National News Monday, March 10, 2014 1. Alison-Madueke in a Surprise Visit to Lagos Filling Stations, Accuses Marketers of Causing Scarcity • IOC/NNPC in battle of wits over project Determined to have a first hand understanding of the cause of the prolonged fuel scarcity across the country, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, paid a surprise visit to several filling stations in Lagos Sunday and concluded that the marketers were behind the scarcity of the product. Speaking during the inspection of some filling stations in Lagos State, the minister said the country had enough PMS to meet the domestic demand. “We have enough fuel to wet the country, but the challenge we are having is that, after loading, some truck drivers will not supply the lifted products at the designated filling stations. Having gone round the state (Lagos), it is not just the filling stations at Ikoyi that appeared to be wet with product, but other extreme locations like Ajah and other parts in Surulere,” she said. This came on a day that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) are engaged in rounds of accusation and counter accusation over the commencement of new projects by the IOCs. Speaking on the scarcity of petrol, Alison-Madueke said there were many factors militating against efficient delivery of the products to the end users. Thisday, front pg, cont on pg8 2. AU raises fresh concern over Boko Haram terror • Nigerians in London protest killings • Arewa youths indict Jonathan, northern leaders over insurgency • Borno communities flee homestead STRONG indications emerged at the weekend that the lingering insurgency in the northern part of the country may have begun to attract greater global attention as the African Union (AU) Commission yesterday raised fresh concerns over the Boko Haram threat, which in its words, has continued with “senseless killing” in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum at the weekend in Minna rose from its 3rd meeting condemning the ongoing killings in the North, urging security chiefs in the country to immediately work out new strategies to check the massacre. In the same vein, the Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Most Revd. Jude Arogundade, has urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts towards tackling insurgency. The cleric, who spoke at a press conference to herald the commencement of the Lenten campaign during which the Catholic Church executes some cardinal points of its social teachings by providing and encouraging supports to vulnerable persons, said “presently, nobody knows the motive behind the attacks of these insurgents on the Nigerian nation.” The Guardian, front pg, cont on pg2 3. PMS: Tanker drivers shut down Oshodi-Apapa expressway again *We need federal assistance- Lagos *We have no where to pack our tankers to load fuel – NUPENG APAPA /OSHODI expressway has literally been shutdown since Friday with yesterday being the most agonizing for motorists. The shutdown was caused by tankers and trailers that seized the major economic artery of the country. All law enforcement agencies pleaded helplessness yesterday with the policemen disappearing from the roads completely leaving trapped motorists at the mercy of thieves. The situation was compounded by the ongoing slow paced construction work on the road by Julius Berger. The mayhem was justified by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday. A source told Vanguard that the blockade was caused partly by a directive from the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, who reportedly gave a 48-hour deadline to Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and oil marketers to clear the long queues at filling stations and end the lingering fuel shortages. Vanguard, pg54 4. Bayelsa drags EFCC to court over Alamieyesiegha loot Bayelsa State Government has asked an Abuja Federal High Court to order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately remit to it the N1.4bn, and another $1.3m recovered from a former governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyesiegha. The suit was filed by one Mr. George Uboh, the Chief Executive of Panic Alert Security System, who said he was acting with the mandate of the Bayelsa State Government. Uboh said in line with the said mandate, he wrote to the EFCC requesting that the funds be remitted within seven days. He added that, in response to the letter, he met with officials of the EFCC on December 19, 2013, after which the commission assured that the remittance would be made within a short time. Uboh further explained that, following the EFCC’s failure to remit the funds as promised, the Bayelsa State Government had instructed that a suit be filed against the anti-graft agency in a bid to recover the money. In a writ of summons issued at the Abuja FHC against EFCC and its Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, the plaintiff alleged that the commission was trading with the seized funds. The Punch, pg3 5. There’ll be violence if Jonathan seeks re-election –Bakare * Says militants may resume hostility if he fails to run * Blames monarchs for shielding terrorists * 2015 for Jonathan not negotiable – S’ South elders Convener of Save Nigeria Group (GN), Tunde Bakare, has predicted that the Northern part of the country will erupt in violence if President Goodluck Jonathan decides to seek re-election for another four-year term in office. But he added that the Niger Delta militants on their part would resume hostilities in the creeks and blow up oil installations if on the other hand the President decides not to contest and the Northerners return to power. Bakare, Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly and running mate to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Presidential candidate in the 2011 general elections, Muhammadu Buhari, believes that the only viable solution to the possible impasse is for Nigerians to go to the Federal Government’s planned National Conference and “save ourselves of major unprecedented rage”. He spoke in Lagos at the weekend during an interview with Daily Independent. Daily Independent, pg2 6. Why NERC will not increase electricity tariff The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will not effect the anticipated increase in electricity tariffs until there is a significant step-up of power generation in the country, BusinessDay has authoritatively gathered. This poses a challenge to the distribution companies (Discos) which are struggling to find their feet in a newly deregulated sector and are agitating for a tariff increase to enable them to fulfil their loan repayment obligations. NERC says it cannot defend a tariff increase at the current low generation rate and with the public outcry over excessive power outages nationwide. BusinessDay, front pg, cont on pg4 Business News 7. Pinnacle gets approval for N40bn fuel loading facility The Federal Government has granted approval to the proposal of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited to construct a $250m (N40bn) Single Point Mooring facility. The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, said the approval for the construction of the facility was granted by President Goodluck Jonathan. Umar spoke in Abuja when he hosted top officials of Pinnacle Oil, who paid him a visit. Punch, pg30 8. Court Orders Okonjo-Iweala to Disclose Budget Details of National Assembly, Others The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to immediately make public details of all appropriations and statutory transfers in the 2014 budget in the public interest. Thisday, pg11 World/Regional News 9. Alamieyesiegha’s loot: Bayelsa govt drag EFCC to Court ABUJA—THE Bayelsa State government has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, asking that the sum of N1.4 billion and another 1.3million USD that was recovered from the former governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyesiegha, be remitted to its treasury. Vanguard, pg8 10. Missing Malaysia Airlines plane still ‘a mystery’ Malaysia’s civil aviation chief has said the fate of a missing Malaysia Airlines jet remains “a mystery”. Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said officials had not ruled out hijacking as a cause of the plane’s disappearance. The possible sighting of a yellow life raft was investigated on Monday, but was found to be an unrelated object. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished from radar almost three days ago en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, with 239 people on board. The Punch, the net
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 11:17:40 +0000
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