News
Explain Why Oando Got Accelerated Approval In AGIP/ENI Purchase Deal, Atiku Tells Federal Gov’t
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Federal Government to explain why Oando Plc owned by the President’s nephew, Wale Tinubu, got an accelerated approval to buy the onshore assets of AGIP and ENI while other transactions such as the Shell/Renaissance deal and the Mobil/Seplat continue to suffer alleged delays.
As tatement by the Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former Vice President, Phrank Shaibu, qouted Atiku as saying, “Tinubu visited the FMDQ in New York, visited Qatar, visited France where he told lies about removing petrol subsidies. Obviously, this is not a man who is serious about attracting FDI. More worrisome is that he is not even brave enough to admit that subsidy is being paid. The NNPCL admits that N7.8tn is owed to the national oil company by the Nigerian government.
“IMF estimates that subsidy payments this year will constitute 3% of GDP, which is about $7.5bn. This will be about N11.8tn. Yet, the petrol scarcity continues to linger while the Tinubu administration continues to frustrate the Dangote Refinery and even its own NNPCL facilities. Obviously, the subsidy regime has become an even wider conduit pipe through which monies for funding the 2027 election will come from.”
The former Vice President doubled down on his allegation that Oando was being given undue and preferential treatment in the oil and gas sector to the detriment of more competent investors.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election also knocked the House of Representatives for failing to take proper action on the NNPCL which has now gone ahead to “mortgage the country’s national oil assets to vested interests”.
Atiku said, “Within just eight months, the Nigerian Upstream Production Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) approved a deal which saw the divestment of ENI/AGIP onshore assets to Oando. Within that same period, Nigeria controversially withdrew all litigation against Shell/ENI in the OPL 245 scandal in what has been described as a quid pro quo.
“However, the attempt by SEPLAT to buy Mobil’s onshore assets has continued to stall for the last three years even as the consent letter remains on Tinubu’s table. The deal between Renaissance and Shell continues to stall. In fact, the only deal that has fully scaled through so far is the one involving Oando. We now know why it got accelerated approval.
“Ideally, democracy ought to be government of the people, for the people, and by the people. But democracy in Nigeria has become the government of Tinubu, by Tinubu, and for Tinubu and his family members.”
Atiku added, “In July 2023, the House of Representatives, following the adoption of a motion moved by Miriam Onuoha directed NNPC Ltd to suspend the acquisition of OVH assets pending an investigation by its committee.
“The House ad-hoc committee requested the NNPC Ltd to furnish it with information about registration documents/history from CAC for OVH, Nueoil, and NNPC Retail Limited (NRL), Board Resolution of NNPC Ltd on purchase of OVH, Audited Financial Statement and Management Accounts from 2015 to date of OVH, Nueoil, NRL and NNPC Ltd and the payroll from 2015 to date for NRL and OVH; Board Resolution of NRL/CHQ for movement of head office to Lagos and evidence of Tax Payments for NRL and OVH from 2015 to date.
“The NNPC ignored all these and went ahead to transfer its ownership and properties in its retail arm to OVH, thereby mortgaging the future of Nigerians.
“Despite the rot in the oil sector, the head of the NNPC, the head of the NUPRC, and the head of the NMDPRA continue to keep their jobs. This is clear evidence that they are fulfilling the mandate given to them by Tinubu.”
Furthermore, Atiku pointed out that the NNPC lied in its vacuous response to their statement last week, as it is on record that the Kyari-led management appointed Huub Stoksman, a former Chief Executive Officer of OVH Energy, as Managing Director of NNPC Retail, and Mumuni Dangazau, the former Chief Operating Officer of OVH Energy, as his Special Adviser Downstream, long before the consummation of the incestuous marriage of the entitities.
In a related development, Atiku also lambasted the Tinubu administration for the rise in human rights abuses.
The Waziri Adamawa said Tinubu who rode to power over exaggerated claims of being a freedom fighter, had turned against the people by allowing the Department of State Services (DSS), police and even the military to abuse the rights of citizens without any consequences.
He said that in some instances, citizens were arrested in a gestapo manner without the knowledge of their relatives who go about looking for them for several weeks.
The former Vice President said the most affected since Tinubu took office have been journalists whose only crime is reporting the news and exposing government indiscretion.
