The BBOG Campaigners defied police barricades as they pressed home their demands
A pro-Buhari group on Tuesday clashed with members of the Bring Back Our Girls, BBOG, campaigners as they made their way to the presidential villa.
The BBOG group had forced their way through a police barricade at the Three Arms Zone in Abuja, determined to have an audience with President Buhari.
PremiumTimes reported that the group of Buhari’s supporters blocked their path, demanding an end to the demonstration.
The group said the president is “a man of peace” and must not be distracted in his efforts to “move the nation forward”.
Idris King, spokesman for the group, described the BBOG group as a scam, sponsored to undermine the administration of the APC.
“We are for peace. Buhari is a man of peace,” the group chanted.
One of the leaders of BBOG group, Aisha Yesufu, said President Buhari appeared to be doing nothing to get the girls back.
“All we are saying is Bring Back Our Girls. There is a fourth option which entails doing nothing, which seems like government’s option. That will not be accepted,” she said.
Earlier in the day, security operatives, comprising mainly of police personnel, had tried to stop the campaigners from going ahead with their planned rally to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign began in April 2014 after the Boko Haram Terrorists kidnapped over 200 school girls from their school dormitory in Chibok, Borno State.
Members of the group have consistently hold sit-out sessions every day at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, calling on the government to rescue the girls from Boko Haram’s captivity.
But the campaign was revitalised after Boko Haram released a video in August, which showed that some of the girls were alive.
The terror group said it would only exchange the girls for their members detained by the government across the country.
Although President Buhari said he would be willing to concede to the demand, the chibok girls campaigners said the government had not done enough.
They vowed to march to the presidential villa every 72 hours until the government makes clear what steps it was taking to get the girls back.
The Damboa Township Market was on Tuesday re-opened to the public two years after it was closed due to Boko Haram attacks.
Damboa, headquarters of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno is located few kilometres from the Sambisa forest, the hideout of the Boko Haram terrorists.
Terrorists repeatedly attacked the town at the height of the insurgency, forcing many to flee the town. The LG authorities were also compelled to order the closure of the market, which is a commercial melting pot for communities around the area.
The Caretaker Chairman of the council, Abu Hong, reopened the market at a ceremony in Damboa.
Hong said that the market was reopened after the return of peace to the area.
The chairman commended Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, for his support to the military toward the fight against the terrorists.
Hong also thanked the military, members of the Civilian JTF and local hunters for their efforts in chasing out the terrorists.
He urged traders in the market to be security conscious and collaborate with security agents toward sustaining the peace in the area.
Also, the District Head of Damboa, Abdullahi Damboa, expressed happiness over the re-opening of the market.
He assured the state government of his support toward maintenance of peace in the market.
Chinese engineers have visited the site of the 3050MW Mambilla hydro-power project at Gembu in Taraba State preparatory to kicking off the project.
The high profile visit, which took place last weekend, included 40 Chinese engineers and officials of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing Gembu is about 340 kilometres away from Jalingo, the state capital.
The team inspected areas mapped out for the project from River Dongo in Gembu, headquarters of Sardauna local government area.
The main project, including the huge turbines, is to be constructed at Baruf where River Dongo cascaded from 1671metres above sea level into the basin below.
It was gathered that this was the first time such a number of experts visited the site since the plan to construct the dam was conceived several decades ago.
The Dam, according to its design, will also boost irrigation farming in the state, a major source of excitement for thousands people who live in the project area.
Senior Special Assistant on Media to Taraba State Governor, Silvanus Giwa confirmed the visit to the area by the Chinese firm saying they were there on a feasibility study preparatory to the commencement of the project.
Also, a former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Babangida Nguroje confirmed the visit by the Chinese to the Mambilla Hydro Power project site saying he was reliably informed that all necessary arrangements had been concluded for the take- off of the power project.
“I can confirm to you that the Chinese were at the project site yesterday and we have been reliably informed that they are making the necessary arrangements for the commencement of the project,” Nguroje said.
He said the people of the Mambilla were excited over the project, especially following the recent visit to the area by former President Olusegun Obasanjo while assuring that they would give their maximum cooperation for the success of the project considering its potential economic benefits.
“We are psychologically prepared for the take- off of the project,” he said even as he appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on its take-off.
Among the 27 active power generating plants in Nigeria, only three including Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro Generation companies (Gencos) are hydro based electricity source.
