UK Charges Diezani With Bribery

Former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been charged with bribery in the United Kingdom.

According to Reuters, British police said they had charged her with bribery offences, saying they suspected she had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts.

Alison-Madueke, 63, was a key figure in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

She served as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 and also acted as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

“We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts,” said Andy Kelly, Head of the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) International Corruption Unit.

“These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation.”

Avoid war with Niger Republic – El-Rufai

A former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, recommended that the Economic Community of West African States avoid a possible war with Niger since it would essentially be a battle between brothers.

El-Rufai urged the West African group to take action to stop a war that might have consequences for the northern part of Nigeria in the early hours of Tuesday his account on X, (formerly Twitter).

The former governor of Kaduna compared ECOWAS’s impending military intervention in Niger to a civil war between brothers. “I remember the Dire Straits rock classic from the 1970s,”

He said, “TUESDAY THOUGHT: As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’ because a war within our sub region is a war between brothers.

“Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.

NSCDC arrests man for ‘stealing 28 insulator pins’ in Katsina

The Katsina command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has arrested one Halilu Suleman for allegedly being in possession of 28 pieces of 33kva line spindle pins.

A spindle pin or insulator pin is a device that attaches an insulator to a cross-arm or pole on an overhead power line. The pin separates the conductor from the pole and prevents electric shocks.

During the parade of the suspect on Tuesday, Buhari Hamisu, the command’s spokesperson, said 35-year-old Suleman was arrested on his way to the scrap vendors at the Charanchi market.

He said Suleman specialises in vandalising and removing electric spindle pins of high-tension wires.

Oyetola pledges to develop Nigeria’s blue economy

The newly appointed Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has assumed office with a pledge to build responsible management that will ensure efficient utilisation of the nation’s marine resources.

Oyetola, who made this known on his assumption of duty at the ministry in Abuja, expressed happiness at the honour accorded by Mr President to champion and chart a course for the growth of marine resources, urging the management team to support him in delivering on his ministerial mandate.

Oyetola observed that, regarding the size of Nigeria’s blue economy, it cannot but be a significant player in the sector, which is estimated to be worth about $3 trillion globally.

Furthermore, he said the blue economy has the capacity to contribute immensely to revenue generation and provide jobs for the unemployed, hence the need to properly harness it.

Just4Gist (
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