[dropcap]P[/dropcap]articipants at a Workshop on War against Abuse in Nigeria, today condemned the rampant cases of abuse and violence against women, children and other vulnerable members of the society. This position was contained in the communique of the workshop, which was organized by Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari through the Future Assured programme. The Workshop held in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on Saturday, 16th December, 2017.
The workshop, also observed that the abuses are usually perpetrated by people who are close to or trusted by the victims, and urged a united front to fight the scourge. The workshop called for appropriate rehabilitative measures to victims for proper integration and empowerment.
Participants also agreed on the need to encourage victims and whistleblowers to speak up and not succumb to intimidation and bribery from perpetrators, while law enforcement agencies were encouraged to go after abusers no matter how highly placed.
Laws having to do with abuse were also brought to the spotlight by the participants as the need to strengthen and fine-tune them was raised. This, it is believed, will cater for contemporary forms of abuse not captured by existing laws. States were also encouraged to domesticate such laws.
The workshop was convened by Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari and declared open by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. It was graced by the Wife of the President of the Republic of Niger, Dr. Lalla Malika Issoufou, Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo and many other dignitaries.
Suleiman Haruna
Director of Information
to Wife of the President
State House
Abuja
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]urther withdrawals from the Paris Club refund by the states government has been stalled as a consultant has dragged the 36 state governors and the Federal Government to court. A highly placed source at the Presidency, told NAN on Friday night that the consultant in question is suing the state governors for reneging on the payment of the five per cent consultancy fees due to him for services rendered in relation to the sharing of the fund.
According to the source, state governors may not be able to pay their workers from the Paris Club refund before Christmas as they had originally planned. The source said that the case has been filed at the Federal High Court Abuja. The source said before this new court case, efforts were in top gear to release the balance of the Paris Club refunds to states to pay workers salaries all over the country before Christmas.
“The payment of the Paris Club refunds is at the final stages. It will be paid to enable the workers enjoy the Christmas and New Year festive seasons,” the source said. Meanwhile, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting scheduled for Friday was put off till Saturday because stakeholders had not received the component statement from NNPC.
One of the state Commissioners for Finance, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that for the second time, the NNPC was late in remitting funds into the Federation Account.“NNPC is the major cause of all these things. It has not brought in money just like last month. “Last month, the state governors insisted that the NNPC must bring in money before it later brought out N30 billion from Excess Crude Account (ECA) before the last FAAC could hold.
”Again this month, the CBN and Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) said they have not received component statement from NNPC. ”’This indicates that NNPC had not paid money into the Federation Account. Without that money we have to wait till tomorrow for FAAC meeting to hold.
“If the component statement is sent from NNPC, it will take about six hours before the stakeholders can go through it” the commissioner said. President Muhammadu Buhari last month urged all state governors to utilise the balance of 50 per cent Paris Club refund to settle unpaid salaries owed workers before Christmas. To remove any hitches, he directed the CBN, Ministry of Finance, and the Budget Office of the Federation to work out how the outstanding fund would be paid before 2017 ends.
The payment began in December 2016 with the release of about N522.74 billion to all 36 states in the first tranche of the Paris Club refund. The federal government later in July 2017, released N243.8 billion as second tranche. The funds were released following protests by states against over deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002..
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Federal Government last night justified the approval by the National Economic Council of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account for the fight against insecurity even as it, for the first time gave reasons for its assertion that the Boko Haram insurgency has been defeated.
The Federal Government’s claims conveyed by the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed during an exclusive interview came as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and some other political stakeholders faulted the resolution of the NEC on the drawing of the money. The PDP in its reaction had alleged that it was unnecessary for the Federal Government to get $1 billion to fight a war the government had in the past claimed to have won.
