FG assures of affordable energy for Nigerians
Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has assured of Federal Government’s commitment to ensure affordable cost of energy for Nigerians.
Sylva gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2nd World Energy Day conference organised by the National Chamber Policy Centre of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).
Dipo Agboola, an official at the ministry of Petroleum Resources said that the Minister agreed that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) would further support the opening up of the downstream oil sector to ensure affordable energy.
He argued that the challenges in the downstream oil sector made it imperative for it to be unbundled.
“We have spent so much on subsidy. However, when the downstream sector is unbundled, more business opportunities would be created.
“Initially the challenges might be a bit high, but over time it will definitely be in the best interest of the country,” he said, taking into effect the cost burden subsidy of fuel has cost the nation.
The minister also presented the end result benefit deregulation of the telecommunication sector especially with the introduction of GSM have had on the industry. He believes that the downstream oil and gas sector can take a clue from the telecommunication sector.
“Take for example, the telecoms sector; when we first had the likes of MTN and Glo coming on board, a SIM card cost N18, 000, but today you can get the SIM card for as low as nothing.
“Also, there is now competition in the telecoms sector. So, it is necessary that we ensure that energy is affordable for our citizens.
“When energy is affordable, we would have been able to meet some of the Sustainable Development Goals,’’ he said.
Read also: Fuel queues resurface in Lagos as marketers blame NNPC for supply gap
ECOWAS delegation meets with political parties, calls for more dialogue
ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission to Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja called for more discussions and dialogue between political parties and INEC for a successful conduct of the 2023 general elections.
According to NAN, Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, leader of the mission and former Chairman, Ghana Electoral Commission, gave the advice at its meeting with national leaders of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
IPAC is the umbrella body of registered political parties in Nigeria.
Afari-Gyan noted dialogue as an important mechanism to successful elections and advised political parties to work with INEC to ensure that the elections were credible and successful.
“I advise that you talk to one another often. If you see anything that is of significance to you, try to agree on a way forward on it.
“Dialogue between yourselves; dialogue with the electoral commission,’’ Afari-Gyan said.
He told leaders of the political parties that in Ghana where he was chairman of the electoral body for many years, a lot of innovations were brought in through agreements and suggestions by political parties.
Responding to concerns raised by IPAC members on violence and vote buying, Afari-Gyan advised political parties to play by the rules and allow citizens to choose freely at the 2023 elections.
PDP will continue to seek dialogue with Wike, others—Dele Momodu
Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the party would continue to seek dialogue with Governor Nyesom Wike and other aggrieved members to ending the ongoing political disagreement in the party.
He made this appeal on Tuesday, during his appearance on Channels TV Politics Todays when he was asked if the party can come out stronger following the refusal of some of the aggrieved PDP governors to support Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.
The Ovation magazine publisher agreed that the disagreement in the party concerning the chairmanship position had caused so much bitterness and infighting but it wasn’t beyond reconciliation.
He argued that despite the challenge of disunity causing factions within the ranks of the party, “the party is not in trouble”.
“I am a child of destiny and God is responsible for everything you are on earth,” he said.
“If it is God’s wish that Atiku Abubakar becomes the next president of Nigeria, twenty governors cannot stop him,” he added, as a defence to his belief of a divine workings of a supreme being.
Momodu presented the recent political happening that occurred in Osun State where despite the absence and lack of support of the aggrieved PDP Governors, power of the incumbent governor and the machination of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the party’s candidate was still able to win the election.
“It happened before our very own eyes in Osun State,” he said. “We counted on Governor Seyi Makinde to come, for whatever reason—I don’t know, he couldn’t make it and we never made an issue of it.
“We didn’t have Governor Wike when we were doing the campaign in Osun State but we were still able to defeat the firepower of Bola Ahmed Tinubu who comes from Osun State, whose ancestry is from Osun State.
“So it was very important that he should win Osun State. But despite the absence of all those we were expected to support us, we won that election convincingly and that is how it should be,” he added.
Momodu join call of some party members and political analysts for the River State governor to tread carefully and join hands with Atiku Abubakar to clinch the presidency for the party. “That is why I keep begging Governor Wike, don’t be found wanting in day that you are needed the most. Whether he likes PDP or not, PDP has done very well for him just like he has also done very well for PDP.
On the issue of Governor Seyi Makinde boycotting the peace treaty of the Atiku bloc, the Ovation magazine publisher pleaded with him to use his wisdom and tread carefully following the fact he was going to use the party platform to secure re-election in next year election.
“Governor Seyi Makinde has an election next year, I don’t see how he would destroy PDP and still use the same platform. He wouldn’t do that, he is a smart gentleman that I know reasonably well enough,” he said.
“I know they are angry, they are forming a powerful bloc in PDP but trust me PDP is so big that PDP would not be threaten because our governors are angry, and PDP would not would not go into any fight whatsoever with them.
“We would continue to appeal to them, we love them like we love your own family and we are hoping that very soon we would put it behind us and we shall all embrace once again.” He pleaded.
US vows full military defense of allies against North Korea
The United States will make full use of its military capabilities, “including nuclear, conventional and missile defense,” to defend its allies Japan and South Korea, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Tuesday as she warned North Korea against escalating its provocations.
Sherman said North Korea’s repeated firings of ballistic missiles and artillery in recent weeks were provocative military actions. North Korea has described them as practice runs for the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
“This is deeply irresponsible, dangerous, and destabilizing,” Sherman said in talks in Tokyo with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyungdong. The two officials met ahead of a three-way meeting with their Japanese counterpart on Wednesday.
It will be second in-person meeting of the three officials since conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May, signaling an improvement in difficult ties between Japan and South Korea. A year ago, Japanese and South Korean vice ministers declined to participate in a joint news conference after three-way talks in Washington, leaving Sherman to make a solo media appearance.
Sherman said North Korea needs to understand that the U.S. commitment to the security of South Korea and Japan is “ironclad.”
“And we will use the full range of U.S. defense capabilities to defend our allies, including nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities,” she said.
Rishi Sunak culls 11 ministers in Cabinet reshuffle after becoming PM
Rishi Sunak culled nearly a dozens of Liz Truss’s top-tier ministers on Tuesday after vowing to fix the “mistakes” of her leadership and bracing the nation for “difficult decisions”.
According to stv.tv, Sunak revived the frontbench careers of Dominic Raab and Suella Braverman who were forced out under Truss but kept Jeremy Hunt as chancellor after the Conservative leader warned the UK is facing a “profound economic crisis” in his first speech since being appointed by the King.
Hunt, brought in by Truss to rescue the economy after her disastrous mini-budget, warned “it is going to be tough” ahead of his Halloween financial statement.
Alister Jack has been re-appointed as secretary of state for Scotland saying he wanted to “sustain and strengthen the Union”.
“We are facing very significant challenges both at home and abroad, and there is much to be done,” he said.
“We need to bring stability to our economy and our public finances, deliver long term prosperity for everyone in our country, and continue to sustain and strengthen the Union.
“We will build on our track record of supporting families and businesses in Scotland, and investing millions directly into Scottish communities.”
The SNP however lashed out at Rishi Sunak’s new Cabinet, calling it “dangerous”.
