By Edith Ike-Eboh
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it supplied 1.44 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol in January 2021.

The corporation disclosed this on its Monthly and Financial Operations Report (MFOR) released in Abuja on Tuesday.

To guarantee energy security, the corporation also supplied a total of 1.44billion litres of petrol translating to 46.30million liters/day, across the country in the period under review, it said.

In the Gas sector, the report revealed that a total of 223.55Billion Cubic Feet (BCF) of natural gas was produced in the month under review.

It said this translated to an average daily production of 7,220.22 Million Standard Cubic Feet per Day (mmscfd).

The 223.55BCF gas production figure also represents a 4.79 per cent increase over output in December 2020.

Also, the daily average natural gas supply to gas power plants increased by 2.38per cent to 836mmscfd, equivalent to power generation of 3,415MW.

For the period of January 2020 to January 2021, a total of 2,973.01BCF of gas was produced representing an average daily production of 7,585.78 mmscfd during the period.

Period-to-date Production from Joint Ventures (JVs), Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) contributed about 65.20 per cent, 19.97 per cent, and 14.83 per cent respectively to the total national gas production, it said.

It said that out of the total gas output in January 2021, a total of 149.24BCF of gas was commercialised consisting of 44.29BCF and 104.95BCF for the domestic and export markets respectively.

It said this translated to a total supply of 1,428.65mmscfd of gas to the domestic market and 3,385.57mmscfd to the export market in the month under review.

This indicates that 67.15 per cent of the daily gas output was commercialised while the balance of 32.85 per cent was re-injected and used as upstream fuel or flared.

Gas flare rate was 7.73 per cent for the month under review (i.e. 554.01mmscfd) compared with average gas flare rate of 7.19 per cent (i.e. 539.69mmscfd) for the period of January 2020 to January 2021.

On Pipelines vandalism, the MFOR noted that it recorded a 37.21 per cent decrease in cases of pipeline vandalism across the country in the month under review.

It also indicated that a total of 27 pipeline points were vandalised in January 2021 down from the 43 points recorded in December 2020.

It said that the Mosimi Area accounted for 74 per cent of the vandalised points, while Kaduna Area and Port Harcourt accounted for the remaining 22 and 4 per cent respectively.

However, the report said that the NNPC was continuously working in collaboration with the local communities and other stakeholders to reduce and eventually eliminate the pipeline vandalism menace.

The 66th edition of the NNPC MFOR highlights NNPCs activities for the period of January 2020 to January 2021.

It is published in line with the Corporations commitment to the tenets of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE).(NAN)

Source: NAN News

The ECOWAS Parliament has pledged intervention, to end extortion of citizens of the sub-region at border posts by security operatives in ECOWAS countries.

The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Sidie Tunis, made the pledge late on Monday at Gbahjakeh in Bomi County in Liberia.

He was on an oversight visit to some communities at the County on entering Liberia from the Sierra Leone border.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) diplomatic correspondent reports that Tunis embarked on the trip to engage with ECOWAS citizens in the border communities to know their challenges and how the parliament could tackle the challenges.

The major complaint of the ECOWAS citizens at the border town of Gbahjakeh centered on extortion by immigration officials each time citizens tried to cross the border between Sierra Leone and Liberia to trade.

Tunis pledged that the parliament would intervene to end the problem, saying that he planned to first and engage with relevant authorities in Liberia and other West African countries.

The speaker noted that in line with the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons and goods and to foster integration, ECOWAS citizens should be able to move freely within the sub-region without any form of harassment.

Tunis, however, urged ECOWAS citizens to be law- abiding in any country they live in or do business.

One of the reasons why we always have our delocalized meeting is to bring to the notice of authorities the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons and goods and the issue of immigration officers.

Extortion is just one of the challenges we have as a region and it is not just here in Liberia but it also happens in Sierra Leone and Guinea and in other countries of the sub-region.

These are all part of the challenges that we are having.

We would need to work collectively as a parliament and as an institution to be able to bring this to the attention of the authorities so that we can stop it.

While I am here in Liberia I will definitely meet with the minister in charge of immigration, the ministry of interior and justice and bring to their attention the complaints we have just heard at the border areas.

I also urge you all to be law-abiding when you are in another country. Do not commit any crime or run into trouble.

It is our responsibility as lawmakers to promote integration and your responsibility as citizens to be law-abiding, Tunis advised.

A Nigerian businessman, Mr Collins Arthur, who deals in electronics, said he had lived in Liberia for over 10 years, describing the people of Liberia as hospitable.

He lamented that the major challenge of residing in the country was persistent harassments from the countrys immigration officials.

