See more photos after the cut...
Monday 22 June 2015
MEND threatens to resume militant activities in protest of NASS members huge salaries/allowances
The Movement of the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, has threatened to resume militant activities if members of the National Assembly receive any outrageous allowances. Spokesman of the group Jomo Gbomo said this while speaking to newsmen yesterday June 21st.
“These wicked individuals appropriate to themselves huge and absurd salaries and allowances at the expense of the millions of hapless Nigerians, who have not been paid for months, their salaries, pensions and other benefits they deserve.
The Niger Delta region, where the bulk of revenue that sustains the nation comes from, continues to suffer neglect, environmental degradation and lack, made worse by the very corrupt and visionless past government of Goodluck Jonathan and his cronies, some of who still shamelessly parade themselves on national television and other media platforms as ‘Niger Delta Activists’.
Nigerians refuse to tolerate this ostentatious lifestyle of our lawmakers, whose main objective, it seems, is to enrich themselves and carelessly spend scarce resources. The Niger Delta people refuse to pamper and cater for the needs of these thieving Assembly rogues to their detriment. If the lawmakers refuse to make the necessary adjustments needed to accompany the needs of the masses and the Niger Delta region, it may lead to the resumption of hostilities.”he said
Singer D'Prince shares adorable photo with his new born son
So cute! He shared the pic and wrote "Greatest love".
How Assassins murdered IYC official in Rivers [Graphic Photo]
Gunmen, on Friday, stormed the residence of the National General Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Mr. Bristol Alagbariya, and killed one of his aides.
It was gathered that the gunmen, suspected to be assassins, had shot and killed Alagbariya’s personal assistant, simply identified as Silver, after realising that their target, the IYC general secretary, could not be found.
The incident, which took place along Ada George, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, scared passersby and other occupants of the building.
A source told Southern City News that Silver was later found in a pool of his blood few minutes after the gunmen left.
The source said, “Hired assassins with AK 47 numbering about four, on Friday invaded the residence of the National General Secretary of Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide, Engr. Emmanuel Bristol Alagbariya, brutally murdered one of his personal assistants in cold blood and scaring the life out of everyone they met after realizing that the target man was not around.
“The IYC general secretary, who has been fully engrossed in preparation for an upcoming Rivers Ijaw Summit in commemoration of the 58th year of the Henry Willink’s Minority Commission and celebration of some revered heroes for their selfless contributions towards the recognition of Niger Delta, was said to have convened a meeting of the Rivers Ijaw summit organising committee at his residence.
“While committee members were waiting for him to join them, a bus belonging to the National Secretary drove into the compound and was swiftly followed by the assassins who were all along laying siege outside his compound.”
“They surrounded everyone believing that the national secretary was in the bus, but to their disappointment, their target was nowhere to be found. In that frustration, they proceeded to the room where the committee members were about to meet and ordered everyone to lie flat.
“It was at this moment that one of the gun crazy assailants, for unverifiable reason, decided to shoot and kill the personal assistant to Alagbariya,” the source added.
A statement sent to Southern City News via electronic mail, disclosed that security had been beefed up around Alagbariya while the Rivers Ijaw Summit would still hold as planned in Port Harcourt.
Speaking on the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, said investigation began immediately the report of the killing of Alagbariya’s aide reached the command.
Mohammad assured that the police would apprehend those behind the dastardly act and bring them to justice.
It was gathered that the gunmen, suspected to be assassins, had shot and killed Alagbariya’s personal assistant, simply identified as Silver, after realising that their target, the IYC general secretary, could not be found.
The incident, which took place along Ada George, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, scared passersby and other occupants of the building.
A source told Southern City News that Silver was later found in a pool of his blood few minutes after the gunmen left.
The source said, “Hired assassins with AK 47 numbering about four, on Friday invaded the residence of the National General Secretary of Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide, Engr. Emmanuel Bristol Alagbariya, brutally murdered one of his personal assistants in cold blood and scaring the life out of everyone they met after realizing that the target man was not around.
“The IYC general secretary, who has been fully engrossed in preparation for an upcoming Rivers Ijaw Summit in commemoration of the 58th year of the Henry Willink’s Minority Commission and celebration of some revered heroes for their selfless contributions towards the recognition of Niger Delta, was said to have convened a meeting of the Rivers Ijaw summit organising committee at his residence.
“While committee members were waiting for him to join them, a bus belonging to the National Secretary drove into the compound and was swiftly followed by the assassins who were all along laying siege outside his compound.”
“They surrounded everyone believing that the national secretary was in the bus, but to their disappointment, their target was nowhere to be found. In that frustration, they proceeded to the room where the committee members were about to meet and ordered everyone to lie flat.
“It was at this moment that one of the gun crazy assailants, for unverifiable reason, decided to shoot and kill the personal assistant to Alagbariya,” the source added.
A statement sent to Southern City News via electronic mail, disclosed that security had been beefed up around Alagbariya while the Rivers Ijaw Summit would still hold as planned in Port Harcourt.
Speaking on the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, said investigation began immediately the report of the killing of Alagbariya’s aide reached the command.
