Dangote Refinery will Curb Fuel Importation by NNPCL_ PENGASSAN

Dangote Refinery will Curb Fuel Importation by NNPCL_ PENGASSAN

Abuja______ The coming onstream of Dangote Refinery in the coming days will cut importation of petroleum products by NNPC Limited and the evils of petrol subsidy.

The president, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Festus Osifo, stated this on Thursday, at the 7th Triennial National Delegates’ Conference in Abuja.

He said with the refinery, there will be an impact on the fuel supply dynamics.

“We welcome the bold move by operators of Dangote Refinery coming on stream soon and hope that its addition will enhance local production, reduce products importation as well as end the era of uncertainties in petroleum products pricing and evils of subsidy payment,” he said.

While he commended NNPC Ltd for the rehabilitation of the refineries, especially the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, the PENGASSAN head revealed that South Korean Daewoo (the contractor) has not mobilised to Kaduna Refinery despite signing the contract early this year.

“Kaduna is yet to start and we are pushing to ensure they are completed on time,” he said, as he partly blamed the delay on the insecurity and kidnapping in Kaduna.

On tackling the lingering energy crisis, PENGASSAN tasked the incoming government on hastening the completion of the refineries’ rehabilitation.

“The incoming government must do all within its reach to see to the conclusion of the current rehabilitation effort and initiatives that are currently in place so that our nation’s refinery will come up in no distant time,” Osifo said.

He also said after nine months of battling crude oil theft along with protests by oil workers, production has moved up by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Highlighting the steps PENGASSAN took, Osifo said: “Key among these was the nationwide protests against crude oil theft and presentations at the National Assembly.

These efforts had started yielding fruits as our crude oil production level which was less than a million bpd in August 2022 had risen to more than 1.5mbpd today.”

Tantita Security Nabs Crude Oil Theft with Laden Barge at Opete in Delta

Tantita Security Nabs Crude Oil Theft with Laden Barge at Opete in Delta

.....Secures crew’s arrest for security agencies

Francis Tayor

Warri ____ lnformation reaching our news desk has it that Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited which is a private security contractor engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) belonging to Tompolo has once again intercepted a barge laden with suspected stolen crude oil in Delta waters.

According to our source, the security operatives of the company intercepted 1,000 metric ton capacity barge and two storage tanks of about 45, 000 litres capacity with consignments of suspected stolen crude oil at Opete Community in Udu Local Government Area of the State.

It was further gathered that the barge has been set ablaze on Saturday, while the suspects involved in the illegality were arrested and handed over to security agencies, a eyewitness reported.

It was not clear who the true owners of the vessel are, at the time of filing this report.

However, more details shall be disclosed to the public in our subsequent publications as event unfolds.

The five Justices of Appeal Court to decide fate of Tinubu, Atiku, Obi at ongoing tribunal

The five Justices of Appeal Court to decide fate of Tinubu, Atiku, Obi at ongoing tribunal

As the hearings of presidential election petitions started on Monday, DEBORAH TOLU-KOLAWOLE examines the profiles of five justices who are members of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal

The Presidential Election Petition Court on Monday began hearing the election petitions filed by five candidates in the last presidential poll. The candidates are challenging the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu. The five-man panel will hear the petitions and dispense justice accordingly. Meet the five Court of Appeal justices that will determine the outcome of the petitions.

 Justice Tsammani:

Haruna Tsammani, 64 was appointed a Justice of the appeal court in 2010. He was called to the bar after attending the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1983. He was appointed a high court judge in Bauchi State on September 17, 1998.

Tsammani is not new to electoral tribunal sittings. In December 2015, he was a part of the five-man panel of the appeal court which dismissed an appeal instituted by a former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja against the election of the late former governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

Similarly, in 2019, Tsammani wrote the lead judgment for an election petition submitted by Ajimobi who contested the decision of the 2019 Election Petition Tribunal, which on November 19 of that same year confirmed Kola Balogun of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the senatorial election for Oyo State. Ajimobi’s petition was rejected by Tsammani, who in the lead judgment noted that the petition lacked merit.

He served as the chairman of the three-man panel that granted Obi and Atiku’s applications to serve Tinubu their petitions by substituted means. He also presided over the Value Added Tax case between the Rivers State Government and the Federal Government. He is ranked 12th on the seniority list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Adah

Justice Stephen Jonah Adah- The 66-year-old justice from the Asaba Division of the Court of Appeal graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 1982. He hails from Kogi State. He was appointed as a judge of the Federal High Court on November 12, 1998. 

One of his landmark judgments was delivered in an appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2020 against a trial court’s decision which partially upheld the no-case submission filed by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola.

