Photos: Female armed robbery & kidnapping gang arrested in Rivers
The Rivers state police command arrested three female suspected members
of a kidnapping and armed robbery gang in their hideout at Rumuolumeni
in Rivers state yesterday March 28th.
The three female suspects arrested are 27 year Queen Eze, 24 years old Osorachi Onyemu and 22 years old Queen Godspower.
Items recovered from them include one AK 47 rifle, four magazines, 120
rounds of 7.62 live ammunition, One Toshiba laptop computer, a set of
vehicle plate number RUM 832 CB, one generator and dried leaves
suspected to be marijuana. The suspects are now being investigated with a
view of apprehending their accomplices who are on the run.
Photos: Maria Sharapova forgets drugs scandal worries as she dances in red bikini
The 28 year old tennis star, despite possibly facing suspension for
taking an illegal drug, looked unworried as she and her friend Chelsea
Handler danced and relaxed on the beach and had a playful time looking
sexy in her red bikini..
More photos after the cut....
The Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) has reassured Nigerians of its commitment to end the
persistent fuel scarcity in the country.
This is contained in a statement signed by Garba Deen Muhammed, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, on Monday in Abuja.
The statement read, “We wish to
re-assure Nigerians that we are on top of the petroleum products supply
and distribution situation and we remain committed to eliminating this
endemic issue once and for all within the next few days. We genuinely
empathize with the attendant sufferings and wish to reassure that we are
focused and committed to bring an end to this situation within the next
few days. We kindly call on all Nigerians to partner with us on this
journey to allowing the whole process of change come into fruition” .
It said the current administration
inherited a huge catalog of issues and problems in the downstream sector
not limited to arrears of subsidy payments to Oil Marketers.
Other issues, it said, included
corruption and inefficiencies in the supply and distribution chain,
incessant vandalism of pipelines and poor performance of refineries,
among others.
It noted that a combination of these issues resulted in most oil majors completely pulling out from the importation business .
This, it said, led to NNPC assuming a near 100 per cent importation obligation without the necessary logistics put in place.
It said the NNPC Management had initiated and made progress on various key solutions to providing a lasting end to these issues.
It added that with the firm support of President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly, the debt burden had been reduced since January 1st 2016.
“We have been able to eliminate subsidy
payments by managing prices at current levels through price
modulation. This has resulted to savings of over N100 billion monthly
for the nation. Nationwide Petroleum supply and distribution have been
ramped up to all states to ensure product availability in the country”
it said .
According to the statement, the current
supply to states is in excess of the normal consumption especially in
the five major consuming cities.
It added that monitoring had been
intensified to ensure full compliance with approved prices adding that
violations of approved prices and hoarding of petroleum products
attracted penalties.
The penalties include giving out of
petroleum products free to the public and sealing off fuel stations
found to be hoarding petroleum products and payment of a fine.
Others were withdrawal of Marketer’s
Licence and penalising any NNPC, DPR, PPPRA or government agent found
conniving and wanting in line with public service guidelines and
procedures.
It encouraged the general public to report product hoarders and saboteurs of the change efforts .
“We encourage everyone to shun panic buying and undue return trips as this attitude emboldens marketers to hoard products.”
“Supply constraints due to foreign
exchange challenges are being resolved through collaboration with the
Central Bank of Nigeria on innovative ways of closing the gaps in
accessing foreign exchange,” it said.”
The statement noted that the major
international upstream oil companies had indicated their willingness to
support major oil marketing companies with some of the required foreign
exchange.
It added that corporation was pursuing
an improved model for ‘crude oil for refined product’ exchange (the
Direct Sale – Direct Purchase arrangement).
This, it said had eliminated inefficiencies with an attendant cost saving for the nation of about one billion dollars.
It said that the corporation in the
medium term was working on sustainable strategies to permanently address
the issues and challenges facing the midstream and downstream sectors.
“The overarching objective is to make Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products as was the case in the 1970’s.”
“Our commitment to ramp up our local
refining capacity and availability remains unwavered with the ongoing
rehabilitation works targeted at running all refineries at a minimum 70
per cent capacity utilisation within the next six to eight months.”
“This is in addition to our initiative
of increasing the combined capacity of the domestic refineries through
co-locating smaller but cost efficient modular refineries within the
existing refineries premises within a time frame of 12 to 24 months” it
stated .
It added that NNPC had secured presidential approval to take additional crude oil volume to guarantee national supply of petrol.
To curb storage and logistics
challenges, it said, the corporation was working on a joint partnership
with technically and financially capable investors.
It said this would help to ensure that
petroleum products transportation and storage facilities were
efficiently operated on an open-access common-carrier user-tariff basis.
