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Dangote begins pre-testing of $2bn fertiliser plant

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Dangote begins pre-testing of $2bn fertiliser plant

Ahead of its planned inauguration, Dangote Fertiliser Limited has announced the commencement of pre-testing works on its $2 billion Granulated Urea Fertiliser  complex located in the Dangote Free Zone in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

The fertilizer with a capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum is adjudged to the biggest project in the fertiliser  industry.

Siapem of Italy is the Engineering, Procurement and Supervision (EP) Contractor for the project, while Tata Consulting Engineers, India, is the Project Management Consultants (PMC).

Ahead of the commissioning, several critical sections of the plant are going through various stages of pre-commissioning and test-run, while all the sections of the plant, including the central control room, ammonia and urea bulk storage, cooling tower, power generator plant, granulation plant, have all been completed and are going through pre-testing. Already, the Feritiser  plant has started receiving gas supply from the Nigerian Gas Company and Chevron Nigeria Limited under its earlier signed gas sales purchase agreement to supply 70 million standard cubic feet per day (Scf/d) of natural gas per day.

The project, which is targeted at creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs in construction and related fields, will provide a major boost to the agricultural sector by significantly reducing the importation of fertiliser in Nigeria and ultimately removing the need for imports when plant is in full production. Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development & Capital Projects, Dangote Industries Limited,  Devakumar Edwin, said Nigeria will be able to save $0.5 billion from import substitution and provide $0.4 billion from exports of products from the fertiliser plant. “Thus, the supply of fertiliser from the plant will be enough for the Nigerian market and neighboring countries,” he said.

“I am happy that by the time our plant is fully commissioned, the country will become self sufficient in fertiliser production and even have the capacity to export the products to other African countries. Right now, farmers are forced to utilise whatever fertiliser that is available as they have no choice, but we need to know that the fertiliser that will work in one State may not be suitable in another State, as they may not have the same soil type and composition. The same fertiliser  you use for sorghum may not be the fertiliser you will use for sugar cane.”

He stated that the three million tonnes per annum capacity Dangote fertiliser project, which is estimated to gulp $2billion is the largest granulated Urea fertiliser  complex to emerge in the global fertiliser industry.

He pointed out that the fertiliser  complex, which is sited on a 500 hectares of land has the capacity to expand as it is only occupying a small fraction of the allotted portion.

Edwin added: “The management of the complex are confident that the fertiliser business will deliver reasonable profit to the company and its shareholders as it is projected that population growth and the need for food production will jack up the consumption of Urea fertiliser beginning from 2020 when production of the production would have commenced in earnest.

 

Why electricity consumers should not pay for energy not used – NERC

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Why electricity consumers should not pay for energy not used – NERC

The Deputy General Manager, Customer Service Standards, National Electricity Regulations Commission (NERC), Dr. Shittu Shaibu, on Tuesday declared that electricity consumers should be made to pay for energy they did not consume.

He made the deceleration during a one-day public consultation forum with the customers of Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC and members of Civil Society group in Benin

Shaibu said it will be a disservice to the electricity consumers for them to be made to pay for what they are not given adding that the BEDC must do something to ensure that the consumers are satisfied with their service.

“If you are given service, you pay for service and if you are not given light, you should challenge, follow the NERC process.

“First, you have to report to the Customers Complaint Unit and if you are not satisfied, you take it to the Forum Office and after which, you pass on to the Commission and your issues will be resolved and it doesn’t matter whether it is metering, whether it is transformer or service delivery.

“So, you can only pay if you are given a bill good enough for you”, he said.

The DGM Customer Service Standards hinted that the problem between the electricity distributor (BEDC) and the public is a communication gap and that effort must be intensified to bridge the gap.

On the issue of the revocation of the company’s license, the NERC representative, said BEDC still has additional year to prove their competency.

He said the NERC will do everything within the armbit of the law to ensure that electricity problem is addressed.

Speaking on the proposed increment in electricity tariff, the Coordinator-General of Edo Civil Society Organizations, (EDOCSO) Leftist Agho Omobude advised the BEDC to improve on their power supply to their customers and should not contemplate increment at all, noting that they have not lived up to their billing to the public.

 

Igbo Group Gives 90 Days To South East Governors To Launch Security Outfit

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Igbo Group Gives 90 Days To South East Governors To Launch Security Outfit

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Igbo National Council (INC), an Igbo socio-cultural group has issued a 90 days ultimatum to the governors of the southeast zone to inaugurate their own regional outfit.

