As Nigerians grapple with soaring petrol prices and widespread scarcity, the firm currently responsible for importing petrol into Nigeria has controversially changed its ownership.

The downstream arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Retail) officially no longer exists after it asked a court to transfer its ownership and properties to a firm it claimed to have bought.

PREMIUM TIMES reported NNPCL’s controversial purchase of OVH Energy Marketing Limited and how the purchased company essentially took over the management of the buyer, which an NNPC insider described as “the most ridiculous business acquisition in the world.”

NNPCL bought OVH from Nueoil Energy Limited a month after Nueoil Energy acquired OVH in September 2022.

However, two months ago, the three firms – NNPC Retail, OVH and Nueoil – jointly filed a petition at the Federal High Court in Lagos. In it, they asked the court to grant eight orders, including an order that NNPC Retail and Nueoil “be dissolved without being wound up” and that “the resultant company from the scheme shall be” OVH.

The court granted all the eight orders.

The court’s decision was then published in the official gazette of the Nigerian government.

C.J. Aneke delivered the ruling, which was based on a petition filed on 24 June by NNPC Retail Limited, Nueoil Energy Limited, and OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

The affidavit of suit No: FHC/L/CS/921/2024 was deposed by Valentina Ine Kodjo-Soroh.

Meanwhile, the affidavit, with 17 exhibits attached and a written address signed by Abimbola Akeredolu was filed at the court registry in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Prayers

According to the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court’s order, published on 18 July in Punch Newspaper, the petitioners requested the court to sanction their merger as agreed upon by their shareholders during a court-ordered meeting.

The petitioners further asked that all tax attributes, unutilised capital allowances, tax losses, withholding tax credits and other refunds available, but excluding the Nueoil Energy shares in the OVH Energy Marketing Limited, liabilities and business undertakings, including real property and intellectual property rights of the NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited be transferred to the OVH Energy Marketing Limited subject to the terms and conditions set out in the scheme without any further act or deed.

The petitioners also sought the cancellation of the entire share capital of NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited and requested that all legal proceedings, claims and litigations pending or contemplated by or against the NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited be continued by or against the OVH Energy Marketing Limited after the scheme becomes effective.

Additionally, they asked for an order to dissolve NNPC Retail and Nueoil Energy Limited without being wound up. They also sought an order that the resultant company from the scheme shall be OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

They told the court that the merger should be effective from 1 January 2024.

They also told the court to make such incidental, consequential, and supplemental orders as necessary to ensure that the merger is fully and effectively implemented.

The Ruling

Aneke granted all the prayers of the petitioners, ordering that the merger be effective from 1 January. The court also mandated that all necessary incidental, consequential, and supplemental orders be made to ensure the full and effective implementation of the merger.

The court also made the following orders to carry the merger into effect.

“That an order is hereby made that all assets (including all tax attributes, unutilised capital allowances, tax losses, withholding tax credits and other refunds available, but excluding the 2nd petitioner’s shares in the 3rd petitioner), liabilities and business undertakings, including real property and intellectual property rights of the 1st and 2nd petitioners be transferred to the 3rd petitioner subject to the terms and conditions set out in the scheme without any further act or deed.

“That an order is hereby made that the entire share capital of the 1st and 2nd petitioners be cancelled. That an order is hereby made that all legal proceedings, claims and litigations pending or contemplated by or against the 1st and 2nd petitioners be continued by or against the 3rd petitioner after the scheme becomes effective.

“That an order is hereby made that the 1st and 2nd petitioners be dissolved without being wound up. That an order is hereby made that the resultant company from the scheme shall be the 3rd petitioner,” the judge ruled.

The ruling signifies that NNPC retail, which is currently responsible for importing virtually all of Nigeria’s petrol, no longer exists and is now wholly owned by OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

Background

NNPC Ltd. announced in October 2022 the acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing Limited’s downstream assets. This acquisition would merge OVH Energy with NNPC Retail, a subsidiary of NNPC Ltd.

The assets acquired from the company, which operates Oando filling stations, also include a reception jetty with 240,000 metric tonnes monthly capacity and eight liquefied petroleum gas plants, three lube blending plants, three aviation depots, and 12 warehouses.

