Son of the Secretary to the State Government of Delta kidnapped

The son of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Delta State, Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay was kidnapped, Monday, at his home town, Owheologbo, near Ozoro, in Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.

Macaulay who also spoke to Vanguard at about 1.45 pm said, “The news of the kidnap of my son has just reached me”.

The SSG said he just returned to the country and was still in Lagos when he got a report on the kidnap of his son. “I have been away on medical treatment and I just returned when I got  the news this morning ”.

Asked what his son went to do in the village, he said; “Is it not his home town? Won’t he go to his home town again? He had just finished his Master’s programme outside the country and had been shuttling between Asaba and Owheologbo”.

Vanguard gathered that the kidnappers has not established contact with Macaulay or any member of his family as at 2.00 pm.

Meanwhile, it will be recalled that Pa Samuel Uduaghan, a cousin to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was kidnapped last week, at his home in Asaba and was released Saturday evening. This was days before former Super Eagles player, Christian Obodo, was kidnapped and later released at Effurun, near Warri, penultimate week.

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Another bloody Sunday - Suicide bombers attack 3 churches as youths launch reprisal

Suicide bombers have attacked two churches in Zaria, and another in Kaduna. In Zaria, ECWA, Wusasa and Christ the King Church, Sabon Gari were bombed.

So far, 15 persons have been confirmed dead in the CKC attack, with several others injured. At ECWA church, Wusasa, tthe Sunday School teacher and ten children were killed while the Shalom Pentecostal attack left five persons dead.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the Zaria bombings were coordinated as they happened almost at the same time in both locations.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the suicide bombers arrived at the churches in bomb-rigged cars, pretending to be worshippers.

The ECWA suicide bomber drove in a Honda Accord popularly referred to as 'End of discussion'. When he tried to gain entrance into the church premises, he was stopped by the security agent at the routine check point. But he refused to stop. He then forced his vehicle towards the Church; the vehicle exploded between the main church and the children section of the church.

Barely an hour after the Zaria blasts, another suicide bomber attacked Shalom Church in Tirkaniya, Kaduna metropolis.

Although details of the attack are sketchy, LEADERSHIP gathered that the soldier and security man stationed at the entrance of the church denied the bomber entrance. The bomb went off and all three were killed.

The third bombing sparked fury among Kaduna youths who took to the streets in protest.

As at the time of filing this report, three persons have been confirmed dead from the reprisal attack. Our correspondent reports that a bus and several smaller cars as well as seven motorcycles have been burnt.

Soldiers are still shooting sporadically to disperse the rampaging youths.

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Air Nigeria resumes flight

Air Nigeria says it has resume flight operations, after NCAA's announcement earlier this week that the airline was suspended to give way for the safety audit of its aircrafts.

"This is to inform that Air Nigeria recommences local and regional flights on 14th June, 2012 after passing NCAA safety audits," Samuel Ogbogoro, its Media Relations Manager said in one of its official tweets.

In its press release twitted few minutes ago, the airline says "the resumption of normal flight operations across the domestic and regional routes is coming after the successful audit and clearance of its fleet of aircraft by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) following the suspension of the week-long strike action embarked upon by a section of its aircraft pilots and engineers."

"The post strike audit is a standard practice in civil aviation to ensure safety standards," and promises to offer "safe and secure air services at all times and will always adhere to international recognized practices."

Earlier...

The Media Assistant to the Director General of NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, who confirmed the suspension last Tuesday, said it was a routine action to allow NCAA look at the airline.

"It is a routine action to enable us look at them before allowing them to go back to operations having been on strike for days ,this is normal" he said.

The NCAA had taken the decision because Air Nigeria had not flown its aircraft in the past week following a strike action embarked upon by its pilots and engineers under the auspices of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) which was called off last week.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the pilots and engineers of the airline had embarked on the weeklong strike to press for improved conditions of service.

Mr Isaac Balami, the National President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), also told NAN that he was aware of the suspension placed on Air Nigeria's operations by NCAA.

"This will to allow NCAA to carry out proper auditing of Air Nigeria, as the airline's pilots and engineers have yet to receive their outstanding salaries.

"We called off the strike embarked upon by NAAPE members in Air Nigeria last week to allow the union and the management to resume negotiations on the contentious issues that led to the strike," Balami said.

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Nigeria to stop importation of petroleum products in two years

The Federal Government said it plans to stop refined petroleum products importation within the next two years, after it was done with the turn around maintenance, TAM, of its traditional four refineries, which first phase has commenced with the Port Harcourt refinery.

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, gave the hint yesterday, while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing 5th OPEC International Seminar inVienna,Austria.

The minister, who was responding against the background of the observations by panellists at the first day of the conference that high oil prices affect the economies of developing nations more than the others, said the move would reduce the impact of oil volatility on the Nigerian economy.

Black Market rules the day as fuel scarcity bites harder in Port harcourt : Pix show: A black marketer, siphon fuel into a costumer's vehicle yesterday along Station road in Port Harcourt. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

She said: "The reference here was to oil price volatility because for countries that import crude in a very large volume, it obviously does affect their GDP and that was the discourse.

