The approval by the Federal Executive Council to remove over 3,000 shipwrecks littering Nigeria’s coastline and the claim by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that corruption is militating against positive outcomes to trade and contract agreements in Nigeria are some of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Guardian reports that with over 3,000 shipwrecks littering Nigeria’s coastline, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the removal of shipwrecks from Badagry to Tincan Island waterways in order to ensure smooth navigation on Nigerian waters.
The Director-General, NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh, who disclosed this during a chat with the media in Lagos, said the removal of shipwrecks will soon commence Stakeholders and the Nigerian Navy had raised alarm over the impending dangers shipwrecks posed on the Nigerian waters.
He said: “Navigation on our waters is very dangerous now due to shipwrecks. Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have responsibilities of removing wrecks. We agreed with NPA and we have commissioned contractors to identify the wrecks and locations in order to have safe navigation. Today, (Friday), the FEC has approved the removal of wrecks from Badagry to Tincan, and the removal will commence any moment from now”.
Jamoh, who expressed optimism about the developments in the industry so far, said his administration is pursuing vigorously its 3S agenda, which covers security safety, and shipping development, while prioritising security and not leaving others out.
Emphasising the recently launched Deep Blue project, he said, for the first time, we have our own facilities working together to ensure security on Nigerian waters.
The newspaper says that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that corruption is militating against positive outcomes to trade and contract agreements in the country.
He made the disclosure yesterday while declaring open a capacity building workshop for Nigerian trade negotiators for improved terms of engagement with the rest of the world and to eradicate illicit financial flows in the country.
The training, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) in conjunction with the Inter-Agency Committee on Stopping Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) from Nigeria, is being graced by senior and middle-level negotiators from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government and others.
The training, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) in conjunction with the Inter-Agency Committee on Stopping Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) from Nigeria, is being graced by senior and middle-level negotiators from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government and others.
Osinbajo said the training was timely for better bilateral and multilateral pacts. His words: “Poorly negotiated trade agreements can lead to serious financial flows,” urging negotiators to institute maintenance and monitoring mechanisms to mitigate failures.
He advised the mediators to “ensure scrutiny, accountability and transparency, as well as checks and balances in carrying out any negotiated agreements in the country.”
The Vanguard reports that the United Nations has warned youths not to work against the interest of the country, saying the world won’t be able to accommodate 240 million Nigerians as migrants should the country implode.
Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, who said this in a statement signed by National Information Officer, UN Office, Nigeria, Oluseyi Soremekun, cautioned Nigerian youths to start building the country with their God-given skills and talents.
She spoke against the backdrop of the roles youths played in the #EndSARS protests that eventually turned destructive, following the hijack of the protests by hoodlums as well as the strident attacks on the country by young Nigerians on social media.
The statement, titled “Be proud of Nigeria, don’t condemn her, don’t lose hope”, read: “You have got education, you have the tools, and you have a huge future ahead of you, and you are condemning yourself before you start on that journey.
“Do not do that! Be proud of Nigeria your country; do not condemn her and do not lose hope.
“If you think Nigeria is worse than better, then how are you going to turn it around? If you do not want to build this nation, I do not know where you want to go.
“I can assure you the world is not ready to take 240 million Nigerians. Therefore, let’s think about how to salvage it together,” Mohammed was quoted as charging youths.
The Punch says that the price of a litre of Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, has risen to N280, buoyed by the recent increase in global oil prices and naira devaluation.
The PUNCH had reported on February 24, 2021 that some filling stations in Lagos had increased diesel price to N250 per litre, while many others sold it at between N220-N245 per litre.
The global oil benchmark, Brent crude, which averaged $62.28 per barrel in February, stood at $75.10 per barrel as of 5:15pm Nigerian time on Monday.
Our correspondent observed on Monday that the price of the product, which is not regulated by the government, ranged from N270 to N280 per litre in several filling stations in Lagos. Mobil, Capital Oil and Gas as well as Oando filling stations, all along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, sold the product for N280, N279.9 and N275 per litre.
The product was sold for N267.50 per litre at NNPC Retail stations. Diesel is mostly used by businesses to power their generators amid lack of reliable power supply from the national grid.
“The high diesel cost is taking a huge toll on operating and production costs across sectors. It is a case of multiple jeopardy for businesses,” the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Muda Yusuf, told our correspondent on Monday.
ThisDay reports that African Union has said that by 2040, African countries would produce at least 60 percent of the vaccines they use as opposed to the one percent manufactured in the continent currently.
In a communique issued by the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM) Task Force and made available to journalists, the union stated that developing local vaccine manufacturing in Africa would both answer a health security imperative and bring benefits in terms of improved livelihoods and economies.
It noted that though a complex undertaking and not without risk, the situation presents a unique opportunity for action and unprecedented support from governments across the continent, as well as partnership with institutions across Africa and the globe as well as the private sector.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for increased vaccine security and self-reliance. Expanding vaccine manufacturing in Africa requires multiple groups of stakeholders to step forward in order to endorse or perform the various roles required to unlock this opportunity.
“If these essential conditions are met, it may indeed be possible to establish a sustainable vaccine development and manufacturing ecosystem and thus ensure Africa has timely access to the vaccines it needs to protect and secure public health.
The Sun says that Petro Union fraud case, scheduled for hearing yesterday, Monday, was disrupted due to an ongoing disagreement between two of the lawyers of Petro Union, Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN) and Onyechi Egwuonwu, over how the proceeds of the fraud will be shared if their case eventually succeeds.
Before the Supreme Court Panel led by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola could attend to the case, the court’s first case for the day, it first had to understand the several court processes before it in the matter.
After the lawyers for Petro Union, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Union Bank, Minister for Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation had announced their appearances, it turned out that the court could not proceed until the issue of which lawyers would represent Petro Union was resolved.
Onyechi Egwuonwu, Petro Union’s lawyer at the Federal High Court where the $15 billion judgment against CBN and others was given, informed the apex court of his irrevocable power of attorney to represent the company in the matter, explaining that it was he who, in fact, briefed Gadzama to lead him and other lawyers when the case got to the Court of Appeal.
GIK/APA