The other 24 plants are gas powered turbines.
The squabbles between two Chinese companies that caused setbacks previously, had been resolved, officials told Daily Trust yesterday.
It was also learnt that the scope of work at the site has finally been presented by the Chinese contractors to the federal government.
A consultant and former staff of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) had told our reporter that President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration got a new French consultant who expanded the project’s scope to 3050mw and re-valued the cost at $3.2bn (about N636.9bn) in 2011.
The power sector expert attributed the delay in flagging off the project since 2011 to the inclusion of Sinohydro Corporation, a Chinese firm that was not part of the original bid winners – CGC/CGGC in 2005.
“The Obasanjo government signed the contract with the Chinese firm in 2007 and if it was followed by now, we would have added 2600mw additional hydropower to the grid,” he said.
Earlier this year, Fashola had said the Taraba State Governor who was a former Minister of State, Power, Darius Ishaku acquired the project land and would construct an access road to the site.
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State
“The first thing to do is to acquire the land and deal with compensation issues, which the Governor has promised to deal with.
“The feasibility study has been done and so too the Environmental Impact Assessment. We move one day at a time closer to starting Mambilla,” Fashola had stated.
The Director, Energy Resources Development in the ministry, Emmanuel Ajayi who responded to a recent Daily Trust enquiries said the federal government this year resolved that the two Chinese firms, Gezhouba Construction Group Corporation (CGGC), and the Sinohydro Corporation must agree to handle the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract.
Ajayi in the exclusive interview said project cost had been reviewed with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) valuing it at $5.732billion (about N1.140trn).
Another official in the ministry said the project could last for 63 months (over five years) after it is flagged off, including 12 months for a Defect Liability Period (test running).
On the funding sources, it was gathered that the federal government will contribute its 15 per cent equity financing after raking in about N1trillion from the sales of the 10 gas-based power plants under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs).
The transaction process has been on since 2014 when the bidders were announced.
Our reporter learnt that should the funding delay, government is ready to explore a loan source for the 15% from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) to fast track the construction as the 85 per cent funding from China is already domiciled with the China Export Import (EXIM) Bank.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris, has approved the deployment of additional twenty five thousand (25,000) Police personnel to Edo State to ensure safety of life and property before, during and after this Saturday’s governorship election.
The IGP has also deployed a Deputy Inspector General of Police, assisted by an Assistant Inspector General of Police and three commissioners of Police to coordinate electoral process in the state.
This was contained in a statement released by the force public relations officer, Don Awunah, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Awunah said the police personnel comprised “the Police Mobile Force [PMF], the Counter Terrorism Units [CTU], the Anti bomb Squad [EOD], the Marine Police, Conventional policemen, the Armament Units, Personnel from Force criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department [FCIID], Force Intelligence Bureau [FIB] and the Sniffer Dog Section.”
The statement added that “the Police Aerial Surveillance Helicopters and Gun Boats, ten [10] additional Armoured Personnel Carriers and five hundred and fifty patrol vehicles will be deployed, to cover all the polling units, rack centers, collating centres, Riverine areas and difficult terrains.”
Awuna stated that “the IGP will convene a Peace Accord Meeting of all the political parties, candidates, INEC officials, Election Observers and other stakeholders before the date of the election in Benin City, Edo State.”
“This meeting will focus on the overall desirability of peace during the election and adherence to the rules of the game,” he said.
The FPRO urged all police personnel and other security agencies on electoral duty “to be professionally polite and civil but firm in the discharge of their statutory duties” which is “to provide adequate security for the electorates, INEC officials, electoral materials, election observers and all stakeholders throughout the period of the election.”
He called on political parties and their leaders, traditional rulers,and community leaders, to prevail on their people to be law abiding and not allow themselves to be used to cause trouble.
He warned that the full weight of the law “will be fully applied on any person or group of persons found violating the Electoral Act.”
The IGP enjoined Edo electorates to cooperate with the Police force in the discharge of its duties, promising that its personnel “will operate within the framework of Democratic Policing.”
Some troops of the Nigerian military taking part in the ongoing training exercise, codenamed “Operation Crocodile Smiles” in the Niger Delta have drowned after a boat mishap in Bayelsa.
The incident took place along the Brass waterfront in the Brass Local Government Area of the state.
Service rifles belonging to the missing soldiers were also said to be missing.
It was gathered that the sad incident caused unease among newly-deployed soldiers in the state.
