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CRUDE IN THE NORTH: OIL MAY THREATEN NATION’S ‘FOOD BASKET’

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…CAUTIONS OPTIMISM AS EXPERTS SPEAK THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION, NNPC, ANNOUNCED, LAST WEEKEND, THAT IT HAS DISCOVERED CRUDE OIL, GAS AND CONDENSATES IN THE KOLMANI RIVER II WELL IN NORTHERN NIGERIA. THE ROAD TO THE DISCOVERY WAS PAVED WITH BILLIONS OF NAIRA SPENT ON EXPLORATION. THOUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NOT DISCLOSED THE ACTUAL AMOUNT SPENT IN SEARCHING FOR HYDROCARBONS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA, PROFESSOR JERRY GANA, WHO WAS THEN-CHAIRMAN OF THE NORTHERN NIGERIA ECONOMIC SUMMIT, HAD, IN 2013, STATED THAT UP UNTIL THEN, N27 BILLION HAD BEEN SPENT ON OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN THE LAKE CHAD BASIN. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PURSUIT OF OIL SEARCH IN THE NORTH. THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S DECISION TO SPEND BILLIONS IN SEARCHING OF CRUDE OIL IN THE NORTH INCLUDED THE ABANDONED BRASS AND OLOKOLA LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS, LNG, PROJECTS, THE REVAMP OF THE COUNTRY’S REFINERIES, THE POSSIBILITY OF
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THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO CLOSE NIGERIA’S BORDERS – CUSTOMS SPOKESMAN - PUNCH

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•SAYS 143 FOREIGNERS ENTERING NATION WITHOUT REASON INTERCEPTED •DISMISSES CLAIM OPERATION LIMITED TO SOUTH •‘OUR DEAL WITH CAR DEALERS ON SMUGGLED EXOTIC CARS’ BY GODFREY BIVBERE, EBUKA OKO & GIDEON NNAEMEZIE SPOKESMAN FOR THE NIGERIAN CUSTOMS SERVICE, NCS, DEPUTY COMPTROLLER JOSEPH ATTAH, IN THIS INTERVIEW, EXPLAINS THE REASON FOR THE CLAMPDOWN ON CAR DEALERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE GAINS OF THE CLOSURE OF BORDERS. WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE SUDDEN VISIT TO A HOTEL IN ABUJA TO SEIZE EXOTIC VEHICLES? ALL VEHICLE DEALERS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO PAY DUTY FOR THE VEHICLES IN THEIR SHOPS. IT WAS IN THE COURSE OF THAT, THAT WE GOT INTELLIGENCE THAT SOME PEOPLE QUICKLY MOVED THEIR EXOTIC VEHICLES, INCLUDING BULLETPROOF VEHICLES, FROM THEIR SHOPS IN ABUJA TO A HOTEL. WE RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION AND HAD TO FOLLOW THESE PEOPLE TO THE HOTEL AND WE ENGAGED THE MANAGER AFTER WHICH WE PICKED FOUR AVAILABLE VEHICLES. THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE MANAGER CAME AND GAV
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UNITY SCHOOL TEACHERS LAMENT HARDSHIP OVER SALARY ARREARS - PUNCH

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JIDE AJAKAYE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO RESUMING AS ONE OF THE NEWLY EMPLOYED TEACHERS OF THE FEDERAL SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE, YABA. HE GOT HIS EMPLOYMENT LETTER IN APRIL 2013 FROM THE FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION; HE WOULD EARN A LITTLE OVER N50, 000, AFTER ALL THE DEDUCTIONS ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO SURVIVE BEFORE THE MONTH ENDED, HE WAS HOPEFUL HIS STORY WOULD CHANGE. HE BORROWED TRANSPORT FARES TO WORK ON THE FIRST WEEK, TELLING HIS CREDITORS HE WAS ABOUT TO BECOME A SALARY EARNER. BY THE SECOND WEEK WHEN NO ONE WAS READY TO BORROW HIM ANY MORE MONEY, HE TREKKED TO WORK. HE TRIED TO ARRIVE EARLY AND GAVE OVER 350 PUPILS IN HIS CLASS HIS BEST. BY MONTH-END, HE DID NOT GET ANY ALERT IN HIS BANK ACCOUNT. ANXIOUS AJAKAYE WAITED, CHECKING HIS TEXT MESSAGES EVERY TIME THE PHONE CHIMED. DAYS TURNED TO WEEKS AND SOON, IT WAS THE END OF ANOTHER MONTH WITHOUT A DIME IN HIS ACCOUNT. HE SHARED HIS EXPERIENCE WITH HIS SENIOR COLLEAGUES AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NORM
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YORUBA, A GREAT RACE, SAYS BUHARI - PUNCH