Reading a communiqué after a meeting well attended by members from 20 states, the National President of INC, Chilos Godsent said that the group also condemned what it described as the “naked cowardice exhibited by the governors of the South-East geopolitical zone on the failures to establish and officially inaugurate the highly-demanded South-East regional security outfit like their contemporaries in the North-West and South-West geopolitical zones.

Also, Godsent disclosed that INC rejects the view of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP)’s proposal for community policing for South-East geopolitical zone.

“We wish to inform the people of the Igbo race that the proposed community policing by the IGP is meant to officially aid the framework for intelligence gathering and invasion of Igbo communities by the jihadist.

“On the foregoing, the Igbo National Council requests the governors of the South-East, South-South and North-Central geopolitical zones respectively as a matter of urgent necessity to establish and officially inaugurate their regional security outfits like the South-West (AMOTEKUN) and North-West (SEGE KA FASA) within 90 days from 29th February 2020 as a sign of patriotism and commitment to the security and welfare of their citizens, part of the communiqué reads.

“We note that failure for the governors of the aforementioned geopolitical zones to adhere to this call, the self-determination groups in those geopolitical zones maybe compelled to take their destiny into their own hands in other to protect their citizens from the rampaging Fulani jihadist.

However, Godsent pointed out that INC supports in its totality the call by the National Assembly, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all the service chiefs with immediate effect.

He averred that the reality on the ground has clearly shown that the present crops of service chiefs in the country can no longer protect the lives and properties of Nigerians who he claimed are daily slaughtered “like cows and chickens by Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, and Fulani jihadists.”

The group also condemned the wanton arrest and arbitrary detention of the elders and people of Ifite-Ogwari community in Anyamelum Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State.

“We condemn this arrest; they are simply defending their community from Fulani herdsmen who has continued to attack and kill members of the Ifite-Ogwari community in their ancestral land.”

On the foregoing, INC urge the Government of Anambra State to rise up to the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the people of Anambra State.

It also urged the Federal Government to be very sensitive of the untold hardship the people of southern Nigeria are passing through because of the border closure.

“On the above, INC, therefore, requests the Federal Government to reopen the southern border or otherwise close the porous northern borders where too many smuggling activities have been taking place since the politically-motivated closure of the southern borders.

“Finally, the Igbo National Council wishes to advise the leadership of Miyetti Allah in Nigeria to urge its members who now camp in many forests in South-East and South-South geopolitical zone to immediately vacate those forests or regret their deviancy,” Godsent stated.

Dangote buys 3,500 locally manufactured trucks worth N63 billion from ANAMMCO

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Dangote buys 3,500 locally manufactured trucks worth N63 billion from ANAMMCO

Dangote Group has in the last five years invested over N63 billion in the South East with the purchase of over 3,500 units of locally assembled Shacman trucks at the production plant of Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company (ANAMMCO), Enugu.

The order was delivered over a period of five years after Dangote Group signed an agreement with Transit Support Services (TSS), a subsidiary of ABC Transport PLC.

The partnership started in 2016 with an initial order of 350 Trucks by Dangote and as of today no fewer than 3,500 trucks have been supplied to Dangote from the ANAMMCO plant. Each of the trucks costs over N18 million.

Apart from being the single largest buyer of the locally assembled trucks, the patronage by Dangote Group has revived the ANAMMCO plant, a vehicle assembly facility commissioned in 1980 by the Federal Government in partnership with Mercedes Benz.

Speaking at the weekend after a tour of the expansive ANAMMCO plant which was filled with Dangote trucks undergoing semi knocked down (SKD) production, Chairman of TSS, Frank Nneji, said if not for Dangote’s magnanimity and his commitment to empower local manufacturers, the ANAMMCO plant would have remained perpetually moribund.

According to him, the revival of ANAMMCO was made possible by Dangote’s patronage “in identifying a plant that has capacity in the south-east, in Enugu to give us the opportunity to produce trucks locally instead of importing them.”

He said, “And of course you know what it does for us here in the South East. For more than seven years this plant was shut down. There was no activity here until we made an agreement with Shacman group and started skeletally. But we were only to start full step production when we offered the logistics solutions to Dangote and the production facility of ANAMMCO way back in 2016. That was the time we signed agreement for the first 500 units of trucks.”