Mohammad assured that the police would apprehend those behind the dastardly act and bring them to justice.
Vogue calls North West a Hair Icon...
North West may be known as a baby fashion icon but hair icon? Vogue thinks North West has inspired a generation of toddlers to start rocking natural hair(Emeh inserts Blue Ivy)..To mark her second birthday ,Vogue published an article and the writer wrote....
I’ve been charmed by the sleek styles that Kim and Kanye’s offspring has sported as she sits front row at Fashion Week on her mother’s lap, arriving to ballet class in custom Balmain blazers, or globetrotting to far-flung locales on family trips.
Whether a top bun or a comb-over, North’s pint-sized hair styles complement her fashion-forward play clothes, while remaining refreshingly easy and age-appropriate. They’ve established little Nori as a kind of hair icon for a nascent and diverse generation of tots rocking their natural curls with unprecedented flair
I’ve been charmed by the sleek styles that Kim and Kanye’s offspring has sported as she sits front row at Fashion Week on her mother’s lap, arriving to ballet class in custom Balmain blazers, or globetrotting to far-flung locales on family trips.
Whether a top bun or a comb-over, North’s pint-sized hair styles complement her fashion-forward play clothes, while remaining refreshingly easy and age-appropriate. They’ve established little Nori as a kind of hair icon for a nascent and diverse generation of tots rocking their natural curls with unprecedented flair
North Korea bans Instagram
North Korea has taken secrecy a step further by blacklisting Instagram,in a bid to stop embarrassing news leaking out of the country.
Instagram users who attempted to open the photo sharing app were confronted with a message which reads
"Warning! You can't connect to this website because it's in blacklist site." According to Daly Mirror, some observers have claimed the reason behind the ban is not unconnected with the recent hotel blaze which has never been mentioned in state-run media.On June 11, a posh hotel called the Koryo caught fire.Despite attempts to keep the inferno secret, photographs leaked out of the country and were published in newspaper across the world.
I'm thinking of getting a massive butt like Nicki Minaj's-Cossy Ojiakor
In a new interview with Sunday Sun,Cossy Ojiakor talks about her plans to get married and her natural endowements.She confessesshe wants a b*utt like Nicki Minaj's..
Any plans of getting married anytime soon?
Hmmm… for now nothing serious.Can you marry a guy from the industry, a fellow actor?
I don’t like dating industry people, so my crush never got to know that I was crushing on him, and now he is married.Your boobs are awesome, are they natural?
I have not enhanced any part of my body. I am still natural, but I do appreciate enhancements, and I’m toying with the idea of getting massive Nicki Minaj’s kind of *ss. Hahaha, but I don’t have such careless money for now.I learnt you are not on talking terms with your mum, how true is that?
Hmmm… my mum is a part-time musician and she goes by the name Bradson Jay. She has a degree in Music from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and I am her manager for now. I love her so much because she is a constant reminder that age is not a limitation to any ambition.Tell us about your sex life?
My sex life is private. I like keeping my affairs secret.What’s your advice to your fans and those who look up to you?
Any plans of getting married anytime soon?
Hmmm… for now nothing serious.Can you marry a guy from the industry, a fellow actor?
I don’t like dating industry people, so my crush never got to know that I was crushing on him, and now he is married.Your boobs are awesome, are they natural?
I have not enhanced any part of my body. I am still natural, but I do appreciate enhancements, and I’m toying with the idea of getting massive Nicki Minaj’s kind of *ss. Hahaha, but I don’t have such careless money for now.I learnt you are not on talking terms with your mum, how true is that?
Hmmm… my mum is a part-time musician and she goes by the name Bradson Jay. She has a degree in Music from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and I am her manager for now. I love her so much because she is a constant reminder that age is not a limitation to any ambition.Tell us about your sex life?
My sex life is private. I like keeping my affairs secret.What’s your advice to your fans and those who look up to you?
I don’t have any advice for them
OMG! White Woman Dies From Mosquito Bite In Nigeria
Turkish Airlines (THY) flight attendant, Selda Durmaz has reportedly lost her life on Friday night in an Istanbul hospital as a result of a mosquito bite in Nigeria, while she was on duty.
On her return to Istanbul shortly after her trip to Nigeria, she got sick, she went to the hospital because of a persistent high fever.
Twice she was diagnosed with the flu, according to allegations, but the third hospital diagnosed her with malaria which she picked up in Nigeria.
Durmaz was later given medical treatment in Istanbul at a private hospital, but she lost her life on Friday night at around 2 a.m.
Meanwhile, scores of A-list celebrities in Nigeria had been enlisted to participate in a charity football match aimed at creating intensified public awareness on the fight against malaria in the country.
On her return to Istanbul shortly after her trip to Nigeria, she got sick, she went to the hospital because of a persistent high fever.
Twice she was diagnosed with the flu, according to allegations, but the third hospital diagnosed her with malaria which she picked up in Nigeria.
Durmaz was later given medical treatment in Istanbul at a private hospital, but she lost her life on Friday night at around 2 a.m.