"We, of course, do import crude but not at too high a volume and also produce to a certain extent, but it affects us as well because higher oil prices obviously affect our Gross Domestic Product, GDP, as well interest rates go up as you heard earlier and cause increases in-country."

She said government was tackling the issue of market volatility from various angles, one of which is to reduce products importation and eventually stopping it completely.

Speculation and volatility

With regard to the impact of the activities of commodity speculators on crude oil prices, which spike high prices, the minister also revealed that Nigeria was in the process of setting up its own trading firms and own its own speculative market.

She said: "In terms of our own assets, we are just actually beginning to look at those markets from an in- country perspective. I know that we are discussing here the global perspective, but we also need to talk about it from the Nigerian perspective.

"We have set up a number of trading houses such as Duke and Parson, and we expect that over the next three years, they will mature to a point that we hope we will be able to create our own trading floor and our own speculative markets, and we will also be able to trade on the international market in oil commodity."

What are we taking away from the meeting/ we looked in general economic issues and the entire discuss today is on oil prices and oil to the world economy as a whole from various perspectives, including that of global energy security as well, the various ramifications of oil and the global economy amongst other things.

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Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala warns of economic recession

Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has warned of a difficult time ahead as she told the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, yesterday, that "government should buckle up and prepare for a possible recession" in the economy.

Her warning came on the heels of the approval of a new visa regime by the Federal Executive Council.

Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala discussing with the Health Minister, Dr. Christian Chukwu (l); Housing Minister, Ms. Amal Pepple and the Solid Minerals Development Minister, Arc. Musa Sada during the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

Okonjo-Iweala, who gave the warning during the weekly meeting at the Presidential Villa cited the slide in the price of crude oil as well as the dire economic situation inSpainand Greeceas possible trigger for another round of global recess.

Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who conveyed the Minister of Finance's warning quoted her as saying: "Nigeriamay not be so lucky to avoid recession this time as it did during the last economic meltdown and urged the Federal Government to put up measures that will help mitigate the effect of such economic melt down."

According Maku, the Coordinating Minister, however, explained that occasional delays in meeting government's obligation to creditors was not a sign of weakness in the economy, adding: "Our economy is sound."

New visa regime

According to Maku, the new visa regime is driven by economics to boost investment, tourism, generate employment and fight terrorism.

Maku, who briefed State House correspondents alongside his colleagues Minister of Interior, Abba Moro and Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, saidNigeriawas emulating countries that had tried to make it easier for potential investors by liberalizing their visa policy.

One of the highlights of the new visa regime, the minister explained, was the possibility of some visitors to the country to accessNigeria's visa at various international points of entries into the country.

He said the policy was based on the assumption and dynamics of constantly changing international economy and the need forNigerianot to be left behind in the drive by nations to attract more highly resourceful, wealthy portfolio investors.

Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who gave further insight into the new visa policy stated: "The assumption and dynamics on the basis of which we had our old policy have changed in line with the realities of our time.

"Most significantly is the fact that we have been in recent time witnessing security challenges in our country and it becomes necessary that we must attack the problem from all sides and the way you enter and get out ofNigeriaconstitute a very vital component of fighting internal security."

He added: "Today, we have a new visa regime that contains some innovations in the sense that new elements are being introduced in line with the strategic interest ofNigeriaand of course most other areas still have to be based on the principle of reciprocity.

Visa at entry point

"We now have visa at entry point. So, if a businessman, a tourist or a business delegation or a government delegation has reason to visitNigeriaat short notice to do business with Nigeria and if by any coincidence we don't have embassy in such country, such delegation or group can come toNigeriaand obtain their visas at point of entry particularly at international airports. Of course, this is without prejudice to ensuring our internal security.

On the abuse of expatriate quota

On the abuse of expatriate quota in the past, the Interior Minister said government had introduced appropriate check mechanism that would make it easier to monitor compliance with expatriate quota under the new regime.

"For every expatriate that is employed, two Nigeria under studies must be employed. If you are coming toNigeriawith $500,000, for instance, in addition to those employed to understudy, you will be expected to employ between 30 to 50 Nigerians.

"We have admitted there has been difficulty in enforcing the expatriate quota before now but with the automation with the business department of the interior ministry, we will enforce expatriate quota."

New E-Health Policy

The other decision by Council was the approval of a new E-Health Policy also known as Regulatory and Business Practices Improvement and Information Management for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Maku explained that the "Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chwukwu had proposed in his memo to Council for approval to procure an e-platform as part of the e-governance to enable NHIS to function more effectively and improve manual work and make the programme more efficient".

The project is based on the need to promote an efficient plateform for scaling up the installation and implementation of an electronic network that will facilitate transactions between NHIS and other stakeholders in the sector such as Health Management organizations HMO, Health Financiers, Enrollees, Banks and Insurance companies.

He said 60 per cent of the fund is expected to be provided by the International Finance Organisation IFC and the World Bank, while the federal Government will provide the balance 40 per cent.

The IFC grant, which is unconditional amounting to $1,368, 964.45 represents 60 per cent of the total cost, while federal government will provide $554,785.78, representing 40 per cent of the total cost of the project.

Council also approved the rehabilitation of the G17 unit of Ugheli plant expected to deliver 100MGWts of electricity to the country.

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