ABUJA the quest for a minister

Abuja the capital of Nigeria is nothing but a beautiful city owing to huge infrastructural investment made by previous government in the city. It is now right for a government to think with focus on appointing a visionary minister who will actualise the vision of the Abuja master plan, I strongly suggest that a former governor who is sound, focused and innovative in the area of infrastructural development should be appointed Minister

Gambia Expensive Election

Gambia: presidential candidates face US$25,000 electoral registration fee Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh wants to increase the fee for would-be electoral opponents by a factor of about 10,000 times Agence France-Presse Friday 26 June 201502.56 BSTLast modified on Friday 26 June 201503.48 BST Pro-democracy activists have accused Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh of trying to price potential opponents out of the market through astronomical rises in registration fees for presidential elections. The government has announced plans to charge candidates one million dalasi (US$25,000) to run in any future campaigns – 10,000 times the current cost. The sum would differ from a conventional election deposit in that it would be non-refundable, even upon victory, under a bill being put before parliament. The government is proposing the same charge for political parties, as well as smaller, but still significant, increases for candidates for parliamentary and mayoral elections. “The proposed amendments are retrogressive and are designed to scuttle the growth of multiparty democracy in the Gambia,” said Ousainou Darboe, secretary general of the main opposition United Democratic Party. About two-thirds of the population of the west African nation live on less than US$1.25 a day and would have to spend nothing for more than half a century to be able to afford to run for president. The Gambia, mainland Africa’s smallest country with a population of about 1.7 million, has been ruled with an iron fist by Jammeh since he came to power in a bloodless coup in 1994. One of the poorest countries in the world, it survives mostly on agriculture and tourism, luring sun-worshipping Europeans to its sweeping, palm-fringed coastline. Jammeh has woven an aura of mysticism around himself, dressing in billowing white robes, never letting go of his Qur’an and brooking no dissent. The former wrestler, who claims he can cure AIDS, is often pilloried for rights abuses and the muzzling of journalists. He has threatened to cut off the heads of homosexuals and heaps derision on any criticism from the west. He won a landslide re-election to serve a fourth term in 2011 presidential polls slammed by the opposition as bogus and fraudulent. The next vote is expected in 2016. Due to high levels of illiteracy, voting is through a unique system using glass marbles instead of ballot papers. The marbles are dropped into drums, which are coloured to represent each candidate. As the marbles fall they hit a bell that sounds loudly, preventing multiple voting.

Gambia and Death penalty

"It's very perplexing," said Amadou Scattred Janneh, an exiled former information minister who is now with the opposition Coalition for Change. "We don't know why [President Yahya Jammeh] is broadening the death penalty except to find the means to punish his political rivals and to sow greater fear in the population." Janneh, who was in 2012 sentenced to life in prison for treason after distributing t-shirts with the slogan "End Dictatorship Now", fears that he would have been executed had the new law been in place. "[The judge] cited the fact that his hands were tied, that he could not give me a death sentence because there was no violence in my activity," Janneh remembered. "So this type of change would give President Jammeh and his judges leeway to pass death sentences on people who are involved in purely political matters." Some observers believe President Jammeh is cracking down on civil liberties and on the opposition to assert his authority in light of a failed coup that exposed weaknesses in the presidential retinue last year. In Banjul, the Gambian capital, opposition leader Halifa Salla believes a victory for the "yes" side - 75 per cent on a turnout of at least 50 per cent is required to carry the motion - would give the regime immense latitude. "It means the government would be able to [impose] the death penalty for any crime it deems fit, by just passing a bill at the national assembly," Salla told AFP. Sallah said his People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism would "leave no stone unturned" in organising people to vote "no" in the referendum, for which a date has yet to be set. Although the government has cast the extension of the death penalty as a law-and-order issue, capital punishment is unpopular in The Gambia, according to the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP). The UDP is not only convinced that the "no" side will win but that voters may use the referendum as an opportunity to register their discontent with the government. "The death penalty as an instrument of justice is not something that enjoys popular support," said an exiled UDP spokesperson Karamba Touray. "It's a deeply unpopular regime because of its record of abuse and violence and terror." There are doubts that the referendum will allow citizens - all Gambians aged over 18 are entitled to take part - to express themselves freely. "For the last 20 years no vote conducted in that country has been nor free nor fair," remarked Touray. There are also fears that the constitutional change could also affect business. Opposition activist Janneh noted: "With this change the Jammeh regime would have the final say in terms of who's eligible to be executed - even people convicted of economic crimes." In 2012 the execution of nine convicts by firing squad triggered international outrage, especially in neighbouring Senegal, which had two citizens among those put to death. Lawyers lamented that the men were shot before they were able to appeal against their sentences. Rights groups estimate that about 30 people are on death row in Gambia but no executions have been announced since 2012. Jammeh, an outspoken military officer and former wrestler, has ruled Gambia with an iron fist since seizing power in a coup in 1994. According to the Gambian State House website, he must now be formally addressed as "His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh Babili Mansa".

