General

FG Wades Into Dangote-NMDPRA Rift

Published

9 months ago

23/07/2024

By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal government, through the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, has intervened in the media war between Mr Aliko Dangote and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The chief executive of NMDPRA, Mr Farouk Ahmed, had claimed that diesel from Dangote Refinery in Lagos was of low quality compared with imported ones, adding that the private refinery was only 45 per cent completed as opposed to what Mr Dangote had told the world, and was not licenced to commence operations.

This angered the businessman, who lambasted the regulator for demarketing his company, revealing that tests conducted on his diesel showed low traces of sulphur compared with samples of imported diesel from two petrol stations within his vicinity.

He alleged that some forces were bent on ensuring that the refinery did not work as this would affect their petrol importation business.

The rift was getting messier and attracted the attention of the federal government, which has moved to calm nerves.

In a statement by the Special Adviser Media and Communication to the Minister, Mrs Nneamaka Okafor, it was disclosed that those who attended the meeting included Mr Ahmed; the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mr Gbenga Komolafe; and the chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company(NNPC) Limited, Mr Mele Kyari.

“The meeting focused on finding a sustainable and lasting solution to the current impasse affecting the Dangote Refinery, with all parties demonstrating a commitment to collaborative and proactive problem-solving,” the statement read.

Mr Lokpobiri at the meeting restated the importance of cooperation among stakeholders to ensure the success of the oil and gas sector which he said is critical to Nigeria’s economic growth and energy security.

“This meeting marks a significant step towards resolving the challenges and underscores the Minister’s dedication to fostering a conducive environment for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector,” the Minister’s aide said.

They all thanked the minister for his leadership and intervention in a bid to resolve the issues, the statement announced.

However, bar the statement, it is not immediately clear if the issue has been fully resolved.

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Adedapo Adesanya

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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General

The LOGIC Church Plans ‘Jesus + Nothing Worship’ for Good Friday

Published

9 hours ago

13/04/2025

Dipo Olowookere

Apostle Flourish Peters The Logic Church

By Dipo Olowookere

On Friday, April 18, 2025, all roads will lead to the headquarters of the Love of God in Christ (LOGIC) Church in the Lekki area of Lagos State for an uplifting evening dedicated to expressing the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ in music.

The day, which is Good Friday, has been set aside to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of Christian faith.

Christian faithful from across the global will gather for the hybrid programme tagged Jesus + Nothing Worship, a platform that provides worshippers an opportunity to connect with the essence of the Gospel in worship.

Soul-lifting singers expected to minister on that day include Neon Adejo, Greatman Takit, Victor Thompson, Timi Dakolo, Samuel Giveson (SMJ), Noble G, Steve Hills, and Lily Perez.

Others are Joxie, Anderson Qozan, Pastor Victor Paul, EmekaSongz, Flo, Dorcas Moore, Magpsalms, Mera Owili, Gerald Bishung, Phebe Lion, and the vibrant Evolution Children’s Choir.

The Lead Pastor and Apostolic Head of the LOGIC Church, Apostle Flourish Peters, while commenting ahead of the event, said, “As a Christocentric faith community, this event is a great way to celebrate the gift of Christ, who laid down his life for our redemption. Good Friday is a great time to have a worship celebration like this.”

“Nothing speaks to the culture of a people like the music they listen to. Jesus + Nothing Worship will contribute to shaping and mainstreaming a culture of christocentric worship, where the Gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is platformed through worship,” he added.

General

SERAP Calls for Withdrawal of Nigeria’s Data Act Amendment

Published

10 hours ago

13/04/2025

Adedapo Adesanya

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for the withdrawal of the amendment of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 because it seeks to regulate the activities of bloggers operating within the territorial boundaries of Nigeria.

The organisation in its letter urged the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, to “immediately withdraw the repressive bill.”

Business Post reports that the titled A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to Mandate the Establishment of Physical Offices within the Territorial Boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms and for Related Matters among others intends to regulate bloggers, including by requiring all bloggers to register local offices and join recognised national association for bloggers.

Currently, the bill has passed its first and second reading in the Senate.

In the letter signed its deputy director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP asked Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas “to ensure that any amendment to the Nigeria Data Protection Act promotes and protects the rights of bloggers and other journalists and does not undermine the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.”

It demanded an end to “the imposition of unnecessary restrictions on the rights of Nigerians online and Internet-based content.”

In the letter dated April 12, 2025, the group said, “This bill is a blatant attempt to bring back and fast-track the obnoxious and widely rejected social media bill by the back-door.”

“If passed, the bill would also be used to ban major social media platforms—including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and independent bloggers if they ‘continuously fail to establish/register and maintain physical offices in Nigeria for a period of 30 days.

“Lawmakers should not become arbiters of truth in the public and political domain. Regulating the activities of bloggers and forcing them to associate would have a significant chilling effect on freedom of expression and lead to censorship or restraint.

“Should the National Assembly and its leadership fail to withdraw the bill to regulate the activities of bloggers, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure it is never implemented in the public interest,” the organisation warned.