But in June 2023, PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation on the acquisition exposed the secret deals and the complicated ownership structure that left managerial control of NNPC Retail in the hands of OVH Energy Marketing.

The report also exposed that OVH Energy Marketing may not have owned as many filling stations as it claimed during the merger talks.

In addition, the report highlighted how Huub Stokman, an expatriate and former Chief Executive Officer of OVH Energy, emerged as the new Managing Director of NNPC Retail, a development that further compounded the structure of NNPC Retail.

This newspaper also found out that the acquisition of OVH Energy had turned NNPC Retail into a toxic workspace, with officials of the former taking over the latter’s running.

“Did we acquire them, or did they acquire us? How come they are now the ones in the management,” one NNPC Retail staff told this newspaper.

In July 2023, the House of Representatives, following the adoption of a motion moved by Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo), directed NNPC Ltd to suspend the acquisition pending an investigation by its committee.

Consequently, the House set up an ad-hoc committee with Hassan Nalabraba (APC, Nasarawa) as the chairman and commencedan investigation into the controversial deal in September 2023.

The ad-hoc committee requested the NNPC Ltd to furnish it with information about “registration documents/history from CAC for OVH, Nueoil, and NNPC Retail Limited (NRL), Board Resolution of NNPC Ltd on purchase of OVH, Audited Financial Statement and Management Accounts from 2015 to Date OVH, Nueoil, NRL and NNPC Ltd” and the “payroll from 2015 to date for NRL and OVH, Board Resolution of NRL/CHQ for movement of head office to Lagos and evidence of Tax Payments for NRL and OVH from 2015 to date.”

The committee also requested documents on all financial transactions associated with the acquisition, including payment records and fund transfers.

In September 2023, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, while appearing before the committee investigating the acquisition, said NNPC Ltd now operates like a private limited liability company and entered the commercial relationship with OVH to take over market shares in the downstream petroleum market shares. He said NNPC Ltd did nothing wrong in the acquisition.

Meanwhile, some NNPC Retail ‘concerned staff’, in a letter dated 25 September 2023, addressed to the chairman of the House Committee, and signed on their behalf by Mohammed Muazuo, noted that the request by the committee was not met.

In October 2023, Nalabraba presented a report on the investigation.

In February, the House of Representatives dissolved the committee investigating the controversial acquisition after the panel presented a report many lawmakers described as “suspicious and shabby.” The task was subsequently transferred to the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) for a fresh investigation.

In January, NNPC Ltd announced that it was unable to complete the OVH acquisition. It said it intends to apply for operating licenses for the facilities under OVH Energy Marketing Limited.

NNPC Speaks

Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of NNPC Ltd, confirmed the court order to PREMIUM TIMES.

He said the mandate of NNPC Retail and the working conditions of its staff remain unchanged.

“The working conditions of NNPC Retail staff remain unchanged following the court order. The mandate of NNPC Retail also remains consistent, ensuring energy security across its retail outlets nationwide and continuing to serve its customers effectively,” Soneye wrote in a text response to our enquiry.

Workers at NNPC Retail told PREMIUM TIMES that they are aware of the court order and the gazette but are yet to be officially informed.

“I am aware of the gazette, it’s criminal,” one staff member told this newspaper. “They have not informed us officially about it. It is part of their plans to take over the company.”

“Nothing has changed in the working conditions of NNPC Retail. You see, it’s a gradual process for them to take over NNPC retail; that’s their plan,” the aggrieved staff member said, asking not to be named for fear of victimisation.

He expressed optimism that the whole acquisition will be challenged in court in the future.

Another staff member questioned how a profit-making NNPC Retail before the acquisition was now subservient to OVH, which NNPC Retail bought.

“It is the most ridiculous business acquisition in the world, whether in the oil and gas or banking sector,” the source said. “We bought them because we were making profits and needed expansion and they were struggling. Now they own us. How do you explain that? One day, Nigerians will know the truth about this NNPC-OVH saga.”

PT

After weeks of silence, the Presidency unveiled the newly purchased Airbus A330, on Monday.

Discussion about a new Presidential jet began after the problems encountered by the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) acquired under former President Olusegun Obasanjo 19 years ago developed fault on separate trips to Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands and South Africa.

