Abuja Estate Landlords Worry Over Diversion Of Five Residential Houses To Hotels

 

The Homeowners Association of sprawling estate In Gwarimpa, Karsana District, the Mab Global Estate, are living in fear over the brazen diversion of the residential homes in the estate to hotels.

As a result of this, homeowners in the District have petitioned the Department of Development Control, Federal Capital Development Authority.

In the petition signed by the President, Ahmed Ihedioha and General Secretary, Kufre Charles, they urged the department to address the situation and ensure that the buildings were returned to their original purpose.

The last count, three of such home owners have diverted their residential homes to hotels with attendant security implications to bewildered residents and landlords of the estate.

The operators of the hotel, it was gathered, have not got approval from the regulatory authorities in Abuja, to convert the houses in a gated estate to commercial use.

With three hotels in operation, all manner of guests with questionable characters, criminals, drug peddlers now see the estate as a safe haven.

To the consternation of the landlords of the estate, the hotel guests move into the estate at odd hours and expose the entire community to danger.

Penultimate week there was a breakdown of law and order in the estate as two groups engaged each other at the hotel located at Plot 400 and the fight spread to the gate into the night.

Worried by this weird turn of events, the Homeowners Association of Mab Global Estate, a community of 634 houses held its Annual General Meeting to deliberate on the threat posed by the illegal hotels in the estate

The estate agreed with unanimity that the Executive led by Engr Ahmed Ihedioha, wrote to the Development Control to alert the regulatory body of the brazen violation of the estate master plan.

The estate through EXCO wrote Development Control on November 21, 2021 and the regulatory body acknowledged receipt of the petition dated December 1, 2021. No action has taken place on the letter.

The hotel owners are quoted to have said that they have the support of some allies in Development Control in spite of the fact that a Development Control allegedly refused to grant approval to convert the houses to hotel since the estate is a gated community.

Lagos EndSARS Panel Report; Sanwo Olu Deserves Commendation – Youth Alliance

 

The Integrity Youth Alliance has commended the Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu for not interfering in the Lagos State EndSARS Panel.

According to a press release on Tuesday, 16th November, 2021 jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Kelvin Adegbenga and National Publicity Secretary, Danjuma Lamido, they pointed out that the panel had operated independently while commending members of the Justice Okuwobi-led panel for a job well done.

It will be recalled that in October 2020, young people across Nigeria took to the streets calling for disbanding an abusive police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and for ending brutality in movement tagged #EndSARS, the statement said.

The statement read further, “As a result of the violence which led to several police stations being burnt, policemen killed, suspects in police custody released and weapons carted away; the Lagos State Government had to invite the Nigerian Army to intervene in the fallout of the #EndSARS protest.

"The situation was quickly degenerating into anarchy. It was at this point that Lagos State Government requested for the military to intervene in order to restore normalcy, the statement said.

The Alliance reiterated that the world over, it is the custom that the army intervenes when a situation overcomes the police and paramilitary services. The occurrences that took place from October 18 were nothing short of lawlessness and violence.

“It was these incidents that made the Governor of Lagos State ask for military intervention and in our opinion, that was the correct thing to do since the Police had been overrun and Policemen were fighting for their dear lives.

“It is on record that the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel highly praised  the Lagos State Governor for compensating those deserving cases of police abuses while a special case was made for victims of the Lekki Toll Gate Incident of October 20, 2020.

“True to his word, the Governor of Lagos State granted total independence to the Panel, as they worked according to their conscience and based upon their common convictions, the statement said.

It will be recalled that the Governor Sanwo -Olu invited the military to restore normalcy and it the duty of the military to follow all laid down procedures for Internal Security operations and confines of the Rules of Engagement (ROE) for Internal Security operations.

"We commend the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel for its revelation in a 309-page report submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Monday and called on the Federal Government and Lagos State to critically look into the 32 Recommendations by the Panel for implementation, the statement concluded.

Nnamdi Kanu’s Defence Team Walked Out On Justice Binta Nyako

Contrary to the report from Bar Ejiofor, the lead counsel and some section of the media, that Nnamdi Kanu’s defence teams were locked out of the Federal High Court room during the proceedings.

The proceedings resumed after Justice Binta Nyako entered the courtroom, Mohammed Abubakar, announced an appearance for the prosecution.

However, the defence team, led by Bar. Ejiofor were nowhere to be found, prompting Justice Binta Nyako to ask Nnamdi Kanu of his Defence team whereabouts.

In his response, Nnamdi Kanu said his lawyers were protesting the denial of access to Mr Fein, the IPOB lawyer from the United States, who was in Court premises to observe the day’s session.

But the Judge, who was visibly unhappy about the walk-out, said she will not dismiss the application, against the wish of the Prosecutor, Mohammed Abubakar, who asked the court to dismiss Nnamdi Kanu’s pending applications

It will be recalled that a diplomat from the British High Commission, who was in the courtroom to watch proceedings was allowed because she had written the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, seeking the consent of the court to attend  sitting.

Nnamdi Kanu US lawyer, Bruce Fein should have followed the same process the diplomat from the British High Commission took by writing the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

Thereafter, the Judge adjourned the suit till January 19 and 20, 2022 for trial.

It was gathered that few Journalists and lawyers were allowed into the courtroom in observance of the COVID 19 Protocol and due to the  capacity of the court room.

Nnamdi Kanu is being tried on charges of treasonable felony regarding his separatist activities. The trial was scheduled to resume before Justice Binta Nyako, for arguments on an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

The separatist, who was granted bail in April 2017, fled the country after the invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State, by the military in September that year, a situation one of Nnamdi  Kanu’s lawyers, Alloy Ejimakor, described as the “rule of self-preservation.”

Justice Binta Nyako subsequently revoked his bail for ditching his trial, and ordered his trial to be separated from the rest of the co-defendants’.

While the trial of the rest of the defendants has made some progress, Nnamdi Kanu’s case has been stalled since 2017.

