Nigeria oil unions start strike, output seen unaffected

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's oil unions began an indefinite strike today (Monday), although crude output in Africa's top producer is not likely to be affected, oil industry sources said.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers are protesting over the government's failure to effectively maintain the country's refineries or reduce its subsidised prices at the pump as oil prices fall to five-year lows. The unions frequently strike or threaten to.

"We've commenced the strike. It will affect oil production, since all operations are on strike," PENGASSAN chief Babatunde Oke told Reuters by telephone.

A strike in September caused little disruption to the oil producer, apart from a brief interruption to natural gas supplies to Ghana, which did not suffer shortages as a result.

An oil executive said this strike was not expected to affect output for the same reason that others have not: shutting down oil production is a drastic move that requires large numbers of workers at production sites who are unwilling to go that far.

"It's very difficult to shut them down, and once they do it would take them a week to get them back up. They never do it," he said. "That's the last thing anyone wants."

However, in many major cities, including the main commercial city of Lagos, the capital Abuja, and the oil producing region of Bayelsa, long queues formed for fuel because of fears the strikes will cause shortages.

A number of stations run by the state oil company were shut. Black market fuel hawkers with jerrycans of smuggled fuel along the roadside filled the shortfall.

"There's no fuel to sell and we can't sell the old stock either because we are not sure when this strike will end," a filling station owner told Reuters in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa state.

In central Abuja most fuel stations were shut.

BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY: NIGERIA IN A NIGHTMARE

>Calls for vigilance

The current spate of northern insurgency and Islamic terrorists  have turned Nigeria into a nightmare, the Founder and President of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasehun remarked.

He therefore charged Nigerians to be very vigilant to disallow the terrorists from spreading their tentacles to other parts of the country.

(l-r)Deputy President, Oodua People’s Congress {OPC}, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, 

Founder/ President, Dr Frederick Fasehun, 1st Vice President, Mr. Lateef Lawal 

 and the National Co-ordinator, Comrade Odunayo Ogunmoye during the inauguration 

of the new OPC Executive at Okota, Lagos last Tuesday. 

He gave the charge  in Lagos during the inauguration of  29 members  strong newly appointed National Executive Council of OPC at the Century Hotel, Okota.

Dr Fasehun said in view of the level of insurgency ravaging the Norh Eastern part of the country, " this time calls for men and women whom our people can look up to as a refuge of security in case the unexpected happens".

In this regard, he said :" OPC must be vigilant. By the grace and mercy of God, terrorism will not rule Yoruba land and Nigeria".

Founder/ President, Oodua People’s Congress, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, {right} 

presenting an award of service to the 1st Vice President, Mr. Lateef Lawal 

during the inauguration of the new OPC Executive at Okota, Lagos, last Tuesday. 

The OPC President therefore told the newly inaugurated national officers that:" As you take your oath of office today, the voice you will hear ringing in your soul will tell you to be steadfast, to be decent, to be forthright, E ranti Omo  eniti eyin nse (Remember the sons/daughters of whom you are)".

He also warned them not to see their elevation to the new positions as licence for criminality and greed as exhibited by the previously dissolved executive members.

On the political front, Fasehun said the new leadership of OPC would soon sit down together and give directions to the organisation on the candidates members of the Congress would be supporting at the States and National levels in the coming elections.

Buhari Clinches APC Presidential Ticket

General Muhammadu Buhari has clinched the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress,APC at a keenly contested primary elections in Lagos.

Buhari polled 3430 votes of the total votes cast.Fomer Vice President Atiku Abubakar polled 954 votes at the APC National Convention.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has already issued a statement congratulating Buhari.

The former military Head of State will lead the opposition charge against President Goodluck Jonathan who is the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP candidate in the 2015 presidential election.

