Nigerians paid N163 per litre of fuel in March – NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that the average price paid by consumers for Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in the month of March, dropped to N163 from N173 recorded in February.

The drop represented an increase of 9.4 percent year-on-year, NBS said in a latest report.

According to the report, the average price increased by 5.3 percent month-on-month to N163.4 in March 2018 from N172.5 in February and 9.6 percent increase month-on-month from N190.9 in January.

The report stated that Taraba (N184.38), Jigawa (N180.93) and Ekiti (N173.89) were states with the highest average price of premium motor spirit (petrol).

States with the lowest average price of premium motor spirit (petrol) were Kaduna (N147.29), Bauchi (N145.57) and Abuja (N145.00), it said.

NBS also stated that the average price paid by consumers for automotive gas oil (diesel) decreased by 1.65 percent month-on-month and 12 percent year-on-year to N206.41 in March 2018 from N209.89 in February.

States with the highest average price of diesel were Taraba (N254.29), Sokoto (N249.29) and Kebbi (N230.83) while states with the lowest average price of diesel were Abia (N185.83), Bayelsa (N187.50) and Delta (N189.58).

Similarly, the bureau revealed that the average price per litre paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene decreased by 6.79 percent month-on-month and 13.66 percent year-on-year to N268.99 in March 2018 from N288.57 in February.

States with the highest average price per litre of kerosene were Nasarawa (N306.07), Yobe (N300.78) and Cross River (N300.68). States with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Abia (N229.35), Delta(N227.77) and Borno (N225.13, it stated.

The statistics office also stated that the average price per gallon paid by consumers for National Household Kerosene decreased by 8.45 percent month-on-month and 19.57 percent year-on-year to N943.27 in March 2018 from N1,030.33 in February, while states with the highest average price per gallon of kerosene were Kebbi (N1105.00), Benue (N1096.67) & Jigawa (N1061.90). - Daily Post

Alooter officer !!! ICPC resumes prosecution of former IG of Police over alleged N16bn fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to resume the prosecution of former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The trial is for alleged criminal conversion of money belonging to the Ministry of Police Affairs into personal use while he was at the helm of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

This development followed a ruling of the Supreme Court which dismissed the appeal filed by the former Police Chief challenging the jurisdiction of the Commission and that of the FCT High Court to try him.

Mr. Ehindero and an alleged accomplice were in 2012 arraigned on a 6-count charge for allegedly conspiring to criminally convert public funds totaling N16,412,315.00 being interests generated from the sum of N557,995,065.00 Police money he had placed in two fixed deposit accounts at Wema Bank Plc and Intercontinental Bank Plc.

The said money was donated by Bayelsa State Government to the Force at the time to enable it purchase equipment for proper policing of the state.

When the principal sum donated was to be transferred to the Ministry of Police Affairs from the accounts, the interests earned were not transferred with it, and that formed the crux of the allegations against the accused.

On 6th June, 2012, Mr. Ehindero filed a motion on notice, by way of preliminary objection, wherein he prayed the trial court for orders: dismissing and/or striking out the amended charge for want of jurisdiction; quashing the amended charge against him for want of competency and; debarring any official of ICPC from prosecuting him for not having constitutional power to do so among others.

In the reserved ruling delivered on 21st September, 2012, the trial judge had dismissed the application in its entirety.

Thereafter, the former IGP proceeded to the Court of Appeal and again his appeal was dismissed by the appellate court sitting in Abuja on 14th January, 2014. A.D. Yahaya and T. Akomolafe-Wilson, JJCA concurred with the lead judgment of A. A. Adumein, JCA. - Daily Post

Another Nigerian shot dead in South Africa

The Nigerian community in South Africa has reported the extra-judicial killing of a Nigerian man in that country.

The victim identified as ThankGod Okoro from Ogbaku in the Awgu local government area of Enugu state, is the latest in what has been described as recurring pre-meditated murders of young Nigerians in South Africa.

At least 117 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa since February 2016.

Habib Miller, publicity secretary of the Nigeria Union in South Africa, who is based in Pretoria, confirmed the killing of Okoro in a telephone interview with NAN on Friday.

He said Okoro was allegedly shot in the head by a South African police officer.

“The union is not happy with the latest murder of ThankGod Okoro on April 9 by a member of the South African Police Flying Squad at Hamburg, Florida West Rand in Johannesburg,” he said.

“The officer who shot Okoro claimed that the young man attempted to stab him during a stop-and-search operation.”

He added that Joshua Ogade, acting president of the Nigeria Union in South Africa, Omoreige Ogboro, head of the union’s legal team, had visited the area where Okoro was killed to gather information on the incident.

“Our team has gone to the Florida Police Station to ensure that due process is followed in an attempt to seek justice on the killing,” he said.

“The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has been notified of the killing of Mr Okoro.”

Miller said that the police in Florida state had commenced investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the killing of the Nigerian.

He pleaded with the South African authorities to wade into the matter to discourage wanton killing of Nigerians by policemen in the former apartheid enclave.

“Anyone suspected or found on the wrong side of the law should be arrested and tried at the appropriate court,” he said. - Cable NIgeria

Ghetto !!! 55% vehicles in FCT not road worthy – Official

Mr. Kayode Opeifa, the Transportation Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration, has revealed that 55 per cent of vehicles on FCT roads are not road worthy.