On June 29, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that Nnamdi Kanu had been rearrested and brought back to Nigeria to continue facing his trial.

Kennie Obateru: As NNPC’s Mr. PR Bows Out In Style

 

By Charles Affiong

The Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry has been in the news, lately. This time around, the industry was hugging global and local limelight for the right, nay positive reasons. It all began at the Aso Rock Villa where President Muhammadu Buhari (in his capacity as Minister of Petroleum Resources) announced a whopping N287billion profit after tax by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He also, in a historic feat, gave his assent to a 20-year-old Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), signifying a major Act that will change the fortunes of the nation’s oil and gas industry for the better.

There were also some positive news from the hallowed chambers of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) where the Federal Government okayed the sum of $1.5bn for the rehabilitation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries. There was also the news from the magnificent towers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), where a major reshuffle in the Top Management of the Corporation was announced. Thus, for the oil and gas industry, the last few days were unprecedented, as they have recorded some very remarkable developments.

Lying quietly in between such exciting and high-profile happenings was the story that NNPC’s quintessential image maker, Dr. Kehinde Obateru, will be taking a deserved bow from the public service, and by extension, from the public limelight. This is after about thirty years of meritorious service to his fatherland through the NNPC. Rising from a Protocol Officer to a Minister of Petroleum in the early 90s to hold several Public Affairs position in NNPC, Dr. Kennie, as he is fondly known by friends and colleagues, will be proudly going home having attained the statutory 60 years retirement age, which came while he was holding an enviable position of being the Official Spokesperson of Africa’s largest Corporation.

Without mincing words, Dr. Kennie’s retirement from public service was extra special. And this is for many reasons. One, here is a man who had for three decades of his illustrious life, given his all towards promoting the NNPC brand. In Dr. Kennie, you are talking of a PR man that has bestrode the business of corporate image making like the proverbial colossus. You are talking of a man who has upscaled the art of reputation management in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to global standards. You are referring to someone who came to the PR profession not by mere happenstance, but by dint of hardwork, commitment and adequate preparation.

Simply put, in Dr.Kennie, you are referring to a man who lives PR, eats PR, drinks PR and even sleeps PR, as you will come to know soon. Looking at his exploits in his early days as a News Reporter/Sub Editor for a national newspaper and as a Sales Executive for an independent petroleum marketing outfit, you will agree that the man was cut out for the image-making profession. From his humble beginnings, it was obvious that Dr. Kennie’s early journalism background had some impact on getting him to fall in love with Public Relations.

As a Reporter, the young Kennie has interviewed hundreds of VIPs and company spokespersons, a golden opportunity that has sharpened the requisite job competencies needed for survival in the critical business of PR, especially media relations and stakeholder management. At the same time, the oil marketing job has availed him the opportunity of learning how to sell even the toughest of ideas, brands and businesses. Therefore, when in 1992, an opportunity to work at the NNPC Public Affairs Department came calling, Dr. Kennie jumped at the opportunity. 

From there onwards, you could see that Dr. Kennie was made for the top. Gradually, he rose and rose through the ranks, serving in several PR leadership roles across NNPC’s business value-chain. These include Manager, Media Relations in the Corporate Headquarters (2007 –2008); Manager, Public Affairs, Port Harcourt Refinery (2008 – 2010); Manager, Public Affairs, NAPIMS-NNPC (2010 – 2015) and General Manager NNPC London Office (2015-2020).

Therefore, when in March 2020, the NNPC announced Dr. Kennie as its Official Spokesperson, friends, colleagues and associates considered it a right choice, akin to a round peg in a round hole. And so, since March last year to his very last day in the office, the Kwara-born PR guru spent the last 18 months helping to enhance the positive visibility of the NNPC brand, which, under the exceptional stewardship of the GMD, Mallam Mele Kyari, was already witnessing rave reviews for its entrenchment of Transparency, Accountability & Performance Excellence (TAPE) vision.

Dr. Kennie had also prepared academically before providence smiled at him to pick up the coveted role of NNPC image-maker. He is an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos, University of Ilorin and University of Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom. He also holds a certificate in news reporting, a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts and an M.Sc in  Public Relations. In 2012, he was awarded a doctorate in Management [Honoris Causa], by the Commonwealth University, Belize. Dr. Kennie is a member of the international Public Relations Association (IPRA), a senior member of the Africa Public Relations Association (APRA), a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

His appointment in March 2020 as the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs of the NNPC did not therefore come as a surprise. In fact, if there was one outstanding thing the appointment did, it was simply to underlie the confidence which the management of the Corporation has reposed in him to deliver on his new task of boosting NNPC’s corporate reputation. One of such major responsibilities was selling the TAPE mantra to NNPC’s internal and external stakeholders, a task well-delivered by Dr. Kennie.

Dr. Kennie will be remembered for being a journalists’ – nay stakeholders’- delight, any day. Although soft-spoken, he never shied away from responding and attending to the deluge of inquiries that flood the organisation on a daily basis. His tenure has witnessed one of the most peaceful and harmonious era in terms of relationship between the NNPC and its critical stakeholders. Gone were the days when the media, especially, will be engaged in a cat-and-mouse race, as a result of some inquiry to the Corporation.

Several stakeholders who have worked with him will attest to the fact that Dr. Kennie was an epitome of humility; a self-driven goal-getter, an amiable PR practitioner and an embodiment of competence and professionalism. Professionals within the industry always talk about the goodwill and improved positive mileage which the NNPC is currently enjoying via its successful entrenchment of the TAPE mantra. Majority of such professionals have confessed that such remarkable milestones were well-known to Nigerians, with Dr. Kennie as the chief PR man at the helm.

On Friday, the 24th day of September, 2021, Dr. Kennie will be taking a bow, as he will officially hand over the reins of NNPC’s Group Public Affairs Division (GPAD) to his successor, Mr. Garba Deen Muhammad, another experienced and capable hand. To the glory of God, Dr. Kennie will be leaving the stage as an accomplished professional and a fulfilled public servant, who will look back at the NNPC with a smile that simply says: “I came, I saw, and I conquered.”

