Today's Headlines: Abia APC advises President Tinubu on ministerial slot; Navy uncovers massive oil theft in Rivers

GLatestJuly 16, 2023

4 minutes read

POLITICS

Abia APC advises President Tinubu on ministerial slot

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abia State has tasked President Bola Tinubu on the choice of persons to serve as members of the yet-to-be constituted Federal Executive Council.

The state party leadership advised the President not to appoint party men and women without the requisite electoral values and followership.

The party also charged Tinubu to choose an Abia son or daughter with the needed capacity, ability and competence to assist the government implement its numerous agendas to engender growth in all the critical sectors.

Mr Offor Okorie, the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, made the party’s position known in a statement he issued at the weekend.

He said: “Anybody that President Bola Tinubu will give the minister representing Abia state should be a person who has electoral value and followership.

The President should nominate an Abian loved by the masses and has the capacity to win elections for the All Progressives Congress.

“He must equally ensure he chooses an Abia indigene who has the charisma and capacity, team spirit to bring together all warring factions in the Abia chapter of the APC as a united family”.

Source : Daily Post

Navy uncovers massive oil theft in Rivers

The Nigerian Navy has excavated and dismantled the oil equipment of a suspected oil syndicate on Oil Mining Lease-18 in Elem Krakama Creek in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The Navy said it dismantled the equipment used in siphoning crude precisely on Oil Well 17 operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, Commodore Suleman Ibrahim said its Patrol Helicopter on July 11, 2023. spotted the illicit activities.

Ibrahim who led newsmen to the site on Saturday said the discovery led to the dismantling of the multiple piplines buried in the ground.

He also said four suspects engaging in the illegal oil bunkering were arrested in a separate incident.

He said excavation exercise was done in collaboration with the NNPC, and expressed shock at the level of expertise deployed by the suspects.

Ibrahim stated that such massive oil theft can not be done by those he describes as amateurs, saying the syndicate were sophisticated and people withexpertise.

Addressing newsmen, Commodore Ibrahim said, “We came here with Members of NNPC, OML 18 resources, they are the owners of the well.

“We came with our heavy equipment to make sure we dismantle the illegal structures that are being used to siphon crude illegally.

Source : Punch

Sports :

Transfer: Man City’s Riyad Mahrez agrees personal terms with Saudi’s Al Ahli

Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez could be the latest big name to leave Europe for the Middle East as reports suggest that he has agreed personal terms with Saudi’s Al-Ahli.

The Algerian has two years left on his current contract at the Etihad after winning a historic triple with City last month.

Mahrez joined Manchester City in 2018 for a fee worth £60 million and could end his five-year stay at the Etihad this summer.

Per reports from CBS’ Ben Jacbo Mahrez has reached a verbally agreement with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, as the raid on European football’s biggest names continues in the Middle East.

While it is clarified that there is still work to be done on the club-to-club side of the deal over the next 24 to 48 hours, Mahrez himself is ‘keen’ on the move, and Al-Ahli hope to move fast in order to finalise their marquee signing of the summer.

Source : Vanguard

Business:

NDLEA arrests Europe-bound teenage student with Meth consignment in Abuja

tives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 19-year-old student, Nnamani Daberechi, for attempting to export 7.2 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in crayfish.

The Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his way to Europe for undergraduate studies.

He said the suspect was intercepted on 15 July during an outward clearance of passengers on Turkish Airlines flight TK 0624.

While being interviewed by operatives, Daberechi claimed he was a student going to Cyprus for studies.

But upon a thorough search of his luggage, he was found in possession of 7.2kg of whitish substance neatly concealed inside a sack of crayfish.

“A field test of the substance, however, proved positive for Methamphetamine, ” he said.

Similarly, operatives of the Tincan Port Command of the agency on 11 July intercepted a 116.5kg consignment of Colorado.

Me Babafemi, who described the drug as a strong strain of cannabis, was concealed in bags hidden in a heap of used vehicle parts.

This, he said, was on the floor of a container marked FCIU 8459700, bearing three units of used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.

Based on intelligence, the agency had requested a 100 per cent examination of the container, which arrived at the TICT terminal of the port on 14 June

“A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs, DSS and other stakeholders on Tuesday, 11 July, led to the discovery of 233 parcels of the illicit substance.

“It was stashed inside travelling bags on the floor of the container, covered with used vehicle spare parts.