Mr Nneji who added that 90 per cent of trucks produced at ANAMMCO plant were for Dangote said the patronage has also brought back Onne Port in Rivers State which he disclosed has handled over 3000 containers since ANAMMCO was resuscitated.

He said, “ANAMMCO like I told you is a plant that was commissioned in 1980 by the Federal Government, it used to be in collaboration with Mercedes Benz. Of course you know what has happened to the auto industry. We had gone down over a long period prior to the inception of the automotive policy.

“What we are saying in ANAMMCO coming back is actually as a result of this auto policy. This is one of the benefits. And the second thing is the benefit of Dangote’s patronage in identifying a plant that has capacity in the south-east, in Enugu to give us the opportunity to produce trucks locally instead of importing them.

“And of course you know what it does for us here in the South East.

For more than seven years this plant was shut down. There was no activity here until we made an agreement with Shacman group and started skeletally. But we were only to start full step production when we offered the logistics solutions to Dangote and the production facility of ANAMMCO way back in 2016. That was the time we signed agreement for the first 500 units of trucks.

“What this initial capacity surge did was to ensure that all the staff of ANAMMCO who had been at home had to come back to work. Some local suppliers, lubricants, electrolytes and the rest of them also had to come back to doing business. And it goes even further than that because we are in Enugu, we used the Onne Ports to bring in these goods. You know many people are complaining that Onne Port is moribund, no good is coming. Of course we directed all the containers here and from 2016 up till now courtesy of Dangote, the Onne Port has handled more than 3000 containers coming to this place.

“So you see how we can spur capacity by utilizing our local capacity that is available and this is courtesy of Dangote and the patronage and each time we had approached Dangote, we said, ‘look if you are going to do this number of trucks, it is important that the Shacman apart from its quality, we are also representing a firm that has production capacity in the South East in the stake of ANAMMCO.’ That is how Dangote is keeping the South East automobile sector working.

“According to the National Automotive Policy, Enugu and Nnewi has been designated as the automotive centre for the South East in this axis. This is because of the stay of ANAMMCO over a period. They have acquired a lot of technical capacity. There is also a training school that produces technicians, training young school leavers here.

“So this is what we are doing here. This place is busy producing quality trucks with Dangote as the largest single patron. 90 per cent of the trucks produced here are for Dangote.

“Totally here we have done 3,500 units for Dangote. Additionally the trucks used at the refinery are also Shacman trucks. Because of the quality of Shacman trucks Dangote also patronizes that for the refinery.”

General Manager, Media, Dangote Group, Sunday Esan, said the group is satisfied with the Shacman Trucks churned out from Onne Ports, adding that the partnership would last for a long time as the group continues to expand across its various business segments.

Mr Esan added that as the Dangote refinery comes on stream, the group would require more trucks hence the sustained relationship with TSS/ANAMMCO.

According to him, the massive investment in the south-east is contrary to the assumption that Aliko Dangote, the President/CEO of Dangote Group is not patronizing local manufacturers.

“This is why he agreed we should come and see how ANAMMCO plant has come alive, the impact he has made in the country and the employment this patronage has generated,” he said.

 

N30.2bn Fraud: EFCC Re-arraigns Jang, Yusuf on Amended Charges

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N30.2bn Fraud: EFCC Re-arraigns Jang, Yusuf on Amended Charges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned the former Plateau State Governor, Senator, Jonah David Jang, and a former cashier in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (OSSG), Yusuf Pam, before Justice C. L. Dabup of the state high court in Jos on amended 17-count charge.

The duo of Jang and Pam are being prosecuted by the EFCC for alleged criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of Plateau State funds to the tune of N30, 236, 024, 219.88 billion.

Before the resumption of trial, the matter had been before Justice Longji, who before proceeding on retirement on December 31, 2019, had struck out the no-case submission of the defendants, particularly on the funds for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), given to the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and that of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), which were allegedly diverted by the defendants.

One of the charges read: “That you Senator Jonah David Jang, while being the governor of Plateau State, and Yusuf Gyang Pam, while being a cashier at the Office of the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, between January and May 2015 in Jos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property, to wit an aggregate sum of N4, 357, 195, 000 (Four billion, three hundred and fifty-seven million, one hundred and ninety-five thousand naira), belonging to the Plateau State Government, and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria applicable to Plateau State.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and following their plea, prosecution counsel, O. A. Atolabi, requested for a trial date.