In few months to come, NNPC, and the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry will never be the same again. The NNPC will particularly be witnessing a major growth in its 44-year history. It has been predicated on delivering more value going forward. It will soon be incorporated and governed by the principles of Companies & Allied Matters Act (CAMA). It will declare profit and present dividends to millions of its shareholders (Nigerians). It will also be a fully integrated energy company purely driven by profitability and performance excellence. I reckon in those coming months, Dr. Kennie would proudly tell his grandkids that I was part of it all.  

It was Edward Louis Barnays, the American Publicist and globally acclaimed pioneer and father of modern Public Relations who once said: “Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time.” Going by Barnays’ priceless words, it definitely looks like he was referring to the retiring NNPC image maker, as there will be so much joy, happiness and merry-making for Dr. Kennie in his spare time.

Happy 60th birthday, Dr. Kennie Obateru, NNPC’s Mr. PR. Enjoy the best of your spare time.

Affiong, a Public Affairs commentator writes from Lagos.

RE: NNPC In Procurement Fraud: Two Highest Bidders In Slop Oil Sale Are The Same People

By Muhammad Sani

I read with dismay and growing alarm a news report of the above heading in the Premium Times of 11th September, 2021. Dismay because over the years the online medium has carved a niche for itself for serious and professional reportage, and alarmed because its treatment of this particular issue falls far short of expectations and requirements of investigative journalism. This does not bode well for its reputation and rating.

It particularly rankles that there is a complete disconnect between the headline and the main story. While the former promotes an alleged fraud or irregularity in two companies with same directors emerging as highest bidders in a slop oil sale, the story itself delves into and harps on local companies being muscled out of a bid to export a kind of petroleum product that should not have been sold abroad in the first place! 

Also, the story is punctuated by and riddled with sweeping statements, over generalizations, unsubstantiated claims and speculations dressed up as facts and scoop.  Attributions were largely vague and sometimes dripping with mischief, leading one to an inevitable conclusion that the whole thing was a hatchet job.

For instance, the main meat of the story was that there were “behind-the-scene manoeuvres in which three bid-winning companies possibly took cues from NNPC insiders and decision makers,” in contravention of the Procurement Act. Surprisingly, there was no shred of evidence to support the allegation.   Interestingly, the first and second bid winners, who seem to have two directors in common (Premium Times failed to state what law this violates even though that is what its headline is all about) ended up not paying for the allocation and lost the bid, notwithstanding that they are export companies which Premium Times laboured to suggest that they have enormous financial and technical capacities.

Premium Times equally claimed that the sale of slop oil was “taboo transaction” and injurious to the economy, but did not so much as bother to find out who really authorized it and what benefits the country stands to gain from it.

Must we always insist on seeing things only from the negative lenses? Is it professional for a news medium to base its argument and arrive at a conclusion purely and exclusively on antecedent (as if things must always remain the way they are) and self-serving, skewed opinions of unnamed “industry stakeholders,” “industry watchers” and such nebulous individuals?

On the whole, the Premium Times treatment of this issue is yet another pointer to how vested interests can use the media to fight their own war. But much more than that, Premium Times really ought to have done better!

Muhammad Sani, writes from Guzape, Abuja

Youth Alliance Says Mele Kyari Can’t Be Distracted

 

The Integrity Youth Alliance has condemned the smear campaign against the unprecedented performance of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari

According to a press release on Monday, 13th September, 2021 in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga said that instead of saluting the efforts and performance of the NNPC Management team under Mele Kyari, some sponsored elements are busy dishing out unsubstantiated publication with no substances.

"One of the platforms used for this hatchet job is, unfortunately, the Premium Times, which used to be credible. But lately the paper is fast losing focus and credibility.

One solid evidence of this is the story on the sale of slop oil by the Port Harcourt Refinery.

The paper admitted its sloppiness by revealing that "it initially thought the company that won the bid was not registered with the CAC".

But when Premium Times realized its blunder, it created a phantom company with a similar name and said that was the ozone that was not registered"

Having failed in that concoction the paper then screamed that the companies that came "First and second belong to the same Directors"

How pathetic. How is owning more than one company in Nigeria a crime?

"For the fact that we have a former Chief of Staff, Late Abba Kyari; Super Cop DCP Abba Kyari and most outstanding NNPC GMD Mele Kolo Kyari having the same names, doesn’t mean they are the same person, the Group said.

Responding to the baseless allegation by Point Blank News, that the there is “orchestrated plot to loot $1.5 billion using the Turn Around Maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery, PHR, by the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mele Kyari, Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refinery, Ahmed Dikko, and some members of the Buhari cabal”, the Alliance said that due diligence was carried out in the public and Italy’s Maire Tecnimont was awarded the $1.5bn Engineering, Procurement and Construction, EPC, contract after meeting all the requirements and approval by the NNPC Tenders Board, President Buhari in his Executive capacity as Minister of Petroleum and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

"The question we want to ask Point Blank News is: Have they visited the Port Harcourt Refinery to see that Maire Tecnimont is not carrying out the Engineering, Procurement and Construction?

"With the caliber of organisation and agencies set up to monitor the rehabilitation which include Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), ministry of finance, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the two labour unions in the oil and gas industry – Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).among others, there is no way 'a huge chunk of the $1.5billion meant for the TAM of the Port Harcourt Refinery' will go for the 2023 general elections, the statement said.

On the allegation that Tecnimont is a 'little know' Italian Company, the statement said, "Tecnimont is an international leader in the field of plant engineering, rooted in the pioneering experience of Italian industrial technology shaping the new frontiers of Engineering Innovation. Tecnimont embody the contractor spirit of the Group in Engineering, Procurement & Construction of large scale projects worldwide.

"Since 1927, as engineering center of Italy’s chemical and energy conglomerates, and then as independent brand since 1973, Tecnimont long experience in managing complexity is complemented with a flexible business model ready to quickly adapt to market evolvement.