After the vote count,ex Governor Kayode Fayemi, the chief returning officer announced Buhari as the winner with the tally below:

Atiku=954

Buhari=3430

Kwankwaso=974

Nda-Isaiah=10

Okorocha=624

BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY: NIGERIA IN A NIGHTMARE, says Dr Frederick Fasehun,OPC President

>Calls for vigilance

The current spate of northern insurgency and Islamic terrorists  have turned Nigeria into a nightmare, the Founder and President of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasehun remarked.
He therefore charged Nigerians to be very vigilant to disallow the terrorists from spreading their tentacles to other parts of the country.
He gave the charge  in Lagos during the inauguration of  29 members  strong newly appointed National Executive Council of OPC at the Century Hotel, Okota.
Dr Fasehun said in view of the level of insurgency ravaging the Norh Eastern part of the country, " this time calls for men and women whom our people can look up to as a refuge of security in case the unexpected happens".
In this regard, he said :" OPC must be vigilant. By the grace and mercy of God, terrorism will not rule Yoruba land and Nigeria".
The OPC President therefore told the newly inaugurated national officers that:" As you take your oath of office today, the voice you will hear ringing in your soul will tell you to be steadfast, to be decent, to be forthright, E ranti Omo  eniti eyin nse (Remember the sons/daughters of whom you are)".
He also warned them not to see their elevation to the new positions as licence for criminality and greed as exhibited by the previously dissolved executive members.
On the political front, Fasehun said the new leadership of OPC would soon sit down together and give directions to the organisation on the candidates members of the Congress would be supporting at the States and National levels in the coming elections.

Nigeria insurgents retake village of abducted schoolgirls

Reuters-Boko Haram insurgents have retaken the village of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria where the group abducted some 200 schoolgirls seven months ago, a lawmaker and a villager who fled the attack said last Friday.

Boko Haram, which is trying to carve out a caliphate in religiously mixed northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks since it rejected a ceasefire announced last month by the government.

In a separate incident on Friday, a suicide bomber killed six people, including three policemen, in the northern city of Kano, a police spokesman said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Kano has often been the target of bombings by Boko Haram during their five-year-old campaign of violence.

Chibok and surrounding areas of Borno state have also been regularly targeted by the militants since the April abductions, which sparked an international outcry.

"The insurgents arrived (in Chibok) at about 5pm on Thursday, shooting sporadically, forcing people to flee into the bush," the villager who fled told Reuters by telephone, adding that many villagers may have been killed.

Borno State lawmaker Aminu Foni said the insurgents had overwhelmed soldiers who were in the village, forcing them to retreat to the nearby town of Damboa.

The Nigerian army and government were not immediately available to comment.

TRAPPED IN GWOZA

In Gwoza, also under the militants' control, some 100 km (60 miles) east of Chibok, about 16 people were killed in the hills near the town after they came out of hiding on Thursday to search for food, a local man, Andrew Tada, said.

Tada, who fled to the state capital Maiduguri after a first wave of attacks early this year, said his brother was trapped in the hills and had told him by phone that life on the mountain was difficult without shelter, water and food. "It forced the 16 to come down to the foot of the mountain but they were killed."

The Nigerian army, aided by local hunters and civilian vigilantes, recaptured two towns south of Chibok after fierce fighting with the insurgents, pushing them further north toward Gombi where residents also reported heavy clashes on Friday.

The army said a military helicopter had crashed and exploded on Thursday night, killing all three crew on board, in an area where there were no immediate reports of combat or of Boko Haram activity. It was not immediately clear if the helicopter had been shot down or had crashed due to technical failure.

FAAN Set for Unity Cup Inter-directorate Football Competition

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) sport club is set to kick off the Unity Cup Inter-directorate football competition.
This was made public at the Authority's Corporate headquarters today during a presentation of the official jersey to the Managing Director, Engr. Saleh Dunoma.
Engr. Dunoma commended the effort of the Unity Cup committee members and assured the team of his full support during the course of the competition.
The competition is expected to officially commence on the 3rd of November, 2014 and the grand finale on the 21st November, 2014. The matches would be played at the Murtala Muhammed International Staff School field, Ikeja.
The Unity Cup football Competition was necessitated to bring together staff of the Authority from various directorate to create a synergy between staff under a work-free atmosphere.

Traditional Ruler Urges Ogun State Indigenes To Vote Massively For The Re-Election Of Governor Amosun in 2015

A traditional ruler in Egbaland has called on Egba sons and daughters living in the UK to reward the incumbent governor of the State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun  with massive re-election votes in 2015.