Arthur said that in spite of having his papers, the immigration officials continually harassed him at his business place just to extort money from him.

He pleaded for urgent intervention of the ECOWAS Parliament to stop the harassment.

Also narrating his ordeal, Mr James Momoh, a Sierra Leonean trader, said that he was jailed at the border post for not bribing immigration officials even with his complete documents.

Sen. Edwin Snowe, representing Bomi County also said the ECOWAS Parliament would swing into action to end the harassments.

Snowe said that it was not possible to solve a problem if the problem was not known.

He said also that the town hall building under construction, which was used to host the visit would be named after Speaker Tunis on completion.

Snowe disclosed that the project was a give-back to his county as it was being built from the allowances he collected anytime he attended a sitting of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria.

Source: NAN News

President Joe Bidens nominee to lead the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke, is poised to take on the role at a fraught time in American history.

Clarke will face a Senate hearing this week as hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise.

Republican-led state legislatures are advancing bills that voting-rights groups say will disenfranchise Black voters and former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial facing a charge of murdering a Black man, George Floyd.

Clarke would appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday alongside Todd Kim, Bidens nominee to lead the departments Environmental and Natural Resources Division.

Kim, like Clarke, previously worked in the Justice Department division he was now nominated to lead.

Most recently, he served as a deputy counsel in the U.S. Department of Energy.

Former colleagues said Clarkes experience, both as a Justice Department lawyer and as executive director of a large civil rights organisation, make her qualified to tackle the challenge.

If you were inventing a nominee from scratch. youd come up with Kristen or someone very, very close, said Justin Levitt, a former colleague teaches law at Loyola Law School.

Clarke has spent a good chunk of her career advocating for voting rights issues.

Ernest Montgomery, a councilman in Calera, Alabama, said he was impressed by Clarke when he met her in 2010.

Montgomery was an intervener in Shelby County v. Holder, a 2010 voting rights case arising from a dispute over whether states and counties must seek preclearance, or approval, from the Federal Government before re-drawing voting districts.

He got involved as a third-party advocate in the litigation after the city re-drew his districts lines, diluting the Black vote.

Clarke, then an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, represented him, arguing in support of requiring federal preclearance of redistricting as a crucial constitutional protection to root out discrimination against minority voters.

She did a superb job, Montgomery said.

The lower courts sided with Clarkes view on preclearance, but in 2013 the Supreme Court reversed and gutted a core part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in a move civil rights lawyers say made it easier to discriminate against voters of color.

Since 2016, Clarke has led the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law.

The most intense time in that job arguably occurred around the 2020 presidential election that when former President Donald Trump refused to concede to Biden and made baseless claims of voter fraud.

It is non-stop, Clarkes colleague with the Lawyers Committee, Jon Greenbaum, said of the groups voting rights work in 2020.

It was high stakes.

Clarkes nomination was expected to dominate much of Wednesdays confirmation hearing, with some Republicans poised to pounce after conservative media launched a series of attacks on her dating back to her days as a student at Harvard University.

One has centered on comments in her college paper intended as parody about Black people having greater mental, physical and spiritual abilities in an effort to counter the controversial 1994 book The Bell Curve, which made arguments linking race and intelligence.

Another group claimed without evidence that Clarke was anti-Semitic based on a speaker she invited to a college campus event decades ago, and that she believes single black mothers raise criminals.

Clarke is a divorced, single Black mother, and her comments were about the challenges Black families face when trying to raise children without a father figure.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, in his confirmation hearing in February, sought to beat back some of the criticism.

I do not believe that she is anti-Semitic, said Garland, who is Jewish. I do not believe she is discriminatory in any sense. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Femi Ogunshola

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday in Abuja, adjourned plenary until April 20 to honour two of its colleagues that died during its Easter recess.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rep Haruna Maitala (APC-Plateau) died in a car accident on Abuja-Keffi road on his way to Jos on April 3.

Also, Rep Suleiman Lere (APC-Kaduna) died on April 6, at Barau Diko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna State after a brief illness.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, expressed shock over the demised of the lawmakers during plenary.

While paying tribute to the departed lawmakers, Gbajabiamila said Maitala was a quiet gentleman. The loss was very.

The circumstances surrounding his death is very painful

The day he died, he had just come back from an official assignment of ECOWAS parliament.

He was going to Jos for his sons wedding when death confronted him, he died together with his son and Rep Yusuf Gadgi legislative aide, Gbajabiamila said.

On Rep Lere, the Speaker also described his death as painful.

We know how he struggled in law courts for his election petition case and he eventually won almost after two years.