"The Point Blank News team should have visited the Refinery to monitor the rehabilitation that engaged over 3,000 employees with only 70 expatriates engaged instead of publishing a baseless hearsay.

“The EPC contractors are already on site, mobilized fully and working with the NNPC project management group. They have commenced all the activities, the statement said.

“Those making desperate effort distract the NNPC Management team under Mele Kyari have failed as transparency and accountability remained the cardinal pillars of his management.

“Mele Kyari has walked the transparency and accountability talk by opening up the books of the Corporation the way no other management before his has done.

“The key accomplishments in this regard include: The publication of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Audited Financial Statements of the Corporation and its 19 subsidiaries registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 1990 as amended alongside that of the National Petroleum Investment and Management Services (NAPIMS) to provide clarity on Joint Venture finances.

“It is not surprising that no other credible media organization published the empty allegations as the Point Blank News and Premium Times are known for publications of unconfirmed news, the statement concluded.

 

Understanding House Of Reps Transparency Verdict On NEDC

By Michael Attah

Three weeks today; precisely, it’s more than three clear weeks, after the House of Representatives gave its verdict of a clean bill of health to the management of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), over alleged financial heist at the commission involving a whopping sum of N100 billion.

Surprisingly, but not unexpected, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and its allied vuvuzelas who led the defamatory assaults are silent.  They unconscionably blew the false alarm bordering on spurious, mendacious, politically -motivated and malicious allegations on the commission’s management.

But the CSOs have been humbled with the House’s exonerative verdict on the commission and so, have now chosen the wise path in the wisdom of “silence is golden.” Had the verdict turned against the NEDC management, the fury of hell would not have contained their loud rantings.

The NEDC’s management led by the Managing Director, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali, a stickler to standards, anti-corruption czar, a renowned evangelist of transparency and accountability in public service was alarmed and astonished with the bogus allegations raised against him and members of the NEDC management team in July 2020. But he was unperturbed!

As a first reaction to the spurious garbage spilled by an obscure group, North East Vanguard for Good Governance (NEVGG), Alkali, an astute public administrator and world-class manager of human and material resources, retorted calmly, “Nobody gave us up to N100 billion; I really don’t know how they got that figure.”  Armed with this truth and confidence in his leadership of the commission, Alkali was ever willing to appear before the National Assembly Committee to respond to the allegations and redeem the image of the commission from politically-induced brickbats.

But the figure of N100 billion, within span of barely a year, alleged on Alkali by his adversaries, who accused him of corrupt practices was an amount too huge to be ignored by anybody. A synopsis of the allegations fingered Alkali in embezzlement, high handedness, abuse of office, over inflation of contracts, awards of non-existent contracts, massive contract splitting and flagrant disregard for due process or procurement laws in the award of contracts among others. So, the news went viral instantaneously.

Recount that President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the “Northeast Development Commission Bill” into law in October 2017, as a replacement for other existing support initiatives such as the Presidential Initiative on Northeast and the Victims Support Fund for victims of insurgency in the Northeast. The NEDC   board of management was later inaugurated in May 2019, with Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali as the Managing Director. 

But early in July 2020, a year later, NEVGG   generated, fabricated, and  publicized damaging allegations against the NEDC management and bluntly called for the sack of the NEDC boss and its management for the abuse of the funds voted for the settlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Northeast region ravaged by  Boko Haram terrorists.

And the allegations whirled instantly because it coincided with the frenzy of the probe of the over  N1trillion massive and multi-layered financial sleazes at the management of NDDC, another commission with a mandate to spearhead infrastructural development in the Niger Delta region.

Therefore, the House of Representatives picked up the gauntlet to investigate the alleged financial heist, two weeks later in the same month of July 2020.  The issue was brought before the House in a motion by the Minority Leader, Hon.Ndudi Elumelu and it was unanimously adopted. The House mandated its Committees on Finance, Procurement and the NEDC to meticulously investigate these allegations and submit its findings to the Green Chamber, thus setting the stage for the investigation of the commission.

But  the truth  deliberately undermined by the petitioners ‘was that  when the management of the NEDC commenced operations in 2019 upon inauguration,  the released  take-off grant was N10 billion only, though  N45 billion was the entire sum  budgeted for the commission in 2019. Other piecemeal releases later cumulatively pegged the total figure released to the NEDC at N25 billion in the 2019 fiscal year.  And for the 2020 budget, fresh funds had not been released to the commission at the time the allegations were raised and mainly due to the exigencies of Covid-19 pandemic.

Therefore, the figure of N100 billion bandied as allegedly embezzled sounded hollow and betrayed the concealed intention of the petitioners as conspiracists after the malicious persecution of Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali and the management of NEDC. So, the antagonists of Alkali only stirred the honest nest with such damning frivolities for selfish reasons.

But come to think of it, a peep into the books of account of the commission displays an impressive adherence to every financial management, disbursement and procurement law, which Alkali was accused of violating flagrantly. The attacks on his person were carefully crafted.

For instance, Alkali was alleged to have conspired with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar-Farouk to withdraw and squander N5 billion for the procurement of vehicles for the military without approval of  the NEDC board. But the decision to support the military operations in Northeast did not emanate from the NEDC management, but it came from recommendations of a communiqué of a Security Summit of the relevant stakeholders in Maiduguri, which pressed on the NEDC to support logistics for the Military.

And the NEDC board too was duly informed and gave its nod; but the amount expended for the purchase of vehicles was less than N5 billion as alleged. But since it was over the approval limits of the commission, due process was adhered, as the matter was referred to the ministerial tender’s board to the Bureau for Public Procurement. And advice was sought in the process and the approval granted.

Interestingly too, the probe established nowhere where Alkali neither committed funds of the commission to acquire landed properties in Abuja, Kaduna or Maiduguri nor paid himself monthly salaries and allowances amounting to N8.5 million, without recourse to the Salaries and Wages Commission as alleged by the petitioners.  Thus, the otherwise serious investigation of the NEDC management over misappropriated N100 billion and abuse of procurement laws morphed into a comic show.