President Bola Tinubu had to make use of chartered jet, a development the presidency described as embarrassing.

As government officials argued for a new aircraft, the masses pushed back, saying that was not the priority given the widespread economic hardship and other problems confronting Nigeria. All attempts to convince Nigerians literarily fell on deaf ears and the presidency went into silence on the issue.

However, in June, an online news platform reported that the Nigerian government had acquired the Airbus A330 from a German bank. The bank had reportedly seized the aircraft from an unnamed Arabian prince who defaulted on a substantial debt.

The Presidency did not issue an official statement, leaving the public in the dark about the purchase. It was during the controversial Chinese firm saga that Nigerians got a hint that the new aircraft had actually been purchased. Yet the Presidency maintained silence until Monday when Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser To The President of Information and Strategy, released pictures with a 4-paragraph statement.

Onanuga, who did not disclose the cost of the jet, said, “The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”

The presidential spokesman justified the purchase of the new presidential jet on the grounds of the age of the BBJ purchased under Obasanjo.

However, experts say the age of an aircraft does not matter as long as the maintenance programme is adhered to.

Checks by Daily Trust indicates that the Boeing 747 (the Air Force One) used by the US President, the most powerful President in the world, is 34-year old and it has served no fewer than six Presidents, including the incumbent Joseph Biden.

Other Presidents the jet had served were George H W Bush (1989-1993), Bill Clinton (1993-2001), George W Bush (2001-2008), Barack Obama (2008-2016) and Donald J Trump (2016-2020).

In the case of Nigeria, apart from Obasanjo who used the aircraft for a few years before the expiration of his tenure, the plane had served four Nigerian leaders, including late Umar Yar’Adua (for barely two years); former President Goodluck Jonathan and immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari.

Age of aircraft doesn’t matter – Expert

An aviation expert who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity insisted that the age of an aircraft does not matter as long as the maintenance schedule is strictly adhered to,

He said, “They said this one has been operating for 19 years despite the fact that US Air Force One has been operating more than that but it has been undergoing upgrade, upgrade and renovation. I hope we would have the maintenance culture to maintain the airplane because Airbus A330 is a complex airplane. I hope we would have the manpower to maintain the aircraft and keep the parts going.”

The expert who is a Captain added, “You know my stance, age doesn’t matter if the airplane is maintained according to its maintenance schedule and spare parts are provided as when due. I don’t see any problem with the age at all.”

‘Boeing more reliable than Airbus’

Another expert, who spoke anonymously, added: “Basically Boeing aircraft are more reliable and rugged than the Airbus aircraft. I believe Boeing are better and are in existence than Airbus. Also Boeing aircraft is for all weather unlike Airbus aircraft.”

‘Airplane a Nigerian property’

Weighing in on the conversation, yet another expert said, It is not a bad thing to have a new aircraft since it is not a personal property of the President.

“It is a Nigerian property. It is a good thing to have a bigger airplane but is it the right time to have it, you can ask the politicians, even if things are hard, you ask the politicians.”

Inside the new jet

The multi-engine prestige jet, which has an elaborate VIP configuration, is 15 years old. The aircraft, which now has registration number, 5N-FGA, was manufactured in September 2009 and delivered in Novem­ber 2009 with the registration number, VP-CAC, to Midroc Aviation, based in Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International, Saudi Arabia. ­

It was with the con­figuration, VIP; engines, 2xRR and HEX CODE, 4241AC.

The Saudi Arabian aviation company operated the aircraft for 12 years before it was ac­quired by AMAC Aerospace in April 2021. AMAC Aerospace is a Switzer­land based company, which oper­ated the aircraft for three years before it was acquired by the Ni­gerian government and upgraded to the current status.

The deal was reportedly brokered by L & L International LLC, an American aviation firm based in Miami, Florida, which saw Nigeria purchase the aircraft for over $100 million.

Though the government has kept mute about the cost of the aircraft, information gathered by Daily Independent indicated that the government acquired the airplane at the cost of $100 mil­lion and retrofitted with state-of-the-art gadgets with another $50 million. This put the total cost at $150 million.

