Petrol pump price is going even lower

That’s right, petrol at your closest filling station should be cheaper, as the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has announced a new retail price.

The new pump price was announced in a circular on Sunday, May 31, lower than the ₦125 announced back in March.

The circular read:

"Please recall the recently approved pricing regime which became effective March 19, 2020, and the provision for the establishment of a monthly price band within which petroleum marketers are expected to sell PMS at the retail stations,” the circular read.

After a review of prevailing market fundamentals in the month of May and considering marketers realistic operating costs as much as practicable, we wish to advise of a new PMS guiding pump price with corresponding ex-depot price for the month of June 2020, as follows; price band N121.50 – N123.50 per litre.

Ex-Depot price N102.13 – N104.13 per litre. Ex-Depot for collection N109.78 – N111.78 per litre. All marketers are advised to operate within the indicative prices as advised by the PPPRA."

Dangote wins world travel market award

Barely a week after emerging the most admired brand in Africa, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has won another award through its television commercial on the Cable Network News (CNN) detailing its business processes.

The company said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos that Dangote Industries won “Most Compelling Agency Story” award by the World Travel Market (WTM) with its ‘Farm to Table’ commercial.

The commercial, which is part of the ‘Touching Lives’ documentary aired weekly on CNN, detailed the process of food metamorphosis from the farm as raw material to final process as food on the tables at home.

According to CNN International Commercial Account Executive, Varshmi Arasalingam, the award recognises powerful storytelling capabilities.

He affirmed that the Touching Lives Farm To Table campaign holds a prominent socio-economic impact for which Dangote Industries continues to empower and improve the lives of people in Africa.

“We are extremely pleased to announce that Dangote Industries and CNN International Commercial are the winners of the WTM Africa Awards for the ‘Most Compelling Agency Story.

Dangote Industries is one the most diversified business conglomerates in Africa, with multiple entities impacting the daily lives of most of the continent’s population.

The company provides the population with employment opportunities that are also self-sustaining through basic needs, such as food, cement, construction, agriculture, and technology.

Through a branded content production, CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) wanted to showcase Dangote Industries empowering Africans through employment and self-sufficient opportunities.

Filmed and produced by CNNIC’s award-winning branded content studio Create, the campaign promotes Nigeria and the wider continent through the stories of real people, and focuses on the connections people have with each other, be it in their work and daily lives.

The character-driven story helps to change perceptions and encourage global audiences to visit Nigeria (and the African continent more generally) so they can experience and understand its culture and hospitality.

It also shows that we should not look at the travel and tourism as a narrow sector, but instead view it as part of a larger socio-economic project.

In this way, travel and tourism can empower and improve the lives of people in Africa – and all over the world – a goal Dangote is dedicated to realizing,” he said.

In his comment on the award, DIL Group Chief Branding and Corporate Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, said the management was delighted at the award and it only showed that the company was living up to its billing as the most diversified conglomerate in Africa.

He said the Commercial shot by the CNN which has won the award depicted the businesses of the company and gave vent to how we arrive at our mission statement of meeting the expectation of the people by providing for their basic needs.

“It simply demonstrates how it starts from the farm through which our people are engaged in every process before it gets to table at home.” he said.

FG begins 2020 systematic maintenance in Lagos State

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Kayode Popoola, on Sunday said the government had begun “systematic maintenance of all bridges in Lagos’’ to ensure smooth rides and safety.

Popoola told journalists on the telephone that government had a schedule to fix all bridges in Lagos State in batches this year as funds were made available.

“We have plans for maintenance of all bridges in Lagos state this year, our prayer is that the COVID-19 pandemic should come to an end so that we can swing into action.

There is going to be systematic maintenance, we will change the rubbers of the expansion joints and anyone that the metal is bad.

We are going to replace bearings on expansion joints that are worn out, that is the systematic programme that we have this year.

We say systematic because we cannot take all the bridges at once; for instance, we are to maintain Third Mainland Bridge, Marine Beach Bridge, Eko Bridge, Ijora 7Up Bridge, so, we are taking them one after another,’’ he said.

He explained that funding and traffic congestion were some of the reasons why the bridges could not be shut for repairs at the same time.

