Pains As Bolt, Uber Drivers Embark On Strike

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June 7, 2023

The Federal Government has approved the ratification of six maritime conventions and protocols that promote cleaner marine environment, ship-breaking cri teria, global standard for fishing crew and response to oil pollution casualties.

The approved instruments for ratification are Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009; International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F) 1995; Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties (intervention protocol) 1973 and the Protocol on Limitation of Liabilities for Maritime Claims 1996.

Others are the Protocol to the 1974 Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 2002; and the protocol of 2005 to the 1988 protocol to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA PROT 2005)

The approval, conveyed through the Federal Ministry of Transportation to Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has kick started Nigeria’s preparation to align with the global maritime community in respect to the protocols and conventions.

Director General of NIMASA Bashir Jamoh, while thanking the Federal Government for the approval reassured industry players of the agency’s unflinching effort as designated authority(DA) to draw the gains of the various instruments closer to indigenous investors, professionals and all stakeholders in Nigeria

Jamoh said The Hong Kong Convention is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose risk to human health, safety or to the environment.

The DG said STCW-F is a treaty that sets certification and minimum training requirements for crews of seagoing fishing vessels with the goal to promote the safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment, taking into account the unique nature of the fishing industry and the fishing working environment.

He added that the International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties will see Nigeria taking action on the high seas to prevent, mitigate or eliminate grave and imminent danger to Nigeria’s coastline or related interests from pollution or threat of pollution of the sea by oil spillage.

On the Convention of Limitation of Liability of Maritime Claims, Jamoh said it will provide for an unbreakable system of limiting liability where shipowners and sailors may limit their liability, except if it is proved that an incurred loss resulted from their personal act or omission or commission with the intent to cause loss, or recklessly and with knowledge that such loss would probably happen.

The Athens Convention, according to Jamoh, establishes a regime of liability for damage suffered by passengers carried on a seagoing vessel. It places liability on the carrier for any loss or damage suffered by passengers where it is established to be the carriers fault.

He added that the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA PROT) will result in improved protection of oil platforms and sanction threats against such facilities which are critical to the country’s economic mainstay

He further sought the cooperation of all stakeholders with NIMASA while hoping to engage with them at various stages of implementation in the nearest future.

CBN: Emefiele Dodging Court Summons Over $53 million Judgement Debt

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June 7, 2023

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to appear before it on 19 July over a 53 million dollar-judgement debt arising from the Pars Club refund.

Inyang Ekwo, who gave the order during the hearing of a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1193/2017, insisted that the court would not hear Mr Emefiele’s motion for stay until he appeared in court.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Mr Ekwo had, on 20 October 2022, ordered the CBN governor to appear in court on 18 January over his alleged refusal to obey the order of the court for the payment of the judgement debt in favour of a lawyer, Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.

However, the 18 January proceedings could not go on as scheduled. This prompted the court to adjourn the case until 20 March subsequently.

Agi had sued Linas International Ltd, Minister of Finance and CBN, to court as judgment debtors, following an application for garnishee made by him as judgment creditor in the case.

The suit is one in a flurry of legal actions associated with the federal government’s refund to states and local governments the amounts of funds said to have been over-deducted from their accounts to offset Paris Club and London between 1995 and 2002.

Linas International Ltd and its promoter, Ned Nwoko, had initiated the first significant suit, which culminated in a court judgement awarding them huge amounts of money for their roles in helping states and local government areas to discover the excessive deductions from their accounts.

Since then, countless entities, lawyers, and other professionals have surfaced, claiming to have provided one form of consultancy services or the other to recover the money for the states and local governments.

Agi, through his suit, seeks enforcement of a judgement that he obtained against Linas International Ltd for his role in helping the firm to secure the recovery of the funds.

Upon resumed hearing on Tuesday, Agi’s counsel, Ayodele Arotiowa, said Emefiele had yet to comply with the court’s order compelling him to appear in court.

Audu Anuga, SAN, who appeared for Emefiele and CBN, however, pointed out that the court did not sit on the previous date scheduled for a hearing.

Arotiowa said though they had been served with the processes, they had also responded.

Anuga told the court that they had a pending application to set aside those “order nisi,” the preliminary order usually issued by the court to set the stage for a final one in monetary judgement enforcement proceedings.

Ekwo then said that it was because of his order that Mr Emefiele should appear in court that prompted them to go on appeal “so that he does not appear in this court.”

“That is exactly what you have done. So, we, the trial court, cannot do our job?

“I am not going to hear you on any application until Godwin Emefiele appears in court.

“Therefore, I am going to give a date for you to report to the court on compliance with the order of the court.

