General
Aiteo Donates Vehicles, Weapons to Nigerian Navy
By Adedapo Adesanya
Aiteo Global Group has donated 21 gunboats, 14 operational patrol boats, seven houseboats and four airboats to the Nigerian Navy to tackle crime and criminality on the nation’s territorial waters.
Other equipment donated were four high-speed interception inshore patrol boats, long-range surveillance drones and six high definition cameras.
These were received in Port Harcourt by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, who promised that the items would be deployed to the creeks to fight oil theft, piracy and sea robbery.
According to him, the donation was the manifestation of months of collaboration with critical maritime stakeholders to support naval operations.
“The delivery of these platforms and assets aligns with the provisions of the Nigerian Navy 2021-2030 strategic plans on inter-agency and sub-regional cooperation.
“This is a milestone in our collaborative engagement with corporate maritime stakeholders to rid the nation’s maritime environment of criminal elements and economic saboteurs.
“To this end, these platforms will enhance the navy maritime security architecture and bolster our maritime security operations effort,” he said.
Mr Gambo commended Aiteo for the donations and sought support from other corporate organisations to enable the navy to deploy more gunboats and halt the growing criminal activities in the Nembe Creek Trunkline area of Bayelsa.
Also speaking, the Minister of Defence, Mr Bashir Magashi, said the nation’s maritime environment accounted for about 70 per cent of federal government revenue.
He said that the government was concerned about rising activities of oil thieves, illegal bunkers and pipeline vandals that constitute a great threat to the nation’s revenue generation.
“More worrisome is the fact that sustained oil pipeline vandalism has led to environmental degradation in the Niger Delta, resulting in agitations in the region.
“This underscores the need to employ a robust protection and defensive measure that would encompass the surveillance, monitoring and prompt interdiction of potential threats,” he added.
On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Iraboh, said the new platforms would be deployed to complement other internal security operations across the country.
The defence chief gave assurance that the boats would be used for its set objectives of securing lives and property, including the nation’s oil and gas installations.
Adding his input, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tammy Danagogo, thanked Aiteo for donating the equipment.
“Interestingly, the state government had also donated gunboats, patrol vehicles and other assets to security agencies as part of the commitment to protecting lives and property in the state.
“We also initiated a current security summit where we engage with the military and security agencies to map out strategies to combat crime in Rivers,” he noted.
The Chief Executive Officer of Aiteo, Mr Benedict Peters, said the company decided to donate the equipment to the navy, owing to frequent attacks on critical oil and gas facilities by vandals.
Mr Peters, who was represented by Mr Andrew Oru, a Director in the company, expressed optimism that the equipment would complement Federal Government’s efforts in tackling the menace.
“We know that the Nigerian Navy stands in the best position to address this menace if adequately equipped and supported.
“Consequently, Aiteo resolved to maximally lend its hands of fellowship by handing over these operational support equipment to enable the navy to secure the waterways and facilities,” he added.
General
CNPP Begs Wike for Certificates of Occupancy Payment Deadline Extension
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has been urged to extend the deadline for the payment of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) by property owners in Abuja.
This plea for an extension was asked by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) through a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr James Ezema.
The group said the initial two-week grace period given to the affected allottees, which expired on Friday, January 3, 2025, was insufficient, considering the current economic challenges facing the country.
Recall that after public outcries, Mr Wike, who is the immediate past governor of Rivers State, granted an extension to the owners of the 762 revoked plots of land in Maitama, Abuja.
“We are appealing to the Minister and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to tamper justice with mercy and issue an extension in the spirit of the yuletide and in view of the economic challenges in the country,” the association stated.
It stressed that the extension would give the affected individuals and groups ample time to comply with the directive, thereby avoiding any undue hardship or loss.
“We pray that the Minister and the FCTA will grant the allottees an extension to comply with the directive, giving all the affected individuals and groups enough time to have themselves to blame at the end of the final extension,” the statement added.
The CNPP’s appeal comes on the heels of its recent expression of concern over the escalating hunger and suffering faced by millions of Nigerians due to the economic realities in the country.
General
All Farmers Association of Nigeria Dissociates Self From Ado Kano
By Adedapo Adesanya
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has dissociated itself from an unofficial viral statement by one of it members, regarding posters indicating activities of the organisation.
The group dissociated itself from the member in a statement signed by its National President and the National Secretary, Mr Kabiru Ibrahim, and Mr Yunusa Halidu, respectively.
“This post is made by an authorized member, Ado A Ado Kano.
“The opinions and views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the group, its administrators, or other members.
“For official statements, please refer to AFAN official contact or platform,” parts of the statement made available to Business Post stated.
According to AFAN, the unofficial posters flying around doesn’t represent the association, noting that Mr Kano is not authorized by AFAN or its officials but those of the author.
AFAN is the umbrella organisation for all farmers’ commodity associations in Nigeria.
Its vision and mission are to assemble all Nigerian producers into one organization, providing a single interlocutor for the government to address agricultural issues with the farming community.
AFAN was formed by the merger of the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFA) and the National Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (NAFAN). The merger was recommended by former Nigerian president, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo.
General
BUA Debunks Claims of 90% Completion of Refinery in Akwa Ibom
By Adedapo Adesanya
BUA Group has denied widespread reports that its ongoing construction of a 200,000 barrels per day capacity refinery located in Akwa Ibom State is 90 per cent completed.
In a statement signed on Sunday, the group with subsidiaries in food, cement, and energy sectors said that the claims that the structure was at end stage did not come from it.
“Contrary to a misleading report stating that our 200,000 barrels/day refinery is at 90% completion, BUA wishes to advise the public to disregard such misleading reports that did not emanate from us,” a part of the statement read.
It clarified that the project was progressing well and added that it was going to meet the project timeline of 2025.
“As we make remarkable strides on our Akwa Ibom refinery project, we are proud to share that construction is progressing steadily.
“Whilst the refinery is not at 90% completion, we are however on track to meet our delivery timelines in collaboration with our partners.
“This BUA Refinery & Petrochemicals project represents a major milestone in strengthening Nigeria’s refining capacity and energy security,” the group said.
BUA is also carrying out other energy projects, including the construction of a mini-LNG plant and several new hybrid power plants across the country, which it said are also progressing rapidly.
The group says this will add additional capacity to our over 1,000MW installed captive power generation capacity.
“The public is advised to verify any news through our official channels and platforms so as not to be misled by mischievous persons,” the statement said.
“At BUA, we remain committed to transparency and excellence. As we have consistently done with over 12 of our completed mega industrial projects worth over $ 3.5 billion in the past 10 years, we will continue to keep you updated with verifiable and accurate information only where necessary, and as milestones are achieved.
“We appreciate the public’s interest and enthusiasm for this transformative project as we work together in building a stronger industrial and manufacturing base for a self-reliant Nigeria,” it added.
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