Meanwhile, scores of A-list celebrities in Nigeria had been enlisted to participate in a charity football match aimed at creating intensified public awareness on the fight against malaria in the country.
Missing White House Chef Found Dead
This morning I reported about a former White House Chef, 61-year-old Walter Scheib, who went missing on June 13th after going hiking alone in the New Mexico mountain. Searchers today found his body on a hiking trail in mountains in the Taos area, the New Mexico State Police said.
His cause of death has not been released. More details will be released later. Sad!
His cause of death has not been released. More details will be released later. Sad!
Mum found with 'remains' of her missing son in trunk of her car
The remains of 12 year old Quincy Jamar Davis (left) who went missing in 2004 was found in the booth of his mother's car earlier this month in Virginia.
The remains were found in the trunk of 44 year old Tonya Slaton during a traffic stop on June 6th. She has now been charged her with concealment of a dead body.
The Virginia State Police held a press conference yesterday to share more details in the case and revealed that the office of the Medical Examiner confirmed the remains found are those of the woman's biological son, Quincy.
"The last record of him is from 2004 when he was 12-years-old and a seventh grader at Virginia Beach Middle School. It’s incomprehensible that we have nothing else at this point for 11 years that’s why we’re asking the public if they have anything if they can tell us,” said Sgt. Stephan Vick with Virginia State Police.Investigators also revealed that Slaton was in jail for two felony convictions from 2008 to 2010. It’s unknown what happened to Davis during that time.
"There are several family members, including another son, being interviewed right now. Investigators are speaking with other individuals involved, but as far as going into that that’s part of the investigation," Sgt Vick saidHe also said a missing persons case was never filed
The remains were found in the trunk of 44 year old Tonya Slaton during a traffic stop on June 6th. She has now been charged her with concealment of a dead body.
The Virginia State Police held a press conference yesterday to share more details in the case and revealed that the office of the Medical Examiner confirmed the remains found are those of the woman's biological son, Quincy.
"The last record of him is from 2004 when he was 12-years-old and a seventh grader at Virginia Beach Middle School. It’s incomprehensible that we have nothing else at this point for 11 years that’s why we’re asking the public if they have anything if they can tell us,” said Sgt. Stephan Vick with Virginia State Police.Investigators also revealed that Slaton was in jail for two felony convictions from 2008 to 2010. It’s unknown what happened to Davis during that time.
"There are several family members, including another son, being interviewed right now. Investigators are speaking with other individuals involved, but as far as going into that that’s part of the investigation," Sgt Vick saidHe also said a missing persons case was never filed
BREAKING: Finally President Buhari Moves Into Aso Villa (PHOTO)
News just reaching us informs that President Muhammadu Buhari has finally moved into his official residence in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the Nation, Buhari moved in on Sunday evening.
Buhari and the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo have been living outside the Villa and used the Defence House, Abuja as their offices since their inauguration three weeks ago as the official residence was being renovated.
Meanwhile, first lady, Aisha Buhari had moved into the official residence since last Thursday.
Buhari, returned to Abuja from Katsina State where he went to inspect his farm on Saturday. He supposedly began moving his properties to the seat of power on Sunday evening.
There had been much speculation on why the new president did not move to the Aso Rock. Rumours suggested that “a spiritual cleansing” was being carrid out.
However, presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu debunked those claims saying: “As far as the president is concerned, the place (his official residence) is not ready yet. Workers are cleaning and refurbishing the place. Once the exercise is completed, the president will move in.”
Pipeline contract: FG must pay ex-militants, says Asari-Dokubo
Former Niger Delta militant leader, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, has called on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to pay contractors of the oil pipeline surveillance project in the country.
Asari-Dokubo, who is one of the former Niger Delta agitators awarded pipeline surveillance contract by the Federal Government, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the three-month deal elapsed on June 15.
He said that the ex-minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, did not sign for the payment of the pipeline surveillance contract before she left office.
The pipeline protection project, which cut across Lagos, Ogun, Bayelsa, Ondo, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States, was executed from March 15, 2015 to June 15.
Asari-Dokubo urged President Buhari to pay the contractors their money if he was truly committed to the rule of law.
“Diezani (Allison-Madueke) did not sign payment for the contract before she left. All across the six states (Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa) where the contract was awarded none of us were paid; none of the companies were paid. The Federal Government should do what is needful by paying the money they owe. The same mandate that was given to Buhari to become President was the same mandate that was given to us in a legal and binding contract.
“If Buhari is law-abiding and if his government respects the rule of law, the contractual obligations will be followed. The contract was awarded to corporate entities by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. We did not go in as individuals and the corporate entities are regarded as individuals under the law. No contract was awarded to any specific individual,” he said.
BREAKING: Dual Suicide Bomb Attacks In Maiduguri, At Least 30 Killed
Two separate suicide bombs rocked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, has killed at least 30 people and injuring scores of others, according to sources at the scene who spoke with SaharaReporters.
The total tally of dead and injured is not known at the time of publication but is believed to be at least 30 people dead. It is known that the suicide bombings took place at the mosque and market this evening.
