All Posts in "Day: July 18, 2022"

One Million Boys: Police Go After Singer Portable

 

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has ordered investigation into popular singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable claim of forming a cult group known as ‘One Million Boys’.

He ordered the Commissioner of Police, Lagos, CP Abiodun Alabi to investigate the viral video by the Zazu Zeh crooner after he claimed to have formed the cult group in Lagos.

He has since deleted the viral video where he made the claim.

A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated that: “Sequel to the trending video of one Habeeb Okikiola aka Portable where he claimed to have formed the One-Million Boys cult group terrorising some parts of Lagos State, the IGP has ordered CP Lagos to investigate the indicting statement and take necessary legal action.”

He noted that the directive followed the continuous effort of the Nigeria Police Force to fish out pillars and sponsors of cult groups in order to decimate their activities and restore sanity to our society.

admin by — July 18, 2022 in News 0
NLNG Explains Interest In Science Quiz Competition

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG)has said that its recent sponsorship of science quiz competition to inspire healthy competition among the youth and to spur interest in science and technology as a way of equipping young minds for nation-building.

Its General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, who disclosed this at the company’s sponsored quiz competition,said its interest in education and its corporate social responsibility thrust toward youth development in Nigeria was inspired by its vision of being “a globally competitive LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria.”

“We all have dreams, dreams of a better tomorrow. We dream of a sustainable future, wherein our inputs into today would materialise as gains for tomorrow. We dream that our children will grow to take their places in civilisation and prosper with a standard of life that assures their progeny of a bright future. But dreams are one thing; taking credible steps in determining our dreams’ realistic outcomes is another. NLNG’s business was once a dream nurtured by sheer grit to become the globally competitive company it is today.

“NLNG is consistently looking towards the future and is harnessing prospects towards that sustainable outlook. Hence, the thrust of NLNG’s CSR framework focuses on developing health, education, empowerment, and infrastructure for the benefit of the general society, particularly its host communities,” he said.

He urged the participating schools and students to use the NLNG Science Quiz Competition as a platform for future self-development, adding that NLNG will continue to invest in the educational value chain to support the aspirations of young Nigerians.

Mr Odeh stated further that NLNG had sponsored other education programmes, which included the University Support Programme; renovation of host communities’ schools’ projects; building and equipping of libraries and science laboratories; and scholarship awards at post-primary school, undergraduate and the post-graduate levels.

The Commissioner for Education in Rivers State, Professor Prince Chinedu Mmom, stated that the Rivers State Government takes education seriously, adding that it was an honour for the government to be part of the quiz.

He said further that the quiz was an appreciation for science and technology which supports the development and life globally.

Bonny National Grammar School school won the top prize in the senior secondary school category.

This year’s competition comes after the pilot edition in 2021 on Bonny Island. The competition, which is open to secondary schools in Rivers State is in partnership with the Rivers State Ministry of Education and the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), Rivers State Chapter.

Bonny National Grammar School emerged out of seven finalists in the grand finale. Enitonna High School and Niger Delta Science School took the second and third positions, respectively.

Other schools that participated in the finals were Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Obio-Apkor (4th position); Government Secondary School, Eneka (5th position); Community Secondary School, Kiran; (6th position) and 7th position: and Okrika National Secondary School, Okrika (7th position).

The secondary schools participated in two stages – the Olympiad Stage and the Championship -before the Grand finale. The students in both stages were presented with consolations prizes.

admin by — July 18, 2022 in Education 0
Aero Contractors Suspend Operations In Nigeria

Aero Contractors has shut operations 63years after commencing flight services in Nigeria.

The shut down will take effect from Wednesday,according to a statement .

The closure of operations of the airline is coming barely a decade after the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) took over the running of the airline.

The airline despite the takeover by AMCON has been facing turbulent waters and its fortunes had not improved hithertho.

There were several allegations of financial misappropriation leveled against the former owners of the airline led by Mrs. Cecilia Ibru and its debts profile, which run into billions of naira owed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), financial institutions and other vendors.

The media consultant to the airline said that the suspension of operations was due to the impact of the challenging operating environment on its daily operations.

 

admin by — July 18, 2022 in Aviation 0
PTDF Mulls Domestication Of Foreign Training Programmes

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) is willing to partner oil and gas industry stakeholders for domestication of the Fund’s foreign training programmes.

Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau, the Executive Secretary of PTDF, who disclosed this at the 15th Annual International Conference of Nigerian Association for Energy Economics (NAEE) and International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE),noted that capacity building has an important role to play in this upward transition from Petroleum to Gas and ultimately to renewable energy.

He was represented at the event by Mr Jide Adebulehin, General Manager, Strategic Planning and Documentation(SP&D).

