired Head of State and very well respected elder statesman who is on telephone terms with the p

CPPE's CEO, Yusuf  By Favour Ajibade The Federal Government is working in line with the democratic standards, by withholding assent on the 2023 Finance Bill for growth,the Chief Executive officer, Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), Mr Muda Yusuf , has said  He said that the idea would pave way for broader consultation, participation,  inclusion in the legislative process, a development, which democracy requires. According to him, there would be no room for law making  process and implementation of socio-economic policies, if laws are being made in that direction. While reacting to the decision by the government to withhold assent to 2023 Finance Bill, he said that provisions of the Bil are  too broad, inexact and and makes the business community very vulnerable. According to him, there is no jurisdiction in  the world where all services are liable to excise duty, adding that the current open-ended provisions  is inimical to investments since it makes th

Pix showing the tummy of the affected ladies Rivers Police Command has arrested a 17-year old boy for al!edgedly impregnating 10 ladies.. The suspect,  Noble Uzuchi, was nabbed with his accomplice, Chigozie Ogbonna, 29 recently in the state.  According to the authorities, the two suspects and two other ladies, Favour Bright and Peace Alikoi, were allegedly running a baby factory in the oil-rich state, when they were caught by the police. The Command's Public Relations Officer,  Grace Iringe-Koko, said the arrests were carried out following a tipoff.  In a statement, Iringe-Koko stated that the four suspects operated in the Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre local government areas of the state before their arrest. She added the 10 pregnant ladies had been rescued by the Force operatives after the raid and arrest of the suspects. “On Saturday, January 7, 2023, around 4.45 pm, while acting on credible intelligence available to the Rivers State Police Command, C4I Intelligence Unit ope

Police officers on duty By Akinola Ajibade Nigerian Police Force(NPF) and other security institutions have wowed not to collect bribes or any other forms of gratification which would help in  jeopardizing  the 2023 general elections.. They made this declaration in a meeting with the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Yenogoa, Bayelsa,  a state in the South-South region of  Nigeria recently. According to them, they would keep an oath of loyalty and neutrality, which they have sworn in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022. Speaking at the meeting in Yenogoa, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Bayelsa State, Emmanuel Hart, said the security personnels have promised to keep the oath they signed for the sake of the welfare of Nigerians.  He said the paper titled: “The Electoral Act and the Role of Police on Election Duty” delivered during the meeting was not a coincidence, stating that the police and others have promised to abide with the r

                 Nwosu Favour Ajibade   Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees(BoT) member, Professor ABC Nwosu, has resigned  from the party. He announced his decision to leave the party in a letter dated Thursday, January 12 and addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP,  Iyorchia Ayu. According to him, he resigned because the party breached the principle of rotational presidency earlier agreed  to uphold. He also said it was “a matter of conscience and principle because of the party’s inability to adhere to the rotation in its constitution.” He stated further: “The journey to rotational presidency between the North and South of the country has been an arduous one, and I have been involved. Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party must learn to keep to an agreement reached by a Constituent Assembly (1995) and enshrined in the party’s (PDP) constitution (1998). It was reported that the party has been enmeshed in crisis since the emergence of former Vice-President Ati

By Akinola Ajibade A yet-to-be identified man riding a personal watercraft (PWC) popularly called a Jet Ski boat has been has been reporedly drown around Lekki- Ikoyi waterways in Lagos state. Reliable sources said that incident occurred,  following  the decision of the man, whose identity is yet to be known as at the press time, to be moving at a high speed. Sources further said that the  rider was skiing on the waterways when the scooter suddenly experienced a mishap, somersaulted and the rider drowned before the emergency rescue team arrived. It was learnt that the rider was not wearing a life jacket, as stipulated by the guidelines set by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), to prevent loss of life. The tragedy was confirmed by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, to have occurred on Wednesday. Oke-Osanyintolu, through a statement signed and made available to The Guild, said that efforts were

By Favour Ajibade The Founder of the African Movie Academy Awards, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe died on Monday, died amidst calls for prayers by friends and family members.  Available reports indicated that Anyim-Ossgie died on Monday at At.Nicholas Hospital, Lagos. " Her health status worsened over the weekend, s development, which culminated in frantic efforts made to save her, but to no avail. Ttwo Nollywood greats: Award-winning movie producer, Obi Emelonye; and Mike Nliam confirmed her death through their tributes . Peace Anyiam-Osigwe Emelonye, the Producer of Last Flight to Abuja, said: “Thank you and good night dada Peace.” Nliam wrote: “How can 2023 start like this? “The founder of African Movie Academy Awards (AMMA) and president of the Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria, Peace Anyiam Osigwe, is gone to be with d Lord! “Nollywood was everything to her! Oh, what a tragic news! “Life indeed is so fickle! May her soul rest in d bosom of the Lord.”

CBN's Head Office in Abuja By Akinola Ajibade Re-desination of naira will  curb terrorism, kidnapping and other insecurity problems plaguing the country,  the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN's Senior Manager,  Currency Operations Department, Shamsudeen Imam, has said. He spoke yesterday ( Tuesday) during  a programme at the Gombe International Market in Gombe state.  He said that cases whereby criminals collect ranson from the families of their victims are going to be reduced, once the newly redesigned naira notes are in circulation. According to Imam, there is so much money in circulation, which has a way of encouraging criminal activities, revealing that the apex bank’s latest effort will control the money in circulation. He said, “It will address the issue of terrorism, kidnapping, because there is a lot of money in circulation before, and the kidnappers are using that opportunity to collect ransom from people.” He disclosed that the currency change was a good step,

Mulala, before his death. One of the dogs, which killed Mulala By Akinola Ajibade Dogs have mauled  a former Zambian footballer Philemon Mulala, in his Luchtenburg home in the North West region of South Africa. Mulala, according to reports, was mauled to death by his three dogs on Saturday afternoon. A midfielder in his days, Mulala was said to have suffered serious attacks from  his  dogs, a developing, which he  could not recover from them. Zambia National Football Association, in a statement, said that the "60-year-old retired footballer was  killed by his dogs at his Lichtenburg home in the North West on Saturday afternoon.” "Mulala was notably part of the 1984 Zambian squad that won the East and Central Africa Challenge cup under coach Col Brightwell Banda, the association added.  The association further said that Mulala  featured played a major role in the 1984 Zambian squad which won the East and Central Africa Challenge Cup under coach Col Brig

A  single unit modular refinery  By Akinola Ajibade Nigeria will operate more modular refineries and further improve fuel supply to motorists and other users of the products, if the decision by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timpreye Sylva to seek intervention funds for such needs is anything to go.  Currently, the Minister is in talks with CBN  to support modular refineries operation, by providing funds to their owners. According to Slyva, the Federal Government is committed to solving funding problems faced by modular refineries in order to help them improve fuel production. He noted that the government has taken 30 per cent equity stake in each of the 5000bpd WalterSmith modular refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State and the 10,000bpd Duport Modular Refinery in Edo State, among others. He said that the completed modular refineries were contending with (feedstock), a development, which made them to seek crude supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Compan