News

NASS Not in a Hurry to Transmit PIB to Buhari – Spokesman

Published

3 years ago

July 21, 2021

Eric

The Director of Information in the National Assembly, Mr Rawlings Agada, has explained that the federal parliament will not transmit the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill in a hurry to the President Muhammadu Buhari.

Agada gave the explanation on Tuesday while reacting to The Punch’s enquiry on when the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Olatunde Ojo, would transmit the document to Buhari for assent.

He explained that the legislature had to exercise great restraint and caution in order to avoid sending such an important bill to the President without doing necessary due diligence.

The spokesman for the legislature noted that since the two chambers passed different versions and a conference committee had harmonised their positions, the legal department of the National Assembly would have to clean the document up to avoid errors.

Agada, who said he could not categorically state when the clean-up process would be concluded, explained that it was necessary to save the job of the CNA.

He said the CNA risked prosecution if he transmitted a bill that did not represent the exact position of the lawmakers to the President.

Agada stated, “There is more to the process of cleaning up a bill before the final transmission.

“The legal department has to go through what was passed by the two chambers and ensure that the harmonised version is in tandem with the position of the two chambers.

“It is after the legal department is satisfied that the harmonised version is in tandem with the position of the two chambers that the bill will be sent to the Clerk to the National Assembly for authentication.

“Given the interest on the bill and the seriousness of the leadership of the National Assembly to keep to the timeline, those working on it won’t delay the process, but I cannot tell you when the process will be concluded.

“The CNA will also ensure that nothing is left out of the bill since he is also bound by the Authentication Act.

“The Act made the CNA liable to prosecution if in effect, it was discovered that what he transmitted is not what was agreed upon.

“The President cannot assent to it (PIB) without the authentication process. So, it is better that the legal department ensures that it is a clean copy that will be presented to the CNA.

“Having satisfied that the bill is error free, the CNA will then sign the authentication certificate and send the bill to the President for assent.”

The Punch

News

National Grid Collapses Again, Nigeria in Total Blackout

Published

1 day ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The electricity national grid has collapsed again throwing the entire country into total blackout.

Some electricity distribution companies (DisCos), on Monday, confirmed the fresh collapse of the national grid, resulting in loss of power supply to their customers.

The grid experienced a fresh shutdown, and generation fell to 64.70 megawatts at 2:42 am on Monday, which was confirmed by officials of some of the DisCos.

According to an earlier report, the latest data from the Independent System Operator showed that the grid was generating 266.50mw of electricity from Okpai, Geregu and Ibom power.

Confirming the collapse in a statement, Jos DisCo said: “The current outage being experienced within our franchise States is a result of loss of power supply from the national grid. The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred in the early hours at about 0242 hours today, Monday, 15th April 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.”

The company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Dr Friday Adakole Elijah, expressed hope that the grid will be restored for normal power supply to its esteemed customers.

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), also confirmed the collapse in a statement titled “NOTICE OF TOTAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE”.

“The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a total system collapse which occurred at 2:41 am today, 15th April 2024.

“This resulted in the loss of supply to all our interface TCN stations. Consequently, we were unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.

“However, the situation is gradually being resolved as we received the supply at Awada TCN station, Onitsha, at 7:30 am.

“We are in constant communication with the relevant authorities awaiting the full restoration of supply by the National Control Centre, NCC, Oshogbo. Thank you for your usual understanding and cooperation,”

A statement by Head, of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Emeka Ezeh said.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is yet to confirm the collapse as of press time.

News

Gunmen Abduct Channels TV Reporter in Rivers, Demand N30m

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2024

Eric

Gunmen have kidnapped a journalist and reporter with Channels Television, Mr Joshua Rogers, at his residence in Rumuosi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday night.

Rogers, who covers the Rivers State Government House for his organisation, was reportedly trailed after he closed from work to his residence.

The miscreants accosted him before he alighted from his car, pointed a gun at him and whisked him along with his vehicle off to an unknown destination at about 9 pm.

A source who said he doesn’t want his name mentioned said the reporter had earlier covered an event in Ndoni in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of the state where Governor Siminalayi Fubara, inaugurated a Primary Healthcare Centre.

The facility was built and donated to the state by the PAMO Educational Foundation, founded by former Rivers governor, Dr Peter Odili, on Thursday.

The source said, “Yes, he was kidnapped last night at his residence in Rumuosi and taken away in his car by some unknown gunmen.

“We are appealing to the kidnappers to release him immediately and unhurt. He is just a journalist doing his job and not a moneybags. So I don’t know the purpose of his kidnap.”

It was also gathered that the hoodlums had contacted his wife and demanded N30m as ransom before releasing him.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, for confirmation, were unsuccessful as she did not pick up several calls put across to her by The Punch.

Iringe-Koko has also yet to reply to a text message sent to her as of publication on Friday morning.

The Punch

News

Bobrisky Goes to Jail! Sentenced to Six months Term, with No Fine Option

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2024

Eric

Cross-dresser, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye popularly known as Bobrisky, has been sentenced to six months imprisonment without any option fine for abusing the Nigeria currency – naira.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in her sentence, said the judgment will serve as a deterrent to others who are fond of abusing and mutilating the naira.