Anti corruption war remains our priority —FG

The war against corruption will remain a priority of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration irrespective of mutterings from home, the Federal Government said yesterday.

Speaking during an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, bemoaned the effect of corruption in the development of the country, saying the N55 billion allegedly received by 21 persons from the Office of the National Security Adviser was more than the N52 billion earmarked by the former government for zonal intervention programmes.
Noting the determination of supposedly corrupt persons to derail the anti-graft war and as such endanger the development programmes of the administration, Mohammed said it was instructive that the efforts of the Buhari administration had been acknowledged by the international community.

He said: “Some have said the government is dwelling too much on the war against corruption to the detriment of other areas of governance. Our response to that is that indeed, there is nothing like dwelling too much on this war. The situation is very grim indeed, as far as corruption is concerned. That is why the Federal Government is embarking on this sensitization campaign. Our approach, which is to count the cost of corruption, is not to vilify anyone but to use facts and figures to give Nigerians a sense of what corruption has done to their lives.
Acknowledging the support of the United States government in the battle, he said: “The Federal Government is delighted that the anti-corruption war being led by President Muhammadu Buhari has been acknowledged and applauded on a global stage.

“It is particularly gratifying that in that speech, Mr. Kerry made the link between corruption and terrorism. We agree that corruption is indeed a radicalizer because it destroys faith in legitimate authority. Let me remind you, gentlemen, that radicalization is a key causative factor of terrorism,” Mohammed said during a meeting with News and Political Editors in Lagos, yesterday.

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FG ends kerosene subsidy, pegs price at N83 per litre

The Federal Government, weekend, hiked the price of Household Kerosene (HHK) to N83 per litre from N50 per litre, thereby, officially ending subsidy on the product.

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA , in its product pricing template released, weekend, however, stated that the N83 per litre price applies only to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), meaning that other petrol stations and dealers can sell higher than the stipulated amount.
Curiously, the hike in the price of kerosene came at a time when the price of crude oil had dropped to record low, with the price of petroleum products, such as kerosene, fuel and diesel, among others, dropping significantly in a number of countries, like the United States.
This also brings to question, the recent reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit announced by the Federal Government and which commenced at the beginning of the year.
Again, the PPPRA’s template also showed that at N83 per litre, the Federal Government is making a gain of N10.72 for every litre, as it puts the Expected Open Market Price, which is the Landing Cost plus Total Margins at N72.28 per litre. The expected open market price is the prevailing open market rate for the product in Nigeria, after taking certain costs into consideration.
Giving a breakdown of the price, the PPPRA template put the Landing Cost of  the product at N57.98 per litre, while the total margin due for middlemen was put at N14.30.
Further breakdown of the Total Margins showed that retailers margin was put at N5 per litre; Transporters, N3.05 per litre; Dealers, N1.95 per litre; Bridging fund, N5.85 per litre; Marine Transport Average, N0.15 and Admin  Charges, N0.15.
The PPPRA further put official ex-depot price, which is the price depot owners would sell at marketers, at N68.70 per litre, official ex-depot price for collection, N73 per litre while ex-coastal price is N68.02 per litre.

Late December, the PPPRA had on behalf of the Federal Government announced that effective January 1, 2016, Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, would be sold at N86 per litre by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) retail stations, while other oil marketers would sell at N86.50 per litre.
Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, who made the announcement, said the reduction in the price of the commodity was due to an implementation of the revised components of the Petroleum Products Pricing Template for PMS and household kerosene.
According to him, the revised template, which would be reviewed on quarterly basis, is geared towards ensuring an efficient and market-driven price that would reflect current realities.
He said: “Since 2007, while crude oil price had been moving up and down, the template remained the same. This had made it necessary for us to introduce a mechanism whereby the template would be sensitive to the price of crude oil.

“However, the template is not static, as there would be a quarterly review and if there is any major shift, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources would be expected to call for a review, either upward or downward, depending on the market condition.“

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Sambo Dasuki protests planned secret trial by FG

Following the filing of fresh charges of illegal possession of foreign and local currencies said to have found in the houses of former National security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the ex-NSA has protested the plan by the Federal Government to arraign him in a secret trial.
At the resumed hearing of the earlier charge of possession of illegal firearms filed against Dasuki Monday, Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court Six, sitting in Abuja expressed surprise at the decision of prosecution counsel to bring additional charges against immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA) on a day set aside for definite hearing on the one count charge preferred against him.
Recall that on September 1 this year, prosecution counsel, Mohammed Diri, had told the court that Dasuki was charged with the unlawful possession of firearms without a licence which Dasuki pleaded not guilty.
Justice Ademola then granted Mr. Dasuki bail on self-recognition but ordered that his passport and other travel documents be deposited with the Deputy Court Registrar while the case was adjourned to October 26 and 27 for the hearing.
When the court sat today (October 26, 2015) however, M.S. Labaran, appearing for the prosecution announced instead that the one count charge was now being expanded to include additional charges bothering illegal possession of various amounts of local and foreign currency in his Abuja residence and family house in Sokoto contrary to Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.

He also requested that the trial be conducted in secrecy by providing special cover for witnesses from using public routes; use of private witness room; use of facial masks; and also that only accredited members of the press be allowed to cover the trial.

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