10—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012
FUEL SCARCITY: Petrol sells N200 a litre in C-River BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU
C
ALABAR—LONG queues have returned to filling stations in Cross River State as fuel scarcity bites hard especially in Calabar, the state capital. A litre of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, which was sold at N120 by independent marketers and the approved pump price of N97 in stations owned by major marketers two weeks ago now sells between N160 and N200 by
From left: Mr. Marie Ekpere, Prof. Jonhson Ekpere, the chairman of the occasion; Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, Guest Speaker; Justice Rosaline Bozimo, Austin Erutor, President of UCOSA and others, during Urhobo College Old Student Association (UCOSA) Lagos Branch 2012 Annual Dinner and Lecture, at Ocean View Restaurant, Eko Hotel, V.I. Lagos. Photo: Joe Akintola, photo Editor.
PROPERTY BILL: Bini youths vow
showdown with Edo lawmakers .Say bill mischievous .No, it's geared towards improving the lives of the poor —Govt SIMON EBEGBULEM
B
ENIN CITY—The Property Tax Bill before the Edo State House of Assembly is creating tension in the state, as Bini youths have vowed a showdown with the lawmakers, if the bill is passed into law. They described the bill as ill-conceived and an attempt to foist further
taxes on the Binis of Edo South senatorial district by the state government. Chairman of the state Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Useni Elamah, had last week, explained that the proposed Property Tax Assembly was targeted at the rich in the state, saying that it was geared towards collecting more taxes from the rich with
a view to uplifting the lives of the poor. Benin Youth Council, BYC, in a statement by Mr. Felix Omodamwen, described as diversionary, the claim by proponents of the bill that it would create employment and urged the lawmakers to focus on bills that will tackle k i d n a p p i n g , unemployment and re-
Nigerian politicians warned against project abandonment BY FESTUS AHON
U
GHELLI— C AT H O L I C priest of St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Okwagbe, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, Revd. Fr. Paul Edeghware, has warned Nigerian politicians against abandoning projects awarded to them by government. Edeghware, who gave the warning during the funeral service of late Olorogun Abraham Oviri, father of Democratic Peoples’ Party, DPP, chieftain in the state, Olorogun Okiemute Oviri, said any politician, who abandons project awarded to him would incur the wrath of
God, adding that selfcenteredness among political office holders in Nigeria was the bane of human and infrastructural development in the country. He decried the deplorable state of roads
and power instability in the country and raised alarm over the rate of abandoned projects in the countrnoted thatsaid politicians were enriching themselves at the expense of the masses.
awaken comatose industries and not to impoverish “our landlords, who are suffocating by the alarming security and economic problems in the state. “Much as we desire a higher revenue for government to utilise, we will not succumb to pedestrian blackmails, like the one being touted that the tenement rate bill will create employment. "Apart from touts and brigands, who would be constituted into task force to compel compliance, the bill is to say the least, mischievous, unpopular and ill-conceived and mischievously projected by some opportunists, who are not from Edo South."
...Matrix to flood Delta, other states with fuel BY EMMAARUBI
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A R R I — Pe t r o l e u m Product Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC, has appointed Matrix Energy in Warri, Delta State, to assist in the prompt dispensation of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, in the state to ease fuel scarcity problem in some states
P
ORT HARCOURT — Former Military Governor of Rivers State and Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, has tasked the Federal Government, to without further delay, direct payment of penalties for flared gas to oil producing communities.
King Diete-Spiff, who was guest of honour at the official opening of the ongoing 8th Port Harcourt International Trade Fair organised by the Port Harcourt Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, PHCCIMA, said it was injustice of
inciting proportion for Federal Government to continue to appropriate for itself, compensation for damages impacted on oil producing communities by oil exploration and production companies in their operating environment.
in the region. Matrix Energy with large products storage facilities situated at Ifiekporo community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, has so far received over 22million litres of PMS and is set to dispense about six million litres from its tank farm on a daily basis. The states to benefit from the distribution are: Delta, Edo, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, among others.
IPA hails Gov Uduaghan over LG appointments
T
HE recent appointments of caretaker committees for local government areas in Delta State by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has been described as a step in the right direction, which would develop the grassroots. Isoko Positive Agenda, IPA, which commended the governor for appointing two of its members, Sam Idise and
Mr. Isaac Atikueke as chairman and secretary respectively of Isoko North Local Government Area, also commended the governor for reappointing Mr. Joseph Ogeh as Commissioner representing the Isoko nation on the board of Delta State Oil Producing and D e v e l o p m e n t C o m m i s s i o n , DESOPADEC.
Para-militar y organisations spoiling for a showdown with Interior Ministry BY DONALD AJi
Pay gas flare penalties to oil communities —Diete Spiff
independent marketers, while black market sells at N300 per litre. And it is now easier to buy the product at black market. As at weekend, apart from North West Petroleum at the Parliamentary extension that had the product and sold at the approved price of N97 with a very long queue, other major marketers in the state capital did not have the product while the independent marketers sold at N200.
O
FFICERS of vari ous agencies under the Ministry of Interior are reportedly spoiling for a showdown with top management of the ministry following alleged over-bearing tendencies against a top official in the ministry. Investigations revealed that the officers are expressing fear that the attitude of the top official is constituting a clog in
the wheel of the smooth and efficient discharge of the respective mandates of the para-military organisations. A source at Nigeria Immigration Service, who pleaded anonymity, accused the top official of demonstrating obvious and unacceptable dictatorship in the conduct of his supervisory roles, sometimes carrying himself as if he wields absolute powers.