News

Angry oil workers blame soldiers, protest today

Published

9 months ago

September 8, 2022

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria on Wednesday threatened showdown with the Federal Government over the massive oil thefts in the Niger Delta.

The President, PENGASSAN, Festus Osifo, in an interview with journalists in Abuja, blamed soldiers and other security agents protecting pipelines in the country for the continued oil theft.

He said the association would halt oil production if the government failed to stop the theft.

He also disclosed that the association would hold rallies simultaneously on Thursday (today) in Abuja, Warri, Kaduna and Lagos.

According to him, the rallies would let the government know that PENGASSAN members were tired of producing oil that would be stolen eventually by thieves despite the protection of pipelines by security agencies.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, had last week Tuesday said the spate of vandalism had prompted the NNPC to shut down its entire network of pipelines conveying petroleum products nationwide.

“When we say we are losing several 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily, we mean it. This is opportunity loss. There is no company that will produce oil and then you lose 80 percent of that and continue to produce the oil.

“So we deliberately shut down the pipelines whenever we see these infractions getting to a limit that we cannot manage. So that means as we speak today, we know for sure, there’s at least 700,000 barrels that we could have produced that we can’t because we cannot guarantee the safety of the pipeline,” Kyari explained.

Lamenting the effect of the oil theft, Osifo called for the imprisonment of security officers assigned to protect pipelines from where humongous volumes of crude oil were being stolen daily, stressing that many oil companies were shutting down operations due to this development.

The President, PENGASSAN, Festus Osifo, told journalists in Abuja that the international oil companies such as Agip, Total, Shell and Addax, had stopped oil production in some wells due to the theft, as the jobs of workers in these firms were currently threatened.

He said, “If after this rally there is no traceable progress, as an association, we may be forced to withdraw our workforce from the operating companies, because we cannot continuously send crude oil into the pipelines and at the end of the day the pipelines are vandalised by people who don’t know how the oil was produced.

“Some of these pipeline vandals, when you stop production into a line, they call our members and threaten them, asking our members why they stopped production into the line and that they should open the line.

“So, the lives of our members are even at risk. For someone to have your phone number and call you, that means the person knows you. Therefore, we can no longer condone this, government must sit up.”

News

PSC to elevate junior Police lawyers, others

Published

31 mins ago

June 4, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

Dr Solomon Arase, Cheirman PSC

…Says Commission will review their status, place them properly

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, former Inspector General of Police has promised to look into the status of qualified lawyers serving in the Nigeria Police Force and appearing in Courts with the ranks of Corporals, Sergeants and Inspectors.

He also said the cases of other junior Police Officers who acquired additional certificates in other disciplines while in service will also receive the attention of the Commission.

Dr. Arase noted that this will give the Officers the required self confidence to perform better.

He spoke in Abuja when he received in audience the leadership of the Unity Bar, (Nigerian Bar Association Abuja branch).
Bar. Afam Okeke Chairman of the Association who led the delegation had complained that Lawyers who came into the Police as Junior Officers but improved their qualifications are currently appearing and defending cases in Courts for the Nigeria Police Force but still wearing junior ranks.

The PSC Chairman told the delegation that the Commission may decide to send these categories of Police Lawyers and other junior Police Officers with additional qualifications on a short Service training after which they would be properly placed as Officers.

He said the Nigeria Police needs the services of more Lawyers stressing that the Commission will come out with a decision that will leave all parties in a win-win situation.

Dr. Arase used the opportunity of the courtesy visit to call on the Nigerian Bar Association to advise practising Lawyers to stop criminalising civil matters.

“It is wrong and should be discouraged, civil matters should be treated as civil matters and arbitration should serve the parties and the society better.

“We should avoid time wasting in criminalising civil matters and sending them to the Police when it can be better handled outside of the Police,” he noted.

Dr. Arase called for a robust legal system in Nigeria that inspires the citizens to seek for redress and justice. He noted that Offenders must be arrested and prosecuted to restore confidence in the system.

He informed his visitors that the Commission is setting up a Compliance Monitoring Unit to ensure the Police Complaints Response Units promptly attends to public complaints.

This new Unit, he said will be directly under his supervision for effectiveness and efficiency. The Commission according to him will henceforth ensure that it prevents a system that does not attend to public complaints.

Dr. Arase also spoke of the Commission’s desire to collaborate with the Nigeria Bar Association and organise some training programmes on human rights so as to expose its staff Lawyers to a better appreciation of its duties.

He promised the participation of the Commission and its Staff Lawyers in the Law Week of the Abuja branch and the National body’s convention in Abuja.

Bar. Okeke, the Chairman of the Unity Bar had earlier congratulated the PSC Chairman on his appointment and pledged the Union’s support.

News

Kogi: Gov Bello, SDP Guber candidate, Ajaka trade blame over attack

Published

5 hours ago

June 4, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

Yakubu Muritala Ajaka's car attacked

There was a clash Saturday between the campaign team of the Kogi State governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Yakubu Muritala Ajaka and the convoy of Governor Yahaya Bello.

Ajaka, a former national officer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had dumped the ruling party and secured the governorship ticket of the SDP following his inability to get the APC ticket, which was clinched by Ahmed Usman Ododo.

The SDP’s candidate, an Igala from the Kogi East Senatorial District, is perceived to be one of the popular contenders in the November election.

He is also seen as the main challenger to Ododo, who is believed to be Governor Bello’s anointed candidate. Kogi had witnessed series of electoral violences in the past.

During the November 2019 governorship election in the state, a report by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) revealed that 10 persons were killed in 79 cases of violence recorded across the 21 local government areas of the state.

Violence was also recorded in Kogi during the February 25presidential election. An instance was the killing of a young man, simply identified as Akayama, who was said to be gunned down by thugs who invaded Anyigba in Dekina Local Government Area of the state to cart away election materials.