We swore him in two months ago, which was a very bitter fight, only for us to hear he died few weeks after his swearing in.

Both deaths are difficult to understand but God knows best, he said.

Gbajabiamila said that the House would hold a valedictory session next Tuesday, in honour of late Rep Ossy Prestige, who also died in February.

He pleaded with members to be in attendance in order to honour their departed colleagues.

The Majority Leader of the House, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa then moved the motion for adjournment till April 20. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismail Abdulaziz
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Commission has commended the Dangote Group for ensuring that there is no price increase of essential commodities during the fasting period.

Mr Muhuyi Magaji, Chairman of the commission, who gave the commendation in Kano on Monday, said a letter of commendation had also be written to Dangote for the exemplary act in this holy month.

I was informed that the company has flooded the market with commodities that can last until after the Ramadan period and not only in Kano but across the northern states.

That was why we appreciated the company with a letter of commendation last week. I hope the company will sustain the initiative even after the holy month of Ramadan, Magaji said.

Alhaji Salisu Sambajo,, a major dealer of Dangote Group of companies, also testified that there was no time the company increased prices of commodities during the Ramadan period.

He explained that the company sells a bag of sugar to major dealer at N18,500 and also refund N250 per bag to the dealers.

I am among the major dealers of Dangote products in Nigeria. To the best of my knowledge there was no time Dangote company increased the price of its commodities during fasting period.

Sometimes retailers who buy sugar from major dealers jack up the price when they arrived at their destinations.

What Dangote has done to us at this singer market, its only God that can reward him abundantly.

Years back, Dangote used to give us commodities to sell without collateral, until after weve sold the commodities, then we pay back and take the profit, Sambajo said.

Alhaji Sabo Dankoli, another major dealer of Dangote products, explained that they have never experienced a hike in price from Dangote company during the Ramadan season.

There are a lot of commodities on the ground this year. I am assuring the general populace that this year we are not expecting any hike in sugar and other commodities, just like last year.

Even that of last year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic which caused lockdown, Dangote companies did not hike the prices of their products, Dankoli said.

Alhaji Garba El-Suleiman, a senior official of Dangote Group of Companies, said the company has put measures in place to guarantee stable prices for its commodities during the Ramadan.

He said that the company had flooded all the markets across the country with commodities in order to ensure that no dealer is able to arbitrarily increase the price of any of its products.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuella Anokam
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, on Tuesday called for the establishment of Nigeria-France Business Council to enhance trade relations between the two countries.

The Minister made the call in Abuja while addressing French Minister for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Mr Franck Riester, who was accompanied by some French investors in Nigeria.

He explained that the council, which would be private sector-driven, would perform the statutory roles of coordinating and promoting enabling business environment that would spur economic growth.

Adebayo, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Ifedayo Sayo, also called on French companies to take advantage of the nations teeming youth to invest in software manufacturing in the country.

Noting that France is a large exporter of software, he called on some of the French software companies to come into the country and establish their companies to create jobs for the teeming youth.

This, the Minister said, would help President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve its plan to take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.

Adebayo said the setting up of some Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to promote the manufacturing sector had provided investors another great opportunity to invest in the country.

He explained that the special economic zones were being provided with the much needed infrastructure that would ease the setting up of industries in the country.

Besides, he urged them to take advantage of Nigerias participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to invest in the country so that they would have access to a very large market in the continent.

Riester had congratulated the country on the emergence of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, noting that France stood by Nigeria in seeing the emergence of her candidate for the WTO topmost job.

The French Minister said France would like to build a longtime partnership with Nigeria, not only in the area of trade, but also going into other areas.

He also welcomed the idea of setting up the Nigeria-France Business Council, saying it was the desire of the French authorities to get more of its businessmen to come into the country to invest.

Addressing representatives of French companies in the country, Adebayo said the Federal Government would continue to do its best to create a conducive environment for them to thrive.

Some of the companies which had representatives present at the meeting were CFAO represented by Mr Regis Tromeur; FanMilk, Mr Ferdinand Mouko; Swipha, Mr Frederic Lieutaud; Spie Oil and Gas, Mr Guillaume Niarfeix; and PACE, Mr Mathieu Guillerey.

In their different presentations, they sought the ministers intervention in accessibility to foreign exchange, increased efficiency at the port to ease clearance of consignment, improvement in security situation in the country and stable policies, amongst others.

They however pledged to continue to do business in the country, stressing that they were committed to expanding their investment with the support of the government.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Thompson Yamput/Zainab Oyekan
Police in Plateau on Tuesday refuted rumours doing the rounds that three female students of Plateau State University, Bokkos, were kidnapped by bandits on Monday.