The PDP in its reaction articulated by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan had also alleged that the funds were some surreptitious purposes claiming that the era of lies and propaganda were over. The claims of the PDP were further articulated by leading human rights lawyer, Barrister Mike Ozekhome who said that lies have an expiry date and also by Senator Mao Ohabunwa, PDP Abia North who faulted the decision by NEC saying that only the National Assembly could release money for the Federal Government. The All Progressives Congress, APC National Publicity Secretary could not be reached as he did not pick calls to his registered phone line. Mohammed in his reaction blamed the PDP alleging that the PDP is now rebranding itself with the stolen money that was originally meant to fight Boko Haram noting that in one day, “the PDP under Jonathan in one day distributed $269 million cash and N100 billion which was supposed to be money meant to fight Boko Haram.” Saying that the PDP does not know when to keep quiet, he said: “the sad thing about PDP is that they do not know when not to talk. If they were smart they would know when not to talk,” Mohammed said. Continuing, he said: “If not for their rapacious corruption Boko Haram would not have metamorphosed into the monster that it became before we came in. If only they had approached governance with honesty transparency, and sense of purpose Boko Haram would not have raged between 2009 and 2015, it was their inept handling of Boko Haram and their corruption that put us in this mess.
“They seem not to understand that the biggest challenge to any government and the primary responsibility of any government is law and order and security. It is because of the fact that we have been able to contain Boko Haram that they were able to hold their national convention in Abuja. “During their time they were not able to celebrate the National Day openly. Under their watch, Boko Haram not only occupied 27 local governments in Borno State, but was also active in almost ten states. Not that alone, they used to stroll to the federal capital, and three times they went to bomb the United Nations, the Police headquarters and under their watch, the Thisday newspaper was bombed and under their watch, about 200 Chibok girls were abducted.” Defending the December 2015 declaration by the Federal Government that Boko Haram had been defeated, Mohammed said:
“Why do we say that we have decimated Boko Haram? It is not propaganda. Since we came in 30 months, there has been no single bomb explosion in the Federal Capital, and that is not a mean feat! It is because they don’t understand what security means, they don’t even understand what terrorism means,” he added. “It does not lie in the mouth of the PDP to even criticise the government, and it was their corruption that led us to where we are today. They are spending the same money which they stole, and they are using the money to rebrand themselves, they have no moral justification whatsoever,” the minister fumed yesterday.
The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ologbondiyan, said the party was alarmed by the subtle plot by the ruling APC administration to secure approvals without recourse to due process, and for purposes of fighting the same insurgents, it earlier claimed to have defeated. “The PDP wondered why the APC-led federal government had to recourse to the National Economic Council (NEC) while avoiding the direct constitutional appropriation channel of the National Assembly for funding of items already provided for in the federal budget if it actually has nothing to hide. “The PDP supports the fight against insurgency.
We hold our officers and men confronting the terrorists and securing our territorial integrity in high esteem, but we are concerned about the manipulative tendencies connected with the approvals as well as the veracity of claimed purpose of the fund,” the statement read in part. While urging the APC-led government to avail Nigerians more information about the intended use of the funds, the party said “Nigerians would recall that the federal government had claimed that it has since defeated the insurgents. If it would take a billion dollar from a nation’s savings to kill what they long claimed dead, then we challenge the APC government to come clean and tell Nigerians the whole truth. “The era of lies and propaganda is long gone, and Nigerians now know the truth.
The federal government must be held accountable and stopped from any move to fritter away our national savings,” even as it called on “The National Assembly to interrogate this proposed disbursement and subject it to a thorough but rapid interrogation.” The party further enjoined the Buhari administration to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians, saying “By accepting the $1bn for fighting insurgency, the APC-led federal government has admitted that it lied when it announced that it had defeated the insurgents. They should, therefore, apologize to Nigerians for giving them a false sense of security, resulting in their vulnerability to attacks by terrorists.” The party vowed to inflict heavy defeat on the ruling party come 2019, noting that Nigerians are waiting earnestly for the next general election to make their decision. Chief Ozekhome on his part said: “My take on this is that lies have expiry date, and when that date comes, the truth will overtake lies. This government demonised the government of Goodluck Jonathan as having failed to degrade Boko Haram, whereas Boko Haram was so degraded that elections held peacefully in the entire six States of the North East.
