President Goodluck Jonathan Sacks NNPC Management and Board

The president’s new appointment is expected to overhaul the oil and gas sector

President Goodluck Jonathan has fired the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Austen Oniwon, and other top officials of the corporations.

Andrew Yakubu, an engineer has been appointed Mr. Oniwon’s replacement.

See full press release from the presidency on the new appointments below.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN APPROVES RE-COMPOSITION OF NNPC MANAGEMENT TEAM

To further strengthen the ongoing reforms and transformation of Nigeria’s Petroleum sector, and in furtherance of efforts to achieve greater transparency and accountability in government, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the re-composition of the executive management team of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as follows: 1. Engr. Andrew Yakubu – Group Managing Director
2. Mr. Bernard O.N. Otti – Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts)
3. Engr. Abiye Membere – Group Executive Director (Exploration and Production)
4. Dr. Peter S. Nmadu – Group Executive Director (Corporate Services)
5. Engr. Anthony Ogbuigwe – Group Executive Director (Refineries & Petrochemicals)
6. Dr. Attahir B. Yusuf – Group Executive Director (Commercial & Investments)
7. Dr. David Ige – Group Executive Director (Gas & Power)
The incoming Group Managing Director, Engr. Andrew Yakubu graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He joined the NNPC in 1980. Positions he has held in the corporation include Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company and Group Executive Director (Exploration and Production). Engr. Yakubu is an indigene of Kaduna State and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
President Jonathan has also approved the appointment of Engr. Victor Briggs as the new Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
The incumbent Group Managing Director, Engr. Austen Oniwon, and Mr. Michael Arokodare (outgoing Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts), Mr. Philip Chukwu, outgoing Group Executive Director (Refineries & Petrochemicals), and Engr. Billy Agha, outgoing Group Executive Director (Engineering & Technology) are to proceed on retirement.
President Jonathan commends the outgoing directors for their service to the nation and urges the new management team to be fully committed to rapidly implementing the critical interventions needed to positively transform Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
June 26, 2012

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Chelsea defeats Liverpool 2- 1 to lift FA Cup

A beleaguered season seems to be ending in a fairy tale for Chelsea FC as it lifted the FA Cup at Wembley stadium with goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba.

The Brazilian opened the scoring after just 11 minutes when he latched on to a long ball from Juan Mata and fired past Pepe Reina.

Drogba scored Chelsea’s second just after the break, becoming the first player to score in four FA Cup finals.

Andy Carroll fired Liverpool back into the contest with a fine finish just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute.

The £35 million striker thought he had levelled matters with less than 10 minutes remaining but his header was adjudged not to have crossed the line as Chelsea’s keeper Petr Cech displayed some brilliant reflexes by deflecting his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool’s insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on, with even a succession of replays proving inconclusive.

Chelsea survived and can now turn their attentions to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Germany later this month as they face an increasingly arduous task to finish in the Premier League’s top four.

As Di Matteo celebrated and captain John Terry raised the trophy, the Italian increased his claims to become the permanent successor to Andre Villas-Boas by landing a trophy.

For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.

The final started with £85m worth of striking talent on the bench as Carroll was a Liverpool substitute and Chelsea’s Fernando Torres missed out on a starting place against his former club.

The Reds were on the back foot early on when a catalogue of defensive errors led to Ramires giving Chelsea the lead. Jay Spearing conceded possession in midfield and Ramires escaped Jose Enrique far too easily before scoring at the near post with a shot Reina should have saved

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CAN issues “final call” to the Federal Government to stop Boko Haram

The Christian Association of Nigerian has asked the Federal Government for the last time to find a permanent solution to the insecurity situation in the country or faces further breakdown of laws and order in the country. In its statement, CAN say it is last advice to the government on the matter.
CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejeafor,  disclosed this at a press conference on Wednesday stating that the  association would no longer be able to guarantee the continuous patience of its members and other aggrieved Nigerians if government failed to live up to expectation in tackling the menace.
He said, “As President of the Christian Association of Nigerian my first call to all peace loving Nigerians is remain calm in the face of all the insecurity challenges as I am aware that the greater part of the overall design is to instill fear in the populace.
“I will now make final call to Nigerian Government to use all resources available to it to clearly define and neutralise the problem as other nations have done.
“The Church leadership has hitherto put immense restraint on the restive and aggrieved millions of Nigerian but can no longer guarantee such cooperation if this trend of terror is not halted immediately.
He stressed on the groups continuous talk with the government on ways to stop the violence, yet nothing good had come out of the situation, asserting that the “the step by step escalation of violence against innocent citizens with the Christian and the Church suffering the greatest loss.”
“We also said the killings and bombings were being done according to their plans in order to instil fears with the subsequent aim of eradicating religious freedom, democratic liberties with the church and Christianity as its primary target,” he buttressed.

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Dozens killed by attackers in Nigeria

At least 34 bodies "deposited at hospital" after raid on a cattle market in the country's northeast.

