Again,11ShotDead,OthersInjuredasGunmenAmbushTradersinPlateau Lalong, others decry killings, demand justice Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Eleven persons were on Tuesday night shot dead by gunmen in Rim, Riyom Local Government Area in Plateau
State, in an attack suspected to have been carried out by armed herdsmen. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state Police Command, Terna
Tyopev confirmed the incident on the phone yesterday morning, saying the traders were returning from the market when they were gunned down.
According to him, “Some people were returning from the weekly village market of Makera when unknown gunmen attacked and shot them at about 7.30 p.m.”
Tyopev said 11 persons were killed during the attack, but the police were on the trail of the attackers. Plateau has in recent weeks witnessed renewed violence
between herdsmen and locals, resulting in the deaths of scores of people. A villager, Mr. Sunday Pam, Continued on page 8
Tempers Flare as IG Appears Before Senate Probe C’ttee, Refuses to be Questioned… Page 6 Thursday 9 November, 2017 Vol 22. No 8239. Price: N250
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Fayemi to Seek Buhari’s Permission to Contest Ekiti Guber Election… Page 10
FG Protests Moody’s Downgrade, Reveals Plan to Sell JV Oil Assets Targets $2bn from proceeds of sale to investors PENGASSAN warns against divestment to fund budget Obinna Chima and Solomon Elusoji The Nigerian government yesterday “strongly” rejected the reasons one of the global rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service, gave for its decision to downgrade the country’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt rating to ‘B2’ from ‘B1’. Moody’s in a statement yesterday also downgraded the country’s senior unsecured MTN programme rating and the provisional senior unsecured debt rating to ‘(P)B2’
from ‘(P)B1,’ while retaining a stable outlook on Nigeria. In its reaction to the downgrade, the federal government reeled out the reform initiatives it has undertaken in the last two years to turn around the economy, including its intention to raise N710 billion ($2 billion) this year from the restructuring of the government’s equity in the joint venture oil assets, as highlighted in the 2018 budget. “The reform is aimed at Continued on page 6
MOODY’S DOWNGRADE: ‘B1’ TO ‘B2’, STABLE OUTLOOK "Efforts to address the key structural weakness exposed by the oil price shock by broadening the non-oil revenue base have so far proven largely unsuccessful… While debt levels in the country have remained contained and notwithstanding recent cyclical improvements, the government’s balance sheet remains structurally exposed to further economic or financial shocks, with interest payments very high relative to revenues and deficits elevated despite cuts in capital spending"
L-R: Chairman, OVH Energy and Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu; Deputy Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Mr. Omamofe Boyo; Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru; and the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, at the commissioning of the Lagos midstream jetty, an initiative conceived and built by Oando Plc, in Lagos… Tuesday