FocalPoint Reports

Edo State deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu has boosted the preparations of the State’s athletes for the National Sports Festival with a N2m donation. This is just as Edo State has threatened to send back any delegation that fails to adhere to COVID-19 protocols. Rt. Hon. Shaibu announced the donation while addressing Edo State Sports Council coaches. The National Sports Festival NSF is around the corner, so there is a need for everybody to get serious and all hands must be on deck. We are not just hosting, we are hosting and very determined to win to ensure that we achieve our goal.” “I want to remind us that adherence to COVID-19 guideline must be followed strictly. Any Edo State athletes who refused to take the vaccine should be disqualified whether the person is the one that will make us 10 gold medals for or not please disqualify such persons or the association. And I want to say that we are ready to send back state contingents that refuse to keep to the rules.” All Edo State Sports...

The aspiration of Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 got a step closer following the demand by Forum of North Central legislators that the Presidency be zoned to the region in the next general election. Convener of the forum and former Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Marata Gumi, made the demand while reading the communique issued at the end of the forum meeting held in Abuja yesterday. Gumi said the State Houses of Assembly legislators in the zone were not interested in the chairmanship position of any political party but the presidency seat in the 2023 general elections. “The North Central legislators forum unanimously demand the presidency position come 2023. The position of party chairmanship in all the political parties has been rejected by this great forum. The North Central is not interested in the position of chairman in any political party,” he said. The legislators also called on the federal government to as a matter...

President Muhammadu Buhari ABUJA–PRESIDENT Muhammadu on Tuesday ordered security agencies to identify sponsors and leaders of kidnappers and bandits terrorizing citizens of the country especially in the north and take them out. President Buhari warned that his administration would not tolerate a situation where the criminal elements continued to dictate the pace in the fight against insecurity and gave the marching orders to the security to bring such people and those backing them down. The National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the security meeting presided over by President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The NSA also said President Buhari told the security heads that he would no longer tolerate a situation where the nation’s security is reactionary instead of being to be proactive. The NSA added that President Buhari also insisted that all the decisions approved at the Nati...

Uyo—THERE was tension in Ikot Afanga community in Essien Udim LocalGovernment Aarea of Akwa Ibom State, yesterday, as hoodlums burnt another Police Inspector alive inside his house. It was gathered that the hoodlums stormed the compound of the police officer simply identified as Aniekan about 2:30 am, cordoned off the house and set it on fire while he was fast asleep. This is the third time hoodlums are attacking police officers and station in the local government area. It would be recalled that on February 22, 2021, hoodlums attacked the police checkpoint at Ikpe Annang Junction, manned by operatives of the Quick Response Squad, QRS, and burned a Police Inspector alive inside a police van while others escaped. A resident of the area, who spoke on the ground of anonymity, said the killing might be connected with the victims’ role as a prosecutor in the detention and conviction of criminals. Another resident, Idaraobong Akpan, said: “We woke up this morning to see the charred remains of...

Delta 2023 Guber: Ijaw group gives Chief of Staff 90 days to indicate interest *****Says only likes of Edevbie with 22yrs experience can govern Delta Group under the auspices of Ijaw Realistic Movement, IRM, yesterday, gave the Delta state Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief David Edevbie Ninety working days to indicate interest for the 2023 gubernatorial Election. The group had also affirmed that only the likes of Chief David Edevbie with over twenty-two years of experience from Ibori's administration till date has the prerequisite and the know-how to govern Delta state. The group in an enlarged meeting conveyed in a popular hotel in Warri South local government area of Delta state by the convener, Comrade Ebiyebou Atiuma and the state coordinator, Mr. Maxwell Ebinabei said only the likes of Edevbie that the Ijaws can give such mass supports to. The group in a statement made available for newsmen stated that the governorship of the state should be given to a person...

…Gets $114bn in NLNG revenues …OPTS calls for fiscal incentives …Stakeholders pressure NASS on PIB President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday launched an ambitious plan by Nigeria to entirely power its economy with gas by the year 2030. Nigeria, the sixth largest gas country and ninth in gas export, consumes very little of the resources. Nigeria’s plan, as outlined by President Buhari at a pre-summit conference of the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja, is to leverage on the huge gas reserves to become not just a major exporter but to become a major gas consuming nation. The President who spoke to participants virtually said government agencies and operators need to do more to make the plan a reality. He said gas has the potential to diversify and uplift the economy, given the country’s potential of about 600trillion cubic feet of gas and the rising global demand for cleaner energy sources. He explained that this has offered Nigeria an opportunity to exploit its gas resources fo...

