[dropcap]P[/dropcap]etrol price has been slashed from N145 to N125 per litre, the Nigerian government has announced. Minister of state for petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva, who made the announcement on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, said the NNPC will be ordered to adjust the pump price of the fuel immediately.

The decision was taken at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, against the backdrop of the crash in crude price, now trading below $30 a barrel.

Sylva said compliance to the new price regime by petroleum marketers will be enforced by the NNPC and the PPPRA.

He said the price slash will affect all other products.He also said that henceforth prices will be “modulated” in line with rise or fall in oil prices. The NNPC Group managing director, Mele Kyari, promptly issued a statement, saying the new price regime will begin 19 March.

“In compliance with the directives of the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources on PMS pricing, the Corporation has reviewed its Ex-coastal, Ex-depot and NNPC Retail pump prices accordingly.

“Effective 19th March 2020, NNPC Ex-Coastal price for PMS has been reviewed downwards from N117.6/litre to N99.44/litre while Ex-Depot price is reduced from N133.28/litre to N113.28/litre.

“These reductions will therefore translate to N125/litre retail pump price.

“Despite the obvious cost implication of this immediate adjustment to the Corporation, NNPC is delighted to effect this massive reduction of N20/litre for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“Accordingly, all NNPC Retail stations nationwide have been directed to change the retail pump price to N125/litre.”

[dropcap]V[/dropcap]ictor Giadom, the All Progressives Congress(APC) deputy national secretary, ended up with eggs on his face on Monday.

He has been the arrow head of the move by some rebels within the party to oust Adams Oshiomhole as chairman. But his efforts were aborted at Aso Villa and the Appeal court, in a stunning turn-around acceded to Oshiomhole’s prayer by hanging a lower court order removing Oshiomhole as chairman.

Giadom’s moves began to fall into smithereens after President Buhari and governors of the party jettisoned the plans for an emergency meeting of National Executive Committee.

Adams Oshiomhole: What a day!

Hours after, a Federal court in Lagos stopped the planned NEC meeting and the appeal court after first making Oshiomhole miserable by not hearing his appeal, made a volte-face by listening to him and giving him the legal order he wanted.

The developments, in quick succession would make Giadom scurry back into his playbook on how to remove a party leader.

Until Monday’s decision, Giadom had, in all intent and purposes installed himself as Oshiomhole’s interim successor, waving a court order and the endorsement of a faction of South South APC, which supported him at a meeting said to have held at Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Abuja home.

APC governors after meeting with Buhari

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ompletion date for the completion of the new Delta Central Secretariat in Asaba has been shifted by two months, from March to July, 2020, the state governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa.

Okowa, who inspected the project on Thursday, told newsmen that out of 40 Chinese workers expected to handle special aspects of the project at the site, 20 could not leave their country before the outbreak of the virus.

According to him, the project billed for completion in May will now be completed in July.

“I am pleased with the level of work being done at the site, obviously we are delayed but we have gotten the explanation from the contractors who said they work on Saturdays and Sundays.

“I am happy with the quality of the work; it is perfect and we are hoping and praying that they would be able to gain time and finish on time and we are having a shift of the completion date now to July.

“We were thinking that the project would be completed at the end of May, but we are now looking at July.

“It is obvious because, we have been told by the contractors that they were expecting more Chinese but because of the issues surrounding Coronavirus, they were unable to bring the last set of 20 people.

“So, it is only the initial 20 that came that are involved in the work and it is obviously slowing them down.

“We understand that it is an issue that is health-related and we cannot afford to force them to do something that is not in the best interest of our country, but we look forward to the July completion date.

“From what we have seen, we are very satisfied with the quality of work, quality of materials, even the quality of the lifts; six of the lifts have already been installed in various parts and they are working perfectly well.

“I had to use one of them and I can testify that it is of best quality,’’ he explained.

The governor pointed out that the secretariat was huge structure, saying it several times bigger that the two existing secretariats in the capital city.

“It’s a secretariat that occupies a little over 50,000 square metres; from the information at my disposal, it is huge and we believe that it is going to likely accommodate every Ministry, Departments and Agency.

“We are aware that people have made several comments concerning the project; truth is that people will always have something to say, no matter how well intended your intentions may be.

“People will always make comments, some out of ignorance, some out of playing politics that is unnecessary, but, from the beginning, those of us who conceived the idea understood the importance of the new structure.

“By God’s grace, everybody can see for himself and understand both the necessity and the fact that we are capable as a state to have this kind of secretariat.

“It is unfortunate that after several years of existence of this state, we are still operating from over 100 different offices located in different parts of Asaba which does not give room for coordination, relationships and of course for us to save time.

“A lot of man-hour is lost in communication between the ministries in terms of people trying to move files from one place to the other but truly, you can find that we have wholesomeness and we can have shared facilities with this secretariat and that’s why we sited it here,” he said.

[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ouths of Eku community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State at the weekend, demonstrated rare bravery when they chased away armed herdsmen who were making in-roads into the town.