It added that some of these depots would
be nominated as strategic reserves while the NNPC would take possession
of a strategic reserve vessel in the next three months.
It expressed the hope that tangible results would be delivered within the next three to six months
Defective Lekki Gardens buildings in Lagos to be demolished - Gov. Ambode...urges occupants to vacate premises
Read the press statement from Lagos state government below...
Lagos
State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday directed that stability
test be conducted on all building constructed by the Lekki Gardens to
ascertain their structural integrity, saying that any building found to
be defective will be demolished.
The
Governor who addressed Government House Correspondents at the Lagos House,
Ikeja, shortly after inspecting the site of the collapsed building which was
under construction by the Lekki Gardens, said the incident which claimed 34
lives and left several others injured was “one building collapse too many”.
He
said since the unfortunate incident the state government has taken several steps
to stem the tide of building collapse, saying that his administration is
determined not to fail in the responsibility of ensuring the safety of lives
and property of its citizens.
“The
State Government will undertake a stability test on all other buildings
constructed by the Developer in the State, whether occupied or not, to
ascertain their structural stability. The Developer will pay the cost of the
tests. Any building found to be defective
would be demolished. For those that pass
the integrity test the developer will pay a penalty for any overdevelopment on
the site,” he said.
Governor
Ambode who commiserated with those who suffered loss and injury as a result of
the building collapse said since the incident, the state government has ordered
the immediate sealing of the construction site and cessation of further
construction, co-ordinated emergency rescue of all injured victims and
treatment at its hospitals, prosecution of owners of the collapsed building as
well as dismissal of some government officials.
He
said that the government going forward will carry out an audit of all
structures in the state to ascertain those with planning approval or not and
evaluate the physical development against the approved building plans, saying
that details of the plan will be made public soon.
“I want to
assure you that there will no longer be any sacred cows. If there is failure of
duty, there will be sanctions.
“I also want
to seize this opportunity to assure Lagosians that the State Government will do
everything within its powers to check the excesses of Developers who flout its
regulations and will restore efficiency and confidence in the building control
and supervision process,” the Governor said.
To this end,
Governor Ambode also revealed that a five man committee to examine the Urban
and Regional Planning Law of the State as it affects the Lagos State Building
Control Agency (LASBCA).
The
Committee is to be chaired by TPL (Dr) Moses Olubunmi Ajayi, a past President
of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners and Association of Professional
Bodies of Nigeria, while members include Engineer Ore Fadayomi, President of
the Nigerian Institute of Structural engineers, Architect (Mrs) Yetunde O.
Ajayi, a retired Permanent Secretary, General Manager of Lagos State Planning
Authority(LASSPA) and Secretary of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA)
as Secretary of the Committee.
Governor
Ambode also charged the committee to examine the operations of LASBCA and make
recommendations for changes that will ensure effective service delivery, recommend
organizational re-structure and appropriate manpower for effective operation of
LASBCA, study the legal and operational issues affecting the functioning of the
Materials Testing Laboratory and other matters that will enhance the efficient
functioning of the two organizations.
He
gave the committee four weeks to submit its report.
“Finally,
let me reiterate that Lagos is open to business for those who must comply with
the State laws and regulations in order to prosper. Our main concern is to
continue to improve on the ease of doing business and uphold the Rule of Law at
all times. Those who choose non-compliance and defiance will henceforth face
the full weight of the law without fear or favour”, Governor Ambode said.
Speaking
to journalists at the site of the collapsed building, the Commissioner for
Physical Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowose, said Governor Ambode
and his team were at the site to personally examine the level of damage and the
determine how best to prevent a reoccurrence going forward.
He
disclosed that integrity test would be conducted on all the structures erected
by Lekki Gardens in the area, and advised occupiers of other structures
constructed by Lekki Gardens to vacate the buildings immediately.
Anifowose
said the site of the collapsed structure had been condoned off and that
government would take appropriate steps after the conclusion of investigation
by the police.
“In
the best interest of the occupiers of the other structures, their lives are
very important to us as a government and we are appealing to them to vacate the
buildings immediately until investigations are completed.
“The
gentleman behind Lekki Gardens got approval for ground, first, second and third
floors, but after doing the roofing, he removed it and added additional two
floors which caused the building to collapse. So, we have to carry out
integrity test on the other structures and the cost implication for present
occupiers of the other structures to vacate the buildings would be borne by the
developer,” Anifowose said.