However, the defence counsel for both defendants, E.G Phajok, (SAN) and S.G Ode, applied for oral bail application, and asked the court to toe the line of the bail earlier granted to the defendants by Justice Longji.

Justice Dabup granted the defendants bail on the previous terms they enjoyed from Justice Longji, and asked the remaining three sureties to file their affidavits to show that they are still willing to continue to be their sureties.

The process, the judge said, must be done within three days. He adjourned the matter till May 26, 27 and 28, 2020, for trial.

 

Olisa Metuh found guilty of laundering N400m

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Olisa Metuh found guilty of laundering N400m

The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, on the money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.

 

Trial justice Okon Abang also found Metuh’s firm, Destra Investment Ltd, guilty of illegally receiving N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, prior to the 2015 presidential election, without contract approval or execution.

 

“I find the defendants guilty in respect of count 1 of the charge and they are accordingly convicted”, Justice Abang held. Justice Abang is still reviewing submissions of all the parties with respect to the remaining six counts of the charge.

 

EFCC had in a seven-count charge it entered before the court, alleged that the N400m was electronically wired from an account that ONSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to Metuh, via account no. 0040437573, which his firm operated with Diamond Bank Plc.

 

It told the court that the fund which was released to Metuh and his firm by detained former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd,‎ ‎was part of about $2.1billion earmarked for the purchase of arms to fight insurgency in the North East. Besides, the prosecution alleged that Metuh was involved in an illicit transaction that involved the exchange of $2million, in violation of extant financial regulations.

More details later…

 

Author attributes global crisis to failure to identify one’s boundary

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Author attributes global crisis to failure to identify one’s boundary

Author attributes global crisis to failure to identify one’s boundary
—Alex Enemanna, Abuja

An author, Mr. Abdwahab Shina Omoniyi has attributed the crises rocking different parts of the world to man’s inability to identify and remain within the limit of his boundary.
Mr. Omoniyi, an accountant by training said undue encroachment leads to resistance which according to him is at the heart of various troubles the world currently faces.
He stated this on Wednesday during the public presentation of his 17-chapter book titled The Boundary.

While expressing regret that lack of understanding has brought a lot of casualties to man, he said if people can develop the culture of remaining within the limit of their boundaries, they will know what to do and what not to do at all times so as to drive peace in our communities and the world at large.

He appealed for respect for one another and a more decent way to relate with individuals so as to mitigate the carnages that arise from undue trespasses.

In his comment, the book reviewer, Dr. Law Mefor cautioned young people in the society against keeping friends that can truncate their vision to greatness in their life journey, saying there is need to remain firm and resolute on the side of principle and integrity.
He also emphasized that some youths have derailed in their dreams while attempting to imitate other persons in a way that negates their dreams and aspirations in the pursuit of their life goals.

Mr. Mefor, a journalism teacher also underlined that even though friendship may be valuable in achieving one’s goal, it is necessary to exercise wisdom as not to be negatively affected by such relationships.

“Be friendly but don’t be foolish. If you have to use friendship to change your pattern at all times, it has become a big problem. This book is warning that you must give away certain things to get what you want. This includes offloading certain individuals who are not important to you because you do not move in the same direction. You will be doing yourself a lot of favour by doing that.

“The book also warns that friendliness and foolishness are not exactly the same thing. There are several people who have ruined their own lives because of the influence of peers. That is foolishness, it is not the same as friendliness. You can be friends and be principled. Majority of our youths today joined the bandwagon not because of anything but influence of peer pressure. It is because they want to be like another person. If you do that, you can end up in purgatory” he warned.

He described the book as a deep and profound research, adding that it is made of beautiful rendition and written in a very strong prosaic flow that will interest every reader.
He said the book contains how one can live life in a more fulfilling manner.

While observing that some people have challenges in life because they did not have the opportunity of being mentored by others, he said they were left with no option than learning from the experiences of others, adding that only the unwise wait to learn from experiences.

He stated that the book gives individuals opportunity of not going through stresses because many experiences have been shared, research formulas generated and all tools needed for a simple, fulfilling life available as to avoid undue pressure.