Daily Trust/Daily Independent

Vice President Kashim Shettima’s many attempts to paint President Bola Tinubu as a paragon of modesty are not only disingenuous but an insult to the intelligence of the long-suffering people of Nigeria. While modesty in personal life may be a virtue, history has shown us that it does not guarantee good governance or a beneficial impact on the nation.

Take Mao Zedong, who lived simply and wore plain clothes, yet his policies, like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, caused millions of deaths. Pol Pot, who promoted an agrarian lifestyle and eschewed luxury, led the Khmer Rouge regime, which resulted in the Cambodian genocide. Joseph Stalin, with his austere habits, brutalized the Soviet Union with purges and collectivization. Robespierre of France lived modestly but led the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, causing mass executions and political instability, influencing revolutions worldwide. Nicolae Ceaușescu of Romania while living a relatively simple personal life, his oppressive regime and disastrous economic policies led to severe poverty, human rights abuses, and the eventual downfall of Romania.

These leaders’ modest personal lives did nothing to prevent the catastrophic impact of their policies.

Here at home, former President Goodluck Jonathan was known for his humble beginnings and modest lifestyle while in office. Yet, his tenure from 2010 to 2015 left Nigeria worse off than it was under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Musa Yar’Adua. And who can forget Muhammadu Buhari, whose reputation for frugality and modest living was unmatched, but whose administration wreaked havoc on Nigeria’s economy and internal security?

These examples demonstrate that personal austerity is no guarantee of sound leadership. Instead, what we need are leaders with the vision, competence, and integrity to uplift the nation, not those who cloak themselves in the false narrative of modest living while their policies and actions betray that claim.

Is it not the same Bola Tinubu, whom the Vice President lauds, that built a N21 billion mansion for his deputy while Nigerians suffer in extreme hardship? Is this the same Tinubu who, despite public outcry, purchased a $150 million presidential jet for his personal use? The same Tinubu whose son, Seyi, took the presidential jet for a golf outing in Kano? The same Tinubu who travels across the country with convoys of over 100 vehicles? Under his leadership, Nigeria has fielded the largest official delegations to international meetings, further draining public resources.

Mr. Vice President, Nigerians see through the poor salesmanship. We do not need tales of how the president uses only one wristwatch or how his Bourdillon residence is not comparable to Buckingham Palace. What the people of Nigeria need is genuine leadership that addresses their dire needs and builds a future for all, not just the privileged few.

The Vice President’s insistence on peddling this narrative is an attempt to distract from the harsh realities faced by Nigerians every day. But the truth is clear: the so-called modesty of a leader is irrelevant if the policies they implement are harmful, their actions extravagant, and their governance detrimental to the welfare of the nation.

Mr. Vice President, spare us the rhetoric. Nigerians see through it.

Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, has alleged that the presidency and the National Assembly have decided to be bandits against Nigerians. 

Ezekwesili stated this while commenting on the purchase of the new presidential aircraft during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

She said that Nigerians were drifting into poverty every minute.

Ezekwesili  said, “That aircraft is 19-year-old. In everything that we have heard, they are trying to justify the purchase of the new aircraft.

“The fellows dare to play with the intelligence of the public. The executive, the presidency, the National Assembly, I think they have decided that they are the bandits.

“The political class has decided that they are bandits against Nigerians. Because I do not see how it is feasible that the priority of a government that has this level of biting hunger in the land, this level of poverty where people are dropping into poverty per minute would consider the purchase of aircraft for the president.

“The construction of N21 billion home for the vice president; the purchase of all kinds of funny looking cars and the fleet of the National Assembly members and the executive, what exactly is that?”

She added that nobody should pity Tinubu because he agreed with everything former President Muhammadu Buhari was doing.

She added, “I said it publicly that it would not be a piece of cake to run the economy because of the absolute devastation of everything that even resembled economic policy. I don’t think they were doing economic policy under Buhari.

“But this administration agreed with everything Buhari was doing. There in their own case nobody should feel sorry for them.

“They were culpable in it. The problem with Nigerian societies is that they quickly forget things. I always complain about governance because I understand the basic principles.

“You cannot have education, an advanced one and have political literacy that then the country will not matter to you.”

Daily Trust

Urgent action is needed to save millions of children from malnutrition in north-east Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, Nigeria’s Resident Coordinator, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has said.

