Labour rejects Zuma’s statue in Owerri, demands its pull down

 UNITED Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, has rejected the erection of statue of President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, in Owerri by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, including naming a street in the state capital after Zuma. While demanding that the statue be pulled down, ULC described honouring of Zuma by the governor as highly insensitive and contemptuous of not only the people of Imo State but also possess the dangers to Nigeria if not roundly condemned and excoriated by well-meaning Nigerians. 

                                                        Jacob Zuma’s statue in Imo
 ULC in a statement by its President, Mr Joe Ajaero, urged the people of Imo State and other patriotic Nigerians who feel outraged over this act to immediately demand that Okorocha should pull down the infamous statue. The group called on the people of Imo State to demand a return of the money used in this ignoble project and march to the legislature to demand that Okorocha apologises to the citizens of the state for bringing this national shame and disgrace to them. The statement read in part: “We are not against honouring great men and women who have contributed positively to the development of the state to encourage them to do more but we know that whatever must have informed the choice of Jacob Zuma at this time must be everything but altruistic and patriotism. “How he became a Nigerian or Imo State champion cannot be explained and beats our imagination. Zuma is not  a Nigerian patriot, contributed nothing to the Nigerian project and the Imo State effort at development. He is not Shehu Shagari, Sam Mbakwe, Awolowo or Zik of Africa; either is he any of those patriots from Imo State or other parts of Nigeria who are well-deserving of such honour and who have not been honoured. He definitely does not deserve a statue in Imo State talk less of naming a street after him.”

Fears as Ebonyi commences registration of IPOB members

There are palpable fears among some members of the recently proscribed and terrorist tagged Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Ebonyi as the state has begun a move to identify them.

The state government has established a data capturing and registration of youths and members of the group, across its 13 local government areas whom it said were misled with the IPOB agitation for a state of Biafra.

The Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and Job Creation in the state, Uchenna Orji, on Wednesday made the revelation that the state has commenced data capturing and registration of youths misled by IPOB across the state’s 13 local government areas.

The commissioner disclosed this in Abakaliki when he briefed newsmen on the activities of the current administration in the area of youth empowerment.

He said, “The IPOB youths are being registered in the Department of Education and Social Welfare in the LGAs. After their capturing, the state government will create a programme to train and empower them in their chosen career.”

However, while the state had announced that the development was to identify members of the group in the state in order to empower them to be able to do better things with their lives, a good number of IPOB members in the state are suspicious of the move, it was learnt.

Fears expressed by some of the members of IPOB in the state, Ripples Nigeria learnt, was that the data capturing and registration may be a design by the Governor Dave Umahi-led government of the state to identify, and maybe prosecute members of the group.

This was even as some of them feel that, Umahi, who is the chairman of Eastern Governor’s Forum, which proscribed the activities of IPOB may be up to something else.

Also, following the tagging of IPOB as terrorists organisation by the Federal Government, a good number of the state IPOB members were said not to be ready to go to jail.

But the state government said that the empowerment programme goes beyond indigenes of Ebonyi resident in the state. The government said that it had extended schemes to Ebonyi youths in other states of the federation, including Sokoto, Kaduna, Anambra and Lagos, adding that over 3000 youths had so far been empowered in the state.

Orji further said that apart from pursuing the action plan of making the IPOB members economically independent, that the initiative would also help in reducing social vices and other forms of criminality currently plaguing the society.

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Major Nigerian groups mount pressure on Buhari over $25b NNPC scandal

- Since the letter from Ibe Kachikwu leaked, many Nigerians have been asking President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure sincere probe of the NNPC

- Some groups including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have told Buhari how to take action to redeem his government

- SERAP also asked that Baru be suspended and handed over to the EFCC for investigation and possible prosecution

President Muhammadu Buhari is under intense pressure to ensure proper investigation and action concerning the $25 billion alleged contract deals currently rocking the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The meeting between Ibe Kachikwu, the minister of state for petroleum, and President Muhammadu Buhari, has been rescheduled to hold on Friday, October 6.

The Nation reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project(SERAP) are asking for Maikanti Baru’s probe.

NLC president Ayuba Wabba, said: “The issue is under some investigation and I think there should be an opportunity to interrogate the process and at the end of the day, let us know the veracity and facts of the issue.

“We have made this issue quite clear and loud that part of our challenge is how we are able to imbibe the process of good governance, transparency and accountability.

“Some of the issues bother on this critical idea of ensuring that there is good governance in place. Our hope is that this issue will be thoroughly investigated and concluded at the end of the day.

“Let us hear what the issues are as well as the fact of the matter. Once we get the facts, we will then be able to make a conclusion.”

ANEEJ executive director, Rev David Ugolor, released a statement asking that Buhari should ensure the issue is investigated.

“Since the Senate has waded into the matter, we suggest that Mr President as well must invite the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI, to carry out a comprehensive and forensic audit of the allegations.