Adah led the panel that affirmed Enugu State’s Ifeanyi Ubah as a senator after he was sacked over alleged certificate forgery. He also led the panel that affirmed Valentine Ozigbo as the PDP governorship candidate for the Anambra governorship election in 2022. He is ranked 22nd on the seniority list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Bolaji-Yusuf

Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf – The only female justice in the tribunal was born on August 7, 1959. She hails from Oyo State where she started her education at Oranyan Grammar School between 1972 and 1973 before proceeding to the Breman Asikuma Secondary School, Central Region, Ghana between 1973 and 1976. She attended the Obafemi Awolowo University between 1979 and 1983 and also attended the Nigerian Law School from 1983 to 1984.

Bolaji-Yusuf was appointed as a justice in the Oyo State high court on January 30, 1997 where she delivered major judgments. She was appointed to the Court of Appeal on March 24, 2014.

One of her lead judgments was delivered during the hearing of an N5.6bn pension scam in Oyo State. The case involved the EFCC and 12 other persons in the Oyo State civil service.

She was on the panel that affirmed that the candidates of the Godwin Obaseki-faction were the authentic candidates to participate in Edo State in the 2023 elections. She is ranked 31st on the seniority list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Ugo

Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo- The Bayelsa-State-born justice is from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state. Born in 1965, Ugo began his education at the State school, Igbedi in Bayelsa State from 1972 to 1978. He proceeded to the Government Secondary School, Asoama, Sabagreia in Bayelsa State from 1977 to 1982. He attended the University of Calabar where he studied law from 1985 to 1989. He attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1990.

Justice Ugo was appointed as a justice of the high court of Bayelsa State in March 2006. He became an appellate court justice in March 2014. He is ranked 44th on the seniority list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Bello

Justice Mohammed Abba Bello- The 62-year-old jurist from Kano State attended the Nigerian Law School in 1985. In 2010, he was appointed to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. He presided over the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Tribunal in 2019. David Ombugadu, the PDP candidate for governor in the general election of 2019, had filed a suit against INEC and Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressive Congress.

However, Justice Mohammed rejected the petition on the grounds that it lacked merit, noting that the petitioner’s claims of excessive voting and electoral violence could not be supported. He is ranked 71st on the seniority list of the Court of Appeal.

Appoint More Youths in Your Govt, NDYC Tells Tinubu, Warn Against Distractors

Appoint More Youths in Your Govt, NDYC Tells Tinubu, Warn Against Distractors

Warri ____ A leading group operating under the auspices of Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) on Thursday called on Bola Tinubu, President Elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria to concentrate more of his appointment on Youths of the country. 

In a statement jointly signed by the duo of Amb. Comr. Bene Youkore Mamamu, popularly known as young chief as President, Niger Delta Youth Council and Comr. Onitsha Ebikeme Shadrach,  Secretary of NDYC, earlier today in Warri.

The duo of Mamamu and Ebikeme had maintained that when inaugurated as President of Nigeria come May 29th 2023, Tinubu must adequately appoint Nigerian Youths to man juicy offices in his Government. 

They maintained that such move should be the best thing to do as the strength of the country lies in the youths. 

Nevertheless, speaking further, Bene and Shadrach had warned against anyone or group of people that will ever think of disrupting the May 29th Presidential inauguration, stressing that everyone should come out to embrace Tinubu as the President of Nigeria come May 29th 2023.

In their words "As a youth organisation in Niger Delta, we are calling on the President Elect, Bola Tinubu to consider appointing more youths into his Government starting from May 29th 2023.

"This should be so because the youths cannot continue to take the back seat after delivering before, during and after elections. 

"It is no longer a news that youths of the country occupies a major part of the country's population hence giving them a sense of belonging in the Government will make sense. We are really hoping for the best in this Government. " NDYC asserted. 

Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Youth Council had tasked President Elect, Bola Tinubu to live up to his campaign promises, adding that Nigerians need a working Government that will allay the fears of the common man.

They continued that after inauguration, Tinubu should prioritise the rapid development of the Niger Delta region.

The Rise of Controversial Singer Habeeb Olalomi aka Portable

The Rise of Controversial Singer Habeeb Olalomi aka Portable

Habeeb Olalomi oyegbile popularly known as Portable or Dr Zeh is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter. 

He was born 12 March 1994 (age 29)

Ijesha, Osun State, Nigeria. 

Portable stumbled on fame by chance when a blogger, Don Blue, used ‘Zazu Zeh’ as a soundtrack on a post which eventually piqued the famous Nigerian singer Olamide’s interest.

Speaking in an interview with BoomPlay, on how he met Olamide, Portable said, “I met Don Blue, an online blogger. I have never seen him physically. He reposted my song, and I showed him gratitude 

“Shortly after, Don Blue called me and told me that Baddo wanted to meet me, so I rushed to Lekki to meet Baddo,” he said.