The height of this alleged non- defeat of the Boko Haram is one of the major planks on which they won the elections. “Now, the same government is suddenly asking for $1 billion which is about N365 billion, enough for one of the States in Nigeria, to fight the same Boko Haram. “There are two scenarios here: One, the government has been lying that Boko Haram has been degraded because we have all seen in the last one and half year that Boko Haram has become more vicious, more potent, more daring and more courageous. “Secondly, money is being quietly taken to prepare for 2019 elections using Boko Haram as an alibi.” Senator Ohabunwa on his part flayed the NEC saying the action was illegal. He said, “Only the National Assembly can appropriate funds for the Federal government.
The National Executive Council NEC has no such powers; any money that is not appropriated as prescribed by the act of the National Assembly is illegal.” On his part, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, APC, Kaduna North who noted that no amount to fight would be too much said: “Insurgency in Nigeria is a national calamity. It has cost the nation time, lives and unquantifiable resources. Any amount to be voted to fight it and remedy our polity of that insecurity is justified. Senator Hunkuyi, however, took issues with the denomination of the currency used in the withdrawal. “The method of funding or sources of funding is yet another issue. It must be stated that the official currency of budget and expenditure in Nigeria is and remains the Nigerian currency which is the Naira. “While I am not yet in full picture of the source of the funds or areas of expenditure for the funds to cover, I await to be better informed on the sources of funding before making further comments.”
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] General Court Martial (GOC) sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced a soldier serving in Operation Lafiya Dole to death. The court sentenced the soldier, Lance Corporal John Godwin to death for killing five rescued civilians in the Yamteke area of Borno State during the investigation, Channels tv reports. This is just as some other soldiers were jailed by the court for various offences ranging from manslaughter to illegal possession of fire arms and ammunition. The soldier was charged with murder, which is punishable under Section 106 (a) of Armed Forces Acts (Cap A20), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004.
Lieutenant Colonel Kingsley Samuel, 7 Division’s spokesperson who confirmed the sentence said, “The civilians were earlier rescued by troops of Godwin’s battalion and were taken for investigation at the time he shot and killed five of them. “Another soldier, Sergeant Innocent Ototo, was sentenced to life imprisonment for manslaughter after torturing and killing a 13-year-old boy who he said stole his phone.
The incident happened at Zamanbari area of Maiduguri in Borno State.”
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is set to embark on indefinite strike beginning from Monday, following a stalemate in the peace meeting the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Kachikwu, brokered between the union and Neconde Energy Limited. PENGASSAN and Neconde have been embroiled in crisis over allegation of anti-worker practices.
PENGASSAN, the umbrella body of senior workers in the oil and gas sector, alleged that the management of Neconde wrongly terminated the employment of some of its workers, threatening to go on strike if the sacked workers were not recalled within 72 hours. The matter caused Kachikwu to initiate a meeting between the two warring bodies in Abuja during the week, but the meeting ended in a deadlock.
In a release signed by PENGASSAN Public Relation Office, Fortune Obi, and made available to Grassroots Publishers online yesterday, PENGASSAN said it would embark on industrial action on Monday.
Obi said: “Following the failure of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, to settle the rift between this body (PENGASSAN) and Neconde, the management of PENGASSAN has agreed to start the strike on Monday night (December 18th, 2017).
“Prior to the strike, PENGASSAN will hold an emergency Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday morning, which will be followed with announcement of strike on the night of Monday.’’
The union said it has put its workers across the country on standby for the strike, adding that nothing whatsoever would stop the body from starting the strike by midnight on Monday.
PENGASSAN’s Lagos Zonal Chairman, Abel Agarin, had in a communiqué said it would not tolerate any act of victimization against any of its members.
He said the union’s position was that the termination of employment of some workers by Neconde was unlawful, as it was not in line with equity, good conscience and industrial relations best practices and extant labour laws.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Managing Director (MD), ULO Consultant Limited, handling the Asaba downgraded Asaba airport contract and the abandoned section (C) of the dualization of Asaba/Ughelli as well as the failed Maryam Babangida Way dualization road project, Uche Luke Okpunor has accused the chairman, Delta State House of Assembly House Committee on Works, Evance Ivwurie, of approaching him and making an “unholy” demand to terminate the ongoing probe of his company.
