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Help Govt Fight Crude Oil Theft, Fubara Tasks Monarchs …Says Economic Sabotage Inimical To Dev

Published

6 months ago

July 24, 2024

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that it is the duty of everybody, especially traditional rulers, to join efforts together to ensure that there is stability and unfettered progress of Nigeria.

He has also advised traditional rulers to take charge of their domains and ensure that they make life difficult for ill-guided youths involved in acts of economic sabotage in their various communities.

Governor Fubara gave the charge while declaring open the 117th/118th Combined Quarterly General Meeting of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers at their Secretariat in Port Harcourt on Monday.

The Governor maintained that it should be the concern of everybody to support and see Nigeria progress as a stable country while advancing economically, adding that this is possible only when there is high production of crude oil, as the mainstay of the national economy.

He said: “I want to see a different society from this hour. The Federal Government is doing everything to see that our cryde oil production level increases. But every day, we are having issues of illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalisation and all the associated problems.

“All these people that are carrying out these evil acts, they’re not coming from the moon, they live in our communities, we know them. I am charging this council, as a first step, take charge of your communities.

“If there is any information that you need to share with us, share with us. In the overall, we need our country to progress. We need our country to be stable. We need our country to grow economically. It is through only one means: our oil production.”

The Governor insisted: “We are charging you, to please go back and take charge of your communities. I assure you of our support. If there is anything that we need to do, if it means government sending you some little support financially to create your own vigilante to help, we will do it.”

Governor Fubara expressed delight and gratitude to God that the council is still existing despite the protracted political travail confronting the State and his administration.

The Governor explained that what he is doing is devoid of politics but a performance of statutory duty of government, especially in the appointment of a new chairman to steer the affairs of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers.

He said, “There is nothing new that has happened. The immediate past chairman served out his tenure, and the tenure is usually a one year duration.

“It is at the discretion of the Governor to extend such tenure. I believe, from my own assessment, there was no reason to extend it, but rather to bring in fresh blood that can bring the council together.

“And what we did, we did in good faith because our communities, our people are important to us. I want to commend the chairman who is barely three months in office, to have been able to put this meeting together; it shows leadership.”

Governor Fubara said this is the first time after the appointment of Eze Chike Worlu Wodo that he will be addressing the council, and charged the new chairman, who understands the current situation, to lead the council aright.

He said, “I want you to lead this council with the fear of God. I want you to lead this council with the understanding that you are dealing with people that are independent, and feeding their own families.

“So, you need to have a spirit and heart of accommodation and tolerate them. Make your point very straight when you talk to them. I strongly believe that they are matured enough to give you the required support.”

The Governor emphasised: “So, at this point, I want to charge everyone of you that is here; God at this time has made you leaders of our communities, leaders of our towns, leaders of sections.

“So, know that this appointment that you have is not a mistake. It is God that gave you the chance. Make good use of it.

“Continue to make peace the most important agenda of your reign and locality. It is only on that, that it will now reflect in our State.

“We need total peace in our State. We cannot develop in the face of crisis. We can only improve when every person is living peacefully.”

Governor Fubara said he has been furnished with a comprehensive list of names of all traditional rulers of First Class, Second Class and Third Class totalling over 150.

The Governor explained that the state government cannot take in one block the purchase of their official vehicles, going by that number, and urged them to consider the option of monetizing it because most of them own their cars already.

In his address, the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, used the opportunity to thank Governor Fubara for maintaining peace in the State in the face of the unwarranted political crisis orchestrated by selfish and overzealous politicians.

Eze Wodo, who is the Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State, urged the Governor not to fall into the traps of detractors by confronting their violence with violence, which he noted, will only serve the interest of those selfish politicians.

He said, “All of us know that those that are over-heating the polity have one aim: to make the State ungovernable so as to make it ripe for a declaration of State of Emergency. Please, Sir, advise your supporters to avoid every invitation to violence.

“May I also appeal to our people on all sides of the political divide to remember that we have nowhere else to call home apart from Rivers State. So, we must not allow our personal interest to destroy the peace, stability and growth of our State.”

Eze Wodo enjoined members of the council: “As traditional rulers, we owe our State the duty of making it peaceful by cautioning our children against violent acts.

“We, therefore, cannot caution anybody if we allow ourselves become overly partisan. We will then lose the moral authority to reprimand those causing trouble when we take sides. So, I say, let us all work assiduously to maintain peace in Rivers State.”

