Connect with us

BIG STORY

Assigned Portfolios: President Tinubu Silent On Petroleum Ministry

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu yesterday, assigned portfolios to the 45 confirmed ministerial nominees recently cleared for appointment by the Senate, with former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, in charge of the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Festus Keyamo manning the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, however, could not confirm the exact date for their inauguration.

It was earlier reported that the nominees are expected to be sworn in on Monday ahead of the inaugural Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting next week Wednesday. It was also gathered that a ministerial retreat for the ministers would take place before the swearing in ceremony.

While some nominees still await clearance, there are concerns whether President Tinubu will retain the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum for himself like former president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Expected were the portfolios assigned to Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Bosun Tijani (Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy), Hannatu Musawa (Art, Culture and Creative Economy), Lateef Fagbemi (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) and Ali Pate (Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare).

However, a shock inclusion in the announcement was the portfolio assigned to Dele Alake (Solid Minerals Development), who had spearheaded the communications team of the President since his emergence as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in May last year and had also assumed the same role since Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29.

Other portfolios as released by the President are as follows: Adegboyega Oyetola (Transportation), David Umahi (Works), Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Mohammed Badaru (Defence), Ahmed Dangiwa (Housing and Urban Development), and Simon Lalong (Labour and Employment).

Also named are Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Ishak Salaco; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Bunmi Tunji; Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu; Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa.

Minister of Tourism is Lola Ade-John; Minister of Transportation, Adegboyega Oyetola; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite; Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy; and Minister of Youth is Abubakar Momoh.

Others are: Minister of State, Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh; Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of State Education, Yusuf T. Sunumu; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed M. Dangiwa; Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Abdullah T. Gwarzo; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and Minister of Environment and Ecological Management, a yet to be named Minister-nominee from Kaduna State, after Nasir el-Rufai’s nomination failed to scale through Senate’s screening.

Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Maimud Mairiga; Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello M. Toro; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Education, Tahir Maman; Minister of Interior, Sa’Idu A. Alkali; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf M. Tuggar; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam; Minister of State, Steel Development, U. Maigari Ahmadu; and Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu A. Audu.

Minister of Information and National Orientation is Muhammed Idris; Minister of State, Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev; and Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

Earlier yesterday, Lanre Issa-Onilu, a former APC national director of publicity, had said the delay of the ministers’ inauguration was because the president was tinkering with the existing ministerial structure before inaugurating his cabinet.

The nominations of el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna; Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba) were withheld, pending security clearance.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Issa-Onilu said there is an ongoing restructuring with the ministries, in order to lay a solid foundation for the ministers when they resume.

“What we should ask is we need to ensure that we lay a solid foundation even for the cabinet to come in and take off,” he said.

“This is a new government and Tinubu is a technocrat and if you bring someone to work with you, you must have a job description for the person.

“On Monday, they are going to be inaugurated. We have ministries, the president may have his ideas on how the ministries should work. He may want to tinker with the existing structure and he needs to prepare the bed before asking someone to come and lay on it.

“That is the only way to get things going. You don’t want to bring a minister in and say hold on you need to restructure the base. There is restructuring going on.

“You are going to hear ministries in terms of nomenclature you are not familiar with. And those are deliberate to ensure that you provide the necessary will to get things done fast enough. The bottom line is that there will be this exercise on Monday.”

BIG STORY

NDLEA Chairman Marwa Warns New Cadets Against Fraternising With Drug Traffickers

Published

on

The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, has asked new cadets not to “fraternise” with illicit drug offenders.

Marwa spoke on Thursday during the passing out ceremony of 2,500 cadets of senior officers basic course 16 at NDLEA academy, Jos, Plateau state.

The NDLEA boss said the agency will not tolerate “internal sabotage” in the war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.

Marwa, who was represented by Victoria Egbase, director, planning, research and statistics of NDLEA, said the agency cannot “decelerate” its efforts on the war against illicit drugs.

