A Judge In Lagos Has Giving An Order That ,There Shouldn't Be Hike In Electricity Tariff

Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in
Lagos on Monday renewed the order barring the
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) from
increasing electricity tariff.

He said the order that parties maintain status quo ante
bellum subsists.

“The order that the parties in this suit should maintain
the status quo ante bellum remains valid and binding
until it is set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction,”
Justice Idris held.

He spoke while delivering ruling on a contempt
proceedings initiated by activist-lawyer, Toluwani
Adebiyi, against NERC chairman and Chief Executives of
Distribution Companies (DISCOs).
Justice Idris first made the order last May, but while the
suit was pending, NERC announced the tariff hike.
NERC’s lawyer, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), and others
said they were not personally served with the Form 48
(notice of consequence of disobedience of court order).

Ruling, Justice Idris agreed with the respondents and
held that Adebiyi issued Form 49 (a formal application
for committal to prison of a person who refuses to obey
an order) without properly serving the alleged
contemnors with the Form 48.
He said: “It is clear, in this case, that the purported
issuance of the Form 49 on the defendants by the
plaintiff without prior and proper service of the Form 48
is premature.

“The issuance of Form 49 when the court is yet to hear
and determine the application of the plaintiff for leave to
serve Form 48 is also inappropriate.

“In the circumstances, I hold that the defendants’
objections have merit. The Form 49 and the motion for
order for committal issued by the plaintiff against the
defendants are hereby set aside. The court has set aside
the contempt application due to fundamental procedural
irregularities.”
Justice Idris, however, said NERC and the DISCOs are
still liable to be held in contempt should they continue to
violate the order.

Queue Will Continue " Because NNPC Warns Depot Owners Against Cheating

The Independent Petroleum Marketers of Association of
Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday blamed fresh nationwide fuel
scarcity on unavailability of petrol for the marketers to
load from the petrol depots.
Its Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Dankigari, who spoke
to the nation  on telephone yesterday, added that
members of the association have 8,000 tickets pending
that it has not been able to load.

He said over the past few weeks, private depots owners
have been selling petrol at a price higher than the official
N77 per litre to marketers, lamenting that the depots
have all goen dry.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum
Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has warned depot owners
against selling petrol above the approved ex-depot price
of N77 per litre.

In a statement, its Group General Manager, Group Public
Afdairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe yesterday said the
warning came against the backdrop of repeated
complaints by marketers of sharp practices at the
depots.
The statement quoted the minister as warning that depot
owners found to be involved in selling products above
the approved ex-depot prices would be severely
sanctioned.

Dankigari blamed fuel scarcity on the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that is responsible for the
importation of 78 per cent of the product to the country.
He said: “The issue is that even where we are loading,
there is no product. We already have more than 8,000
tickets but we have not been able to load.
“Even the private depots that used to sell the products at
a higher rate no longer have the product to sell. So, that
is the reason why you have been seeing those queues.

The NNPC is only agency of government responsible for
bringing the products into the country.”
IPMAN had in the penultimate week raised the alarm
over the imminence of another fresh round of fuel
scarcity as private depot owners were selling petrol for
N97 per litre to marketers. Last week, the association
further cried out that the depot owners had increased the
price to N102 instead of N77 per litre.
This, according to Dakingari, posed a great barrier to the
marketers who avoided purchasing a product for N102
per litre and selling  N86.50 per litre.
Most petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
were yesterday shut, a situtaion that affected vehicular
traffic in the city.

Alegbe has assured of sufficient supply of petrol as it
took delivery of four more cargoes of the product at the
weekend to keep the country wet. The state-run oil firm
said the deliveries which amount to about 180 million
litres is part of a new arrangement by the corporation to
have a cargo of PMS delivered daily as from March.

“The NNPC has stepped up collaboration with the Major
Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and other
downstream industry players to end the resurgence of
fuel queues in some major cities across the country
especially in Lagos and its environs,” Alegbe explained.
The NNPC stated that it has secured the commitment of
the leadership of MOMAN for effective collaboration in
this regard and assured that the queues will disappear in
few days time as supplies are ramped up across the
country.

“To achieve this, truck-out to filling stations in the Lagos
area has been increased from the regular 245 to 295
trucks per day (9.7 million) while truck-out to fuel
stations in Abuja from Suleja depot has been stepped up
to 210 trucks per day (6.9million litres) from the regular
supply of 160 trucks per day.
“Similar increment in supply volume has been activated
in the Port Harcourt, Calabar, Kano and Kaduna areas to
ensure seamless availability of petroleum products
across every nook and cranny of the country,” he said.

While appealing for understanding and support from
members of the public, the NNPC assured that it is doing
everything possible to end the prevailing challenges
experienced by motorists, commuters and the general
public in accessing petrol.
“Within the last 48 hours we have received six cargoes
of petrol (270 million litres) and beginning from 1st
March, 2016 we shall begin to receive one cargo of
petrol every day (45 million litres),’’ NNPC assured.
The NNPC also said Dr. Kachikwu has directed the full
activation of an Intra-Ministerial Joint Monitoring Task
Force made up of officials of Department of Petroleum
Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory
Agency (PPPRA), and the Pipelines and Products

Marketing Company (PPMC) to ensure and enforce
compliance to laid down rules and regulations governing
the supply and distribution of petroleum products.

