An oil and gas expert, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, on Monday urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for investors to build more refineries instead of depots.

Korodo, the immediate past Chairman, Lagos Zonal Council, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

What are we doing with over 100 depots, while we have just four refineries with a population of 180 million?

We should be thinking of how to get more refineries to refine more products than keep building more tank farms.

Go to Apapa now, when I joined the oil sector in 1982, we had only seven tank farms in Apapa, but today, we have more than 62 tank farms in the place alone.

In Lagos alone, we have more than 80 tank farms, while we have over 30 depots in other states of the federation.

What are we doing with all these depots when we dont have refined products? he asked.

He said the countrys founding fathers meant well for the nation when they built three refineries and one storage facility in Lagos in the 70s.

Atlas Cove storage was built in Lagos to receive products from the refineries to serve the people in the Western part of the country.

Refinery was built in Warri, Delta State to serve the people in South-South part, while Port Harcourt Refinery will serve the people in South Eastern part.

The Kaduna refinery was built to serve the people in the North.

Unfortunately, the subsequent government messed up the whole plan and allowed these entire infrastructure to decay, Korodo said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The $5,000 about ( N1.8 million) pledged by renowned musician , David Adeleke , a.k.a. Davido, to a Rwandan music school has continued to generate mixed reactions from Nigerian musicians.

Some of them commended him for the generous act in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

Others, however, advised Davido to extend the gesture to music schools established by Nigerians.

They said that those with interest in music could be sponsored by Nigerian artistes in music school to curb social vices.

Nigerian flutist, Omatshola Iseli popularly known as Tee Mac, said that such an act of generosity was not supposed to be publicized.

The donor should have done it quietly without bringing it into public limelight.

Iseli said that celebrities as public figures should be more concerned about giving back to the society just as Davido had done.

They should, however, try to minimise how the members of the public sing their praises due to their generosity.

As celebrities, we need to give back to the society depending on how buoyant we are but this must be done without publicity.

And I believe such will be appreciated more by God, as Davido has tried, he said.

Folklore musician Ayo Orobiyi, popularly called Adunni Nefrettiti said that Davidos generousity was a beautiful development for the Rwandan music industry.

She said that the Rwanda music was below the acceptable standard when compared with music produced by other African countries.

She said that the school should channel the donation to the right direction for the improvement of the Rwandan music industry.

They would be able to pace up with the qualities of music produced in Nigeria and some other African countries.

This is a good development coming from one of us in Nigeria.

I believe he must have observed that Rwanda needed such help more than Nigeria because their music is nothing to be compared with ours, she said.

Nigerian reggae musician, Austin Peters, known as King Wadada urged Nigerian artistes who are financially buoyant to demonstrate such generous act to music schools in the country.

King Wadada who appreciated Davidos gesture to Rwanda said Nigerian youths could also be assisted in enrolling in Nigerian music schools.

According to him, musicians can train the less privileged Nigerian youths who are interested in becoming musicians by sponsoring them in music schools.

Wadada said that this would curb the crime rates and other atrocities engaged in by youths.

Davido has tried so far; aside the pledge to the Rwandan music school, he has created a niche for himself and this is highly commendable.

I will call on other Nigerian artistes to emulate him but this time such assistance must be for music schools in Nigeria.

There are many youths who will appreciate being trained in the music school as a way to further their career in singing.

Such youths can be sponsored in music schools and we will discover that crime rates and some other social vices will be minimised, he said.

Peters also advised Nigerian musicians to ensure that the contents of their music were edifying to the souls of the listeners and serve as tools for behavioural change.

Our music should be capable of achieving positive results, changing the negative behaviour of people to the positive.

Let us change the societal problems through our songs, he said.

Source: NAN

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has congratulated Mr.Chile Eboe-Osuji (a Nigerian), on his election as the President of theInternational Criminal Court(ICC).

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, described the development as positive for Nigeria coming a few days after his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, was appointed a Professor by the Southern University, United States of America, USA.

He noted that the emergence of Eboe-Osujiduring the 10th session of the Assembly of State Parties of the ICC, at the UN Headquarters in New York, was a testimony that Nigeria and Nigerians have what it takes to continue to provide leadership at both the local and global arena.

While wishing the eminent jurist a successful tenure, the Senate President said he was sure that the Judge would work to justify the confidence reposed in him by his colleagues who voted to elevate him to the position.

No doubt, the Presidency of the ICC represents a huge responsibility. It is my hope that Eboe-Osuji will help lead the Court to new levels of successes in the next three years, Saraki stated.

Source: NAN

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has resolved to constitute a reconciliatory committee with a view to uniting the students body ahead if its 2018 national convention.

A communiqu issued after NANS meeting at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) said that the decision to set up such committee was sequel to motion by Mr Friday Adayi, a student of UniAbuja.