“Upon being aware that the motion for stay of execution is a live matter in this court, this court shall not hear that application unless and until Mr Godwin Emefiele, who has been ordered to appear in court, appears in court,” the judge declared.

He adjourned the matter until the 19 July report.

Background

NAN reports that the dispute stemmed from an alleged $70 million judgment against Linas International Ltd for the lawyer’s (Joe Agi) assistance with the Paris Club refund.

Emefiele was said to have only released $17 million, leaving an unpaid balance of $53 million.

The court had, on 23 January 2020, ruled that Emefiele must appear “to be examined on oath, since the date of the said garnishee order absolute, to pay the balance of 53 million dollars now due and payable under the said garnishee order absolute and also show cause why you should not be committed to prison for default in payment of the said sum”.

In October 2022, Agi, through his counsel Isaac Ekpa and Chinonso Obasi, filed another application against Linas International, the Minister of Finance and the CBN.

He sought an order directing the Inspector-General of Police to arrest Mr Emefiele and bring him to court alongside his lawyers, Damian Dodo, Audu Anuga, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and Ginika Ezeoke, Jessica Iyoke, Abdullahi Afolayan, and Olayemi Afolayan.

Subsidy Withdrawal: Gov Obaseki Advises Workers To Work From Home

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June 6, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has told public servants in the state to explore possibility of working from home, in the wake of high transportation cost occasioned by subsidy withdrawal.

The governor has also joined his Kwara state government by reducing to three official working days in a week.

In a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, Obaseki stated that “In the wake of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government, fuel prices have increased astronomically leading to rise in prices of goods and services and overall cost of living.

“The Edo State Government shares the pains of our people and wants to assure everyone that we are standing with them in these very challenging times.

“We want to reassure our people that we will do all within our powers as a subnational government to reduce the pains and ameliorate the sufferings our people are currently facing in the wake of the current realities.

“As a proactive government, we have since taken the step to increase the minimum wage paid to workers in Edo State from the approved N30, 000 to N40, 000, the highest in the country today.

“We want to assure you that we will continue to pay this amount, while we hope to increase it even further, if more allocation accrues to our State from the Federal Government in view of the expected savings occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy.

“We know the hardship that has been caused by this policy which has radically increased the cost of transportation, eating deep into the wages of workers in the State.

“Therefore, the Edo State Government is hereby reducing the number of work days that civil and public servants will have to commute to their work places from five days a week to three days a week.

“Similarly, for teachers and parents, their commuting to school will be reduced as government is working on deepening the EdoBEST@Home initiative to create more virtual classes, thereby reducing the cost of commuting on parents, teachers and pupils. The Edo SUBEB will provide details on this initiative in the coming days.

“To lower the rising cost of energy on our people, we will continue to work with the electricity companies in the State to improve power supply to homes and businesses.

“Similarly, fibre optic connections are being made available to help our people work remotely, thereby reducing their cost of transportation.

“While government intensifies these efforts to alleviate the burden of the fuel price increase on the people during this very challenging period, we want to call on everyone to remain calm and go about their daily businesses lawfully.”

NADECO Writes Tinubu, Demands Return Of Nigeria To Pre Independence Constitution

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June 6, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

National Democratic Coalition,(NADECO) one of the pro democracy groups that fought for an end to military dictatorship in Nigeria, is clamouring for the return of the country to pre independence Republican constitution.

This was contained in a letter, signed by general secretary of the coalition, Ayo Opadokun to President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu was a member of NADECO and played prominent role in the struggle to ease out the military from dominating Nigeria’s political scene.

The letter states that “NADECO hereby formally congratulates you as you took the Oath of Office, sworn in and assumed office as the President of Nigeria. This is without prejudice to the democratic rights of your opponents who are contesting your victory at the election tribunal.

“NADECO is gratified that one of its most prominent Leaders who in fact contributed significantly to the titanic democratic struggle and campaign that the organization had to embark upon on behalf of Nigerians to restore democracy to Nigeria has by divine destiny become the elected President of the country of our birth.

“We like to remind you of the most important demand of our common and just struggle which was centred on the imperative necessity to return Nigeria to a Federal Constitutional Governance upon which we secured our independence.

“Nigeria remains a country not a nation till date because the military had without Nigerians democratic approval truncated, illegally suspended, abrogated and replaced our negotiated independent constitution and replaced it with Unitary Constitution till date.

“The deceptively choreographed, 1979 & 1999 Constitutions which preserved all the grave damages which successive military governments have forcefully imposed upon Nigeria remain the bane of Nigeria’s backwardness, stunted growth and unacceptable level of poverty.

“NADECO is more than convinced that a return to the Independence/ Republican Constitution will restore responsive and responsible government in the minimum as we grapple with the business of reconstructing our country which was successively overran/ damaged for the narrow personal interests of politicians in military uniform since January 15, 1966.

