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1. PDP presidential ticket: Saraki demands transparent Primaries

Source: Vanguard Newspaper
Date: September 11, 2018

ABUJA- Senate President and national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr.
Bukola Saraki has called on the leadership of the party to conduct transparent primaries to pick
its Presidential flag bearer for the 2019 elections.Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki
submitting his 2019 PDP Presidential Aspirant’s Expression of Interest and Noination forms to
the PDP National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akonbudu (rtd) during a brief ceremony at
the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata House, Wuse, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adehida
10/09/2018 Saraki who made the call Monday shortly after submitting the Expression of Interest
and Nomination Forms to run for the Office of the President on the platform of the PDP also
ruled out a consensus option, saying it is not an issue for the 12 aspirants.

The former governor of Kwara state also noted that Nigerian youths want a President
who in 2019 will address the challenge of unemployment, even as he urged the electorate not to
make the mistake of electing a leader incapable of providing answer to the national question. He
said: “I don’t think the consensus thing is an issue before us because we are trying to make
ensure that there is internal democracy in the system and a very credible primaries. “What is
important is that at the end of the day, we have something that is rancour free. What I can tell
you is that we are working together because we are still part of one family. I believe at the end of
the day, we will have a process that whoever emerges will be supported by all of us. “For us to
grow this country, to have the teeming youths who are unemployed and create opportunities for
them, Nigerians have come to understand that to do this, you must know how to do it. \Read
more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/09/pdp-presidential-ticket-saraki-demands-
transparent-primaries/
By: Mosun & Hussaini

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2. Why NASS should not delay resumption further
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
Date: September 11, 2018

THERE are worrisome indications that the National Assembly might shift the resumption date of
the Senate and House of Representatives three weeks ahead from its scheduled Tuesday, 25th
September to 15th October 2018. This is to enable members to participate in the primaries which
will determine the fates of all political contenders in 2019. In the timetable released on 9th
January 2018 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the primaries for the
Presidential, Governorship, National and State Assembly elections were scheduled to hold
between 18th August and 7th October 2018. Perhaps, the parliamentarians, being first and
foremost politicians, would like to get done with the primaries to secure their political future
before returning to the job for which they were elected in 2015.
Be that as it may, we wish to draw their attention to the need for them not to abandon
issues of urgent national importance waiting for their patriotic attention. Top among these is the
completion of legislative work on the approval of funds for the INEC and other stakeholder
agencies to commence their preparations for the general elections. Secondly, there is the new
emergency arising from President Muhammadu Buhari’s decline of assent to the Electoral
(Amendment) Bill 2018, on the ground of the existence of “drafting issues” as the President’s
Senate Liaison Officer, Senator Ita Enang, put it. The President had also declined assent to this
same Bill almost six months ago citing the Legislators’ decision to reorder the election schedule
forwarded to it by the INEC. Though the Presidency is drawing attention to alleged drafting
errors in this Bill, critics have voiced their concern that some interests are dilly-dallying to
ensure that the Card Reader, which has now been made indispensable in the conduct of the 2019
elections in the proposed Bill, is never adopted. According to this line of thought, some political
forces prefer the continued use of the manual voter accreditation method for the elections to
enable them subvert the voters’ genuine choices as before.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/09/why-nass-should-not-delay-

resumption-further/
By: Mosun & Hussaini

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3. Oil reserve crisis looms over delay of blocks
Source: The Guardian News paper
Date: September 11 2018

The delay in the award of new oil blocks and uncertainties over existing marginal oilfields are
upsetting industry players, amid a warning that the country’s economic development could be
jeopardised.Nigeria is projected to witness a shortage of crude oil, as new refineries may have to
compete with the sale of the product at the international market where the country earns the bulk
of its hard currency. Also, some experts think the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s
(NNPC) bid to increase crude oil reserves by one billion barrels yearly to meet targets would
remain elusive. The Federal Government has repeatedly failed to meet a 40-billion reserve target
for about eight years. Instead of making progress, the country could be inching backwards,
according to statistics from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), showing that the
reserves declined by 961.47 million barrels between 2012 and 2016 alone.