The house committee on works has been probing the MD of ULO company for not been able to complete the multi billion naira Asaba airport, his failure to complete the section (C) of the dualization of Asaba/Ughelli road project and the failed Maryam Babangida way dualization road project awarded to his firm by former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration.
Mr. Okpunor, who disclosed that Ivwurie, allegedly came to him and requested for softener, (“unholy demands”) to halt the investigation on why the projects handled by his company failed after receiving billions of naira from the state government, claimed that he has the video clips of the meeting with Ivwurie where he allegedly came and demanded for incentive in order for the committee to suppress the inquiry.
But in a counter allegation, chairman of the House Committee on Works, Evance Ivwurie, in a statement made available to this medium, debunked the allegation and said instead it was Okpunor, who allegedly sent him a text message to deliver a ‘welfare package’ to him and members of the committee for possible quashing of the probe.
HERE IS THE FULL TEXT OF IVWURIE’S PRESS STATEMENT AND COUNTER ALLEGATIONS.
THE UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS OF CHIEF UCHE LUKE OKPUNOR AND HIS THREATS TO MY LIFE.
RE: INVESTIGATION OF THE STATE OF ASABA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MARIAM BABANGIDA WAY AND SECTOR “C” OF THE ASABA–UGHELLI ROAD CONSTRUCTIONS ABANDONED BY ULO CONSULTANTS LIMITED.
My attention has been drawn to a spurious, baseless and unfounded allegation said to have been made against me by Chief Uche Luke Okpunor, Chairman of ULO Consultants Limited who is the contractor handling the Asaba International Airport, Mariam Babangida Way and Sector “C” of the Asaba – Ughelli roads constructions.
In an interview granted to the Guardian Newspapers and published on the 9th of December, 2017 at page 42, the said Mr Uche Luke Okpunor asserted that the Delta State House Assembly Committee on Works angrily ordered him to refund 7.4 billion paid to his company for the Asaba – Ughelli road dualization project for non-performance because he “refused to accede to unholy demands” from me. In the said publication, he went further to claim that he has Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of me making such demands from him which he said he is ready to play at the right time.
I wish to state very categorically and without equivocations that, the Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Works and indeed my humble self, Honourable (Chief) Evance Ochuko Ivwurie did not at any time place any demand holy or unholy, on Mr Uche Luke Okpunor of ULO Consultants Limited for personal gains or gratification whether with respect to my work as the Chairman of the Committee or in any other respect whatsoever. Such demands as allegedly claimed by him could only have been made in his own imaginations. I urge him to explain what he meant by “unholy demands” and I also dare him to make such footage public now and without delay, if they do exist, just as I have made public his text messages to me, offering me and my Committee “Welfare Package” to compromise us which I rejected in my reply text to him. Majority of Deltans know that there is nothing beyond this subterfuge contractor and are well aware of the various plots and plans of this failed contractor against me for daring to investigate the contracts in question.
Certainly, his allegations are not only laughable, but portray the antics and desperation of one whose reprehensible acts are suddenly brought to light. They are nothing but the last kick of a dying horse. In actual fact, the said allegation is a shameful attempt to turn the truth on its head. This is a classic case of the culprit playing the victim as a strategy to distract and hopefully derail the on-going investigation by the DTHA Committee on Works aimed at unravelling the reasons behind and exposing all non-performing contractors who with impunity abandon contracts awarded to them after receiving humongous payments from the State’s treasury, thereby undermining the government and people of Delta State.
As Chairman, Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Works, I and the dedicated members of the Committee vowed as a point of duty to all Deltans irrespective of party affiliations, that we would perform our oversight functions on project execution as awarded by the Delta State government, without fear or favour. We have been diligent in living up to this vow as of today, but it seems some unscrupulous persons for obvious reasons feels threatened by our good work thus far.