The first blast occurred in a mosque, and has killed at least 30 people according to eyewitnesses and sources who spoke with our SaharaReporters correspondent.
The second blast occurred at Baga market area of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, at about 4pm, killing scores of people and injuring many others, according to reports. There are no confirmed death tolls from the market bomb attack.
Sources at the scene said that two vehicles of policemen rode to State Specialist Hospital, followed by CJTF vehicles bringing some injured people from the Baga market blast.
SaharaReporters also observed some police utilities vehicles and CJTF entering State Specialists Hospital with injured people.
A local trader Usman Kaka told SaharaReporters that ''many people may have dead and that blood stains everywhere, I saw dead bodies in policemen van.'' he told SaharaReporters by phone.
Buhari to remove oil subsidy
ABUJA—President Muhammadu BuhariPLANS to totally remove fuel subsidy and use the proceeds for the provision of free and compulsory primary/secondary education across the country.
The administration is also said to be working on unbundling the Nigerian National PetroleumCORPORATION, NNPC, to make it more efficient in the production and delivery of products to Nigerians.
These proposalsFORM part of the strong recommendations made by the transition committee raised by Buhari to work out a blueprint for his administration.
Asked if the proposal forTOTAL subsidy removal had been discussed with labour, the source said that members of organized labour in the country were consulted by the committee and they made presentations on what should be done over the matter.
The source said: “ Labour is part of the decision; they have accepted the proposal of fuel subsidy removal.
“A committee is likely to be set up by the federal government to work out the modalities of what is to be done in that respect.
“But the truth is that total removal of fuel subsidy has been recommended with adequate provisions for palliatives on free education andSOCIAL WELFARE for the unemployed”, a member of the transition committee said.
The source pointed out that unlike in the past, the Buhari administration is considering the provision of free meals for students to serve as incentives for them to enroll in school.
The source explained that the committee also recommended the unbundling of NNPC to reposition theAGENCY
to serve the needs of Nigerians better.
According to him, all refineries in Nigeria are to be made to work at maximum capacity by the federal government to be able to deliver adequate products to the consumers.
Corruption
He said that the era of allocating more crude than any refinery in Nigeria can process was over, as it was discovered that the policy encouraged corruption and diversion of FUNDS.
In a tone that suggested that the Buhari administration might probe the operations of the NNPC, the committee member further disclosed that the federal government was set to block all channels of FUND leakages in the corporation.
He said: “The federal government is keen on plugging all areas of leakages in the corporation and whoever must have caused them must be made to account for such unpatriotic wastages. We don’t know whether that is what you call probe or not”, he said.
It could not be established as at last night whether such decisions of the officials were influenced by the PLANNED beaming of search light on the operations of the government agency.
FG to pay the controversial N160 billion subsidy claims
Meanwhile, hopes for resolution of outstanding subsidy issues hampering normal supply of petroleum products across the country appear kindled as the special investigation team on subsidy claims verification recommends payment of the controversial N160 billion claimed byOIL MARKETERS.
As a result, bankers have resumed credit lines to the sector while importation by marketers have resumed though it is still on cautious notes.
The supply shortages witnessed across the country since last month was as a result of a disagreement between the federal government andOIL MARKETERS over the subsidy claims resulting in the marketers’ refusal to import more products under the subsidy programme.
In the last week of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, the FINANCE ministry had paid a part of the subsidy claims totalling about N131 billion in the wake of the supply crises arising from this disagreement.
The former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had doubted the additional N160 billion claims ascribed to EXCHANGE RATE differential and interest rate charges on banks’ funding for the petroleum products imports.
She had subsequently set up a special investigative team made of representatives of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Committee (PPPRC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the DebtMANAGEMENT Office (DMO) and the finance ministry to investigate the claims before she can approve the payment.
The team couldn’t conclude their assignments before the expiration of ex-president Jonathan’s government and exit of the minister, hence validating the allegation of some of the marketers that the investigative team was designed to provide escape for the ministry from the agreement they had reached on subsidy payment. The marketers had also wondered why the setting up of the team whereas this assignment has always been done by PPPRC without any issues.
Return of confidence
Bankers who spoke to Vanguard last week said that their confidence was gradually returning to theOIL MARKETING sector which they had classified as ‘high-risk’ in the wake of the subsidy claims disagreement, indicating that some of them have resumed granting loans to the sector.
The disagreement had put about N300 billion banks’ risk assets (loans) in danger of default, escalating the industry non-performing loan ratio to almost 4.0 per cent with the worst performing banks hitting above 8.5 per cent aggregate and over 40 per cent on the oil sector. The industry red line is 5.0 per cent at which any bank’s exposure would be dangerous and unacceptable.
Top executives of the oil marketers’ associations told Vanguard that they have information that the investigative team has validated the marketers’ claims in their report to the finance ministry two weeks ago.
However, they said that actual payment is waiting for the settling down of President Mohammadu Buhari’s government, a situation which they also said cannot last for too long otherwise the renewed confidence of theirFUNDING banks may wane.
