Court Restrains NPDC, NNPC from Terminating Agreement with Atlantic Energy Says arbitration agreement binding on parties
Davidson Iriekpen A Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
from taking any step in terminating agreement they have with Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited owned by businessman, Jide Omokore, in respect of the Oil
Mining Leases (OMLs) 26, 30, 44 and 42 (Forcados assets) and OMLs 60, 61, 62 and 63 Brass assets). NPDC had abruptly terminated the agreements they entered with Atlantic Energy in respect of the Oil
Mining Leases (OMLs) 26, 30, 44 and 42 (Forcados assets) and OMLs 60, 61, 62 and 63 (Brass assets) despite that the disputes were still pending before the arbitral tribunal. Consequent upon this, the oil firms through their lawyers,
Babatunde Fagbohunlu (SAN) and R. A. Lawal-Rabana SAN approached the court to challenge the arbitrary termination of the agreement without resorting to the contractual clause of arbitration in time of dispute as clearly stated
in the contract. In a judgment delivered by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, he upheld the arbitration agreement contained in Article 22 of the Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) entered Continued on page 6
Shi'ite Accuses Kaduna Government of Incitement, Religious Cleansing ... Page 10 Saturday 15 October, 2016 Vol 21. No 7842 Price: N250
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Buhari: Negotiations to Free Remaining Chibok Girls Ongoing Tobi Soniyi and Senator Iroegbu in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday expressed optimism about the release of more of the girls abducted at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State
after 21 of them were freed by Boko Haram, following more than two years of captivity. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said Buhari spoke at a joint press conference with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in
Berlin. The President, according to Shehu said negotiations would continue until all the girls secure their freedom. Buhari said: "On the Chibok girls, we have been able to secure the release of 21 of them, so over 100 more are still in the hands of the
terrorists somewhere in the Lake Chad Basin area which include Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. “In getting this 21 out, we hope we will get enough intelligence to go about securing the rest of them. We are very grateful to the UN for their participation in
trying to secure the release of these girls.” The statement said the President thanked the German government for its humanitarian assistance and support for Nigeria in dealing with the effects of terrorism. Also yesterday, the Director of Defence Information (DDI),
Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said the decision to release the girl through negotiation was a political one that must be respected "The most important thing is the 21CGS are freed and we are all happy about it. It is a political decision to negotiate," Abubakar explained.
Aisha Buhari's Public Criticism of Husband Gets a Pushback I will not support you in 2019 if… Buhari: I don't know which party my wife belongs
Yemi Adebowale in Lagos, Tobi Soniyi in Abuja and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari yesterday in an unprecedented move publicly criticised her husband's cabinet warning that some people who did not labour for his victory have hijacked his government, aleniating those who struggled to build the All Progressives Congress (APC). She bluntly stated that she may not support her husband’s re-election in 2019 unless he rejigs his cabinet. Mrs. Buhari in an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also said President Muhammadu Buhari did not know most of the top officials he appointed into offices. In a reaction, laced with laughter, the President who is in Germany on a State visit dismissed his wife's claim saying: “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen Continued on page 6
LANRE ADISA
Dreaming Beyond the Present
SuperSaturday pg. 8-9
OYENIKE MICHAEL IBRU
I Hawked ‘Tin Tomatoes’ for Michael Ibru
Plus pg. 17-19
FROM FIGHTER TO INSTRUCTOR
Ex agitator and amnesty beneficiary, now instructor at Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Henshaw Bassey (left) and coordinator of the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh, shortly after Henshaw took Boroh on a 50 minutes flight from Zaria to Abuja ...recently
Boko Haram: 19 Northern Governors to Visit US for Peace Symposium ... Page 10