Niger Delta Avengers blows up another Chevron pipeline, rebuffs FG’s dialogue move.

Delta Avengers today, said it would not negotiate with the Federal Government. 

The militant group, which blew up a crude oil pipeline belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, in the early hours today, tweeted: “This is to inform the general public that we are not negotiating with any Committee. 

If Federal Government is discussing with any group they’re doing that on their own” It said on its twitter handle: “At 1:00am today, the @NDAvengers blow up Well RMP 20 belonging to Chevron located 20 meters away from Dibi flow Station in Warri North local government area. 

” A source told Vanguard that the affected crude oil pipeline is between Opia and Dagbolo villages in Warri North. 

The attack is in spite of the declaration of a two-week ceasefire 48 hours earlier by the Federal Government to create a window for dialogue with militants. 

Confirming the attack, a security source said: “Yes, there was an attack this morning by militants on a Chevron facility.” “The pipeline had earlier been attacked by militants using the same modus operandi which is with the use of dynamite. 

“The attack was carried out at about 3am this morning,” he added. According to the staff of Chevron Nig. Ltd. who spoke on condition of anonymity, the company would draft a team of technicians to the spot to assess the extent of damage. 

Acting President, Prof Professor Yemi Osinbajo; governors of oil producing states; service chiefs; Minister of Defence, Dan Ali; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu; Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty Programme,

Gen. Paul Boroh, among others, met, Tuesday in Abuja and resolved on a stand-down of military action in the zone. Governors in attendance at the meeting included Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

The Service chiefs were Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, and Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.

Vanguard

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Former Super Eagle coach Stephen Keshi is dead

Former Nigerian National team coach Stephen Keshi is dead, his death was confirmed this morning by his relatives and the Nigerian Football Federation.

According to the family relatives Mr Keshi complained of being  unwell yesterday being Tuesday, 7 june at night and was rushed to Faith Hospital at Benin government reservation area where he died at 3am in the morning.

The news was confirmed this morning on the Nigerian Football federation twitter handle.

Mr keshi lost his wife last year who battled with cancer before she died. He is survived by 4 children and his mother. Rest in peace our hero.

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PDP will appeal Kogi tribunal judgment.

The state election petition tribunal had on Tuesday dismissed the petition filed by the former governor for lack of merit and legal incompetence.

Awoniyi told newsmen, shortly after the judgment of the tribunal, that consultation was already going on within the party’s legal team of lawyers on how to appeal the judgment.

“Our lawyers are already reviewing the judgment with a sound mind to appeal, we absolutely believe in the efficacy of our justice system.

“I appeal to our supporters to remain calm and not to aggravate their grievances, we have absolute confidence that justice will be done at the end of the day,’’ Awoniyi said.

The former deputy governor told newsmen that the desire to appeal the judgment was to deepen the country’s electoral laws.

The former governor was said to have gone for Umrah (Lesser Hajj).

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United States of America expresses concern over Niger Delta violence

The U.S. Embassy to Nigeria on Tuesday expressed concern over the reports of attacks and other incidents in the Niger Delta.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Embassy’s Public Affairs Unit in Abuja. It states that the U.S. mission to Nigeria is monitoring reports of attacks and other incidents in the Niger Delta and it shares the concerns of all Nigerians about these attacks.

“The U.S. remains supportive of efforts, including the promotion of dialogue, to address grievances in the Niger Delta,” it stated. It appealed to all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means and emphasize that human rights of all Nigerians must be protected.

It called on all Nigerians to persevere in efforts to achieve common goals. It stressed on the need to end violence and curb the activities of criminal elements. It called for the establishment of conditions and mechanisms for profound, positive, and lasting changes in the region.

According to statement, there is the need for the provision of economic opportunity and the needed services for residents of the Niger Delta.

Vanguard

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Niger-Delta Avengers: Osinbajo Meets governors, Service Chiefs

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is currently holding a meeting with governors from oil producing states and the nation’s service chiefs.

The meeting, which is taking place at the Conference Hall of the Vice President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja is believed to be aimed at finding a lasting solution to the renewedmilitants activities in the Niger Delta region.

The meeting also has in attendance the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, who joined the governors of Rivers, Bayelsa, Ondo, Delta, Edo and Abia states.

The meeting was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

Dailypost

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Federal Government threatens to withdraw license of recalcitrant banks, telecom companies.

The Federal Government, Tuesday expressed shock that employers in the financial sector, especially banks were breaching its directives to stop further retrenchment, threatening to withdraw the operating license of any bank or telecommunication company that breached its directive to stop mass sack of workers.