On his part, the Rivers State Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Engr. Charles Amadi, noted with concern the disturbing development and progressive degradation of values in the various communities, requiring focused attention on the roles of the traditional rulers in Rivers State.

Engr Amadi said there has been hope all along that traditional rulers in the State will pull their various domains through with tenable innovations that will stem the dwindling social decay in the various communities.

He said, “But, by close examination of the problems in the various communities of Rivers State, compared with the activities in the various settlers of the various communities, we found out that we are on the path of diminishing returns with many of the communities cum settlers, plunging into crisis.

“It has become increasingly obvious that we must examine the roles of the Rivers State traditional rulers in other to improve efficiency and curtail the crisis in our various communities.

“However, I strongly commend those traditional rulers of Rivers State that have displayed their good roles effectively and efficiently in the various communities that yielded relative peace that has ushered in good governance in Rivers State.”

Engr Amadi said the quarterly meeting, therefore, presents a time for traditional rulers to resolve on how to harness the potentials that will engender improvements of living conditions and overall development of their various communities.

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Tinubu Pledges Peace, Justice, Development in Ogoniland….Fubara Lauds President on Peace Talks

Published

3 hours ago

January 22, 2025

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has assured the people of Ogoniland that his administration will prioritize peace, justice, and sustainable development in the region.

The President said this during a closed-door meeting with the leaders of Ogoniland led by the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, yesterday.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed details of the meeting in a statement titled ‘President Tinubu pledges peace, justice, development in Ogoniland.’

At the meeting, Tinubu called for unity and reconciliation, urging the Ogoni people to set aside historical grievances and work together to achieve peace, development, and a clean environment.“

We must work together with mutual trust. Go back home, do more consultations, and embrace others.“We must make this trip worthwhile by bringing peace, development, and a clean environment back to Ogoniland,” Tinubu said.

“We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward. We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry,” he added.

Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to coordinate the negotiations as he called for inclusive consultation and mutual understanding.

The President commended the delegation for embracing the Federal Government-led dialogue and emphasised the need for collaboration, trust, and inclusiveness to resolve lingering issues in the region.

He asked ministers, the NNPCL, and the Rivers State Government to cooperate with the Office of the National Security Adviser to achieve this mandate.Tinubu told his guests, “It is a great honour for me to have this meeting, which is an opportunity to dialogue with the people of Ogoniland.

“It has been many years since your children and myself partnered to resist military dictatorship in this country. No one dreamt I would be in this chair as President, but we thank God.

“Many of your sons present here were my friends and co-travellers in the streets of Nigeria, Europe, and America. I know what to do in memory of our beloved ones so that their sacrifices will not be in vain,.

”Fubara thanked the President for his support of the Ogoni people and for welcoming an all-inclusive representation of the people to the Presidential Villa.

He said the meeting was a follow-up to an assignment the President gave him through the National Security Adviser.

Emphasising the importance of resuming oil operations in Ogoniland, the governor pledged the delegation’s commitment to adhering to the President’s instructions and providing the necessary support to achieve the government’s objectives.“

What we are doing here today is to concretise the love and respect we have for the President for being behind this meeting and for him to tell us to go back and continue the consultations with a timeline so that the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland will commence,” Fubara said.

On his part, Ribadu commended the Ogoni people for their trust in President Tinubu and for embracing dialogue as a path to meaningful progress and enduring solutions.

“Guided by Mr. President’s vision that every voice is heard and every interest is considered, my office, the DSS, the government of Rivers State and the Minister of FCT embarked on a diligent and consultative process to assemble this delegation,” Ribadu said.

He noted that the over 50-member delegation that met with the President reflected the rich diversity of Ogoni society, representing various constituencies, interests, and viewpoints.

“The presence of this delegation is a testament to the Ogoni people’s readiness to engage constructively in the pursuit of peace, justice, and sustainable development,” he noted.

A representative of the Ogoni leadership, King Festus Babari Bagia Gberesaako XIII, the Gberemene of Gokana Kingdom, expressed the community leaders’ willingness to engage in the process of finding lasting solutions to the lingering challenges in Ogoniland.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said the Federal Government aimed to conclude the Ogoni cleanup within three to four years, with half of the project completed.

