OIL MARKETERS, DAPPMA, RESCIND EARLIER DECISION TO GO ON STRIKE

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) has suspended its earlier directive to commence shutdown of depots across the country and stop loading petroleum products effective from midnight of Sunday.

The directive to suspend the action was conveyed in a statement issued around 1.20am on Monday by DAPPMA’s Executive Secretary, Mr Olufemi Adewole, in Lagos.

The association had issued a shut-down directive to its members following the continuing indebtedness of the Federal Government to petroleum marketers.

“However, following the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians, including the National Assembly as represented by the Senate Committee of Petroleum Downstream and constructive engagement of the Federal Government team by the labour unions most affected by the disengagement of our personnel, namely, PENGASSAN, NUPENG NARTO,PTD,and DAPPMA.

“The union has resolved to recall its disengaged personnel for 5-days to give the FG’s team the opportunity to conclude its process of paying marketers the full outstanding of N800 billion with the first trench being the amount already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC)

“The association has acted in good faith to avoid unnecessary hardship which could befall Nigerians during the yuletide season and we hope that government would make good its promise to see that those issues are resolved by Friday, Dec., 14, 2018 as promised.

“To this, end, our disengaged personnel would be recalled on Monday, Dec. 10 and considering the reactivation time or hitherto shut down system, all depots with fuel stock should be fully active same day,’’ the statement said.

The statement said further that the conclusion of the debts payment would curtail the continuing wastage of public funds as interest accruing on the over N800 billion debt.

“DAPPMA depots are therefore advised to commence loading operations immediately and await further notification in respect of our long overdue payment.

DAPPAMA had on early on Sunday directed its members to shut down all loading operations by midnight, adding that oil marketers had disengaged employees due to their inability to pay salaries.

It said that the Association took a bold step to stop the financial haemorrhaging of its members by the painful disengagement of its loyal workers after over three years of engaging with the government in the efforts to secure the payment of all subsidy induced debt owed marketers.

According to DAPPMA, to avoid owing staff without any hope of pay, it is hereby agreed that since all our staff have been disengaged, all DAPPMAN member depot are not in a position to operate hence will shut down all loading at midnight

DAPPMA said that the decision of government to settle N236 billion out of the outstanding N800 subsidy arrears was not acceptable to DAPPMA members, leading to last week’s Thursday meeting which ended in a deadlock.

They explained that the decision of government to pay the N236 billion through promissory notes was equally rejected by the oil marketers.

‘‘As the name suggest, promissory note is a payment instrument that is post dated. Based on this when you approach the banks with the instrument, you don’t get the actual value on it.

“About 30 per cent is knocked off because Government will be making the payment at a later date which ties down the bank’s capital’’’ he said.

2019: DESPITE PRESIDENTIAL VETO, INEC FORECLOSES USE OF INCIDENT FORM

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said despite the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018, which makes the use of card reader mandatory, the 2019 elections will not be conducted with incident form.
INEC’s assurance is coming as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation has said the use of incident form in the impending general elections would be unacceptable to it.

The electoral body, however, said the rejected bill would have addressed the controversies that trailed the 2015 exercise especially the place of technology and others that the amendments seek to address.

Responding to THISDAY enquiry yesterday, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said the presidential veto has created no lacuna in the electoral legal regime, explaining that the Electoral Act 2010 as amended in 2015 would be the operative law.

According to him, “While it may be better to have the necessary amendments to avoid some of the controversies that trailed the 2015 exercise, especially the place of technology and others the amendments seek to cure, we can still have good elections with the extant act as we did in 2015, which were adjudged free, fair and credible.”

Reacting to a report by an online newspaper that 13.5 million voters voted for Buhari without full biometric accreditation in 2015, Osaze-Uzzi said, “How was this determined? Biometric accreditation does not determine who a person votes for. Put another way, the card reader is used for biometric accreditation. It doesn’t determine how such persons vote.

“Incident forms will not be used in 2019.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had last week, for the fourth time withheld his assent to the amendment bill, citing legal drafting errors.

In separate letters dated December 6 titled, ‘Presidential Decision to Decline Assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2018’, addressed to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives, Buhari explained that he was declining assent “principally because passing a new electoral bill this far into the electoral process for the 2019 general election, which commenced under the 2015 Electoral Act, could create some uncertainties about the applicable legislation to govern the process.”

