NIGERIAN NOTCH

Total premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol, evacuation from various depots across the country rose to 502.21 million litres for the one week period between February 4 and 10.  The data released by the  the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) yesterday, indicated that total PMS  evacuation increased by 51.29 million litres or 11.37 per cent over the 450.92 million litres evacuated the previous week. The data titled ‘Weekly National PMS Evacuation and Dispatch’ report posted on the NMDPRA and Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited official Twitter accounts yesterday, also showed that an average of 71.74 million litres  of petrol was evacuated on a daily basis, compared 64.42 million litres the previous week, while year to date (YTD) daily average was 64.93 million litres. The Authority said that 87 per cent of all evacuation took place at the top 30 loading depots, with minimum evacuation of five million litres while other load

As the February 25, 2023 presidential election draws closer, a former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Simon Okeke, has asked the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), and its presidential candidate, Prof. Peter Umeadi, to step down for the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, and support the later to win the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria. Okeke gave the advice on Saturday, February 11, 2023, during a chat with newsmen in Nnewi, Anambra state. He said, "I want to advice the Victor Oye led All Progressive Grand Alliance to come out open to declare support for Peter Obi of the LP, if not, I don't know what they're in the race for. "Prof Peter Umeadi, who is the presidential flag bearer of APGA, is my bossom friend, and I respect him so much. But my candid advice to him is to come out and tell the world that he has stepped down for Peter Obi, who truly has the massive acceptance and support, capacity, credibility and the will power to ta

The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has waded into the issues surrounding the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.  Barr. Peter Mbah, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been in the centre of the storm, facing allegations of certificate forgery and syphoning of Enugu funds.  A former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo had last week cautioned that Enugu politics was fast assuming a dangerous dimension.  He said during his active days in politics, together with late C.C. Onoh, he never played the politics of character assassination.  Similarly, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, at a press briefing in Enugu on Monday, urged politicians to desist from playing bitter politics.  Okwu, who said the 2023 guber elections in the State should not be “a do or die affair”, noted that only one person would win the governorship election scheduled for Mar

The youth wing of apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has declared that it is yet to endorse a presidential candidate.  With two weeks to the Presidential election, almost all the regional organisations have endorsed their choice Presidential candidate.  However, the National President of OYC, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike told journalists in a statement on Saturday that it was yet to endorse any candidate.  Okwu said the Igbo body was being circumspect on taking a stand ahead of the February 25 presidential polls as many Igbo sons are on the ballot.  He noted that, “we are delighted that as Nigerians go to the polls this February 25, we have capable Igbo sons vying for the presidency.  “Among them is Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who is the presidential candidate. We also have Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Justice Peter Umeadi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance,

President Muhammadu Buhari is presiding over a crucial Council of State meeting being attended by vice president Yemi Osinbajo, some former heads of state, ex-Chief Justices of Nigeria, Ministers and others at the Aso Rock presidential villa in Abuja. The INEC Chairman is expected to brief the Council on the preparations of the commission for forthcoming elections. Also, the Governor of CBN is expected to brief members on the ongoing cash swap policy of the bank and the difficulties being experienced by Nigerians in getting the new currency. Some of the others present at the meeting include former Heads of State Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar and Gen. Yakubu Gowon, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila. Also present at the forum are Governors Nasir El-Rufai, Babajide Sanwo -Olu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and two former Chief Justices of Nigeria.

Directors of banks, under the auspices of the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN) said, it working to free up the bottlenecks that led to the unavailability of Naira notes in the country. This is even as they empathised with bank customers who had found it hard to make cash withdrawals across the country.  In a statement signed by the group chairman, Mustafa Chike-Obi, BDAN said, it has been in communication with banks and is seeking out ways to bring the situation under control. “We, the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN), empathise with members of the public at this crucial time. We are mindful of the discomfort and hardship associated with the current currency reform which has introduced the newly designed naira notes and reduction in withdrawal limit. “It has indeed been a difficult period for Nigerians and BDAN is making it top priority to ensure that this hardship is not only addressed but eliminated. We are in constant communication with all the Banks and are