It is based on this that we have been effective and efficient in pursuing our duties and responsibilities by giving everybody including defaulting contractors who abandon projects awarded to them as well as the Ministry of Work, the Delta State Government Consultants to the projects and the Office of the Accountant General the benefit of doubt to make themselves available for the ongoing inspections and investigations of the contracts, but rather than avail themselves of the opportunity to duly explain why they abandon projects awarded to them after receiving billions of naira and having failed to compromise members of the Committee, some of these contractors have begun a campaign of calumny against the Committee hoping that same would derail us.
It is worthy of note at this juncture that in line with the constitutional mandate assigned to the Committee, while we have made lots of startling revelations/discoveries and have indeed been able to compel some of these contractors to go back to site, others like ULO Consultants Limited of Mr Uche Luke Okpunor who has no respect for rules, regulation and the law, have wilfully refused to honour our three (3) invitations. He has repeatedly given excuses of either being with or about to board a flight with and fly in the private jet of Honourable Minister Kachikwu Ibe or dropped the name of the respected Vice President (VP) Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) recklessly with the assertion that they are friends and classmates from Igbobi College and the VP calls him daily and does business with him; as such, he is so busy and unable to honour such invitations. It is for these flimsy excuses that Uche Luke Okpunor has refused to honour the Committee’s invitations to be personally available to present his side of the story at the three contract sites during our inspections, assessments and evaluations of the work he has done so far vis a vis the billions of naira he has been paid for the Asaba International Airport, Mariam Babangida Way and Sector “C” of the Asaba – Ughelli roads constructions.
The committee discovered to it chagrin during the inspections, assessments and evaluation that Uche Luke Okpunor has been evasive because he has not performed efficiently on the contracts and he has abandoned the projects after collecting billions of naira. Following the discoveries, the Committee then immediately commenced investigation into the activities of ULO Consultants Ltd for abandoning the three projects after receiving billions of naira. Rather than appear before the Committee and offer explanations the vintage Uche Luke Okpunor has embarked on a campaign of calumny against the Delta State Governor, Sen. (Dr) Arthur Ifeanyichukwu Okowa and my humble self.
The first time and day I ever spoke to and met Uche Luke Okpunor was on Wednesday 15, November 2017 when he called me to use the names of Vice President Osinbajo and Honourable Minister Ibe Kachikwu to say he is not participating in the first inspection of Thursday 16, November 2017 and being a Committee with human face, I personally met him and told him point blank that he must not fail to personally join us at the Asaba International Airport site at 9:00am the next day for the inspection so that he can brief the Committee on what he claimed was his side of the story.
But rather than make himself available, he sent me an SMS on November 16, 2017 at about 9:24am while the inspection was going on. His text to me reads thus:
“Good morning honourable, For your information only. Me and the SPD have arranged a welfare package. My boy would deliver it today after the inspection. His name is Jerome.”
I replied him immediately I saw the message at 11:41am which was after the inspection, and my text reads:
“Thank you very much for the offer sir, but am not interested in taking any money from you sir.”
In a volte-face only typical of the timeless and vintage Uche Luke Okpunor, at about 5:46pm on the same day, he curiously and iniquitously replied me in another SMS, and his text reads:
“Good evening honourable, Plz, am just seeing your text message. I didn’t remember offering you any money. I hope nobody did on my behalf.”
I immediately ignored his text as I imagined that he is a highly skilled ‘actor’ and ‘capone’.
The general public would be surprised to know that when his attempts to compromise the Committee failed, he resorted to character assassination and made threats to my life. He directly boasted to me on the phone, on 27th and 28thNovember, 2017 that he will stop at nothing to deal with me and crush me. On the basis of his threat on me, I have directed my lawyers and they are currently reviewing Luke Uche Okpunor’s threats to my life and his aspersion on my integrity.