He argued that the Cyber Crime Prevention Act 2015 had become a tool with which officials in the Tinubu administration were abducting citizens while the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) had transmuted into the defunct SARS.
Atiku added, “The dangerous trend of enforced disappearances has become a national embarrassment for a country which claims to be practising democracy. On May 1, 2024, Daniel Ojukwu of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism went missing and was presumed abducted by kidnappers until he was later discovered to be in police custody on the orders of IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
“Ojukwu’s crime was that he exposed the corruption of a government official who currently serves in Tinubu’s administration. On July 23, the DSS arrested one Aliyu Sanusi in Sama Road of Sokoto, the state capital for printing and distributing materials ahead of the #EndBadGovernanceProtest Even the arrest and release of the former BBC Pidgin Editor and current West Africa Regional Editor of the Conversation, Adejuwon Soyinka, clearly shows a pattern, which objective is to intimidate journalists for speaking truth to this government.
“Now, the police have arrested Bristol Tamunobiefiri, who owns the PIDOM Nigeria blog on X, formerly Twitter. After detaining him for over two weeks, he was granted an administrative bail, which will be impossible to meet. This is despite the fact that the Appeal Court, in the case of EFCC V. Emem Uboh (2022) LPEIR – 57968 (CA) held that administrative bail is illegal. Bristol should, therefore, be arraigned in court immediately or released.”
Atiku advised Tinubu to take cases of human rights abuses seriously or Nigeria would remain at the risk of being slammed with sanctions which would prevent western powers from selling weapons, a development he argues could undermine Nigeria’s ability to tackle insecurity.
“Amnesty International still has a pending petition before the Foreign Committee of the US Congress against the sale of weapons to Nigeria due to human rights concerns in line with the Leahy Law. Tinubu would do well to curb these cases of rights abuses by law enforcement authorities who all report to him as commander-in-chief,” the former Vice President said.
By Gloria Ikibah
Communities in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State, are beginning to see visible signs of change as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu recently launched a series of public infrastructure projects.
The initiative, which began on Friday, took Kalu across three key wards Bende, Itumbauzo, and Uzuakoli, where he formally opened a number of completed facilities. These include blocks of classrooms, administrative offices, rehabilitated roads, and new boreholes.
Bende Constituency, one of the largest in the country with 13 wards, has long grappled with infrastructure gaps. The newly delivered projects are seen as part of a broader effort to close those gaps and raise the standard of living in the area.
Residents say the projects are already making a difference in both school attendance and ease of movement between villages. Many hope this momentum continues in the months ahead.
…as labour minister call for stricter laws to protect workers
By Gloria Ikibah
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has expressed serious concern over the state of workplace safety in Nigeria, calling for urgent legislative action to prevent further injuries and fatalities.
Speaker Abbas made the call during the 2025 World Day for Safety Conference, with the theme: “The Legislative Perspective: Safety First – Building a Safer Future for All Nigerians”, organised by the House Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday.
The Speaker who was represented by Ondo lawmaker, Rep. Oluwatimehin Adelegbe, said that the occasion was a reminder of the need to protect Nigerian workers from occupational hazards.
He said: “Today’s event is very significant, especially in the lives of workers across the globe. It reminds us of the need to guarantee the safety of workers against occupational hazards and fatalities.
“In societies where life is not given the right premium, workers are exposed to various accidents and dangers. Every worker has a right to be protected.”
Speaker Abbas acknowledged the global importance of the World Day for Safety, which was launched in 2003 by the International Labour Organization (ILO), and shared alarming statistics. “About 2.3 million workers lose their lives every year from workplace injuries and health hazards, with about 160 million non-fatal injuries,” he noted.
Abbas lamented the lack of reliable data In Nigeria, and said the most recent figures—238 deaths and 3,461 injuries in the construction industry—date back to between 2014 and 2016. “Even those reports are incomplete,” he added.
He also cited a study at the Federal Medical Centre in Asaba, which found that 52.7 percent of health workers surveyed had experienced needle pricks, while 53.3 percent reported incidents of blood splashes, and linked this to greater risks during outbreaks like Ebola and COVID-19, recalling the sacrifices of Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and Nurse Justina Ejelonu, who died after coming in contact with the index Ebola case in 2014.
The Speaker blamed many of the injuries in construction sites and criticised the neglect of safety in public buildings.
