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SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 • T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R
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Kachikwu Begins Talks with CBN on Marketers’Forex Requests Says current situation wearing down NNPC’s capacity Chineme Okafor in Abuja Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday disclosed that he had initiated consultations with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to help major oil marketers in Nigeria access foreign exchange to import petrol. Disclosing this during a monitoring tour of petrol stations within Abuja metropolis, the minister said the move would help ease the burden of access to forex which reportedly hampers the ability of marketers to bring petrol into the country. His tour was sequel to the
resurgence of fuel queues at filling stations due to scarcity of petrol in all parts of the country. The minister said already, the situation was beginning to wear down the capacity of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to meet the country’s fuel consumption which is officially put at 40 million litres per day. Noting that NNPC is currently the sole importer and supplier of petrol in the country, he expressed hopes that the lingering fuel scarcity and queues at filling stations would ease off within two days as the corporation
had massively increased the trucking of petrol to depots and filling stations in the country. In December 2015 when the country experienced a bout of petrol scarcity, oil marketers had alleged that federal government’s policy on forex restriction was responsible for their inability to import petrol, hence the scarcity. But Kachikwu said yesterday that, “God willing, we will see this through and under one or two days, we should be clear and we are looking at long term. “We are working very collaboratively with the Central Bank now to try and look at
long term solutions to the majors so that they themselves can begin to go back and bring in their own products, and so apologies again to Nigerians, nobody wants to see this.” Commenting further on the lingering scarcity, Kachikwu said: “we have enough coming in. Obviously the three days of strike hit us very badly but we are flogging again an average of over 300 trucks into Abuja. It is going to take a bit of a while for the queues to clear off and we are hoping that between tomorrow and the next one, two days, the queues will all disappear.” “We are continuing to pump
in, a lot of our stations are open 24 hours a day. Long term obviously, we have got to systemically look at how you prepare this nation in circumstances where there are emergencies and you are able to respond.” He said he would initiate a long-term solution to curb the menace of products scarcity in the country, but did not give details of the planned solution. Pleading with Nigerians to bear with the government, Kachikwu said, “We are obviously not getting it as well as we should. Again, I apologise to Nigerians for all the pains, nobody wants to
see people spend up to two hours on fuel queues. “The president is very bothered about this, and if there is anything that bothers him, it is the sight of people waiting for fuel but we are doing everything we can, the NNPC is taking the whole nation on its shoulders.” “Whilst majors are really not bringing in products, we are working on long-term solutions so they now begin to go back to importation lanes and be able to service their own outlets rather than us servicing them and servicing everybody because it is a lot of wear and tear on our capability status.”
members are still keeping secret, the North is not left out of the struggle. Party insiders say there is a groundswell of opinion in the North that the region should retain the national chairmanship post, currently held by Sheriff from the North-east, to give the people a sense of belonging and curtail a growing impression that PDP is a southern party. The North-east states of Gombe and Taraba are the only PDP states in the North, but many in the North think that
retaining the post of national chairman there may isolate the other zones in the region, giving Buhari and his All Progressives Congress unfettered hold on the North. PDP had during its 69th National Executive Committee meeting on Monday in Abuja approved the timetable for its congresses and national convention. The congresses will commence on April 23 and culminate in the national convention, scheduled to hold on May 21 in Port Harcourt. The NEC also approved the setting up of four special committees to prepare for the national convention, namely, the National Convention Committee, Reconciliation Committee, Zoning Committee, and Finance Committee. The crucial field of struggle at the moment ahead of the national convention, findings reveal, is the convention committees, which are expected to play a key role in the emergence of the new
national officers. The convention and zoning committees are being considered as most strategic, fuelling a frantic struggle to fill the two committees. The party is said to be in a state of great agitation over the modalities for choosing members of the committees. But nearly every prominent leader of PDP is playing his cards close to his chest on the zoning matter. The deputy senate president, Ekweremadu, said in a statement on Friday by his special adviser on media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, that there was not secret zoning arrangement, stressing that the party would announce its zoning plan at an appropriate time. The statement added, “The PDP will soon convene a meeting of the relevant stakeholders and organs of the party as stipulated by our constitution to come up with a clear zoning of the national offices of the party in a transparent, democratic, and fair manner.”