Fall made this known on Monday when he visited the Stabilisation Centre, a hospital dedicated to treating malnourished children, in Yola, Adamawa State, as part of activities to commemorate World Humanitarian Day (WHD2024).

The theme of the 2024 celebration is #Act for Humanity.

According to the UN-OCHA, 4.8 million people are projected to be food insecure during the lean season, with 230,000 children at risk of life-threatening severe acute malnutrition.

A lean season response plan seeking $306 million to alleviate the crisis is only 30 per cent funded.

“It is only befitting that as we mark the 2024 World Humanitarian Day, we should all stand in solidarity with the little children whose lives are on the line.

“With mothers who are struggling to feed their children, boys and girls who are missing out on a childhood.

“Because they have been forced by circumstances to take on adult roles to help their families make ends meet, these people need our collective humanity,” he said.

He, therefore, called on partners to address the severe food insecurity and malnutrition affecting Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

The coordinator emphasised that stakeholders and agencies of government should mobilise resources to support humanity and help the children in need.

“I visited a stabilisation centre for malnourished children that is run by the government and supported by the International Rescue Committee and UNICEF here in Yola.

“The scenes I saw were heart-wrenching because I saw babies fighting for their lives. It is unconscionable that we should see this level of suffering today.

He expressed worries about the ability of families to bear the cost of treatment hence the need for collective action to support humanity.

“Malnutrition also comes at an enormous cost to children’s physical and intellectual development, meaning that they may never reach their full potential.

“I met mothers who were both hopeful and worried. They are hopeful that
their children will get better soon but they are also worried that their children may get sick once again.

“Because they can’t access enough nutritious food to sustain their health and I share their worries.

“Our ability to support these efforts is rapidly diminishing because the resources that we saw mobilised for the Covid-19 response, and the global solidarity are no longer there.”

He, however, expressed optimism with the federal and state government’s support to address the situation.

”What gives me hope is that the state government working with development partners can bring hope to people in need.

“So, for me, the humanitarian space is one of the main spaces where humanity has its true expression.

“It is a space where you see humanitarian actors risking their lives to save other people’s lives, to reduce vulnerability, to protect and to help people get back on their feet,” he said

A medical practitioner in the centre, Sani Mohammed, who was part of the team that took the UN Coordinator around the facility, said the centre received an average of 96,000 patients annually within and outside the state.

NAN

PRESS RELEASE

As Nigeria marks 110 years since amalgamation and 64 years of independence, we believe it is time for a sober reflection. We must come together to chart a new path for peace and progress.

Nigerians should no longer fear open debates, negotiations, and decisions about the kind of relationship they want with other ethnic groups and how their country should be governed. It is high time we put a stop to living together in mutual suspicion and hatred. We must embrace a new political order to navigate the existential threats facing our nation. This call for deep introspection and institution of regional system became more pertinent in view of what occurred in this country in the early days of this month; August.

On August 1, 2024, concerned citizens, particularly the youths, commenced a nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernance. This protest marked a critical moment in Nigeria’s history, as citizens chose to express their frustration and demand accountability from those in power. The peaceful calls for better governance and economic stability reflected deep-seated concerns about pervasive profligacy, corruption, mismanagement, hunger, widespread poverty and the failure to address the welfare of the citizens.

Unfortunately, what began as a peaceful demonstration took a violent turn in some areas, leading to the tragic loss of lives. Additionally, some participants have been seen waving foreign flags and calling for a coup d’état. This development is deeply worrisome. These actions could have serious and far-reaching consequences for both the movement and the nation as a whole.

The core message of the protest, the legitimate demand for an end to bad governance and urgent action to address hunger, has been overshadowed by calls for unconstitutional means of changing the country’s leadership. The push for a coup d’état undermines what could have been a powerful advocacy for systemic reforms and improved governance. This shift in focus has alienated a broad section of the Nigerian public and may weaken the resolve of policymakers to engage in meaningful dialogue or pursue necessary reforms.

Openly calling for external intervention or a military takeover is a serious threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty. Waving foreign flags deepens divisions within the country, sends a message that undermines our collective struggle for a better Nigeria, and could lead to increased polarization, heightened political instability, and harm Nigeria’s diplomatic relations, making it more difficult to garner international support for positive

reforms.