“We want to schedule the maintenance,’’ he said.

He explained that contracts for repairs of the Third Mainland, Ijora 7Up and Marine Beach Bridges had been awarded while that of Eko Bridge was undergoing procurement for the award.

Speaking on the Marine Beach Bridge in Apapa which was supposed to be closed for repairs, Popoola said that the closure for rehabilitation was still being delayed because of rainfall.

He explained that the rains was slowing down ongoing patching of all adjoining roads to the bridge to avert gridlock, adding that, repair works were being washed off by the flood.

“We will complete the repairs and close the bridge anytime this week to begin work on it, I cannot tell you if it is Monday or Tuesday but I am sure it will be this week.

We have to ensure the adjoining roads are in good condition to take traffic before we close any part of the bridge,’’ he said.

Popoola explained that drains on highways and bridges were also being cleaned to avert flooding.

“The cleaning of weep holes on Long Bridge (Lagos-Ibadan Expressway) is ongoing. Desilting of weep holes is a regular thing, that is, we open them up and clean if not, they will have all been silted up by now, silted up means that they will have been blocked by sand.

We are also removing garbage from manholes so that all our drainages will function very well.

We are currently cleaning manholes on Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki Road, Globatek (contractor) is working on it to address major problems of flooding on that road,’’ he said.

The controller appealed to Lagos residents to stop indiscriminate disposal of refuse in drains and open manholes to avert flooding.

“Lagosians should please stop dropping garbage inside the manholes. When you go there you will see used tyres, planks and all manners of rubbish. It will be difficult for floodwaters to pass through to go into the canals.

Manhole is not meant to collect garbage, people should not drop refuse in gutters and all drainage paths to allow free flow of water,’’ he said.

He lamented that vandals were stealing manhole covers but that plans were on to replace the covers with concrete that could not be easily removed.

American Singer Faith Evans arrested for domestic violence

American singer Faith Evans has been arrested and charged for domestic violence for allegedly assaulting her husband Stevie J.

According to TMZ, Evans was arrested earlier this week when police showed up at 1 am at the couple’s home in Los Angeles. Reports have it that the couple had engaged in a heated argument that turned violent. 

When police arrived at the scene, visible marks and scratches were noticed on Stevie J’s face. Evans was booked for felony domestic violence but released on bond the same day.

Faith Evans and Stevie J faced breakup rumours in July 2019 after they reportedly stopped following each other on social media. Stevie J fueled the rumours when he posted a string of cryptic tweets, including “Drunk people always speak their truth,” “One’s insecurities can damage them,” and “All that glitters ain’t gold.” 

But the couple downplayed the rumours to TMZ. The speculation returned in December 2019 — this time, due to messages posted to Stevie J’s Twitter. 

“Found [out] that NO woman is faithful. Knew that & it’s a blessing to know,” read a tweet. “Wanna show the world what being a stand-up guy will get you. 12 days of Xmas I sent her 5k a day. Trust no b*tch.”

But he later claimed that he had been hacked and that things were good between him and Evans.

“My wife is the love of my life & my best friend. Whoever hacked me, you not only hurt me but my entire family,” he tweeted in part.

Faith Evans was formerly married to the Notorious B.I.G in 1994 but separated before he was murdered in 1997.

Senate refutes allegations of culpability in NDDC fraud

The senate has refuted allegations that Senators and Members of House of Representative are the brains behind the fraud in NDDC by the executive Director of Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the Interim Management Committee (IMC) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh was said to have so alleged.

He said it clearly smacks of cheap blackmail predicated on a falsehood. This was contained in a statement that was signed by the Senate’s Spokesperson senator Dr Ajibola Basiru and was made available to journalists yesterday.

He said that the National Assembly will not succumb to cheap blackmail from any quarters and is committed to ensuring probity and accountability of all agencies of government no matter whose ox is gored.

The spokesperson said they are at a loss as to why Dr. Ojougboh has repeatedly made such allegations at a time when the NDDC is under the scrutiny of forensic audit and investigation by the National Assembly.

“The Senate is even more surprised considering the fact that the allegations are baseless and unsubstantiated.

Apparently Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is ignorant of the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to carry out oversight function over all agencies expending government resources with a view to exposing and preventing corruption and abuse.