The Transportation Secretary made this known when he released motor vehicles and drivers licence statistics for the FCT for the first quarter of 2018 in Abuja on Friday.

Opeifa said of the vehicles inspected at the Abuja Computerised Vehicles Centres, between January and April 6, only 45 per cent passed the test.

“In order to ensure that vehicles plying the territory roads are road worthy, the secretariat has therefore directed the commencement of ‘Operation Crocodile’ to rid Abuja streets of unworthy vehicles.”

He urged motorists who have not made their vehicles available for inspection to do so.

“Also, within the period under review, 3,085 vehicles, 260 motorcycles, 406 tricycles, 281 unpainted taxis, were impounded for various traffic offences.

“This is against 2,885 vehicles, 183 motorcycles, 350 tricycles and 271 unpainted taxis for the same period in 2017,’’ he added.

He said 13,757 new vehicles were registered while 48,083 vehicle licences were renewed.

He said that 355 vehicles abandoned, accidented, and burnt were evacuated during rescue operations.

Opeifa noted that 18,067 drivers’ licences were processed between January and March, 2018 as against 16,668 processed in the same period in 2017. - NAN

Pep Guardiola adamant Man City are no Champions League flops

Guardiola claims Manchester City did not fail in the Champions League despite their quarter-final exit.

City were beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Liverpool to crash out at the last-eight stage, having gone one phase further than in their first campaign under Guardiola.

But the Premier League leaders were hard done by, according to their manager, after seeing goals ruled out in both legs, with Guardiola sent to the stands for remonstrating with the referee when Leroy Sane had a goal ruled out at the Etihad Stadium.

"We scored two legal goals in two games and then, in Juventus v Real Madrid, you are talking penalty or no penalty," he said. "In that competition, it counts a lot.

"We saw it in every round, the influence of the little details is so, so big. The quality of the teams is so, so big. We played a better competition this season in the Champions League and we'll try to come back next season stronger to do well.

"But I don't have the feeling that we missed out on what we wanted to do or that we failed. We did well."

Looking ahead to Saturday's top-flight game against Tottenham, Guardiola insists there is nothing wrong with his side's performances following a run of three consecutive losses.

"If you judge results, okay: judge results," he said. "But even after losing at Anfield, how we played against [Manchester] United was top. After losing to United, how we played against Liverpool was top.

"During the season, it has been like this. These are magnificent players. We are sad we went out of the Champions League, but it's hard to take the way it happened." - Goal

Chelsea manager shocked to see Saints struggling

Antonio Conte , Chelsea boss has revealed that he is surprised to see Southampton struggling at the foot of the Premier League table.

The Blues make the short trip down south to face Saints this weekend, with both sides desperately in need of three points. Chelsea are currently sat in 5th place and some way off the top four, whilst Saints are three points adrift of 17th.

Conte’s Chelsea side have been in poor form in large periods of the campaign and they will face a fellow under-performer in Southampton.

Italian manager Conte has admitted, as per a report from the club’s official website, that Southampton’s struggles so far this term have come as a surprise to him.

“I know that (Southampton) have great quality. It’s a great surprise to see them in this position fighting to avoid relegation. I think their squad has great quality and talented players.”

A win for Chelsea would allow them to continue their unlikely push for a top four finish in the Premier League this term. Meanwhile, a win for Saints could lift them out of the bottom three. - Read Sport

Not all whistleblowers will get 5% reward – Sagay

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said on Friday that not all whistleblowers would get five per cent of the recovered sum.

According to him, the reward could be as low as one per cent of what is recovered depending on the amount.

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said the Federal Government has received 1,231 tips from whistleblowers since the policy was introduced in 2016.

She said 791 investigations were commenced, 534 had been concluded, with N7.8billion, $378million and 27,800 pounds recovered so far.

Sagay and Adeosun spoke in Abuja at an “Evaluation workshop on the whistleblower policy and the role of the inter-agency asset tracing team,” organised by PACAC.

Adeosun was represented by Head, Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) and Whistleblower Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mohammed Dikwa.

Sagay said Nigerians should be made aware that not every whistle blower would get five per cent of what is recovered.

“One controversial issue in the policy is the question of remuneration. The public seems to be fixated on five per cent. But in fact, five per cent is the maximum.

“It can be as little as one per cent, depending on the amount of money involved. It could be slightly more if it is an extremely large amount,” he said.

The eminent professor of law described the whistleblower policy as “very successful,” adding that it was not limited to looted funds.

“Things like breach of procurement practice, which is closely associated with corruption and unapproved expenditure by agencies, are all subject of whistleblowing,” Sagay said.

Adeosun said the Whistle blower Team in her ministry went on a study tour of the United Kingdom and met with relevant agencies to learn best practices.

“Following lessons learnt from the study tour, we will begin to focus more on preventive measures, putting in place tight control measures, making it more difficult for a few people to take away assets that belong to an entire country.

“In addition to this, the investigation framework of the whistleblower policy will be reviewed.

“We will continue to work with all stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of the policy and put in place required institutions and tools to achieve our objective,” she said.

PACAC Executive Secretary, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said not all acts of whistleblowing attract reward.

For instance, he said a situation where a planned fund diversion is stopped, there would be no financial reward for the person who gave the tip-off.

He, however, urged Nigerians to view whistleblowing as a civil duty and a constitutional responsibility.

“There is a duty to report, even without the five per cent reward,” he said. - The Nation