New tariff regime to meter all customers - NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC says that the new tariff regime which came into effect on February 1st is designed to have all customers metered within one year, thus eliminating estimated billing.

The Acting Director General of the Commission, Dr Anthony Akah told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN that “the new tariff, besides eliminating fixed charge, has a robust mechanism to ensure that DISCOs (Distribution Companies) fully meter their consumers and eliminate ‘crazy’ billing within one year."

He said that the new tariff would protect consumers, allow efficient billing and fast track the development of the economy.

He added that the new tariff regime has eliminated fixed charge and will ensure that DISCOs do not connect new customers without first providing them with meters.

The new tariff regime according to the commission is designed to encourage more investors to participate in the power sector.

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Another bomb blast averted in Maiduguri.

Security personnel have neutralized Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs planted at the Pilgrims Welfare Board in Maiduguri.

The Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Victor Isuku told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN on Monday that the bombs were suspected to have been planted by Islamist terror group, Boko Haram.

“I can confirm that it was a joint police/military operation that demobilised the IEDs but thank God, no live was lost or injuries recorded, “ he said.

NAN reports that about 20 people were killed in Chibok, Borno State last month when three female suicide bombers detonated their explosive devices at the local business market.

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Mbaka's transfer influenced by external forces - APC

The All Progressives Congress, APC has said that the transfer of outspoken Catholic priest and Head of the Adoration Ministries, Enugu has more to it than meets the eye.

Following Mbaka's farewell speech in which he said that he would suffer a lot because of the transfer, the APC said that the matter was beyond the routine transfer of priests. 

The APC added that the fiery priest was being punished for his prophesies which have proved to be divinely inspired.

The party expressed its reservation in a statement signed by its South-East Caucus spokesman, Mr. Osita Okechukwu,

“Our people need more liberation clergy, especially ones endowed with healing powers like Mba­ka. The liberation clergy were instrumental in returning Latin American countries back to democracy in the ’70s and ’80s. They pulled down Pino­chet in Chile and toppled dictators across the globe. We should harvest and culture them instead of hounding them.

“Whereas we accept that the transfer of priests is a routine exercise of the great Catholic Church; however, we do not wholly accept a situation where the church allows external forces to influence transfers as the Mbaka case suggests. Otherwise, ,future liberation clergy who speak truth to power will be hamstrung to the detriment of the society.”

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Mbaka's transfer influenced by external forces - APC

The All Progressives Congress, APC has said that the transfer of outspoken Catholic priest and Head of the Adoration Ministries, Enugu has more to it than meets the eye.

Following Mbaka's farewell speech in which he said that he would suffer a lot because of the transfer, the APC said that the matter was beyond the routine transfer of priests. 

The APC added that the fiery priest was being punished for his prophesies which have proved to be divinely inspired.

The party expressed its reservation in a statement signed by its South-East Caucus spokesman, Mr. Osita Okechukwu,

“Our people need more liberation clergy, especially ones endowed with healing powers like Mba­ka. The liberation clergy were instrumental in returning Latin American countries back to democracy in the ’70s and ’80s. They pulled down Pino­chet in Chile and toppled dictators across the globe. We should harvest and culture them instead of hounding them.

“Whereas we accept that the transfer of priests is a routine exercise of the great Catholic Church; however, we do not wholly accept a situation where the church allows external forces to influence transfers as the Mbaka case suggests. Otherwise, ,future liberation clergy who speak truth to power will be hamstrung to the detriment of the society.”

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EFCC duty log reveals why Metuh tore his confessional statement

Details of what the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olisa Metuh wrote in the confessional statement which he tore on January 5, 2015 have emerged.

The details are contained in the accounts of EFCC operatives who witnessed the incident as registered in their incidents record book which is part
of the documents filed along with the charges of destruction of evidence preferred against him by the anti graft agency before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.

According to the record book, Metuh tore his statement on January 5, 2016 while being interrogated for an alleged fraudulent receipt of N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA and a money laundering allegation involving a separate sum of $2m.

The incidents records book also indicated that the pieces of the torn statement have been kept in the custody of EFCC's exhibits keeper.

See the time line of the event as registered in the incidents records book by Detective Junaid Sa'id.

“12.30 hours: Mr. Metuh Olisa began to volunteer his statement under words of caution.

“15.30 hours: Mr. Metuh Olisa concluded his statement which was of four pages. I passed the statements to the team leader, CSP Ibrahim Musa, to read over and endorse accordingly but in the process of reading and after endorsing pages one and two, he swiftly tore into pieces page three of his statement which read that former President Jonathan had asked him to make available, account details owed by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the debts owed him personally and some media houses.

