Gov. Babagana Zulum, Borno State Governor

By Hamza Suleiman

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, has confirmed the killing of 81 persons by Boko Haram terrorists, who invaded Faduma Koloram village, in Gubio Local Government Area (LGA), on Tuesday.

Zulum, disclosed this on Wednesday, when he visited the scene of the attack to commiserate with survivors.

He said that 13 persons were injured while fleeing the attack, while seven others sustained various degrees of injury.

The governor further explained that 49 of the deceased had already buried before his arrival, while 32 bodies of the victims had been taken away by their families.

Zulum recalled that the terrorists, who attacked Gajiram LGA some months ago, were the same ones who carried out the attack; describing it as very unfortunate.

The Governor said that the only positive option to end the massacre on the vulnerable communities was to dislodge the terrorists in their strong hold, in the shores of Lake Chad.

We have been advocating for this for a very long time. The Tumbus and other shores of Lake Chad must be cleared completely, then people will get rest of mind. Anything less than this is a temporary measure.

That requires a lot of support from the Federal Government such as blocking of the leakage from our neighbouring countries by the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), he said.

Zulum said that the state government on its part, would adopt measures to protect the people from further attacks, including merging smaller communities with larger ones, where they could be provided with effective security.

This village from Gubio town is over 35 kilometers. Due to the nature of the vast land, the insurgents can easily sneak into the community to cause havoc. The military can come here and relocate them, but at the end, they may come back, he said.

Modu Gana, a survivor, had earlier told the governor that the community was attacked three times by the terrorists within the last one month.

Gana said that the attackers stormed the village in three Hilux vans and motorcycles, telling them that they came to preach the word of God to the people.

They asked us to remove all our charms, cutlasses, bows and arrows, as well as other spiritual protection for special prayers.

Immediately we did that, they began shooting at us from different directions, many people escaped with bullet wounds, while seven others, including our village head, were abducted by the terrorists, he said.

Gana said that more than 2,400 livestock had been rustled by the terrorists.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that a mass burial was conducted for the deceased.

NAN also reports that five of the victims, who were severely injured, were taken to the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital for treatment by the state government. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19

By Ayinde Olaide

Mr Baba Tela, Deputy Governor of Bauchi State who tested positive to Coronavous about a week ago has tested negative for the virus and has been discharged.

Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, the Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA) made the disclosure in Bauchi on Wednesday during the State COVID-19 update.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that the state deputy governor was tested positive for COVID-19 on June 3.

Tela who is also the Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19 and Lassa Fever was isolated along with all the people he had contact with.

The executive chairman of BASPHCDA, said that the deputy governor was isolated for nine days.

His Excellency the deputy governor of Bauchi state, nine days ago was in isolation because he was infected.

However, we thank God that after another test, he is now negative and he has been discharged, Mohammed said.

He said a frontline health worker, Dr Bello Katagum, lost his life in the line of duty.

Dr Bello Katagun, a frontline medical doctor managing the dreaded COVID-19 in the state has lost his life in the line of duty to the virus, he said.

The state Governor, Bala Mohammed, in a condolence message described Katagun as the pillar of health management in the state.

We lost a doctor today to COVID-19, he was a most respected pillar of health management in Bauchi and in Nigeria.

He was one of the first consultants we ever produced in the North and it is very unfortunate that we lost this gem.

He is part of the index cases of my deputy governor.

He has given us so much support in Bauchi state, he established a hospital, he treated our parents and he was even a resident in the hospital just to be there for us all.

His death was a big loss for us, Gov. Mohammed said.

NAN reports that Bauchi state had recorded 364 cases of COVID-19, 224 discharged and 10 deaths recorded. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NOSDRA is focusing actively on downstream sector, says DG

By Okeoghene Akubuike

National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), says it is actively focusing on the downstream sector to ensure compliance with environmental legislation to prevent increase in cases of pollution.

Mr Idris Musa, the Director-General (DG), of NOSDRA, made this known while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Musa said the agency was responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental legislation in the petroleum industry which covered the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors.

He explained that the upstream sector consisted of the exploration and production companies (the people who deal with crude oil essentially); the midstream were the refineries and depots, while the downstream were the filling stations.

When we started, we focused on the upstream simultaneously with the midstream but we were not focusing actively on the downstream actively.

This is in the sense that the downstream is not supposed to generate the kind of attention it is now generating, if not for the fact that the pollution there is now trying to raise its head.

Raise its head in the sense that before now, in the last 10, 15 years, except in Lagos in a place called Baruwa, which had oil pollution into the water aquifer, it was not too common to have hydrocarbon in waterways.

But, in recent times, we see the number of cases increasing, so we have effectively policed the upstream and midstream, except any of their operators just wants to willfully be non-compliant, Musa said.

The DG said the agency was waking up the downstream by disseminating necessary information and guidelines and ensuring they understood what was required of them.

According to him, many of them just thought they should pick the oil from the depots and put it in their underground storage tank and sell and that was the end.

