Confronting The Curse Of Oil by Reuben Abati

The monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, meeting was held the other day in Abuja, with the representatives of state governments again cap in hand, asking for their share of federal revenue - read: oil revenue, or better still, national cake, or our money.  A paragraph in the report by the online newspaper, Premium Times, caught my attention and here it is: "But at the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, meeting, representatives of the 36 state governments went home SAD (emphasis mine), as they were handed parlous shares from a total N299.75 billion statutory allocation for the month, the lowest allocations in more than five years." For the month of March 2016, the states shared N55.34 billion, compared to N64.52 billion in February 2016. I have deliberately emphasized the wordsad, because the day may well come when after the sharing of national revenue, we may be told that some Commissioners of Finance left the meeting crying, or wailing.

60% of fuel subsidy funds smuggled abroad –Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday lamented that a number of government programmes, which ought to have been effectively implemented for the benefit of Nigerians, could not be realised owing to poor data management system.

For instance, he listed the abuse of the fuel subsidy scheme, which was meant to reduce the cost of transportation for Nigerians as well as make life more meaningful for the ordinary people, as one of the disadvantages of not having an efficient national identity management system.

Stolen Public Funds: Ibori May Not Pay a Penny Back

A former Wickes cashier who became a Nigerian state governor and defrauded £157 million of public funds to live a lavish lifestyle may not have to pay a single penny back.

James Ibori, 51, is said to have personally pocketed £50 million of cash stolen from the west African nation’s oil-rich Delta State during his eight-year tenure.
The former £5,000-a-year Wickes cashier blew millions on luxury homes, a £12.6 million private jet, fees at some of the UK’s most expensive boarding schools for his children, first-class travel and exclusive hotels.
He owned a £600,000 fleet of armoured Range Rovers, a £120,000 Bentley and a £340,000 Mercedes Maybach that was shipped direct to his £3.2million mansion in Johannesburg.

Delta police parade kidnappers’ of Clark’s son

kidnappers-of-clark's-son

ASABA—DELTA State Commissioner of Police Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, yesterday, paraded the suspected kidnappers of Chief E. K. Clark’s son, Mr. Ebikeme Clark at the state police headquarters, Asaba.
He said the command was seriously worried over the whereabouts of some members of the kidnap gang that carried out the operation, which he described as “extremely dangerous.”
According to him, “other gang members still at large include Timi, Abel, Ndamaw, and Jacob.

FG TO LAUNCH COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO DRASTICALLY CURB CRUDE OIL THEFT

FG TO LAUNCH COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO DRASTICALLY CURB CRUDE OIL THEFT

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L) IN A HANDSHAKE
WITH THE CEO OF SHELL PETROLEUM INTERNATIONAL, MR
BEN VAN BEURDEN DURING A MEETING IN AMSTERDAM
NETHERLANDS ON SUNDAY (23/3/14)

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said Sunday at The Hague that the Federal Government has earmarked one billion U.S Dollars for the implementation of a comprehensive programme to check crude oil theft, the vandalism of oil and gas infrastructure, and the apprehension and prosecution of crude oil thieves.

 Speaking at separate meetings with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Mark Rutte and the Chief Executive Officer of Shell International, Mr. Ben van Beurden, President Jonathan said that a technical committee has already been set up to look into all aspects of the implementation of the programme.

Lokoja by-pass'll be ready Friday - Governor

Hope of reduction of the hardships being experienced by motorists  and  travellers along the Lokoja-Abuja highway brightened on Thursday.

An engineer  with  the  Gitto Construction Company (one of the construction giants) Mr. Ajani Adeyemo  told journalists in Lokoja on Thursday that   the road which was diverted as a result of the flood would be completed on Thursday night.