In the NASS correspondence with ref. No; NASS/CAN/35/Vol.1/153, dated July 8, 2021, to the NEDC Managing Director, it communicated the decisions of the House of Representatives resolutions on the probe of the alleged misappropriation of 100 billion as follows;  (a) Commend the North East Development Commission for their due diligence in the execution of the projects; and also,   directed the management to hasten   to utilize other released, but  unspent funds in the commission’s custody.

In clear terms, the House of Representatives found out the truth and absolved the NEDC Managing Director, Alhaji Mohammed Goni  Alkali and his management team of any complicity in the handling of the commission’s finances.  Therefore, the NEDC under the leadership of Alkali remains a doyen of accountability and transparency in the execution of projects, as it seeks to ameliorate the sufferings and pains of people of the Northeast region devastated by more than 10 years of Boko Haram insurgency.

 

Attah is a legislative staff at the National Assembly and wrote this piece from Abuja.

Nigerian Courts Increasingly Acquiring The Reputation Of Temples Of Judgement, And Not Of Justice - Coalition

 

......Calls on National Judicial Council to commence investigation on Justice Nwosu-Iheme

The Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption said that Nigerian courts have increasingly been acquiring the reputation of temples of judgement, and not of justice.

This was disclosed on Friday at a press briefing in Abuja by the Director General of the Coalition, Dr. Nwambu Gabriel.

“There is perhaps no greater point in our national history than now when public confidence in the judiciary is at an all-time low, Dr. Gabriel said.

He further said that as a coalition of non-partisan, non-governmental civil society organizations who have been observing elections across the country, the coalition have also followed the proceedings of court as it affects the Cross River North Senatorial District bye-election.

He said, “On the 30th of July, the Election Petition Appeal Tribunal headed by Justice Nwosu-Iheme ruled on the matter following an appeal filed by Joe Agi (SAN) consequent to the victory of Sen. Dr. Steven Adi Odey at the Election Petition Tribunal. The court declared Hon. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as the winner of that election.

The Coalition, as observers to the Cross River North Senatorial District bye-election observed three main mind burgling issues about the said judgement:

“That pursuant to Section 285 (13) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). An Election Tribunal or Court shall not declare any person a winner at an election in which such a person has not fully participated in all the stages of the election thus rendering the order made on the 30th July, 2021 on INEC to issue certificate of return to Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe who admitted before the trial tribunal that he was not given INEC Nomination forms and that his name was not forwarded by PDP (his political party) to INEC as its candidate.

“That pursuant to Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2015 (as amended), an election tribunal or Court shall not under any circumstance declare any person a winner at an election in which such a person has not fully participated in all the stages of the said election. Thus making the order of the Honourable court made on 30th July, 2021on INEC to issue certificate of return to Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe who admitted on oath not to have been nominated pursuant to section 32 (1) of the Electoral Act 2015 (as amended) for the bye-election of Cross River North Senatorial district held on the 5th December, 2020 and his name not forwarded by his political party to INEC as its candidate is without jurisdiction and illegal.

“That Jarigbe  Agom Jarigbe did not file a cross petition and so cannot be entitled to any relief of the court of Appeal warranting his being declared a winner of the election.

The coalition said that Justice Nwosu-Iheme who presided over the matter was very hostile in court on the 30th of July, 2021 as she shouted down on all the counsels in court and allowed only the counsel to Hon. Jarigbe to address the court. This raises a lot of curiosity.

The Coalition raises many questions such as “If not for corruption, how could a Justice of the court of Appeal Jettison Section 285 (13) of the 1999 constitution (as amended)?

“How could a justice jettison Section 141 of the Electoral Act 2015 (as amended)?

“How could a Justice use a pre-election matter for which Senator Odey and even the PDP, (a party Hon. Jarigbe claimed to have won a primary election) not joined in the matter held in Abuja (a court without jurisdiction) to determine an election matter thus violating and contradicting the fundamental principles of elementary law.

“How could a Justice of the court of Appeal use a matter purportedly filed by one Chief John Alaga who was not even a candidate of any political party in the 5th December, 2020 Cross River North Senatorial District bye-election to rule on an appeal?

Dr Gabriel further accused the Judge by saying that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, an election tribunal delivered a judgment in so much hurry. It commenced sitting on Tuesday and ruled on Friday. There were three appeals with all the processes, objections, motions, etc., with very voluminous documents. These documents were not read nor even opened.

“No doubt, the controversy surrounding this matter has attracted it to be in the public domain. A real huge disgust to the public

“Cases such as this keep reoccurring because Nigerians prefer to remain mute. People are often reluctant to speak out on issues such as this. Little wonders, corruption has become pervasive in our Judiciary today, he concluded

“You Are A 'kindergarten Political Neophyte,” Sen. Peter O Nwaoboshi Hit Aniagwu

The Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Sen. Peter O Nwaoboshi, has replied the Delta State Commissioner for information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, regarding the Fallacious and laughable 'Arise Television/This Day' Press Statement of 3rd July, 2021.

According to a press release signed by the Legislative Aide to SPON, Mr Philip Elueme, he said that Charles Aniagwu should stop jestering and shooting above his 'amateurish partisan political' level, all in a bid to satisfy his pay master with laughable, fallacious concocted tales by moonlight diatribes about Governor Okowa's so called 'Political scholarship and craftsmanship' since they do not exist in the manner he mischievously stated them nor are they supported by historic facts, as has been shown here. 

Excerpt is the full text of the press release: 

The laughable, incredible and fallacious outburst from the kindergarten political neophyte,  Mr Charles Aniagwu,  the Commissioner for information, Delta State has been brought to the attention of Most Distinguished  Sen. Peter O Nwaoboshi, SPON, representing the Good People of Delta North Senatorial  District.

This is the height of ridiculous arrogance and an unforgivable act from a nobody in the ranks of Political operators in his LGA talk less of Delta State with absolutely no  institutional memory of the Political inner workings of the political  activities in PDP Delta State.