SOUTH MOVES TO TAKE PDP CHAIRMANSHIP, NORTH DISAGREES over to Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, following his ratification as substantive chairman. Some party leaders feel the zone that is providing the strongest pillar of support for PDP should be compensated with the chairmanship post. South-east has the second highest number of PDP governors, with three of the zone’s five states controlled by the party. Party members there, too, are struggling for the
national chairmanship post. Two former national chairmen of the party – Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and Chief Vincent Ogbulafor – are from the South-east. The South-west is also making out a strong case for the chairmanship. The argument here is that the zone, which has two PDP governors, has never produced a national chairman of the party since 1999. Besides, the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, and the
man currently regarded as the loudest voice of the party in the South, Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, are from the South-west. But sources within the party say power struggle between the two most prominent leaders of PDP in the South-west may cost the zone the coveted position. Though, the scrambling to secure the chair of the leading opposition party is more intense in the South for the obvious reason of the zoning arrangement, which PDP
FIRST CIVILIAN GOVERNOR OF DELTA, FELIX IBRU, DIES AT 80 the former senator had been deposited in the morgue. Ibru, who was a renowned architect and business tycoon, was said to have died shortly after returning from London where he had been receiving medical attention. Ibru, who was elected governor of Delta State in 1992 under the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) before his tenure was terminated by the military regime of General Sani Abacha, held the position of President General of the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU). Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, in a condolence message to the Ibru Family over the death of former governor, described him as a patriot and political icon. Okowa urged the entire Ibru family to take solace in the fact that he led a glorious and fulfilled life of service to humanity. He noted that Ibru governed Delta State at a time the young state had numerous teething problems but piloted its affairs with patriotic zeal and rare equanimity. Okowa, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, "said the late Senator Ibru was “a patriot and political icon who led the state in her embryonic stage." The governor said, "Senator Ibru will be missed by all whose lives he has touched in many diverse ways in his very fulfilled and achievements-laden life." He described Senator Ibru as a renowned politician, businessman and a highly revered octogenarian and among the very special people who made very significant and indelible contributions to their countries and humanity. Describing his death as “the
exit of a legend,” Okowa said he joined his family, friends, associates, and fans across the world “in giving thanks to God Almighty for his glorious life of service to Delta State, Nigeria and mankind at large.". He said, "Senator Ibru's “life-long dedication and indefatigable commitment to serving the people of Delta State as well as the Urhobos worldwide where he served them meritoriously as Senator and as President of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) will be sorely missed." He, however, assured the Ibru family that the former governor would always be celebrated and honoured by all and sundry in Nigeria "for his unblemished service and exemplary career which had inspired others to take up a life of selfless service to humanity." Okowa’s predecessor, former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, in his reaction to Ibru’s death, said he lived an unblemished, rewarding life worth emulating. Uduaghan said: “Though it is saddening to lose a patriot like Chief Ibru, we are comforted by the fact that he set the stage for the new Delta as the first civilian governor of the state. Even though his regime was truncated, he was an unrepentant patriot who as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria worked tirelessly to ensure that the unity of the country was non-negotiable. “I recall with nostalgia, his role and fatherly interventions in our peace agenda as President General of the Urhobo Progressive Union where he brought to bear his characteristic humility. “Though a sad loss, we are comforted that he left a legacy that would stand the test of time. He will be remembered for his principled and irrepressible position on issues of national
importance. I commiserate with the Ibru Family, especially the patriarch, Olorogun Michael Ibru, and pray the Almighty God will give them the fortitude to bear this great loss.” Also reacting to his death, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) said the news of the transition of the former governor, came to his kith and kin in Urhobo Nation as "a rude shock". Speaking with THISDAY last night, the public relations officer (PRO) of the Interim Committee of the UPU, Chief Josiah Ntekume, said, "A good heart has stopped beating; a good soul ascended to Heaven. We part with our beloved former P-G of UPU, first executive governor of Delta State, Olorogun Felix Ibru in pain. May God grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss." Similarly, right activist and former governorship aspirant, Dr Otive Igbuzor, described Ibru's passing as "very painful and a great blow to Delta State and Urhobo Nation in particular." Born on December 7, 1935 at Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State to Chief Peter Epete Ibru and Chief (Mrs.) Janet Omotogor Ibru, he was the second of seven children. After his secondary school education at Igbobi College, he proceeded to the Nottingham School of Architecture in England where he qualified as an architect in 1962. While a student in Nottingham, he was elected the first Black President of the British Council with responsibility for Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. As a result, he was presented to Queen Elizabeth II and his Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace in 1960.