Fielding questions from members of the Egba United Society, UK and Ireland, in London weekend, Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, Towulade Akinale, said in the life of Ogun State since inception in 1976, there has never been a responsive and people oriented governor like Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Besides massive urban renewal program which has transformed the most rusted towns in the state into modern metropolis with state of the art infrastructures, rural life is being consistently improved with socio economic facilities like clean borehole water, electricity and grading of feeder roads to improve transportation.

Oba Ogunleye, who is the chairman of the League of Obas and Baales in Ewekoro local government of the state, said the entire rural life in Ogun State hold the ace to GovernorAmosuns re election and that they are ready to reward him with this honour, in view of the Governor's care for their desires for improved primary health care, functional free education and assistance towards sustainable food and other agricultural productions.

The traditional ruler then called on all Ogun State indigenes in Diaspora in the UK to support Governor Amosun in his bid to continue his mission in rebuilding the State from 2015.

The president of the Egba United Society in London, Chief Sulaimon Oluseye described the tempo of Governor Amosun's transformation of Ogun State  as a positive phenomenon which must not be allowed to wane  by electoral misjugement. It is our social responsibility to vote or influence those to vote for Governor Amosun in the coming election in our country," Chief Oluseye charged the people.

Nigeria to ban use of motorcycle for commercial transportation

The use of motorcycles for commercial transportation in Nigeria may soon be banned throughout the country, according to reports from the annual conference of the National Council on Transport in Enugu State in south-eastern Nigeria and endorsed by Nigeria’s Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar.

A statement by the Federal Ministry of Transport on Saturday in Abuja said that the ban of commercial motorcycle was one of the measures proposed to ensure safety and secure transportation in Nigeria.

It said that the recommendation was contained in the resolutions reached at the week-long meeting which had in attendance all the state commissioners of transport, permanent secretaries, directors and officials in the federal and state ministries of transport across the country.

The council advised all states in the federation to henceforth discourage the use of commercial motorcycles as a means of public transportation.

“All states and the Federal Capital Territory have therefore been advised to establish a public transport system that ensures strict regulation of the operation of public passenger transportation system through a well-articulated management system for enhanced safety, security, effective and efficient service delivery,” the statement said.

“The states are to also develop master plans for the development of intelligent transport system to facilitate the development and management of their transport operations in line with emerging trends and global best practices.”



Starafrica.com

Obasanjo warns Politicians not to field Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Christian ticket

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned the country’s main political parties not to field a presidential ticket with two people of the same religion.
In a statement on yesterday in Abeokuta, the former president said, “It will be insensitive to the point of absurdity for any leader or any political party to be toying with Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian ticket at this juncture.”
Although Mr. Obasanjo did not mention any political party in his warnings, observers of the 2015 political intrigues could term it as being targeted at the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.
Although the APC has in the past said it was not planning to field such a ticket as warned by Mr. Obasanjo, the party has been accused of toying with a Muslim-Muslim ticket. A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, who left the party for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, listed such plans as one of his reasons for leaving.
The main presidential hopefuls of the APC- Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwakwanso – are Muslims, while the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, also a Muslim, has been touted as a possible running mate. The party is, however, yet to hold is presidential primaries.
On its part, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has virtually adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate; with the president expected to retain Vice President Namadi Sambo as his running mate. Mr. Jonathan is a Christian while Mr. Sambo is a Muslim.
In his warning, Mr. Obasanjo, whose support is being sought for the February 14, 2015 presidential elections by both parties, advised them to be sensitive to Nigeria’s religious diversity. Over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s 150 million population are belived to be either Christians or Muslims.
“Sensitivity is a necessary ingredient for enhancement of peace, security and stability at this point in the political discourse and arrangement for Nigeria and for encouraging confidence and trust,” he said.
Mr. Obasanjo added that “Nigeria cannot at this stage raise the spectre and fear of Islamization or Christianization. The idea of proselytization in any form is a grave danger that must not be contemplated by any serious-minded politician at this delicate situation in Nigeria; as this time is different from any other time.
“Therefore, disregarding the fact that there are fears that need to be allayed at this point will amount not only to insensitivity of the highest order but will also amount to very bad politics indeed.”