Breaking News: Buhari dissolves NNPC board

President Buhari has dissolved the board of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The directive to dissolve the board was conveyed in a letter signed by the Head of Civil Service, Danladi Kifasi dated today June 26th. Though this is not supposed to come as a surprise to many who have carefully followed the Buhari administration and management team of the NNPC is also presently under scrutiny. Remember change is a gradual process it don't happen over night even if it dose not in a country like Nigeria

CNG: Nigerians must wake up

The quest for change has just begun though a gradual process, but we must not sit and wait for government to do every thing. The potentials in the Nigerian economy are very much and we must harness them to our benefit, as you all know Nigeria is the largest black nation in the world with a population of more than 150 million people which makes Nigeria a global market place. Many people say that the oil will soon finish but I tell you with all sincerity we are blessed with not only oil but oil and gas. About 80% gas in Nigeria is been flared thereby causing environmental issues, the consumption of gas in Nigeria is still low but can be activated by government through adequate policies The gas market is sleeping in Nigeria because of lack of awareness of its advantages over other types of fuel, but those who are aware have keyed into it and regard it as the best because its cheaper and cleaner, The investment opportunity in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)is very wide which includes 1. Gas Conversion only with the use of Oxygen 2. Engine Conversion which can be done on any type of engine ranging from small cars to trucks and small generators to large industrial generators and will be the largest employer of labour both skilled and unskilled 3. Gas Distribution and Marketing, this can be done through the use of gas distribution tankers or special gas pipelines Nigerians should consider investing in CNG so as to create more jobs and grow our economy

The Queen to visit the site of the greatest Jewish masacre in Germany

The Queen will visit the site of the World War Two concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen, in Germany, later. The camp, where teenage diarist Anne Frank was among thousands to die, was liberated by British soldiers in 1945. The UK monarch, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will lay a wreath there on the final day of her four-day state visit to Germany. The Queen will also view Berlin's Brandenburg Gate before travelling to the site of the camp near Hanover. Tens of thousands of prisoners from all over Europe were killed at Bergen-Belsen or died later as a result of their treatment in the camp. The Queen and Prince Philip will visit a memorial to Anne Frank and her sister Margot, and meet a small group of survivors and liberators, as well as representatives of Jewish and Christian communities. Millions of copies of Anne Frank's Diary, written during the two years the teenager and her family hid from the Nazis in occupied Amsterdam, have been sold across the world. On Thursday, the Queen and Prince Philip enjoyed a traditional British garden party at the official residence of Britain's ambassador to Germany, Sir Simon McDonald, in Berlin. The royal couple have already attended a state banquet with UK and German leaders, held a private meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and visited Berlin and Frankfurt. After their visit to the former concentration camp, they will return to the UK.