We are reminded of the historical consequences of such actions. The military coup d’état of January 15, 1966 gave birth to the Unification Decree 34 of 1966 which marked the beginning of a process that centralized power, abolished regional self-government, and destroyed federalism that was instituted by our founding fathers.

The counter-coup of July 1966, which culminated in a devastating civil war and the subsequent military regimes gradually sealed the fate of federalism through various constitutional reviews and decrees. Military interregnum led to prolonged periods of repression, human rights abuses, and economic decline, the effects of which are still felt today.

For many indigenous ethnic groups, the hopes and dreams of development and progress at independence have faded and are now replaced with lingering fears of political and economic marginalization and

existential threats. The level of inter-ethnic distrust in the country is unprecedented. This is not the time to toy with our nascent and fragile democracy or the future of our dear country.

Our Proposal:

We firmly believe that Nigeria and Nigerians stand to benefit from a restructuring that returns the country to the original concepts of our founding fathers, with autonomous regions. The present quasi-unitary system is unsustainable. Nigeria requires a political governance structure with an equitable and inclusive power structure, a hybrid home grown democratic governance structures with elements of parliamentarism.

While we acknowledge that the process of restructuring Nigeria may exacerbate inter-regional and inter-ethnic tensions and conflicts at the initial stage as power dynamics and resource control shift, there is no doubt that it will bring peace and progress ultimately. We are inspired by other heterogeneous countries that have developed suitable structures and systems that have led to peaceful, stable, and prosperous societies.

It is time we returned to the original regional autonomous structure, establish a country where equity and trust reign. We firmly believe that the present administration has the historic duty to restructure this

country.

We should establish the modalities for reestablishing an autonomous regional structure, similar to what obtained in the 1959 Independence Constitution, but increasing the number of regions as dictated by current realities.

The Federal Government should first convene intrastate conferences by organizing ethnic nationality discussions within each state. The results of these intra-ethnic discussions should be subjected to a referendum to determine the preferred system of government favored by the people, which state each ethnic nationality preferred to belong to and which region each state want to join.

Each region should have its own constitution, outlining how it wishes to govern itself and how it intends to relate to other regions. This should be followed by inter-regional conversations to agree on a new Federal

Constitution and to determine inter-regional relationships. The regions should subscribe to an inviolable Article of the Federation that will establish and preserve autonomy and guarantee liberty, equality, equity,

and justice for each region.

Signed:

Yemi Farounbi - Chairman, Board of Trustees

Owolabi Oladejo - Convener

DIY Nweze - General Secretary

Israeli military retrieves bodies of six hostages held in Gaza

Israel retrieved the bodies of six hostages from the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza overnight, according to statements from the military and the prime minister's office on Tuesday.

The families of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell, and Chaim Perry have been informed, the statements added.

The Hostages Families Forum, an organisation that represents most hostage families, welcomed the news but renewed its call on the government to conclude a hostage release deal with the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"The immediate return of the remaining 109 hostages can only be achieved through a negotiated deal. The Israeli government, with the assistance of mediators, must do everything in its power to finalise the deal currently on the table," it said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East this week trying to secure a ceasefire and hostage return agreementbetween Israel and Hamas.

The current war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military has since levelled swathes of the Palestinian enclave, driving nearly all of its 2.3 million people from their homes, giving rise to deadly hunger and disease and killing at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine launches drone attack on Moscow, other regions, Russian officials say

Ukraine launched a widespread drone attack on Russia on Wednesday, with air defence units destroying three drones some 38 kms (24 miles) south of the Kremlin, and 15 over the border Bryansk region, Russian officials said.

The three attack drones heading towards Moscow were downed over the city of Podolsk in the Moscow region, Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app.

"According to preliminary data, there is no damage or casualties at the site where the debris fell," Sobyanin said.

There were also no casualties or damage reported in the aftermath of the drone attack on the border Bryansk region in Russia's southwest, Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the region wrote on Telegram.

Russia's RIA state news agency reported also that two drones were destroyed over the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region to its north.

Separately, Vasily Golubev, governor of the Rostov region in Russia's southwest, said that air defence forces destroyed an Ukraine-launched missile over the region, with no injuries reported.