For God's sake, Who is Mr. Charles Aniagwu politically in Delta State partisan political equation of PDP to understand Political issues so much that he can make such a false statement to the effect that SPON is a beneficiary of the Political scholarship and craftsmanship of Dr. Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Delta State?

Even Sen. Okowa will be embarrassed with such gross misrepresentation of facts. What an unfortunate master pleaser with embarrassing falsehoods to please a master and a public who knows better.

Mr Aniagwu is a journalist who came into Delta State Politics after Gov Okowa's election in 2015 as Governor and he was appointed into office as the Chief Press Secretary. Thus he is not with the hands on requisite cognate institutional memory of Political activities within the Delta PDP; hence he can only make this ridiculous statement geared towards titillating the fancy of his employer who knows better!

Fundamentally, the life blood of any Politician is the structure of the Political Party he/she belongs to and how he or she fits into it, particularly more for politicians seeking elective positions. More so since the Nigerian electoral system does not have a place for independent candidates. Thus, every politician seeking elective position must run under the platform of a Political Party. Thus, it becomes imperative to dwell into the formation, development,  defence and building of the PDP Party structure in Delta State,  tracing it from 1998 to the year 2015 and beyond. It was this Political Party structure/hegemony that brought Governor Okowa into office severally until he became Governor.

Let's consider the following facts of history:

A) Firstly, SPON was the pioneer State Secretary of PDP, Delta State. The Party Secretariat started from his modest law chambers in Asaba.  SPON was therefore instrumental in 'nurturing/ crafting' from infancy the young PDP from formation and setting up it's processes all geared towards election winning ways in Delta State.

When the structure of Delta State PDP was threatened by the late Dr Felix Ibru camp after the first 1998/99 local government elections in Delta State; SPON was the spokesman who defended the position of the James Ibori, Ighoyota Amori, James Manager and Peter Nwaoboshi, etc, led Delta State PDP Exco, before the National Working Committee under the Chairmanship of late Chief Solomon Lar as National chairman. Chief OkwesiliEze Nwodo was the National Secretary and is very much alive to confirm this fact. Indeed there are many witnesses of SPON's brilliance that saved the day for the authentication of the State Exco.

B) Secondly about the year 2010/11 the Delta State PDP Structure was again threatened by Chief E.K.Clark and his very formidable polical group which had the sympathy of the Presidency and the President.  Again to the rescue came SPON who went to court as the then State Chairman and won; thereby securing the authenticity of the PDP State Exco.

Curiously, it was this structure of PDP, stabilized, nurtured and defended stoutly by SPON and others, that Dr Okowa rode on to emerge as the gubernatorial candidate of PDP in 2015 and eventually the elected Governor of Delta State.

A thought provoking and glaring question begging for answer then is, where was Gov. Okowa's so called Political craftsmanship when Delta State PDP structure was being threatened, severally?

C) Third and most fundamentally, SPON hosted the last Pre-State Congress meeting of Delta North PDP leaders in 2015 (election eve) in his Asaba residence,  where Dr. Okowa was adopted as the Delta North aspirant to be voted for as its candidate for the Governorship. It is instructive to note that this was made possible after Dr Okowa 'knelt down pleading' for SPON's support. This was smoothened by the direct and indirect lobbying of SPON by ANIOMA prominent traditional rulers, Leaders of thought, and prominent Delta North PDP leaders and stakeholders.

D) It is clear from the foregoing that without the defence of the PDP State Structure that was instrumental as the vehicle that Dr Okowa utilized to win the candidature of the Party cemented on the eve of the 2015 PDP gubernatorial primaries, Dr Okowa would not have been governor of Delta State today. He did not just emerge from the sky.

E) The foregoing facts of the inner workings of PDP should be strange to a Political neophyte and an upstart which Mr Charles Aniagwu represents being a non partisan journalist but an 'envelope induced news monger' who was thereafter rewarded by being recruited by Gov Okowa with his first, appointment as Chief Press Secretary and much later Commissioner for information; all appointments based on clannish, filial considerations!

F) The political 'court jestering - quackery and challatanism' of our kindergarten  political nyophyte - Mr. misinformation exponent - Aniagwu - equally reared its ugly head when he failed to factor historic records in the area of the electoral capacity of his principal,  Gov. Okowa in 2011, when he ran for Senate, compared to that of Sen Peter Nwaoboshi in 2015 and 2019, respectively. Well the statistics are there with INEC for all to see.  The claim by Aniagwu of Okowa's political superiority is at best fraudulent.  SPON bested his records in 2015 and 2019, meaning Delta North - ANIOMA - electorates have implicit confidence in SPON compared to Governor Okowa, obviously suffering from the dictum - Power corrupts and absolute Power corrupts absolutely! The claim of SPON been a beneficiary of Governor Okowa's political 'craftsmanship and scholarship' is not supported by the very low score the Aniagwu scholarship giver?- secured in 2011 Senatorial contest compared to the humongous votes ANIOMA voters gave SPON in 2015 and 2019.

G) Again, no dispassionate, impartial Political observer will dare compare Governor Okowa's near insignificant stewardship at the 7th Senate (2011-2015) with that of SPON's 8th and ongoing 9th senate stewardship.

For a start, Gov Okowa operated under a PDP dominated Senate.  He could only make it as a Deputy Chairman of the health Committee,  before he was elevated to the Chairmanship position due to the unfortunate  death of the then committee chairman. In the case of SPON, in 2015, he displayed his uncanny 'political craftsmanship' as a political strategist par excellence with others to elect Dr Saraki as the Senate President, becoming the Chairman of the strategic Niger Delta Committee. This feat strengthened the PDP in National Politics as attested then by all. This is a true definition of Political Craftsmanship at the National level displayed by SPON. The avalanche of developmental projects distributed all over Delta North and beyond through SPON's influence as chairman Niger Delta committee are there for all to see.  Governor Okowa's tenure at the Senate does not boast of these fine records, there was no 'superior developmental craftsmanship' displayed by the fake scholarship giver?- to his people of Delta North Senatorial  District between 2011 and 2015.