How many countries are in Africa

Africa is the second biggest and most populous continent of the world. It is also one of the very popular and rich continents of the world. With about 30.2 million sq km, Africa covers about 20.4% of the earths land area and 6% of the earth’s total surface. There are many countries that are claiming to be independent and full fledged African states but the fact is that not all met the criteria that qualifies them to be recognized as an African country. Africa is made up of 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), ten (10) territories and two (2) de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. The 54 are referred to as “recognized states” because they are member states of the African Union (AU). The next 2 are called “de facto states” because by structure and government, they can be called a country but they are not recognized as they do not belong to the AU. The remaining 10 are just territories or regions that are either owned or governed by other non-African countries. Names of the 54 Independent African Countries in Alphabetical Order:
1. Algeria
2. Angola
3. Benin
4. Botswana
5. Burkina Faso
6. Burundi
7. Cameroon
8. Cape Verde
9. Central African Republic
10. Chad
11. Comoros
12. Democratic Republic of the Congo
13. Republic of the Congo
14. Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
15. Djibouti
16. Egypt
17. Equatorial Guinea
18. Eritrea
19. Ethiopia
20. Gabon
21. Gambia
22. Ghana
23. Guinea
24. Guinea-Bissau
25. Kenya
26. Lesotho
27. Liberia
28. Libya
29. Madagascar
30. Malawi
31. Mali
32. Mauritania
33. Mauritius
34. Morocco
35. Mozambique
36. Namibia
37. Niger
38. Nigeria
39. Rwanda
40. São Tomé and Principe
41. Senegal
42. Seychelles
43. Sierra Leone
44. Somalia
45. South Africa
46. Sudan (North)
47. South Sudan (Rep.)
48. Swaziland
49. Tanzania
50. Togo
51. Tunisia
52. Uganda
53. Zambia
54. Zimbabwe
The Sahwari Arab Democratic Republic and the Republic of Somaliland claim to be and are recognized in a few neighboring countries as sovereign states but they are actually de facto states. Territories politically administered as external dependencies or as incorporated parts of a primarily non-African state:
1. French Southern Antartica Land.
2. Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan de Cuhna, (governed by the UK).
3. Canary Islands.
4. Melila.
5. Autonomous city of Ceuta, (nos 3-5 owned by Spain).
6. Autonomous Region of Madeira, (owned by the Portuguese).
7. The Islands of Mayotte. 8. Réunion, (7&8 owned by the French).
9. Plaza de Soberanía.
10. Lampedusa and Lampione.
if you go by the criterion of being member states of the AU, Africa has 54 countries. If the De Facto states are included, our figure becomes 56, then if we are to include all the territories, we’ll say that the African continent is made up of 66 countries.

I have supported Arsenal for 30 years -Dangote

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote has insisted his interest in buying Arsenal is not ‘overnight stuff’ and revealed he has been a fan of the club for more than 30 years thanks to former vice-chairman David Dein. Dangote, who is the 67th wealthiest person in the world with a fortune of £12billion, has explained his interest in The Gunners by explaining he was first taken to the club’s former Highbury ground by Dein, a close friend and associate. Dein, a former sugar trader, helped Dangote start his business in 1980. Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc now accounts for 90 per cent of the product sold in Nigeria.

 

‘I have been a supporter of the team since the Eighties,’ confirmed Dangote after publicly declaring his wish to be the club’s next owner.
‘My love for Arsenal dates back to when I went to watch them play with the-then largest shareholder David Dein. I developed a likeness for the team and I have been a supporter of the team since then. So it is not overnight stuff.’
Using Dein’s name leaves the fascinating prospect of whether the former vice-chairman will return to Arsenal if Dangote becomes the club’s new owner.
Dein was regarded as Mr Arsenal and key to the appointment of Arsene Wenger as manager until he left in 2007 when the board chose to sell to American Stan Kroenke rather than his ally Alisher Usmanov. Kroenke, 67, is now the majority stakeholder at the club with a 67 per cent share.
Dangote believes his background won’t be an obstacle to buying Arsenal.
‘What I always say is that money doesn’t have colour. It doesn’t matter whether you are from Africa or anywhere in the world. The colour of money is the same. Once I put money on the table, they will not think if I am an African.
‘It might be a policy that they don’t want an African to own it, that is another matter altogether, which I don’t really believe.’
Dangote tried to buy a 15 per cent stake in Arsenal in 2010 but claims the price was too high. ‘The people who were interested in were actually trying to go for the kill,’ he said.
‘Obviously I am not going to lose money. Arsenal are doing well but they need another strategic direction. They need more direction than the current ownership who just develop players and sell them.’
Dangote caused international headlines last week when he said in an interview with BBC Hausa that he would be in a position to buy Arsenal because of revenues from a private oil refinery he was building in Nigeria.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com

IMF grants $918M loan to resolve Ghana economic crisis

 

The IMF Executive Board has approved a USD$918 million loan to resolve the Ghana economic crisis with a reform programme aimed at faster growth and job creation while protecting social spending.

