Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki, have paid tribute to late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who died 9 years ago.

Jonathan who served with Yar’Adua as Vice President and later became president after his death, described the late Yar’Adua as a selfless leader.

He stressed that the former president always placed national interest up and above self or ethnic interest.

“On this day nine years ago I lost a friend, colleague, brother, and boss, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He was a selfless leader who placed national interest above personal and ethnic gains.

“President Yar’Adua was a man of integrity with a humble spirit who always took upon himself the burden of national reconciliation, peace-building, and democratic consolidation.

“He used the opportunity he had in public service to build bridges of love, foster unity and give hope to Nigerians.

“Today, I remember and celebrate him for the works that he had done. Peace he lived for and homes of peace he built. Democracy he loved and democracy he nurtured. We will always remember you for your service. A servant leader truly you remain,” he wrote on twitter.

Also on twitter, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also hailed the former President as a patriot and a compassionate leader.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday in Abuja dismissed the speculations that he was in the United Kingdom to compile the names of those who may be appointed as ministers during his second tenure of office.

The president stated this when he reacted to a question from a correspondent of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), shortly after returning to Abuja after 10-day private visit to London.

The president stated that he did not discuss the issue of the appointment of new cabinet ministers with anybody.

The president said: “I didn’t discuss with anybody. So, I don’t know how they knew about it. I didn’t discuss it with anybody.’’

On possibility of introducing fresh approach in the fight against insurgency and banditry, the president acknowledged that the acting Inspector-General of Police was doing his best to curtail the menace.

“I have just seen the IG, I think he is losing weight; I think he is working very hard,’’ he said.

The president also declined comment on the kind of people that would constitute his next cabinet.

President Buhari had on Sunday evening returned to Abuja after a 10-day private visit to the UK.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NAN) says it transferred N153.01 billion into the federation account in January.

The corporation disclosed this in its Financial and Operations Report for the month of January released in Abuja on Sunday.

“Within the period under focus, NNPC transferred N153.01 billion into the Federation Account.

“Cumulatively, from January 2018 to January 2019, Federation and JV received N905.45 billion and N658.66 billion respectively, under the column of Naira Payments to the Federation Accounts,’’ NNPC said in the report.

The corporation also said that it made a trade surplus of N15.04billion for January 2019, an increase of 24 per cent over the N12.13 billion surplus posted by the corporation in December 2019.

It attributed the positive financial position to the improved performance of NNPC’s upstream subsidiary, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) which recorded surplus numbers in spite reduced operational activities in the month.

The report submitted that NPDC’s sustained revenue drive, evident from recent average weekly production of 332,000 barrels of Crude oil per day.

The report noted that this has made achieving 500,000bpd production by 2020 plausible.

According to the report, the NPDC’s position contrasts with the high expenditure levels posted by two other entities of NNPC, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and Duke Oil, although both ended the month with profit.

In terms of sales and remittance of crude oil and gas proceeds, the corporation recorded a total export receipts of 381.70 million dollars in the month under review as against 345.68 million dollars posted in December 2018.

A breakdown of the numbers indicated that contributions from crude oil amounted to 269.43 million dollars, while gas and miscellaneous receipts stood at 111.75 and 0.52 million dollars.

On petrol supply, 1,998.61 million litres of petrol was supplied into the country through the Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase (DSDP) crude-for-product arrangement in the month under review..

The number was slightly higher than the 1,789.20million litres of petrol supplied in the month of December 2018.

On pipeline vandalism, the corporation recorded 230 hacked pipeline points, leaving only two ruptured.

This marks 11 per cent improvement from the 264 vandalised points posted in December 2018.

A breakdown indicated that Mosimi-Ibadan, Ibadan-Ilorin and Aba-Enugu pipelines accounted for 67, 62 and 30 points which translated to 29 per cent, 27 per cent and 13 per cent of the vandalised points.

“The Warri-River Niger axis accounted for 10 per cent and other locations accounted for the remaining 21 per cent of the pipeline breaks,’’ the report stated.

On the gas sector, natural gas production increased by 2.22 per cent at 245.83billion cubic feet compared to output in December 2018, translating to an average production of 8,194.34 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd).

According to the report, out of the volume supplied in January 2019, a total of 151.50bcf of gas was commercialised, consisting of 38.03BCF and 113.47 BCF for the domestic and export market.

The figure translates to a total supply of 1,226.83 mmscfd of gas to the domestic market and 3,780.24 mmscfd of gas supplied to the export market for the month.

This implies that 61.73 per cent of the average daily gas produced was commercialised, while the balance of 38.27 per cent was re-injected, used as upstream fuel gas or flared.

The report disclosed that gas flare rate was 7.52 per cent for the month under review; translating to 610.07mmscfd compared with average gas flare rate of 9.76 per cent, that is 770.31 mmscfd for the period January 2018 to January 2019.