National News Monday, August 12, 2013 1. Jonathan: I’m Eligible to Run for Second Term Says ambition will sink APC •Warns Akande to respect truth, his age President Goodluck Jonathan Sunday dismissed the claim by the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, that he is statute barred from running for a second term in office. He also warned him to stop denigrating the Office of the President by using uncomplimentary words to criticise the incumbent. The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, described Akande’s criticism as a cheap ploy to gain popularity for the APC and divert attention from the alleged feud between the two prominent chieftains of the opposition party— former Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, and former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu. The party, he predicted, would soon be destroyed by the conflicting ambitions of its leaders. Jonathan’s statement was in response to Akande’s criticism at the weekend that the “presidency is not for a kindergarten president”. Akande, while fielding questions from reporters at his country home in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, in reference to the president whom he had accused of being incapable of governing Nigeria, said: “What the country needs is a thinking leader not a kindergarten president with no solution to the problems plaguing the nation.” Thisday, front pg, cont on pg8 2. NERC, TCN on collision course over electricity allocation • Gas scarcity reduces power supply to 2628 MWs AN ALLEGED indiscriminate allocation of electricity in flagrant disregard for existing regulations may have set the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on the warpath. The NERC may have accused the TCN of flouting regulations on load allocation, resulting in poor electricity supply to some consumers. Key areas affected, according to sources, are Yola and Kano. A mid-year report from the NERC obtained by The Guardian noted that Abuja Distribution Company got 10.0 megawatts (MWs) instead of 11.5MWs as stipulated by Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO). Benin got 10.7MWs instead of 9.0MWs. Eko got 10.8MWs instead of 11.0MWs. Enugu got 10.8MWs instead of 9.0MWs. The zone got higher than what is stipulated for it. Ibadan also got higher. Ibadan got 13.7MWs instead of 13.0MWs. Ikeja got 14.3MWs instead of 15.0MWs. Jos got 4.6MWs instead of 5.5MWs. The Guardian, front pg cont pg2 3. 2015: We’re unaware of Jonathan’s offer to Al-Mustapha to join party – PDP People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has said it is unaware of any offer by President Goodluck Jonathan, to erstwhile Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late Sani Abacha, Major Al-Mustapha, to join the party. An online publication reported that the President had indeed wooed Al-Mustapha, freed by an Appeal Court last month of complicity in the murder of Kudirat Abiola, wife of late MKO Abiola, to join PDP with a view to using his new-found popularity to win political support for his re-election in 2015. The medium said however that it was not clear if the Army Major would accept the offer as he did not give an immediate response. t was further reported by the medium that Al Mustapha opted to report to some influential northern political leaders before making his position known to the Presidency. But the PDP yesterday denied any talks between the President and the former Abacha’s CSO. Vanguard, pg9 4. UK fines GTBank for inadequate money laundering checks The United Kingdom-based Financial Conduct Authority has fined the UK subsidiary of the Guaranty Trust Bank over £500,000 for failing to do thorough anti-money laundering checks on its potential clients from high-risk countries. The FCA said on Friday that between May 2008 and July 2010, the bank had failed to assess potential money-laundering risks, screen customers against sanction lists, establish the purpose of the accounts being opened in their London branch or review the activity of “high risk” accounts, Reuters’ report said. Guaranty Trust Bank opened a UK office in 2008 offering retail and wholesale banking to private and corporate clients, according to the regulator. Specifically, the FCA said in a statement that it had levied a £525,000 fine on the UK subsidiary of the bank after it looked at the bank’s systems as part of a wider review into anti-money laundering controls among banks. The Punch, pg30 5. ASUU calls for probe of NUC over accreditation For alleged fraudulent practices in accreditation of courses in the nation’s universities, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called for the probe of the activities of the National Universities Commission (NUC) under the leadership of Julius Okojie, its executive secretary. Similar call for the review of the act establishing the NUC and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over their activities on the nation’s university education was also made. The calls were made by both the national treasurer and the University of Ibadan chapter chairman of ASUU, Ademola Aremu and Olusegun Ajiboye respectively while speaking with journalists in Ibadan at the weekend. Aremu said, “it is unbelievable that the Professor Julius Okojie-led NUC could give a clean bill of health to universities where the Needs Assessment Committee set up by the Federal Government found rot in terms of deficient human capital and infrastructure”. Alleging that the activities of NUC were tainted with frauds over, the ASUU national treasurer said the commission had outlived its usefulness. Daily Independent, on pg9 6. NPC insurance premium crashes by $15m Three years after the exposé on the inflated insurance of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the rates for 2013 renewal have fallen and the premium for the risk has reduced by $15 million. From the $86 million paid on the Consolidated Oil Programme (CIP) in 2012, the premium fell to $71 million in 2013, saving $15 million for the nation. The premium, which was paid in March before the April 1 commencement of cover marks the first time that the NNPC, Nigerian largest insurance account, will pay premium ahead of commencement of cover. This signals full compliance with Section 50 (1) of the Insurance Act 2003 that stipulates payment of premium before attachment of cover, otherwise known as “No Premium, No Cover.” An NNPC official, not authorised to talk on the issue, told BusinessDay that it was amazing that the rates and premium of the risks could decline as previous primary insurers had ruled out such reduction. BusinessDay, front pg, copnt on pg4 Business News 7. N4.423bn debt: NEITI reveals PPPRA acknowledgment letter The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative on Sunday released a letter sent to it by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, acknowledging the draft audit report of NEITI. This, it said, showed that the PPPRA was informed of its N4.423bn debt to the federation, arising from over-recovery collected from independent oil marketers between 2008 and 2009. The Punch, pg30 8. Nigeria’s efforts to reduce poverty rate by 2015 weak, says AfDB It is not true, say Presidency THE African Development Bank (AfDB) has assessed the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce poverty rate by 2015 as weak. The assessment was contained in the African Economic Outlook, a yearly report of the bank, which was released at the weekend, in Abuja. But in a swift reaction, the Presidency has faulted the report, describing it as “devoid of truth and political.” The Guardian, Punch, pg13 World/Regional News 9. Visa Police: Nigeria’s brigade leaders denies entry into UK Lagos, although November is still far for Britain’s has started denying many Africans entry into their country. A report in London’s The Guardian and Kenya’s Daily Nation last weekend reported that 47 Boys Brigade leaders were denied entry into the Great Britain last weekends. Vanguard, pg12 10. Pope Francis urges partnership between Christians, Muslims Pope Francis has urged Christians and Muslims to work together to promote mutual respect, particularly by educating new generations of believers. He greeted Muslims around the world during his Sunday blessing of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square in Rome. The Punch, pg75 Sports/Entertainment 11. Keshi, Okoku donate generator to school Vanguard, pg55
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:57:26 +0000
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