Leonardo DiCaprio beamed with joy as he finally bagged his elusive first oscar at tonight's star -studded cerem

The star, 41, was named Best Actor for his gruelling
role in The Revenant after five previous nominations.
Leo beat Brit boy - and last year's winner - Eddie
Redmayne (The Danish Girl), Irish star Michael
Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Matt Damon (The Martian)
and Bryan Cranston (Trumbo). He left his former Titanic co-star and close pal Kate
Winslet in tears as he finally got his hands on the prize,
22 years after his first nomination.
Leo thanked his "brother" and co-star Tom Hardy in the
speech, as well as his parents and friends, saying: "I
love you dearly".
But the political star also used his big moment to
campaign for the world to do more to combat climate
change. He said: "Climate change is real. It is happening right
now. It is the most rugent threat facing our entire
species and we need to work collectively together and
stop procrastinating.
"We need to support leaders who do not support big
corporations, but speak to humanity.

The Ex minister that claims lives of many , during immigration recruitment 2014 start trials today

A big manhunt is on the way for a key suspect in the
Immigration jobs scandal, which claimed 19 lives in
2014, The Nation learnt yesterday.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
will enlist the International Police (INTERPOL) and other
agencies in the United Kingdom (UK) to track down
Mahmood Ahmadu, an associate of former Minister of
Interior Abba Moro, sources close to the investigation
said.
Moro’s and Ahmadu’s trial is due to start today at an
Abuja High Court, EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujiaren
confirmed yesterday. Also to face trial is Ahmadu’s
company, Drexel Tech. Nigeria Ltd.
Ahmadu, who shuttles between Lagos and London, has
been unavailable for interrogation suspects, including, a former Permanent Secretary,
Mrs Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia and F. O. Alayebami, will
face an 11-count charge filed by the anti-graft agency
last Tuesday.
They are accused of alleged mismanagement of N676
million collected from over 600,000 applicants.
The EFCC spokesman said last night: ”Former Interior
Minister Moro will on February 29 (today) be arraigned
on an 11- count charge before Justice Chikere of the
Federal High Court, Abuja.
“We may enlist INTERPOL and relevant agencies in the
UK to track down Mahmoddd Ahmadu. He used to have
companies in the UK and with his biometrics, there is no
hiding place for him.
“We have already watch-listed him. This makes him a
security risk wherever he goes. It is in his interest to
come out of hiding.”
Last week, the EFCC exposed how a substantial part of
the N676.6million collected from 676,675 applicants
seeking employment with the Nigerian Immigration
Service (NIS), was mismanaged.
About N202.5 million was allegedly lavished on property
– No. 1, Lahn Crescent Maitama, Abuja and No. 2 Sigure
Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II Abuja, which was
upgraded with N120.1 million.
The commission said the recruitment firm, Drexel Tech
Nigeria Limited and Ahmadu converted N101.2 million to
US dollars for personal use.
The houses were bought in 2015. Nineteen applicants
died and scores  got injured in job stampede in Abuja,
Port Harcourt and Minna in March 2014.
All the accused persons, including Moro, will face trial
for alleged Advance Fee Fraud, abuse of Public
Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007, misconduct contrary
to Section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices Act
2000 and offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the
Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011.
The Nation reported exclusively last week that  Ahmadu
has shut down three of his United Kingdom (UK)
companies.
He resigned as a director of another firm last month and
brought in new directors for another one based in
Jersey, a UK-dependant outpost located on Channel
Island.
Jersey is regarded as a tax haven and top offshore
financial centre.
Ahmadu and his firm, Drexel Tech Global Ltd,
coordinated the tragic recruitment in March 2014.
Mr Ahmadu filed for the strike-off one month after the
tragedy despite the commencement of a probe by the
Senate Committee on Internal Affairs. He never showed
up at the probe.
Drexel Tech Global was Registered in June 2011 with a
share capital of £1 (one pound sterling) and dissolved in
August 2014.
The registered directors of Drexel Tech Global are:
Ahmadu, 49, Nigerian of 63 Dennis Osadebey Crescent,
Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, Nigeria and Ms Theresa
Mahoney, 51, (American) of 6 Hitchcock circle, Simbury,
Connecticut, USA, 06070.
Drexel Tech Global Company’s account was filed as
dormant in June 2012 and 2013 financial years and then
dissolved through voluntary strike-off in August 2014
without a single taxation paid to the UK government.
Another of Ahmadu’s companies, Socket Works Ltd and
Socket Works Global Ltd, registered in the UK in March
and April 2013, were also shut down soon after.
Socket Works Global Ltd was closed down in October
2014 and Socket Works Ltd. in February 2015.
His other evasive attempts at operating from behind the
scene was not glamorous either. Ahmadu replaced
himself and Mrs Maryam Mahmood, 37, believed to be
his wife, as directors at Online Integrated Solutions Ltd
UK with two other people. He resigned from Online
Integrated Solutions Ltd. only last week when the EFCC
hunt became public. Mrs Mahmood left last November.
Ahmadu has, however, kept alive his interest in Gau
Limited, which he registered in the Uk in Jan 2015 and in
A2A International Ltd, which was registered in Jersey,
Channels Island in 2012. But his interest is represented
in the Jersey registered company by Online Integrated
Solutions Ltd.

