Folarin Kehinde

The Chief Imam of Jumma’at Mosque of Ndun village of Tangur District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Malam Muhammad Sani Idris, as well as an okada rider, Muhammad Gambo, have been killed.

The Chairman of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), Garba Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust on Wednesday said, a younger brother of the slain Imam, Salisu Muhammad Sani Idris, was injured during the attack and was receiving treatment at Dung Hospital in Bokkos town.

The chairman said the incident had been reported to the security agencies in Bokkos for immediate actions.

Our correspondent reports that the latest killings of the two herders came barely a week after about 23 villages of Bokkos LGA were attacked where more than 150 people were killed.

Narrating how the incident occurred, the GAFDAN chairman said, “The chief Imam and his younger were attacked on Monday, after arriving at the community to collect some of their belongings left from the recent attacks where houses of our members were burned down.

“So, they went there to see if they could pick some of their property but suddenly were attacked. The hoodlums killed the imam while his younger brother survived machete wounds.

“The second deceased, Muhammed Gambo, an okada rider and our member, was killed on Monday around Bokkos Market while bringing a passenger to the area. We have reported the two incidents to the Police and Operation Safe Have in Bokkos,” the chairman added.

When contacted, neither the spokesperson of OPSH, Captain Oya James nor that of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, responded to the inquiry by our correspondent as at the time of filing this report.

Daily Trust reports that on Sunday, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, along with the service chiefs, visited the state. Their visit was aimed at assessing the security situation and sympathising with the victims of recent attacks.

During their visit to one of the affected communities, the service chiefs vowed to put an end to the needless killings in the state.

Attacks and counter attacks have become commonplace in the state especially between herders and farming communities.

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has suspended all local government Caretaker Committees in the state.

In a circular dated January 2, the governor, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, directed the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/ LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all Legal matters relating to this subject.

The letter reads:

RE: INDEFINITE SUSPENSION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF CARETAKER COMMITTEES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN ONDO STATE.

It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that despite the suspension of all recently appointed Caretaker Committee members for Local Government (LGAS) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State by a Court of competent jurisdiction, some individuals in these former positions are still parading themselves in that posts.

2. Consequently, I have been directed to request the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/ LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all Legal matters relating to this subject.
3. Furthermore, I have also been asked to request all HOLGAs to retrieve without delay, all assets and properties of the LGAs/LCDAs with these former Caretaker Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and other members and to safely keep them within their respective Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas.
4. Kindly give the content of this letter the urgent attention it deserves, please.

Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as governor of the state, last week, following the death of the immediate-past Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPL) on Wednesday, January 3, denied clashing with marketers or any other party on payment of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol.

This was contained in the company’s rejoinder to a media report that petrol should now cost N1,200 per litre owing to exit from the under-recovery of the fuel cost.

The short rejoinder that NNPC, Group Communications, Officer, Olufemi Soneye issued today reads: “NNPC Ltd emphasises it has not clashed with any party. The Punch headline is deemed unfortunate. The publication sought confirmation on the alleged subsidy reduction, to which NNPC responded that the subsidy has been entirely removed.”

… Milestone Achieved Without Single Recordable Lost Time Incident (LTI)

Seplat Energy Plc, a leading Nigerian independent energy company listed on both the Nigerian Exchange Limited and London Stock Exchange, is pleased to announce that the ANOH gas plant installation works reached mechanical completion on 29th December 2023, in line with the revised timetable.

This milestone has been achieved without a single recordable Lost Time Incident (LTI) across 11 million man hours, a testament to the focus of the whole team on safe and secure operations.

The ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC), an incorporated joint venture between Seplat Energy and NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) Ltd, is delivering the ANOH gas plant with Phase One processing capacity of 300mmscfd.

Upon commencement of operations, the plant will deliver dry gas, condensate, and LPG to customers. It is envisaged that AGPC will sell the gas and LPG domestically, and the condensates to the international market.

The other key steps to first gas, as outlined in the Company’s Interim Results announcement, were the drilling and hook-up of the Upstream wells and completion of essential third-party infrastructure: the OB3 pipeline river crossing and Spur Line connecting OB3 to the gas plant.

Completion of the third well (ASSN-05) was previously announced and the fourth and final well (ASSN-06) planned ahead of first gas has also now been completed by the upstream unit operator, SPDC.

We now look forward to the completion of the necessary plant pre-commissioning activities and essential third-party infrastructure which will enable commissioning of the gas plant and commencement of operations. Our previously communicated guidance for first gas is unchanged.

Roger Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, said:

“ANOH is an important strategic project for Seplat, it will roughly double our gas production, and we are focused on the path to first gas.

“Once completed, ANOH will provide two income streams for Seplat: wet gas sales from OML 53 to the gas plant and dividends from the joint venture ANOH Gas Processing Company, which will operate the plant.

“ANOH’s gas will further reduce Seplat’s and Nigeria’s carbon intensity and increase energy supplied to the Nigerian domestic market.”

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has directed that all ministries, departments, and agencies fully funded by the federal government remit 100 per cent of their revenues into a Sub-Recurrent Account, a sub-component of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), where the federal government will now receive and consolidate its revenue earnings.

This directive, issued in a December 28 circular by the Finance Ministry and publicised on Tuesday, effectively closes the single treasury account operated under the erstwhile Muhammadu Buhari administration.

It is the latest of the federal cabinet’s move to “improve revenue generation, fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency” in resource management and waste prevention under Bola Tinubu’s nascent presidency.

“All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) that are fully funded through the annual federal government budget (receiving personnel, overhead and capital allocation) and on the schedule of Fiscal

Responsibility Act, 2007 and any addition by the Federal Ministry of Finance should remit one hundred per cent of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the Sub-Recurrent Account, which is a Sub-component of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF),” the directive read.

“Agencies and departments that are partly funded by the federal government – having budgetary allocations for capital or overhead expenditures – are expected to remit 50 per cent of their gross revenue while statutory revenue like “tender fees, contractor’s registration, sales of government assets, etc should be remitted one 100 per cent to the sub-recurrent account,” it added.

Agencies not funded by the federal government are also expected to remit 50 per cent of their generated revenues.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation shall open new TSA Sub-Accounts for all Federal Government Agencies/Parastatals listed on the schedule of Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and any additions by the Federal Ministry of Finance, except where expressly exempted.

“The new account opened for Agencies/Parastatal shall be credited with inflows in the old revenue-collecting accounts based on the new policy implementation of 50 per cent auto deduction in line with Finance Act, 2020 and Finance Circular, 2021, 50per cent cost to revenue ratio,” it added.

While the current approach bears resemblance to the previous administration’s strategy, all revenues in the new processes are consolidated into a unified treasury account, and the Office of the Accountant General calculates deductions according to approved percentages. The remaining funds are then entrusted to the remitting agency. This contrasts with the prior administration, where agencies autonomously determined the remittances they provided to the federal government.

The accountant general is tasked with overseeing, monitoring, and conducting a monthly review of both the existing and new accounts of agencies/parastatals. This ensures that only funds approved by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy (HMFCME) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) are credited to supplementary accounts that the departments and agencies would use to hold internal funds.

All ministries and agencies concerned are expected to fully comply with the directive except when expressly permitted to act differently.