The communiqu was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

It was co-signed by Mr Chinonso Obasi, NANS President, Mr Yazeed Yazeed, Chairman, Communiqu Drafting Committee and Mr Ogunwoye Gbemiga, Secretary, Communiqu Drafting Committee.

Obasi, had in a letter dated March 1, addressed to Nigerian students, convened a conciliatory meeting slated for March 10.

The meeting having resolved through robust deliberation on the inevitable unity of NANS, in a motion moved by Mr Friday Adayi, a presidential aspirant from UniAbuja.

Adayi urged legitimate Nigerian students to appeal to stakeholders, particularly former NANS leaders to come together, champion and ensure the unity of NANS.

He was seconded by unanimous acceptance by voice vote of all attendees.

The meeting suggested that former National President of NANS 2007/2008, Mr Yinka Dada, be appointed Chairman of the Conciliatory Committee with the mandate of meeting Obasi, Aruna Kadiri, factional NANS president, zonal coordinators, stakeholders and selected student union presidents within two weeks.

They are to harmonise a united Convention Planning Committee(CPC) that will organise and conduct an election on an agreed venue and date accepted by all parties.

The communiqu said that it was agreed that the CPC members must have current matriculation numbers.

It listed the presidential aspirants in attendance as-Adayi, UniAbuja, Lukman Salahuddeen, Kwara State University, Berido Henry, Benue State Polytechnic, Adio Odunjo Orlando, University of Ilorin, Kwara State and Obande Gideon -who sent a text.

The communiqu said that the presidential aspirants, Abubakar Gambo, an aspirant for office of NANS Senate President and numerous other aspirants for different offices all agreed that there should be a unity convention.

It also appealed to the Governing Council and Management of UniAbuja to revisit the case of the expelled 2007 SUG President of the institution, Mr Igwe Ude-Umanta.

It said that Ude-Umanta was expelled in 2007, adding that 11years was a long time punishment.

The communiqu appealed for an unconditional waiver for Ude-Umanta.

The communiqu said that Nigerian students would resist any form of opposition that might jeopardise the Energizing Education Programme(EEP) of the Federal Government.

Source: NAN

The U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Rex Tillerson, will arrive in Abuja on Monday in continuation of his visit to some African countries.

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja said on Sunday that Tillerson would hold talks with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

When he arrives, Tillerson will become the highest ranking official in the Trump Administration to visit Nigeria.

The secretary is expected to hold a press conference at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday by 11.45 a.m

Tillerson is expected to be joined in the press availability by Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, the embassy stated.

Tillerson has been on a week-long tour of Africa.

He has visited the Horn of Africa just days after he announced a new $533 million package for Africa out of which $128 million was earmarked for Nigeria and countries of the Lake Chad region.

Tillerson and Buhari are expected to discuss counter terrorism efforts and humanitarian issues in Nigerias Northeast and the Lake Chad basin.

He is also expected to discuss how to advance peace and security, promote good governance, and spur mutually beneficial trade and investment with the president

He would also meet with U.S. Embassy personnel and participate in events related to U.S. government-supported activities.

During his visit to Kenyan, Tillerson, said on Friday in Nairobi he had shared his concerns with Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta about the importance of democracy.

Tillerson said at a news conference that his concerns were that government should not stifle the media and threaten the courts.

We believe that there are actions that need to be taken in Kenya and that they need to correct certain actions like shutting down independent TV stations and threatening the independence of the courts, he said.

I know Kenya takes these matters seriously. A free and independent media is essential for safeguarding democracy and giving all Kenyans confidence in their government.

Tillerson called Kenya a leading democracy in Africa, praising President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga for meeting on Friday and pledging to bring their people together after 2017 contentious and bloody elections.

He said they had shown a commitment to working for all Kenyans, regardless of party, to take the long journey that is necessary to restore the country, eliminate these divisions that are creating obstacles to Kenyas future.

Tillerson said all the credit for the meeting went to the Kenyan political leaders, in response to a question as to whether the U.S. had a role in organising it.

Both Kenyatta and Odinga had said in a joint statement that they agreed to establish a new office staffed by advisers.

They are to tackle the divisions ranging from opposition complaints over the election to tensions between ethnic groups and corruption.

We have a responsibility as leaders to find solutions. Elections come and go, but Kenya remains, Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term in November after an extended election season which saw the Supreme Court nullifying an August presidential poll.

The apex court went on to order a re-run in October, which Odinga boycotted.

Around 100 people died mainly in clashes between the security forces and opposition supporters during months of acrimonious campaigning and protests.

The election season blunted growth in Kenya, East Africas richest economy and a Western ally in a volatile region.

In January, Odinga took a symbolic presidential oath in a Nairobi park in a direct challenge to Kenyatta.

