NAIJAFEED

Friday, April 27, 2012

Nigeria may start importing fuel from Niger Republic

Nigeria may soon start importing fuel from the Republic of Niger as the latter plans to evacuate its excess petroleum products.

Niger Republic's minister of petroleum, Mr. Foumakoye Gado, is in the country to sign the African Petroleum Producers' Association (APPA) Statute, which will make Niger become a bonafide member of the association.

Gado told journalists during the signing ceremony yesterday in Abuja that Niger's present refining capacity is 20,000 barrels of oil per day, out of which the country can only consume 7,000 barrels, an equivalent of 1.113million litres of fuel, while the excess of 13,000 barrels, an equivalent of 2.067million liters of fuel would be exported to Nigeria.

The minister who spoke through an interpreter said, "We currently refine 20,000bpd and we consume only 7,000 barrels leaving an excess of 13,000 barrels. We hope to evacuate the excess to Nigeria. That is the major reason we are here.

He said the country in 2011 signed a contract for the commercialisation of crude production, adding that a feasibility study has been concluded to commence oil exportation which would boost its crude production from the current 20,000bpd to 60,000bpd.

He adding, however, that Niger presently does not have any specific target country for its crude export, but said it would be done according to international standard.

The minister who was accompanied to the event by Niger's ambassador to Nigeria, H.E Mansourmanan H.D, explained that his country resolved to join APPA, despite being a small oil producing nation, in order to tap into the experience of other member countries and ensure that her oil prospecting is a source of blessing to the country and not a resource curse, based on lessons learnt from other countries.

While noting that the association's objective will impact on the country's technical know-how and help build local capacity, Gado said his country will ensure that oil proceed is used to accelerate development. He said the country would begin the construction of its oil export pipeline which will be routed through Cameroon in 2013, after which exportation will commence in 2014 or 2015.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum, Engr. Goni I. Sheikh, who represented the minister of petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, while welcoming Niger to the association, noted that signing the APPA Statute was mandatory for all member countries who wish to benefit fully from oil and gas exploration through the association's support.

He said the objectives of the association include the promotion of cooperation among member countries in hydrocarbon exploration, promotion of technical assistance, coordination of marketing policies and strategies as well as studying ways of providing assistance to the oil importing African countries to meet their energy requirement.

While expressing optimism that the opportunity will further strengthen the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Niger Republic, Sheikh added that the association operates a fund which is dedicated to financing studies and projects in the hydrocarbon and energy sector of APPA member countries.

Leadership

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Boko Haram claim responsibility for This Day offices bombing

The Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal — Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, said yesterday that it attacked Thisday newspaper's offices in Abuja and Kaduna to send a strong message to the media that it would no longer condone reports misrepresenting it in the press, or blaming it for acts it knows nothing about.

Abul Qaqa, spokesperson for the sect told Premium Times, in an exclusive interview, that his organisation was fed up with the deliberate misinformation being peddled about it in the Nigerian and foreign media.

"We have repeatedly cautioned reporters and media houses to be professional and objective in their reports. This is a war between us and the Government of Nigeria; unfortunately the media have not been objective and fair in their report of the ongoing war, they chose to take side," Mr. Qaqa said.

He identified three instances where he claimed his group was deliberately misrepresented by the media. The first, according to him, was the rumour of his capture by the Nigerian intelligence agencies.

"Some reporters are aware that I am Abul Qaqa, they know my voice through our long interactions and they also know the role of Abu Darda who heads the enlightenment committee and sometimes facilitates interviews; yet they (media) go by the unsubstantiated view of government that Abul Qaqa is in custody and I am the new spokesman or number two," he said.

Premium Times had continuously reported that Abul Qaqa was not arrested contrary to reports and that it was Abu Darda, another member, that was arrested.

The second misrepresentation, according to Mr. Qaqa, was the reporting on the kidnappings of foreigners in the Northern part of Nigeria.

"Another issue was the recent kidnappings in the north; we were clear with our position as a group during a teleconference with reporters but we were shocked the next day when newspaper headlines added a lot of things which I never said during that interview."

