Another Chevron pipeline blown yesterday

Another Chevron pipeline blown yesterday

Another setback hit the nation’s oil production yesterday as the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), blew up a facility belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), the main gas pipeline which provides electricity to the Escravos tank farm in Delta State.

The nation’s crude oil output has already been reduced by 31 per cent this year to about 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), against the 2.2 million bpd estimated in the 2016 budget, the lowest in 22 years.

The General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (CNL), Deji Haastrup, declined to comment on the development, saying that the company would come out with its official position when the need arises.

However, a company source confirmed that Chevron’s onshore activities in Delta have now been shutdown as a result of the attack. “It is a crude line which means all activities in Chevron are grounded,” the source said.

The Avengers had given oil companies in the region till the end of the month to stop operations or face more attacks. Confirming the latest attack in a tweet sent via its Twitter handle, @NDAvengers, the militants said the attack on oil facilities was prompted by Chevron’s move to fix a major crude pipeline blown up by the group earlier, after they had warned that no repair should be done until their demands were fully met.

“We warned #Chevron but they didn’t listen. @NDAvengers just blew up the Escravos tank farm main electricity feed pipeline,” the group said.

The Avengers had earlier claimed responsibility for the attacks on facilities belonging to Chevron, Shell, Agip, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) earlier this month, warning the Federal Government of further attacks.

The militants had attacked Chevron’s valve platform, an offshore oil facility located near Escravos in Abiteye, Warri South West Local Council of Delta State, forcing the company to shut in crude oil output from some fields in the western Niger Delta and critical gas supply to thermal power stations in the country.

According to Chevron, that incident had affected gas supply through the gas pipeline from Olero Creek to Escravos, Chevron’s tank farm, Chevron’s Abiteye flow station, the Sagara and Otuana flow stations, as well as the Sagara and Odidi pipelines.

Besides, the Chairman, Chevron Corporation, John Watson, yesterday said: “Low oil and natural gas prices made 2015 a challenging year for Chevron and the oil and gas industry. Chevron is taking significant actions to ensure we are well placed to emerge from this challenging operating environment in a position of strength.”

Watson disclosed this to stockholders in San Ramon, California, while giving an overview of the company’s 2015 operational and social performance and how the company was managing through current market conditions.

The Commandant General of Riverine Security (Coast Guard of the Federation) , Bibi Oduku, has blamed the attacks on the Chevron oil and gas installations by the NDA on a failure by security agencies who were tipped off to act on credible intelligence.

Bibi stated that prior to the recent bombings by the NDA, Riverine Security, had through its officers stationed in different creeks gathered intelligence that new militant groups were planning to launch attacks on oil facilities, but sadly, government agencies failed to act on the intelligence provided to them.

He said: “I want to believe that those working with the president from the Niger Delta area are not properly briefing the president on the true situation. If not this current situation will have been nipped in the bud, and the bombing and the economic loss will not have occurred at all.”

Reacting to the renewed attacks in the Niger Delta, Itsekiri leaders have condemned the activities of the NDA.

A statement issued by Edward Ekpoko on behalf of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT) in Warri said: “We watched with surprise and anger the re-emergence and/or increase in insurgency in Warri area in particular and the Niger Delta in general by a group, which calls itself the Niger Delta Avengers. Its goal as claimed, among others, is to cripple the Nigerian economy if their selfish demands are not met.”

According to him, the Itsekiri ethnic nationality is against the NDA, and following these unpleasant developments, the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought met and took the following resolutions: “That the Itsekiri ethnic nationality condemns the criminal activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and dissociates itself from the demands of the group.

“We can say that no Itsekiri person is a member of this nefarious group and we call on all our sons and daughters to assist the military and other law-enforcement agencies in arresting these criminal activities.

“Niger Delta Region is not the home to Ijaw ethnic nationality alone, several others including the Itsekiri, Urhobo, Bini, Ikwerre, Ibibio, Anang, Efik among others are occupying it and most of the vandalised oil and gas facilities so far are on Itsekiri land. Leave off Itsekiri land now. We warn those behind this heinous crime to leave off Itsekiri land. The agenda of the group is selfish and self-serving and does not have the support of the well-meaning people of the Niger Delta,” he stated.

The recent attack on oil installations has caused the nation a loss of about 800,000 barrels of crude oil daily.

In a bid to stop the vandalism in the Niger Delta, the Federal Government and stakeholders from the region yesterday resolved to work together and develop the area.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, after a meeting of the stakeholders in Abuja, expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to check the resurgence of pipeline sabotage in the region.