The financing package extends over three years under the IMF’s Extended Credit Facility.
The reform programme seeks to boost growth and help cut poverty by restoring macroeconomic stability through tighter fiscal discipline, strengthened public finances, and slowing inflation. The reform measures are expected to dampen non-oil growth initially in 2015 ahead of a projected growth rebound in subsequent years.
The government’s programme projects an economic growth pick-up to start in 2016, driven by expected large increases in Ghana’s hydrocarbon production. The West African country started oil production from offshore wells in 2010.
Lower inflation and interest rates, combined with a more stable exchange rate, would help support private sector activity. Increased oil exports and lower oil imports on the back of domestic gas production would help improve the current account and support reserves over the medium term.
Ghana is one of Africa’s frontier emerging markets, having entered the global capital market for the first time in September 2007. Its past wealth lay in gold and cocoa―commodities that have remained in high demand, and which have helped the country weather the recent global recession.
Imbalances, power shortages
Ghana’s economic growth rate topped 9 % in 2011, but three difficult years followed that were characterised by slowing activity, accelerating inflation, and rising debt levels and financial vulnerabilities. The country’s economic prospects were put at risk by the emergence of large fiscal and external imbalances, as well as by electricity shortages
Growth decelerated markedly in 2014, to an estimated 4.2 %, driven by a sharp contraction in the industrial and service sectors. This was due to the negative impact of the currency depreciation on input costs, declining domestic demand, and increasing power outages.
Inflationary pressures rose on the back of a large depreciation of the cedi and the financing of the fiscal deficit by the Bank of Ghana. Despite several hikes in policy interest rates in 2014, which brought them to 21 %, headline inflation reached 17 % at end-2014.
The main pillars of the reform programme are:

• A sizeable and frontloaded fiscal adjustment to restore debt sustainability, focusing on containing expenditures through wage restraint and limited net hiring, as well as on measures to mobilize additional revenues;
• Structural reforms to strengthen public finances and fiscal discipline by improving budget transparency, cleaning up and controlling the payroll, right-sizing the civil service, and improving revenue collection;
• Restoring the effectiveness of the inflation targeting framework to help bring inflation back into single digit territory; and
• Preserving financial sector stability

Sierra Leone After Ebola

       

                 

In Sierra Leone an amusing assortment of greetings has evolved to replace ‘pressing of the flesh’ that could give rise to Ebola contagion. From elbow jabs to clasped-hand bows, a gallows humour has derived.
The reality of Ebola is hidden from visitors: the main reminder the hand-held, infra-red thermometers that assail passers-by at checkpoints that have been set up at regular intervals along most highways. Statements such as “Ebola Stops With Me” are also emblazoned along roadsides, and posters showing symptoms are widely dispersed.
After an estimated 10,000 cases, the steady flow has reduced to a trickle and the country is ready to move on. But stoical Sierra Leoneans are accustomed to other epidemics such as AIDS and ubiquitous malaria, and endured a frightening decade-long civil war (1991-2002) that witnessed limb-severing among other horrific punishments.
Inhabiting temperate north-west Europe it is hard to grasp the challenge of this region’s climate. Throughout the year daytimes are stiflingly hot, rarely dipping below 30 degrees while during the wet season the force and duration of rain is such that at times one marvels at how much moisture the clouds contain.
The territory of Sierra Leone, like the rest of Africa, was framed by European colonisers without regard to its tribal constituents. But well before the ‘Scramble for Africa’ those societies had been destabilised by the arrival of European weapons and extensive raiding for the horrific trans-Atlantic slave trade. Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, like Monrovia in neighbouring Liberia, was established by the British as a colony for freed slaves and the national lingua franca Kreo comes from those first settlers. Sierra Leone became a British protectorate in 1896.
Today the human indicators in Sierra Leone are among the worst in Africa. Up to 40% of the population’s growth has been stunted due to poor nutrition in the womb and infancy. Rates of literacy are low. Above all it is poverty that makes the task of containing Ebola difficult.