One of theMARKETERS informed that following a meeting with the permanent secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources two weeks ago, some of them have begun importation of products on a low scale while helping the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to distribute its stock to lessen the supply crises. The focused cities are Abuja and Lagos which according to him has been very successful.
He added that the agreement reached with the ministry was just a palliative to welcome the new government of Mohammadu Buhari, adding that eventually they will have to address the issue in a more lasting policy.
The administration is also said to be working on unbundling the Nigerian National PetroleumCORPORATION, NNPC, to make it more efficient in the production and delivery of products to Nigerians.
MUHAMMADU BUHARI
These proposalsFORM part of the strong recommendations made by the transition committee raised by Buhari to work out a blueprint for his administration.
Asked if the proposal forTOTAL subsidy removal had been discussed with labour, the source said that members of organized labour in the country were consulted by the committee and they made presentations on what should be done over the matter.
The source said: “ Labour is part of the decision; they have accepted the proposal of fuel subsidy removal.
“A committee is likely to be set up by the federal government to work out the modalities of what is to be done in that respect.
“But the truth is that total removal of fuel subsidy has been recommended with adequate provisions for palliatives on free education andSOCIAL WELFARE for the unemployed”, a member of the transition committee said.
The source pointed out that unlike in the past, the Buhari administration is considering the provision of free meals for students to serve as incentives for them to enroll in school.
The source explained that the committee also recommended the unbundling of NNPC to reposition theAGENCY
to serve the needs of Nigerians better.According to him, all refineries in Nigeria are to be made to work at maximum capacity by the federal government to be able to deliver adequate products to the consumers.
Corruption
He said that the era of allocating more crude than any refinery in Nigeria can process was over, as it was discovered that the policy encouraged corruption and diversion of FUNDS.
In a tone that suggested that the Buhari administration might probe the operations of the NNPC, the committee member further disclosed that the federal government was set to block all channels of FUND leakages in the corporation.
He said: “The federal government is keen on plugging all areas of leakages in the corporation and whoever must have caused them must be made to account for such unpatriotic wastages. We don’t know whether that is what you call probe or not”, he said.
It could not be established as at last night whether such decisions of the officials were influenced by the PLANNED beaming of search light on the operations of the government agency.
FG to pay the controversial N160 billion subsidy claims
Meanwhile, hopes for resolution of outstanding subsidy issues hampering normal supply of petroleum products across the country appear kindled as the special investigation team on subsidy claims verification recommends payment of the controversial N160 billion claimed byOIL MARKETERS.
As a result, bankers have resumed credit lines to the sector while importation by marketers have resumed though it is still on cautious notes.
The supply shortages witnessed across the country since last month was as a result of a disagreement between the federal government andOIL MARKETERS over the subsidy claims resulting in the marketers’ refusal to import more products under the subsidy programme.
In the last week of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, the FINANCE ministry had paid a part of the subsidy claims totalling about N131 billion in the wake of the supply crises arising from this disagreement.
The former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had doubted the additional N160 billion claims ascribed to EXCHANGE RATE differential and interest rate charges on banks’ funding for the petroleum products imports.
She had subsequently set up a special investigative team made of representatives of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Committee (PPPRC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the DebtMANAGEMENT Office (DMO) and the finance ministry to investigate the claims before she can approve the payment.
The team couldn’t conclude their assignments before the expiration of ex-president Jonathan’s government and exit of the minister, hence validating the allegation of some of the marketers that the investigative team was designed to provide escape for the ministry from the agreement they had reached on subsidy payment. The marketers had also wondered why the setting up of the team whereas this assignment has always been done by PPPRC without any issues.
Return of confidence
Bankers who spoke to Vanguard last week said that their confidence was gradually returning to theOIL MARKETING
sector which they had classified as ‘high-risk’ in the wake of the subsidy claims disagreement, indicating that some of them have resumed granting loans to the sector.The disagreement had put about N300 billion banks’ risk assets (loans) in danger of default, escalating the industry non-performing loan ratio to almost 4.0 per cent with the worst performing banks hitting above 8.5 per cent aggregate and over 40 per cent on the oil sector. The industry red line is 5.0 per cent at which any bank’s exposure would be dangerous and unacceptable.
Top executives of the oil marketers’ associations told Vanguard that they have information that the investigative team has validated the marketers’ claims in their report to the finance ministry two weeks ago.
However, they said that actual payment is waiting for the settling down of President Mohammadu Buhari’s government, a situation which they also said cannot last for too long otherwise the renewed confidence of theirFUNDING banks may wane.
One of theMARKETERS informed that following a meeting with the permanent secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources two weeks ago, some of them have begun importation of products on a low scale while helping the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to distribute its stock to lessen the supply crises. The focused cities are Abuja and Lagos which according to him has been very successful.
He added that the agreement reached with the ministry was just a palliative to welcome the new government of Mohammadu Buhari, adding that eventually they will have to address the issue in a more lasting policy.