Police spokesman in the state, ASP Gabriel Ubah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that while it was true that bandits attacked the students village in Mbar community in Bokkos, no student was kidnapped.

Some students lost their phones to the assailants, while a male student was shot, treated in a hospital and discharged, Ubah said.

He added that investigation was on-going to track the assailants so as to bring them to justice.

Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Yohana Izam, also refuted claims that assailants kidnapped three students from the institution.

He equally confirmed the discharge from hospital of the male student who sustained gunshot injuries.

We are taken aback by the attack on the students community, but we are equally happy that our students are intact.

We are still investigating the incident, which we condemn in totality, he said.

Izam appealed to the students to be calm as security operatives were investigating the attack.

Students of the university protested against the attack and called for more security personnel to be deployed in the university community.

Dr Bentse Pamson, ASUU Chairman in the university, who also condemned the attack, called for more security around the institution.

This issue of insecurity in the institution is what we agitated for in our Memorandum of Action with the state government about two months ago.

Its unfortunate that nothing from the MOA signed between ASUU and the government has been implemented, he said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Simon Lalong has lauded security operatives for foiling the attempted kidnap of four students at the Plateau State University, Bokkos.

This is contained in a statement signed by Dr Makut Macham, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the governor, on Tuesday in Jos.

Lalong, who commended the security agencies for being proactive, directed the immediate establishment of a police post within the host community of the university in order to forestall any future re-occurrence.

The governor also directed that security should be tightened in all schools across the state to guarantee the safety and security of students.

He also assured the students that all necessary measures would be taken that they learn and dwell under a peaceful, secure and conducive environment.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Abubakar Ahmed

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has congratulated the Muslim faithful as they begin this years Ramadan fast on Tuesday.

This is contained in a statement signed by Yusuf Idris, the Director-General on Media to the governor and made available to newsmen in Gusau.

Gov. Bello Mohammed Matawalle heartily congratulates the Muslim Ummah in Zamfara in particular, and in Nigeria in general, over the commencement of the holy month which ushers in the Ramadan fast from today (Tuesday).

The governor wishes all Muslims a successful Ibaadat and urges them to use the period to rededicate their prayers to Allah to continue to make lifeeasier for all, the statement read.

The governor also urged Muslims to imbibe the teachings of the holy month through Taqwa and giving sadaqah (gifts) to the needy and the less privileged.

He further urged people to use the Ramadan period to repent from all bad acts and other social vices by following the teachings of the noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

He also asked Muslims to pray for an end to terrorism, armed banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other crimes bedevilling the country so that the government can continue to bring the dividends of democracy to the people.

He appealed to traders in selling essential commodities to cut down prices throughout the blessed month, and beyond, so as to benefit from Allahs rewards.

He assured of his administrations commitment to upholding all the Islamic norms and values entrenched in the teachings of Islam.

He prayed for the successful completion of the Ramadan fast with ease and blessings. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Federal Government should make the Abuja Master Plan public to end the misery and anguish of private sector and individual developers.

Mr China Emeka, a housing expert, made the declaration in Abuja on Tuesday when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Emeka said the current system in which the Plan is shrouded in secrecy has contributed to the somersaults in its execution.

He decried the situation where the Master Plan had been the exclusive preserve of successive administrators of the Federal Capital Territory.

An incumbent Administrator at the Federal Housing Authority approves the erection of structures in a particular area as being in compliance with the Master Plan.

As soon as another Administrator succeeds the officer, he or she declares the approval as not being in consonance with the Master Plan and orders demolition of the structures.

This is regrettably causing a lot of problems and losses to developers who are punished for not following a Master Plan to which they were not privy, Emeka said.

All individuals, public and private investors should have free access to a copy of that Master Plan.

It should be available for sale just like newspapers and nobody under any circumstances should be allowed to build outside the Master Plan.

That way, when everyone is aware of the demands of the Master Plan, following it becomes easier and violating it becomes an offence, Emeka added.

He noted that rate of adherence to the Master Plan in the city centre could be put at 80 per cent, while it could not be higher that 20 per cent in the satellite towns.

I will attribute the low implementation to the secrecy and exclusivity of the Master Plan and low administrative strength in implementation, he said.

The housing expert said prospective house owners would continue to encounter problems unless the Master Plan became public knowledge and accessible to all.

TheAbuja Master Plan must be all-inclusive of the Area Councils and all the land mass planned, gazetted and made public to all stakeholders, he added.

The real estate strategist also recommended that all cities, layouts, area councils and upcoming settlements should be deliberately planned and designed.