The third example, Mr. Abul Qaqa said, is the mistranslation of the video the group posted recently.

"Another example is the recent video posted on YouTube by our Imam; I challenge every Nigerian to watch that video again. There is no place our imam either said he will crush President Jonathan or issued an ultimatum to the government in Nigeria; but nearly all papers carried very wrong and mischievous headlines."

When asked why ThisDay appeared specifically chosen for the attack, Mr. Qaqa said ThisDay's "sins" are more grievous.

"It is not only THISDAY that has been engaged in negative media campaign, fictional stories and constantly promoting fake stories by the JTF to give an impression that they are making headway against us yet there is no time the media investigated further as an objective and responsible bystander in this war.

"But the sins of THISDAY are more," he said.

"They once insulted the Prophet Mohammed in 2001 and we have not forgotten. They recently said our Imam executed me which is false. Here I am speaking to you, I am alive and healthy."

Expect more media attacks

The group's spokesman further warned of more attacks on the media.

"We have just started this new campaign against the media and we will not stop here, we will hit the media hard since they have refused to listen to our plea for them to be fair in their reportage," he said.

Mr. Abul Qaqa also said his group would give further information on biases by the media.

"In the coming days we will give details and instances where the media have not been fair to us and why we are going to attack them as well."

Media should be neutral

"The media in Nigeria are not a problem to us if they will do their job professionally without taking sides," Mr. Abul Qaqa said.

"But each time we say something, it is either changed or downplayed. But when our enemy says something even without logical proof, it is blown out of proportion."

"We have repeatedly asked some reporters to retract some stories or even give us the right of reply but none of these requests were given to us."

Vanguard

This Day publication offices hit by suicide bombers

Boko Haram claims responsibility for UN bombing

Video - Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram?

Thursday, April 26, 2012

This Day publication offices hit by suicide bombers

ThisDay’s editorial board chairman said has confirmed that the explosion at a newspaper office in the capital Abuja on Thursday and where at least six people people were killed was a suicide attack.

“The suicide bomber came in a jeep,” Olusegun Adeniyi told reporters at the scene. “(Security guards) opened the gate for them … The guy drove in through the gate and rammed into the building and exploded.”

The two guards were killed in the blast along with the bomber, he said. Five support staff were wounded.

“Fortunately the newsroom is a bit far from the back of the building,” said Adeniyi. “So all the people in the newsroom … are all safe.”

The privately owned newspaper is one of Nigeria’s most prominent and influential. It is based in the economic capital Lagos, but has a major operation in the capital Abuja.

Another bomb attack at roughly the same time in the northern city of Kaduna targeting a complex that also includes a ThisDay office left at least three people dead as well, making a total of six.

Vanguard

Video - Four Boko Haram members to face death penalty for UN attack

Boko Haram claims responsibility for UN bombing

Video - Effort underway to build schools for begging children in Nigeria

Nigeria's federal government is building 100 new schools in the north to deal with the growing problem of young boys roaming the streets begging for food and money.
The boys are supposed to be in Islamic schools learning to recite the Quran, but many of them are going astray.

Training school belonging to Islamic radical group Boko Haram found in Taraba, Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan will not spare culprits of subsidy fraud

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday threw his weight behind the report of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee which probed the management of subsidy funds, assuring that any proven culprit would not be spared.

Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is endorsing the petroleum subsidy probe being undertaken by the House of Representatives, adding that all guilty persons must face the music.

The House of Representatives, meanwhile, yesterday concluded the consideration and adoption of the 62-clause report of the ad-hoc committee with the recommendation that former ministers of finance Dr. Mansur Muktar and Dr. Olusegun Aganga be prosecuted for their involvement in the extra-budgetary expenditure under the Petroleum Support Fund, PSF, Scheme between 2009 and 2011.

The president, who also assured that there were no moves to scuttle the report of the ad-hoc committee, stated that both the executive and the legislative arms of government were on the same page on the issue and would collaborate towards ensuring that any rot in the oil sector was fully addressed.

