……APC chieftain speaks on Bayelsa West Senatorial Bi-elections

A South-South founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Richard Kpodo, has advised his party to shelve the idea of fielding a candidate for the Bayelsa West Senatorial bi-elections.

Kpodoh insisted that it would be foolhardy for the APC to deploy a disorganised and demotivated structure against a highly-spirited and organised Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the forthcoming poll.

The party chief, who spoke in Port Harcourt at weekend, Rivers State, said Dickson was poised to benefit from his hardwork in holding the PDP together as one big family.

He said while Dickson as a governor built a strong PDP structure, which had been inherited by his anointed successor, Governor Douye Diri, the APC leader in the state and Petroleum Minister, Chief Timipre Sylva, was pursuing a selfish agenda.

He said from 2015 when Dickson defeated Sylva to clinch a second term in office, APC had remained a faltering party in Bayelsa without any focus and direction.

He said the leader of the APC had demonstrated lack of leadership skill and careless attitude in handling party and political affairs in the state adding that his carefree disposition cost the party its governorship victory at the 11th hour.

He urged the national leadership of APC to change the party’s state leader, embark on true and sincere reconciliation to build a strong and sustainable APC in the state.

Kpodoh said APC would only contest, win and sustain electoral victories in the state if it took steps to correct alleged anomalies in the party under Sylva’s leadership.

He said the senatorial slot was zoned to Sagbama Local Government Area adding that parties thinking of presenting candidates outside Sagbama were wasting their time.

He warned against relying on federal might to win the poll saying those insisting on contesting against Dickson should test their popularity in a free, fair and credible election.

He said: “As it stands today, APC under Sylva lacks the elementary requirements to contest and win the forthcoming Senatorial bi-elections against Dickson.

“I am not campaigning for Dickson, but I am stating the obvious truth. My party has lost its mojo in the state under Sylva. We need to build afresh under another leader.

“Therefore, APC doesn’t have the requirements to win the Bayelsa West Senatorial bi-election against Dickson. We all know the political prowess of Dickson and how she built goodwill in the PDP by ensuring that he handed over to a PDP member.

“All the known political leaders in the senatorial district where the election is to hold are all members of the PDP. In Sagbama, the local government area of Dickson, the APC has never won an election there. Even some APC leaders in the area will work for Dickson instead of working for any candidate that will be presented by Sylva.

“We should stop living in self denial. APC should be wheeled to the theatre for a reconstructive surgery before it can make any progress in the state. So, my party should not bother challenging Dickson and the PDP at the poll”.

Reaction has trailed Governor Wike’s move to set up task force on borders which is aimed at checkmating the Covid-19 pandemic from spreading in Rivers State.

A chieftain and former All Progressives Congress Spokesman, Chris Finebone in a short statement made available to journalists with the caption “Reaction to Setting up of Task Force on Borders by Gov. Nyesom Wike”, stated that, “It will be another misstep on the part of the governor to embark on such dangerously ignorant line of action. More so, it will amount to exposing innocent young men who will constitute the boundary task force to enormous danger.”

Continuing he said, “There is no doubt that our security agencies sometime falter when needed most. But that should not be a reason to resort to self-help. Let the governor continue to work with security agents towards enforcing boundary lockdown. Opening another flank of faceoff with the federal security agencies at this time is highly unnecessary. It is even more needless to create a situation that will endanger the lives of innocent young men in the name of task force on borders.”

The National Secretariat of the NUJ has condemned the continuous desperate action of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State to destroy Journalists and Journalism in his state.

According to a press release by the NUJ National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman, he said that the most recent development in which Governor Umahi was instigating attacks against Journalists in the State is frightening to the Union as it signals clearly that such attacks on the media are not going to abate any soon.

The statement read, “We regret to note that Governor Umahi is ingloriously attaining notoriety in his continuous harassment, detentions and insults on Journalists who dare to report what he feels are against the interest of his government. As professionals whose responsibility is to monitor governance and hold Government accountable to the masses, Journalists now live in perpetual fear of being arrested by security operatives or attacked by faceless assailants without any just cause in Ebonyi State.

“The NUJ has repeatedly cautioned against such acts of impunity and stressed that it is worth noting that press freedom is key to achieving credible democracy and this freedom includes the right to seek and receive information from all available sources to enable formulation of proper opinions to whomsoever one desires and to do so through whichever means it is feasible to communicate. Such attacks we believe are meant to curtail such freedoms.