ABRACADABRA is now commonly used as an incantation in the performance of magic. Literally it is used as the more you look, the less you know or see. Abracadabra is the best word to describe what is going on in Port Harcourt Refinery. The refinery is situated at Alesa Eleme, which is 19 kilometres from Port Harcourt city. I have visited the refinery thrice. Twice I accompanied my two bosses, Alhaji Gidado Idris and Chief Ufot Ekaette, both late Secretaries to the Government of the Federation. My last visit to the refinery was three years ago with a friend who once worked in the refinery. One needs to see the refinery. The scandal in Port Harcourt Refinery is so deep that it can’t be uncovered by the most competent spy master in the world. The Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC, is a  Nigeria-based oil and gas company primarily specialising in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products. The company is a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The lat...

President Muhammadu Buhari …Meets with Lawan, Gbajabiamila at Aso Rock …Security heads meet President on Tuesday …As Nigeria mulls to bring home her scientists abroad for COVID-19 Vaccine production AS the security  situation continues to degenerate on a daily basis, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to submit supplementary budget to the National Assembly for more funds to be made available for the procurement of equipment to battle insurgents. Already, the President yesterday met with the leadership of the National Assembly over security matters and also concerns on how to make funding available for COVID-19 vaccination. Besides, the Federal Government is looking at the possibility of bringing home Nigerian scientists outside the country who have contributed in producing the COVID-19 vaccines for many countries to also make their services available to their fatherland. This is as Vanguard has gathered that President Buhari will be meeting with the security heads today  a...

Editor Kenneth Orusi Calls On FG, Delta Governments To Take Development To Riverine Communities The Federal and Delta State Governments have been called upon to take dividends of democracy to coastal Communities especially oil producing Communities. The call was made on Saturday 26th March 2021, at Okwuama, Ehwu Clan, Ughelli south local government area of the state, by the Editor-In-Chief of The Story, Comrade Kenneth Orusi, shortly after he paid his last respect to his eldest brother, late Onome Emmanuel Orusi, who died in ghastly motor accident on February 5th, 2021 along Ughell-Asaba dual carriage road, Otor-Iyede Junction, Isoko north local government area of the state. Addressing newsmen, Comrade Orusi, said: "The federal, state and local governments should pay more attention to coastal communities where 80 percent of the revenue to run the country and state are derived, yet, it lacks government presence. "Up till this 21st century, there is no road to my co...

Mamamu Demands Direct payment of 13% Derivation to Oil Producing Communities A Niger Delta human rights activist, Comr.  Youkore Mamamu Bene, has demanded direct payment of  the 13 percent derivation to oil-producing communities. Not to the state governors.  In a statement to focalPont  on monday, March 29 2021 in Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta state, Mamamu alleged that the governors who are the beneficiaries of the 13% are not developing the oil communities. The quest for development of oil bearing communities has necessitated a strong demand of direct payment of the oil 13 percent to the oil-producing communities. He also added that the interventionist agencies such as the Delta State Oil Producing area Development Commission, DESOPADEC and NDDC has neglected and the oil communities.  He urged the Niger Delta governors to immediately release all previous 13 percent derivation funds meant to develop oil producing communiti...

Since last week when the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved the sum of $1.5bn for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, all hell has been practically let loose. Well-meaning Nigerians from all walks of life have been sharing their views on the issue and many of them have neither been complimentary nor supportive of the decision. A close analysis of the reactions so far shows that only organised labour under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, and a few others appear supportive of the move. The media has been largely on the side of those who believe rehabilitation is a waste of time and resources and has valiantly tried to sway the public in that direction. Further scrutiny of the various tirades against the refinery rehabilitation project shows several strains of arguments. The first is that government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, cannot be trusted to do a good job of the rehabilitation as they...

Atiku Abubakar I have never felt so bad at being proven right, as I am by the report from Bloomberg Business on Saturday, March 27, 2021 that Nigeria is to emerge as the nation with the highest unemployment rate on earth, at just over 33 per cent. We warned about this, but repeated warnings by myself and other patriots were scorned. And now this. How did Nigeria get here? We got here by abandoning the people-centred leadership and free trade and deregulatory policies of the Obasanjo years (which saw us maintain an almost single digit unemployment rate), and implementing discredit command and control policies that have led to massive capital flight from Nigeria. And even with the paucity of funds, we continue to ramp up government involvement in sectors that ought to be left to the private sector, with the latest being the illadvised $1.5 billion so called rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery that has failed to turn a profit for years. What this government must realise is that t...