“He further stated that he gave the account details of Destra Investments Ltd. to the President and thereafter he received the payment of N400m into his company’s accounts which he used for specific assignments given to him by the President of which he was not willing to disclose for what purpose.

“I thereafter refused to give him page four of his statement for endorsement because I did not want him to tear it as well. This incidence happened in the presence of the following officers: Mr. Ibrahim Musa, Mr. Wetkas Michael, Mr. Bello Umar, Ms. Ibrahim, who were all carrying out their various assignments.

“16.30 hours: The torn page of the statement which is in pieces was registered with the exhibit keeper and the incident recorded in the incidence record book of the commission.”

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How Jonathan's $37m secured victory for Fayose - PDP Secretary

A former Secretary of the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Temitope Aluko has narrated how former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Governor Ayo Fayose $37m in cash to prosecute the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the state.

Aluko who was a member of Fayose's campaign team alleged that Jonathan gave Fayose $2m in March 2014 for the PDP primary election.

He said that the money was delivered at the NNPC towers, Abuja by petroleum products marketer, Ifeanyi Uba. It was then taken to Fayose's Abuja home for onward transmission to Ekiti.

His words:
“Immediately after the primary election, we collected another$35 million from Jonathan on June 17, 2014. The money was brought to us by the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

“We all assembled in front of Spotless Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, owned by Fayose. Thereafter, the cash was taken to a Bureau De Change in Onitsha  where, with the support of Chris Uba, it was converted to N4.7 billion."

Aluko also disclosed how Fayose used the military and security agencies to win the governorship election.

“The former President agreed with Fayose and summoned a security meeting at the Presidential Villa for the purpose of the election.

“Those at the meeting were the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, then Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimmah and former PDP National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu.

“Others included Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, then Minister of Police Affairs Jelili Adesiyan and Obanikoro.

“At that meeting, the former President made it clear to the ex-Chief of Defence Staff that Fayose would stand for him (as Commander-in-Chief) in terms of providing security for the election.”

He said that after the meeting, Fayose approached the then
Commander of the Army Brigade in Akure, Brig.-Gen. Dikko, to 'take charge of the election for the PDP.'

“But Gen. Dikko did not give us audience. He stated bluntly that he would not be available for such operation. So Fayose sponsored a petition against him, which led to his replacement with Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh who was amenable to our plans."

Aluko explained that armed with a huge war chest, Fayose's team proceeded to recruit four carefully selected stalwarts from each of the 16 local government areas of the state, making it a total of 64

“They gave detailed information regarding names and locations of opposition members in all the local governments, the various routes, areas of strength and weaknesses of the PDP in the 16 local government councils.

“Today, most of these 64 men are members of the Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly, commissioners, local government chairmen, special advisers and the rest.

“We went into the election with 1040 recognised soldiers and another batch of 400 unrecognised soldiers brought from Enugu by Chief Chris Uba.

“In addition, we raised 44 Special Strike teams, brought in Toyota Hilux trucks from Abuja and Onitsha. We made special stickers for the vehicles that conveyed members of the Strike Team and black hand bands for each of them.

“Each Strike Team was made up of 10 members headed by a soldier and comprising soldiers, policemen, DSS operatives and Civil Defence Corps. They were detailed to attack and arrest prominent APC chieftains in all the local governments.

“We set up anchorage, mainly residential houses, in every local government where the Strike Team members collected their welfare and other allowances.

“To encourage the Strike Team members, we gave them orders to share money and other valuables they could lay their hands on in the houses of APC chieftains they raided.

“Then we set up detention camps, mainly in primary schools, where most of the APC chieftains were detained. Others were detained in police stations where the DPOs were friendly with us. We let them off after the election was over.

“A day to the election, we used the military to block all routes in the local governments and prevented APC chieftains, including former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, from coming into Ekiti.

“So we ensured that no APC chieftain was in sight on election day. We provided polling agents for the APC in most of the polling units so we had no problem getting them to sign election results in the units.

“All these local and foreign observes that described the election as free and fair only witnessed the voting on election day without knowing what transpired before the voting.”

Aluko said he was fully involved in the plot with Fayose from the very beginning till the conclusion of the election.

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How Nigeria spent N20 trillion on fuel importation in five years

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Nigeria spent N20.2 trillion to import petrol, diesel and kerosene between January 2010 and September 2015.

Figures jointly compiled by both the NBS and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA and made available to newsmen show that N12, 529, 746, 397, 978. 48 was spent on the importation of 102,374,588,480.91 litres of  Premium Motor Spirit, PMS.

The figures also show that  N6,450,576,065,479.43 was spent on the importation of 16,679,065,103 litres of diesel, otherwise known as Automotive Gas Oil.

The period between January 2012 and September 2015, saw the sum of N1,271,500,290,241 being spent on the importation of 9,448,409,070 litres of kerosene.

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