“In the light of these unabated attacks and intimidation of Journalists, we call once more on Governor Umahi to tread with caution because the Union will hold him personally responsible for any untoward action on Journalists in Ebonyi State.

“It must also be noted that the purported ban placed on two journalists in the state from visiting the Government House or any government facility in Ebonyi State is a joke taken too far by the governor since these facilities are public and not private property. It should be noted that neither the Governor nor any government official can determine media content or stop journalists from holding government accountable.

“The Governor may wish to know also that both the Union and respective media organisations have their own procedures of disciplining journalists who step out of bounds but certainly we cannot keep quiet in the face of this brazen attempt to muzzle press freedom which is a critical ingredient for democratic governance, the statement concluded.

…says residents can report suspected COVID-19 patients

The Oyo State Government has released a number and a service code for pre-COVID-19 screening in the State, urging residents to dial the code or the number and follow the procedure to determine whether or not they need to get tested for the novel Coronavirus.

The platform for the service code and number, which were both donated by Interswitch, are: (service code) *723*19*6#; and (number) 014400028.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the number and service code platforms offer preliminary screening opportunities to determine who needs to get tested for COVID-19.

The statement added that the two platforms, which offer services in English, Yoruba and Pidgin English, can also be used to report a suspected COVID-19 case.

According to the release, “the Oyo State Government has gone a step further in its fight against the novel Coronavirus. The Oyo State Task Force on COVID-19 has introduced the deployment of technology in its fight against the virus by introducing a service code and a phone number.

“The service code is *723*19*6# while the phone number is 014400028. When dialled, the platforms will request for information on the caller’s/dialler’s current health status including whether he/she is currently experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19. It will also request for the individual’s name and present local government of residence.

“If a caller or dialler correctly fills in the information on his or her health situation and medical history, the application will classify such individual as high or low risk, depending on the information provided.

“When a dialler does not need further testing for COVID-19, the application, at that point, will classify such person as low risk and advise him/her to continue to stay safe by adhering to precautionary guidelines.

“In the case of an individual with information that matches those with COVID-19 symptoms, the application will classify the caller as high risk and direct such person to self-isolate, cough into elbows, wash/sanitise hands regularly, avoid touching mouth, nose or face and engage in healthy diet.”

Adisa urged residents of the state to avail themselves the opportunity of the phone num

…as Makinde’s mum, P&G, Interswitch, others also support state

Donations into the Oyo State COVID-19 Endowment Fund continued to grow as renowned industrialist, Chief Bode Amoo, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Heritage Bank, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George and the mother of Governor Seyi Makinde, Chief (Mrs.) Abigail Makinde, have joined the list of donors to the state.

The Fund, which now stands at about N290 million, was set up by the state government with a view to serving as an endowment fund for relief activities and other measures towards combating the novel Coronavirus in the state.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Chief Amoo, who donated N25 million to the state, tops the latest round of donors, while the CCECC followed with N10 million.

Also, the octogenarian mother of the governor, Mrs. Makinde, has also made a contribution of N100,000 to the state’s endowment fund.

The Atona Oodua, Chief Olabode George also made a donation of N5 million to the state, while Heritage Bank (N5 million), AOS Orwell Ltd (N5 million) and Mr. Abiodun Olatunji (SAN) (N2 million), World Lillies/Abiodun Olatunji (N2 million), West Africa/Wayne West (N1 million), Association of Retired Heads of Service/Permanent Secretaries, Oyo/Osun State (AREHSPSOOS) (N1 million and Oyinlola Hezekiah (N1 million) also donated respectively.

Other donors include: OYSSIC Limited Operational (N500,000); Oyo State Housing Corporation (N250,000); All Saints Church (N250,000); Gbadamosi Olakanmi (N250,000); Adegbayi Adetola Moruf (N250,000); Olonisakin Omobola (N200,000) and Ibadan Foodstuff Sellers, Bodija/Alayande (N200,000).

Adisa, who expressed the gratitude of Governor Makinde to everyone who has risen to the occasion to support the state government at this period, said there were also various donations in kind.

He said the state acknowledged gift donations from Interfem Nigeria Ltd; Ibadan Chinese Restaurant Taste of Love Nigeria Ltd- ChangLi Liu, JianYu Han, which donated 600 disposable face masks as well as Interswitch Group, Airtel Telecommunications, Procter and Gamble Nigeria Ltd, among other corporate organisations/businesses and individuals.