H) SPON's Senate records in terms of bills passed bested that of Sen. Okowa judging from his below par output.

Take for instance the ongoing issue germane to the heart of NDOKWA People of Delta North. Where Governor Okowa failed lamentably to influence a higher institution for the Good People of NDOKWA Nation, SPON has stepped in, and sent in a bill at the Senate for the establishment of a Federal University of Science and Technology at Aboh. This bill has successfully gone through first, second reading, and public hearing, awaiting Senate concurrence before proceeding to the House of Representatives. In spite of the 'booby traps' put on its way from our 'jealous detractors', God willing, the Ndokwa People will get their University Project approved.

I) Apart from the historic NDDC amendment bill sponsored by SPON, and others, he also demonstrated good representation for his people in the recent PIB bill at the Senate.  It is on record that SPON opposed the  cutting  down of  compensation  from  5% to 3% and was in the  lobby  team  setup  to lobby our northern  brothers  by the  Southern  Senators  led by the Barr. Omo Agege, the Deputy Senate President, DSP. It is on record, also, that SPON has condemned  the unfortunate 'herdsman menace' several times,  even encouraging his people within his community,  local government and beyond to unite towards finding solutions,  unfortunately,  because our political neophyte does not follow political events accurately, he will sheepishly and mischievously give out fallacious fake news in this regard - What a shame!

J)  Finally, our kindergarten political neophyte, Mr.  Charles Aniagwu should stop jestering and shooting above his 'amateurish partisan political' level, all in a bid to satisfy his pay master with laughable, fallacious concocted tales by moonlight diatribes about Governor Okowa's so called 'Political scholarship and craftsmanship' since they do not exist in the manner he mischievously stated them nor are they supported by historic facts, as has been shown here. 

 

NNPC Under Kyari Transparent, Accountable; Alliance Tackles PDP

 

The Integrity Youth Alliance has said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation consideration of equity participation in a number of private refineries in the country including Dangote Refinery is the best decision from the Corporation.

In a press release on Wednesday, 2^nd June, 2021 signed by the National Secretary of the Alliance, Danjuma Lamido, he said that the PDP allegations that the Buhari’s government want to loot N1.7tn is nothing but irresponsible, reprehensible and baseless.

“A typical of equity shares that have earned the country billions of Naira is that of the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), a major player in the global LNG business.

“NLNG was incorporated as a Limited Liability company on May 17, 1989, to harness Nigeria's vast natural gas resources and produce Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) for export.

“NLNG’s shareholding and governance structure is the first of its kind in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“The company is an Incorporated Joint Venture owned in the following proportions: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) (49%), Shell Gas B.V.  (25.6%), Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15%), and Eni International N.A. N.V. S.àr.l (10.4%).

“As we all know, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) has generated $114 billion in revenues over the years with $9 billion in taxes. The company has a proven track record of resilient performance (Operational Excellence, HSE, etc.) and unswerving profitability, the statement said.

The Alliance reiterated that NNPC under Mallam Kyari is been managed through absolute transparency and accountability as the GMD has created a conducive environment for teamwork, proficient communication and partnership within and outside the NNPC system.

“Mallam Kyari has achieved a milestone with the release in June 2020, of the 2018 Audited Financial Statement of the NNPC, which has never happened since the establishment of the Corporation 44 years ago.

“The PDP should be aware that the NNPC is also collaborating with African Refinery in Port Harcourt, a co-location facility, the CNCEC Chinese group, which is interested in building two refineries in Nigeria, the Waltersmith modular plant and Azikel refineries on condensate production, so we wonder why fuming over Dangote Equity Shares initiative?

“The PDP demanding that the federal government immediately halts this nebulous process is groundless. As far as President Buhari remains the Minister of Petroleum and Mallam Mele Kyari remains the GMD of NNPC, the equity transaction will be transparent in terms of all conditions attached to the equity acquisition, the statement said.

The Alliance reiterated that the NNPC through its spokesperson, Dr. Kennie Obateru, has explained that NNPC has a dual role of providing stewardship for the nation’s hydrocarbon resources and adding value to the resources for the benefit of all Nigerians and other stakeholders. These roles enable it to achieve the twin objectives of providing energy security for the country and stimulating the nation’s economic development and growth.

“The NNPC spokesman has reiterated that the oil refining sector is one of such segments where NNPC is revisiting its strategy in order to strengthen domestic refining capacity and guarantee National Energy Security. The new vision is to grow domestic refining capacity, improve petroleum products supply from our local refineries and become a net exporter of petroleum products.

He said that NNPC’s strategic objective to ensure energy security and stimulate economic growth with limited resources requires it to consider strategic partnerships with competent investors in sectors of the oil and gas value chain especially where it currently operates on a sole risk basis.

“We call on Nigerians to ignore the baseless allegations of the PDP, whose Government since 1999 couldn’t provide the financial audit of the NNPC as we are witnessing under the Buhari’s/Kyari’s administration of the Corporation, statement concluded.

Group Condemns Akeredolu’s Imposition Of Oodua Anthem On Ondo Ijaws

 

........decries anthem’s  use for Civil Service promotion  interview

The Arogbo Ijaw Patriots have condemned in strong terms the imposition of the Oodua anthem on the Ijaw minority in Ondo State.

The group also criticized the State Government for the use of the ethnic anthem in Yoruba for the conduct of a promotion examination for senior civil servants.

The group said in a statement on Tuesday that the State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu’s (SAN) attempt to foist an ethnic anthem on the Ijaws of Ondo State amounted to a flagrant violation of the rights of the Ijaw ethnic minority in Ondo State.

The statement was signed by the Coordinator and Secretary, Mr Fidelis Soriwei and Bibisa Kekemeke (Esq) respectively.