The delegation included Senators Lee Maeba, Magnus Abe, Olaka Nwogu, Victor Giadom, Kenneth Kobani, Monsignor Pius Kii, Leedom Mitee, Senators Bennett Birabi, Barry Mpigi, Prof. B. Fakae, among others.Also in attendance were the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas; and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari.

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Nigeria, S/Arabia, Deepen Ties On Solid Mineral Exploration

Published

4 hours ago

January 22, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have renewed plans to build the capacity of their geological agencies by leveraging the breakthroughs recorded by Saudi firms in mineral exploration.

Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, made this known in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.

He said that this was on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,

Tomori said the decision was taken at a closed-door meeting between a delegation from Saudi Arabia led by its Minister of Mining, Bandar Al-Khorayef, and Nigeria’s delegation led by Alake.

He said Alake proposed for both countries to collaborate on areas of economic advantage, urging partnerships based on the sector’s value chain.

Citing Saudi Arabia’s renowned gold market as an example, Alake said Nigeria’s gold refineries could access the Saudi market under protective clauses, guaranteeing expansion opportunities for both economies.

On his part, the Saudi Minister disclosed that its government and the private sector were working together to introduce new technologies for mineral exploration.

He emphasised that new products were showcased at the minerals forum conference to foster business partnerships and raise awareness of their applications.

Alake also met with officials of the Saudi Chamber of Commerce, where he canvassed their investment in Nigeria’s mining sector.

He urged them to leverage the large deposits of lithium and iron ore, which were being processed in Nigeria in line with the value addition policy.

To de-risk their investment, the minister promised to direct the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, to provide relevant data on their minerals of interest.

According to the minister, the global transition toward electric machines, which use lithium batteries, has positioned Nigeria as a critical supplier of minerals

Tomori quoted him saying, “Partnership with Saudi investors will encourage the export of finished industrial inputs.”

Acknowledging the investment in steel production in Saudi Arabia, the minister cited examples of companies processing iron ore to steel in Nigeria as precedents that could be replicated.

He said that Nigeria was committed to creating an enabling environment for investors to ensure smooth operations in mining projects.

The minister said they included the establishment of laboratories for the separation and analysis of mineral samples, among other facilities.

“Nigeria has the best certified laboratories for minerals in West Africa,” he said.

The Tide source reports that the 2025 Future Minerals Forum (FMF) with the theme: “Year of Impact,’ was held from Jan. 14 to 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting was to bolster international collaboration in producing the critical minerals essential for the global energy transition.

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FG, States, Local Govts Share N1.42trn In January

Published

6 hours ago

January 22, 2025

The Tide

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed a total sum of N 1.424 trillion to federal, state and local governments. The total amount is derived from the federation account revenue generated in December 2024.

The disbursement, which was made at the January 2025 Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held in Abuja, last Friday comprising distributable statutory revenue of N386.124 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N604.872 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N31.211 billion and Exchange Difference revenue of N402.714 billion.

According to a communiqué issued by the committee, the total gross revenue of N2.310 trillion was available in the month of December 2024, while the total deduction for cost of collection was N84.780 billion, total transfers, interventions and refunds was N801.175 billion.

According to the communiqué, gross statutory revenue of N1.226 trillion was received for the month of December 2024. This was lower than the sum of N1.827 trillion received in the month of November 2024 by N600.988 billion.

Also, the gross revenue of N649.561 billion was available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) in December 2024. This was higher than the N628.973 billion available in the month of November 2024 by N20.588 billion.

The communiqué stated that from the N1.424 trillion total distributable revenue, the federal government received total sum of N451.193 billion while state governments received total sum of N498.498 billion.

The local government councils received total sum of N361.754 billion and a total sum of N113.477 billion (13 percent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.

On the N386.124 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N167.690 billion and the state governments received N85.055 billion while local government councils received N65.574 billion. The sum of N67.806 billion (13 percent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

“From the N604.872 billion distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, the Federal Government received N90.731 billion, the State Governments received N302.436 billion and the Local Government Councils received N211.705 billion.

“A total sum of N4.682 billion was received by the Federal Government from the N31.211 billion Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL). The State Governments received N15.605 billion and the Local Government Councils received N10.924 billion.

“From the N402.714 billion Exchange Difference revenue, the communiqué stated that the Federal Government received N188.090 billion and the State Governments received N95.402 billion. The Local Government Councils received N73.551 billion, while the sum of N45.671 billion (13% of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue,” the communique stated.