From experience, some do not lift their tanks out maybe after two years to check the integrity of that tank, whether that tank is in very good condition.

Some of the tanks at the point where they are welded may have some kind of weakness leading to leakages; so we need to sensitise them, Musa said.

He said the agency had several meetings with stakeholders in the downstream sector.

The meeting involved the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA) and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

Musa said that his officers had begun sensitisation exercises at filling stations in the FCT, but the lockdown had delayed its progress.

He said that in spite of the lockdown, the agency had a virtual meeting with the executives of MOMAN, DAPPMA and IPMAN to discuss their preparedness and also disseminate guidelines to their members.

Musa said the agencys focus on the downstream would impact on the country positively because the environment and water bodies, especially the ground water would be healthier.

We should not lose two things at the same time. We should not lose our surface water to pollution caused by oil and other land based activities.

If you keep loading pollution in the upstream, the receiving end is the downstream which is the coastal states that will receive the pollution, he said.

The DG added that another positive impact would be saving the filling stations costs that ordinarily they would have avoided if the agency prevented them from polluting the environment.

We are not revenue collectors, we are going to advise, guide them on what to do in order not to pollute the environment and where necessary we will provide technical services.

If you prevent, it is better than curing. If you prevent them from polluting they will have no cost for any curative thing. That is the role we want to fill, Musa said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State

The Delta House of Assembly, on Tuesday, approved the sum of N1.7 billion for the construction of a diagnostic medical complex in the state.

The project sited at Owa-Alero in Ika North East Local Government area of the state.

The request for the approval of the money by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa was contained in a letter read during plenary by the Speaker, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, in Asaba.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor had, in the letter, said that the request was in line with his administrations drive towards providing world-class health service delivery for the people of the state.

NAN also reports that the State Executive Council (SEC) had, at its 14th meeting, held on Nov. 1, 2019, considered and approved the construction of the centre at a total cost of N1.7 billion.

Okowa said that the state Ministry of Health, having secured the approval, later realised that the project might not be achieved within the life span of this administration due to paucity of funds.

Being a flagship project, the ministry opted for alternative source of funding to ensure early completion through a contractor-financing model.

It was noted that quotations received from tenders were significantly higher than the official reserved sum of the project, and in that regard, the company with the lowest bid was considered.

Based on this, the state Tenders Board recommended to the SEC an upward review of the initial contact sum of the project.

Consequently, SEC, at its first meeting held on Jan. 21, considered and approved the recommended sum of N1.7 billion for the execution of the project, with 30 percent down payment in favour of NJZC International Construction Limited/Sinoma Investment International Limited, the contractor handling the project, he said.

According to the governor, the contractor will finance up to 70 percent project cost, while 12 percent interest rate would be charged annually on the 70 percent project cost.

The state government, in turn, is expected to issue an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) in favour of NJZC International Construction Limited/Sinoma Investment International Limited.

The duration of the ISPO shall be 24 months, plus six months moratorium, making it a total of 30 months for completion of the repayment plan.

The purpose of this letter is to seek the authorisation of the assembly in support of the financing arrangement, with respect to the construction of the project, Okowa said.

Consequently, the Majority Leader of the assembly, Mr Tim Owhefere, moved a motion for the House to consider and adopt the governors request.

The motion, which was unanimously adopted by the assembly when put to a voice vote by the speaker, was seconded by the member representing Ndokwa West constituency, Mr Charles Emetulu.

Source: NAN News

FMDQ

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited on Tuesday announced the admission of Dangote Cement N100 billion Commercial Paper (CP) on its platform.

Specifically, FMDQ announced the approval and admission of Dangote Cements N34 billion Series 15 and N66 billion Series 16 Commercial Paper (CP) notes, on its platform.

The company said in a statement in Lagos that the CP notes was under Dangote Cement N150 billion Domestic CP Issuance Programme.

FMDQ said the issuance and subsequent quotations of Dangote Cement CP was the largest issued by a non-financial institution in Nigeria on its platform.

It said that the development was another testament of the efficient listings and quotations service offered by FMDQ Exchange.

FMDQ said that the Exchange would continue to position the Nigerian capital market to support corporates and businesses seeking to raise capital to finance their funding needs.

FMDQ Holdings Plc has through its subsidiary, FMDQ Exchange, continued to provide the required support to governments, corporates, and individuals through the delivery of innovative and dependable capital market solutions, it said.

The statement indicated that Dangote Cement CPs will be availed global visibility through FMDQ Exchanges website and systems.

The CPs would be included in FMDQ Daily Quotations List, in order to ensure and maintain information transparency, according to the statement.

Through the Listings and Quotations Compliance function at FMDQ, investors are guaranteed continued disclosure of the issuers obligations to enable this important category of market stakeholders make informed decisions.

Investors are also provided a secure securities depository for the lodgement of their assets via FMDQ Depository Limited, thus ensuring an efficient and seamless flow of transactions from start to finish on FMDQ, it said.