“Unsafe acts and unsafe working conditions, including lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), hoisting gear, appropriate scaffolds and ladder protection.
“Most public buildings and workplaces in Nigeria are design-built and opened for use without safety checks. Apart from fire extinguishers, you hardly see buildings marked with reflective signs that guide workers in emergencies”, he lamented.
Abbas promised that the House would review and streamline existing laws to improve enforcement and public health protections.
“As the law-making body, the House of Representatives is poised to cause the necessary review of existing laws and seek ways to make them more effective in safeguarding public health and safety”, he added.
The Chairman Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, Rep. David Idris Zacharias in his welcome address said the event marked a historic moment in our nation’s journey towards building a safer, more resilient society.
He stressed that safety must be prioritized, embedded in every policy, and included in every planning phase of our national projects. Whether it’s construction, road, workplace, environmental, or food safety, these are not peripheral issues—they are central to our well-being.
According to Zacharias, the committee’s mission is not only to pass laws but to ensure they are implemented effectively.
He acknowledged that enforcement gaps, poor awareness, and weak appreciation of safety still plague the country. However, he added, and that these challenges present us with immense opportunities to innovate, collaborate, and learn from others.
The committee chairman therefore called for partnerships with businesses, labour unions, NGOs, and the public.
He promised stronger enforcement, increased funding, more monitoring, and public awareness campaigns.
“Safety must be everyone’s concern. From the smallest corner shop to the largest industrial complex, we all have a role to play. We envision a future where safety is embedded in every organisation’s culture, every construction project, and every government policy,” he said.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, in his message called for stronger legislation and cooperation among stakeholders to build a safer work environment for all Nigerians.
He also emphasised that while innovation is necessary, it must not come at the cost of workers’ welfare.
He said: “The theme of today’s conference, The Legislative Perspective: Building a Safer Future for All Nigerians, highlights the critical role of legislation in helping to shape a resilient and future-ready occupational safety and health framework.
“Legislation is central to navigating the digital frontier responsibly; ensuring that innovation does not erode the foundational rights, dignity, and welfare of the Nigerian worker.
“The safety of our workers must be anchored on secure technologies, sound data protection, and inclusive policy frameworks that uphold international labour standards”.
Dr. Dingyadi also stressed the importance of collaboration through the tripartite model involving government, employers, and workers’ organizations, to ensure policies are both enforceable and inclusive.
He further acknowledged delays in reviewing labour laws but said progress had been made, and called for unity across all sectors to build a lasting culture of safety.
“Year 2024 marked significant progress with the publication of Nigeria’s revised OSH Country Profile and the Federal Executive Council’s approval of landmark OSH regulations such as the Construction Safety Regulations 2024”, he added.
The Minister also spoke about the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, which he said was developed through wide consultations.
“The Ministry has led the development of the Occupational Safety and Health Bill, which has been crafted through our distinctive Tripartite Plus framework. We count on the continued partnership of all stakeholders to make this a reality.
“Together, let us rise to the challenge of building a resilient safety culture, underpinned by innovation, inclusivity, and a shared commitment to protecting the lives of all Nigerian workers”, Dingyadi stated.
Reflections of Victor Oluwafemi Walsh in development communication, policy innovation in Africa
Infrastructure: Kalu Builds New Classrooms, Roads, Boreholes In Bende Communities+PHOTOS
Deputy Speaker Leads Defection of PDP Stalwart Chris Igwe, 13,000 Followers to APC In Abia
-
News16 hours agoCourt dismisses Emefiele’s bid to reclaim forfeited 753 duplex estate
-
Opinion12 hours agoTHOUGHTS ON CONSTITUENTS DEVELOPMENT IN OBIO-AKPOR
-
News7 hours agoJust in: Popular Nigerian billionaire, E-Money nabbed by EFCC
-
Metro15 hours agoWanted CBEX promoter surrenders to EFCC
-
News7 hours agoKing Sunny Ade’s family opens up over his whereabouts after daughter’s alarm
-
Politics16 hours agoPDP Calls Emergency Session as Top Members Flee to APC
-
News8 hours agoEx-DIG,Olofu debunks online newspaper report, says ” I retired from NPF meritously after 35yrs service
-
Entertainment16 hours agoCubana Chief Priest responds following reports of being denied entry at Headies Awards