Secret Reporters No place to hide
₦11.4 trillion
The Minister of Petroleum, President Buhari has failed to disclose about 11.43 Trillion naira remittances made by international oil and gas companies between 2014 and 2018. An analysis by DATAPHYTE has shown that at least $37.46 billion has been remitted by oil and gas companies from Europe and Canada to government entities in Nigeria. [DATAPHYTE]
N83 trillion
Last week, Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) in its Benchmark Exercise Report (BER) revealed that Nigeria has made N83 trillion from oil and gas in the last 37 years. The report, which exposed the lax regulation and poor management of the nation’s oil earnings showed that an average daily crude oil production of 1.9mbpd is being produced in Nigeria. [THEGUARDIAN]
$580 million
In order to address regional development challenges, the World Bank said it spent $580 million in the three phases of its Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) projects. The projects cuts across 22 centres in West and Central Africa countries. [PREMIUM TIMES]
$12 million
The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has said that the $12 million Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) – Lagos University Teaching Hospital LUTH Cancer Centre (NLCC) will help to stem the usual practice of medical tourism in the country and treat 80 cancer patients daily. [THEGUARDIAN]
N15 million
The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) says it intends to start remitting N15 million to the federation account every month. Joseph Odigure, COREN registrar, said this when he appeared before the house of representatives committee on finance in Abuja on Tuesday. [THECABLE]
35% electricity tariff
Nigerians would soon be faced with a 35 per cent hike in electricity tariffs, officials said on Tuesday, as regulators seek to reposition a sector that has been moribund for decades. At an interactive parley with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, the management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said an upward review of prices by federal electricity regulators has commenced. [PREMIUM TIMES]
£7.1 million
The Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom has been revealed to owe £7.1m in charges for the year 2018. In a statement titled ‘Debts owed by Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations in the United Kingdom 2018’ released on Tuesday by Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs…[SAHARA REPORTERS]
7,223 final year students
More than 7,000 final year students in Sokoto state have failed to qualify for the payment of Senior Secondary School Examinations fees by the state government. The state government has been paying NECO and WAEC’s fees for all final year students in public schools across the state. [DAILY TRUST]
His Excellency,
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,
President and Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso Rock, Abuja.
Your Excellency Sir,
It is with the uttermost patriotic esteem humility to write this open letter to beloved president of our dear Nation, I am constrained to make open my message to you for the singular reason of no other way for me to reach your person ,
to express my profound gratitude on your transformation agenda toward the Niger Delta region which have showcase him as the greatest God’s gift to Nigeria particularly those of us from the Niger Delta Region.
It is my greatest joy to note , your Excellency Sir , that your unflinching crusade on the fight against corruption has won Nigeria great respect within as well as world recognition beyond our lines, very recently your order for forensic audit of Niger Delta Development Commission under ministry of Niger Delta affairs which has today recovered over N3.7 billion from NDDC contractors as well as various assets worth billions of Naira, With what you have achieved since assuming office as our President, we now understand and appreciate why Senator, Godswill Akpabio insisted that we must follow you as the only tool that can salvage our nation from the mess that the country finds itself in the past years. Furthermore , we all witnessed the mandate you gave Senator, Godswill Obot Akpabio to pilot the affair under your led government He has performed excessively well to the growth of the region, In this regard, we cannot fail to mention and appreciate, The Hon Sen, Godswill Obot Akpabio , Minister Niger Delta Affairs because of his antecedents and propagation of your ideals, vision and principles amongst us.
Winning the fight against corruption , 3 billion Naira have been recovered so far from looters and your Government agencies have placed liens on over N6billion of assets are being investigated under his witch , it is clear that for the past nineteen years (19yrs) corruption was instituted as a way of life in polity in which our past leaders were using Niger Delta Development commission (NDDC) as their ATMs and the commission were with abandoned infrastructural projects and substandard social programmes which were designed to improve our living conditions. We the Niger Deltains attested to your impeccable character , astute personality and commanded your sincere effort toward making Niger Delta a better place, all these recognition affirm our position about your person and pledging our support to our great Nation interests , thereby giving us more reasons to continually stand firmly with you.
Mr, president Sir, your choice of Senator , Godswill Obot Akpabio As the Minister Niger Delta affairs is highly credible, justifying your decision extremely jubilant which has fourstore peace, equity and transformation in the region. The excitement of the people was not misplaced. As a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State for eight years (2007 – 2015) Chief Godswill Akpabio unleashed a development model never experienced in Nigeria which the people aptly termed “Uncommon Transformation.” The state within the period witnessed unprecedented infrastructural renaissance that a once largely civil service State, became a destination of choice among Nigerians. This was possible because of the impeccable infrastructural facilities that Chief Akpabio built in the State.
It was because of the footprints that Senator Akpabio had left on the sands of Akwa Ibom State as Governor that there was a general consensus that his appointment as Minister was widely received as well deserved and the people commended your Excellency , we also commended for inauguration of new NDDC’s Advisory committee which you found them worthy to enhance development in the region and we charge them to key into your transformation agenda initiative. Your Excellency Sir, Underscoring the role of the Honourable Minister Senator , Godswill Obot Akpabio, Since inception into the mandate as Minister Niger Delta Affairs , we have witnessed unprecedented transformation in diverse ways , The Honourable Minister has worked tirelessly challenging the narrative of the region which was thrown into perpetual darkness for over 17years . Transformation agenda in divers ways recorded ,Reconstruction of skills acquisition center across the 9 state of the region, Construction of (NDDC) permanent head quarter, Massive construction of good road network , Reinforcement of the ongoing construction of East west road which was abandon by the past government, Training and retaining of over 2200 youths under the amnesty initiative programmes , Construction of mini water project for portable water ongoing across the rural communities, Construction of dual drainage ongoing across the region , Construction of classrooms for basic education ongoing across the region, Electrification Project ongoing across the rural communities,
your Excellency Sir, too numerous to mention, In this regard, we cannot fail to mention and appreciate, The Hon Sen, Godswill Obot Akpabio , Minister Niger Delta Affairs because of his antecedents and propagation of your ideals, vision and principles amongst us.
Mr, president, Sir , we were blind and you made our eyes open again, we did not know that corruption is a deathly virus in human environs but you made us understand that corruption is a parasite which has eaten-up our right closed, but God sent saviour , you Your Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and you whisper to Senator, Godswill Obot Akpabio to unveiled the resolution of transformation agenda and today we stand firm to join hands, protect and build a better Nigeria.
Your Excellency, while appreciating you for your campaign promises which you have and are presently fulfilling, we want to also remind you of those you are yet to fulfil and permittion to also bring to your table another pressing need is to tackle unemployment which is becoming worrisome in our dear nation. Mr. President Sir, it may interest you to know that without gainsaying, it is evident that your led Government have opened the gateway for economic growth and diversification of the economy of Niger Delta Region and its environs.
Your Excellency sir, you have shown maturity and exhibited marvelling passion for which we have known you since your days as Governor of Northern state, 1975-76, petroleum minister in 1977, Head of State, 1983-85 and today as the President of the Federation of Nigeria .The only thing that has changed is the title “General” but otherwise, you have maintained a high level of discipline and commitment to your promises.
Mr. President, we want to at this juncture reiterate our esteemed support to your development-oriented policies which have a significant impact on the course of human development now and always, pledging our total loyalty and support to collectively combat corruption to a standstill, We will continually pray for God’s grace upon you as you pilot the affairs of this nation towards bringing into reality the Nigeria of our dreams.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
God bless you Your Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Signed:
Uto-obong Usoro