In a statement made available to The Guardian, Kachikwu said all the stakeholders resolved that solutions to the incessant attacks on oil and gas pipelines are within the communities, stressing that communities were now saddled with the responsibility of ensuring protection of pipelines within their domain.

He added that all the states in the region would nominate four or five representatives that would work hand-in-hand with security agencies to secure oil facilities in their respective states.

The minister further stated that it was resolved that violence was not an option in resolving the problems of the Niger Delta and that all threats from the region should end henceforth. He stated that there was need to reach out to all other stakeholders who were not part of the meeting to embrace peace and dialogue.

According to him, there is the need to restructure the amnesty programme so as to address the critical issue of neglect by the government and international oil companies.

“The Niger Delta governors must be involved in providing lasting solutions to the resurgence of pipeline vandalism and there is urgent need to create business opportunities for the locals in the region,” Kachikwu stated.

Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole and other leaders of the Niger Delta region who spoke at the meeting urged the agitators to drop their arms and embrace dialogue as the Federal Government was committed to the development of the area.

All the stakeholders who spoke at the meeting reassured that they would take the message of peace back home in order to provide a win-win situation for the Federal Government and the Niger Delta region.

And the United States (U.S.) has said it is prepared to help Nigeria establish peace in the Niger Delta . The U.S . Consul General to Nigeria, John Bray, made this promise when he visited the traditional ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom in Delta State, Charles Ayemi-Botu in Warri. Bray was at the palace to seek solutions to the recent bombings in the region. Meanwhile, all the Ijaw youths from the Niger Delta region including Lagos and Abuja and the United States yesterday met in Warri Delta State, to address the renewed violence in the Niger Delta region and to formulate a blueprint to guide their future relationship with the government.

They issued a red line to the government which it must never cross: that the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan must not be humiliated or arrested for any questioning until other past presidents have been interrogated for the same reason for which Jonathan may be arrested.

They listed several other demands to enthrone peace in the region: they want the Federal Government to immediately announce a resumption date for the Maritime University at Okerenkoko and that the government must reassure the Niger Delta people that they would not terminate the amnesty programme. They said that the government must restructure the country to reflect good democratic practices to enthrone the rule of law.

They also want the government to criminalise illegal oil bunkering and provide those responsible the tools to turn their operations into modular refineries since they are mitigating the failure of the nation’s refineries to provide sufficient products.

The meeting which was convened by the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) paraded some of the most notable activists in the Niger Delta. They included Annkio Briggs, Tony Uranta and Udengs Eradiri (IYC president). Former Minister of Police Affairs, Chief Broderick Bozimo chaired the meeting which was also graced by the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty Brig. Gen. Paul Boro.

Several speakers were unanimous that the region has been unfairly treated despite being the producer of the only resource the nation depends on and that the unfair treatment has led to the emergence of the NDA.

There was palpable anger at the venue that President Muhammadu Buhari had threatened to crush the Niger Delta militants instead of creating a platform to engage them in a robust dialogue that would give them a sense of belonging which would create an enabling environment for oil exploration to thrive.

The speakers were angry that the same issue of neglect of the Niger Delta region which had been on since 50 years ago was yet to be addressed, leading to the rise of militant groups.

Annkio Brigs said: “Adaka Boro, Asari Dokubo, Tompolo have been accused of being militants but I call them armed agitators because these persons are agitating for the same neglect that the various governments have refused to fix.”

Guardian

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Abducted girl, Ese Oruru delivered of a baby girl

Wife of Bayelsa State governor, Mrs. Racheal Dickson carrying Ese Oruru’s new baby while her mother, Rose (centre) looks on

Wife of Bayelsa State governor, Mrs. Racheal Dickson carrying Ese Oruru’s new baby while her mother, Rose (centre) looks on

Rescued 14-year old Ese Oruru has given birth to a baby girl yesterday in Yenagoa.

Ese was allegedly abducted in Bayelsa State in August 2015 and taken to Kano State where she was converted to Islam and married out without her parents’ consent.

Since her return to Yenagoa, she has lived at the Police Officers’ Mess in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

She was taken to the clinic from the Police Officers’ Mess, where the police, to avoid the prying eyes of the public had kept her.

Her elated father, Charles Oruru, who confirmed the birth of the baby girl to The Guardian on phone, said it was a normal delivery and that baby and the mother are in good condition.

Also confirming the birth, the sister to Ese’s sister, Pat thanked God for the safe delivery, saying she was happy that after the initial fear that the 14-year old may find it difficult during delivery as a result of her age.

