National
LP sets up 7-member Disciplinary Committee to instill discipline
The Labour Party(LP), has set up a 7-man Disciplinary Standing Committee to curb the excesses of members not ready to abide by its constitution and obey directives.
Mr Julius Abure, its National Chairman, told newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja that the decision was one of the resolutions reached at the meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Abure urged all members to play by the rules and pay respect to the national leadership of the party and respect the LP constitution.
“All party members are under obligation to respect the integrity and dignity of the party and its leadership.
“The national leadership will not hesitate to discipline any member who is not ready to obey the Constitution of the Party and obey directives,’’ Abure said.
He listed members of the disciplinary committee to include Kehinde Edun, National Legal Adviser, who is the Chairman.
Other members of the committee are Chief Clement Ojukwu, Deputy National Chairman, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi and Mrs Dudu Manuga, National Women Leader.
Others are Callistus Ihejiagwa, Chairman, Imo chapter, Alhaji Raji Mohammed, Chairman, Kano State chapter, and Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, National Secretary, who is the Secretary of the committee.
Abure urged members of the party to work together for the common purpose of lifting up the poor which LP stands for.
Speaking further on the reason for the communiqué, he said it was to read out the decision of the NWC after meeting with the Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti.
He said the governor stated his intention to convene a NEC meeting on Saturday, August 31st, in order to dissolve the National, State, Local Government, and Ward Executive Councils on the purported ground that the tenures of the executives had expired.
“His argument was premised allegedly from a claim by INEC that the current executive’s tenures had expired.
“The NWC noted that the National Convention of the Party held on the 27th of March, 2024 has been validated by a court of competent jurisdiction on the 16th day of June, 2024 when it held that issues of leadership, conduct of congresses and convention are internal affairs of a political party.
“The judge determined issues of notices, how the convention was held, delegates, amongst others, were determined by the court which upheld the National Convention of the Party.
“For anybody to say that there was a vacuum in the leadership of the party is not only mischievous, but a deliberate attempt to cause panic, chaos and to disrupt the smooth working of our Party,’’ he said.
Abure said that Section 82(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that failure of a political party to notify the Commission as stated in sub-section (1)shall render the Convention, congress, conference or meeting invalid.
“The NWC in session notes that Section 83 (1) (2) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides also that the Commission shall keep records of the activities of all registered political parties.
“The commission may seek information or clarification from any registered political party in connection with any activities of the political party which may be contrary to the provisions of the Constitution or any other law, guideline, rules or regulations made pursuant to an Act of the National Assembly.’’
The LP national chairman said the party had fulfilled its obligation to convene its Convention.
“Therefore, for any person(s) or agency to begin to instigate members of the Party from the back door that the tenures of the executives have expired, is tantamount to being unprofessional and mischievous.
“We must also state that government business is not conducted verbally. It is done in official communication through writings and correspondence. So, we must await any communication by INEC.’’
He, therefore, called on all members of the party to work together to work for the common purpose of lifting up the downtrodden.
He also appealed to other contending parties to sheathe their swords and maintain status quo until the final court verdict.(NAN)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially dissolved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which includes the removal of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and Chairman Pius Akinyelure, along with all other board members appointed in November 2023.
In an announcement, the President introduced an 11-member restructured board, appointing Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the Non-Executive Chairman. These changes are effective immediately, as stated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
Emphasizing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC,” President Tinubu exercised his authority under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to implement this significant reorganization.
The newly formed board comprises Adedapo Segun, who continues as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), alongside six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), Babs Omotowa (North Central), Austin Avuru (South-South), David Ige (South West), and Henry Obih (South East). Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, will serve on the board.
The President has charged the new board with conducting a strategic review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture assets to optimize value. This includes increasing crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027 and 3 million bpd by 2030, boosting gas production to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion by 2030, and expanding NNPC’s refining capacity to 200,000 bpd by 2027 and 500,000 bpd by 2030. The administration also aims to attract $30 billion in oil investments by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030, building on the $17 billion secured in 2024.
Ahmadu Musa Kida, the new Chairman, is a Borno-born engineer and former Deputy Managing Director of Total Nigeria. He also has a background in basketball, having served as the ex-president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed GCEO, hails from Kwara State and was previously the Executive Vice President of Renaissance Africa Energy, where he led a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell’s Nigerian assets. He brings extensive experience from Elf and Shell, having worked across Europe and the Middle East.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing board for their contributions, particularly their efforts in reviving the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which have resumed production after years of dormancy. Analysts view this leadership change as part of Tinubu’s broader reforms in the oil sector, following last year’s removal of fuel subsidies and the promotion of private refinery investments. With the new team established, there are high expectations for enhanced transparency, efficiency, and profitability within Nigeria’s state oil enterprise.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The minority caucus in the house of representatives has condemned the killing of 16 Kano-bound hunters in Edo state.
On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.
The travellers were attacked and lynched after some vigilance group members raised the alarm on suspicion that they were kidnappers.
The Edo state government said 14 suspects arrested in connection with the killing would be transferred to Abuja for further interrogation.
During a visit to some of the families of the victims at Bankure LGA in Kano, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, assured that justice would be served.
In a statement issued on Monday, the minority caucus described the killing of the hunters as “barbaric”.
“We find such brutal killings of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country by lawless mobs very reprehensible, and if allowed to fester without being put in check by responsible organs of the federal government, such actions could threaten the peace and unity of the country,” the statement reads.
The lawmakers asked Nigerians never to resort to jungle attacks on fellow citizens but to always report any concerns to security agencies.
“We are a nation under the rule of laws, and our law enforcement agencies are always available to partner with every Nigerian to assuage their concerns,” the caucus said.
While noting that the incident is “already setting emotions on edge” in parts of the country, the legislators urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the security agencies investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Also, adequate compensation should be paid to the affected families,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers implored Nigerians to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding and allow the federal and state governments to investigate the matter and ensure justice is served.
The statement was signed by Kingsley Chinda, minority leader; Ali Isa, minority whip; and Aliyu Madaki, deputy minority leader.