This is a defining moment in the State infrastructural development history. I can never be intimidated or swayed by the wealth of bad contractors acquired from the sweat and taxes of Deltans, but by my principle; not by your dropping the names of respected Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) (“as my friend and classmate from Igbobi College who calls me daily and do businesses with me”) or the Honourable Minister Kachikwu Ibe (“I use his private jet anytime”), but by simplicity, not by influence, contacts and arrogance, but by conviction and humility; I am not lazy! I have summoned uncommon valour and determination for a common purpose – to tell the bad corporate contractors-blackmailers and lobbyists that they are the recognized enemy of development in Delta State and especially Asaba and they are a shame.
I am not perfect, but I am not also empty and hollow like you. You know that you have never encountered any man like me in your entire life, and from the depth of your heart, you will forever respect me, because I have never and will never demand a dime from your filthy lucre. When you offered me and our Committee your “welfare package” I rejected it via a replied text message because your treachery and sharp practices has caused untold pains and deaths to Deltans whom you deprived the use of the various projects you failed to deliver after receiving payments. I can’t take a dime from you because of the agony you have put our people and government through.
I will continue to act with transparency and integrity in my oversight function especially on critical infrastructural projects so that ordinary Deltans can understand their government and trust that their money is well spent by ending abuses by contractors like you because, contractors abuses has cost Delta taxpayers billions of naira, and you exemplify this chicanery. I also verily understand the implications and risks of taking on powerful interest like you, but what you don’t know is that all powers belong to God the creator and giver of life.
With the fear of God, I will continue to use the powers entrusted upon me by our constitution to oversight and investigate all contractual abuses and unethical violations of the State contracting policies by all contractors who have been paid monies for contracts that they have failed to execute no matter whose horse is gored. The public is assured that ethics complaints against any contractor and government personnel will be investigated to know how well those contracts are completed. I do not want to score political points, I want to solve problems. Our work and determination to perform is not personal or targeted at anybody or any contractor. We are engaging and holding to account all erring contractors, that is why work has resumed on Okpanam road Asaba and other roads and projects that we are currently focusing on and there will be no exception.
Finally, as Chairman of the Committee, I would want to use this medium to advice all contractors to use the dry season window to return to site for the benefit of all Deltans as the Delta State House Committee on Works remain focused and would not be distracted or deterred by any form of blackmail and intimidation in the discharge of our duties.
Signed
Hon. Evance Ochuko Ivwurie, Chairman House Committee on Works, Delta State House of Assembly, Asaba.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he economic benefit of President Olusegun Obasanjo visit to China in April 2006, where he appealed to Chinese industrialists and investors to utilize the opportunities created by the conducive democratic environment in Nigeria to invest in its economy, Chinese Electronic giant, Skyrun International Group has reponded by establishing her second factory outside China at the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ).
At the commissioning ceremony of the factory in Nigeria, the Chairman of Jiangsu Skyrun International CFTZ, Mr. Shao Xie disclosed that his company decided to heed President Obasanjo’s call because Nigeria is a friendly nation with a lot of potentials and business prospects, which was occasioned by the triving democracy in the country.
Skyrun is a company belonging to Jiangsu Skyrun International Group of companies. Located on a sprawling landmass at the Jiangsu industrial zone, the company produces cheap consumer electronics for Chinese middle class, and low income families.
Skyrun Electronic Company has no experience in international businesses. And its manufacturing products were entirely consumed in China and other Asian countries. In 2005, the Chinese government developed a policy and backed it up with functional provisions to enhance new technological companies to explore opportunities abroad. It was at this point the Tinapa Resort and the Calabar Free Trade Zone were constantly on the news.
A group of Chinese investors visited the then President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek investment opportunities in the country. One Adolphus Chima from Rivers State led the delegation to Nigeria.
In 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo led a delegation of Nigerian business men and women, and ministers to China were he told then Chinese President Hu Jintao that his visit was for economic cooperation and technological transfers. Trade and economic agreements were signed, and Obasanjo visited Jiangsu Skyrun operation headquarters were he singlehandedly invited the company to Nigeria.
In April 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao made a visit to Nigeria were companies like Skyrun CEO, China Electric CEO, China-Sinopec CEO, and host of others followed. Sinopec got three oil bloc licenses from that visit. Skyrun Electronics got the go ahead and approval to start operations in Calabar Free Trade Zone in 2006, towards the commissioning of Tinapa.
