Vanguard, THURSDAY THURSDAY,, FEBRUARY 14, 2013—11
BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU & GABRIEL EWEPU
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BUJA — THE first acid test of the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, took place yesterday at the residence of the Action Congress of Nigeria Chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi, Abuja as what should be the logo of the party nearly tore the party apart. It was gathered that the big wigs of the party had in the meeting excluded the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, from the logo of the party which made some members to walk out of the meeting in annoyance Some of the APGA representatives in the meeting were seen outside the meeting hall discussing the development, while some members had threatened to pull out of the merger if the party will not be treated with equal respect. Speaking to journalists on the development the interim spokesman of APC and former national publicity secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that there was no crisis in the party, rather the party deliberate-
Derivation Fund: Oil producing communities in Ondo demand direct payment BY DAYO JOHNSON
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KURE—OIL Produc ing Communities in Ondo State yesterday, demanded for a direct remittance of the oil mineral Derivation Fund to them by the Federal Government. Representatives of oil communities in the two coastal councils of Ilaje and Ese-Odo, under the aegis of the state branch of Oil and Gas-Producing Communities of Nigeria, OGPCN, from Ondo State, after a meeting in Akure, appealed to the Federal Government to follow the provision of the Constitution to the letter. In a communiqué by Ondo OGPCN Chairman, Chief Adewale Omojuwa, and the Secretary, Dr. Soji Omowole, the communities said “We haveresolved that the 13 percent Derivation Fund as established under Section 162 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), should be released to oil and gas-producing communities.”
Merger: Crisis hits APC —APGA
protests over exclusion from logo
ly excluded APGA in deciding the logo as a result of the factionalization in the party. He said, ‘’When you are at this kind of situation of course you are going to have differing views and positions. We must realize the situation of APGA, we appreciate the fact that APGA is today divided, factional-
ized and therefore it will not be proper for us to take any of the symbols of APGA as part of the logo of APC which they actually accepted. ‘’Their only point is that we should allow them to report back to their party to explain that the new party which is to be unveiled has no symbol of APGA because the moment
we use APGA symbol because of the factionalization in APGA they will take us to court and that is why we now postponed the announcement of the logo until the time when they will be able to go back home and explain. ‘’Certainly they didn’t walk away, what they did was that they went to have their own meeting and consultations,” he said.
COMMISSIONING OF TRACTORS: Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, cutting the tape to commission the equipments, while left Oba Kehinde Olugbenle Olu and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Alake of Egbaland, Omoba Segun Adesegun, Deputy Governor and Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, Agriculture Commissioner and others looks on. Photo: Wumi Akinola.
PPMC, IPMAN at loggerheads over bulk purchase renewal fee
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BY OLA AJAYI
HE Bulk Purchase Agreements renewal fee of N125,000 introduced by the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, to marketers, has pitched it with members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN. The oil marketers, under the aegis of Concerned Marketers, have described the fee as unilateral, absurd and provocative. Already, the oil marketers are contemplating court action to have the fee nullified. This was disclosed yesterday by Concerned Marketers while speaking with newsmen at the association’s secretariat, Ago Taylor, Ibadan. IPMAN, after some calculation said 8,000 of its members would now turn
in over N1 billion into the coffers of PPMC. They complained that their umbrella IPMAN could not protect members. Former Vice-Chairman of the association in the South-Western zone, Mr. Bashiru Yusuf, who spoke on behalf of the group, recalled that the association called for extension of time when the policy was introduced last year because of the problems its members were going through. He said part of the problems was “inadequacy of products for the generality of them to lift and sell at their respective stations at N97 per litre and also the fact that IPMAN members were unable to form a consensus on the issue.” Ibadan depot, he said, had “set up a committee to look into this same issue and a letter was written to the Managing Director, PPMC, without any reply till date.
“In fact, information at our disposal indicates that the letter couriered to the office of the Managing Director was opened, read and couriered back to the depot the way it was sent.”
Amosun boosts agric production with N.5bn equipment BY DAUD OLATUNJI
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OVERNOR Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, yesterday said that if farming in Nigeria were to be attractive to the younger generation and the current trend of rural-urban migration tamed, methods of carrying out agricultural production must be improved upon. Amosun spoke in Abeokuta while commissioning the over N0.5 billion land clearing and preparation equipment procured by his administration to enhance agricultural production in the state. The implements include four bulldozers, 30 MF275 tractors, 33 Baldan disc ploughs, 15 Baldan disc Harrows, two Baldan rotary slashers and two Baldan 4 RowPlanters. Amosun noted that lack of agricultural land breaking equipment and the high cost of land clearing had limited farmers to subsistence level of production, thereby discouraging youths from taking to farming as a business which had become a major constraint to increased agricultural production. He said: “I am aware that the last time agricultural land breaking equipment was procured in our dear state was about three decades ago. The same equipment was boarded in 2006 due to old age and high cost of maintenance without any replacement plan. This consequently limited our farmers to subsistence level of production, thereby discouraging our youths from taking to farming as business.”
PUBLIC NOTICE
THE ALMIGHTY HOUSE OF SOLUTION CHURCH The general public is hereby informed that the above named organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies andAllied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990. The TrusteesAre: 1. Victor Ita Ekpenyong -Chairman 2. Solution, Edem Effiom 0rok -Secretary 3. Blessing John Nsa 4. Victoria Essien Nsa -Financial Secretary 5. John JosephAfanide 6. Jeremiah Victor Ita AimsAnd Objectives: 1. To propagate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2. To counsel the suffering people to locate their purpose 3. To share in one another joy and sorrow in a wider dimension 4. To propagate moral behaviour with a view of enhancing the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ N/B: Any objection to the above mentioned registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, within 28 days of this publication.
Signed: Solution Edem Effiom Orok