He added that this should be done in a detailed document that would guide the public and such documents should be made public.

This way, we will be creating better planned, deliberate cities, he stressed.

NAN reports that there had been public outcries in recent times overdistortion of the original Abuja Master Plan.

The most recent was by Adkan Residents Association in Gwarinpa, an estate within the city (actually the largest single housing estate in Africa).

They accused the Federal Housing Authority of selling off some parts of the estate meant for recreational purposes.

The Authority countered the claim by dissociating itself from such sale,and said all its projects wereexecuted according to the same Master Plan which is kept away from the public as a secret document. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By George Odok

Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has charged Muslims to use the Ramadan period to pray for Gods intervention in the myriad of challenges currently facing Nigeria.

The governor congratulated Muslims on the beginning of Ramadan fast, describing it as a period for sober reflection.

In a Ramadan message signed by Mr Christian Ita, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, on Tuesday in Calabar, Ayade called for peaceful coexistence of Nigerians devoid of ethno-religious wrangling.

He said that God has a reason for bringing together people of diverse culture and religion to form a country.

The month of Ramadan is sacred and holy. It is also a month of sober reflection and introspection.

I, therefore, call on the Muslim Ummah to use this holy month to seek Gods intervention in the myriad of challenges facing our country.

God did not make a mistake bringing people of diverse culture and religion to form a country.

He has a reason for it, he said.

He thanked the Muslim community in the state for its unflinching support to his administration, stating that he was looking forward to breaking fast with them someday.

I am looking forward to a day when I will sit down and break the fast with the Muslim community leaders who have contributed immensely to the social, political and economic development of our dear state.

Cross River is an example of a state where there is co-habitation among diverse people, religion, ethnicity and tribes.

There are over 20 Muslims holding important political positions in our government.

This goes to show that in Cross River competence is placed above primordial, ethnic and religious sentiments, the governor added.

He wished the Muslim community a successful Ramadan, praying that the holy month brings peace and development to Nigeria, starting from Cross River. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Adewale Owoade

The Aare Ona-Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has called on Southwest governors to invest in the promotion of Yoruba culture and harness its tourist potential for economic growth and global recognition.

Adams said that the promotion of the culture would turn Yoruba states to tourist destinations and thereby enhance rapid social and economic development of the area.

The Aare, who made the call at the Grand Finale of Ayo olopon, drama, masquerade, music and dance, poetry and chant rendition.

Source: NAN News

By Usman Aliyu

The Deputy Governor of Edo, Philip Shaibu, on Monday led the state male football team to win the gold medal at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin.

In the match, Edo bounced back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Lagos team 3-2 in the final at the main bowl of the University of Benin Stadium Complex.

Hassan Akinkunmi put the Lagos team ahead in the 10th minute of play while Chisio Orji extended the lead in the 19th minute to silencethe hosts cheering fans.

Solomon Usia, however,reduced the tally for Edo in the 20th minute before first half substitute Godwin Chukwu levelled up for the hosts before the break.

Meyiwa Samuel scored from the penalty kick spot in the second half to giveTeam Edo the winning goal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stadium was filled to brim for the match graced by Amos Adamu, erstwhile director of the now-dissolved National Sports Commission (NSC).

Shaibu, who was a registered player for the football event, came in three minutes into the end of the match when the captains band was handed over to him.

The win secured the second gold medal for Edo from the football event as their female team had earlier beaten Lagos by a lone goal in the womens category.

Reacting to the victory, the deputy governor who is also the Chairman of the festivals Local Organising Committee (LOC) said the teams commitment and doggedness led them to the victory.

He said he was delighted to have led the team to victory just as he commended Gov. Godwin Obaseki for his support for sports development in the state.

Source: NAN News

By Olajide Idowu

The Police Command in Osun has arrested four persons with guns at the venue of the South-West Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Zonal Congress in Osogbo.

The Command Spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, told newsmen that the suspects were arrested Sunday evening with two loaded pump action rifles.

Opalola said that the suspects were undergoing investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Osogbo.

She also added that two suspected cult members, who were part of a gang disrupting the peace of the state and had been on police wanted list, were arrested on Sunday.

The commands spokesperson said the arrested cult members were part of those that caused mayhem in the state some weeks ago when two rival cult members were killed in bloody supremacy battle in Osogbo.

Opalola, however, said the suspects would soon be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP South-West Congress earlier scheduled for April 10 in Ibadan, was shifted to April 12, in Osun, by the partys National Working Committee. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismail Abdulaziz
The management of Dangote Cement Plc says the price of a bag of cement from its factories and plants across Nigeria as at April 12 is N2,450 in Obajana and Gboko, and N2,510 in Ibese inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT).