Okoroji loses N750m libel suit against Onyeka Onwenu
Onyeka Onwenu
A Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square has dismissed a N750m libel suit filed by the Chairman, Board of COPYRIGHT Society of Nigeria, Chief Tony Okoroji, against a popular Nigerian musician, Mrs. Onyeka Onwenu.
Okoroji had approached the court claiming that Onwenu was responsible for an article in the Vanguard Newspapers of October 14, 2011 which Okoroji considered to be a deliberate attempt to malign or defame him.
In the said publication which Okoroji described as “unjustified, unwarranted, malicious, wicked, reckless and libellous”, it was claimed that he diverted N3m donated by the Cross Rivers State Government towards the final burial of the late Nigerian musician, Essien Igbokwe.
The said article had been published after Onwenu sent an e-mail to members of the late Igbokwe burial committee, accusing Okoroji of diverting N3m donation into his private bank ACCOUNT
.Both Okoroji and Onwenu served on the committee for the final burial of Igbokwe.
Okoroji, in the suit, asked for an ORDER directing Onwenu to pay him N750m as general damages and to tender a full page “unreserved apology to be published in every edition of The Vanguard, The Guardian and www.vanguardngr for seven consecutive days.”
But Onwenu, through her lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, in response to Okoroji’s claims, argued that Okoroji failed to link Onwenu to the said Vanguard Newspapers publication.
Agbaje, who pointed out that the e-mail SENT by Onwenu was to members of the late Igbokwe’s burial committee and not to Vanguard Newspapers, maintained that Onwenu “was duty-bound to comment on issues affecting the well-being and smooth-running of the committee, and this she did by complaining to the claimant and other members of the committee.”
The trial judge, Justice I.O. Kasali, in her judgment, said though she had noDOUBT that “the words complained of, in their ordinary meaning, and also with reference to the circumstances in which they were written, were libellous of the claimant”, but Okoroji failed to show the evidence that the words had negatively altered a third person’s perception of him.
The judge held, “For words to be defamatory of a party, the said words must have lowered that party in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public and there must be evidence of this from a person whose views of that person have been so adversely affected.
“In the absence of any evidence of what CW2, CW3 and CW4 think about the claimant upon reading the publication, which has affected the good name,REPUTATION and estimation in which the claimant stands in the society of their fellow citizens, it cannot therefore be said that the claimant has been defamed.
“After a careful consideration of all the materials before me, I have come to the conclusion that the claimant has not been able toESTABLISH that the e-mail alleged to have been sent to members of the of the committee by the defendant defamed him.”
NNPC slashes Nigeria’s crude oil prices over supply glut
ABUJA — The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, weekend, reduced the prices of Nigeria’s crude oil grades — Bonny Light and Qua Iboe — to their lowest points in over a decade.
The decline, according to reports, was due to declining demand for the country’s crude oil in the international market. The action, according to oil traders, was engendered by the need for the country to join in the fight for market share.
Specifically, the NNPC in a statement, weekend, said it will sell July supplies of Bonny Light crude at 23 cents more than Dated Brent. This, according to oil trading sources, was the smallest differential since 2005 and compares with a 50 cent premium in June and $2.55 a year earlier.
The NNPC also lowered the official selling price for Nigeria’s largest crude oil stream, Qua Iboe, to dated Brent plus 35 cents per barrel, the lowest differential since May 2005.
Dated cargoes
Dated Brent is a market term for a cargo of North Sea Brent blend crude oil that has been assigned a date when it will be loaded onto a tanker. Cargoes that have been assigned loading dates are referred to as dated cargoes, wet cargoes or wet barrels. Dated Brent prices are used, directly and indirectly, as a benchmark for a large proportion of the crude oil that is traded internationally.
The drop follows North Sea crude, which hit a 10-year low earlier this week as all Atlantic Basin sellers, particularly those with light, sweet oil, struggle to place cargoes.
Rising output from US shale formations had over the last couple of months contributed to a market glut that drove crude down almost 50 per cent last year, roiling global markets as producer nations lost revenue and foreign-exchange reserves.
Speaking on the development, Hong Sung Ki, a commodities analyst at Samsung Futures Incorporated said: “Nigeria has no choice but to cut their price differential to fight for market share. The US was its key oil buyer in the past but imports have been shrinking with more shale output in an already oversupplied market.”
Also speaking, Kash Kamal, senior research analyst with Sucden, said: “They’re playing along now, towing the line with other OPEC members to try and capture market share.
“It’s a really messy situation. Saudi Arabia, with a marginal cost per barrel at around $30 and substantial cash reserves, can afford to stick it out with crude at these levels. But Nigeria needs crude around $115-120 to balance their budget.”
Data obtained from Bloomberg showed that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, that unlocked supplies in shale formations in North Dakota, Texas and other states has boosted US output to the highest in more than three decades, forcing overseas producers, whose exports to the US are shrinking, to find new markets for their crude.
The report noted that the US has bought an average 30,000 barrels a day of Nigerian crude this year, shipping almost one million barrels a day from the country in 2010.