He announced that PTDF has been in the forefront of developing Nigerian human capacities for the petroleum and gas industry in this regard, adding that the Fund wish to partner with the industry towards the eventual domestication of foreign training programmes.

“In-retrospect, it goes without saying that capacity building has an important role to play in this upward transition from Petroleum to Gas and ultimately to renewable energy. Consequently, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has been in the forefront of developing Nigerian human capacities for the petroleum and gas industry in this regard.

“Furthermore, we wish to partner with the industry towards the eventual domestication of our foreign training programmes. We are developing world-class Centres of Excellence in-country to cater for the training and research needs of the Nigerian and ultimately, the African oil and gas industry.

“It is our desire that the industry collaborates with us towards the design and delivery of world-class training at these facilities, targeted to meet the needs of ongoing and upcoming projects in the Energy industry.

“The PTDF desires to develop strong relationships with the industry in view of ensuring that the benefits of PTDF capacity building interventions are impeccably achieved through collaborations with stakeholders, sponsorship of research programmes and development of proficiencies in energy economics and other Oil and gas related areas to drive the process of Technology development, acquisition and transfer in the oil and gas industry” he said.

In her remarks,Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, NAEE’s President, emphasized the need to approach the energy transition through science, industry data and hard facts.

Omorogbe recalled a recent quote by the Late Mohammed Barkindo, the Secretary General of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which stated this: ‘The energy transition should not be about picking one energy over another. It needs to be driven by science, industry facts and hard data’.

She explained that the development means embracing all energies and keeping sights on energy security and and reducing emissions.

She recalled that OPEC projects that total primary energy demand will expand by a robust 28% in the period to 2045, stressing that oil is expected to retain the largest share of energy mix, accounting for 28% share in 2045.

 

admin by — July 18, 2022 in Oil&Gas 0
2023 Elections: Speak Out Through Your Votes, US Urges Nigerians

The United States has implored Nigerians to register to vote so that their voice can be heard in both in the states and the 2023 presidential elections.

It commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for the successful conduct of the July 16 governorship election in Osun state,

The US, through its Mission in Nigeria,in a statement,congratulated the people of Osun on the peaceful outcome of the election.

The statement reads :“The United States Mission to Nigeria congratulates the citizens of Osun State on the peaceful gubernatorial elections on July 16.We commend the concerted efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff and security personnel who helped facilitate a secure process that reflected the will of the people”.

“We encourage all Nigerian citizens to register to vote now so that your voice can be heard in the national and state elections in 2023”.

 

admin by — July 18, 2022 in Politics 0
Barkindo Bags NAEE’s Posthumous Award

 

Nigeria Association of Energy Economics ( NAEE) will,today give a Posthumous Fellowship Award to Global Energy Leader and OPEC SG, HE Dr Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, who passed on a few days ago in Abuja.

The event is in recognition of Barkindo’s impressive achievements in the global energy Industry.

An anticipated cynosure of the programme , will be a tribute to the Energy Leader by Internationally respected cerebral energy economist, Professor Wumi Iledare.

Iledare, who is a Ghana National Petroleum Corporation ( GNPC) Professor of Oil and Gas Economics & Management, University of Cape Coast and Professor Emeritus, Energy Studies, University of Louisiana, is already in the country.

The acclaimed Professor was President, International Association of Energy Economics (IAEE) and a Distinguished Fellow of NAEE.

admin by — July 18, 2022 in Next Level 0
CBN Gives RoutePay Nod To Operate Digital Payment Products

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted an Approval-In- Principle (AIP) license to RoutePay Fintech Limited to provide digital payment products and services in Nigeria.

The Group Managing Director, RoutePay, Mr. Femi Adeoti, who disclosed this in a statement,said: “The CBN approval, a mark of the company’s trustworthiness in the financial services industry, is a crucial development in RoutePay’s objective of ensuring that digital payment solutions are made possible and available without hassles”.

The Chief Executive Officer of RoutePay, Abayomi Olomu affirmed that the company would be providing access to all its products and services using multiple channels, bearing in mind various factors including differences in literacy level, geographical locations, age, and financial capacity of its users among others.

He said it would also work with the CBN to meet the conditions for receiving a full operating commercial license.

Olomu said RoutePay would enhance connections between the parties in the payment space and driving digital payment transformation in a changing and demanding world.

“RoutePay products and services are omnichannel – available across all channels of payments including Web, Mobile, POS, ATM, and USSD, etc. It also has an array of products and services targeting different market segments, demography, inclinations, and leanings.

“We are making digital payment products and services available to all and sundry regardless of their exposure, technology awareness, location, age, affluence, and education,” Olomu said.