The story of Ese, then 13 years of age, began in August 2015, after she disappeared from her home and her mother’s restaurant in the Opolo area of the Bayelsa state capital, Yenagoa.

After weeks of looking for her daughter, the mother declared her missing until she learnt from one of her abductor’s friend that she had been taken to Kano by one Dahiru Yunusa, a commercial tricycle driver popularly known as ‘yellow.’

Ese was said to have gone into labour in the morning and taken to Bayelsa State Government House Clinic where she was delivered of a baby girl.

Ese’s father, Charles said his daughter was delivered of a bouncing baby girl about 10.15am on Thursday.

“Ese and her daughter are hale and hearty. She gave birth to a baby girl at the Government House Clinic, Yenagoa. I just came back from the hospital,” Charles said.

Charles said that they were excited about the latest addition to the family, despite the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy.

Ese’s abduction case is currently before a Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where her alleged kidnapper, Yunusa Dahiru, alias Yellow, is facing five counts of alleged kidnapping, unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Dahiru has been in prison custody unable to fulfil the bail conditions slammed by the court headed by Justice Ajiya Nganjiwa.

Before Thursday’s incident, Ese was expected to give evidence in secret when the hearing of the case will come up on June 2.

Guardian

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Manchester United Names Mourinho as their new manager

Manchester United on Friday officially named Jose Mourinho as their new manager in place of the sacked Louis van Gaal.

The club said in a statement that the 53-year-old Portuguese coach had signed a three year contract with an option to stay until “at least 2020”.

“To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game,” Mourinho said. “It is a club known and admired throughout the world. There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match.

“I have always felt an affinity with Old Trafford; it has hosted some important memories for me in my career and I have always enjoyed a rapport with the United fans. I’m looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years.”

Media reports said Mourinho will earn up to 15 million pounds ($21 million/19.6 million euros) a year and will have a 200 million pound fund to buy players for United who failed to qualify for the Champions League with their fifth place finish in the Premier League.

“Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today,” said United’s executive vice chairman Ed Woodward.

“He has won trophies and inspired players in countries across Europe and, of course, he knows the Premier League very well, having won three titles here.”

Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea in December but has established a reputation as one of the best coaches of all time.

He has won league titles and cups in four countries with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. He won the Champions League in 2004 with FC Porto and in 2010 with Inter Milan

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START THE CHANGE

Most times when we go to big malls and supermarkets, we never question their prices. We pay the exact amount on the price tag, we even most times go as far as giving out payment valance to staffs there.

The moment we are out from this big malls and supermarket and go to all this poor hawkers or retailers to buy some little things we price and price and makes sure we divide the selling price of the poor retailer.

This poor retailer  that struggles to survive, it might even be a child trying to feed and raise money for school fees and other things. She tells you a hip of orange is sold for 200 naira each, he or she will even take out  time to explain how difficult it was to buy those oranges, the transportation from the villages they go to buy and everything. But you go ahead to price an orange sold for 200 for 80 naira, and even insist on the 80 naira or you won't buy.

You will even step back into your car and make to drive away. But because ‘half bread is better than a non’, this poor seller is forced to call you back and sell to you at little or no gain. In her heart, she’s worried about how she’ll cope.

The poor retailer tells herself that ‘It’s well. God will definitely  provide” While you happily chop pay for the oranges and even wait to collect every penny of your balance. Now, let's take some seconds out and analyse  this. Am always filled with pity when I see people who genuinely and helplessly hawk petty goods to make ends meet.

Especially mothers and children, most of them are harassed and molested by heartless buyers, mostly those useless men that buy regularly from them.  They won't have any option than to succumb, because if they don't those wicked men won't buy from them,  thereby the perishable goods spoiling with them. 

Please and please don’t bargain hard with small vendors like this, they do business not to buy

designer bags, designer clothes build mansions and drive flashy cars, but to SURVIVE.“ 

Please share this with your friends. Thanks..

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SAFE THE FUTURE

The youths they say, is a product of his environment. The home, being one of these environments, is one in which he first of all comes in contact with. Here, he learns the basic principles of life.

          The youths are right to point accusing fingers at their families or parents, elders, government and societies for their failures in life and even for all the vices they are accused of, in actual fact they all have a part in it. The greatest portion of the blame goes to the family. The family begins with the joining of a man and a woman legally in marriage.

          The youth has his own idea of marriage. The youth think that marriage is just something one runs into for convenience and comes out when its no longer convenient. It’s no longer starange hearing the youths discuss about getting out of the marriage that seems difficult. “You get out of marriage if it does not go well with you, says the youth”. To her the church marriage is binding and so should be avoided. I was so much astounded to hear this from a girl. I have heard boys say such a thing but certainly not a girl.