“We are currently on the verge of expanding our presence to all 774 local government areas in the country,” Marwa was quoted as saying in a statement by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson.

“What that should tell our new officers is that there is work to do, and you cannot afford to be complacent or compromise the high standards we have set.

“On that note, let me also inform you that you must not fraternise with offenders of drug trafficking laws.

“Doing so is dangerous to your safety; it is catastrophic to your career; it sabotages organisational goals; and it is inimical to society’s wellbeing.

“Remembering this nugget of advice and abiding by it will ensure you a colourful and gratifying career.

“I must prepare your minds for the task ahead of you. The duties are such that there is no room for compromising the ethics of your profession or subverting the goals of the organisation.

“In our renewed campaign against illicit drugs, we are at a stage of ramped-up interdiction against cannabis, opioids, and other psychoactive substances.

“We cannot afford to decelerate our effort and we will not tolerate sabotage from within.”

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

GBV: Rapists To Be Castrated In Kaduna — Human Service Commissioner Rabi Salisu

Published

on

The Kaduna State Government has reiterated its resolve against all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV), particularly for those who engage in any form of rape, the State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajia Rabi Salisu, has said.

This is just as she said that male rapists will be subjected to surgical castration as punishment while a female rapist will undergo bilateral salpingectomy.

The Commissioner stated this during a press conference as part of activities at a Gender-Based Violence Stakeholders Meeting/Press Conference organised by the ministry in collaboration with Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP).

According to the Commissioner, the punitive measures were contained under the Kaduna State Government Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPPL), 2018, adding that the law followed a lengthy process of advocacy, lobbying and awareness raised by civil society organizations in the state in collaboration with relevant government agencies.

Also speaking, Dr. Austin Azihaiwe, the State Technical Lead for CIHP, in an interview shortly after the briefing, said the day marked 16-day activism against GBV which was also referred to as ‘Orange the World Campaign’ which began in 1991.

“The essence of these activities is to bring all stakeholders together and harness their resources and capacity to ensure that the fight against GBV is made more impactful in our communities.

“Beyond the presence of the key stakeholders, other community members are here and the aim is to educate stakeholders on how to report GBV cases and enlighten ourselves on the essential services available for GBV survivors.”

Similarly, Mr Hosea Bako, CIHP’s Gender Integration and Mainstreaming Lead for Kaduna State, also mentioned that CIHP, as part of its activities, engages in facilitation and referral of GBV cases.

“Part of our mandate is to provide preventive services through facilities like the Sexual Assault Referral Centers and Community Based Organisations particularly, Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) which is important to prevent HIV,” Bako said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, however, said the reported cases of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) have been notably on the increase in Kaduna State since the passage of the VAPPL in December 2018, which she said could probably be attributed to increased awareness about VAWG and also the availability of the law.

She also disclosed that the state has witnessed a rise in cases of gender-based violence according to the National Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Data Situation Room and dashboard for prevention and response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Nigeria, adding that a total of 832 cases have been reported in 2023 so far.

She said the 16-day of activism which started from the November 25 to December 10, which is known to be International Days for the Elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls, a period she said provided a time to stir up action to end violence against women and girls around the world.

“25th November is designated as the Orange World Day to End Violence against Women Campaign. The color orange symbolizes a brighter future, free of violence, It also serves as a means of demonstrating solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence and it is therefore used as the color of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,” she stated.

The commissioner further disclosed that every year, the UNiTE Campaign focuses on a specific theme, adding that this year’s theme was “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against Women and Girls”.

She said the campaign urged the citizens to show how much they cared about ending violence against women and girls by sharing the actions undertaken to create a world free from violence towards women and girls, while some level of progress has been made in this campaign to end violence against women and girls through the VAPPL, some challenges still exist.

