Oil Swap: Cracks In FG’s Direct Sale Of Refineries’ Crude

Cracks have emerged in the direct-sale purchase contracts for refineries crude between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the refiner-contractors, threatening the $1billion revenue targeted by government.

Investigation by New Telegraph showed that the arrangement, which government entered into in February, began to have issues in July with considerable improvement in refineries’ efficiency.

Teenagers Arrested In Lagos For Kidnapping Expatriates, Oil Theft (photo)

Olaleye Aluko and Adewale Ogungbemi

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four teenagers for alleged involvement in oil theft and the abduction of two expatriates in the Epe and Igando area of the state.

Our correspondents learnt that the four suspects – Michael Loko, 19; Oluwatomi Obosi, 19; Francis Cyprian, 19; and Olatoye Semiu, 18 – were nabbed by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, on Tuesday.

Ambode seeks redeployment of some Task Force officers

Some Lagos State Task Force officials harassed, assaulted & detained some men and women in the early hours of September 3rd, in Lekki, Victoria Island and other places on the Island in Lagos State. These young Nigerians suffered from what can be described as a shocking abuse of power.

Cally Air: Cross River Floats Airline

As part of its tourism investment drive, the Cross River State government has concluded plans to float an airline.

Governor Ben Ayade revealed this in Calabar when he hosted a consortium of Indian investors.

According to him, the airline to be called Cally Air would be managed by Dana Group under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Cancel Primary Election In Ondo - APC Leaders

Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State have called for the cancellation of the party’s primary held last Saturday in Akure.

The leaders made the demand in a petition to the chairman of the Election Appeal Committee.

A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), emerged the winner of the election to pick the party’s ticket for the November 26 governorship poll.

Made in China G20 and its geoeconomic significance

by Pepe Escobar for RT

What has just taken place in Hangzhou, China, is of immense geoeconomic importance. Beijing from the start treated the G20 very seriously; this was designed as China’s party, not the declining West’s. And much less Washington’s.

Iran’s Leader issues message on 2016 Hajj pilgrimage

(Saker note: note the *very* harsh words of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei against the Saudi Wahabis)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most MercifulAnd all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and Allah’s greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad (PBUH), and upon his Immaculate Household and chosen companions and upon those who follow them rightfully until the Day of Judgment.

Herdsmen Turn National Stadium , Abuja To Grazing Reserve

Itinerant herdsmen have invaded the $300 million National Stadium Complex in Abuja, turning it into a grazing reserve for their cattle. This is in spite of an existing order prohibiting open grazing in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), an order the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) is empowered to enforce.

The herdsmen, who usually invade the stadium in groups to feed their cattle, sometimes overwhelm the stadium security officials who try to stop them from their activities, especially at the Package B section of the stadium.

Surviving Airlines Are Only Doing National Service Due To Govt Policies – Arik

Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, chairman of Arik Air, one of Nigeria’s surviving airline, says the policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) do not favour local airlines.

Arumemi-Ikhide, who prides himself as the founder of West Africa’s largest airline, also said Nigerian airlines “are just offering national service”, stating that the fares are the lowest in the world.

Ubi Franklin partners with GSR to sign a PPA with the Cross River State government .

 A Power Purchase Agreement has been reached between the Cross River State government and GSR-Gesellschaft für strategische Risikofinanzierung mbH in partnership with SIJ Global and MMMG boss, Ubi Franklin.

The agreement is for the finance, construction, operation and transfer of 10 photovoltaic plants in the state under a Public Private Partnership, in line with the governor's promise to make the state become the first to have a 24-hour uninterrupted power supply across all local government areas.

Nigerians Rate Buhari Poor In Economic Management – Vanguard Poll

By Emeka Anaeto, Economy Editor

Vanguard Media online opinion poll has revealed large scale disapproval of the economic management policies by president Mohammadu Buhari, even as economists and institutional analysts clamor for policy changes.

The poll asked respondents how would they score Buhari’s government on economic management so far, on three rating scales: Fantastic; Bad; Average.

Bridging the Differences: What's Behind the Russia-US Talks on Syria

Amid the reports that Russia and the US have failed to bridge the differences on the Syrian issue at the bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, Reuters has revealed the details of a possible deal on the resolution of the ongoing conflict.

President Putin has met with his US counterpart on the sidelines of the September 4-5 G20 Summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Monday. Talks between US President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin lasted longer than planned, as the two leaders discussed Syria and Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

US Congressman writes Kerry, accuses Buhari of autocratic tendencies –

The letter written by Tom Marino, a Republican, to Secretary of State, John Kerry, reads in part: “Dear Secretary Kerry, I am encouraged by the personal interest you have taken in aiding Nigeria. However, I believe there are a number of warning signs that signal “Pres. Buhari might be sliding towards former autocratic tendencies.”