FMDQ Group is Africas first vertically integrated financial market infrastructure group which provides a one-stop platform for the seamless and cost-efficient execution, risk management, clearing, settlement and depository services, as well asdata and information services across the debt capital, foreign exchange and derivatives markets in Nigeria. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), says the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji has destroyed another bandits camp at Kwayanbana Forest in Zamfara.

The DHQ said that several of the criminals were killed in the operation.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the airstrike was carried out on June 7, in continuation of air operations being conducted under Operation Accord.

Enenche said the feat was achieved after intelligence reports and series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions established that some makeshift structures were hidden under the dense forest vegetation.

He said intelligence report also revealed that the caves in the surrounding high grounds served as hideout for the bandits and their notorious kingpin, Dogo Gede.

According to him, the Air Component dispatched a force package of attack aircraft and helicopter gunships to engage the location, leading to the destruction of the makeshift structures as well as killing of several bandits.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, commended the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji for their professionalism.

He urges them to remain resolute in the conduct of air strikes whilst continuing to provide close air support for ongoing ground operations in order to eradicate all bandits.

This is aimed at accomplishing the directives of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, to restore normalcy in the North West and North Central zones of the country, he said.

Source: NAN News

CP Ibrahim Kaoje, Sokoto State Command

The Police Command in Sokoto State had distributed operational vehicles to Police Area Commands, Divisions and Out Posts, to enhance campaign against banditry.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ibrahim Kaoje, who conducted the distribution on Monday in Sokoto said that the vehicles were provided by the Sokoto State Government.

Kaoje charged officers to ensure judicious use of the vehicles and to enhance efficiency in policing the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government, had on June 3, donated 98 operational vehicles to security agencies as part of measures toward tackling security challenges in the state.

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, disclosed that the vehicles were provided in collaboration with the 23 local government areas in the state.

He said that the benefiting agencies included Nigerian Army, Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the DSS.

He noted that a network was established where vital information would be shared among security agencies and community members on all forms of crimes to ensure prompt responses.

The governor lamented the increased cases of banditry in eastern parts of the state and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for granting him audience and briefing on security situations in the state.

He urged security operatives to step up action and synergy against all forms of criminality in the state, assuring residents of the effected areas that the situation would soon be overcome.

Source: NAN News

John Enenche, Director Defence Information

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Defence Headquarters says the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji has destroyed another bandits camp and killed several of the criminals at Kwayanbana Forest in Zamfara.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the airstrike was carried out on June 7, in continuation of air operations being conducted under Operation Accord.

Enenche said the feat was achieved after intelligence reports and series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions established that some makeshift structures were hidden under the dense forest vegetation.

He said intelligence report also revealed that the caves in the surrounding high grounds served as hideout for the bandits and their notorious kingpin, Dogo Gede.

According to him, the Air Component dispatched a force package of attack aircraft and helicopter gunships to engage the location, leading to the destruction of the makeshift structures as well as killing of several bandits.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, commended the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji for their professionalism.

He urges them to remain resolute in the conduct of air strikes whilst continuing to provide close air support for ongoing ground operations in order to eradicate all bandits.

This is aimed at accomplishing the directives of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, to restore normalcy in the North West and North Central zones of the country, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Residents that consume less than 50kwh will be billed at N4 per kwhr and a maximum of N200 monthly, the commission said.

Source: NAN News

By Isaiah Eka

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has approved the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory for testing of COVID-19 samples in Akwa Ibom.

The approval followed the validation visit by the agency to the Akwa Ibom Isolation Centre with inbuilt Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory situated at the Disease Control Unit of the General Hospital in Ituk Mbang.

The leader of the NCDC delegation, Mr Bamidele Oluwafemi made this known at a courtesy visit to the Chairman of COVID-19 Management Committee and Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem on Tuesday.

Oluwafemi described the isolation centre with the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory as one of the best in the country.

He said that everything at the centre was up to the expected standard of NCDC.

The team leader said the state owned PCR laboratory has been fully activated by the NCDC for testing.

Oluwafemi lauded the state government for building the facility, adding that it would not only serve the purpose of containing the spread of COVID-19, but other viral diseases in the state.

Responding, Ekuwem expressed appreciation to the NCDC team for activating and approving the PCR laboratory.

On behalf of His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, I express our heartfelt gratitude to the team from the NCDC for visiting our state to painstakingly inspect and evaluate the kind of facility we have in the premises of General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, he said.

He expressed gratitude to Gov. Emmanuel Udom for the huge investment in the health sector as exemplified in the upgrading of healthcare facilities across the state.

Ekuwem informed the NCDC officials that the Udom-led administration had procured various medical equipment for the state before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking, the State Incident Manager and Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong, said that with the approval of the laboratory, the challenges faced by the state in taking COVID-19 samples to other states for testing would be history.

He said the laboratory, would also be used in carrying out tests for other infectious diseases.

He said that it would also help in increasing the testing of persons suspected of the coronavirus, thereby helping the state to contain further spread of the virus.

Source: NAN News