It was not clear how many drones and missiles in total Ukraine launched.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

In recent months, Kyiv has stepped up its air attacks on Russian territory, saying its aim is to destroy infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts. It also says that its attacks are in response to Russia's continued strikes on Ukrainian territory.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian MOD confirms capture of New York in Donbass

Russian troops have fully captured the town of Novgorodskoye, also known as New York – one of the largest settlements in the Toretsk agglomeration in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic – Moscow reported on Tuesday.

In an update on the Russian Defense Ministry’s official Telegram channel, it is reported that units of Russia’s Center group had eliminated “a large band of enemy troops” and liberated the strategically important logistics hub.

Kiev’s forces, according to Moscow, lost more than 585 servicemen, three tanks, two vehicles, a 155-mm US-made M777 howitzer, two 152-mm D-20 guns, and three 122-mm D-30 howitzers.

Before the ministry’s confirmation on Tuesday, the capture of the town was reported by RIA Novosti on Monday.

The capture of New York, which is part of Russia’s ongoing offensive in Donbass, opens a path towards the city of Toretsk, another major Ukrainian stronghold in the region and the center of the Toretsk agglomeration – a cluster of mostly industrial towns.

New York and Toretsk are both located less than two dozen kilometers from the Donbass city of Gorlovka, where Donetsk People’s Republic militias initially took up positions back in 2014.

Ukraine later turned the towns into part of a key defensive line, while Gorlovka was subjected to regular shelling in the years prior to the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in 2022. By mid-2017, the city had reported 235 civilian deaths linked to Ukrainian attacks.

Reuters/RT

The proof that madness is running wild in the National Assembly is that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen could dare to propose the contentious Counter Subversion Bill 2024. The proposed law sought, among other things, to impose a 10-year prison sentence or a fine of N5 million — or both— on Nigerians who refuse to recite the National Anthem. The bill was introduced following the May decision by President Bola Tinubu to revert to Nigeria’s old National Anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” which was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda. This decision itself had already stirred controversy, with many Nigerians questioning the rationale behind the change and expressing concerns about the anthem’s colonial origins and language, which spoke about tribes. Meanwhile, the old anthem was rediscovered and imposed on Nigerians without consultation or debate. What government is now telling Nigerians is that when it imposes something, Nigerians must obey it or be dealt with.

The bill, sponsored by Tajudeen himself, with the title, “Counter Subversion Bill and Other Related Ones,” introduced on 23 July, proposed severe penalties for anyone who refuses to recite the National Anthem, destroys national symbols, or undermines the Federal Government. In addition, it included punishments for defacing places of worship, setting up illegal roadblocks, and receiving foreign financial or political support that could compromise Nigeria’s security and development.

The essence of the bill was in its provisions for fines and prison sentences for those who disobey or disrespect authority, organise unauthorised processions, or supported paramilitary or militia groups. It sought to criminalise activities that undermine national security and peaceful coexistence, with penalties ranging from fines of N3 million to N15 million, and prison terms of up to 20 years. The idea was to criminalise all protests and opposition to government. The bill was clearly designed to end democracy in Nigeria, following the success of the ten-day #EndBadGovernance demonstrations. How did the House of Representatives even think it could pass such a draconian bill in Nigeria? The Speaker had to withdraw it in a hurry to stop the next set of national protests starting earlier than planned.

Activists, such as Omoyele Sowore and Aisha Yesufu, had strongly condemned the bill, with the former threatening a shutdown of the National Assembly if the bill was not withdrawn, while Yesufu declared she would rather face a 20-year prison sentence than sing the newly re-adopted National Anthem. The idea of equating disagreement with government with state subversion is the essence of fascism, and it is concerning that the leadership of our National Assembly can even think of such an initiative.

This is a National Assembly that has, for decades, refused to tell Nigerians the true amount its members receive each month as salaries and allowances. There was a breach in its armour of secrecy this week when Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP, Kano), on Wednesday, confirmed that he receives about N21+1 million monthly as his perquisite for representing the people of Kano South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly. He however said that he does not know how much goes to the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President, as well as each of the eight other principal officers of the upper chamber of the Nigerian parliament. The revelation by Kawu puts the total monthly package of all the 99 non-principal officers of the Senate at N2.079 billion.