“All the many aberrations-political, legal, and structural which the different military dictators whimsically imposed on Nigeria can then be strategically corrected overtime.

“Mr. President, you were part of the Patriots who suffered deprivations, dehumanization, and hounding along with us as we spoke truth to the powers that forced themselves on us.

“Fortunately, your own party, established the Governor El-Rufai Committee which recommended that the APC government should immediately fulfil its promise to return Nigeria to a Federal Constitutional Governance as contained in your Manifesto.

“All that we are requesting you to do is to use your good auspices and commit yourself to be faithful to the promise upon which your party was elected into office.

“NADECO on behalf of the silent majority of Nigerians expects you to make Nigeria respond to her manifest destiny of providing leadership to the black race which is looking up towards us to take our rightful place in the global diplomatic leadership in order to prove that black civilization is consequential and important as the others for the growth and advancement of humanity.

“We pray that the good Lord will grant you robust health, empathy and divine wisdom to providing unprecedented productive and impactive leadership which will in quick time enhance the standard and quality of lives of our people who have endured unbelievable economic deprivation, neglect and poverty in a country like Nigeria with the abundant human and material endowment and resources.”

Obi Never Directed Us On Who To Vote As Speaker, LP Caucus.

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June 6, 2023

Afam Ogene, Caucus Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives, has debunked the rumour that the Presidential candidate of the party, in the just concluded general elections, Peter Obi, directed the Labour Party Members-Elect on the candidate to vote as Speaker.

This clarification was contained in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, June 6, by the Labour Party House of Representatives caucus.

Ogene described the rumour as the handiwork of Fifth Columnists, who are out to cause rancour within the ranks of the Labour Party Reps and also embarrass the party’s respected leaders, Obi, and his Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Yusuf Baba-Ahmed.

The Labour Party members-elect said, in a statement signed by Hon. Ogene, leader of the caucus, that “Nothing can be farther from the truth, as the allegation is a lie from the pit of hell,”

Ogene said further in the statement, “On my honour, if Mr. Peter Obi as much as gave any such order, we would have gladly carried it out, and offer a robust defense of the decision as a Party, but in the instant case, he never did, so why the splitting of hairs?

“In fact, the insinuation that Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party(LP), is coercing Members-Elect of the House of Representatives to vote for a particular candidate in the Speakership race is a lie which is beneath contempt.

“Yes, as a Caucus, we met last night, but not at Mr. Obi’s behest. The notice of meeting was sent out by the National Chairman of Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure, and Mr. Obi was only invited as National Leader of the Party.

“After virtually all 27 Members-Elect present at the meeting had taken turns to speak, Mr. Obi, who was the first to leave because of another engagement, advised members to ensure, as much as possible, that they are united in arriving at a decision regarding who to vote for as Presiding Officers. Is this a crime, or an advise too weighty to offer?

“Even in advocating this unity of purpose, Mr. Obi never mentioned any candidate by name, only electing to remind the members-elect that Nigerians place huge expectations on the Labour Party to dare to be different, in conduct and stance on national issues.

“Everything must not be about what you can gain as individuals, but rather your place in history as you begin your sojourn in the National Assembly,” Obi had said.

“As a matter of fact, we make bold to reiterate that, not once, throughout his about 15-minute speech, did Mr. Obi mention any aspirant by name. On the contrary, he urged the members to continue talking amongst themselves, under the guidance of the National Chairman and the Caucus Leader on the issue of Speakership.

“In deed, for the records, Mr. Obi had in his first official interaction with the LP Members-Elect – soon after they collected their certificates of return in March, 2023 – urged them to decide for themselves who to vote for,” Hon. Ogene said.

In his words at the time: “You are the ones elected, so the onus rests with all of you, to interface with others to choose your leaders. As for me, several aspirants, both in the Senate and the House have been trying to reach me, but I prefer to allow you people take your fate in your own hands.”

Obi Explains His Subsidy Removal Support With A Toothache Analogy

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The Source

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June 6, 2023

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said that his support for the removal of subsidy paid on petroleum products is true but with a condition that should be empirical to the people.

Obi who was ambushed by Judicial Correspondents as he attended his ongoing election petition case at the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday said that his support for subsidy removal dates back to the Goodluck Jonathan era when he was a member of the Presidential Economic Management Team.

“If you have followed me very well right from the time I was a member of Jonathan’s Economic Management Team, I consistently maintained that subsidy should be removed because I see it as organized crime. People were just stealing the resources of the country and I showed empirically in my statistical analysis that we are not consuming the amount of fuel they claim we consume.”