At least 34 people have been killed by armed men after an attack on a cattle market in northeastern Nigeria, an emergency source says. "Thirty-four bodies were deposited at the hospital," the official said, adding that the toll is likely to climb. Emergency workers say the attackers used explosives in the attack on Wednesday night in the city of Potiskum. The attack was believed to be in reprisal for an incident earlier in the day, when a gang sought to rob the market but was fought off by traders who caught one of the attackers, police said. The man who was caught was doused in petrol and a tyre was placed around his neck before he was burnt to death, according to police and residents. "A group of gunmen armed with around 20 explosives and assault rifles attacked the Potiskum cattle market," Toyin Gbadegesin, a police spokesman, said. "They threw explosives and shot indiscriminately, setting fire to the market, killing lots of livestock and wounding many people, mostly cattle dealers." Higher toll expected Officials said the toll was likely to be more than 50 dead because families were also burying relatives' bodies without bringing them to the hospital. Residents described a terrifying scene at the market usually crowded with traders, with scores of cattle burnt, the market razed and dozens of people killed. One resident said firefighters were at the scene on Thursday morning searching water wells out of fears that residents had fallen in and drowned while trying to flee. Residents crowded a local hospital to determine if their relatives were among the dead. Gangs often seek to provoke panic at markets, forcing traders to flee so they can steal their wares. Source: Al Jazeera

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Jonathan Denies Okah’s Allegation

The president yesterday, denied the allegation leveled against him by Mr. Henry Okah, the formal Nigerian Militant who is currently facing trial in South Africa for the Independence day bombing in Nigeria. Henry Okah had in an affidavit sworn that Jonathan was behind the Independence Day bombing, also disclosing that the Petroleum Minister, Maduekue called him 20 times to lobby for the ministerial post before she was finally appointed.
A statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said “the Presidency categorically affirms that these allegations are false in their entirety and without any factual foundation”.
The statement further affirmed , “as the case of Mr. Okah’s involvement in the plotting and execution of terrorist attacks in Nigeria is already before a court of competent jurisdiction in South Africa, the Presidency does not intend to say anymore on the matter for now and will, in accordance with due process and international law, make a full representation on the matter to the court when the trial opens.
“The Presidency also advises the Nigerian media to respect the sanctity of the legal and judicial processes in this matter and avoid becoming willing tools in the hands of Mr. Okah and his agents in an entirely diversionary trial by the media aimed only at falsely impugning the character and integrity of the President and officials of his administration”.

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JTF searches houses for Boko Haram, kill four

It was another raid has men of the Joint Task Force embarked on a thorough search for members of the Boko Haram today in Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno as four suspected Boko Haram after a gun battle.

The attack by JTF came up as a result of incessant killings by men of the dreaded Islamic militants in Maiduguri, including the killing of a prison official and a retired police inspector.

“Daily Post” gathered that several military patrols stop in Maiduguri neighbourhoods and carry out house to house searches.

Boko Haram has been unrelenting in its low level violent campaign against President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, which has continued since a brief flirtation with peace talks collapsed at the beginning of last week.

Months of gun and bomb attacks blamed on the sect have killed hundreds since it launched its uprising more than two years ago to try to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria.

On Saturday, gunfire erupted in Maiduguri and in the north’s biggest city of Kano, to the west, as militants battled with security forces.

The Islamists attacked two police stations with explosives on Saturday, spokesman for the JTF, Sagir Musa, said, although they were repelled and three were killed.

Musa said on Wednesday that two militants, including a commander, were killed during an attempt to arrest them the day before as part of the crackdown.

“Following a tip-off, a special operation was conducted that resulted in the arrest of a commander of Boko Haram who was involved in recent attacks in Maiduguri,” he said, adding that he was arrested with his lieutenant in Jajeri area of the city.

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Perm sec caught with N2bn cash

A serving federal permanent secretary (names withheld) has been arrested over a N18 billion scam uncovered in the police pension scheme with N2 billion cash found in his residence.

The matter has been handed over for prosecution to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The permanent secretary was a director in a federal ministry from where he was seconded to one of the newly-created ministries.



Two other accomplices, who are also a serving director (names withheld) in two federal ministries but who had earlier worked with the Police Pension Fund office, have also been arrested and handed over to the EFCC and ICPC for more investigation. EFCCs spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the report, saying that apart from the permanent secretary, there are four other top civil servants involved.

Sources in the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) told Daily Sun that investigation showed that there is a syndicate which operates in the ministry. A cheque of N300 million was used to clear money from an account which is being kept for that sole purpose.
The permanent secretary and his accomplices have been handed over to the EFCC and ICPC but investigations are still ongoing. On conclusion, we expect ICPC and EFCC to take the matter to court...

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, had earlier confirmed the investigation at a parley with newsmen last week.
Meanwhile, indications emerged at the weekend that PRTT Chairman, AbdulRasheed Maina, has rejected fraud allegations leveled against his team by Assistant Chief Accountant in the Police Pension Office, Mr. Toyin Ishola.
Ishola had earlier testified before the Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service and States and Local Government Administration investigating pension management and administration.
He told the committee that Maina allegedly distorted the existing Police Pension Account by transferring N21 billion into three different accounts domiciled in three different banks.
The Joint Committee Chairman, Senator Aloysius Etok, and his co-Chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya, thereafter issued a warrant of arrest against Maina.