It stands logic in the head to claim that by invoking it’s the constitutional power of oversight to investigate the activities of the IMC, the National Assembly intends to scuttle forensic audit. The outlandish claim is illogical."

He said clearly there is no adverse relationship between the oversight function of the National Assembly and a forensic audit.

Basiru said the National Assembly is committed to repositioning the NDDC to address the challenges of the Niger Delta through facilitating the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta.

The spokesperson said that does not mean the Senate would not be concerned about the allegations of poor management or outright fraud in the management of the funds and operations of the commission. According to him,

“The setting up of the investigation is predicated on the above concern and not to victimise or witch hunt anyone adding that it was in that regards that the National Assembly accorded the executives the necessary cooperation that will facilitate the completion of the forensic audit.

Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as a former member of the House of Representatives should know that the National Assembly is vested with the powers of appropriation for all government ministries, departments and agencies including the NDDC.

It will appraise the budget and its operations of the Commission like other agencies to entrench a culture of transparency and accountability.”

He said for the allegations in respect of the budget, to have been brought up in the wake of exercise of oversight function by the National Assembly is suspect

“Also, one would have expected an organisation of integrity to have formally made complaints to the anti-corruption agencies of the purported allegations against Senators and Members of House of Representative of the NDDC committees if there are facts to substantiate same.

The Senate and indeed the National Assembly is also committed to exercising its constitutional mandate and will not be cowed by spurious allegations of the likes of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh."

Gunmen kill 30 in Burkina Faso attack

Gunmen killed around 30 people at a livestock market in the eastern Burkina Faso town of Kompienbiga. Local residents revealed that the attack was blamed by a security source on jihadists.

The assailants “burst into the market riding motorbikes and started shooting, especially at people who were trying to flee”, one resident said, estimating the death toll at around 30 from the attack.

A second resident said: “It’s hard to say how many people were killed. There were bodies in the market and others in the bush.”

But he added: “More than 30 bodies were collected” after the attack. He said his brother was at the market at the time and he had had “no news” from him since.

A local official put the death toll at “several dozen” including vendors and residents, while a security source said “armed terrorists” carried out the attack while declining to estimate how many were killed.

The attack came a day after a convoy of main shopkeepers escorted by a local self-defence unit came under fire in the north of the West African country, leaving 15 dead.

The bloodshed in Loroum province was also blamed on jihadists.

The east and north of the former French colony are the hardest hit by attacks by jihadists, who have killed more than 900 people and caused some 860,000 people to flee their homes in the past five years.

Burkina Faso’s armed forces are leading counter-terror operations with increasing frequency.

The impoverished Sahel country is part of a regional effort to battle an Islamist insurgency along with Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Chad.

Their militaries, under-equipped and poorly trained, are struggling despite help from France, which has 5,000 troops in the region.

Unrest in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger killed around 4,000 people last year, according to UN figures.

PDP sweeps Cross Rivers LG poll

Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross Rivers State have won all the chairmanship and councillorship positions already declared by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission on Sunday.

The local government election held on Saturday.

Results from 10 local government areas were declared on Sunday by the Chairman of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Mike Ushie.

The local government results declared include Akamkpa won by the PDP chairmanship candidate, Linus Bassey-Etim, Akpabuyo LG won by Emmanuel Offiong-Bassey, Bakassi LG won by Iyadim Amboni-Iyadim and Calabar Municipal Council won by Eke Effiong-Nta.

Others are Calabar South LG chairmanship seat won by Esther Edet-Bassey of PDP, Etung LG won by Etuk John-Nkom, Ikom LG won by Egumi Kingsley, Obubra LG won by Dr Bassey Agara, while a woman, Justina Joseph-Edem won in Odukpani LG and Obeten Ofem-Ebri won in Yakurr.

Five political parties took part in the election, including All Progressives Congress, Labour Party, Young Progressive Party.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hire security firm

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have enlisted the services of an A-list security firm that charges up to £7,000 (N3,348,174) per day.

The couple, who now live in Los Angeles with their son, Archie, are using GDBA, a security company owned by Gavin De Becker who served as security chief for President Ronald Reagan. His company provides security to A-listers for Hollywood such as Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Lawrence, Madonna, Cher, and Barbra Streisand.