The president also listed four provisions of the bill that required drafting amendments by the National Assembly. They include Section five of the bill amending section 18 of the principal act, which should indicate the subsection to which the substitution of the figure “30” for the figure “60” is to be effected and Section 11 of the bill amending Section 36 should indicate the subsection in which the proviso is to be introduced.

But the PDP presidential campaign said the use of incident form would not be acceptable to it in 2019.

One of the spokespersons, Mr. Segun Sowunmi, said that outpouring of goodwill by Nigerians since the PDP started its zonal presidential campaigns was an indication that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could not win the election in a free and fair contest.

He stated, “I want to tell INEC that it is a major unacceptable embarrassment that the business of incident forms will now take precedence over the card reader.

“Card reader is what must be encouraged to be the only thing that will be used for the 2019 elections. But how can we trust the integrity of the process if it is compromised by incident forms and underage people voting.”

Sowunmi insisted that the 2019 elections should be a celebration of the development of the country’s democratic journey, which he said could only be achieved if INEC conducts free, fair, credible and transparent elections in 2019.

An online newspaper at the weekend reported that at least 13.5 million Nigerians voted manually, without biometric accreditation, in the 2015 presidential election, according to data from INEC, part of the problems the amendment bill seeks to address.

The data, obtained by DeepDive Intelligence, shows that Buhari, candidate of the APC, won in nine of the 10 most-affected states, notwithstanding that the non-use of PVCs during the poll cut across all the political parties’ strongholds.

The 2015 presidential election had two major contenders, Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s first incumbent president to lose a re-election bid.

Of the 31,746,490 accredited voters in the election, 13,536,311, representing 42.6 per cent of voters, voted without biometric accreditation.

Out of this number, 10,184,720 votes are from states won by Buhari and 3,351,591 votes came from states won by Jonathan, the PDP candidate, representing 75 per cent and 25 per cent of accredited voters respectively.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/12/10/2019-despite-presidential-veto-inec-forecloses-use-of-incident-form/

2019 ELECTION: HOW GOV. EMMANUEL SHOCKED ME – SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO

Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, has taken a swipe at his estranged political godson, Governor Emmanuel Udom.

Akpabio said he was “shocked that Emmanuel whom I brought from Lagos and installed as a Governor even though he was not a member of the party on whose platform he stood election and become Governor, could call a world press conference to insult me.”

According to him, the Governor never had a membership card of any political party neither had he contested for any election on his own before he (Akpabio) picked him up from Lagos and made him Governor.

Akpabio, a former Senate Minority Leader, said the All Progressives Congress, APC, would record landslide victory in the general elections in the State.

The Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District stated this at an assembly to flag-off his senatorial election campaign and inauguration of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District APC Campaign Council at Ukana, his country home in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the State on Sunday.

He said, ‘’the electorate in the state would reciprocate the kind gesture of Mr. President Buhari by voting massively for him and all candidates of the APC in the state.’’

Taking a swipe at Governor Emmanuel over what he described as hypocritical campaign slogan tagged “only God”, Akpabio said God cannot be mocked, noting that, “Only God could have made it possible to make someone who was never a party member to become a governor.

“Only God could have made somebody who has never had a party card or know what is called ward to become a governor.

“Only God could have made someone who could not have stood election on his own even as a Councilor and win to be brought from somewhere and made Governor.

”Only God could have made a man who has never helped anyone to become anything to become governor.”

OIL MARKETERS TO SHUT DOWN ALL LOADING OPERATIONS BY MIDNIGHT

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has directed its members to shut down all loading operations by midnight.

The association gave the directive in a statement released on Sunday and signed by Olufemi Adewole, its executive secretary.

According to the statement, oil marketers have disengaged their staff due to inability to pay salaries.

“The Association took a bold step to stop the financial hemorrhaging of its members by the painful disengagement of its loyal workers after over 3 years of engaging with the Federal Government in the efforts to secure the payment of all subsidy induced debt owed marketers,” the statement read.

