Television Nigerian

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja appreciated Nigerians and Organized Labour for restraint, understanding and patience as the country tackles myriad economic challenges, assuring that the Federal Government is working hard to ameliorate the situation.

Speaking at a virtually held event at the State House to unveil National Gas Expansion Programme and National Autogas Roll-out Initiative, President Buhari said:

“Let me now express my deep appreciation to Nigerians for their patience, and Organized Labour for its maturity and patriotism as we collectively navigate these global economic and other challenges.’’

Mr Buhari urged Nigerians to embrace the use of gas as an alternative to fuel, noting that:

“It is no longer news that the vast Natural Gas resources, which Nigeria is endowed with, have hitherto been used sub-optimally as a result of a dearth of gas processing facilities and infrastructural connectivity for effective and optimal domestic utilization.

“As I mentioned above, with a proven reserve of about 203 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) and the additional upside of 600 TCF ranking Nigeria as the 9th in the world currently, the need for domestic gas expansion and utilization is apparent.’’

President Buhari said the deregulation of the downstream sector had exposed many to price volatilities in the global market, urging attention to more affordable alternative for energy, especially with Nigeria’s heavy reserve.

“Therefore, the roll-out of the National Gas Expansion Programme, Auto-gas initiative is coming at the right time, especially in light of global crude oil market fluctuations coupled with the full deregulation of the local PMS market.

“These developments have made it imperative to focus on gas as an alternative fuel to move Nigeria from the conventional dependence on white products for autos and prime-movers of industrial applications to cleaner, more available, accessible and affordable energy source.

The President said the auto-gas initiative will lead to increased domestic gas utilization and enrich the trajectory of national economic growth and development, adding: “I, therefore, encourage everyone to embrace gas in form of LPG, CNG and LNG as an alternative fuel for autos and other prime-movers.’’

“The Minister of State Petroleum Resources is hereby directed to commence the process of hand over of mass transit buses to Organized Labour as part of our government’s pledge to continue providing support that will ease the transportation challenges Nigerians are facing at this time.’’

In his remarks at the event, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva said the Ministry is focusing on the development of skills, technology and manpower as well as growth in the utilisation of LPG, CNG and LNG.

He added that the National Gas Expansion programme which was initiated this year to boost the utilization of gas in the short and medium-term “is expected to create two million jobs per annum, promote skills acquisition and enhance technology transfer in addition to growing the nation’s GDP.”

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kolo Kyari informed that from 2016 to 2019, the Federal Government had spent over three trillion Naira subsidizing the pump price of petroleum products particularly PMS, insisting that the subsidy regime did not benefit the masses that the President is passionate about.

He added that the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it impossible to continue with the onerous subsidy regime.

Femi Adesina

Members of the House of Representatives were sharply divided today over the move to invite the President for briefing on the spate of killings rocking the country, particularly the recent slaughtering of rice farmers in Borno State.

The motion of urgent national importance sponsored by lawmakers from Borno State had one of its initial prayers as the invitation of the President.

But while presenting the motion, Lead sponsor, Ahmed Santomi excluded the prayer, but rather asked for the declaration of a state of emergency on security situation in the country.

However, coming under matters of privilege, one of the sponsors, Ahmed Haha expressed displeasure over the exclusion of prayer.

Haha noted that it was a collective decision of the sponsors of the motion to ask for the invitation of the President to come and brief the House

Efforts by the Speaker to make him withdraw the prayer which came in form of amendment failed as he insisted that all members from Borno State who are sponsors of the motion should agree on that first.

The Speaker said because of the nature of security issues, it will not be ideal to invite the President because security matters cannot be discussed in public, stressing, however, that the issue of declaring a state of emergency will allow for the use of extra measures in tackling the issue.

Tempers began to flare when the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa said security issues were too delicate to bring to the floor of the House, while Shehu Koko said the leadership of the House should interface with the President instead on the issue.

Both Doguwa and Shehu Koko were both shouted down by the members with shout of no, no, no.

However, Gbajabiamila expressed disappointment over the behaviour of his colleagues, saying “I am a little disappointed by these shouting down. So we are going to dissolve into executive session to resolve this issue”.

Executive sessions involve clearing the gallery of the media and other non-elected officials to allow for only members deliberate in private.

A former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji, has described as hate speech the insinuations that former state governors elected into the Senate are passive members

Orji, who represents Abia Central Senatorial District, said this while inspecting one of his constituency projects at Okwuta Primary School, Isieke Ibeku, on Sunday.

He said, “You see, all this hate speech – people saying that former governors are there sleeping. Are we sleeping and producing those bills? They say former governors go there to relax, they are sleeping, and that they are not doing anything. But you see the output of one person and all of us. Combine them and you will know the total output that we have generated in the senate.”

The federal lawmaker explained that the 12-classroom block, which is part of his 2019/2020 constituency projects, will improve the enrolment of pupils and provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning.

He further explained that the project was one of three projects in his constituency.

The former governor also seized the opportunity to comment on the recent defection of the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, from the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said, “I am not worried at all. Every person has his own objective. He knows why he has gone.

“Will I go and pull him back? No. we are individuals and he has his reasons for leaving which he has told the people. It is either you take it or you leave it. You cannot take a rope and tie him and say, stay there. He is free to move. This is a mobile world.”

Prof Mahmood Yakubu has been confirmed as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second term of five years.

He got his confirmation on Tuesday at the Senate.

The confirmation followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on INEC chaired by Senator Kabiru Gaya which recommended Yakubu for confirmation.

Yakubu had appeared before the committee on November 26.

In his remarks, he appealed to the National Assembly to pass the Amended Electoral Act Bill latest in the first quarter of 2021.

He explained that passing the piece of legislation within the timeframe recommended was critical for the success of the 2023 general elections.