NCc fined MTN Nigeria and Globacom Ltd

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has
fined MTN Nigeria and Globacom Ltd N34 million for
breach of the Mobile Number Portability business rules
and regulations.
The regulatory body made this known in its “2015 Q4
Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Reports’’
obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria yesterday in
Lagos.
NCC said Globacom was fined N22 million, while MTN
was fined N12 million.
In the “2015 Q3 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement
Reports’’, NCC resolved to monitor and sanction
violations of MNP process time obligations and pledged
“to address increasing cases of port request rejections’’.
The commission said a series of compliance checks
were carried out regarding timer violations by donor
operators with respect to “validation and deactivation
responses’’, which had timelines of two hours and one
hour. According to the Q3 report, there is a timer deactivation
violation by MTN, regarding a Corporate Port request of
over 109 lines belonging to Nigerian Breweries Plc.
“The company initiated a corporate port out request from
MTN to Glo via lead Mobile Station International
Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN): 07036735494
on August 11, 2015 at 1.20 p.m. but was partially
completed as at 11.22 am. on August 14, 2015.”

Blame not Ptd for fuel scarcity "it is the fault of the Nnpc

The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) Branch of National
Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)
has blamed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
(NNPC) for the fuel scarcity in some parts of the
country.
PTD National Chairman Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti,
who spoke in an interview with reporters in Ibadan, the
Oyo State capital, said oil marketers were not hoarding
fuel.
“We are not conniving with anybody to make Nigerians
suffer for fuel. For some time now, we have not been
able to load at NNPC depot in Apata, Ibadan and there is
no hope of loading in some other NNPC depots in the
Southwest.
“Government is responsible for this problem, because if
they bring enough oil into the country, we as distributors
we are ready to sell it out. It’s so sad that we are one of
the largest producers of oil, but we are still suffering
from scarcity,” he said
Oladiti added: “NNPC imports about 75 per cent of the oil
we are consuming in the country. The remaining 25
percentage is for major marketers. “What the government is trying to tackle still exist;
corruption is still in the oil industry. There is corruption
and bribery at the oil depots and you have to face this
hurdle before you can load your truck.”
He noted that government needs to find lasting solution
to incessant fuel scarcity, adding: “The common man in
the country is suffering.”
He urged the government to embark on aggressive
rehabilitations of roads and railway networks.

23,846 workers has been removed from the payroll of the federal govt

The Federal Government says it has removed 23,846
non-existent workers from its payroll.
Consequently, the salary bill for February 2016 has
reduced by N2.293 billion when compared to December
2015 at which time the BVN audit process commenced.
A statement from the Federal Ministry of Finance on
Sunday said “this figure represents a percentage of the
number of non-existent workers who had hitherto been
receiving salary from various ministries, departments
and agencies.”
The statement added that further investigation of other
suspected cases will continue in conjunction with the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
” The removal of non existent workers from federal
payroll and the savings on salaries was made possible
because of the ongoing BVN-based staff audit and
enrolment to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel
Information System (IPPIS)”, the statement said. The Federal Government is also making efforts to
recover “salary balances in bank accounts as well as
any pension contributions in respect of the deleted
workers. This involves active collaboration with the
concerned banks and the National Pension Commission
(Pencom).”

President Mohammed buhari was shocked

Photo speaks: See Buhari’s face when Adeosun shook an Iranian minister READ: https://www.naij.com/746790-photo-speaks-need-see-buharis-face-adeosun-shook-iranian-minister.html

HEALTH: 10 WAYS TO BEAT DIABETES

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Diabetes is one of the most widely misunderstood conditions  around, which is surprising considering how widespread it is. Diabetes is a life-long disease that affects the way your body handles glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood.

Most people with the condition have type 2.  415 million people have diabetes in the world and more than 14 million people in the Africa Region; by 2040 this figure will more than double.

TOMPOLO STILL MISSING - IGP

Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, says the Nigeria Police Force is still searching for former Niger Delta Militant Leader, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo who has been declared wanted by the EFCC over a N45.9b fraud in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Photo: Caleb Nzube, 26yrs, arrested for Blackmailing MKO Abiola's Wife

A 26-year-old man, Caleb Nzube, who attempted to blackmail the wife of late Chief MKO Abiola of $5,000, was last week arrested in Anambra State.

Nzube allegedly hacked the Twitter handle of Mrs Tinu Abiola, downloaded her picture and designed a web page showing the woman carrying a human skull.