The company made the clarification in view of recent insinuations that the company sells cement in Nigeria at significantly higher prices relative to other countries, particularly Ghana and Zambia.

Dangotes Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development

By Muhammad Nasir

Mr Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has urged the judiciary not to be partial in delivering judgments.

Malami gave the task in Sokoto on Monday while speaking at the inauguration of the reconstructed Sokoto State High Court complex.

He said that as the last hope of the common man, the judiciary should remain impartial at all times.

The judiciary should ensure fairness at all times, the duty to be impartial is sacred and must be respected, he said.

The justice minister commended Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for reconstructing the court complex and equipping it with the state-of-the-art facilities.

This should be a morale booster towards effective justice delivery, the job done on this complex shows how seriously the state government takes the judiciary, he said.

Malami said that high level conversation was already ongoing concerning better welfare package for judicial officers.

Several meetings have been held to ensure that the welfare scheme for judicial officers reflect current realities.

A committee on the review of judicial officers salaries and conditions of service has been constituted to ensure a better welfare scheme.

Let me assure you that the efforts of that committee will soon come to fruition and to the advantage of judicial officers, he said.

Tambuwal said that the court complex project offered an opportunity to overhaul the judicial system in the state.

We are doing our best to support the judiciary, this is because we believe in its independence and ability to give hope to the common man, he said.

The governor commended the minister for accepting the state governments invitation to inaugurate the project.

Also speaking, the Chief Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko, described the reconstructed project as a good omen to judicial service delivery in the state.

Represented by Justice Amina Augie, Tanko commended the state government for the gesture, and urged judicial officers in the state to exude good maintenance culture while using the complex.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 20 high court judges in the state were given Ford Explorer Sport Utility Vehicles during the event to boodt their morale. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Bukola Adewumi
The Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) says it has empowered farmers, extension workers and extension agents on Sustainable Rice Production, 3D video and field demonstration in the Federal Capital Territory.

Hajia Salamatu Garba, Executive Director of WOFAN, said on Monday in Abuja that the training would expose them to modern best practices in rice and groundnut farming as well as effective weed, pest and disease control methods.

Garba said that the two-day training would deepen participants knowledge on good agricultural practices (GAPs) to enable them succeed in the technical aspects of rainy season farming.

She said the activities of extension agents and the cluster farmer groups in the implementation of the WOFANs ICON of Hope project would improve yields and incomes for farmers.

She also said there was 3D video presentation and practical demonstration pesticide and fertilizer applications for the participants.

The WOFAN boss disclosed that the training was supported by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) and other partners.

Garba also explained that WOFAN also collaborated with other groups like as part of its efforts to enlist all stakeholders support for the successful implementation of the project.

According to her, the training will also be replicated in Kano State to enable other farmers, extension agents, cluster groups leaders benefit from the knowledge.

They will also have better understanding on how best to harvest, process, store and ultimately market their crops for improved incomes.

We want to thank NAERLS and other partners for collaborating with us on this capacity-building initiative undertaken in furtherance of the WOFANs ICON of Hope project in the various states, she said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Lizzy Okoji

Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Sidie Tunis, says the Fifth Parliament is keen on taking concrete actions to ensure the empowerment of women across the West-African sub-region.

Tunis made this known on Monday at the Liberian and Sierra Leonean Bo Waterside border Post where he was received by representative of the Liberian government, Sen. Edwin Snowe.

Tunis was received by the representative of the Liberian authority ahead of the ECOWAS Parliaments delocalized meeting on Women Empowerment scheduled to hold from April 13 to April 17 in Monrovia, Liberia.

Tunis said the focus of the delocalised meeting was to transform the talks and protocols concerning women empowerment into actions, and for women to become more inclusive across all sectors.

He said that the fifth legislature under his leadership is pushing to ensure that women have a mandatory 30 per cent representation in the ECOWAS Parliament.

According to the speaker, it is time to look and work with women as partners so that they can be present where decisions are taken on their behalf.

The Speaker noted that twenty five years down the line after the adoption o, noting that twenty five years down the line after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, not much impact has been made in women empowerment.

Tunis however noted that Liberia was chosen by the ECOWAS to host the delocalized meeting on Women Empowerment considering the success attained by producing the first female President ad Vice President in the sub-region.

We are here for a very important meeting, a delocalized meeting. I decided that we will have the first Extraordinary Session in Sierra Leone and the first delocalized meeting in Liberia.

And the topic for Liberia is so interesting. That is, the empowerment of women in the West African Sub-region.