          Some youths rush into marriage asa way of escape from problems. Sometimes it may be as a result of lack of parental love, trouble at home in diverse forms, such as accidental pregnancies, frustration and the feelings that one’s mates are married. Some think that marriage is something that provides an escape from poverty and so the quest for a rich spouse, notwithstanding the source of the wealth. To such people, the end justifies the means. This is why a primary six certificate older can be seen married to a university graduate. He provides the financial backing which she needs while she provides the educational backing which he lacks. It means a good arrangement but once the money is gone, so will the marriage go as money is the binding factor.

          Marriage is a life long affair. It is not a contract of trials and error arrangement. It is supposed to be for better or for the worse affair. That is why people be prayerful and careful with marriage-related affairs before choosing a life partner. One should not accept person in the basis that one can make him or change him or her character trait that he or she does not like after the marriage. This change may never take place because this person is already moulded. What happens if this becomes the case? Nagging sets in. The wife may start nagging the husband or vice-versa with each finding faults in anything done by the other. This nagging can be extended to their children and relations. This may also lead to fighting and consequently divorce.

          Marriage requires patience, understanding, tolerance and the fear of God. For two people that have different family backgrounds, different type of upbringing, different social, economic and probably different religious background to come together as husband and wife is not an easy thing. This actually makes marriage a unique institution. Some couples are able to live together happily as lovers but once they formalise their relationship, it becomes a nightmare for them. A lot of adjustment has to go into marriage to make it balance. To maintain a marriage, the couple must be able to adapt to each other. It is no longer for one person to make the decision all alone. The other person has to be consulted. It is now-man affair, “The two shall no longer be two but one”. The couple truly have to think and act like one for the marriage to work. They should ignore any third party in their relationship in terms of advice, settlement of disagreement etc. The couple have to exercise patience, understanding and tolerance in each other’s shortcomings. Nobody is perfect. No two people can think and act aliken not even identical twins but with love, two people out of understanding can get to act and think almost like one.

          Misunderstanding should be settled in a mature way. There should be no grudges or high expectations of a partner by another. The husband should treat the wife like he treats himself or expects himself to be treated, like wise the wife. There should be no unneccesarry secrets. In fact, a wife and husband should be able to share their secrets so that the devil does not use any hidden secret information to attack the marriage. It is strange that some husbands or wives do not tell their spouses about their businesses or any commitments or dealings outside the family circle. This has left some spouses in a dilemma when the other spouses are dead.

          It takea a mature mind and the fear of God to make a marriage. A lot of problems aoocur in marriage. The problem are solved as they come. A marriage can be saved if these problems are dealt with whenever they rear up their ugly heads. The issue therefore is not in having problems but in solving them whenever they arise. Above all, the fear of God helpks to make a marriage to be successful.

          First, a marriage should be built with Christ as the pillars. When God is called upon to head the family, that family lasts forever. A husband and wife that have the fear of God in them, seek the face of God in all they do. In all situstion, they seek to know God’s will. They call upon God to go before them and after them. They will not hurt each other as they know God’s injunction concerning their marriage. This is why is absolutely necessary for God to be recognized in any relationship. I have truly praised God and blessed His holy name for some families that I have been to, where His presence radiates. It is most wonderful to be in such homes. Even when they do not have children or when the children are all males or all females or when they are poor, the presence and love of God radiates so powerful that you cannot help but sing hallelujah in your heart.

          To some people, marriage is a necessary evil they must go through in order to satisfy their families and the larger society. Some go through it in order to have legitimate children. I know of certain towns where brides are abducted to a man’s home for marriage. The girl may be in the market, stream or any other place before she knows what is happening, she has been taken hostage, put inside a vehicle by some men who are usually the intended bridegroom’s home where she is raped (in the case where the action is not pre-planned by the girl and the boy to save cost of marriage rites or especially in a situation where another suitor is interested). This is intended to make the girl pregnant and also break her down psychologically. She mayfind herself too used to want to leave after the weird business of fear of the pregnancy may keep her behind. The man after forcefully sleeping with her, sends a message to her parents the next day, telling them that their daughter is not missing but with him. Through this means, a smaller amount of bride price is paid on the girl than should have been paid.