The herders numbering about 20 were armed with crude weapons including daggers and cutlasses. They were said to be fleeing from Jesse town in Ethiope West Local Government Area due to confrontation with the youths of that community, following reports of their unwholesome exploits in that area.

Local sources in Eku said a woman saw the herders moving in groups and decided to raise the alarm that strange elements were about infiltrating the town.

According to the sources, her alarm attracted youths of Eku who apprehended the suspected killer herders, adding that during interrogation, it was discovered that they were fleeing from Jesse.

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n All Progressives Congress, APC group in the South-South region of the country has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the crisis rocking the national leadership of the party and plot to remove Comrade Adams Oshiomhole national chairman.

The group, South-South APC Reinforcement Group in press release signed by Hon Ebierede Fieyewei as and Comr Vincent Obinna, President and Secretary respectively alleged that the plot to force Oshiomhole out is deeply rooted in the unholy alliance of some APC chieftains in the North and South-South to jeopardize the chances of the South-South to produce the President in 2023.

The statement dated, 13th March, 2020, titled, “The Avoidable APC Crisis And Unnecessary Plot To Remove Adams Oshiomhole From Office”, reads below.

WHY MR. PRESIDENT, MUHAMMADU BUHARI SHOULD URGENTLY INTERVENE TO SAVE THE RULING APC FROM UNDUE EMBARRASSMENT AND IMMINENT TOTAL COLLAPSE AHEAD OF 2023.

Once again, we the aforementioned group, reiterate our total support and loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration.

Nigerians would recall that, when the issue of third term came up, it was alleged that some Northern cabals were planning to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari remain in office beyond 2023.

But, the President, being a man of integrity and a leader per excellence, he publicly denounced it and told Nigerians and the world that he had no ambition to stay beyond May 29, 2023, because the President, Muhammadu Buhari is very much aware that the Presidency will go back to the Southern Nigeria in 2023.

Mr. President, knows very well that constitutionally, he will be completing his second term of Northern eight years on May 29, 2023, and the Presidency will return to South.

Despite this fact, as already affirmed by President Buhari, we are most worried about the move or the unholy alliance by some APC chieftains in the North and South South collaborating to remove Adams Oshiomhole from office, which suggest that there is a hidden agenda not to allow the Presidency to come to South in 2023.

Further more, any Northerner, whether in APC or PDP, be it Governor or Minister that is having Presidential ambition for 2023, or plotting to retain the Presidency in North in 2023, should desist and drop the plan because it will not be for the interest of the country.

As a Nation with six geopolitical zones and over 180 million people, it will be disastrous for the North to retain the Presidency in 2023, and that is why we are calling on President Buhari to call to order those Northerners in APC with hidden agenda to contest the Presidential election in 2023.

Yes, Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of APC, is a human, and may have made mistakes, but, we totally condemn the plot to remove him from office, just because those with Presidential ambition in 2023, see Adams Oshiomhole as a threat.

The last General election, under the leadership of Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of APC, the party won the Presidential election, and more members in the Senate and House of Representatives, and majority of APC Governors.

Yes, APC lost some states, such as Zamfara, Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Rivers, and recently Bayelsa via Supreme Court judgement, no one should put the blame on Adams Oshiomhole as there are APC leaders in the aforementioned states saddled with the responsibility to ensure the growth,  progress and electoral victory of the party in the respective states.

Also, we want to use this opportunity to advise APC leaders in South South region to be wise and should never allowed themselves to be used to remove Adams Oshiomohle from office by those who have Presidential ambition in the North come 2023.

Very importantly, those having Presidential ambition for 2023, must be reminded that Adams Oshiomhole alone cannot singlehandedly make any individual to be APC Presidential candidate and also win the Presidential election, so, it is a miscalculation for anyone to see Adams Oshiomhole as threat to their presidential ambition.

It is believed that the Northern cabals have a plan to distabilize the South and cause disunity among APC leaders in South South region.

Emerging facts suggest that the present crisis in the All Progressives Congress APC, and the series of courts cases/judgements including the plot to remove Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of APC from office has to do with 2023 Presidential election.

It is shameful and unexplainable that some known APC leaders in South South have joined in the plot to remove Adams Oshiomhole from office, they should be mindful of their actions and the path they have chosen to betray their own, Adams Oshiomhole.

We are determined and ready to mobilize and support whoever emerges as APC Presidential candidate from the South in 2022, whether from South West, South South or South East.

Those Northern cabals plotting for another Northern President in 2023, should be reminded of the consequence as the Southern Nigerians would not accept such injustice.

The APC leaders in South South must bury their differences now and begin to work for the common interest of the region.

The Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Presidential Amnesty Programme, these are agencies established to develop and care for the people of Niger Delta, but have been taken over by the perceived Northern cabals.

FINALLY, we appeal to Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, the father and overall leader of APC not to attend the controversial National Executive Council NEC meeting slated for Tuesday 17th March, 2020.

It is necessary for Mr. President, APC Governors, Senators, Representatives and key National leaders of APC to boycott the NEC meeting, because the APC which promised CHANGE is expected to do things differently and responsibly.