There is no way Liberia cannot be a venue for that kind of topic considering that it is Liberia that has produced the first female President and just few years down the line, they also produced the first female vice President.
And we do not know whether we are going to have more and more female Presidents coming from Liberia so we are her to discuss as Parliamentarians how we can empower women.
Twenty Five years after the Beijing declaration it has just been talks and talks but now, we are talking about actions and how we can transform the talks to action.
That is why we are going to be in Monrovia for the whole week, from April 13 to April 17, Tunis said.
Tunis also appreciated President George Weah of Liberia for his support to the ECOWAS Parliament.
Speaking on behalf of the Liberian Authority, Sen. Snowe commended Tunis for his efforts in strengthening regional integration since he became speaker of the fifth legislature.
Snowe noted that Tunis coming into Liberia crossing through the border was significant which further highlights his interest on strengthening regional intergration.
We have come this morning to welcome his Excellency, Hon Mohamed Sidi Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament to Liberia.
Liberia and Sierra Leone is only defined by this little water and the constituency of the speaker is just across.
When this mission was planned to Liberia, the Speaker said there was no way he could fly over his people into Liberia but he will drive in.
Today I am very happy to receive Mr Speaker on behalf of our President. For me this visit means a lot.
As you know, many years ago, we had a civil crises in Liberia and this bridge was used to trade arms that killed our people but today, this very bridge is being used to unite our two people.
When the speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament comes from Sierra Leone, driving through this bridge to enhance regional integration, peace and security in our region, Snowe said. (NAN)
LIZ/SH

Source: NAN News

By Taiye Agbaje

Two senior lawyers on Monday expressed support and solidarity for the industrial action embarked upon by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, (JUSUN).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JUSUN began a nationwide strike on Tuesday, April 6, when the union directed all its members across the federation to shut down all courts after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum earlier given over the failure of the government to implement the financial autonomy of the judiciary.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Paul Erokoro, told NAN in Abuja.
Absolutely, I support the agitation by JUSUN on the judiciary autonomy.

The 1999 Constitution is not working because the governors are just too powerful. The governors control everything in their states.

There are no checks and balances. He who controls the money coming in can dictate all the actions in that states, he said.
He said the judiciary should not be seen as another department of the government of the state.

It is an independent arm of government and so is the state house of assembly, he said.
The lawyer noted that presently, there was no state house of assembly that could disagree with its governor.

And the governors tend to see the judges as their staff. If the judges do not dance to their tune, they starve the judiciary of funding. So we must put a stop to this.

It is possible that constitution amendment will be required. I know Mr President tried to solve the problem via an Executive Order; whether that is constitutionally valid, this needs to be explored.

Each time houses are built for judges, the governors boast as if they have done the judiciary a favour. We really need to change that, he stressed.
On why the law has become difficult to be implemented despite the Executive Order 10 by President Muhammadu Buhari, the senior lawyer said:

The governors are very powerful people as I told you. They can frustrate anything.
He attributed the development to the weakness of 1999 Constitution which, he said, placed all the executive powers in the governors.

He said: If you compare this with the 1963 Constitution where the Provincial Commissioners were equivalent of todays governors, it shared the executive powers with the District Officers or Dos as they were called. Dos were very powerful people.

So in the context of the present arrangement in the state, every governor would have shared executive powers with, maybe, eight other sub-governors so that no single person would have been as powerful as the governors are.

Erokoro, who called on the appropriate agencies and departments of government to intervene in the matter, also urged all parties to embrace dialogue to end the strike.

On his part, Ahmed Raji, SAN, who said he was in support of the resolution to the crisis, urged federal and state governments to engage with the union.

I will plead with them to embrace dialogue in the interest of the society so that we dont give wrong signals to the international community because the court is a very important segment of the societal institutions which we cannot afford to close.

I will plead with both of them, not apportioning blames to anybody. However, that is not to say that the claims or agitations of the union should not be looked into, he said.

NAN also reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had, on May 22, 2020, signed into law an Executive Order granting financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary across the 36 states of the federation.

The Executive Order No. 10 of 2020 made it mandatory for all states to include the allocations of both the legislature and the judiciary in the first-line charge of their budgets.

The order also mandates the accountant general of the federation to deduct from source amount due to the state legislatures and judiciaries from the monthly allocation to each state, for states that refuse to grant such autonomy.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has commended the Army for its renewed vigour in counter-insurgency operations by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, in the North East.

Zulum gave the commendation when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, on Monday, in Abuja.

He said that the military had achieved some level of success in the fight against Boko Haram and the Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in recent times in the state.