He explained that the growing need for improved processes, services, products, and accessibility in the digital payment and financial technology industry, informed the company’s vision and mission, which are geared towards being the payment solution of choice across borders as well as delivering payment solutions across borders.

He said,consumers are getting more aware, and the expectations are getting higher and more ambitious. “They are asking for more beyond what is presently obtainable and available. They want a system that is ‘Unlimited,’ ‘Without Borders.’ The world is changing rapidly”

 

admin by — July 18, 2022 in IT&Telecoms 0
Energy Crunch Looms In Europe

A new report by Rystad Energy, Monday,says Europe is heading into an energy crunch “earlier than expected” despite recent moves to curb demand and increase supply.

“European governments and the power sector have lined up support packages to soften the financial blow but may need to consider some drastic moves before winter begins to bite,” it added in the report.

“The hope that summer would bring a reprieve has not materialised, as gas flows drop [and] LNG cargoes reach their capacity limit. With temperatures rising, supply may not be sufficient to meet demand in addition to restocking ahead of next winter,” said Rystad in light of the current heatwave in Europe, which has seen German power prices hit a four-month high.

The report came amid concerns the key Russian-owned Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline linked to Germany would not restart after maintenance on Thursday.

Europe had already seen supply via the pipeline cut to 40% of capacity before the outage on what Russia’s state-run Gazprom claimed were turbine issues, though Germany cited “politics” amid Moscow’s rising tensions with the West due to the war in Ukraine.

Rystad warned the current energy price crisis could deepen further, with gas prices already at least four times higher than they were a year ago, having a subsequent knock-on effect on power.

“Highly volatile gas supply has seen European power pricing swing far more wildly than before the war in Ukraine. At the start of Russia’s invasion in late February, [German] prices spiked to a historical high of EUR 530/MWh before stabilising closer to EUR 180/MWh,” said the report.

“Recent uncertainty surrounding Russian gas exports to Europe caused the baseload price to rebound to the current EUR 278/MWh – more than triple the price of a year ago. The surge in spot prices has lifted the forward curve, as the main uncertainty is for the winter when the supply/demand balance could get very tight,” added Rystad.

In terms of filling the power gap – since Europe typically relied on Russia for 40% of its gas needs and a significant bulk of its coal, with imports of the latter to be banned from August – options “are extremely limited and costly”, said the firm’s senior power analyst, Vladimir Petrov.

“The point at which the crisis will bite more deeply is looking closer and closer as we head into the summer and then autumn, this is increasingly a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ the crisis arrives.”

admin by — July 18, 2022 in Power 0
Twitter Ban:Media Group Urges FG To Execute ECOWAS Court Verdict

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has implored the Federal Government to take measures to ensure the execution of the judgment of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, which ruled against the ban on Twitter in the country.

Specifically,the regional court had ruled on July 14, 2022 that the indefinite suspension of access to Twitter in Nigeria by Federal Government in June 2021 was unlawful and violated the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Head of MRA’s Legal Department, Ms Obioma Okonkwo,who conveyed the advise in a statement,reminded the government that under Article 15(4) of the Revised ECOWAS Treaty, judgments of the court are binding on Nigeria as a member state while Article 22(3) of the Protocol of the Community Court Justice, as amended by the Supplementary Protocol of the Court, stipulates that “Member States and institutions of the Community shall take immediately all necessary measures to ensure execution of the decision of the Court.”

She explained that in the light of the provisions and the judgment of the Court, Nigeria was under a legal obligation to amend its laws and policies to bring them into conformity with the African Charter and the ICCPR as well as to guarantee that the suspension of Twitter would not re-occur, as directed by the court.

In addition to the consequential order made by the court in its judgment, directing the government to lift the suspension of Twitter since the suspension was in contravention of Article 9 of the African Charter and Article 19 of the ICCPR, it also ordered the Government to take necessary steps to align its policies and other measures to give effect to the rights and freedoms enshrined in the African Charter and the ICCPR.

The court further directed the government to undertake an act of legislative or other measures on its rules regarding Twitter to enable the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the African Charter and asked it to guarantee a non-repetition of the unlawful ban of Twitter.

It ordered Nigeria to ensure the unlawful suspension of Twitter would not reoccur and to take necessary steps to amend its laws to be in conformity with the rights and freedoms enshrined in the ACHPR and ICCPR.

The court’s orders were contained in its judgment in four consolidated suits filed by MRA, other non-governmental organisations, journalists and some Nigerian citizens challenging the Government’s June 2021 decision to suspend access to Twitter in Nigeria.

 

admin by — July 18, 2022 in Media 0