Shortly after his qualification as an architect in 1962, he worked briefly with the Jewish Agency SOCHNUT, on various projects relating to farm settlements (kibbutzim and moshavim) and prefabricated buildings in Jerusalem and Haifa. He later enrolled at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology for post-graduate studies and qualified with an MSc (Arch) in 1963. He returned to Nigeria at the end of that year and took up an appointment with the Federal Ministry of Education as the first resident Lecturer in Architecture at the Yaba College of Technology. Ibru established an architectural firm, Roye Ibru Associates, which, in 1971, went into partnership with Alan Vaughan-Richards and Associates to establish the firm of Ibru Vaughan-Richards and Associates (Planning Partnership). As one of the two principal partners of the firm, late Ibru was involved in the design and supervision of more than 40 projects across the country. They include: University of Lagos Sports Centre, Oguta Lake Resort, The Diette-Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt, Office extension for Elf Nig. Ltd. Victoria Island, Lagos University master plan, New Layout Market, Port Harcourt, Mile 3 Diobu Market, Port Harcourt, Sheraton Lagos Hotel & Towers, Ikeja, University of Benin sports centre, University of Benin Master plan, Faculty of Science buildings, University of Benin & Ogun State, Ogun State Polytechnic Master plan. As consultant to Ibru Prefabs Limited he was responsible for the design and supervision of several Geodesic Domes of various dimensions in many parts of the country.
EMEFIELE SUSPENDS CBN DEPUTY GOVERNOR, 4 OTHERS officials because the CBN has laid-down procedures for the release of funds, none of which was followed in this particular case. Sources within the bank said following the incident, the governor had warned that henceforth any such infraction would be summarily dealt with. A statement posted on CBN website only stated that the bank had uncovered and aborted fraud without giving details. The four-paragraph CBN statement signed by the Ag. Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okoroafor, and titled, ‘CBN Uncovers and Aborts Fraud,’ reads: “A highly sophisticated plot to defraud the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by some criminal minded elements has been uncovered and aborted by the bank. “Although preliminary investigations so far have not revealed any accomplices within the CBN, management has decided to place all key personnel involved in the transaction on suspension. “This is to ensure a full and unfettered investigation. “This incidence has been reported to relevant authorities. The CBN wishes to assure the general public that the security
of the bank remains intact.” Hackers have been on the prowl lately breaching accounts of banks around the world. Recently, hackers breached Bangladesh Bank's systems and attempted to steal nearly $1 billion from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Though a typo error by the hackers aborted their $1billion heist, they however netted more than $80 million before the cyber heist was uncovered. The hackers appeared to have stolen Bangladesh Bank's credentials for the SWIFT messaging system, which banks around the world use for secure financial communication. They then bombarded the Federal Reserve Bank of New York with about three dozen requests to move money from the Bangladesh Bank's account there to entities in the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Four requests to transfer a total of about $81 million to the Philippines went through, but a fifth, for $20 million, to a Sri Lankan non-profit organisation was held up because the hackers misspelled the name of the NGO, Shalika Foundation, prompting a routing bank, Deutsche Bank, to seek clarification from the Bangladesh central bank, which stopped the transaction.