         This is usually a means used by boys to avoid paying hug bride price and also marry the girl who ordinarily would not accept them into marriage. In some cases though, if the girl has big brothers, they stage a fight with the other people to rescue their sister. Some girls still find routes of escape on their own even after they have been raped and a gun shot fired to sanctify the capture of a new wife. A married woman can even be caught in the market square by an admirer knowingly or unknowingly. Even the protest by the woman that she is married may be stopped by show of wealth.

          In this community, the case of broken marriages is rampant. The marriage institution is not held sacred. The women leave their husbands when they feel like to another man. They sometimes take their children along with them and give them to the new men they ran to. This go a long way in contributing to adultery in the society.

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Fuel price hike: FG meets with NLC, appoints PPPRA chair.

– President Buhari approved the appointment of Mohammed Lawan Buba as chairman of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency

– The PPPRA board has the statutory role of determining and fixing the prices of petroleum products and has not been constituted for over four years

– The federal government set up a 16-man committee to negotiate with Nigerian Labour Congress on the increase in fuel price

– The presidency said the committee was constituted to work out modalities on ways to resolve the issues raised by the organised labour

– The committee is expected to submit its report within two weeks of their inauguration

Alhaji Mohammed Lawan Buba, a former Director General of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), has been appointed as chairman of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

This was announced on Wednesday, May 25, by Engineer Babachir David Lawal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation after a meeting between a federal government delegation and the organized labour, Daily Trust reports.

Babachir Lawal said Buhari approved the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Lawan Buba as PPPRA chairman

Lawal said the appointment of Buba, a former group executive director of commercial & investment at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The federal government also constituted a 16-man committee to address issues that necessitated the three-day strike embarked on by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) after the increase in the pump price of petrol, Daily Trust reports.

He said the meeting was called to review various issues which emanated from the the increased fuel price, such as the minimum wage, implementation of the N500bn palliative in the 2016 budget and work out ways of resolving the issue on new pump price of petrol.

 “The committee is to discuss issues concerning the minimum wage, to advice on possible modalities of working out ways to arrive at a compromise.

“Secondly, we have agreed that the 16-man committee will look at the issue of implementation and the allocation of resources on the half a trillion naira palliatives budgeted for by the Federal Government,” the SGF said.

After three days, NLC suspended its indefinite strike to demand reversal of the pump price of petrol from N145 to N86.50 on Sunday, May 22.

Labour agreed to negotiate with the federal government on the review of minimum wage for workers, electricity tariff and constitution of the board of the PPMC among other issues.

 Responding to questions from newsmen, the NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who led other labour leaders to the meeting with the federal government, said it was successful.

Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said the 16-man committee was expected to work out the framework to constitute the committee for the minimum wage review which was a tripartite negotiation arrangement.

“I chair the committee and we are waiting for the NLC to forward their nominees so that the committee can be inaugurated sometime next week,” he said.

The removal of fuel subsidy and an increase in fuel price did not go down well with many Nigerians. Popular Lagos based pastor and Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election, Tunde Bakare, accused the President Buhari-led federal government of not consulting widely before removing subsidy from petrol and the subsequent hike in fuel price.

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Nearly 1000 die in health worker attacks

The United Nations agency documented 594 attacks resulting in 959 deaths and 1561 injuries in 19 countries with emergencies between January 2014 and December 2015.

Syria, torn by civil war since 2011, had the most attacks on hospitals, ambulances, patients and medical workers, accounting for 352 deaths. The Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Iraq, Pakistan and Libya, followed.

Some 62 per cent of all attacks were deemed intentional and many led to disruption of public health services.

"This is not an isolated issue, it is not limited to war zones, it is not accidental. The majority of these are intentional," Dr Bruce Aylward, executive director of WHO's emergency program, told a news briefing.

"It is also not stopping and it has real complications for what we are trying to do. It is getting more and more difficult to deploy people into these places, it is getting more and more difficult to keep them safe when they are there and it is getting more and more difficult to ensure they survive, let alone recover in crises."

The casualty figures include 42 killed and 37 wounded in a a US air strike on a Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan last October.

A US military report last month said that the incident did not amount to a war crime but was caused by human error, equipment failure and other factors, but MSF has called for an independent inquiry.

WHO said 53 per cent of the attacks were perpetrated by states, 30 by armed groups and 17 per cent remain unknown.

"One of the most important rules of war you is that you don't attack health care facilities, health care providers, the sick, the disabled. So these attacks do represent gross violations of international humanitarian law," said Rick Brennan, WHO director of emergency risk management and humanitarian response.

"Violations of international humanitarian law, if proved, can be considered war crimes and the perpetrators can be taken to the International Criminal Court," he said.

www.news.com.au

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