Portable, however, became a household name after he featured Nigerian dancer Poco Lee and Olamide on his street anthem, ‘Zazu Zeh’.

 During his early stage of fame, he became well known for calling out his business partners on social media for scamming him on business deals such as artist management and also on his Instagram handle where he mostly does all his controversial activities. 

The singer had a Feud with dancer Poco Lee who he accused of cheating him off $2600 

Portable also sacked  his manager, DJ and show promoter

In a surprise move, the Zah Zuh coroner had sacked his crew members, including his manager, disc jockey and show promoter.

He said they put up an attitude whenever new people want to “mingle” with him.

Speaking further, Portable accused his crew members of always holding him back from meeting new people. 

His Controversial nature caused a Canadian-based Nigerian MC, Morris, to drop him from a show. 

The MC complained that Portable had sacked two managers in less than a year, and he would no longer have him perform in his show.

He went further to say that he has written to immigration to deny his visa application.

Portable also made headlines for his series of fights with some fans.

He allegedly got into a nasty fight with some Benin fans at a show in Edo State.

Hours after the fight, Portable almost got into another fight with a DJ in a club. The singer got infuriated and irritated with how the DJ handled his song.

Shortly after that show, Portable was seen in a live recorded video challenging some police officers who attempted to arrest him.

Portable, was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command following the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum given to him to turn himself in for refusing to honour police invitation over alleged assault.

In the early hours of Monday, April 3, 2023, Portable was charged in the Ifo high court in Ogun state.

He was nominated at the 

2022 Headies Award for The Headies Best Street Artist Nominated and 

The Headies Rookie of the Year. 

The controversial Singer has also released series of very controversial songs. 

Kuku Do Ritual · 2023

Expensive OG · 2022

Oro Aje · 2022

Papangolo · 2022.

Am Not a Prisoner · 2023

Ika of Africa · 2022

Money Before You Love · 2022

Zazuu (Zee!) · 2022

The Man Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, MD NDDC, his Birth, Education, Political Career

The Man Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, MD NDDC, his Birth, Education, Political Career 

Francis Tayor

Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), is a passionate, focused, self-motivated political scientist and administrator knowledgeable in conflict resolution, youth leadership development, personnel management, entrepreneurship, and investment. With over twenty years of crisis management and capacity-building experience gained across diverse areas of human endeavor, he is well-placed to make a difference at the interventionist agency.

Born on August 19, 1975, he is an indigene of Ayakoro in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Dr. Ogbuku started his primary education at Christ the King School, Oromineke, D/Line in Port Harcourt, in Rivers State, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1987. He proceeded to Government Secondary School, Borokiri, Port Harcourt, where he received the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1993. While in Government Secondary School, his passion for transforming the Niger Delta began to form.

Hence the young Samuel Ogbuku proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt to study Political and Administrative Studies, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science. Subsequently, he earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Sociology, Industrial Relations, and Personnel Management in 2002, a Master of Science degree in Political and Administrative Studies (Development Studies) in 2013, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Political and Administrative Studies (Development Studies) in 2021.

Dr. Ogbuku has occupied several important leadership/development and management positions in a storied career with many remarkable accomplishments. These include serving as Personal Assistant to the Special Assistant to the Minister of State, Petroleum from 2005 to 2007, as Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, from May 2007 to January 2012, as well as the Managing Director/CEO of Fulfilled Farms Nigeria Limited, from February 2012 to 2019.

A product of the Niger Delta struggle, a student union activist and former public relations officer of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, Dr. Ogbuku, has always shown deep concern about the plight of the Niger Delta region. He has consistently demonstrated a zeal to positively impact the lives of his people, as shown when he served as Chief of Staff under the Chief Timipre Sylva administration in Bayelsa State between 2007 and 2012. As an entrepreneur, he takes investing in agriculture very seriously. There is growing hope that his tenure will bring the necessary investments to improve agriculture and aquaculture in the region in a way that positively impacts the people’s traditional livelihoods.

An ally of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, working with him in many capacities, Dr. Ogbuku often says that his long years of service and tutelage have broadened his experience and deepened his understanding of what it takes to improve the living conditions of the people of the Niger Delta. With his excellent knowledge of the region, he believes that engaging youths in dialogue, valuable activities, and education will go a long way in addressing the challenge of youth restiveness.

Until he was appointed Managing Director/CEO of the NDDC, he served as Senior Special Assistant on Niger Delta Affairs to the Deputy President of the Senate, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege. He is also a Traditional Ruler (Deputy Paramount Ruler) of Ayakoro Town, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. He continues to be a bridge builder across communities in the state and the region.

Dr. Ogbuku looks forward to utilizing his vast intellectual resources to strengthen the Commission so that every employee contributes to making a difference in the Niger Delta. He has also vowed to guide the Board to study the Niger Delta Regional Development Master plan in order to avoid duplication of projects.