FG sacks NOA DG, Idi Farouk

THE Federal Government, on Monday, sacked Mr Idi Farouk as the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

A terse statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, made available to newsmen in Abuja, said President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the appointment of Mr Michael Omeri Agbo Omeri as the new NOA Director-General.

Omeri’s appointment takes effect from today (Tuesday), according to the statement. With this development the Federal Government might have sealed the fate of Mr Idi Farouk who was said to have been in the position for long.

Omeri holds a Masters Degree in Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos, Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication from the University of Maiduguri and a Certificate in Information Education and Communication from the Centre for African Family Studies, Kenya.

The statement quoted President Jonathan as thanking Farouk and wished him well in his future endeavours.

Although, the statement failed to disclose the main reason for his sudden removal, but it was gathered that the action of the government might not be unconnected with the poor handling of the fuel subsidy removal.

It was gathered that the agency was supposed to educate Nigerians properly on the need for the removal of the oil subsidy but he failed to do its job.






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Kano NLC stages street protest

Organised Labour and civil society organisations in Kano State yesterday staged a protest rally, despite the directive by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President Abdulwaheed Omar that the strike over the hike in the pump price of petrol by the Federal Government had been suspended.

Aganga interrogates OGFZA boss over alleged approval of N32.8m

MINISTER of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, on Tuesday, interrogated the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Onne, Rivers State Dr Noble Abe, over the allegation of approving N32.8 million to purchase office items for the use of the Abuja office of the authority.

SSS raids CNN Lagos office

THE Cable News Network (CNN), on Monday afternoon, demanded explanations from the Nigerian government over the invasion of its Lagos offices by State Security Service (SSS) agents. The agents were said to have forced their way into the offices of the CNN and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at noon to stop them from further reporting on the street protests over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Nigerian government.

11 Nigerian banks make top 50 African banks

Eleven Nigeria banks have been ranked among the top 50 banks in the continent, according to The Banker magazine. The banks that made it to the top 50 African banks are Zenith, FirstBank, Guaranty Trust, Access, UBA and Fidelity. Others are First City Monument, Diamond, Skye, Stanbic IBTC, and EcoBank Nigeria.

C-River Assembly summons Tinapa MD over inactivity at resort

MANAGING Director of Tinapa Business Resort and Leisure, Chief Bassey Ndem, yesterday, appeared before the Cross River State House of Assembly, to explain why there was slowdown in economic activities at the resort and the mounting debt profile. The House recently set up a Special Committee to investigate the activities of the multi-billion naira resort, its ownership, the debt profile and some of the challenges affecting the smooth take-off of business activities at the resort.

Fire outbreak in Seplat’s oil pipeline

The Ugbekoko crude oil pipeline facility of Seplat Petroleum Company Ltd, in Ugbekoko Community, Sapele Local Government Area, Delta State, weekend, went up in flames, affecting vegetation in the area, with heavy loss of crude oil, which quantity and value are yet to be ascertained.

Strike: NMA, NBA accuse NLC of sell-out

ABEOKUTA—OGUN state chapters of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, and Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, have condemned organised labour’s suspension of the indefinite strike and mass protest declared by labour and its civil society allies, over the hike in pump price of petrol, describing the suspension as a sell- out. 

Reps query N155bn fuel subsidy in 2012 budget proposal

ABUJA — THE leadership of House of Representatives, yesterday, raised eye brows over the insertion of N155 billion by the Federal Government in the 2012 budget proposal for payment of fuel subsidy arrears, in addition to the N1.3 trillion spent as at September 2011. 

Police arrest suspected killers of patient at FMC Asaba

Asaba—MEN of the Delta State Police Command, said they have arrested a key member of gang, which participated in the alleged killing of a patient at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Asaba in July last year. The suspected killer, according to the State Police Command’s spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka, was arrested in Bayelsa State.

Nigeria loses N794bn to fuel subsidy strike

LAGOS—Citizens’ Right Initiative Project, CRIP, has said that the nation lost about N794.65 billion during the six-day nation-wide protest over increase in the pump price of petrol, adding that what Nigerians fought against was price fixing, and not deregulation. CRIP queried the unilateral ‘’drawing down of the $32 billion in the excess crude account by the Federal Government, contrary to the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007,” adding that was the beginning of the current economic problems facing the country.

Fuel: Stakeholders Seek Restoration of Atlas Cove Jetty

The Federal Government has been called upon to take urgent steps to restore the Atlas Cove jetty to its full standard, in order to cut down the demurrage, which Nigeria incurs on vessels that bring in petroleum products. The jetty located at Tarkwa-Bay area of Lagos State is the country’s largest platform for storage and distribution of petroleum products. The facility has been performing abysmally, following the 2006 fire incident and the 2009 attack by Niger Delta militants, which affected the central manifold that transports products from landed vessels to the jetty.

CD rejects N97 fuel price

Members of the Civil Society Organisations, on Monday in Lagos, rejected the N97 pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, as approved by President Goodluck Jonathan in his nationwide broadcast. Also, over 3,000 protesters, in defiance of the stay at home order of the organised labour, took to the streets of Lagos on Monday but were barred from gaining entry to the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota by a combined team of soldiers and policemen.

Lagos residents condemn military presence

Many Lagos residents have condemned the deployment of military officers by the Federal Government to curb protests that greeted the removal of fuel subsidy in the country, which saw a dramatic increase in the pump price of petrol in all filling stations in the country from N65 to N141. Places such as the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota, which was the spot where a record mammoth crowd of protesters gathered last week, as well as Falomo, were, on Monday, taken over by combat ready military officers, who also came in their armour vehicles.

Boko Haram: 3 Chadians killed in Yobe, 2 others in Maiduguri

THE police confirmed, on Monday, the killing of three Chadians in Damaturu by gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram. The Commissioner of Police, Tanko Lawan, said the three foreigners. who were labourers in the state, were killed by unidentified gunmen who attacked them in Pompomari quarters of the state capital.