I'm not Magician Nigerians should please bear with us on fuel scarcity – Kachikwu

At a time Nigerians are expecting respite from the pangs of the lingering fuel scarcity in the country, Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, has dashed their hopes, stating that the current queues at gas stations would persist till late May.

The minister, who doubles as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, added that he was not a magician to make the queues
disappear overnight.

According to him, it is even a "magic" that the stations are still getting volume of products they dispense to the public, judging from the prevailing circumstances at NNPC.

The minister also revealed that NNPC's import rates had moved form 50 per cent to all-time rate of 100 percent, saying the 445,000 barrels allocated to crude swap now service 50 to 55 per cent importation of refined product.

Those calling for Emefiele’s removal are palmwine drinkers — Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has condemned calls for the sacking of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, describing those behind the calls as

"Facebook manipulators and palm wine drinkers."

The governor explained that the people spearheading the agitation were those "who have been feeding fat on our common patrimony and manipulating the exchange rate, moving money across borders and taking advantage of electronic money transfer".

Oshiomhole spoke with journalists on Wednesday evening in Abuja during a visit to the National Universities Commission to obtain license for the second newly established Edo State University, located in his village, Iyamho.

Clean up of N-Delta oil spills to begin in three weeks —FG

The Federal Government, yesterday, said that it would commence the clean up of oil spills in the Niger Delta region starting from Ogoni land within the next three weeks. 

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig- General Paul Boroh (retd), made this known in Enugu, yesterday.

Boroh spoke at the commissioning of the Skills Acquisition and Training in Automobile Technology and Manufacturing of Plastics by about 200 former Niger Delta agitators under the sustainable reintegration programme in the Presidential Amnesty initiative.

The skill acquisition programme was in partnership with the Innoson Group, manufactures of Innoson Vehicles and
Plastics Manufacturing Assembly Plant, Emene, Enugu.

"The clean up exercise will begin at Ogoni in three weeks time and progress to other parts of the Niger Delta region.

We have gone to visit the area to assess the level of damage and a lot of people from the region will be involved in the exercise," he said, while describing the facilities at Innoson Kiara Academy as "fantastic."

On the Amnesty Programme, Boroh said: "It has substantially achieved its core mandate of restoring peace and stabilizing the security in the Niger Delta region.

"Ex-militants have now been trained and graduated from formal and informal trainings.

The programme is now at its critical stage of sustainable reintegration of beneficiaries who have been trained.

"Though conceived as a national response to security conditions in the Niger Delta between 2009 and 2011, it has been able to substantially meet its mandate and has
been able, through its formal vocational programmes, trained approximately 17,000 beneficiaries in various skills and set up or employed more than 3,583 beneficiaries.

The process is ongoing and 1,040 will conclude their refreshers and set up their own business by the end of
this quarter."

Customs, Army to strengthen relationship.

FILE: CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, LT.-GEN. YUSUF BUHARI (R), WELCOMING THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL, NGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE, RETIRED COL. HAMEED ALI, TO THE Army HEADQUATERS IN Abuja ON THURSDAY (5/11/15). NAN

The Zonal Coordinator, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone `A', Assistant Comptroller-General Eporwei Edike, on Thursday urged the Nigerian Army not to relent in its mandate of national security of the nation.

Edike made the plea during his visit to the office of the General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Isidore Edet.

He commended the support of some Army officers who were deployed to the border areas, adding that their support had enabled Customs to achieve numerous successes.

Edo 2016: PDP assures on free, fair primaries

Ahead of the September governorship election in Edo State, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Chris Nehikhare, has assured people of the state of the resolve of the party to organise free, fair and transparent primaries to select a credible and acceptable candidate.

He re-emphasized the party's position on campaigns and used the opportunity to respond to a media aide of one of All Progressives Congress, APC's governorship aspirants, saying that it was Governor Adams Oshiomhole that introduced hate campaigns into Edo politics.

FG to host peace talks between Farmers and Fulani herdsmen

According to NAIJ.com The federal government to address the constant clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the country.

According to a statement by Osaigbove Ehisienmen, the press secretary to the minister of interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, yesterday, March 23, the government will organise a town hall meeting between both groups.

Ehisienmen statement stated that the dialogue would involve stakeholders from various umbrella associations of herders, farmers, state governments and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

Ngige woos UAE on employment of Nigerians

MINISTER of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has requested the government of United Arab Emirates, UAE, to activate the process of labour migration
and employment of skilled Nigerian workers in their country.

Speaking during a condolence visit by the UAE ambassador to Nigeria, Amb Muhammed Almahmood on the passing away of the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, SAN, Senator Ngige urged UAE to activate the process of legal migration of skilled Nigerian middle level workers into their country under the International Labour Migration guidelines.

He said the appeal was necessary "In consonance with the spirit of the relationship which exists between our two
countries, and which President, Mohammadu Buhari has further bolstered with his recent official visit to the United
Arab Emirate and considering the series of agreements signed in the areas of trade, economic development,
investment and industry as well as in legal cooperation among others.

How Former Benue state governor Gabriel Suswam ordered diversion of funds to individuals.

Former Benue state governor, Gabriel Suswam.

A witness in the trial of the former governor of Benue state Gabriel Suswam on Tuesday, March 22, insisted that some private accounts received remittance from the Benue shares sales.

Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs had earlier told the court that Elixir Investment got instructions from Suswam to pay N1 billion into the account of Benue
Investment Properties Limited (BIPCL).

Jacobs said a balance of the remittance of the sale of shares was paid into the account of the Benue state government.

President Buhari makes new move in battle against B/Haram

– President Buhari makes fresh move against Boko Haram 

– Orders establishment of naval command post in Lake Chad region As a way of further destroying the potency of Boko Haram terrorists, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of a naval command post in the Lake Chad region.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the director of Naval information, Chris Ezekobe, as saying:

"There is a presidential directive to set up a command post in the Lake Chad Region and that is ongoing."

The 25 Epenal security boats Nigerian Navy ship pathfinder in Port Harcourt.

Biafra: MASSOB expresses worry over UN ‘silence’

File photo of Biafra agitators

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has expressed concern over the silence of the United Nations and the International community on the killing of pro-Biafra protesters in the Southeast.

The Nation reports that Sunny Okereafor, the National director of information, expressed worry while briefing journalists on Tuesday, March 22.

He noted that the international bodies are leaving Biafrans to their fate while condemning such injustices in other countries.

Apply death sentence on politicians who kidnap govt money- Ben Murray- Bruce

Ben Murray-Bruce tweeted this while reacting to news of some states proposing to apply death sentence on kidnappers.

Source: Online

5 things to know about the proposed Kaduna state religious bill

– The bill aims to protect the state from religious extremism and hate speech

Governor of Kaduna state Nasir El-Rufai
Ever since the announcement of a proposed bill by the Kaduna state government to make illegal and regulate certain religious activities in the state, citizens across
the nation have condemned the bill, with many describing it as obnoxious.

The bill, currently before the Kaduna state House of Assembly, has also drawn the anger of religious bodies and religious leaders within the state.

Barnabas Bala, the deputy governor of Kaduna state, said the bill aims to protect the state from religious extremism and hate speech. 

According to him, the Kaduna state government is always committed to ensuring that religion can be practiced in a safe and secure climate.