deforestation

Throughout the country electricity is intermittent and internet available only to aprivileged few, albeit many of the poorest seem to carry mobile phones. There are some decent roads but heavy rains make light work of others. The undulating surfaces are ruinous to vehicles; any driver must be a mechanic.
Commerce is everywhere in Sierra Leone, at any road stop a line of individuals, mostly women and children, greet vehicles usually with luscious fruits and vegetables. In Freetown and other cities market stalls and small shops line every artery. Money changes hands constantly, transactions are negotiated at every turn. As the state provides little or nothing, individuals must carve out niches to survive.
Donor countries and NGOs, including Ireland Aid, are assisting development. It is said that the Chinese are building a new airport outside Freetown and a road through the north of the country to Liberia. Some of this aid may be driven by commercial interest, but its continued flow is crucial to raising human wellbeing.
But, unfortunately, environmental considerations rarely register in the face of human intransigence. In time this may prove a grave mistake as Sierra Leone is reckoned to be the third most vulnerable country in the world to climate change.

mining

Only a tiny proportion of Sierra Leone’s once abundant forests – part of the wider Upper Guinea belt – survives. Local wisdom has it that a meal is not complete without rice, which originated in Asia but whose impact is apparent here in the expanses of charred tree stumps everywhere. This slash and burn agriculture requires a twenty-year fallow period. Indeed a shift in dietary preferences towards other carbohydrate staples such as native cassava, plantains and yams that do not exert such a toll would be of great benefit, and would improve nutrition. The country’s future food security might depend on this as more land is degraded by demographic pressures. At least the presence of pests such as the tsetse fly deters large-scale ranching, though the goat, the main domesticated ruminant in Sierra Leone, often adversely affects recovering forests.
The multinational timber trade is also a leading cause of deforestation. Moreover, scaffolding for building works mainly comes in the form of bamboo derived from vulnerable forests. A simple measure would at least require development agencies to import steel scaffolding for their construction projects.
Then there is mining, including of fabled ‘Blood Diamonds’, competition for whose extraction was an underlying cause of the Sierra Leonean civil war. Both rebels and government troops collaborated in their extraction and the associated deforestation. Today as well as artisanal operations, bigger players including Western companies have moved to extract iron-ore, bauxite and diamonds.
The consequences of centuries of exploitation are everywhere apparent. With hillsides denuded of forest cover, top soil turns to suffocating dust in the dry season which is drained away when the rains arrive. The sea around Freetown acquires a brownish hue that stretches for miles. Millennia of accumulated humus cannot easily be regained.

beach erosion

The economic value of biodiversity, or natural capital, is increasingly recognised, especially as manifest in clean water, food and climate. But only more slowly are we recognising its value as a good in and of itself. Unfortunately most Sierra Leoneans are too impoverished to be able to see beyond immediate material considerations but there is a growing appreciation of nature in a region which exhibits extraordinary diversity.
A trip to Tiawa island, along the River Moa, brought to mind Joseph Conrad’s description of a similar profusion of life along another African river: “Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest”.
Maintaining the integrity of the biodiversity on the island depends on a delicate balancing that has required extensive consultation with local villages. An EU project has brought solar power to many nearby. In turn, village elders deter their tribesmen from hunting for the array of primates that populate the site. So-called bush meat is not highly prized by the local communities but poverty and ignorance impels some to seek it out.

Stopping hunting is not merely a sentimental concern. Diseases such as Ebola and Aids are zoonotic; that is they spread from one species to another, often through the consumption of flesh. A species of fruit bat has been identified as a potential reservoir host for Ebola while diseased monkey were responsible for AIDS. Curbing the consumption of bush meat is an important component in ending further zoonotic outbreaks.
The challenges involved with instigating projects are considerable here. Even purchasing property is tricky as the state’s registry may issue more than one deed for the same land. Corruption and nepotism are endemic. This gives rise to a certain despondency as even the highly educated and energetic find advancement difficult. Career frustrations make the option of leaving the country appealing.
Almost anything is available at the right price. Dramatic luxury co-exists with withering poverty. On the roads, the latest US car models mingle with men dragging large wheelbarrows and women with heavy loads on their heads. With both actual and comparative poverty, it is hardly surprising that individuals should aspire to great wealth should circumstances permit. Inculcating a common interest between people is a serious challenge, and an understanding of the limitations of their natural environment is crucial.
Hope lies with the increased literacy of children, improved education and access to information. A gap in the onslaught of disease and conflict can spur the next generation to re-build the country based on principles of fairness and sustainability.