“You should be able to set your own limits, your own boundaries, work within your own capacity, innate potentials and opportunities available to you. The book gives you the way and means of carrying out all the cost works. You should remain within your own strength, determine your own weaknesses and access the opportunities available to you within the environment and understand the strength. That is what the book is all about” he added.
Also, the chairman of the event AVM M.R Dabo, rtd who was represented by Ismail Bello described the book as a treasure for all who seek to achieve a healthier relationship with their neighbours.

He decried what he called lack of reading culture in Nigeria, stating that a lot of knowledge abound in reading.

Mr. Dabo appealed to all Nigerians to show more willingness in reading so as to become great leaders for betterment of the country.

Ihedioha: Supreme Court has made its final decision – Uzodinma

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Ihedioha: Supreme Court has made its final decision – Uzodinma

– Governor Hope Uzodinma has reacted to Emeka Ihedioha’s call for the review of the Supreme Court’s ruling

 

– Uzodinma in a counter-application against Ihedioha said that the decision of the apex court is final

 

– The governor further said that Ihedioha is only trying to go against normal legal procedures The Imo state government has filed an objection against Emeka Ihedioha who had called for the review of the Supreme Court’s initial judgment.

 

Governor Hope Uzodinma in his application said that going by order 8 rule 16 of the Supreme Court rules of 2014, the decision of the judicial body cannot be revealed or revoked, except in cases of clerical errors or accidental slip, The Cable reports.

 

The application partly read: “The application constitutes an invitation to the Supreme Court to sit on appeal over its final decision.

 

” Ihedioha: Supreme Court has made its final decision

 

– Uzodinma Uzodinma, therefore, said that the application of the state’s former governor is a call for the abuse of the court’s processes. Source: UGC

 

Uzodinma, therefore, said that the application of the state’s former governor is a call for the abuse of the court’s processes.

 

Imo governorship: Hope for PDP as Supreme Court reportedly announces date to hear Ihedioha’s fresh application

 

After filing an application that the apex court should set aside its verdict that installed Hope Uzodinma as the new governor of the state, Ihedioha on Wednesday, February 5, said that he had hired a team over 30 lawyers for the imminent re-awakening of a legal battle.

 

Confirming the development, a former Attorney-General of the state, Ndukwe Nnawuchi, said that the team had studied the judgment of the court and has told Ihedioha what to do based on their professional consideration.

 

Moreover, Nnawuchi said that one of the members of the team is a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Kanu Agabi. Following the advice of the team, Ihedioha and the PDP in Imo will be appearing before the court to begin redress of the case.

 

Warn Oshiomhole not to destabilise Nigeria with his remarks – Governor Wike tells FG In another post, the Imo state chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo had thrown its weight behind the verdict of January 14, by the Supreme Court of Nigeria which declared Uzodinma as the winner of the state election.

The president of the chapter, Ezechi Chukwu, while speaking in Owerri said an analysis by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has shown that Uzodinma’s mandate was restored in line with the extant laws of the land.

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”You should be ashamed of yourself” Aisha Yesufu attacks Rotimi Amaechi after he denied reports he fled when kidnappers attacked a train in Kaduna

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”You should be ashamed of yourself” Aisha Yesufu attacks Rotimi Amaechi after he denied reports he fled when kidnappers attacked a train in Kaduna

Activist, Aisha Yesufu, on Monday morning, February 17, slammed the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, who took to Twitter to debunk reports that he fled as kidnappers attacked a train in Kaduna state on Sunday evening February 16th.

 

Media reports had it that the Minister was amongst the passengers on an Abuja-Kaduna train that was attacked by suspected kidnappers. According to the report, the kidnappers laid in ambush around Mando area and attempted to waylay the passengers who arrived at Rigasa train station around 8:15pm. Passengers on the train alleged that the Minister was also on the train and that the situation was saved by the mobile policemen attached to the Minister who quickly dispersed the suspected kidnappers.

 

Reacting to the news, the Minister via his Twiter handle, described the report as fake news and that it was completely concocted.

Obiageli Mazi Receives N1 Million Donations From Borno Residents

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Obiageli Mazi Receives N1 Million Donations From Borno Residents

Madam Obiageli that was promoted by Governor Zulum has been rewarded with another sum of 1 million naira by some goodhearted northerners.

God bless Nigeria.

SA media to Gov Zulum, Dogo Shettima paid Mrs Obiageli a visit today.
Some concerned Bornu residents donated One Million naira in appreciation of her service . Shettima visited to deliver the money.

 

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