FIFA set to suspend Nigeria Today

FIFA, the world football governing body, will today decide whether or not to suspend Nigeria from football competitions.
On Saturday in Windhoek, Namibia, the president of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, told Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo, that the world was fed up with Nigeria’s actions in the area of football administration.
“I had to plead passionately with FIFA President, Mr. Sepp Blatter not to take action on Nigeria on Friday, because Nigeria was in the final of the African Women Championship and a ban on your country would have been bad for the competition and our sponsors,” he said. “We all heard the news of the court ruling on Thursday, and the football world is angry with Nigeria. That is the truth.”
“The FIFA letter that came to your Federation before the elections of September 30 was very clear about an automatic suspension should there be any interference with the political process, and after the elections went ahead, we all thought you had settled your issues,” he added
At the meeting that had Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo; Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Biodun Olorunfemi; Nigeria’s Deputy President of the CAF Appeal Board, Amanze Uchegbulam; CAF General Coordinator, Paul Bassey; and CAF Media Committee Member, Aisha Falode in attendance, Mr. Hayattou said there was no going back on the suspension of Nigeria this week if football matters were not withdrawn from civil courts.
“I appealed to FIFA to give until Monday for Nigeria to put its act together. After that, there is absolutely nothing I can do,” “It is all very disappointing because we have over 50 National Associations in Africa, but a big country like Nigeria is the one always giving us the biggest headache.
“Nigeria signed to be part of the football world by joining FIFA, and opted to abide by the FIFA –approved Statutes that you have. How many times do we have to tell your country that football matters are not taken to civil courts? If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it.”
His French words were translated to the rest of the Nigeria delegation by the multi-lingual Paul Bassey.
Messrs. Blatter and Hayatou were among several world football leaders who congratulated Amaju Pinnick following his victory at the September 30 elections.
Following his ouster by the court, Mr. Pinnick, who was, inexplicably, stopped by security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his way to Namibiaon Friday night with the Sports Minister, monitored the meeting on phone.
On Thursday, the Federal High Court, Jos gave a ruling setting aside the FIFA–ordered elections of September 30 into the NFF Executive Committee, stoking the fire of anger at the world body’s Zurich headquarters.
The NFF Executive Committee, led by Mr. Pinnick, has filed for a stay-of-execution of the order at the same court, which the court said it will be hear on Wednesday.
Ms. Falode, who spoke from Windhoek on Sunday, said it was obvious the Government of Nigeria has to now intervene to avoid the hammer falling on Nigeria football.
“The future of millions of Nigerian youth is being put at risk by some persons who feel they have nothing to lose in the case of a FIFA ban. It is now for the Government to wade in. If we get suspended from international football now, FIFA will not revisit the matter until their 65th Congress on May 29, 2015. That would be too bad for our country’s football,” Ms. Falode said.

source: premium times

Nigeria: NAHCo Partners NEPC, Others On Export Promotion

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCo) Aviance is to partner the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) and Lagos State Government to work out ways to improve export in the country.

A joint committee made up of representatives of these institutions, vegetable farmer and export merchants is to be set up.

This was the resolution of a workshop hosted by NAHCo Aviance for stakeholders in the agro - allied export business at the weekend in Lagos.

Speaking at a workshop titled, "Stakeholders' Workshop on Addressing Challenges in Export of HorticulturePproducts from Nigeria", the Executive Director of NEPC, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, said, the body had to be part of the workshop in collaboration with other bodies such as NAHCo Aviance, NAQS and Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative because of the visit made to the ground handling company and NAQS by the officials of the Council.

The Executive Director of NEPC,who was represented by the Acting Director of Market Development, Mr. Mathew Iranloye, during a visit to NAHCo Aviance ,said the visit was to acquaint the NEPC with the workings of the two organisations with a view to assessing how their operations could help facilitate the body's efforts at galvanising Nigerian exporters of foods towards servicing the growing demands of European Union(EU) and the United States markets for fresh and processed food items from Africa.

Speaking in his capacity as the Acting Director of Market Development of NEPC, Iranloye reiterated the need for exporters to adhere strictly to global standards especially on packaging and labeling of their products.

NAHCo Business Manager, Lagos Region, Mr. Yahaya Hassan, who represented the ground handling giant at the workshop, said that the company has put different facilities in place such as freezers, cold rooms among others to help facilitate the exportation of goods.

He also stated that the NAHCo Aviance's Free Trade Zone, which will soon commence operations, will be an impetus to exportation of goods in the country.



source:Daily Independent/Abel orukpe