The 10 principal officers of the 10th Senate are: President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy President, Jibrin Barau; Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Deputy Majority Leader, Lola Ashiru; Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno; Deputy Chief Whip, Nwebonyi Peter Onyeka; Minority Leader, Abba Moro; Deputy Minority Leader, Akogun Lere Oyewumi; Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu; and Deputy Minority Whip, Rufai Hanga.

In normal parliamentary systems, the earnings of members are public knowledge as they are available on the website of these branches of government. If our National Assembly has made its earnings a secret, it is because it knows some of the payments its members award themselves are illegal, and they need to hide their criminality while they insist we call them honourable and distinguished Nigerians. We need to withdraw these labels from them. As former President Olusegun Obasanjo said recently, the federal lawmakers are acting immorally for fixing their remunerations themselves. At a time when the majority of Nigerians are suffering from multi-dimensional poverty and severe hunger, it is shocking that legislators believe they can continue to consume a considerable slice of the national budget.

The management of the National Assembly not only lacks transparency but is activities are also conducted in a very authoritarian manner. When Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central, alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion, the upper legislative chamber suspended him, rather than investigate the very disturbing allegation. It would be recalled that the upper legislative chamber, during the debate leading up to Ningi’s suspension, descended into chaos when the senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Jarigbe, claimed that some senior senators received N500 million in the budget for constituency projects. We have been hearing that the leadership padding range is in the billions.

Increasingly, it has become clear that the leadership of the National Assembly is determined to shut up members and deny them the freedom of speech. When the concerned Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, expressed his views on the current hardship being faced by Nigerians and the President being caged by a cabal that is stopping even ministers from accessing him, Ndume was removed from his position as a principal officer. All senators were warned to stop making critical comments about government or they would be dealt with. It is this rising authoritarian culture within the National Assembly that emboldened the Speaker to seek to pass a law that would shut up Nigerians. Na lie. We no go gree.

** A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.

Scientists have figured out a better option to deal with increasing plastic waste across the world. A team of researchers developed a breakthrough method that easily converts microplastics into a material that’s harder than diamond and has an increasing demand in multiple industries.

Researchers converted microplastics into graphene that could be used for several applications, including the manufacturing of various sensors and water purification, as well as the absorption of PFAS.

“Approximately 30 mg of microplastics produced nearly 5 mg of graphene in 1 minute. This production rate is remarkably higher than achieved previously, and offers a simpler, more environmentally friendly alternative to current techniques,” said James Cook University’s Adeel Zafar.

Microplastics are notorious for their non-degradable and insoluble nature in water

JCU Mohan Jacob maintained that some plastic waste degrades into smaller fragments, often reaching micron sizes, which are notorious for their non-degradable and insoluble nature in water and are an evolving threat to fish and, animals and humans.
Researchers have underlined that microplastics’ characteristics enable them to absorb organic pollutants, and once they are in water, they are ultimately integrated into both marine and human food chains.

Recycling of microplastics faces significant challenges

“Disturbingly, microplastics disrupt marine life and coral reproduction,” said Zafar.
He stressed that the recycling of microplastics faces significant challenges due to labor-intensive separation processes and high costs, resulting in very low resource recovery globally.
“Upcycling, which involves transforming plastic waste into higher-value materials rather than simply breaking it down, has a high demand,” said Zafar.

Microplastics turned into graphene

The team ground-up plastic bottles into microplastics and then used the new Atmospheric Pressure Microwave Plasma synthesis technique to convert the debris to graphene –  a one atom thick carbon material that is harder than diamond, 200 times stronger than steel and five times lighter than aluminium – the use of which is burgeoning in several industries, according to James Cook University.

“The research not only pioneers a novel approach to graphene synthesis but also contributes to the broader goal of mitigating the adverse effects of microplastic pollution on our ecosystems,” said professor Jacob.

This study demonstrates that polyethylene microplastics from waste dropper bottles can be efficiently transformed into graphene using APMP synthesis.

Raman spectroscopy of synthesized material reveals a spectrum characteristic of graphene‐based materials, with indications of defects and the presence of oxygen content.

Interesting Engineering