The former Anambra state Governor differentiated his idea of Subsidy removal from what is happening in the country now that they are linking him to the two options available to a person having a tooth ache.

He said that if you approach a dentist to remove a painful tooth, he will apply a local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth so you do not feel pain.

It’s not the same thing as pulling the tooth forcefully. The pain you feel will be different.

“For me, I will go with the approach of the dentist while supporting the removal of the tooth because I wouldn’t want to go through the pain of forceful removal.

“Recall that even when Jonathan wanted to remove it they came up with various relieving policies like SureP and others.

“If you read my manifesto you will see clearly how I planned to remove subsidy, I will govern with the people and show them statistically and empirically what we are getting and how we are deploying it.

“The problem In Nigeria is that when people say let’s go and suffer, let’s go and sacrifice, they don’t see the results of their suffering and their sacrifice.”

North Central Demands FCT Minister, Deputy Senate President As Compensation

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June 6, 2023

The appointment of George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, as a way to pacify the North Central has been described inadequate by the region.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Akume, a former governor of Benue state on Sunday and Femi Gbajabiamila, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives as Chief of Staff, CoS.

The choice of Akume was said to have been the president’s response to the North Central agitation for the position of the Speaker.

But the president’s decision seems not to go down well with some leaders from the area, under the aegis of the North Central People’s Forum, NCPF, who said they will only be satisfied with two of their people appointed as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in the administration, and Deputy Senate President.

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had already endorsed Godswill Akpabio and Jubril Barau from the North West as Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively.

But in a statement signed by the group’s Publicity Secretary, Audu Sule, the NCPF said the region gave more votes to the party during the last election, and so deserved more rewards.

It said an indigene of the FCT, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa and Kwara States, should be appointed the FCT minister.

The statement said, “First of all we thank Mr President for appointing one of our sons, father and brother as the SGF. We want to particularly congratulate Sen George Akume for the appointment because he is eminently qualified.

“But that is not enough to pacify us. If you look at the vote the APC pulled in North Central it was massive. We were able to lead in all the states except for Plateau and FCT which went to the Labour Party.

“We want the office of the deputy Senate president to go to the North Central. That is the office we have not occupied. In the past, military governments appointed ministers of FCT from the North Central. That’s what we want from the present administration.

“Also, if you check in the previous government, the North East had a Senate President and the SGF. So, we want the office of the deputy Senate president. It will be good for the north central to get it because out of the seven states, we give five to the APC.

“We are also calling for the North Central state to be considered for the office of the FCT minister because the people understand the area very well. Also, the FCT should be given a ministerial appointment.”

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has postponed his meeting with opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly over the contest for principal offices.

The meeting, his advisers said will now take place at an undisclosed date.

Ondo Oil Producing Communities Give Oil Company 72 Hours To Honour Agreement

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June 6, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

Oil Producing Communities in Ondo state have accused Chevron Nigeria Ltd of igniting another crisis that is capable of impacting on Oil Production activities in the Ilaje Offshore territory of Ondo State.

Communities in Ugbo Land are the mandate areas of Chevron Nigeria Ltd Offshore Operations in Ondo State.

A statement signed by seven leaders of the Communities claimed that “from time immemorial they have been continually short-changed by Chevron Nigeria Ltd, while other ethnic groups are usually favoured in terms of allocations of Opportunities and Benefits.

“The most recent is the fraud against the collective interest of the Communities of Ilaje Offshore Operations by Chevron Nigeria Ltd in relation to the Shallow Water drilling (Project Panther) that is about to commence now.

“As paragraph 3 of our inauguration letter still in force, we unequivocally demand for the reversal of the erroneously and purportedly sent jobs opportunity mail to the yet unregistered Ugbo Trust and channel same jobs opportunities to which should includes all benefits, opportunities, entitlements and privileges accruable to communities from the upcoming Drilling operations.

“It will interest everyone to know that all the equipment for the Panther drilling Project have been hijacked by Chevron top managerial staff in favour of different contractors where they have interest as no single one was given to any Ilaje Contractors despite the fact that some of our local Contractors participated in the Equipment Supply bidding process for the Panther Drilling Project.

“Outside the bidding, the usual practice is that the local contractors from Ilaje are supposed to be nominated for supply of equipment. All this process has been compromised by Chevron PGPA for their personal interest.

“We therefore challenge Chevron Nigeria Limited to disclose the total numbers and identities of the Call Off Contractors shortlisted for this Drilling Operations.

“The Communities of Ugbo hereby strongly demands that their due benefits in terms of Equipment Supply, Call Out Contracts and other Entitlements should be communicated and given to us before mobilization and not more than 72 hours from the date of this press release.”

Coast Clears As Senate Approves 20 Special Advisers For Tinubu

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June 6, 2023