Olofofo Loaded

When the next managing director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) assumes office, one of the knotty issues he will have to crack is the N13.5 billion claim by Sepco-Pacific Energy Co Ltd, owners of Omotosho and Olorunsogo power-generating plants. The controversy over the payment is believed by industry insiders to have contributed in no small measure to the non-renewal of the appointment of Marilyn Amobi as the NBET MD. The disputed claims are in two parts — the N5.2 billion deducted from Sepco-Pacific’s account by NBET in respect of foreign exchange differentials and another N8 billion “surplus payments” to the two GenCos. NBET has stood its ground despite reported directives from Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and a ruling by the power industry regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), that the company, owned by Deji Adeleke, should be paid. Adeleke — father of Afrobeats mega star, Davido — has threatened to take NBET to internationa...

Felix Adolije, a police officer who was part of the team sent to arrest of Hamisu Bala, a suspected kidnap kingpin better known as Wadume, has told a federal high court in Abuja how soldiers attacked the police vehicle in a bid to free the suspect. Led in evidence by Magaji Labaran, prosecution counsel, the witness who is an assistant superintendent of police said they received a petition saying that some unidentified men demanded a N200m ransom from relatives of their victim. He said after analysing four phone numbers with which the suspects used in making the demand, the team identified one Bashir, a “soft target” in Taraba, who in turn led them to Wadume in Ibbi on August  6, 2019. Adolije said 0n arrival in Taraba, his team made up of six policemen, went to the police headquarters to brief the state commissioner of police about their mission. In turn, they received a letter of introduction to the area command in Wukare where their arrival was documented. “The point...

A man believed to be a centenarian has recovered from the novel Coronavirus in Ethiopia. Aba Tilahun Woldemichael's family says he is 114, but there is no birth certificate to confirm his actual age. Dr. Hiluf Abate at Yeka Kotebe hospital who treated Aba told the BBC's Newsday programme that he'd tested positive for the virus when a random screening process took place in his neighbourhood in the capital, Addis Ababa. Within four days of his admission to the severe coronavirus ward in Yeka Kotebe hospital, Aba Tilahun's condition deteriorated as the virus took hold and he was put on oxygen, Dr Hiluf said. According to him, the centenarian spent 14 days at the hospital, and was treated with oxygen for more than a week. He said, "It's really incredible that he survived being so old and we are happy that he has been discharged." The Yeka Kotebe hospital said they could not confirm that its patient is 114 years old, but the medical team ...

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, says the state government spends over N15 million weekly on allowances of health workers and others involved in the fight against COVID-19. Mohammed, who spoke while inaugurating the state’s molecular reference laboratory for COVID-19, said the amount is being spent on allowances for contact tracing, risk management, case management among others. He said his administration is giving adequate attention to the well-being of all COVID-19 patients, including a stable diet of three square meals daily. “My government pays more than N15 million every week in allowance for contact tracing and surveillance, case management, risk communication, logistic and supply, as well as infection prevention and coordination teams,” he said. “In addition, we also ensure that all COVID-19 patients in the state are on a stable diet with three meals daily. “This explains why our rate of recovery and discharge is almost the best in the country.” The governor sai...

President Muhammadu Buhari has received briefing from the presidential task force on COVID-19 at the end of another phase of the gradual easing of the lockdown he ordered to check the spread of coronavirus. The briefing took place at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Monday. Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation and chairman of the task force, led his team to the briefing. Those who joined Mustapha are Osagie Ehanire, minister of health; Chikwe Ihekweazu, director general of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC); and Sani Aliyu, coordinator of the PTF. Buhari had ordered a lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja on March 30. He later extended the movement restriction by three weeks. On April 27, Buhari announced the gradual easing of lockdown across the country. The lockdown was eased to a nationwide night curfew from May 4 to May 17. The first phase of the lockdown was extended by two weeks, which elapsed midnight of June 1. A second phase w...

A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by Dino Melaye, former senator representing Kogi west, seeking to stop the infectious diseases control bill. Melaye had filed the suit against Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, and four others seeking the protection of his fundamental rights over the bill. According to Melaye, the bill threatens “the dignity of person, personal liberty, right to private and family life, right to freedom of movement and right to own immovable property in Nigeria”. The bill also gives the director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the minister of health powers to declare “any premises” as an isolation centre and empowers the police and health officers to do whatever that is ”necessary” to enforce some provisions. Other respondents in the suit are the clerk of the national assembly, the clerk of the house of representatives, Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, and Moham...

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) says it may increase fares over new guidelines issued by the federal government on interstate travel. On Monday, the federal government  lifted the ban  on interstate travel starting from July 1, but mandated temperature checks for every passenger and crowd control at motor parks. Vehicles are also required to carry only fifty percent of their capacity. Kabiru Yau, NURTW acting general secretary, said the directive for motorists to carry fewer passengers on a trip will reduce their income. He asked the federal government to subsidise the operation cost of the motorists. “We thank the federal government for lifting the ban. It is a welcome development because it is over three months that our members have been out of jobs and without income,” he said. “At least, our people will now start working and get something to feed their families. But at the same time, due to the spacing in the vehicles which will require the ...

The federal government says it will announce a new date for reopening of airports and resumption of flights after the completion of dry run tests in Lagos and Abuja airports. Musa Nuhu, director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), disclosed this during the presidential taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Thursday. “Since the last announcement, last week Thursday briefing, that Sunday, June 21, is no longer feasible for the opening of the airport, I would like to report that we’ve had significant progress in the readiness of the industry to restart,” Nuhu said. “The gaps have been closed, but however, we still have a few gaps within the aviation ecosystem, and this will be closed hopefully in the next couple of days. “I’ve said it and I’ll keep saying it we must get it right the first time, both on the issues of technical safety and health safety of all stakeholders. “And one of these things we’re going to use to close some of the gaps is t...

The federal government says it will evaluate and review the price of domestic gas across the country so as to make it more affordable for ordinary Nigerians. Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, made this known while inaugurating a committee on the gas sector-wide review of the domestic gas pricing framework. Sylva emphasised on the need for an appropriate domestic price system, saying it will help improve the use of cooking gas and compressed natural gas to the advantage of the manufacturing industry and Nigerians at large. “Without appropriate pricing, we can’t have it right. We have to ensure that gas becomes affordable. This is the only way our country can strive,” he said on Tuesday. “It is sad to note that we sell gas cheaply to investors while the price is high in the domestic sector to the extent that some Nigerians sell diesel cheaper than gas. “Once we solve the issue of gas in the country we would have solved a lot of problems in Nigeria. Luc...

The Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) has asked on the federal government to amend the anti-torture act to ensure the provision of rehabilitation services for victims of torture. In a statement on Thursday, Ogechi Ogu, deputy director, PRAWA, said the intervention to help victims of torture return to their normal lives “is missing in the Nigerian legislation.” In celebration of the international day in support of torture victims marked annually on June 26 across the world, Ogu said PRAWA will launch 24/7 helplines for “trauma counselling and provision of other psychological support to torture victims/survivors.” According to her, “all victims of torture have an explicit right to rehabilitation under Article 14 of the United Nations convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” She urged the government to “provide an efficient and effective framework for the enforcement of the anti-torture law and the laws against...