Before Fridays meeting, the two men had defied calls from Kenyan civil society, religious leaders and Western diplomats to hold talks to overcome deep divisions opened up by the disputed elections.

Odinga said the opposition had decided to change tactics for the sake of the countrys unity.

We refuse to allow our diversity to kill our nation, he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in the Kenyan capital later on Friday as part of a seven-day visit to Africa.

The move was in the face of U. S. attempt to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to China for trade.
(NAN)

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Senate said today that Senator Shehu Sani was in order when he revealed the N45m quarterly allowance that each Senator takes home.

And it quickly added that the information about the emoluments of senators was never a secret.

Senate Spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said thefigure Sani gave out about running cost of the offices of Senators was contained in various line items and expenditure heads of the budget of the National Assembly which has been made public.

According to him, Senator Shehu Sanidid not disclose anything new.

Sani who represents Kaduna Central disclosed the figure and the N700,000 salary of senators in an interview with magazine. The interview was published last week, triggering social commentaries about the Senators well kept secret.

Abdullahi dismissed any insinuations that Sanis colleague were unhappy with him and said if people had looked critically at the budget of the National Assembly which has since been made public, they would have seen that various line items like travelling , medicals, consultancy and the rest were captured in the budget and they were the funds divided for each Senators use.

Almost all holders of elective and appointive offices have running costs allocated to their offices and that cannot be said to be part of their salaries, Abdullahi stated.

In the interview, Sani said: I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month.

He was responding to a question on alleged bogus salaries and allowances of Nigerian lawmakers.

According to him, while there is no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for, lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs. He added that the running cost is in addition to funds earmarked for each senator for constituency projects.

But what I am saying is that that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00.

The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every Senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.

You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used.

So, its becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now.

But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leaves senators and members of House of Reps with salaries.

And also, the public should be informed that nobody should come to any senators house asking for any kobo. That also would be helpful.

Source: NAN

A wealthy Turkish socialite, Mina Basaran and seven of her friends were among the 11 people killed on Sunday when a private plane bringing them home from a Dubai bachelorette party crashed into an Iranian mountainside.

The plane was owned by the private holding company of her father, the Turkish businessman Huseyin Basaran, and carried eight passengers and three crew, an official for Turkeys transport ministry said.

Those on board were all flying back from a party ahead of Minas planned wedding next month.

Huseyin Basaran, a former deputy chairman of Trabzonspor football club, owns businesses that span yachts to energy.

One of his companies is the top shareholder in Bahrain Middle East Bank BSC, a small investment bank. His construction projects include a series of luxury apartment blocks on Istanbuls Asian side called Mina Towers, named after his daughter.

The last photo on 28 year-old Mina Barasans Instagram account showed her surrounded by seven other young women, all wearing robes and sunglasses. The post, tagged #minasbachelorette, said it was taken at the One and Only Royal Mirage luxury hotel in Dubai.

By late on Sunday evening, just a few hours after news of the crash, there were more than 7,000 comments on the photo.

The wreck of the jet and the bodies are found. They will be carried down from the mountain when sun comes up. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, said on Twitter, citing his Iranian sister organisation.

Kinik had earlier told Reuters there was no chance of any survivors, given the aircraft was a jet and it was flying in snowy weather, although he was unable to officially confirm fatalities.

Calls to Basaran Holdings office in Istanbul went unanswered.

Reza Jafarzadeh, spokesman for Irans Civil Aviation Organization, told state television the jet had crashed near the southwestern city of Shahr-e Kord.

Local residents who had reached the site of the crash said there appeared to be no survivors and victims bodies were burnt, ISNA news agency reported, quoting Mojtaba Khaledi, spokesman for Irans emergency services.

ISNA earlier quoted emergency services as saying the wreckage was burning and was clearly visible.

Emergency crews had a difficult approach to reach the crash site because of the mountainous terrain, ISNA said.

Source: NAN

The trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has been adjourned indefinitely.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar, announced the adjournment in a short ruling on the resumption of trial in Abuja today.

He said the tribunal would await the decision of the Supreme Court on the appeals filed by both Saraki and the Federal Government.

Saraki is being tried on three of the 18 count-charge for false declaration of assets.

Umar gave the ruling after listening to the addresses of both the defence and prosecuting lawyers.

In his address, the prosecuting counsel Mr Rotimi Jacobs urged the Tribunal to proceed with taking the final address from the parties in the suit.

He based his request on the fact that the defence had already opened and closed their case and the Tribunal had adjourned for the adoption of final addresses.

However, Counsel to the Senate President Mr Kanu Agabi urged the Tribunal to be mindful of the dignity of the Supreme Court and prayed for an indefinite adjournment.

Agreeing with the defence counsel, the CCT chairman held that the Tribunal has decided to tarry awhile so that the integrity of Supreme Court would not be played with.