This picture taken on March 29, 2021, from a nearby tugboat in the Suez Canal, shows a view of the Panama-flagged MV ‘Ever Given’ (operated by Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine) container ship as it begins to move. AFP   The massive container ship blocking the Suez Canal for almost a week has been turned 80 per cent in the right direction, officials said Monday, raising hopes the vital trade route could soon be clear. But its owner said that while the giant ship “has turned”, it was still not yet afloat. The MV Ever Given, longer than four football fields, has been wedged diagonally across the canal since Tuesday, strangling world supply chains and costing the global economy billions. Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chief Osama Rabie said Monday that rescue efforts with tugs had succeeded in shifting the front and back of the ship. “The position of the ship has been reorientated 80 per cent in the right direction,” Rabie in a statement. “The stern… moved to 102 metr...

Senator Magnus Abe The Federal Government has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee, to review and propose measures targeted at activating the dormant $1 billion Kaztec Engineering Limited Yard in Lagos. The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Magnus Abbe, who led members, drawn from different government ministries and agencies to visit, weekend, said the yard has been idle since 2015 when Addax Petroleum, which played a major role in its establishment decided to withdraw from the project because of some issues, including tax with the government. According to him, before then Kaztec which total investment stand at about $1 billion, said: “By that time, Kaztec Engineering had already spent more than $600 million and imported a lot of materials and was employing over 3000 direct workers and with over 10,000 dependants on these contracts.” Speaking during the tour of the facility, Abbe said: “What happened here is a national tragedy in so many ways because not only is the economy very nega...

I killed my one-month-old baby out of frustration, 35 years old woman tells Police Men of the Ogun State Police command have arrested a 35 years old woman, Sukurat Olajoke for allegedly killing her one month old baby, and subsequently dumped the corpse in Ogun river. The suspect, according to a statement by the command spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, was arrested, when  policemen attached to Enugada divisional headquarters in Abeokuta who were on routine patrol with the DPO, SP Baba Hamzat saw the woman throwing something suspicious into the river. Oyeyemi said, “the suspicious behavior of the woman, after throwing the object into the river attracted the policemen who quickly apprehended her for questioning”. “It was on interrogation that the suspect, who lives at Agboole Alakoye area of Igbo Ora in Oyo state, confessed that she threw into the river the corpse of her one month old baby, who she killed out of frustration”. She added that, “the person who is responsible for the pregnanc...

Darkness as Boko Haram vandalised towers, cut power supply  —TCN Nigeria (TCN) says insurgents have again vandalised two towers on the Damaturu – Maidugiri 330kiloVolt (KV)Transmission Line. TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said that the two towers were bombed early on Saturday . Mbah said that the Saturday vandalism took place after TCN had made concerted effort and restored power to Maiduguri on March 24, two months after the first incident. “The incident which occurred at about 5.56 a.m. on March 27 again cut power supply to Maiduguri and its environs. ” This time, the insurgents chain bombed two other towers; T152 and T153 on the same line route of the other incident,” she said. She, however, said TCN would continue to do all that it could to ensure power supply was restored to the affected areas.

COMRADE MULADE CONGRATULATES GOVERNOR OKOWA ON FG APPROVAL OF UNIVERSITIES .. ...Appeals For Transfer of School of Marine Technology, Burutu to Ministry of Higher Education* A Delta-born educationist and human rights advocate, Comrade (Chief) Mulade Sheriff has congratulated Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa for this historical achievement and for making Delta to be the leading state with highest number of  universities in Nigeria.  We are proud of your educational strides to give every Deltans and others the opportunity to acquire quality education. Chief Mulade, a Peace Ambassador who is also the President of the Riverine Communities Development Forum of Nigeria, made this commendation in Asaba, the state capital, He expresses joy and happiness for this laudable achievement and equally appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to kindly consider the transfer of the School of Marine Technology, Burutu to the Higher Education Ministry to enable it being man...

Be Patient With Us Arc. Miebi Bribena to Baraza Members. https://youtu.be/U1bG6gvtEVw The President and the Chief Executive Officer of Baraza multi-purpose cooperative society Arc. Miebi Bribena has assured it's members to be patient with the management of the cooperative saying that no contributor money would loss as management only faces minor challenges. The Arc. Bribena disclosed in an one-on-one interview session with TrackNews Online, he said ” he wishes to use this medium to inform all members of our cooperative to remain calm as issue of delay in payment will has resolved and they will surely get their pay as the new payment schedule procedure which they all agreed in the general meeting with members. “As earlier stated in our general meeting via zoom on the 20th of March, 2021, the issues bothering on timely payments are issues that has been discussed and addressed.  “As stated in the zoom meeting we are faced with a situation where abilities to change and with...