Melaye urges Buhari to stop barking and start biting by sacking Adeosun, Emefiele, Udoma

In a statement today, Sen. Melaye said the President must shake up his cabinet, and accused some members of cabinet as lacking the capacity to deliver on the mandates of their ministries and agencies.

He said the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma; and the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, should be axed for the economy to be effectively rebooted to deliver on the change agenda of the present administration.

I got my victim through 'come and marry' method —Suspected fraudster

Muritala Oladipupo, 37, was arrested in a mosque in Ibadan on August 28 after his victim, Mutiat Azeez, told the police that he defrauded her of N700,000 when she was deceived into believing that he was an Islamic preacher who could help her with prayers to solve spiritual problems, Tribune reports.

Girl Who Masturbated With A Fanta Bottle Commits Suicide In South Africa

According to the deceased’s boyfriend,a 21-year-old girl from Mpumalanga was left with no option but to take her own life after a video of her mastur_bating found its way to the social media without her knowledge.

The boyfriend added that the girl (name withheld) was shocked to learn of the video’s virality on Facebook after one of her friends alerted her to search a certain Facebook group where the video was being circulated.

APC Lists Buhari’s Achievements Despite Report Of Economic Recession

Following the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, which painted the country’s economy since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in bad light, the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday listed the achievements so far recorded under the leadership of the President Buhari.
Recall that NBS had had on Wednesday released its quarterly report which confirmed that Nigeria is in recession.

Teenagers Attempting To Sell Unborn Babies In Aba Arrested (pic)

The Abia State Police Command has arrested two teenage girls for allegedly attempting to sell their unborn babies. According to the police, they were arrested along with one Oluchi, the wife of the owner of the home, where they planned to have the babies and later sell them.

How Nigerian govt caused economic recession — Emir Sanusi

The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria also warned the government against continuing to blame previous administrations for the nation’s woes, saying what was important was for the administration to concentrate on putting the nation back on the path of progress.

Men don’t arch their backs, or why Russians reject “Western values” by Scott Humor Updated

European Military Expenditure per capita 2016 map

Virtual beads and all that…

Cat Motya on the meaning of the “European values”

“I have been thinking about how mice have brainwashed the European tribes. The technology of brainwashing is very simple and has not changed with the colonization of the Americas, but with one difference. Native Americans were selling their lands for glass beads.  Since then, the “global elites” of the old men sitting on bags with money, use a simple psychological trick to force the Europeans to trade their women, horses and land for virtual beads that cannot even be touched left alone worn.

The ultimate 21st century choice; OBOR or war

by Pepe Escobar for Sputnik News

The G20 meets in tech hub Hangzhou, China, at an extremely tense geopolitical juncture.

China has invested immense political/economic capital to prepare this summit. The debates will revolve around the main theme of seeking solutions “towards an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive world economy.”

Syrian Roulette

This comment was chosen by Mod TR from the post  “Erdogan Calls Putin as Russia Seethes at Turkey’s Syrian Incursion”. The moderator believes this comment gives another perspective on the complex war in Syria. There are so many different players each with their own interests and agendas – nothing is clear cut in the constantly changing playbook that is the Syrian war.
Comment by Larchmonter445

Erdogan Calls Putin as Russia Seethes at Turkey’s Syrian Incursion

Note by the Saker: I have to admit that I still am rather puzzled by the Turkish “invasion” of Syria.  There are several hypotheses about what the Turks are really up to and what their real goal is.  Since my friends Alexander Mercouris and Mark Sleboda seem to have a much better understanding of what is happening than I, I submit to your attention their analysis rather than to exposes you to my confused guesses.

The Saker

——-

Erdogan Calls Putin as Russia Seethes at Turkey’s Syrian Incursion

by Alexander Mercouris for The Duran

Russia furious at Turkish move to set up rebel “safe zone” inside Syria to assist Jihadi rebels there, putting the recently announced “normalisation of relations” between Russia and Turkey in jeopardy.

In the immediate aftermath of the Turkish capture of Jarablus in Syria Turkish President Erdogan telephoned his “friend Putin” on Friday 27th August 2016.

The whole game is about containing Russia-China

by Pepe Escobar for Sputnik International

The next BRICS summit, in Goa, is less than two months away. Compared to only two years ago, the geopolitical tectonic plates have moved with astonishing speed. Most BRICS nations are mired in deep crisis; Brazil’s endless political/economic/institutional debacle may yield the Kafkaesque impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

5 Lessons Every Nigerian Should Learn From #savemayowa

Sad. We could not save Mayowa Ahmed. A beautiful young lady with a budding career in catering and management, but lost the battle to ovarian cancer. Her story and so many circumstances that led to her death will for a while linger in the hearts of Nigerians who within 3 days after taking up the campaign raised about eighty million naira in her local account, and USD100, 000 in her Go-fund me account. Here are 5 lessons we should all learn from the whole issue.