The Tribunal will adjourn this matter sine die pending the outcome of the appeals at the Supreme Court, he added.

On Tuesday last week, the Tribunal had adjourned the case till March 8 to hear the final address by the parties in the suit and for its final judgment.

The parties will have to await the decisions of the Supreme Court to proceed with the rest of the trial.

*Reported by Channels TV

Source: NAN

Britain will build a new 112-bed wing at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos so that it can transfer Nigerian prisoners there, foreign secretary, Boris Johnson announced in London today.

In a written statement to parliament, Johnson said tenders had been placed and a supplier identified to conduct the building work at Kirikiri. He did not name the supplier.

The project will be funded from Britains Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, which has an annual budget of more than 1 billion pounds and aims to commission projects that can help prevent conflicts and stabilise countries or regions.

The new 112-bed wing, which will cost 700,000 pounds ($973,000) and be compliant with United Nations standards, will make it easier for Britain to comply with a prisoner transfer agreement it signed with Nigeria in 2014.

Under that deal, eligible prisoners serving criminal sentences in Nigeria and Britain can be returned to complete their sentences in their respective countries. The British government did not indicate how many prisoners might be moved or when the project is likely to be completed.

Nigerian prisons many of them built by British colonisers more than 100 years ago are severely overcrowded, leading to the spread of diseases.

The Nigerian government has said it is developing a strategy to tackle the issue.

Britains own prison system has been showing signs of severe strain in recent years, with overcrowding, rising suicide rates and a growing problem with drug trafficking and other crimes within jails that were sometimes built in the Victorian era.

Kirikiri is not one of the oldest prisons in Nigeria but it does date back to colonial times.

Last month, the government said the prison in the southern city of Port Harcourt, which was originally designed to hold 800 prisoners, currently has nearly 5,000. It said 3,700 of them had been awaiting trial for more than five years.

Source: NAN

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson cancelled scheduled events on Saturday on the second day of a visit to Kenya because he is not feeling well, a State Department spokesman said.

The secretary is not feeling well after a long couple days working on major issues back home such as North Korea and has canceled his events for the day, spokesman Steve Goldstein said.

The announcement comes little more than 24 hours after US President Donald Trump stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet North Koreas Kim Jong Un before the end of May.

The audacious diplomatic gambit, which was taken before consulting key confidantes including Tillerson who was in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa at the time left aides scrambling to catch up.

Just hours before the summit announcement, which emerged late on Thursday, Tillerson had said Washington was a long way from talking directly to North Korea as he kicked off his five-nation Africa tour.

The US diplomat, who arrived in Nairobi on Friday, had been due to visit the AIDS-relief programme PEPFAR on Saturday and also attend a ceremony marking 20 years since Al-Qaeda bombed the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people.

Plans to lay a wreath at the site could be rescheduled, Goldstein said.

Tillerson is due to travel to Chad on Monday then on to Nigeria a day later.

Tillerson arrived Kenya on Friday after visiting Ethiopia and Djibouti.

After talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday, he told newsmen he had shared his concerns with Kenyatta about the importance of democracy and said the government should not stifle the media and threaten the courts.

The Kenyan government shut down three television channels in January on the day opposition leader Raila Odinga took a symbolic presidential oath, then defied a court order to switch them back on. The stations had planned to live-stream the oath.

We believe that there are actions that need to be taken in Kenya and that they need to correct certain actions like shutting down independent TV stations and threatening the independence of the courts, Tillerson told a news conference in the Kenyan capital.

I know Kenya takes these matters seriously. A free and independent media is essential for safeguarding democracy and giving all Kenyans confidence in their government.

Asked at the news conference with Tillerson if Kenya could call itself a democracy in light of restrictions appeared intended to stifle dissent, Kenyas foreign affairs minister, Monica Juma, said that the notion that there is a restriction of the media is not backed by fact or reality.

She said that only three of more than 10s of TV stations were temporarily shut down. The three stations taken off air reach the majority of viewers in the country.

In September, after Kenyas Supreme Court overturned President Uhuru Kenyattas election victory and ordered a new poll, Kenyatta dismissed the judges as wakora, meaning crooks in Swahili. He also said the country had a problem with its judiciary that needed to be fixed.

Tillerson, the top U.S. diplomat, praised Kenyatta and opposition leader Odinga for meeting on Friday and pledging to bring their people together after last years contentious and bloody elections.

All the credit for the meeting went to the Kenyan political leaders, Tillerson said, in response to a question as to whether the U.S. had a role in organizing it.

As expected, Tillerson also emphasized the U.S. security partnership with Kenya and what he called our shared fight against terrorism. He said he would pay his respects on Saturday in Nairobi to victims of the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The bombings killed 224 people.

He also recognized the 4,000 Kenyan troops fighting al-Shabaab in Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission AMISOM.

Source: NAN