The governor said the current effort of the military had been yielding positive results, adding that more needed to be done to ensure that more farmers had access to their farmlands.

He called for increased support by troops to the governments efforts of resettling the displaced persons back in their communities.

Zulum assured that the state government would continue to support the army in all areas, to return peace and stability to Borno and the entire North East.

Honestly speaking, we have achieved some level of peace within the last two months not withstanding the recent attacks, but a lot still has to be done because we need to put heads together to say the right thing.

We are here to interface with Nigerian Army, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff, with a view to letting them know the actual situation on ground because it is only when you are apprised of the facts and figures on ground that you can think of the kind of intervention.

By and large, we are optimistic that insurgency will come to an end and we plead with the military to ensure the filling of the existing gaps.

Most importantly, we have to look into the political, cultural and economic dimensions of this war, which is very key because farmers need to back to their farm lands during this rainy season so that they can earn their means of livelihood, he said.

The governor also assured that the government had put in place a robust institutional arrangement for effective flow of information from the locals.

Responding, the Chief of Army Staff, Attahiru, commended the governor for the visit, saying it would afford them the opportunity to interact and discuss issues that would bring peace to Borno and entire North east.

Attahiru also commended the government for its continuous support to the operation Lafiya Dole and the Nigeria army in general, as well as the wounded troops and families of fallen troops.

He assured that the Nigerian army was determined to defeat boko haram and conclude the operation, within the shortest time possible.

According to him, he had authorised a review of some of their activities, operations and strategies, adding that the issue of manpower, arms and ammunitions were being addressed.

He appealed to the governor to consider the rehabilitation of some roads in the state to enhance army operations.

Let me assure you that the Nigerian Army, under my watch, will continue to do its best to support all your programmes and activities aimed at bringing peace that would enable socio-economic activities to thrive in Borno.

Having said that, let me use this medium to appeal to you to, as a matter of urgency, consider the rehabilitation of roads and main supply routes that link some of the local government areas in the state and indeed the humanitarian hubs.

This will facilitate passage, keep open humanitarian corridors, as well as enhance our operations. It will equally reduce the threat posed to our troops by improvised explosive devices, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Zulum was accompanied by the three Senators representing Borno in the National Assembly, Kashim Shettima, Ali Ndume and Abubakar Kyari. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Muhammad Adam

Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa has inaugurated 86 housing units for Internally Displaced Persons in Girei Local Government Area (LGA) in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the housing units of two bedrooms flats, were built by Most Rev. Stephen Dami Mamza, Catholic Bishop of Yola Diocese.

Fintiri inaugurated the estate, with a Mosque in it, in Sangere-Marghi village, Girei LGA, on Monday.

The governor, commended the laudable initiative and commitment of Mamza, to serving humanity and to promoting religious tolerance in the state.

We are gathered to celebrate one of the outstanding humanitarian efforts in the history of care and support as a nation.

We are happy to be part of this effort to resettle our brothers and sisters that were displaced by insurgency since 2014 Fintiri said.

In his remark, Mamza disclosed that the Catholic Diocese built the estate with the support of national and international partners.

This project is a tall dream come true since the Catholic Diocese of Yola first opened its doors to host IDPs on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2014.

This was after the collapse of some local governments in Northern Adamawa, following Boko Haram attacks on villagers.

At the height of the displacement in October 2014, when Mubi town and environs came under Boko Haram occupation, thousands fled into Yola and approached us for food and shelter.

It was at this time that St. Theresas IDP Camp housed 4,700 persons.

We have been taking care of the IDPs for the past seven years with the little assistance we receive from our major partners.

The Catholic Diocese of Yola, with its local resources also constructed a Mosque for some of our Muslim IDPs, Mamza said.

He appealed to government and humanitarian actors for more assistance saying that displaced persons needed to be given opportunities to be productive and self-reliant.

According to him, this will prevent the IDPs from being passive recipients of aid, which results in dependency syndrome.

In his remark, the Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, said that the significance of building the housing estate and the Mosque should not be lost.

Nigerians should learn to practice religion of tolerance and love for their neighbour.

It is important that Christians and Muslims appreciate what the Diocese of Yola has done today, Kukah said.

The renowned cleric charged Fintiri to impress upon other northern governors on the need for synergy between government and religious leaders to promote love and peace in the region, and the country at large.

Kukah said he would continue to pray that one day, the Muslims would reciprocate the gesture by building a Church for Christians in the state.

NAN reports that many notable personalities, including Rev. Bulus Yohanna, Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, representative of Lamido of Adamawa, other top clergy, government officials and politicians, attended the event.

Source: NAN News