“To avoid owing staff without any hope of pay, it is hereby agreed that since all our staff have been disengaged, ALL DAPPMAN Member depot are not in a position to operate hence WILL SHUT DOWN ALL LOADINGS AT MIDNIGHT, Sunday, December 9.”

The ministry of finance had announced that it had reached an agreement with by the painful disengageoil marketers on how to pay the outstanding subsidy claims.

However, DAPPMAN denied reaching an agreement with the government because it failed to agree to demands that the claims should be paid in cash instead of using promissory notes.

A statement released on Saturday by Henry Ikem-Obih, chief operating officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) downstream, had assured that the Debt Management Office would pay N236 billion out of the N348 billion approved by the national assembly as outstanding subsidy claims on Friday. 

FED GOVT. SCRAPS HND CERTIFICATE, MAKES FRESH RULES FOR POLYTECHNICS

The Federal Government has scrapped the Award of HND Certificates by Polytechnics.The decision was reached at the Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday where the approval of a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s tertiary education system was made.

In effect, the award of HND will be limited to only the students currently admitted for the programmes.Also, all the programmes currently being run by polytechnics, which are not technology-based, and which are about 70 per cent, will be scrapped.

Under the new rule, the polytechnics will now become campuses of the proximate universities with the Vice Chancellors of those universities appointing provosts for the polytechnics, subject to the ratification of the Universities councils.

The polytechnics will now be limited to award of the National Diploma (ND) while those desirous of further education will be awarded the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) by the proximate university.

To kick-start the new policy, the nation’s two most prominent polytechnics – Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic – will henceforth be known as City University of Technology, Yaba and City University of Technology, Kaduna. And to give legal teeth to these approvals, the FEC approved the submission of two Executive bills to the National Assembly for enactment.

With education being on the concurrent list, the states may wish to consolidate their tertiary institutions. But if they do not wish to follow the federal example, their programmes will continue to be regulated by the relevant agencies of the Federal Ministry of Education.

The first bill will concretise the setting up of the two city universities while the second will approve the preparation and consolidation of all federal polytechnics and colleges of education as campuses of proximate universities.

The Ministry of Justice will do the preparation and submission of the two bills to the National Assembly.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, told journalists after the weekly meeting of the council that under the reform measures, his ministry would, however, continue to license private polytechnics and colleges of education for the award of qualification at ND and National Certificate in Education (NCE) levels.

He said, “There will be no more award of HND.“After we have exhausted the current students under the programme, there will be no more award of HND. This means that there will be no fresh admission for HND programmes. And in addition, any programme that is not technical will be out of the polytechnics. “About 70 per cent of polytechnic graduates are in the non-technical courses. It is going to be a rigorous implementation programme.”

A ministerial committee to ensure the smooth implementation of all that is required for the take-off of the reform initiatives is to begin work immediately. Adamu said, “The HND certificate will remain a legal tender in Nigeria and holders of such certificate will continue to be recognised as the equivalent of first degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to progression in the work place.

“The NCE certificate will be retained as the minimum teaching qualification at the basic level of education. Any higher qualifications by these private or state-owned polytechnics will be only affiliation with a university. So, HND is no longer in existence, but existing HND will be respected and considered legal tender.”

ELECTORAL ACT: PRESIDENT BUHARI FINALLY BREAKS SILENCE, REVEALS WHY HE REFUSED TO SIGN BILL

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed why he refused to give assent to the Electoral Amendment Act. President Buhari had for the third time withheld his assent to the bill.

This was disclosed by his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

President Buhari explained that passing the bill could cause “some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process.”

The President’s reasons for refusing to assent the Bill was contained in a letter transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara dated December 6, 2018 and was published by his Personal Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, on Saturday via Twitter.

The letter reads partly: “Pursuant to Section 58(4) of the constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to the House of Representatives my decision on 6th December 2018 to decline Presidential Assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, 2018 recently passed by the National Assembly.

“I am declining assent to the Bill principally because I am concern that passing the new electoral bill this far into the electoral process for the 2019 general elections which commenced under the 2015 Electoral Act could create some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process.

“Any real or apparent change to the rule this close to the election may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process.”