There were also reports of violence at Mopa in the Kogi West Senatorial District and some areas of Kogi Central Senatorial District during the poll.

Yesterday’s incident, it was learnt, happened around the Navy Quarters, near Lokoja, when Governor Bello was returning from Abuja.

Bello and Ajaka traded blame over the incident, accusing each other of being responsible for the attack.

While Bello alleged that his convoy was attacked by the SDP’s team; Ajaka claimed that it was an assassination attempt on his life by Bello and his men.

An eyewitness said the governor’s convoy ran into the SDP’s stalwarts and their supporters who were on the way to Lokoja, after paying a courtesy call on the paramount ruler of Kotonkarfe, Ohimege Igu, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Isah Koto.

The source added that the SDP supporters, who were moving in a long convoy of vehicles, took over the road, thus preventing the governor’s convoy from negotiating out of the highway at that particular time.

According to the source, the melee that followed led to sporadic shootings by alleged “miscreants” and bullets hit many cars, though no life was lost.

However, the Kogi State Government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, alleged that the governor’s convoy was blocked and attacked by people believed to be supporters of Ajaka.

“The attack took place near the Naval Base, a few kilometres from Lokoja where the convoy of Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, having sighted that of the governor, blocked the road and some of his armed thugs started shooting sporadically at the convoy of the governor.

“The governor left the scene unscathed and there is no cause for panic as the Governor is in high spirit”, Fanwo said.

The state government alleged further that “some security aides and other aides attached to the governor sustained injuries and had been rushed to medical facilities for medical attention”.

Fanwo said while the state government promised to ensure that law and order is maintained, the “governor warned that no APC member should be involved in any reprisal as insecurity from any quarter will be met with stiff penalties”.

Bello, while speaking on the incident at the Government House, vowed that his administration would deal with anyone or group of persons threatening the peace and progress of the state.

He said there was no hiding place for any political thug, miscreant or whoever is hiding under politics to perpetrate evil in the state.

“In the game of politics, I don’t take anything for granted. In this particular game , I will leave no stone unturned. We are sure of an overwhelming clean victory in the coming governorship election.

“On lion’s day, an antelope blocked my way. Let this be the first and last. We are looking forward to the law enforcement agents to take action.

It’s assassination attempt – Ajaka

Meanwhile, Ajaka, in a statement by his campaign’s spokesman, Faruk Adejoh, alleged that gun-wielding men in the governor’s convoy attacked him.

The statement read: “Ajaka and some vehicles accompanying him were approaching Lokoja at the vicinity of the Ram Market at about 300pm when two power bikes and a Toyota Hilux overtook his car and forced it to a stop.

“The men jumped down and began shooting at Ajaka’s car and all other cars in the motorcade. They shot for over 5 minutes at Ajaka’s bullet proof car unprovoked.

“All this while Bello’s car was parked a few meters in front and was used to barricade the road while the gun men had a field day.”

“When they ceased, Ajaka’s car, a Lexus SUV though a bulletproof (car); was totally damaged and demobilised.”

Our correspondent learnt that Ajaka aborted his courtesy visit to paramount rulers in the state and returned to Abuja because of the incident.

One of his closest aides, Muhammad, said that an SDP chieftain identified as Muri, “escaped by grace of God”, saying, “his bulletproof vehicle prevented the bullets from reaching him as he was shot at close range in the confusion that ensued on the highway”.

The Kogi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya, did not respond to a text message and call to his mobile for comment.

CDD, CODE demand action on Kogi violence

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Connected Development (CODE) have demanded proactive and decisive actions over Saturday clash ahead of November governorship election in the state.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Sunday in Abuja, Director CDD, Idayat Hassan, said: “Kogi elections has always been one of the most violent in Nigeria, we often say that Kogi State is one of the headquarters of political thugs in Nigeria.

“Why this is worrying is that this is several months into the election, almost five months, and there are stories of election violence particularly between a sitting governor and a candidate. It is extremely worrying and this can only tell us how violent the election can actually be.

“It could be recalled that in the 2019 election, there was huge election day violence, very unprecedented such that even observers were beaten up and the largest polling unit was scattered.”

Also, the Chief Executive of the Connected Development (CODE), Hamza Lawal, urged the security agencies to be on the alert ahead of the governorship poll.

He said: “This is madness and unacceptable and security agencies must rise to the occasion. First, they must institute inquiries and investigate what transpired and they must ensure that there are consequences.

“Kogi State has enjoyed peace for the past seven years and now we cannot afford a breakdown of law and order. Election is just one of the democratic processes and no one should subvert the will of the people. Security agencies must be on high alert and for we civil society, we shall not relent in holding government accountable.”

Daily Trust

News

Enugu govt urges institutions, businesses to obey cancellation of sit-at-home

Published

17 hours ago

June 3, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

The Enugu State Government has called on residents of the state to ignore the sit-at-home being enforced by some members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafria, IPOB.l and go about their normal activities every day of the week including Mondays.

The government directed all schools, markets, banks, retail outlets, hospitals, transporters, and malls to operate every day of the week, including Mondays.

The Public Service Announcement by the State Government reads:

This is to inform all schools, markets, banks, retail outlets, hospitals, transporters, malls and the general members of the public that, in view of the recent ban/cancellation of Mondays’ sit-at-home by the Government of Enugu State, in all nooks and crannies of the state, they have been directed to go about their normal businesses and activities every day of the week, including Mondays.

The above-mentioned bodies and others alike are required to comply with the directive as adequate security measures have been taken to guarantee their safety. Members of the government’s taskforce will be moving around to monitor compliance. Let’s build a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Enugu State together.

Signed: Enugu State Government