The Commissioner identified some of the factors encumbering the implementation of the law in the state to include; Slow uptake of the law characterised by prosecutors not applying the law to reported GBV cases, VAWG cases are reported but not charged using the VAPP Law as other laws – Penal Code and the Administration of Criminal Justice Law take precedence over the VAPP due to stiffer penalties in those laws than the VAPP.

”Others included; Undue pressure on survivors and/or families to accept out of court settlements by community is also a major hindrance, in addition and poor awareness amongst citizens and service providers, delays in prosecuting cases by the Police and the courts also pose a barrier to access to justice by survivors and victims of VAWG.

“It is therefore imperative to strengthen the justice system, intensify GBV case findings, provide crucial clinical and non-clinical services to survivors of GBV while improving access to these crucial services, addressing the challenge of poor coordination, absence of a harmonized platform for reporting, and lack of capacity to manage Gender-Based Violence data will contribute largely to ending gender based violence,” she added.

According to her, it was important to address the difference in reporting tools and the upload of data on the National GBV dashboard as this will bridge the gaps in the campaign.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Nigeria’s Crude Oil Production Can Hit 1.5m BPD In 2024 — OPEC

Published

on

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) says Nigeria can achieve an oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels of crude oil per day (bpd) in 2024

OPEC made this known at the 36th OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting, held on Thursday.

As part of the resolutions at its last meeting, Nigeria’s production level was reduced to 1.38 million bpd, from the current 1.74 million bpd, effective from January 2024.

“The required production level for Congo and Nigeria may be updated to equal the average production that can be achieved in 2024, as assessed by the three independent sources (IHS, Wood Mackenzie, and Rystad Energy) specialised in oil upstream by the next ONOMM to be held by the end of 2023,” OPEC had said in June.

Reiterating its position at the meeting held on Thursday, OPEC said Nigeria can reach a production level of 1.5 million bpd by 2024.

“Noted that, by the decision of the 35th OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting, the completion of the assessment by the three independent sources (IHS, Wood Mackenzie and Rystad Energy) for production level that can be achieved in 2024 by Angola, Congo and Nigeria as follows: Angola at 1,110 t/bd, Congo at 277 t/bd and Nigeria at 1,500 t/bd,” the oil cartel said.

  • OPEC+ Members Agree To Additional Cuts Of Over 2.2M BPD

At its last meeting in June, OPEC+ decided to extend its voluntary cuts until the end of 2024.

On Wednesday, OPEC+ countries also announced additional voluntary cuts of 2.2 million bpd, aimed at supporting the stability and balance of oil markets.

The voluntary cuts are calculated from the 2024 required production level as per its previous meeting held on June 4, 2023, and are in addition to the voluntary cuts previously announced in April 2023 extended until the end of 2024.

Representing the largest cut, Saudi Arabia said it will extend its voluntary cut for the first quarter of 2024.

“These additional voluntary cuts are announced by the following OPEC+ countries: Saudi Arabia (1,000 thousand b/d); Iraq (223 thousand b/d); United Arab Emirates 1(163 thousand b/d); Kuwait (135 thousand b/d); Kazakhstan (82 thousand b/d); Algeria (51 thousand b/d); and Oman (42 thousand b/d) starting 1st of January until the end of March 2024. Afterwards, itosupport market stability, these voluntary cuts will be returned gradually subject to market conditions,” OPEC said.

The oil cartel said the cuts will be in addition to the announced 500,000 bpd voluntary cut by Russia for the same period, starting January 1 2023, until the end of March 2024,

OPEC said it will be “made from the average export levels of the months of May and June of 2023 and will consist of 300 thousand barrels a day of crude oil and 200 thousand barrels per day of refined products”.

The global oil charter scheduled its next meeting, to be held in Vienna, to June 1, 2024.

Also, at the meeting, the oil alliance agreed to admit Brazil into the charter.

The meeting welcomed Alexandre Silveira de Oliveira, minister of mines and energy of Brazil, who will join the OPEC+ charter of cooperation in January 2024.

Continue Reading

Most Popular