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PIA 2021: President not interested in Niger Delta affairs – Ann-Kio Briggs

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Following the reintroduction of the Petroleum Industrial Act (2021) to the national assembly by the president for the amendment of certain clauses, some stakeholders have given the president’s action kudos while others knocks him hard.

In a monitored interview (AIT), a Niger Delta activist, Ann-Kio Briggs maintained that the president has no interest in the affairs of the Niger Delta region and the national assembly is working against the people they represent while doing the biddings of the presidency.

“The president rushed and signed the bill on return from United kingdom I wondered why he didn’t sign it from UK, he had done that before from UK. They rush to sign it so that they can do with it whatever and however they want it, because the Senate has told us long time ago that they will do (whether legal or not) whatever the president/ presidency wants them to do against the Niger Delta or against the Nigeria people, am not surprised,”

Briggs frown over the late prosecution and intervention of this administration in every matter that concerns the Niger Delta and the South East. She queried why the right things shouldn’t be done at the right time for the people in Niger Delta and its neighboring regions.

“Why are things different when it comes to the issues of Niger Delta and the southern Nigeria? I am very sure that when it comes to restructuring, the only thing this government is going to do is to take issues to national assembly and changing things as it suits them. They are restructuring this country on the platform of NASS, so the NASS is in connivance with the federal government, cheating the Niger Delta and Nigeria, the government is using the law makers against the people,”

The Niger Delta activist posited that people must come to this realization that the Senate and House of Representatives are working against the the masses they represent by their inability to stand up to the executive and tell them what they (Executive) don’t want to hear.

On Fiscal Federalism, she commended the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for signing the law authorizing the state to collect VAT. “I support them fully. We are watching the Judiciary and the legislature to see what they will come up with regarding this, but they must note that they (government) are on trial today, tomorrow they will be judged and history will record the people who destroyed this country because that is where we are heading. Nigeria has just scattered we have to pick up the pieces and lay claim what belongs each of us,” she affirmed.

She added that 2023 general elections would be a mirage and joke if the 1999 constitution remains the same after public outcry for a fresh constitution.

In a similar interview (Channels TV), the Special Advisor to the president on Niger Delta Affairs, Ita Enang, said the request by the president to amend some clauses of the PIA 2021, is a way forward adding that there were no impurities as envisaged in the Act.

Enang added that anybody or group who still feel dissatisfied over the PIA can through the NASS bring it up for amendment before it goes back to the president for assent.

“There were no impurities in the Act. The president decision to amend some clauses is a way forward, it is a proof that he wants to carry every region along, for instance, instead of Two executive Directors, he want it six for equity and fairness.

“The NASS has the right to introduce other amendments outside what the president has requested. So the move was in the interest of all. I urge the NASS to expedite actions to avoid legal issues,” he charged.

The sections requested by the president for amendment are sections 11(2)(g); 34(2)(f) and 34(2)(g).

Culled from the Sun News Nigeria

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Nigerian officials probe plan to marry off scores of female orphans

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May 15, 2024

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ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs says it is investigating a plan by a lawmaker in central Niger state to marry off some 100 female orphans of unknown ages later this month.

Speaker of the Niger State Assembly Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji announced the mass wedding last week but called off the ceremony following widespread outrage.

Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the plans.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said she had petitioned the police and filed a lawsuit to stop the marriages pending an investigation to ascertain the age of the orphans and whether they consented to the marriages.

“This is totally unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and by the government” of Nigeria, she said.

Last week, Sarkin-Daji announced his support for the mass wedding of the orphans, whose relatives were killed during attacks by armed bandits. He said it was part of his support to his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.

The mass wedding had been scheduled for May 24.

“That support I intend to give for the marriage of those orphans, I’m withdrawing it,” he said. “The parents can have the support [money], if they wish, let them go ahead and marry them off. As it is right now, I’m not threatened by the action of the minister.”

Despite national laws prohibiting it, forced or arranged marriage is a common phenomenon in Nigeria, especially among rural communities in the predominantly Muslim north, where religious and cultural norms such as polygamy favor the practice.

Poor families often use forced marriage to ease financial pressure, and the European Union Agency for Asylum says girls who refuse could face repercussions such as neglect, ostracism, physical assault and rape.

Raquel Kasham Daniel escaped being married off as a teenager when her father died and now runs a nonprofit helping children, especially less-privileged girls, get a formal education for free.

She said the ability of women to avoid forced marriage in Nigeria depends on their income and education.

“I was 16 when I lost my dad and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. And that gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life,” Daniel said.

“So, the reason why I prioritize education is to make sure that other girls have access to quality schooling so that it will help them make informed decisions about their lives. Education not only increases our awareness as girls about our rights but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning,” she said.

Thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they turn 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global network of more than 1,400 civil society groups working to end child marriage.

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Shell investigates smoke near Gbaran oil facility in Nigeria

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May 15, 2024

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YENAGOA, Nigeria, May 14 (Reuters) – Oil major Shell is investigating reports of smoke early Tuesday near its Gbaran Ubie oil and gas facility in Nigeria’s coastal Bayelsa state, a spokesperson said after residents reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the area.
The incident would not immediately lead to an operational shut-in, the Shell spokesperson said.
A fire was reported around 0600 GMT by residents in the nearby community, who said blasts were heard where pipeline repair works had been ongoing.
The Gbaran facility, which began operations in 2010, is by far the most important Nigeria LNG gas feedstock project, processing almost 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
“We are actively monitoring reports of smoke detected near our Gbaran Central Processing Facility in Bayelsa State. While the source appears to be external to our facility, we are in close communication with regulatory authorities to look into the incident and ensure the safety of the surrounding communities,” a Shell spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
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Shell did not immediately respond to the accounts of residents in the area.
Resident Ovie Ogbuku told Reuters: “At about 7 a.m. I heard the sound so deafeningly and it shook the foundation of the earth and we ran for our dear lives. The result is the thick smoke you are seeing now.”
Another resident Uche Ede said; “We have no idea of the cause of the explosion but we are grateful no life was lost because it was far away from homes.”
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Land operations in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta are prone to sabotage, theft, and pipeline vandalism, forcing oil majors to exit such fields to focus on deepwater drilling.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Nigeria tour: A Round Up

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May 15, 2024

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Meghan and Harry spent three days in the African country, Nigeria in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time in Nigeria as part of a three-day tour, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of The Invictus Games.

The couple were personally invited on the trip by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa; they are not there in any official capacity on behalf of the royal family or the UK. The tour schedule, which started in the bustling capital of Abuja, has been jam-packed, including a visit to primary and secondary school Lightway Academy, where they met with students, and experiencing the work of Nigeria Unconquered, a charitable foundation dedicated to aiding wounded, injured, or sick servicemembers.

Naturally, the trip also provided the opportunity for Meghan to showcase a multi-day “tourdrobe”, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the couple stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 – and she hasn’t disappointed, in a series of summery maxi dresses, elegant tailoring and striking separates.

See highlights from their trip so far, below.

On day three, the couple arrived at Lagos airport, where they were given an official state welcome.

The couple posed for a photo with children and Nigerian dignitaries.

 

The couple were greeted by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

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They then attended a basketball exhibition training match at Ilupeju Grammar School in Lagos. After the match, they posed for a photo with the Toronto Raptors basketball team president, Masai Ujiri, and the principal of Ilupeju Grammar School, Josephine Egunyomi.

 

The couple attended a reception hosted by the charity organisation Nigeria Unconquered, held at the Officers’ Mess in Abuja.

 

A visit to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

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