Governors and some civil society organisations have expressed divergent views on the order by the Supreme Court of Nigeria restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the federal government from ending the legal tender statuses of the old N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes on February 10, 2023. While the governors hailed the apex court for the ruling, describing it as a big relief for suffering Nigerians due to the currency scarcity, the CSOs said it portends danger to credible polls. The apex court made the order yesterday following the suit filed by three state governments challenging the Naira swap policy. A seven-member panel, led by Justice John Okoro, halted the move of the federal government in a ruling in an ex-parte application brought by the three northern states. The three states had specifically applied for an order of Interim Injunction restraining “the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the commercial banks from suspending or determining or

The Imo State Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma has presented Refuse Trucks and Waste Disposal Buckets to the Imo State Waste Management Agency (ISWAMA).  In his address, Governor Uzodimma expressed displeasure over the indiscriminate dumping of waste and refuse on the roads and streets of Imo State, cautioning that it is not going to be business as usual for defaulters.  He said that "by the efforts of the Agency the State Capital and its environs have been gradually getting cleaner though it is still a work in progress."  Governor Uzodimma promised that "soon, through legislation, ISWAMA will be granted autonomy to enable them to generate their revenue and resources and be able to maintain the items and equipment they are working with." #HopeNewAndElectronicMediaCenter

The CBN has assured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Nigerians that the apex bank would not do anything inimical to the success of the 2023 general elections. Emiefele also allayed the fears in some quarters that the crisis associated with the circulation of the redesigned Naira notes may jeopardize the 2023 elections. The CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who gave the assurance yesterday when he hosted the INEC management led by its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at the CBN headquarters in Abuja yesterday, assured Nigerians that the apex bank will not allow itself to be used to frustrate the elections. “The CBN will not allow itself to be used as an agent to frustrate the forthcoming election which is a positive assignment. If you require cash to pay some of your service providers, we will make it available to you. We will not allow ourselves to be seen as agents that frustrate a genuine assignment,” he said. Speaking earlier, the INEC chairman had noted the

The federal government yesterday said that the current fuel price hike will be a thing of the past as the government is working round the clock to return the operations of the sector to normalcy.  The minister of state for petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva, who spoke yesterday, in a statement by his spokesperson Horatius Egua, said the federal government is working to holistically address the problem of petrol supply and distribution across the country. This is coming on the heels of renewed efforts by the NNPCL to maintain the 450. 92 million liters weekly evacuation of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) to different petrol stations across the country. He said the current queues at filling stations did not start with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, but are linked to years of “rot” in previous governments. The problems associated with fuel queues in the country is not a problem that came with Buhari’s government but a fallout of long years of rot and decadence in products sup

HIGHLIGHTS OF SECURITY SUMMIT ON SURVEILLANCE AND INFORMATION GATHERING TECHNOLOGY • 500 MILLION NAIRA WORTH OF OVER 6000 SECURITY GADGETS COMPRISING SOLAR POWERED CCTV CAMERAS,  WALKIE TALKIES, AND TRANSMISSION EQUIPMENTS TO BE DISBURSED AND USED IN NETWORKING THE ENTIRE 7 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN ANAMBRA SOUTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT.  • "YOU HAVE INDEED DONE WELL AS THE SENATOR REPRESENTING MY ZONE AND I AM READY TO GIVE YOU EVERY NECESSARY SUPPORT TO SUCCEED." GOVERNOR CHARLES CHUKWUMA SOLUDO SAYS.  • "DEVELOPING ANAMBRA IS MY PASSION AND ALSO A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR PEOPLE,  SENATOR UBAH, YOU HAVE INDEED DONE WELL IN THIS REGARD"  GOVERNOR CHARLES SOLUDO REITERATES  • THIS IS MY FIRST TIME OF VISITING IFEANYI UBAH INTERNATIONAL STADIUM, I AM AMAZED AT THE FACILITIES AND LAND SIZE .I DO NOT THINK IT HAS A RIVAL IN THE ENTIRE SOUTH EAST. WE WILL FIND WAYS OF PARTNERING IN ORDER TO CREATE  MORE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR OUR PEOPLE " GOVERNOR CHARLE