BUHARI WOULD HAVE BREACHED ECOWAS PROTOCOL IF GIVEN ACCENT TO THE ELECTORAL BILL – SEN. OMO-AGEGE

 Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) said the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance forbids President Muhammadu Buhari from signing the Electoral Bill.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker gave this insight in a phone interview with newsmen in Abuja on Friday night. Article 2 of the protocol forbids member countries from making “substantial modification” to their electoral laws less than six months to elections “except with the consent of a majority of political actors”.

Omo-Agege, who is a staunch supporter of the President, noted that with the elections less than three months away, signing the bill would violate the ECOWAS instrument. The presidential and National Assembly elections are slated for Feb. 16, 2019, while those of governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on March 2, as slated by INEC time table.

Omo-Agege said, “I am yet to see the president’s letter to the Senate, but this bill means so much to Mr President. On a good day he would want to sign it. “However, without even seeing the reasons he has advanced so far, I am aware of the challenges posed by the ECOWAS protocol.

“I don’t know if that is part of the reasons he has advanced, but with the bill coming two months or thereabout before the election, assenting to it will breach the protocol.”

Newsmen report that Buhari did not mention the ECOWAS instrument as part of his reasons for declining assent to the bill for the fourth time. The president’s latest decision came in a letter dated Dec. 6, 2018 and addressed to both chambers of the National Assembly.

He said signing the amendment bill with elections close by could “create some uncertainty about the legislation to govern the process”. “Any real or apparent change to the rules this close to the elections may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process,” he stated.

Buhari, therefore, asked the National Assembly to specifically state in the bill that the amended Electoral Act would come into effect after the 2019 general elections.

Reacting to the development, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North on the platform of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the reasons given by the president were “untenable”. “It is not a good reason for him not to sign the bill because the Senate worked with INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) in preparing that bill. “If INEC felt otherwise, they would have advised us when we were working on it.

“You are aware of the controversy that this issue of amendment of the act has generated, with people accusing the Senate of not wanting to amend the act. “We amended it, but he declined assent the first, second and third time; he made certain observations, which we agreed with. “We sent it again, and the reason he is giving now is that it will disrupt the election. It is really unfortunate,” he said.

An Abuja-based lawyer and civil rights campaigner, Mr Frank Tietie, said the credibility of the 2019 elections was at stake without the compulsory use of card readers as proposed in the bill. Although, INEC has been using the card reader for elections since 2015, there is no provision for the technology in the extant electoral law, making its use optional.

Tietie said, “Without the card reader and electronic transmission of results, our elections have been subjected to might, brute force and the power of money. “Card readers and electronic transmission of results have totally eliminated that, and there is need for a legal force to that. “This is what the amendment seeks.

President Buhari’s refusal to allow the card reader and electronic transmission of results will only lead to electoral compromise,” he said. In September, Sen. Ita Enang, Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA), said the president had no problem with the use of the card reader contrary to allegations by the opposition.

CHELSEA, MAN CITY SET FOR WAR AT STAMFORD BRIDGE TODAY

Unbeaten Manchester City travel to the capital to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this evening.

City maintained their two point advantage over Liverpool in midweek with a 2-1 away win at Watford. Riyad Mahrez scored one and assisted Leroy Sane as a rotated City side claimed another three points.

Chelsea suffered a shock 2-1 defeat away at Wolves. The Blues took the lead in the first half after Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s goal deflected in. Wolves hit back with a quick-fire double in the second half to stun the visitors.

Chelsea have won just one of their last four matches in the Premier League, which has seen the drop down to fourth in the table. Defeat this evening would likely see the Blues be leapfrogged by London rivals Arsenal.

Manchester City did the double over Chelsea last season, winning 1-0 on both occasions. Kevin de Bruyne scored the winner at Stamford Bridge last September.

With no new injury concerns, ​Chelsea boss Sarri is likely have a full strength matchday squad at his disposal once again, after the Italian made five changes for the defeat against ​Wolves.

​David Luiz is likely to come back in for Andreas Christensen in defence, with Jorginho taking back his place from ​Cesc Fabregàs. Sarri may find space for ​Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a reward for his good performances of late.

Having rotated their squad in the ​Watford game, City will look to put out their strongest team with returns likely for ​Sergio Agüero and ​Raheem Sterling. The back four will likely be restored with Aymeric Laporte coming back in for ​Vincent Kompany.