They recalled  that Akeredolu via a memo titled ‘Adoption of Oduduwa Anthem in the Public Secondary Schools across Ondo State’, signed  by the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Teaching Service Commission, Mr Tolu Adeyemi, on May 6, 2021, made it compulsory for the said anthem to be sung in all secondary schools in Ondo State.

The group said that it was absurd and rather disturbing that the Governor would make it compulsory for Oodua or ‘Ondo anthem’ (in Yoruba) to be sung in all secondary schools in the Ondo State where there are indigenous Ijaws.

The Coordinator and Secretary said that the Ijaws of Ondo State speak their own language in consonance with their distinct ethnicity as an Ijaw minority and would like to keep that identity.

They called on well meaning Nigerians to prevail on Akeredolu to respect the rights of the marginalized Arogbo Ijaws to a respectful and dignified existence in Ondo State as provided for by the constitution.

The group noted that Ondo State comprises of two ethnicities: The dominant Yoruba who occupy 17 local government areas and the minority Ijaws who occupy a local Government area of their own.

They lamented that the leadership of the Ondo State Civil Service took further steps in the abuse of the law to ask people including Arogbo Ijaws to sing the anthem in a promotion interview at the Governor’s Office Civil Service Matters.

They noted that Akeredolu, a senior lawyer of the ranking of SAN should display the expected consciousness on the need for fairness to note the fact that Ondo State is not like the homogenous South West State where every citizen is Yoruba.

They added that while the Ijaws are not opposed agitations of whatever form, they are alarmed by the brazen unfair, irresponsible expansionist attempt to make them assimilated Yoruba people.

According to them, their territory which became part of Ondo State in 1976 is not a vassal territory and shouldn’t be treated as such.

They called on the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress to intervene through its organs in the South West to avert further humiliation and oppression of the Arogbo Ijaws.

They also called on the Attorney General of the Federation and indeed all Nigerians of good conscience to prevail on Akeredolu to stop his disdainful treatment of the Ijaw minority in the state.

Alliance Says NNPC Has Been Transparent And Accountable On Its Operational Surplus

The Integrity Youth Alliance has condemned the statement credited to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Adeola claiming that “NNPC, NPA, others failed to remit N2trn operational surplus.”

In a press release on Monday, May 10, 2021 in Abuja, signed the National Coordinator of the Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga, he said for the purpose of clarification, the Alliance wish to remind the Senate that it was under the management of Mal Mele Kolo Kyari that NNPC published audited financial accounts after 44 years of establishing the Corporation.

“It is on record that on June 12, 2020, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made history with the publication of its first audited financial statements after 44 years of its operation, the statement said. 

The statement read, “The annual reports and financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, were for 20 of the state-owned national oil company’s subsidiary companies operating within and outside the country

“The companies covered in the reports published in corporation’s website last Friday included the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Warri Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC), Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), Kaduna Refining & Petrochemical Company (KRPC), and Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), Nigerian Products and Marketing Company Limited (NPMC), Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC).

“The others include the National Engineering & Technical Company Limited (NETCO), Nigerian Gas and Marketing Company Limited (NGMC), Duke Oil Services (UK) Limited, Duke Global Energy Investment Limited, Duke Oil Incorporated, NNPC Retail Limited, National Petroleum Investments Management Services (NAPIMS), The Wheel Insurance, NIDAS Shipping Services, NIDAS UK Agency, and NIDAS marine.

“We wish to call on the National Assembly to visit the website of the NNPC to verify the audited account and as part of its oversight function can visit the NNPC for proper briefing on the accounts of the Corporation.

“It may interest the National Assembly to know that the NNPC under the Management of Mal Mele Kolo Kyari has received commendation from credible organizations like Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI); Global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI); Department of State of the US Government etc, the statement said.

It will be recalled that the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Adeola, when the Minister of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed appeared before the panel at the weekend, said that the NNPC, NPA, NIMASA, are big spenders among the government agencies who didnt remit operational surplus.

On assumption of office two year, Mal Kyari pledged to open the NNPC financial books to the public as part of his management’s commitment to openness, transparency, and accountability in line with the global EITI principles.

“For the past two year, the NNPC has always published the monthly financial and operational reports, including its upstream, downstream and oil and gas export activities, the statement concluded.

All Appointment And Promotion In NNPC Is Based On Competence And Years Of Experience At The Corporation - Adegbenga

The National Coordinator of the Integrity Youth Alliance has kicked against the analysis of International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, claiming that "North occupies 60% of NNPC’s top management positions."

Reacting to ICIR publication of April 14, 2021, the National Coordinator of the Integrity Youth Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga said that all appointment and promotion in NNPC is based on competence and years of experience at the corporation.

"I know that Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that the appointments into agencies of government should reflect the federal character without predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies, but what happens when nobody is available from a particular state, ethnic and section Adegbenga asked

He further said that all appointment under the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC Mele Kyari has been in line with the corporation’s vision of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) including the reshufflement of the senior leadership of the NNPC in July 2020.

"It is on record that the NNPC Management Team under Mele Kyari, irrespective of geo-political zone has performed excellently more than previous management of the Corporation since its establishment in 1977.

"24 senior management positions occupied by North is based on competence and experienced and not on sentiment as the ICIR wants Nigerians to believe, Adegbenga emphasized.

On the South-East having no representation in the internal board of the NNPC, despite the fact that the Zone has two oil-producing states -Imo and Abia, Adegbenga challenged the ICIR to name any top management staff from that zone to can occupy the post of internal board of the Corporation.

"Like I have emphasized, 16 of the Chief Executive Officers who managing the subsidiaries companies of the Corporation got the position based on merit and years of experience on the job; they are not external staff of the NNPC, Adegbenga said.

He commended the ICIR for saying the Integrated Data Sciences Limited (IDSL), which posted N23 billion increases in profits in 2019 is headed by Ayebateke Bariwei (South-South).

"On the NNPC current board members, the sensitive position are occupied by Timipre Sylva (South-South); Thomas John (South-South); Stephen Dike (South-East) and Pius Akinyelure (South-West), so we do not see the issue of federal character arising here, Adegbenga concluded.