Experts said the challenges that have frustrated meaningful exploration and production
activities from marginal fields for the past 13 years could spell doom for the future of the
nation’s oil sector.The country had recently targeted daily earnings of $4.23 million (N1.29
billion) from an average of 90,000 barrels of oil per day, which the experts said could have been
feasible from 18 of about 30 marginal fields awarded in the country, if they were operating
optimally. Of the 30 marginal fields awarded since 2004, only 12 are active and currently
produce about 2.6 per cent of daily oil production and 2.5 per cent of the estimated 4,000 MMscf
gas production in the country. Considering it has been over a decade since the country conducted
a bid round, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu recently insisted that
unless there are new oil and gas regulations, the country might not award oil blocks.Awarding
new oil fields or creating the needed environment that would ease exploration, especially for
marginal field operators, are key ways the country could add to national oil reserve and boost
revenue, especially when demand rises on the backdrop of new refineries and needed supply to
the international market.
Read more at https://guardian.ng/news/oil-reserve-crisis-looms-over-delay-of-blocks/

By: Mosun & Hussaini

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4.MTN sues CBN, AGF over alleged $10.1b
infractions
Source: The Guardian News paper
Date: September 11 2018

Telecommunications firm, MTN Nigeria, has headed for the court over the alleged $10.1 billion
financial malfeasance levelled against it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Attorney
General of the Federation (AGF). The apex bank had asked MTN to refund $8.1 billion, said to
have been illegally repatriated through four banks, while the AGF, on the hand, wants the firm to
offset $2 billion unpaid taxes and arrears incurred in the last one decade. In a statement yesterday
by its Public Relations Manager, Funso Aina, the telecoms company said it went to court to
protect its assets and shareholder rights within the confines of the law.“We have applied today
(yesterday) at the Federal High Court of Nigeria for injunctive relief, restraining the CBN and
the AGF from taking further action in respect of their orders, while we continue to engage with
the relevant authorities on these matters,” the firm said. MTN insisted that it would continue to
refute all charges related to investigations by the defendants into the company’s Certificates of
Capital Importation (CCIs) and unpaid taxes. But at the ongoing International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecoms World 2018 in far away Durban, South Africa,
MTN Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Shuter, said the current travails notwithstanding, the
telecoms firm remains law-abiding, stating: “We are committed to Nigeria. We shall do
everything possible to resolve the matter.” Shuter, who said MTN understands the peculiarity of
the Nigerian market, noted: “The last two weeks have been very tough. I mean challenging. But
being the largest market, we are working towards having an amicable solution to the issues. It is
a crucial market.”He explained that the group operates in 22 countries across Africa and Asia
with over 55 million active subscribers in Nigeria. MTN Nigeria’s Corporate Relations
Executive, Tobe Okigbo, noted: “The allegations being made involve issues that appear to be
complex and so are easily misunderstood and misinterpreted. Read more at
https://guardian.ng/news/mtn-sues-cbn-agf-over-alleged-10-1b-infractions/

By: Mosun & Hussaini

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5 CBN: banks’ e-payment transactions hit N99.29tr

Source the Nation news paper

Date : September 11 2018

The value of electronic payment transactions has risen by 39.7 per cent to N99.29 trillion in
one year, the Annual Economic Report of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has shown.The
2017 figure was an improvement compared with N71.1 trillion in 2016. The rise
was attributed to increased consumer awareness and confidence in e-payment
channels.Speaking on the report and economy, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said 2017 was
an enthralling and exerting one for the apex bank and for the Nigerian economy on the
whole.The report showed that CBN received 2,236 scam e-
mails and acted promptly to protect
unsuspecting people in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa from falling
victims of spurious contracts. Fifty-nine (59) complaints were received from
members of the public against commercial banks; some of Which were handled by the Bank
and others referred to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), for necessary
action. A total of 14 local and foreign calls were received through the whistle-
blowing helpline, and treated, accordingly.respectively. Read more at
http://thenationonlineng.net/cbn-banks-e-payment-transactions-hit-n99-29tr/

By: Mosun & Hussaini

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 Top News Update In Nigeria 2018 年 9 月 11 日