A source said,

“Harry and Meghan have full confidence in de Becker’s firm and they come highly recommended. They are the biggest security firm in LA and by far the most respected. They aren’t cheap, but if you want the best you have to pay for it.”

Actor Michael J. Fox describes GDBA as a “secret service for famous people”.

De Becker is thought to be close friends with Oprah Winfrey, the chat show host who is also a confidante of Meghan.

Harry and Meghan’s security has been a subject of much debate after an insider told the Daily Mail earlier this week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could only afford to start paying off their £2.4million bill for Frogmore Cottage once Prince Charles had agreed to foot their astronomical security costs in the US.

It is unclear who is paying for the security bill, though friends of the Sussexes claimed this week that the couple would be paying for protecting out of their own pocket.

According to the anonymous source, the couple are not ‘asking for any special treatment’ with regard to their security situation, and ‘have not received any’.

Harry and Meghan Markle have been living in a Beverly Hills mansion owned by Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry with their son Archie since mid-March, after moving over from Canada.

Daily Mail reported that the couple has experienced ‘unimaginable’ levels of intrusion from the press while living in the Beverly Hills mansion during the coronavirus pandemic, including paparazzi-operated drones illegally flying within 20 feet of their house to snap photographs.

At least five such incidents have been reported to the LAPD.

The couple has been spotted only a handful of times since their move to Los Angeles, first volunteering for a local charity dropping off food to locals who are more at risk of catching coronavirus, as well as taking their beloved dogs out for a walk.

The Duke and Duchess were unexpectedly stripped of their Metropolitan Police security team after their move to North America following their announcement they were stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family earlier this year.

ECOWAS youth council induct Falusi as ambassador

The leadership of West Africa (ECOWAS) Youth Council has decorated Adedayo Falusi, as an Ambassador of the council. This was contained in a statement released to the media by Amb. William-Ologun Oluwaseun, Chairperson of the Council. Speaking with the Guardian, Oluwaseun said, 

“As enshrined in our mission statement, the WAYC is dedicated to the productive engagement of youths for the advancement of the human race. We are committed to ensuring favourable youth policies across the countries in the West Africa region.

We considered Falusi as an ambassador of the council after meeting with the standard requirements of achieving same. He can now be addressed as Ambassador Falusi.

We charge him to do more and not rest on his laurels. He should now increase the tempo and extend his youth empowerment and opportunities, philanthropical gesture and advocacy beyond Nigeria,” he said.

Falusi has, over the years, shown tremendous commitment to youth empowerment, empowerment and advocacy in Ondo state and across Nigeria, not minding racial or religious background. Many youths have, through him, attained greater heights in their chosen careers.

The WAYC Chairman further revealed that the Council is identifying with individuals such as Falusi who are shining figures across the region; adding that the council’s ambassadors represent everything it preaches and stands for.

Ambassador Falusi in his acknowledgement statement commended the entire Council for honouring him with the Thomas Sankara Leadership award. “I’m amazed at the fact that the WAYC could recognize a low profile humanitarian and leader like myself. I see the gesture as encouragement to relentlessly keep up with my humanitarian efforts. For me, this is a bigger call to keep doing well.

Former Exxon Mobil engineer bags 15 years in jail for raping his tenant's niece

Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, has sentenced an EX- Exxon Mobil engineer, James Onuoha, to 15 years imprisonment for raping his tenant’s 14-year-old niece.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye sentenced him, today, June 1, 2020, without an option of fine after finding him guilty of the offence of rape.

Before handing down the verdict, the convict’s counsel, Dr Victor Olowonla, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to tender justice with mercy as he was a first time offender.

Onouah, was first arraigned by the Lagos State Government, in January 2016 at the Magistrates’ Court on a four-count charge bordering on wilful indecent act, unlawful sexual intercourse, unlawful and indecent deals and having sexual intercourse with an underage girl.

According to Police Prosecutor, Inspector Stephen Agbonedeso, the defendant committed the offence at Samuel Amoore Street, Idowu Estate, Oke Ira Nla, Ajah, Lagos‎.