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Re: Betta Edu N3bn sleaze and GVG fund saga

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…An Effort In Futility By Desperados, By Omogbolahan Babawale

With the hoopla from the recently unearthed large scale sleaze from the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) and its concomitant obstreperous cacophony, one thing I’ve observed, very keenly is the adroit adept application of some rules of the best-seller book by renowned Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power. The spinners, while jettisoning Rule 26 which states that, ‘Keep Your Hands Clean’, and which invariably implies if you must do anything untoward, get others to do it on your behalf so you do not take the blame went straight for the jugular of their adversary.

These desperados went straight for Rule 39 which states that you, ‘Stir Up Waters to Catch Fish’. By implication, the rule suggests that you create chaos to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. Of course, people’s attention will be diverted and their focus will be off the major problem at hand which overtly is what is obtainable now in the case involving the suspended former Head, Nigeria Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA). And truth remains they will stop at nothing as they might have learnt from Rule 3 to always, Conceal Your Intentions. This affords you the opportunity to always lead people astray when it comes to your intentions. They will hardly realize your plans too soon.

Their desperation has finally led them to apply Rule 15 so quickly. What does Rule 15 say? It says, ’Crush Your Enemy Totally’. And who is the enemy here? Of course, Betta Edu. They believed they had the chance, hence, their decision to ‘destroy’ her completely with phantom, far-from-reality and unfounded fraud allegation. Robert Greene suggested that you show your enemy no mercy, so that they’ll be less likely to try to cross you in the future. This aptly captures the current campaign of calumny against the person of Dr. Betta Edu.

If the analogy were not to be, how come then it was possible for somebody alleged to have peculated a whopping sum of N30bn, stashed in several private accounts within few weeks of her appointment now spined the story such that N3bn was thereafter the major talk-of-the-town while the public speaks less of her humongous and esurient ‘annihilation of our common wealth’? Such spin needs be studied at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom or Harvard Business School in the United States. I shudder when people turn logic on its head. They have practically turned the attention solely on the Minister. Some have even almost turned it to an ethnic thing – North vs South. I wonder how many Southerners defended Dr. Abati, Sen. Obanikoro, Amb. Ayo Oke (the NIA man) among others during the #DasukiGate experience.

To think President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former auditor of high repute, trained by one of the best audit firms in the world – Deloitte would allow such shenanigans is to undermine his intelligence and his resolve to right the many wrongs bedeviling us a people. Meanwhile, Betta Edu, through her aide, Rasheed had said she got approval for the Grants for the Vulnerable Group (GVG) fund moved into a personal account. As a man with financial background, a former auditor with 10-year audit experience, I can say authoritatively that it is not the duty of Betta Edu as a minister to put in internal control mechanisms. That overtly falls within the purview of both the Accountant-General of the Federation and Auditor-General for the Federation. If both officers or their offices through which the payment was made did not raise any objection, why should Edu take the fall? The last time I checked, I remember, Betta Edu as a Minister does not have such powers as to open official account other than the statutory recognized accounts – salary, overheads and revenue (where necessary)…

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JUST IN: Filling stations shut after Dangote Refinery’s petrol price drop

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Some filling stations and petroleum products marketers, partners of Dangote Refinery’s petrol, temporarily shut down for the past five days after the latest premium motor spirit price drop by the 650,000 barrels per day refinery.

Recall that for the past five days, MRS filling stations in Abuja, along Kubwa Expressway, and others have not dispensed fuel since Dangote Refinery announced its ex-depot fuel price reduction to N835 per litre on Tuesday, 16 April, 2025.

An official of MRS filling station, who preferred anonymity because he is not authorised to speak said the filling station is grappling with the loss incurred after Dangote’s latest price adjustment.

“It is because of Dangote’s latest price drop. The filling station had old stock, which it couldn’t sell at a loss.

“This is the reason we have shut down since Tuesday. We may reopen on Tuesday,” he said.

Meanwhile, another official at the filling station said the retail outlet is billed to reopen on Tuesday, noting that it has been undergoing minor maintenance.

“We have been on maintenance for the past few days, which is the reason the station was shut. We will reopen on Tuesday,” he said.

According to him, the filling station would commence dispensing at the new price of N910 per litre from Tuesday.

Other partners of Dangote Refinery, such as AP, Ardova, and Optima, are dispensing fuel between N910 and 920 per litre in parts of Abuja as of Monday, 21st April 2025.