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Written by Frank Armstrong, published at www.villagemagazine.ie

Nigeria LNG generates $85 Billion in 15 years

Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (NLNG), a joint venture between the government and foreign oil majors, has generated some 85 billion dollars from exports since its inception 15 years ago, the company announced late Friday. “For us, it has been a success story. Between 1999 when we came on stream and now, we have realised some 85 billion dollars from exports of liquefied natural gas to buyers in Europe, America and Asia,” chief executive Babs Omotowa told reporters in Lagos. He said the company, which was set up to harness Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources and produce liquefied natural gas for export, has also paid billions of dollars to the state in tax. “Just a few days ago, we paid 1.6 billion dollars to the government as tax and this will go a long way to assist the new government in solving some of its problems,” he said. The new administration of President Mohammadu Buhari, who became the first Nigerian to oust a sitting president in democratic elections in March, is facing a severe economic crunch. About 20 of the country’s 36 states are unable to pay workers salaries. Omotowa said the company had paid 30 billion dollars in dividends to its shareholders over the years, including the government, which owns a 49-per-cent stake through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). NLNG’s other shareholders are Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell, which owns 25.6 percent, Total LNG Nigeria, a subsidiary of French oil giant Total which owns 15 percent, and Italy’s Eni, which has 10.4 percent.
Omotowa said plans were afoot to expand the NLNG plant in Finima on Bonny island, in the oil and gas-rich southern Rivers state, by 2017. “With six trains (production units) currently operational, plans for building Train 7 that will lift the total production capacity to 30 million metric tons per annum of LNG are currently progressing,” he said. He said Train 7 would cost an estimated 12 billion dollars, create 18,000 construction jobs and bring in an additional three billion dollars in exports when operational. Nigeria currently exports 22 million metric tons of LNG, making it the world’s fourth largest LNG exporter. Liquefied natural gas, which is created by cooling natural gas and transforming into liquid for transport on tankers, represents around nine percent of global gas demand.

Chad to arrest foreigners following Boko Haram attacks

N’Djamena – Chadian Prime Minister, Kalzeube Deubet, said that following the recent Boko Haram attack in two suicide blasts in the capital, N’Djamena, which killed 37 people, government would commence rounding up of foreigners in that country. The premier did not give details on whom the raids would target and where. He said those detained would be placed at centres in Baga Sola on the shores of Lake Chad. Deubet said the North-Central African country wanted to get rid of terrorists “once and for all.’’ He said Chadian government had earlier announced other security measures, such as bans on the burqa, an article of clothing that covers the entire body, and on public gatherings.

5 Filipinos, 4 Bangladesh docked for unlawful possession of crude oil

 

 

 

Lagos – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday arraigned nine foreigners and a vessel before a Federal High sitting in Lagos, over unlawful possession of petroleum products.
The accused are five Filipinos — Axel Joseph Gibo Jabone, Juanito Camireno Infantado, Suarin Fernado Alave, Gatila Jaypee Gadayan and Rolando Jose Commendador.
Others are Bangladesh — Md Zahirul Islam, Islam Shahinul, Islam Rafiqul and Shaikn Shibli Nomany.
The name of the vessel docked along with the accused is MT Asteris.
They are standing trial on a four-count charge bordering on illegal dealing and storage of petroleum product without appropriate licence.
The Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, said that the accused committed the offences on March 27 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
He said that the accused conspired among themselves and dealt in 3,423 metric tonnes of petroleum products without lawful authority or appropriate licence.
Oyedepo also alleged that the accused on the same day and time stored 3,423 metric tonnes of petroleum products in MT Asteris’ cargo tanks.
He said that the offences contravened Section 4 of the Petroleum Act, Cap P10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He also said the offences contravened Section 1(19)(6) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 17 of the same Act.
The accused pleaded not guilty.
The Counsel to the accused, Mr Femi Adegbite, however, applied for the bail of the accused which was not opposed by the prosecutor.
The Judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, granted each of the accused N50 million-bail with one surety each in like sum.
Buba said that each of the sureties must be a Nigerian, must provide evidence of means and should also deposit their International passports with the court.
He adjourned the case till June 23, for trial. (NAN)