National
There is no truth in 48million missing barrels of Crude oil story, says NNPC

There is no truth in 48million missing barrels of Crude oil story, says NNPC
….as it Challenges NASS to commission forensic audit
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC) on Thursday told the Senate that the rumour making the rounds over missing 48million barrels of crude oil is a fluke and total falsehood .
It challenged the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, to go ahead with forensic audit on the outlandish claim at its own cost, if it so wishes just as it declared that the National Assembly approves the corporation budget on yearly basis .
The issues of alleged missing barrels of crude oil and unapproved yearly budget of the corporation, came up during an interactive session officials of NNPC had with the Senate Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning on projected revenues estimated in the 2021 – 2023 Medium Term Expenditure Frame work and Fiscal Strategy Paper ( FSP).
The Chairman of the joint Committee, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC Lagos West), had while taking on the oil corporation over the alleged missing barrels of oil, demanded for proven evidence and not verbal denial as it was done by NNPC through media advertorials .
But the Group Managing Director ( GMD), of NNPC, Mele Kyari represented by the Chief Finance Officer, Umar Ajiya, in his response, said there was no evidence to knock out the claim than the fact that there were no records of ships that sailed out of the Nigerian waters with such contrabands and clearance from the Nigerian Navy and Directorate of Petroleum and Resources ( DPR).
“No ship leaves the country without clearance from the appropriate unit of the Nigerian Navy and there is no way any ship with such alleged stolen crude could escape from the Nigeria shore .
“As far as the NNPC is concerned, no barrel of crude oil is missing as falsely alleged and we very ready to be investigated through forensic audit by the National Assembly at its own cost ” he said .
The NNPC CFO also put it to the federal lawmakers that the yearly budget of the corporation is scrutinised and approved by them through consideration and passage of MTEF and FSP which contains revenue projections of the agency along with those of the other ones .
“Proposals such as our revenue projections , cost of operations are well stated in all MTEF/FSP documents made available to National Assembly for consideration and approval , the basis upon which the Nation’s budget is passed and signed into law, meaning that it is you ( National Assembly), that approves our yearly budget ” , he explained.
According to him, the current GMD of NNPC is a change agent and the corporation under him, has nothing to hide.
He explained further that the $21per barrel production cost the corporation is incurring on each barrel of crude oil, will soon be reduced to $13 per barrel in drastically minimizing production cost .
On the $40 per barrel projected as oil price benchmark for the N12.6trillion 2021 budget, the NNPC CFO said the projection was arrived at, based on available variables .
“Nobody can determine what oil price will be tomorrow, which informs pessimistic thinking as far as such a parameter is concerned”, he said.
National
Nigeria that fared well in the 60s, is now a shadow of its glorious past- Abaribe

Nigeria that fared well in the 60s, is now a shadow of its glorious past- Abaribe
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Monday, said Nigeria that was a shinning star in the 60s is now a shadow of its glorious past, now pushed further into a deep mess with ethnicity as as the supreme order.
Speaking at his official presentation of his autobiography “Made in Aba” in Abuja, the Abia Senator said Nigeria has continually regressed and the citizens were now reclining into their ethnic enclaves.
Abaribe noted that the country has regressed to the level that it would be difficult for any citizen to survive “if you don’t go to your ethnic enclave.”
He said: “I try to say a few things (in the book) that we might have forgotten. Why is it that we had a better life – we had pipe borne water, we had electricity 24 hours – in the 1960s?
“Now it is 50-60 years later, every person has to have borehole in his house. So he becomes his own NEPA generating power for himself; he becomes his own water board. Then I asked, why would life be like this? I tried to caption the reason why we are where we are today.
“I also tried to capture that there was a Nigeria, where it is said, in our former anthem, that though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.”
He said in his early career life, he secured jobs and got promotions in places outside his southeast region only based on merit without anyone asking where he came from.
“Now, what we have done is that we have a big Nigeria that has continually regressed and now all of us are into our ethnic enclaves.
“And if you don’t go to your ethnic enclave, you won’t be able to survive in Nigeria today.
“In the book, I also look at the possibility of Nigeria that we may have assuming if each and everyone of us is committed to the country.”
National
Bauchi/Benue Govs’ feud: Gov Diri to the rescue

Bauchi/Benue Govs’ feud: Gov Diri to the rescue
By Princess Rose Yusuf
The Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri has waded in to the war of words between the Governors of Bauchi and Benue State as the recent altercations between the Governors have become very disturbing.
He called on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to wade in and ensure that the matter is resolved.
He was speaking during a courtesy visit to Governor Bala Muhammed in Bauchi State Government’s House Thursday.
Diri said,
“The raging current issue between two brother Governors of the same party is not good, I seize this opportunity to advise and call on both of you who are members of our great party to please cease further actions and reactions on the burning national security issues.
“May I also use the opportunity to call on our party to immediately intervene and resolve whatever issues that are still yet unresolved amicably as a party and as brothers.”
In his response, Governor Muhammed promised to cooperate and reduce the tension and he gave the assurance that no words would be heard on the matter again. He also seized the opportunity to apologise to all Governors, the national assembly, his constituents and all Nigerians.
He said, “There is no disharmony between me and my brother and my friend in Benue, we are just having the courage to discourse a burning National issue and I am happy that Nigerians have the opportunity, to discourse the issue and we are going to do everything on my own part to make sure we disedcalate the issue that it will not bring injury to our party and to national unity. I was not doing anything in anyway to insult, or to cause any injury to my brother whom I have worked together with at the cabinet and now as Governors.
“I want to use this opportunity to apologise to my various contituencies; especially the national assembly even though I said the truth but it has injured their sensibilities or it has touched on their privileged as we used to say in parliamentary parlance.
“I was doing it out of nationalism and patriotism. At the same time the Governors if what I said was also injurious to them, I apologise to them and say sorry to them and indeed all Nigerians.
“But certainly as I said, my brother, I have no apology for saying the truth, but certainly sometimes you say the truth and it would be injurious.
National
Senate confirms Bawa as EFCC Chairman

Senate confirms Bawa as EFCC Chairman
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Abdulrasheed Bawa as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was confirmed after being grilled during Senate plenary.
For more than six years the commission was headed by persons in acting capacity.
For the first time a staff of the commission who is not a police officer is being appointed as chairman.
He rose through the ranks from the academy before being nominated to head the commission.
The Anti graft agency’s chairmanship designate reacted to a plethora of questions posed by Senators on his preparedness for the job, given his age and working in a complex society like Nigeria, at planary
Bawa, addressed most of the concerns of lawmakers, while assuring that he would bring his experience to bear having joined the agency in 2004.
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