He stated that updates of the cash and gift donations have been published on the state government’s website.

… As Vandalism of NNPC Pipelines Spikes

Nigeria recorded crude oil and gas export sale of $434.85million in January, 2020, an increase of 94.30 per cent pitched against the December 2019 figures, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) Monthly Financial and Operations Report, released today, in Abuja has stated.

The statement by the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, said the month’s crude oil export sales contributed $336.65million (77.42 per cent) of the dollar transactions for the period, compared to the $136.36million sales in the previous month.

It added that export gas sales in January amounted to $98.20million, even as it noted that 2019 to January 2020 crude oil and gas transactions valued at $5.18billion was exported.

The January 2020 edition of the monthly report of the corporation is the 54th edition of the series.

The release said vandalism of NNPC pipelines across the Country recorded a phenomenal spike of 50 percentage increase in January, saying during the period, 60 pipeline points were vandalized, compared to the 40 incidents recorded in December last year.

Atlas Cove-Mosimi and Mosimi-Ibadan axis pipelines accounted for 50 per cent and 17 per cent of the breaks respectively, while all other routes accounted for the remaining 33 per cent, according to the report.

It however explained that NNPC, in collaboration with the local communities and other stakeholders, were working in harmony to curtail this menace.

The report stated that to ensure steady supply and effective distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, across the Country, 1.20billion litres of the white product, translating to 38.68mn liters/day, were supplied for the month, stressing that the corporation had continued to diligently monitor the daily stock of fuel to achieve smooth distribution of petroleum products and zero fuel queue across the nation.

In the Gas Sector, out of the 253.09billion cubic feet (BCF) of gas supplied in January 2020, a total of 151.16BCF of gas was commercialized, consisting of 36.20BCF and 114.96BCF for the domestic and export market, respectively.

This translates to 1,167.80million standard cubic Feet (mmscfd) of gas supply to the domestic market, with 3,708.23mmscfd of gas supplied to the export market during the month.

It stated that 59.89 per cent of the average daily gas produced was commercialized, while the balance of 40.11 per cent was re-injected, used as Upstream fuel gas or flared. Gas flare rate was 7.90 per cent for the month under review i.e. 643.59mmscfd, compared with average gas-flare rate of 8.46 per cent i.e. 671.40mmscfd, for the period January 2019 to January 2020.

Out of the 1,167.80mmscfd of gas supplied to the domestic market in January 2020, about 639.70mmscfd of gas, representing 54.78 per cent, was supplied to gas-fired power plants, while the balance of 528.10mmscfd or 45.22 per cent was supplied to other industries.

The report said 640mmscfd of gas delivered to gas fired-power plants in January 2020 generated an average power of about 2,683 MW, compared with December 2019 where an average of 596mmscfd was supplied to generate 2,498 MW.

The report explained that for January 2019 to January 2020, an average of 1,203.93mmscfd of gas was supplied to the domestic market, comprising an average of 693.73mmscfd or (57.62 per cent) as gas supply to the power plants and 510.20mmscfd or (42.38 per cent) as gas supply to industries.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has constituted a Seven-man Committee to investigate the reported cases of frequent loss of lives in private hospitals practising in the State.

Governor Sani Bello inaugurated the Committee at the Government House, Minna.

In a press release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Niger State, Mary Noel-Berje, she said that Governor Sani Bello expressed concern over the proliferation of nonstandard private clinics in the State and called for the trend to be stopped.

The committee’s terms of reference include: Manpower, equipment and facility check, Review of operational standard and investigation of the doctors on the government payroll at the same time doing private practice as well as adherence to Professional ethics,which is fundamental.

While acknowledging the roles the Private hospitals play in complementing goverment hospitals, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello implored the committee to also find out the main challenges confronting them and identify where the State government support may be needed to assist them .

The Governor gave the Committee eight weeks to complete its assignment which should be open to suggestions that will make the State’s health sector function effectively.

The chairman of the Committee, a former Commissioner for Health Dr. Ibrahim Sule Babamini appreciated the Governor for finding them worthy for the exercise saying that though the assignment is tasking, assured that the Committee will meet up with the timeframe and solicited the coorporation of all stakeholders..