Though the mission of the soldiers in the area could not be ascertained, it was gathered that it was not unconnected with the operations against renewed militancy, sea piracy and search for those threatening to hoist the ‘Niger Delta Republic’ flag.
An eyewitness, identified only as Etta, said attempts by youths and other soldiers to assist in a rescue operation failed as the drowned soldiers could not be found.
Etta said, “In recent times, we have been noticing increased movement of soldiers in our area. The boat that capsized was conveying a new batch of soldiers to the waterfront.
“I was going to dispose of refuse at the waterfront and I saw uniformed soldiers struggling to rescue their colleagues in a capsized boat.
“When the confusion subsided, four soldiers were found to be missing with their rifles and other military gear. Those that were rescued had their rifles missing and struggling out of the water.”
It was further learnt that as of 2pm, the military authorities sought the help of local divers and youths in the search for the missing soldiers.
But one of the youths confirmed that the high tide of the water impeded the search for the missing soldiers.
The state Chairman of the Maritime Union, Lyyod Sese, who confirmed the incident, said the union had not received the report on the boat incident.
“We do not have details of the number of casualties,” Sese said.
An official of the Brass LGA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the development.
Attempts to get confirmation from the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, were not successful as calls to the Acting Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre, Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Otuji, were not returned.
Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State, is still under investigation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has said.
Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman to the EFCC told The PUNCH newspaper that Ize-Iyamu is being investigated for his alleged role in the disbursement of N23 billion during the 2015 PDP presidential campaigns.
The money, which emanated from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was alleged to have been part of stolen crude oil funds and kickbacks from contractors.
Part of the money was allegedly used in bribing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission during the 2015 general elections.
The Punch reported that Ize-Iyamu had told journalists that as the campaign director for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in Edo State during the 2015 presidential election, he handled N700 million for the party.
He said that the money was not enough as someone had to bring more money from his personal purse to help them in their task.
“I told them (EFCC) who got what: that we needed money for transportation; mobilisation of our people; some of them that had to leave Benin to their polling units in the rural areas, and that the state chairman of the party worked out a realistic budget.
“And that by the time we looked at what they brought and what we had in mind, it became clear that the N700m would not be enough. Our leader volunteered to make up the difference, which he brought from his house,” Ize-Iyamu was quoted as saying at the time.
He was reportedly asked to return some money to the commission, but was not detained, fuelling speculations that he had been cleared by the anti-graft agency.
But Uwajuren, the EFCC spokesman said: “I can confirm to you that he (Ize-Iyamu) is still under investigation.
The EFCC has questioned about 16 other former governors and ministers over the alleged N23 billion Diezani scam.
Some of them included the immediate past Governor of Kebbi State, Saidu Dakin Garin; former Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State; former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno State; former Governor James Ngilari of Adamawa State; a former Governor of Zamfara State, Mamuda Shinkafi; a former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke; and a former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda.
During the election, each state was said to have received at least N450 million from the fund, which was handled by ministers or governors who were members of the PDP.
Some states reportedly received more than N450 million.
Some of the ex-GMDs of NNPC during their meeting with the current GMD, Maikanti Baru
The Nigerian government through the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, has said it will not accept the recommendation of the forum of former Group Managing Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to raise the price of petrol from N145.
The forum of former GMDs had on Sunday called for the price increase by calling for a removal of price cap in the pricing template. The former GMDs had in a 12-point communiqué at the end their meeting with the incumbent GMD of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru, said the price cap of N145 per litre of petrol was “not congruent with the liberalization policy.”
The removal of the cap under a liberalised market environment would allow marketers of petroleum products to sell products at any price to enable them recover cost.
The Forum said the current ceiling price of N145 per litre did not factor the current foreign exchange, FOREX, rate and other price components of the pricing template, like crude oil cost and Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, charges, which remain uncapped
A removal of the price cap would mean that marketers would be free to sell petrol at their desired price, based on several factors such as the exchange rate and international crude price.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the acting Executive Secretary of PPPRA, Sotonye Iyoyo, as saying the proposal was the personal opinion of the former state oil chiefs.
“If it was a recommendation, that is what it is – a personal opinion. I’m not aware government is planning any fuel price increase. We are in a liberalised market already,” she stated.
The spokesperson of the NNPC, Garba Mohammed, also described the advice as an “opinion.”
“The forum was expressing its opinion, which it is entitled to,” Mohammed said.