Jonathan, who spoke through his special adviser on National Assembly matters, Senator Joy Emordi, told a press conference in Abuja that it was a wrong claim "in some quarters of uneasiness in the administration over the recommendations of the House ad-hoc committee on the utilisation of petroleum subsidies."

She said: "The issues that led to the investigation predated President Jonathan's administration. The president is poised to sanitise the oil sector and give it a new breath of life through enhanced probity, transparent governance and zero corruption.

"But for the fact that Mr. President ab initio initiated the move to rid the petroleum industry of the rot because the bane of this society today, the bane of maladministration in the petroleum sector is nothing but corruption.

"The fact that he appointed a person like Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to head another panel looking into the rot is a clear manifestation that Mr. President is determined to rid the sector. He is not going to spare anybody, otherwise, why would he appoint Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the ex-EFCC chairman and his very rival in the last presidential election? I am sure of that; he is not going to spare anybody found wanting and there are no moves... I am the special adviser to Mr President on National Assembly matters.

There is no slightest moves against the report here, of course. If there is any, I would be the channel. I am sure no move is being made and Mr. President has zero tolerance for corruption."

The House of Representatives, while recommending that former ministers of Finance Dr. Mansur Muktar and Dr. Olusegun Aganga be prosecuted for their involvement in the extra-budgetary expenditure under the PSF Scheme between 2009 and 2011, also demanded the prosecution of the recently sacked accounting and auditing firms of Akintola Williams, Deloitte and Olusola Adekanola & Partners for professional negligence on the particular assignment of recommending firms for payment for products supplied.

The House also moved that the firms be blacklisted from being engaged by any federal ministry, department or agency, for a three-year period and an independent auditor appointed to take over the job.

The lawmakers however exonerated the present Governor of Gombe State Ibrahim Dankwambo, who was the accountant-general of the federation, from involvement in the 'unusual' payment of N999 million for 128 times within 24 hours on January 12 and 13, 2009, recommending instead that the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) should be investigated by relevant anti-corruption agencies for authorising the payment.

The recommendations were amended from the original recommendations of the committee during the consideration and adoption of the report in the Committee of the Whole presided over by the deputy speaker, Hon Emeka Ihedioha.

Explaining why Governor Dankwambo should be excused from the recommendations, chairman of the ad-hoc committee Hon. Farouk Lawan informed his colleagues that the Central Bank of Nigeria, the PPPRA and the governor had written separately to the speaker of the House of Representatives, each stating that the payment for which he was being indicted was authorised by the PPPRA and the payments cleared duly by the CBN in their various clearing houses before payments were made via 128 cheques.

Armed with this information, the legislators substituted the accountant-general's name with that of the PPPRA and adopted it.

Also among the recommendations adopted by the House was that the National Assembly should commence the process of making specific laws that would criminalise extra-budgetary expenditure as the specific provision does not specify the exact penalty to be applied.

This section created a stir among some lawmakers who argued that there was no need to compel the lawmakers to do what they already know is their responsibility and advised that it should be deleted, but, after some arguments, the recommendation was adopted.

Just like it did in the previous day's consideration, the House went soft on marketers who it had earlier asked to return funds to the federal treasury for making discharges that suffered one or more infractions which were adjudged as not sustainable and therefore not good enough to attract subsidy.

Chairman of the Business and Rules Committee Hon. Albert Sam-Tsokwa noted that some of the names reflecting on the list of the disqualified claims companies which is in the tune of N230,184 billion also appeared on the list of companies which filed to appear to defend their involvement in the PSF scheme and therefore falls under the category of those re-invited to defend their involvement.

He therefore prayed the House to include the 71 firms in the two-week grace to give them an avenue for fair hearing before action is taken on whether they should refund the monies and be prosecuted by the relevant anti-corruption agencies or not.

Earlier, some notable PDP big-wigs like former chairman Ahmadu Ali and petroleum minister Diezani Allison- Maduekwe have been recommended for prosecution by the House.

Leadership

Video - Reaction to reinstated fuel subsidy