Reacting to the development, the National President of Petroleum Retailers Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said the latest fuel price drop affected the purchasing power of petrol retailers and marketers.

According to him, indiscriminate price adjustment, whether downward or upward, is not good for the petroleum downstream sector and the Nigerian economy.

At every point, if prices of petrol are indiscriminately changed without any clearly defined economic reason, the chances that it will impact on the buying power of retailers and marketers are there.

“It is not good for business, the economy, and Nigerians.

“Prices of petrol change for reasons that are understandable with proper information to retailers,” he said.

Recall that Gillis-Harry had earlier called for a six-month fuel price stability plan to halt fluctuations.

Earlier, the spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, had hinted that marketers having old stocks of fuel will incur billions of losses following Dangote’s latest fuel price drop.

Last week became the second time the $20 billion refinery reduced its fuel price nationwide. This indicates a combined downward ex-depot price drop of N45 per litre.

Dangote Refinery had, on 10 April, reduced its gantry price of petrol to N865 per litre.

However, the ex-depot fuel price had further dropped to N835 per litre.

This comes after the federal government’s renewed commitment to the indefinite continuation of the naira-for-crude deal with other local refiners and the drop in global crude prices to around $66 per barrel.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recently reduced its retail price to N935 per litre for customers in Abuja in response to Dangote Refinery’s latest price cut.

This means that Nigerians currently buy petrol at between N890 and N950 per litre, depending on the location nationwide.

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NNPC’s Olufemi Soneye Emerges NIPR Spokesperson for 2025

Responding, Soneye attributed his recognition by the NIPR with its most exalted spokesperson’s award to the dedication of the entire team at the NNPC.

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Soneye (middle) receive NIPR’s prestigious award .

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr. Olufemi Soneye, has emerged the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) spokesperson of 2025.Announcing the award, the NIPR described Soneye as a “diligent” spokesperson, characterising him as “a strategist.” Soneye’s capacity to shape public opinion, also stood him out of the crowd of spokespersons, according to the Adjudication Committee, Chairman, Dr. Shaibu Hussein.

Represented by a member of the committee chairman, Lami Tuiaka, the chairman said the moment to the conclusion of the award was rigorous and demanding. He also predicated Soneye’s victory on his communication skills, crisis management and overall impact.

“Our committee comprising communication scholars, Public Relations practitioners, and media personalities worked tirelessly to review the nomination, assess performances and deliberate on the winner.

I must report that we carefully examined each nomination, considering factors such as communication skills, crisis management and overall impact,” he said.

Presenting him the plaque at the National Spokespersons Award 2025, chairman of the event Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Power, Hon. Joshua Audu, said the institute would celebrate Soneye throughout 2025 as the current NIPR spokesperson award winner.

He said: ” On behalf of the NIPR Award Night 2025, I have the honour and privilege to present the Spokesperson of the year 2025. Please join me to celebrate our latest spokesperson that we will celebrate throughout 2025 in the person of Olufemi Soneye.”

Responding, Soneye attributed his recognition by the NIPR with its most exalted spokesperson’s award to the dedication of the entire team at the NNPC.

Amid a standing ovation, he said: “We are all happy and I am deeply honoured to receive this award tonight from NIPR. This award reflects the dedication of our entire team and we want to thank NIPR for all they have been doing.”

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Mission to boldly grow food in space labs blasts off

ESA is funding the research to explore new ways of reducing the cost of feeding an astronaut, which can cost up to £20,000 per day.

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Artwork: The experiment will orbit the Earth for three hours before returning to Earth and splashing down off the coast of Portugal.

(BBC): Steak, mashed potatoes and deserts for astronauts could soon be grown from individual cells in space if an experiment launched into orbit today is successful.

A European Space Agency (ESA) project is assessing the viability of growing so-called lab-grown food in the low gravity and higher radiation in orbit and on other worlds.

ESA is funding the research to explore new ways of reducing the cost of feeding an astronaut, which can cost up to £20,000 per day.

The team involved say the experiment is a first step to developing a small pilot food production plant on the International Space Station in two years’ time.

Lab-grown food will be essential if Nasa’s objective of making humanity a multi-planetary species were to be realised, claims Dr Aqeel Shamsul, CEO and founder of Bedford-based Frontier Space, which is developing the concept with researchers at Imperial College, London.

“Our dream is to have factories in orbit and on the Moon,” he told BBC News.

“We need to build manufacturing facilities off world if we are to provide the infrastructure to enable humans to live and work in space”.

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