Sinopec will later buy off Canada’s Adax Petroleum operation fields in Calabar and Bonny. In 2007, Sinopec Conglomerate bought over Adax International Holdings in a deal that shuck the world.
For Skyrun, entrance into the Nigerian business environment was hazy. So, they team up with two other companies with credible operational experience inside Nigeria. China Jiangsu International Group, China Golden Gate Group of Companies, and Shinco Air Conditioner Manufacturing Company all came together to form the Skyrun Electronic Company Nigeria Limited, located at Calabar Free Trade Zone, in Cross River State.
Between 2006 and 2010 when Skyrun first rolled out its first TV sets and Fridges, the global economic recession in China between 2008 to 2011, saw Skyrun operations Calabar suffer a slow rise. By the end of 2013 when China global outlook looked good, Skyrun had so much support from China Import and Export Bank.
Today, Skyrun has dominated the Nigerian market with its relative cost effective and good standard quality for home appliances and electronics. Skyrun has over 1000 thousand workers at the Calabar Free Trade Zone in Cross River State. 210 of these workers are permanent staff, while the other are casual technicians that are called for during peak periods and tight order delivery.
Presently, Skyrun manufactures for countries like Cameroun, Niger, Ghana, Benin, Guinea, etc. Export link roads include South Africa and Madagascar.
Skyrun invited former President Obasanjo to commission its Deep Freezer section on the 11th of December, 2017 as an appreciation to former President Olusegun Obasanjo for all the support he has given the company.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]cting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Ibrahim Magu on Tuesday night escaped death by the whiskers as some gunmen stormed his house in Abuja. When they didn’t find the EFCC boss in the house, they killed one of the police guards attached to the house and disappeared. According to findings, the gunmen stormed the farmhouse in Karshi in the Federal Capital Territory at about 10pm and exchanged fire with the policemen on duty, The Nation reports
A police Sergeant was hit and he died instantly.This is the second time that the same the house will be attacked by unknown elements.The last 10 months had been tough for Magu because of his refusal to bow to pressure from some high-profile suspects and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).
Following threats, security was beefed up for Magu and his immediate family leading to the deployment of policemen to the uncompleted bungalow in Karshi.Some suspected elements had also been prowling the family’s house in the Borno State capital and issuing threats to the woman.
This latest attack came barely 48 hours after Magu said the anti-corruption will be a do-or-die affair.Speaking on Monday after a walk to mark the anti-corruption Day, Magu said: “For those of us on this side; in the anti-corruption agencies of government, in the media, and civil society, the dagger is drawn and I believe I am speaking the mind of everyone on this side that we intend to neither retreat nor surrender in our noble intention to cure our country of the evils of corruption.“For us as a country, the fight against corruption is a ‘do or die’ affair; we have to win the battle or die trying.
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]o fewer than 20 vehicles and four commercial motorcycles were on Wednesday afternoon burnt when a tanker laden with petrol fell and spilled its content on the Festac Link Bridge in Awuwo Odofin LGA of Lagos State.The fire started at noon and raged for about an hour. Fire fighters arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later but did not have enough water to quench the fire.
A witness, Mr Olufemi Popoola, told our reporter that the tanker, coming from Apple Junction and going to FESTAC Town was ascending the bridge but suddenly rolled back and fell. The impact of the fall separated the tank from the body, resulting in an explosion, according to Popoola.
He said that some residents and passers-by attacked the fire with buckets of water to no avail. Popoola , who lives in FESTAC, said that the fire from the tanker spilled over to nearby vehicles , forcing their occupants to run, abandoning them.
“The fire then spilled into a car shop on the foot of the bridge, burning some of the cars, while the attendants quickly drove out some.“Furniture items, bags and boxes displayed for sale on the foot of the bridge all burnt.The vehicles burnt included a 2010 Toyota Highlander and a commercial bus.