“NNPC is a player in the petroleum industry and has a right to have its views about the industry. Nobody is bound by the opinion.”
In the communiqué, the forum also asked the federal government to include funding of joint venture operations as first line charge to guarantee sustainable oil and gas production and national reserve growth.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, Tony Attah
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the federal government is set to launch a re-orientation campaign tagged: “Change Begins With Me.”
The minister made the disclosure when he received the management of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, on a courtesy visit to his office on Monday.
The campaign would be launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
He commended the NLNG for its effort at promoting creativity through its Literature Prize, urging the company to extend similar gesture to the new re-orientation Campaign, which will be launched on Thursday, September 8.
Mohammed said: “Of all the good things you have done, the one that struck me most has been the Literary Prize.
“It speaks volumes for a company, which is involved in gas exploration, to realize that it must also institute a prize for the creativity industry.
“It is a realization that the single most important investment you can make is the investment in human mind.
“I believe that flowing from that, you need to also work more closely with us in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, especially as you know that we are engaged in a very large-scale advocacy and programmes that promote the creative industry especially in the area of culture.
“But I think the most relevant one, for which we seek partnership, is in our National Orientation Campaign, which we are launching on Thursday the 8th of September,” he said.
The minister explained that the ”Change Begins With Me” campaign is aimed at bringing about a turnaround in the mindset of Nigerians.
He described the NLNG as one of the most successful examples of Public Private Partnership in Nigeria, while urging all relevant stakeholders and the various arms of government to support the organization to continue to contribute to nation-building.
Mohammed also commended the efforts of the company in the promotion of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, which, according to him, will go a long way in reducing the reliance on kerosene, petrol and diesel, thereby conserving the nation’s foreign exchange.
Managing Director of NLNG, Tony Attah, expressed appreciation for the role played by the Minister in bringing positive change to Nigeria.
“Honourable Minister, we appreciate your role in the Change Agenda, we appreciate your role in carrying the entire Nigeria along in terms of the Change Agenda through positive information because, as we say, it is an informed society that is most likely to move along to a positive height,” he said.
He said the NLNG, in which Nigeria holds 49% equity, had contributed $20 billion in revenue and $6 billion in taxes to the Nigerian economy in the last five years.
Attah said the company is equally playing a critical role in technology transfer in collaboration with some universities, and it is also intensifying efforts to develop LPG to further diversify the energy source for the country.
File: President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Adams Oshiomole at the Palace of the Oba of Benin during the 2015 Presidential Campaign
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to lead the All Progressives Congress, APC, members to Benin on Tuesday for the finale of the Party’s governorship campaigns.
Chairman of the APC in Edo, Anselm Ojezua, told journalists in Benin on Monday that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and all APC governors are also expected.
The rally is scheduled to take place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.
Ojezua informed reporters that the National Campaign Council for the election headed by Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos state has already arrived in Benin in preparation for the rally.
“All logistics to ensure free movement of the visitors and party supporters across the state have also been perfected,” he said.
Ahmed Salkida, one of the three people declared wanted by the Nigerian Army, for allegedly violating the anti-terrorism law of the country, has been taken into custody.
Sakilda was arrested on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Operatives of the State Security Service, SSS, took him into custody as soon as he showed up at the door of the Emirates flight EK 785.
A passenger seated next to Salkida during the journey informed SaharaReporters that Salkida was nervous throughout the flight.
She said she recognized the journalist from photos posted on the Internet and engaged him in conversation throughout the seven-hour flight.
She said Salkida told her that he expected to be arrested upon arrival because he was traveling with an Emergency Travel Certificate, ETC, and that the SSS was aware of his coming.
He expressed fear that he would not be given a fair trial and accused the government of pronouncing him guilty without trial.
Salkida further told the passenger that he did not know the whereabouts of Boko Haram leaders or Chibok girls.
However, he admitted to receiving two video clips from Boko Haram before they were released to the public.
He said Boko Haram had confidence in his objectivity as an investigative journalist, having previously interviewed Mohammed Yusuf, the founding leader of Boko Haram.
Sakilda had expressed surprise that the army declared him wanted since they knew how to reach him if they wanted him.
Moreover, he claimed he was never invited by the army to defend himself on any allegation before he was declared wanted.
He had also raised concerns that the military was witch-hunting him and wrongly assumed that he was behind the report on the purchase of two properties in Dubai by the Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuf Buratai.
