By Favour Bibaikefie

The Bayelsa State Government has secured a court injunction to stop a proposed mega rally in support of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which was set to take place in Yenagoa on April 12.

Justice I.A. Uzakah of the Bayelsa State High Court issued the interim order following an ex-parte motion filed by the state’s Attorney General, Biriyai Dambo (SAN).

The court barred Wike’s supporters and associates from organizing or participating in any political event in Bayelsa, including rallies, meetings, or public gatherings intended to show solidarity or host the minister, until a decision is reached on the main motion for an interlocutory injunction.

The case has been rescheduled for hearing on April 11, 2025.

By Divine Perezide

Warri, Nigeria – In a significant political development, the Ijaw ethnic group has emerged with a dominant presence in two out of the three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Warri, following the conclusion of a fresh ward delineation exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The new delineation, which aimed to correct longstanding concerns over equitable representation, has redrawn the political map of the Warri federal constituency, leading to a shift in ward distribution across the three LGAs.

In Warri North LGA, which now comprises a total of 18 wards, the Ijaw communities holds 10 wards, while the Itsekiri communities controls 8.

Warri South-West LGA witnessed the most significant shift, with the Ijaws securing 14 out of 19 wards, leaving the Itsekiri with 5 wards.

However, in Warri South LGA, the Ijaw communities holds only 3 of the 20 wards. The Itsekiri control 8, while the Urhobo people lead with 9 wards.

The fresh delineation has been met with celebration in Ijaw and Urhobo communities, who view the exercise as a long-overdue correction of historical marginalization. Supporters have hailed the outcome as a “great injustice corrected” and expressed gratitude to those who championed the cause.

“This marks a new dawn for political representation in Warri,” a community leader said. “For years, our numbers were not reflected in the political structure. Today, justice has finally spoken.”

It will be recalled that the Ijaws of Warri, ledby George Timinimi secured a Supreme Court judgement to redealiniate the Warri Federal Constituency before the 2023 General Elections.

However, the process which started after the elections has now been concluded, report says.

INEC officials have yet to release a detailed statement on the process that informed the delineation, but the outcome is already generating conversations about power dynamics and future elections in Delta State.

Observers anticipate that the shift will significantly influence local politics, resource allocation, and governance in the Warri area.

As the dust settles, stakeholders across ethnic and political lines are expected to begin strategizing around the new electoral realities brought on by the updated ward map.

By Admin

In a major shake-up of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, President Bola Tinubu has dismissed Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mallam Mele Kyari and Board Chairman Chief Pius Akinyelure, along with all board members appointed in November 2023.

This development was announced early Wednesday in a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. The statement revealed that a newly constituted 11-member board will now oversee the affairs of NNPC Limited, with Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari taking over as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida assuming the role of Non-Executive Chairman.

Additionally, President Tinubu appointed Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the Chief Financial Officer last year, as a board member. The board also includes six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), and Babs Omotowa, former Managing Director of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), representing North Central. From the southern regions, Austin Avuru (South-South), David Ige (South-West), and Henry Obih (South-East) were also named as non-executive directors.

Further, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will represent their respective ministries on the board.

The statement emphasized that “all the appointments are effective today, April 2.” It also outlined Tinubu’s rationale for the restructuring, citing Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021. According to Onanuga, the move is aimed at “enhancing operational efficiency, restoring investor confidence, boosting local content, driving economic growth, and advancing gas commercialisation and diversification.”

Furthermore, President Tinubu has tasked the newly appointed board with conducting a “strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and joint venture assets to ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.”

Under Tinubu’s leadership, the federal government has been implementing major reforms in the oil sector to attract more investment. In 2023, NNPC recorded $17 billion in new investments, with the administration now aiming to increase that figure to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.

The government also has ambitious targets for oil and gas production. The goal is to raise daily crude oil output to two million barrels by 2027 and three million barrels by 2030. Likewise, gas production is expected to reach 8 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and expand further to 10 billion cubic feet daily by 2030.

Additionally, Tinubu has charged the new board with increasing NNPC’s crude oil refining capacity. “The new board is expected to elevate NNPC’s share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030,” the statement noted.

The newly appointed board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, hails from Borno State. A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a degree in civil engineering, Kida also holds a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris.

His career in the oil and gas industry began at Elf Petroleum Nigeria before moving to Total Exploration and Production as a trainee engineer in 1985. He later rose to the position of Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services at Total Nigeria in 2015. Last year, he became an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group.

Beyond his contributions to the oil sector, Kida is well-known in the sports community as a former basketball player and the President of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF).

Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed NNPC Limited Group CEO, is from Kwara State. Before his appointment, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. His recent efforts led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).

Ojulari is also a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a degree in mechanical engineering. His career started at Elf Aquitaine, where he became the first Nigerian process engineer before transitioning to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991. Over the years, he worked in various roles in Europe and the Middle East, excelling as a petroleum process and production engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager.

In 2015, Ojulari was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO). He also served as chairman and a board trustee member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the former NNPC board members for their contributions, particularly in overseeing the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries. Their efforts led to the resumption of petroleum product production after years of inactivity. He wished them success in their future endeavors.