In addition, the US Energy Information Administration noted that w hile the United States once absorbed more than a third of Nigeria’s nearly two million barrels per day (bpd) of exports, this slumped to close to 60,000 barrels per day on average for the first three months of this year.
Nigeria having particularly hard time
Energy sources stated that Nigeria is having a particularly hard time with the glut, as the shale boom in its once-key market the United States has all but shut out its exports.
According to oil traders, sellers of Nigerian crudes have aggressively pushed into new markets from Uruguay to China, but are coming up against other crude producers, including fellow members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as new refineries that are geared towards heavier oil.
As a result, the traders said, as much as 10 million barrels of Nigerian grades that have already loaded are floating in vessels, taking months in some cases to find buyers.
The decline, according to reports, was due to declining demand for the country’s crude oil in the international market. The action, according to oil traders, was engendered by the need for the country to join in the fight for market share.
Specifically, the NNPC in a statement, weekend, said it will sell July supplies of Bonny Light crude at 23 cents more than Dated Brent. This, according to oil trading sources, was the smallest differential since 2005 and compares with a 50 cent premium in June and $2.55 a year earlier.
The NNPC also lowered the official selling price for Nigeria’s largest crude oil stream, Qua Iboe, to dated Brent plus 35 cents per barrel, the lowest differential since May 2005.
Dated cargoes
Dated Brent is a market term for a cargo of North Sea Brent blend crude oil that has been assigned a date when it will be loaded onto a tanker. Cargoes that have been assigned loading dates are referred to as dated cargoes, wet cargoes or wet barrels. Dated Brent prices are used, directly and indirectly, as a benchmark for a large proportion of the crude oil that is traded internationally.
The drop follows North Sea crude, which hit a 10-year low earlier this week as all Atlantic Basin sellers, particularly those with light, sweet oil, struggle to place cargoes.
Rising output from US shale formations had over the last couple of months contributed to a market glut that drove crude down almost 50 per cent last year, roiling global markets as producer nations lost revenue and foreign-exchange reserves.
Speaking on the development, Hong Sung Ki, a commodities analyst at Samsung Futures Incorporated said: “Nigeria has no choice but to cut their price differential to fight for market share. The US was its key oil buyer in the past but imports have been shrinking with more shale output in an already oversupplied market.”
Also speaking, Kash Kamal, senior research analyst with Sucden, said: “They’re playing along now, towing the line with other OPEC members to try and capture market share.
“It’s a really messy situation. Saudi Arabia, with a marginal cost per barrel at around $30 and substantial cash reserves, can afford to stick it out with crude at these levels. But Nigeria needs crude around $115-120 to balance their budget.”
Data obtained from Bloomberg showed that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, that unlocked supplies in shale formations in North Dakota, Texas and other states has boosted US output to the highest in more than three decades, forcing overseas producers, whose exports to the US are shrinking, to find new markets for their crude.
The report noted that the US has bought an average 30,000 barrels a day of Nigerian crude this year, shipping almost one million barrels a day from the country in 2010.
In addition, the US Energy Information Administration noted that w hile the United States once absorbed more than a third of Nigeria’s nearly two million barrels per day (bpd) of exports, this slumped to close to 60,000 barrels per day on average for the first three months of this year.
Nigeria having particularly hard time
Energy sources stated that Nigeria is having a particularly hard time with the glut, as the shale boom in its once-key market the United States has all but shut out its exports.
According to oil traders, sellers of Nigerian crudes have aggressively pushed into new markets from Uruguay to China, but are coming up against other crude producers, including fellow members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as new refineries that are geared towards heavier oil.
As a result, the traders said, as much as 10 million barrels of Nigerian grades that have already loaded are floating in vessels, taking months in some cases to find buyers.
James Ackerman: Sunshine Coast Falcons player dies after injury
A rugby league player seriously injured during a Queensland Cup match in Australia has died in hospital.
James Ackerman, 25, was playing for the Sunshine Coast Falcons when he suffered a head injury in a tackle five minutes into a game against Norths Devils.
The father-of-two was treated on the field at Bishop Park, before being taken to hospital in Brisbane, and the game on Saturday was then abandoned.
Queensland Rugby League (QRL) said on Monday that Ackerman had passed away.
A minute's silence was held for Ackerman prior to Monday's NRL game between St George-Illawarra Dragons and Sydney Roosters.
Both sets of players also wore black arm bands.
According to Australian newspaper the Courier-Mail, Francis Molo, 20, who made the tackle on Ackerman, is "struggling to cope".
Sunshine Coast Falcons chief executive officer Chris Flannery described Ackerman as a "champion guy" and "one of our leaders".
Flannery added: "He lived for rugby league. He was a tough competitor and a fine player who in many ways was the heart and soul of our team."
Sunshine Coast Falcons tweeted their condolences after the death of forward James Ackerman
QRL managing director Robert Moore said it was a "very difficult and traumatic time".
He added: "We send our deepest condolences to James's family and friends, and the Sunshine Coast club.
"One of the strengths of rugby league is the game's ability to rally behind its own - and I have no doubt this will happen throughout this challenging period."
