Blame IBB for imbalance in award of oil bocks

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Former Petroleum Resources Minister, Prof. Tam David-West, yesterday blamed former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd) for the lopsidedness in the award of oil blocks in favour of Northerners.

David-West, who spoke to The Nation in Ibadan on the heels of the revelations that 83 per cent of oil blocks are owned by Northerners, described the situation as “unacceptable and politically explosive.”

He recalled that as minister under Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, no oil block was awarded without following due process. He also emphasised that none of the highlighted oil blocks was awarded during Buhari’s tenure.

The professor of Virology said strict rules were set aside during Babangida’s regime in awarding the blocks, adding that his successor in office, Prof. Jubril Aminu, even awarded an oil bloc without reference to Babangida who was the Head of State then.

EFCC Arraigns Seven Oil Thieves In Benin

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday February 26, 2013, arraigned seven suspected oil thieves before Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court 1, Benin City, on separate charges bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in Petroleum Products.

The accused persons: Paul Ojo, Oduwere Edobor, Lucky Okorie, Andrew Anthony, Kadiri Aloysious, James Aker and Lucky Egbede who were arrested at locations and dates, had in their possessions a truck, bus and kegs loaded with litres of substance suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). They all pleaded not guilty to the charges respectively.

Heat on Nigeria's Petroleum Industry As Oil Execs gather

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Major oil industry executives gather in Nigeria's capital for an annual conference this week with Africa's largest crude producer under pressure over reports alleging large-scale corruption and mismanagement.

The conference kicking off Monday evening in Abuja is expected to see appearances by government ministers and top officials from oil majors Shell, Exxon, Total and Chevron, as well as Nigeria's state petroleum firm NNPC.

It comes on the heels of a report from a government-appointed panel alleging Nigeria has lost out on tens of billions of dollars in recent years through questionable practices in the industry.

JJ: Suspected Rogue Made To Drink Engine Oil

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A suspected thief who allegedly stole a mobile phone was baptized with and forced to drink dirty engine after he was subjected to severe beatings.

The suspect, James Amanor, a 23-year-old scrap dealer, after receiving the beatings, was marched to a nearby fitting shop near the Community 18 Junction, close to Sakumono in Tema, by the irate mob. The mob poured gallons of dirty engine oil on him and forced him to drink some.

Warri: Trapped between oil wealth and squalor

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Warri’s image as an oil-rich city and commercial hub of the Niger Delta is threatened by filth and slums, reports Chux Ohai.  Mercy Filatei lives in a small island, just behind the Ogbe-Ijoh Waterside Market in Warri. She lives with her husband and their two children. The place is called Fenigbene Camp and it is inhabited mostly by Ijaw fishermen, traders and a few boat builders.

A few weeks ago, Mercy’s husband, Timi, went in search of a job in Lagos. Like most other male residents, he was tired of earning a meagre income from fishing and living in a squalid condition at the camp.

Oil workers give strike notice

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OIL workers have issued a three-day strike notice to the governments of Rivers, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Enugu, Abia, Anambra and Benue  over alleged unfair labour practices by the management of Onne, Rivers State, Free Trade Zone, Cross  FTZ.

Under the aegis of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, the workers demanded immediate recall of workers sacked for engaging in union activities and stop  every act of impunity and injustice being meted out to oil and gas workers in the FTZ.

Only Lagos Can Survive Without Oil – Fashola

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Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State says Lagos is the only state that can survive if crude oil supply – the mainstay of Nigeria economy - is shut down.Fashola explained that this was possible because the government in the state had made it a policy to implement the laws on taxation to the letter, which allows it to have funds for capital project.He spoke on Thursday during the state’s sixth Taxation Stakeholders Conference in Ikeja.

When Poverty Over Strikes: Ladies Caught In Supermarket With Cooking Oil Hidden Between Their Thighs (PHOTO)

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Hawk-eyed Mathai Supermarket, Thika, security officers spotted these ladies ambling awkwardly towards the door and decided to probe them and discovered cooking oil hidden between their thighs.

One Year-Old Child Dies After Being Given ‘Anointed Oil’ By Prophet

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Self styled prophet and prophetess who allegedly caused the death of a one-year-old baby after giving him a harmful concoction have been freed on $30 bail each. Prophet Mutsvene Makaya (36) and his wife Prophetess Ndakaziva Mawire (39), on Tuesday appeared before magistrate Anita Tshuma facing culpable homicide charges. According to State Papers, the self styled Prophet Makaya and his wife Prophetess Mawire are married.

Nigerian Senate Passes N161.6 Billion Supplementary budget for oil subsidy

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The Senate on Thursday, passed the supplementary appropriation bill of N161.6 billion. The amount will serve as payment for fuel subsidy to oil marketers for 2012. President Goodluck Jonathan had on Tuesday sent a request to the National Assembly to approve an additional N161.6 billion to ensure steady supply of petroleum products during the festive season. Senate President, Sen. David Mark, however, decried the high level of corruption being perpetrated under the fuel subsidy scheme, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Niger Set To Become Oil And Gas Producing State

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When the Niger State government recently took the risky path of funding the search for oil and gas in the Bida Basin, the administration of Governor Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu must have had at the back of its mind that the regime will be open to criticism from within and outside if the venture failed. Instead of seeking help from outside, the government decided to commission its own Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University at Lapai to handle the project, a step which served twin purposes of strengthening the capacity of the university in the area of oil and gas research and at the same time reducing the amount the project would have cost if commissioned to outsiders. There is no doubt that dedication to the project was also achieved because the university team that handled it see the job as ‘our own’ which must not fail and they put all they had into it .

AFRICOM 2013: 3000 U.S. Troops Heading to Africa To Protect American Oil Interests [VIDEO]

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The United States military presence in African continues to grow with 3,000 troops reportedly heading to the continent at the top of 2013 to protect the nation’s expanding interests, reports the Centre For Research On Globalization.

Ribadu Oil Report Stirs Controversy, Denials

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Mallam Nuhu Ribadu: report stirs controversy

A probe alleging Nigeria has lost out on tens of billions of dollars in recent years through questionable practices in Africa’s biggest oil-and-gas industry has stirred controversy and calls for action.

The report from a government-appointed task force, headed by former anti-graft czar, Nuhu Ribadu, has not been officially made public, but leaked copies have generated strong responses from officials, the state oil firm and private companies, which dispute many of its findings.

Anti-corruption activists seeking changes to an industry that operates with little transparency and which has long been seen as awash with graft have however sought to pressure the government into addressing the problems alleged.