The warrant, which was dated March 8, 2012, pursuant to Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution.
But in a 50-page written submission to the committee, Maina insisted that the PRTT has so far saved and recovered N151.6 billion and 6 million for the country from 2010 to date, out of which N74 billion was appropriated as part of the N4.877 trillion 2012 budget.

Another N24 billion was reportedly earmarked as contingency for harmonization of arrears particularly with police, where officers in the cadre of AIGs/Commissioners of Police are paid monthly pensions between N84, 000 and N101, 000.
The documents showed that the two accounts in two different banks were opened with the authorization from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation vide an August 9, 2011 letter. The new mandate showed that Yakubu Kolawole Adeyemi, Edwin Ementa Nwokoye are the new signatories as at September 5, 2011, replacing Ishola and one Mike Okoro.

Furthermore, the PRTT noted that it discovered that there were illegal withdrawals by staff of the Police Pension Office, using multiple cheques in fictitions names in excess of 30 cheques per day to withdraw cash from their bankers.
Such illegal withdrawals amounted to N14 billion. The PRTT, assisted by the law enforcement agencies, have made substantial recovery of the said stolen monies. A staff of the Police Pension Office (names withheld) turned in N1billion cash.

Another surrendered three luxury estates with about 27 blocks of deluxe flats he built in Abuja and many others...
Maina equally indicated in the documents submitted to the committee that while he is from Biu in Borno State, Danjuma Zubairu is from Kabba in Kogi State; in a direct response to allegations that the account in a bank in the Central Business District branch, was domiciled in the account of his younger brother.
Zubairu, Maina maintained, is the Group Head, Private Banking, Abuja region of the bank. Repeated calls and text messages to Etok and Gaya were unanswered.

source: http://sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/ ... 2-001.html

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Certificate forgery: 37 police recruits arraigned in Ilorin

Thirty-seven newly recruited policemen, who were undergoing training at the Police College, Ilorin, Kwara State, have been arraigned for allegedly presenting fake certificates.

Our correspondent learnt on Friday that the suspects had spent five months at the college before they were discovered to have allegedly presented fake certificates and other documents which had aided their recruitment into the force.

It was learnt that the suspects were discovered on March 12, 2012 when a screening team of detectives from the Monitoring Unit of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, led by Deputy Superintendent U.C. Chika, arrested them for presenting fake documents for recruitment.

Chika alleged that the accused were recruited into the police with various certificates.

The certificates included Senior Secondary School Certificate, National Certificate of Education and university degrees, which were said to have been allegedly forged.

They were also accused of falsifying their ages.

Police First Information Report on the matter said that after

investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department, it was confirmed that the suspects committed the alleged offences. On discovery of the alleged fake documents, the suspects, who included eight females, were arraigned before three separate magistrate’s courts in Ilorin on charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and using as authentic certificates known to be fake.

The alleged offences contravened sections 97, 363, 132, and 163 of the Penal Code Law of the Federation of Nigeria.

The prosecutor, who had informed the court that the alleged offences were not ordinarily bailable, objected to their bail applications.

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UNHCR gives Liberian refugees in Nigeria ultimatum to leave

LAGOS - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it has given Liberian refugees in Nigeria till July, 2012 to leave the country and return back to Liberia or be declared migrants thereby denying them of the legal status protecting them.

The refugees are few survivors of one of the world's bloodiest conflicts in which over 180, 000 people were killed and millions displaced across the African continent

“If you wish to return back to Liberia, you can repatriate immediately after registering for the voluntary repatriation programme. On July 1, 2012, you won’t be refugees in this country anymore” a UNHCR spokesperson said.

“You'll lose the legal status which protected you during your years of exile here” she added.

Nigeria is among the countries in the world known for inaccurate data keeping and it is not sure if those reluctant to go home could face repatriation troubles by the country's immigration agency.

"This is just cheap talks for the sake of formality and legality, there is no way you can say who is a Nigerian or not in this country unless there are changes in skin color or accent, which incidentally we share the same with Liberians" Seyi Balogun, an analyst at the briefing said.

Some Liberians are however of the opinion that the country (Liberia) is still unstable and are reluctant to return back home reminiscent of the First  and Second Liberian Civil Wars which spanned through a 14 year period from 1989 to 2003 despite a break of relative peace when former President Charles Taylor took over in 1996.

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Chelsea sack manager Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked by Chelsea after less than a year in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's decision comes on the back of Saturday's 1-0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion and a run of just three Premier League wins in their last 12 games.

The 34-year-old Portuguese only took over as manager in June 2011.

Former Chelsea midfielder Roberto di Matteo has been put in charge as first-team coach on an interim basis until the end of the season.

A statement on the club's website read: "Unfortunately the results and performances of the team have not been good enough and were showing no signs of improving at a key time in the season."

Chelsea are facing two tough games in the FA Cup and Champions League over the next 10 days.

They visit Championship side Birmingham for an FA Cup fifth-round replay on Tuesday and the following week they must overturn a 3-1 deficit against Italian side Napoli at Stamford Bridge to avoid exiting the Champions League at the last 16 stage

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