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‘I’ll reject ministerial appointment if offered – Uzor Kalu

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Senator-elect and former Abia State governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that he will reject a ministerial position if he were offered one.

Kalu said this at the second annual lecture of Freedom Online, an online newspaper.

The former Abia governor, who was elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was chairman of the lecture.

He said: “I will not accept a ministerial position if I were offered one. I am the elected representative for Abia North senatorial district.”

Kalu further noted that even though he is elected to represent Abia North, his representation will cover the entire country because his oath of office will be to serve the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I have just been elected to the Senate. I’ve not even been sworn in. Don’t worry yourself; my vibrancy will always be felt by the people I represent. I will give the people quality representation. When I was governor, I represented the people of Abia state to the best of my ability.

“This time I am not going to represent only the people of Abia North, but the people of Nigeria, which oath I am going to take. 

“I am not going to be taking an oath that I am senator of Abia North, I am going to take an oath of office as senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, even in Elewe, I am going to represent them as well as I represent the people of Abia North.”

Kalu also reiterated he will contest for the position of Deputy Senate President, because equity demands that all the major tribes of the country are represented in the leadership of the Ninth National Assembly.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m the one there, what matters is that, in constituting the leadership, all the major ethnic groups would be represented. It is fair, I am not asking this for anything else, I am asking it for equity justice and fair play. Even this one they are saying we did not vote for APC; President Muhammadu Buhari has not said it. It is only some people in the media that are saying it,” Kalu added.

He, however, said he will respect and abide by the decision of the party on the matter.

“I still hope that the party will be gracious enough to zone the positions. I don’t want to go against the party. It will not be a healthy relationship between me and the party and the party and other people. We are capable of going to war, but, it is not good to always go to war. I want the party to zone the offices; they can say we are giving North East the position of Senate president, we are giving South East position of Speaker; we have given South East deputy senate president, we have given North Central deputy speaker and so on and we will have peace,” Kalu further added.

Kalu, who was also awarded with a plaque for his support towards the lecture ,said the only way Nigeria will make progress is when the private sector drives the economy.

Introducing the lecture’s theme: ‘Fixing the Economy: Less Politics, More Substance’, Kalu said government has no business doing business, but should concentrate on policy formulation as it cannot play the role of policy formulation and implementation at the same time.

He added: “I see our economy as an economy that needs to be expanded. Government has no business doing business. You cannot do policy formulation and implementation at the same time. It doesn’t matter if it is one person buying, what matters is that things are made to work.”

Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who was guest of honour disagreed with Kalu on restructuring.

Said Daniel: “Everybody agrees that we need change. Our people have become poorer and there is no hope under the current system. We are setting the stage for corruption with the structure we are running. The democratic system we are running cannot guarantee good governance.”

In his remarks, Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media Mr. Femi Adesina, commended the media organisation for the choice of lecture. He said Buhari is worried by Nigerians’ habit of playing politics with every issue in the country and hoped the lecture would enlighten them.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Mr. Gabriel Akinadewo, publisher of Freedom Online said Nigeria is in need of change.

“Nigeria has a four-year cycle of elections, but, pitiably, there is no four-year cycle of development. The world is moving forward and Nigeria has no choice than to move in the right direction,” Akinadewo said.

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Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com

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You’re wicked,$720k for school fees in advance,”U dey take Kogi people play football” -prophet Ikuru

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By Collins Nkwocha

The prophetic Hall of fame, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos has reiterated that the former governor of Kogi state, Yaya Bello is a heartless, callous and wicked criminal that shouldn’t be allowed to go unpunished.

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This is coming after the latest revelation that Bello withdrew $720k from the state funds to pay for his child’s school fees in advance by the EFCC chairman.

The handsome prophet who was visibly annoyed with the revelation by the EFCC boss said ” yaya Bello don pocket Kogi people so Tay e dey take them play football, this is wickedness,you have embezzled to the level that you don’t even know what else to use to embezzle anymore that you had to withdrew $720k for your child’s school fees in advance,you should be ashamed of yourself”.

He praised the EFCC chairman for doing a good job and helping the nation to recover her looted resources.He praised the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for helping the nation in the fight against corruption.

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Keep your mouth shut, you are the real criminal, you don’t have respect for elders, Prophet Ikuru blasts Yahaya Bello

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By Collins Nkwocha

 

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The prophetic Hall of fame, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos  has blasted the former governor of Kogi state, Yaya Bello for evading arrest and making nasty comments about the government and EFCC.

 

The prophet was visibly angry that Bello went into hiding and started attacking the government and EFCC with nasty words.He said “yaya Bello does not have respect for elders,in facts he’s not fit to contest for any political position in Nigeria or hold any political position in Nigeria anymore, he’s a real criminal,yet, he’s still talking, he doesn’t not have respect for elders.Ododo should also be punished for aiding a criminal”

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Bello was declared wanted by EFCC after evading arrest, he’s been on fugitive since then,many people advised him to submit himself for investigations and clarifications.Nigerians are eagerly waiting to see how this saga will end.

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Nigeria Launches New Fiscal Incentives to Revitalise Oil & Gas Sector, Aiming to Attract $10 Billion Investment

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Nigeria Launches New Fiscal Incentives to Revitalise Oil & Gas Sector, Aiming to Attract $10 Billion Investment

Nigeria Launches New Fiscal Incentives to Revitalise Oil & Gas Sector, Aiming to Attract $10 Billion Investment

 

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… as FG endorses consolidated guidelines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sahara Weekly Reports That Today, in a move to further revitalise the oil and gas industry’s contribution to the Nigerian Economy, Wale Edun, OFR, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, presided over a signing ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja endorsing the Consolidated Guidelines for the implementation of Fiscal Incentives for the Oil & Gas Sector – a cornerstone of the Presidential Directive aimed at enhancing the Nigerian oil & gas sector’s global competitiveness whilst stimulating economic growth.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria Launches New Fiscal Incentives to Revitalise Oil & Gas Sector, Aiming to Attract $10 Billion Investment

 

 

 

 

 

As disclosed during the signing, the Presidential Directives were developed and coordinated by the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen to ensure a competitive framework for the Nigerian oil & gas industry. These Consolidated guidelines for the fiscal incentives are based on extensive collaboration across Finance and Petroleum Ministries and involved several key regulatory bodies including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

 

According to Mrs. Verheijen, these new measures have been designed to deliver a competitive Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for Oil & Gas Projects and attract over $10 billion in new investments within the next 12-18 months. They also underscore Nigeria’s commitment to reaching its long term oil production target of 4 million barrels per day whilst enhancing the reliability of gas supply for to boost export earnings and fuel Nigeria’s industrialization.

 

Mrs. Verheijen disclosed that among the guidelines signed were the NUPRC Guideline on Hydrocarbon Liquids Content in a Non-Associated Gas (NAG) Field, essential for accurately categorising and quantifying the hydrocarbon liquid content in these fields. Additional guidelines focused on the applicability of tax credits and allowances for Non-Associated Gas Greenfield Development and the Midstream Capital and Gas Utilization Allowance, providing taxpayers with clarity on the computation of these benefits.

 

HM Edun, in his remarks, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the directive in February 2024 to engender growth in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, which had stagnated for over the last decade. He also emphasised the potential of the guidelines, saying, “The idea is to create an atmosphere conducive to international competitiveness such that investment comes in. And in this case, we know it’s foreign direct investment”.

 

The signing ceremony was attended by various stakeholders, including NNPC Limited, Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), further highlighting Nigeria’s unified approach toward reinvigorating its oil and gas sector.

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