The fire caused gridlock on the bridge and in the adjoining roads.A crowd of affected persons and sympathisers gathered at the scene to lament the situation.One of the owners of the burnt motorcycles, Mr Akuko Okoli, said that he narrowly escaped death.It was not clear at the time of the report whether any life was lost to the fire.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t was like a carnival on Thursday at Issele-Uku, headquarters of Aniocha North local government area of Delta state as the All Progressives Congress, (APC), ahead of the January 6, 2018 council polls flagged off its campaign rally.The rally which was attended by the state party chairman, Jones Erue and former speaker of the house of Assembly, Victor Ochei and other top notch of the party witnessed the presentation of flags to the chairmanship candidate, Andrew Azubuike Odozi (Goodness), and 14 councillorship candidates.
Speaking at the well attended flag-off held at the Oligbo Royal Palace Ground, state chairman of the party, Jones Ode Erue, told the candidates and party members, “you have being baptized politically. We are not here to talk mere words, we are here for action”, and charged the candidates not to be afraid as the party is strongly behind them in the race.
While assuring the candidates and party members that gone are the days of writing and fixing of results by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Mr. Erue disclosed that “I shall move with you people from street to street in Aniocha North to ensure victory for the party and our candidates. They cannot write the result of Delta State anymore.” The chairman called on the women to preach the party message to their husbands and children at home who are in other parties adding that “The slavery and the suffering are enough. We cannot continue like this”.
Erue accused governor Ifeanyi Okowa led administration of looting the state treasury at the expense of the entirety of Deltans, “Yet they say Ego-Aria”, and at this point the mammoth crowd was thrown into an uncontrollable laughter.The chairman who charged the chairmanship candidate and his deputy and councillorship candidates to represent and win the election for the party, called on the masses to shun the PDP in the forthcoming local government election and cast their votes for the APC that has their interest at heart.
Also addressing the mammoth crowd, highly elated and outspoken former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, charged the chairmanship and other candidates of the party in the forthcoming council polls to be steadfast and be bold against all odds. Mr. Ochei, who is from the Aniocha North extraction, appealed to all those who contested with the chairmanship candidate, Mr. Andrew Azubuike Odozi (Goodness), to put the past behind and work for the victory of the party.
“Already, we have our candidates, whether you contested with him in primaries or you were not supporting him, please put everything behind you and support him because you believed in APC. And you know that we must create a change in this local government. APC is the idea that its time has come but the battle starts with you and me. That is we have to ensure that in our various wards we should not be ashamed or afraid”. Ochei however charged the candidates and party faithful to carry out the gospel of APC, “come out and do the voting from wards 1-14. I don’t want to see any councillorship candidate who is afraid. You will stand your ground as a lion. APC is a party of lions.
“In 2015 the party and its presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, defeated an incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan which has never happened before. So you must go out there, stand, defend your votes and you must win your wards”, promising them that the party would go round the whole wards to campaign.
The former speaker, used the medium to dared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that APC would meet them at the polls, “Let them think that we are not on ground and they will be making noise. When they came here in Aniocha North, even the governor was here, the crowd was not half what we have here today. It is on records. So we are telling them, get ready because APC is coming”.
In his acceptance speech shortly after receiving the party flag from the state chairman, the Aniocha North chairmanship candidate, Andrew Azubuike Odozi (Goodness), thanked the party, especially the former speaker, Mr. Ochei who has always been a pillar of the party in the local government and the entire state, assuring that come January, 6, 2018 it will be win win for the party in the local government.
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Speaking at the well attended flag-off held at the Oligbo Royal Palace Ground, state chairman of the party, Jones Ode Erue, told the candidates and party members, “you have being baptized politically. We are not here to talk mere words, we are here for action”, and charged the candidates not to be afraid as the party is strongly behind them in the race.
In his acceptance speech shortly after receiving the party flag from the state chairman, the Aniocha North chairmanship candidate, Andrew Azubuike Odozi (Goodness), thanked the party, especially the former speaker, Mr. Ochei who has always been a pillar of the party in the local government and the entire state, assuring that come January, 6, 2018 it will be win win for the party in the local government.