Guardiola is unable to call upon first choice left-back ​Benjamin Mendy (knee), so ​Fabian Delph is likely to take his place, with young Oleksandr Zinchenko missing due to injury (face). Kevin de Bruyne (knee) remains out and is unable to feature against his former club.

The two sides have faced each other 42 times in the competition. Chelsea have 24 wins to City’s 11.

2019 ELECTION: AA PARTY REJECTS GOV. OKOROCHA’S SON-IN-LAW, UCHE NWOSU

Uche Nwosu, the son-in-law of Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, has been rejected by the National Chairman of his new party, Action Alliance party, AA, Tunde Anifowose-Kelani.

Nwosu‎ was rejected as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Imo State.

According to the Chairman, Nwosu was yet to become a registered member of the party.

He said for this reason, the former Imo Chief of Staff, cannot be recognized as the party’s standard-bearer in Imo State for the forthcoming general elections.

Kelani told reporters on Thursday that “Uche Nwosu is not yet a member of our party and cannot come through the back door to be a gubernatorial candidate of the party in Imo state.”

He further pointed out that the party had rules and regulations guiding its operation and that in order to become a registered member there were due process such person must follow.

He advised that if Uche Nwosu really wants to be a registered member of Action Alliance Party, he should do the needful.

“People of such pedigree should know better than junk politicking which would not help towards 2019,” he said.

Nwosu, some aides of the governors and supporters had during the week dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC in Imo State for the AA.

'CALL OSHIOMHOLE TO ORDER' OKOROCHA TELLS PRESIDENT BUHARI OVER 'GOD PUNISH OBASANJO' UTTERANCES

The Imo State Governor, Mr. Rochas Okorocha has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to order.

Okorocha in a statement signed by Sam Onwuemeodo his Chief Press Secretary said ‘since Muhammadu Buhari became President he has never used any foul language on any Nigerian, low or high, and that is the best way to go. And Oshiomhole should borrow a leaf from Mr. President. One of the reasons the PDP lost in 2015 was the abuses the handlers of the Party then were heaping on the APC Presidential Candidate then, and the President today, Muhammadu Buhari. Oshiomhole should be advised not to tow the 2015 PDP line.’

Okorocha also said ‘that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the former President of the country. And no matter the provocation or his political activities this time, Oshiomhole should have considered his status as the former President of the Country in talking about him, and should have exercised caution in addressing him. Saying that God would punish the former President was never advisable. This should not be the language of APC.’

Read full statement below

The most recent media attack on Governor Rochas Okorocha and some other governors of APC extraction by the National Chairman of the Party, Adams Oshiomhole refers.

We won’t take the pain to begin to talk about all the abuses, but to humbly plead with President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the leader of the party, to call Oshiomhole to order.

The Party’s National Chairman has, in less than six months, enthroned the culture of rascality into the Party and the development is not good for the Party. APC is not known for rascality and abuses. And the earlier he is called to order the better for the party.

Since Muhammadu Buhari became President he has never used any foul language on any Nigerian, low or high, and that is the best way to go. And Oshiomhole should borrow a leaf from Mr. President. One of the reasons the PDP lost in 2015 was the abuses the handlers of the Party then were heaping on the APC Presidential Candidate then, and the President today, Muhammadu Buhari. Oshiomhole should be advised not to tow the 2015 PDP line.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the former President of the Country. And no matter the provocation or his political activities this time, Oshiomhole should have considered his status as the former President of the Country in talking about him, and should have exercised caution in addressing him. Saying that God would punish the former President was never advisable. This should not be the language of APC.

APC does not belong to Oshiomhole. He should therefore be advised to carefully select his words when he is talking about certain categories of Nigerians. And he should also find out why he is the only one talking about APC and no other member of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party is doing so.

Oshiomhole should help the party and its Candidates by making his points without abusing people. The way Oshiomhole is talking has become nauseating to most Nigerians and the earlier he is called to Order, the better. He should be talking about the achievements of President Buhari and APC as a party instead of using the opportunities he would have used to do that, to be insulting people.

To say the least, few weeks to the elections, APC and its Candidates do not need Oshiomhole’s abuses or insults but the reasons Nigerians should re-elect President Buhari and elect APC Candidates.