Moore also said it was not an appropriate time to comment further on the incident itself.
A statement from Ackerman's family, including wife Saraa, children Olliver and Milly, brothers Andrew and Thomas and parents Michael and Sonya, thanked the medical staff at both clubs, paramedics, the hospital and the "overwhelming" support from his current and former team-mates.
It said: "James loved the game of rugby league, he always played the game with his heart on his sleeve. We will miss you."
The Falcons are a feeder team for NRL side Melbourne Storm, as are Norths Devils for Brisbane Broncos.
NRL chief executive Dave Smith said: "This is such a tragedy and we send our sympathies to everyone who knew and loved James."
Taliban attack on Afghan parliament in Kabul ends
A co-ordinated Taliban attack on the Afghan parliament in Kabul has ended with all six gunmen killed, the interior ministry says.
Attackers detonated a huge car bomb outside the gates, stormed the compound, then entered a building next to the chamber.
Police evacuated the premises, while trying to fight the gunmen off.
The Taliban say they carried out the attack to coincide with a vote to endorse a new defence minister.
The spokesman for the interior ministry, Sediq Seddiqi, said the gunmen had attempted to storm the parliament building itself after the gates were breached by the suicide bomb.
They were fought off and entered a building under construction next to parliament. MPs were showered with broken glass, and the chamber filled with smoke as the fighting went on. It took nearly an hour before all the firing stopped.
At least 18 people are reported to have been wounded. Mr Seddiqi said no MP had been injured.
Pictures on social media showed parliament full of smoke and people running for cover.
One MP took photos of the attack from inside parliament
The parliamentary chamber could be seen full of smoke
MPs were escorted out of the building
The gun battle ended after about one hour
Television was broadcasting live from the parliament building when the attackers struck. MPs were seen fleeing the building.
Media caption Army vehicles and the emergency services streak past the BBC's Harun Najafizada on their way to the parliament attack
Even by Afghan standards, these were very dramatic scenes, and police had a complex operation on their hands, says the BBC's David Loyn in Kabul.
The Taliban were extracting maximum propaganda advantage by doing it on the day that parliament was meeting to consider the appointment of new Defence Minister Massoom Stanekzai, our correspondent says.
Local media reported another explosion in the Dahmazang area of Kabul city.
The Taliban have launched complex attacks on government buildings in the capital in the past.
They have made substantial gains recently in Helmand in the south-west, and have been advancing across the north of the country, capturing two districts of the Kunduz province in recent days.
Militant violence has increased across the country since the departure of most US and Nato forces last year.
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Television was broadcasting live from the parliament building when the attackers struck. MPs were seen fleeing the building.
Media caption Army vehicles and the emergency services streak past the BBC's Harun Najafizada on their way to the parliament attack
Even by Afghan standards, these were very dramatic scenes, and police had a complex operation on their hands, says the BBC's David Loyn in Kabul.
The Taliban were extracting maximum propaganda advantage by doing it on the day that parliament was meeting to consider the appointment of new Defence Minister Massoom Stanekzai, our correspondent says.
Local media reported another explosion in the Dahmazang area of Kabul city.
The Taliban have launched complex attacks on government buildings in the capital in the past.
They have made substantial gains recently in Helmand in the south-west, and have been advancing across the north of the country, capturing two districts of the Kunduz province in recent days.
Militant violence has increased across the country since the departure of most US and Nato forces last year.
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Taliban try to attack Afghan Parliament, Dounding Dozens of Civilians
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)Taliban militants detonated explosives and fired rockets in an attempted attack Monday on the Afghan Parliament that wounded dozens of civilians and startled lawmakers.
A large car bomb exploded near the outer wall of the parliament compound, sending a thick plume of smoke into the sky. Six Taliban fighters then tried to storm inside, said police spokesman Ebadullah Karimi.
Afghan security forces managed to fend off the attackers, who then moved into nearby building, firing rockets and AK-47 machine guns. All six attackers were killed in the ensuing firefight, Karimi said.
Inside the parliament building, lawmakers were gathered in the meeting hall when the first explosion struck, Arif Rahmani, a member of parliament, told CNN.
The blast shattered glass and shook loose a layer of the ceiling that filled the hall with a cloud of dust, he said.
The members of parliament had assembled for a general meeting at which Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai, the government's nominee for defense minister, was to be introduced in order to present his plans and policies ahead of a confidence vote.
All the lawmakers were evacuated from the parliament building unharmed, according to Karimi.
But at least 31 civilians were wounded in the attack, including three children, said Dr. Kabir Amiri, head of Kabul Central Hospitals.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said on his Twitter account that the militant group chose to target the parliament on the day the defense minister was to be introduced to lawmakers.
The U.N. mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack, calling it "a clear and deliberate affront to democracy in Afghanistan."
Monday's assault is the latest in a string of high-profile attacks by insurgents in the Afghan capital. Recent targets have included hotels housing foreigners.
More broadly, Afghan forces are grappling with a Taliban offensive across different parts of the country. American-led international troops pulled out of Afghanistan last year.
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