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PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ON HAS DESCRIBED YORUBA AS A GREAT RACE THAT WOULD ALWAYS PROMOTE AND REWARD EXCELLENCE IN PEOPLE. THE PRESIDENT SAID WHOEVER THAT THE RACE DECIDES TO PROMOTE MUST HAVE DONE ENOUGH TO EARN SUCH HONOUR, SAYING THE CHOICE OF  ADEBUTU KESINGTON AS THE NEW  ODOLE OODUA  BORE EMINENT TESTIMONY TO THE GREATNESS IN THE RACE. THE PRESIDENT SPOKE IN ILE IFE AT THE RECEPTION AFTER THE CORONATION OF SIR KESINGTON ADEBUTU AS THE NEW ODOLE OODUA BY OONI OF IFE, OBA ADEYEYE OGUNWUSI. TWO WIVES OF THE BUSINESS MOGUL, CAROLINE ADEBUTU AND AMINAT ADEBUTU WERE ALSO CONFERRED WITH THE TITLES OF YEYEMODE AND YEYEREWA. REPRESENTED BY THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR, MR RAUF AREGBESOLA, BUHARI SAID WHILE HE DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE FIRST HOLDER OF THE TITLE OF ODOLE, THE FACT THAT FORMER PREMIER OF WESTERN REGION, CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO AND CHIEF KOLAWOLE AJAYI (SAN), WERE THE LAST TWO HOLDERS OF THE TITLE UNDERSCORED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ODOLE TITLE. BUHARI SAID DURING
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RESIDENTS USE CANOES AS FLOOD TAKES OVER LAGOS COMMUNITY- PUNCH

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RESIDENTS OF ISHERI NORTH GOVERNMENT RESERVED AREA, ALSO KNOWN AS THE ISHERI NORTH RESIDENTIAL SCHEME, LAGOS STATE, ARE CURRENTLY LAMENTING THE FLOODING OF THE AREA, LOCATED ALONG THE LAGOS-IBADAN EXPRESSWAY. THE RESIDENTS APPEALED TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO COME TO THEIR AID, STATING THAT SINCE THE FLOODING STARTED IN LATE AUGUST, MANY RESIDENTS HAD BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, WHILE THOSE REMAINING IN THE ESTATE NOW USE CANOES TO MOVE TO AND FRO THEIR HOMES WHEN OUR CORRESPONDENT VISITED THE ESTATE ON THURSDAY, FLOODS COULD BE SEEN TAKING OVER MOST HOMES AND ROADS, WITH CARS ABANDONED ON THE ROAD AND SOME RESIDENTS FORCED TO WADE THROUGH THE FLOODWATERS. A BUILDING MATERIALS DEALER WHO OWNS A SHOP AROUND THE AREA, MR OLUWASEUN ONIFADE, LAMENTED THAT THIS YEAR’S FLOODING WAS MORE SEVERE THAN THE ONES WHICH OCCURRED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. DECRYING THAT THE SITUATION WAS AFFECTING HIS BUSINESS, THE RESIDENT APPEALED TO THE LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT TO COME TO THEIR AID
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BUHARI’S REQUEST TO PAY KOGI N10B: OTHER STATES DEMAND PAYMENT FOR PROJECTS EXECUTED - VANGUARD

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IN HIS LETTER TO THE SENATE WHICH WAS READ BY THE SENATE PRESIDENT, AHMAD LAWAN, THE PRESIDENT SAID FOLLOWING HIS REQUEST IN HIS FIRST TERM, THE 8TH SENATE PASSED THREE RESOLUTIONS APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF PROMISSORY NOTES TO 24 OUT OF THE 25 STATE GOVERNMENTS THAT REQUESTED FOR REFUNDS FOR PROJECTS THEY DID ON BEHALF OF THE FG. HE SAID THE ONLY STATE FOR WHICH APPROVAL HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN WAS KOGI STATE WITH AN OUTSTANDING CLAIM OF N10.069B. ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT, “THE CLAIM OF ALL THE 25 STATES FOR PROJECT EXECUTED ON BEHALF OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WERE VERIFIED BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING AND THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT FOR WHICH THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APPROVED THE CLAIMS WHICH THEY WERE FORWARDED FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. HE SAID THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS THEREFORE ISSUED PROMISSORY NOTES TO ALL THE 24 STATE GOVERNMENTS FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THEIR CLAIMS. “ACCORDINGLY THE SENATE IS HEREBY REQUESTED TO KINDLY APPROVE TH
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HOW MY NON RE-ELECTION IN 2014 SET EKITI BACK — FAYEMI - VANGUARD

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EKITI STATE GOVERNOR AND CHAIRMAN OF THE NIGERIA GOVERNORS FORUM, NGF, DR KAYODE FAYEMI, MARKED ONE YEAR IN OFFICE OF HIS SECOND TERM LAST WEDNESDAY. HE WAS DENIED RE-ELECTION IN 2014 AND HAD TO WAIT FOR 48 MONTHS BEFORE RETURNING TO THE GOVERNMENT. IN THIS INTERVIEW WITH JOURNALISTS IN LAGOS, FAYEMI SPOKE ON HOW THE RE-ELECTION HIATUS ADVERSELY AFFECTED EKITI. HE ALSO SPOKE ON THE NEED FOR RESTRUCTURING, WHY STATES MUST HAVE JOINT ACCOUNTS WITH LOCAL COUNCILS AND WHY LABOUR SHOULD JETTISON ITS PROPOSED INDUSTRIAL ACTION MINIMUM WAGE. HIGHLIGHTS NIGERIANS RE-ELECTED BUHARI FOR STABILITY WHY GOVERNORS MUST NOT DISTRACT THEMSELVES WITH PROBE OF PREDECESSORS WHY I REMAIN AN APOSTLE OF RESTRUCTURING TALKS ABOUT NIGERIA BEEN A THREE-TIER FEDERATION IS A DISTORTION NFIU HAS NO BUSINESS LOCAL COUNCIL FUNDS NFIU CAN’T CONFRONT GOVS, THEY’RE DISTURBING BANKS ON CLAIMS THAT ALMOST FIVE YEARS AFTER THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, APC-LED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE COUNTRY HAS NOT WITNESSED P
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