“Among statutory functions of the NEITI include the regulation of matters related to due process in the award of contracts in the extractive sector of the Nigerian sector.

“We believe that the inconsistencies being thrown up by the startling revelations from the minister of state for petroleum resources include some of the issues which the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill seeks to address and redress.”

On its part, SERAP wants the case to be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The group further want Buhari to suspend Baru, pending the referral to the EFCC and ICPC, and the outcome of any investigation by the anti-corruption agencies in order not to create the impression that his government is treating the NNPC boss as a sacred cow.

“We urge you not to allow the allegations against Mr Baru go the way of past inconclusive investigations of allegations of massive corruption within the NNPC,” it said.

NEITI’s technical adviser Dr Dauda Garuba, said: “Whichever way one looks at it, N25 billion is too huge an amount to build contracts around without due process. We are supposed to be a country guided by rules and procedures. We must make Nigeria work.

“I must say that it is unfortunate that the Nigeria public is being unenviably treated to unpleasant developments in the oil sector.

“If you ask me, this is coming at a wrong time in our history. Just when we are expecting a reform of the sector so that it can deliver the country out of the wounds, we are having to deal with this.”

Earlier reports on how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged that the $25 billion contract scam at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ‎is to fund President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term ambition in 2019.

It was gathered that the minister of state for petroleum resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, in a leaked letter to President Buhari dated August 30, accused the Group Managing Director (GMD) Dr. Maikanti Baru of insubordination and corruption.

Former NNPC group managing director Andrew Yakubu in court over fraud allegations

Bag of rice to sell for N6,000

NATIONAL President of Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria, Aminu Goronyo,
yesterday, disclosed that in the next few
months, a 50kg bag of rice would be
sold at the rate of N6,000.
Goronyo made this known during a
meeting between rice farmers, processors
and the Minister of agriculture, Audu
Ogbeh, at the ministry’s headquarters in
Abuja.

According to the farmers’ boss, the
anticipated crash in prices is due to wet
season bumper harvest by rice farmers,
adding that operators have resolved to
reduce the price of a 50kg bag of rice,
which is currently priced within the
range of N15,000 to N17,000, to N13,000.
“This is just the beginning. The actual
price will still come down because we
are expecting a bumper harvest this
year; we have sat down with the millers
and agreed that we will work together
for the interest of Nigerians.
“At one time, people were buying a
bag of rice at the cost of N18,000, but they
are now buying it at between N13,000
and N15,000. The price is coming down.
In the next few months, God willing,
the price of a 50kg bag of rice will come
down to N6,000. It is achievable, it will
be a reality,’’ he said.
Chairman, Rice Processors Association
of Nigeria, RIPAN, Mohammed
Abubakar, said the association
had signed a Memorandum of
Understanding, MoU, to slash the prices
of both paddy and processed rice.
“We have agreed at N110,000 per
tonne of paddy. In the market, rice will
come around N13,000 to N13,500 per
50kg bag. Before now, we were buying
paddy at N140,000 and N150,000 per
tonne and we are selling our rice at
N16,000 per 50kg bag.
“If this MoU works, we hope to sell
a bag of rice at N13,000 to N13,500,
depending on where you are in the
country.”
Ogbeh commended the associations
for their decision to slash the price of
locally produced rice.
The minister, who noted that the
biggest challenge facing rice farmers in
the country is smuggling, said the move
would aid efforts to stamp out rice
smuggling into the country.
“Let me express the appreciation of
President Muhammadu Buhari and the
Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo,
to both farmers and millers because
nobody can calculate what you have
done to rescue our country that was
very close to a disaster.
“What you have done is going to save
us from a lot of difficulties. What we
want to promise you is that we will help
you ease the burden of rice farming.
“Last year, we procured 80,000
threshers; this year, we will procure
another 2,500 threshers and we are
bringing in small reapers for distribution
to rice farmers.
“The equipment will enable them to
cut the rice, thresh it, winnow it and put
it in sacks; It will take away all the stress
which makes rice farming very difficult
so that you can keep to the price of N110,
000 per tonne of paddy that we agreed.
“If we are able to keep these prices
stable and we are able to contain
smuggling, I hope you will keep us
informed when there are any challenges
confronting you because no country
can claim to be strong if its citizens are
hungry.
“Let everybody know that the price
of rice for this Christmas will be good
enough for us to eat rice, chicken and
fish.”
The federal government had banned
the importation to improve local
production and some states like Lagos
and Kebbi have jointly produced rice for
commercial activities in their states.
Data made available by the National
Bureau of Statistics shows that export
activities in the agricultural sector has
been on the rise in 2017.

BREAKING: Charlyboy group drags police to court over resume or resign harassment, demands N500m

Maverick entertainer, Charles Oputa, popularly called Charlyboy, has dragged the FCT Police Command before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja over the harassment he and members of OurMumuDonDo as well as Concerned Nigerians, faced during the resume or resign protests.

Oputa is seeking a N500m redress for the infringement of his fundamental rights.

Details later…