Mr Dominic Aqua Edem An All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Cross River State, Mr Dominic Aqua Edem, was abducted by gunmen for the second time on Thursday evening. Mr Edem, a lawyer, was a two-term member of the Cross River State House of Assembly for Bakassi State Constituency and member representing Cross River on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. He was abducted in his farm. “Yes, he was kidnapped in his village at Ifiang, in Bakassi when he went to inspect his farm. “Following the rainfall of Tuesday, he went to inspect crops in his farm when he was abducted”. Mr Obun Ekanem, his aide told Vanguard. He said the hoodlums are yet to make contact with his family. He was kidnapped in 2015 when he contested for the House of Representatives post for Bakassi/Akpabuyo/Calabar South federal constituency and released after a ransom was paid. DSP Irene Ugbo, Cross River Police Command spokesman did not pick calls to her GSM number.

The Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative, ASR Africa Initiative, which is the brainchild of Founder and Executive Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, yesterday, provided a grant of N1billion to the Ahmadu Bello University, as part of its yearly $100million ASR Africa Fund for Social Development and Renewal. African industrialist and philanthropist, Abdul Samad Rabiu, had, on Monday, launched the ASR Africa Initiative for Education, Health and Social Development in Africa. Speaking at a ceremony in Zaria, Abdul Samad Rabiu also named the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Maiduguri; University of Ilorin; University of Ibadan, and the University of Benin as other beneficiaries of N1 billion each in the first cohort of the intervention grant. Rabiu, who was represented by Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, said: “Because of this and starting immediately, we intend to be on the ground to commence the project. We are hoping the other five universities can also quickly identify such projects with o...

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu on Friday said President Muhammadu Buhari is passionate about the unity of Nigeria as well as tackling the myriads of security challenges in the country. Shehu stated this in Abuja during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, noting that the Nigerians enjoy the freedom of speech under President Buhari’s administration. “This President is focused on securing this country, he is focused on the unity of this country and he will preserve it,” he said. “People should be free to say whatever because this country is under the best democratic government that we have had since the fourth republic. The President will not lock up people, there is no assassination by state actors under Buhari and so therefore people can say whatever they want to say. They will go home and sleep very soundly.”

Mulade Sheriff Urges Okowa to Establish Peace Building, Conflict Prevention Agency Peace and Environmental Rights advocate, Comrade (Chief) Mulade Sheriff has urged Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to set up a Peace Building and Conflict Prevention Agency to promote and sustain peaceful coexistence among Deltans and other residents of the State. The call is contained in a public private Bill to the state governor by a Peace and Environment Rights advocate, Comrade (Chief) Mulade Sheriff. Comrade Sheriff, who is the Ibe-Sorimowei of ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri south west local government area of Delta State, presented the public private Bill to the State Government at Asaba, the State Capital on the 24th of March, 2021. He appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to see the importance of the Agency to the promotion and sustenance of peaceful coexistence and unity among the various ethnic groups and other residents of the State, towards attracting the desired development. He equally for...

The Ondo State Government says it will construct more roads to reduce the number of accidents caused by bad ones in the state. Gov.Rotimi Akeredolu said this on Thursday in Akure when the Zonal Commanding Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),  RS11,Osogbo, Assistant Corps Marshal Emmanuel Abe, paid him a courtesy visit The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that offices under the command watch extend from Osun to Ondo and Oyo States. Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa, said his government had constructed more roads than any government had done, in his first four years. He said that his second term was not for resting as believed in some quarters, but for  him to continue to work hard for the people of the state The governor  promised to continue collaboration with the  FRSC for enabling environment to carry out their duties. “We have constructed old and new roads to avert accidents. With the records on ground, no government has been...

Federal High Court The Federal Government, on Thursday, tendered before the Federal High Court, Abuja, different currencies of dollars stashed in three bags as evidence in the money laundering charge against Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd.) Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Magaji Labaran, tendered the bags of money before Justice Inyang Ekwo while leading the only witness in the case, Stephen Olatubosun, in evidence. Mohammed (1st defendant) and his company, Easy Jet Integrated Service Ltd (2nd defendant), are being charged with three counts bordering on money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and possession of classified documents without lawful authority. The retired air officer and his company are alleged to have received the sum of one million, thirty thousand American Dollars ($1,030,000) in cash from Worldwide Consortium PTY Ltd, as payment for freight services on 19th June, 2016, contrary to the Money Laundering Act 2011 (as Amended). Justice E...

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that the National Assembly is focused on strengthening regulatory mechanisms to ensure that our values as Nigerians do not suffer degeneration as a result of drug abuse. Lawan made this known in a keynote address delivered to declare open a Public Hearing on the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency Act 2004. The Senate President who was represented at the event by the Chairman, Committee on Health, Senator Yahaya Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), said the issue of drug abuse in the country “has become a hazard” too difficult to ignore. Lawan said: “Equally important is that drug abuse has become a hazard. While we may often identify abuse with the youths, emerging evidence reveals that it cuts across all social strata. “What this means is that more and more people are resorting to dangerous mechanisms for escape. The consequence of this is multiple, as has been proved. “We (National Assembly) have severally demonstrated that we cann...