Speaking to Nigerian journalists at the ongoing 105th session of the International Labour Congress, ILC, in Geneva, Switzerland, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, warned that government would sanction erring companies because government had a duty to protect jobs in this harsh economy.

Ngige was responding to questions on alleged breach of his earlier directive to banks and other financial institutions to stop further retrenchment of workers pending the stakeholders meeting scheduled for next month.

The minister, who spoke after his speech to the ILO National Assembly, said: “We will go a step further if they continue. We know what to do. After all, the banks have the licenses giving by the government.

We know what to do. They need to comply. They need to come to the negotiation table. We did (halted the spate of sack to hold a stakeholders meeting) that in the oil industry and we succeeded. Even if you are going to lay off, there is a way to declare redundancy, there is a process.

 Section 20 of the Labour Act says it. You must call the unions and discuss with them. You don’t just treat them as slaves in their own country and you want us to keep quiet.

 “We want them to maintain the statusquo. As far as I am the minister of labour, I will protect the interest of workers; same to the telecommunication companies, they are also talking about compiling lists without discussing with anybody.”

Vanguard

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MY MOTHER, MY WORLD.....

I wish to use this wonderful opportunity to thank you mom for bringing I (juu boy), my elder sister ifeoma (ify lyn) and my younger sister Joy(nne mum) like used to call us when you were still alive. It’s unfortunate you no more alive to watch your nne mum and ify babe turn into mothers with lovely kids and your favourite juu boy struggle to become a man.

You were a lovely and lively woman. I could remember how you carried on in taking care of I and my siblings after dad died. You would work and do other small business just to provide for us. I could still recall so many business you did then, i enjoyed going with you to Uhum monastery to go get eggs on weekends some eggs which I kept hoping they will hatch into chicks. It was so lovely and fun being with you.

Your husband died during Christmas period on his way back to the village to take some things for Christmas home and arrange things before he will come back and we all travel for Christmas. But he never returned. The next thing I noticed was you crying with lots of people in our house, I hated to see you cry. I came and asked you where dad was some days later you told me dad went to see God in heaven and he was going to come back someday.  

I was 5yrs then and too naive to understand death then. Even when I saw your head has been shaved I wasn’t happy about it, because I felt you weren’t looking that cute like you used to.  I asked why you had to cut your hair you told me it wasn’t looking fine again and that you wanted new hairs to grow out, with time I noticed you wore white cloth regularly but I was just too naive to sense you were mourning your husband.

As I grew I started to understand dad was gone and gone forever, but I didn’t feel it much because you provided almost everything we needed. You would take us to school and made sure we came back, I would come to your office sometimes after school because you worked at UNEC and I school at university of Nigeria primary school so I stay with you in the office till you close from work and we go home, while my sisters go home with our family friend that normally brought us home after school.

I made sure I stayed with you all the time because I was just so fund of you. But you later felt so sick that you couldn’t go to work for months, you couldn’t take us to school anymore. It was so serious that my granny moved in with us to take care of you. You stayed for months in the hospital, still it didn’t make you feel any better. Your illness became worst by day that we always did fasting and prays from 6am to 12non every Saturday. I prayed to God to heal you because if you die am going to die with you. You will at times get better and we will all be happy, few days you will get sick again. I was so so worried because I missed everything we did together, I missed how we all ate together most times from one bowel with love.

I saw the struggle in you to stay alive, the day you died I felt it in the morning so  I refused to go to school, you couldn’t talk that morning you only waved at me that I should go to school. I wasn’t myself at school that day, I wasn’t just concentrating at school all I wanted was for school to dismiss so I could come home and see you. I was in primary 4 then if I could recall. Finally the school dismissal bell rang; I came home with my siblings that day on a public transport. Getting to the gate of the compound, our neighbor was already at the gate to take us to her house. She told us that water poured everywhere in the house and that till after its cleaned up before we can enter the house, I doubted it at first but because of the trust we had where she was we believed her and went to her house.

While at her house people were just coming to peep at us, like we were celebrities on a VIP. Later in the evening she took us to our house and we were told mom was dead. I felt the world turn upside down, I couldn’t cry. Throughout the night I was just reflecting back to the memories we shared with you, it was hard for me to accept you were gone just like that. Without any word to your only son whom you were so so fund of.

Your absence took many things away from me, the way I socialize as a kid then and so many more I wouldn’t want to mention. The world thinks you’re gone but you still live on in my life and have made a space in my hearth where no one can ever replace. The world will someday celebrate you with me for bringing me to the world. You were, you are and will always be the best mom in the world.

Your Son

Chukwuemeka Ugwu (Juu Boy).

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