6. NERC bars DisCos from villifying Fashola

Source : The Nation Newspaper
Date: September 11 2018

The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC ) has barred the Electricity Distribution
Companies (DisCos ) from disparaging the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde
Fashola. In a communique issued after a meeting with the DisCos, it was agreed that the Legal
Counsel of the Electricity Distribution Companies representing ANED, should never in
whatsoever way interfere with the policy directives, or regulatory pronouncements made either
by the Honorable Minister of Power, or the Commission.“That no unwarranted remark should be
made by ANED representatives against the person of the Honorable Minister, NERC Chairman
or against any of the NERC Commissioner going forward” According to the communique, the
meeting stressed the need to uphold customer service standards especially as it relates to refund
of monies collected from customers for meters under the scrapped CAPMI Scheme. It said the
Discos were directed to publish a reminder in any two National Newspapers that customers who
paid for CAMPI yet unmetered should come for refund with details of payment. The meeting
also received reports that some MD customers’ were still unmetered inspite of NERC’s Order
and directed that Discos should report on the current status especially as it relates to Energy
Theft and compliance.The Discos, NERC said, are to pay attention to MD Meters within their
franchise being bypassed, or compromised, adding that Smart technologies should be deployed
in appropriate areas going forward. Read more at http://thenationonlineng.net/nerc-bars-discos-
from-villifying-fashola/

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 Top News Update In Nigeria 2018 年 9 月 11 日

7. TCN injecting $1.57bn to attain 20,000MW electricity grid from 2021 – MD

Source : daily trust

Date : September 11 2018

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said it is injecting $1.57 billion into the power
transmission infrastructure to raise the electricity grid to 20,000 megawatts (MW) from 2021.
The Managing Director of TCN, Mr Usman Gur Mohammed disclosed this yesterday when he
received the Editor-In-Chief/CEO of Media Trust Limited, publisher of Daily Trust newspaper
and other titles, Malam Mannir Dan-Ali in Abuja yesterday. Mohammed said the projects are
contained in the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP) of TCN which
targets brownfield (expansion) and greenfield (new) power transmission projects meant move
transmission from its current 7,000MW wheeling capacity. Mohammed who lauded the
management of Daily Trust said the paper has sustained its credibility and transparency which
has made it the preferred newspaper for TCN. Speaking on his drive for achieving the huge
projects, Mohammed said, “The most important watchword here is transparency. We try to
ensure that TCN remains transparent. Everyone that is here has been promoted through
transparent means and that is why we have been able to cancel non performing contracts.” He
said the $1.57bn fund was sourced from multilateral donors to install multiple transformers and
transmission lines in line with the global standard of N-1 that implies having double equipment
in a power station to create redundancy in the case of a fault. Earlier, Malam Mannir intimated
the TCN management of the objective of the courtesy visit saying it was to appreciate TCN for
its continuous support and patronage to the newspaper. He said the newspaper has raised a
culture of transparency consequently earning the No. 1 newspaper award about two years ago.
“We have been paying our taxes to the government and at the last count, we have paid in excess
of N1 billion to the Nigerian government,” Mannir added. Read more at
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/tcn-injecting-1-57bn-to-attain-20000mw-electricity-grid-from-
2021-md.html

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 Top News Update In Nigeria 2018 年 9 月 11 日

8. Escravos contract: We followed due process – NPA

Source: dailyh trust

Date: September 11 2018

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has refuted claims it breached procedures in awarding the
dredging of Escravos Bar in Warri contract A statement from the management of NPA yesterday
said the NPA followed all processes as enumerated in the Procurement Act, 2004 in the contract
award. The statement noted that the NPA is being discredited by companies who lost out in the
contract adding that “if indeed, the said entity had any valid grounds for protests, the law courts,
rather than newspapers, where they have continued to peddle lies against the Authority, would be
their recourse.” It said the “Authority is guided by provisions of the Procurement Act in all its
procurement processes and that not in the Warri contract or any other contract for that matter,
have we gone against the provisions of the Law” it said. “In addition to that, all procurements by
the Authority is subject to the supervision/approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP)
and the authority received the necessary approvals before going ahead with the award of the
contract for the dredging Warri Channel,” NPA stated. Read more at
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/escravos-contract-we-followed-due-process-npa.html