Gov. Ambode inspects site of collapsed Lekki Gardens building (photos)
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode; Commissioner for Works &
Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson; Special Adviser, Urban
Development, Mrs. Yetunde Onabolu; during the Governor’s inspection of
the site of the collapsed building in Lekki Gardens at Ikusenla Road,
Ikate Elegushi, Lagos, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. More photos after the
cut...
Pope Fancis to declare Mother Theresa a Saint on September 4th
Pope Francis will on September 4th this year declare Mother Teresa of
Kolkata a Saint. Mother Theresa who is affectionately known as the
"saint of the gutter" for her unconditional love for the poor,
abandoned and marginalized, was beatified in 2003 by Pope John Paul II
after being attributed to a first miracle, answering an Indian woman's
prayers to cure her brain tumor, according to the Vatican.
Pope Francis officially cleared Mother Teresa for
sainthood on Dec. 17th last year after her "miraculous healing" of a
Brazilian man with multiple brain abscesses, the Vatican said.
Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, in what is
now Macedonia, Mother Teresa died in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, on
September 5th 1997.
Twitter Nigeria reacts to senates rejection of the Women Equality bill
Earlier today, members of the senate voted
against the Women Equality bill sponsored by Senator Biodun Olujimi.
Many Nigerians are disappointed that the senate would go against such
an important bill in 2016. See more of their reactions after the
cut...
Rotimi Amaechi given a pat down before boarding flight in Lagos today (photos)
Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, pictured above as he underwent
security check at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport today March
15th. See more photos after the cut...
America's First Lady Michelle Obama looked stunning for The Verge
magazine (An IT magazine) where she talked about how she mastered the
art of social media. More photos after the cut...
30 children die in fresh outbreak of Diarrhea in Imo state
No fewer than 30 children have died in a fresh outbreak of Diarrhea in
Imo state. According to Leadership, the state commissioner for Health,
Ngozi Njoku disclosed this while speaking with a delegation from the
Nigeria Agip Oil Company Limited who paid her a courtesy visit in her
office yesterday March 14th.
She attributed the recent development to
unavailability of portable water in some of the autonomous communities
in the state where the disease is prevalent. Njoku said that the death
toll from the outbreak of the deadly disease had risen to 30 in the last
few weeks, while several others affected by the scourge were receiving
treatment in various hospitals in the state. She added that four
children died last month as a result of the infection in Nekede, in the
Owerri West council area.
Photo: 10-year-old boy seen hawking dangerous insecticide in Sabon Gari, Kano
This 10-year-old boy is being exposed to health hazards selling
poisonous insecticide in Sabon Gari Market, Kano. Below is what Mohammed
Shehu who shared the photo wrote:
"I just met this boy this afternoon selling a very dangerous
insecticide. He is barely 10 or 12 years of age. My concern: is this boy
capable of handling these kind of poisonous materials? On cross-examining him, I found out that the boy is
'Almajiri', and was asked to hawk these items by some guys in Sabon Gari
Market. He lives with his Mallam at my neighbourhood. He is neither
aware of the harmful effect of the chemicals nor trained to handle such
items. I gave him some money and asked him to return it to the owner and
never hawk such materials.
This 'Almajiranci' must stop for us to progress as people. Allah ya
kiyaye, Amee"
Minister of Environment visits Ogoniland ahead of environmental cleanup (photos)
Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, yesterday March 14th, visited
Ogoniland in Rivers state for the second time this month, ahead of the
proposed environmental cleanup of the area. Ogoniland has suffered many
years of environmental degradation due to oil spillage and pollution.
See more photos from her visit to the area after the cut...
North West looked happy as she stepped out with her parents in LA (photos)
The
beautiful 2-year-old was in a playful mood when her parents Kim and
Kanye West took her out shopping at the Westside Pavilion shopping mall
in LA on Sunday. More photos after the cut...
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Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Amazing turn out at our last 'I'd Rather Be Self Made' event (photos)
The Phase 2 of our women empowerment programme 'I'd Rather Be Self Made'
took place last Saturday March 12th in Surulere and the turn out was
massive. There were way more girls than I expected to see. This tells me
that there are many ladies out there with ambition, vision, talent and
determination to succeed that need the push and help to get to where
they need to get to. Will do the best that I can to help and also get
the rich folks involved in this project. We have to come together to
help Nigeria's needs for independent women.
We are also working on setting up a Self Made club where these girls can
interact on a regular basis, to learn from each other, inspire and
uplift each other. And then, have volunteers who have succeeded in
different business endeavour come in once a month to train these girls
and show them the ropes. Will keep you guys updated.
Meanwhile, I'm off to Dubai for a short holiday. I'm going with family,
friends & a lucky LIB reader, who I picked to come with us. Will
share photos later. Meanwhile see more pics from the event ...
