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Wabote Wants Me To Implicate Jackson Ude, Timi Frank- Ogidi

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Wabote Wants Me To Implicate Jackson Ude, Timi Frank- Ogidi

An online publisher Bara Ogidi has denied the allegation that publisher of Pointblanknews.com, Mr. Jackson Ude, and former spokesman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Mr. Timi Frank used him to blackmail and attempted to extort money from the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote.

According to Ogidi, at no time has he ever met or called Mr Ude or anyone at Pointblanknews.com nor has he met with Mr. Frank to talk more of being asked to engage with Mr Wabote.

Ogidi, however, revealed that any contact he might have made with  Mr Wabote was on a personal level, a move he regrets.

In a letter Dated 8th February 2022 and made available to newsmen, Ogidi chided Mr Wabote for using personal discussions between them in order to score cheap goals adding that the major point of departure between them was his refusal to testify against Ude.

“My attention has been drawn to publications in both Premium Times and one other news blog called Chronicle NG, wherein they insinuated that the publisher of Pointblanknews.com, Mr. Jackson Ude and former spokesman of the All Progressive Congress, (APC), Mr. Timi Frank used me to blackmail and attempted to extort money from the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, Simbi Wabote.

“I like to state categorically those concoctions are lies sponsored by Wabote to further his defamation case against Mr. Ude.

“To set the records straight, I have never met or communicated to Mr. Ude or anyone from Pointblanknews.com. I was never sent by either Ude or Frank to meet or speak with Wabote.

“I had a personal conversation with Wabote and any demand I made at the time for which i regretted are all personal and not with the instructions of anyone.

“It is simply disingenuous for Wabote to now seek to use my personal conversations with him to score cheap legal goals, discredit and blackmail people.

“Timi Frank and Jackson Ude never sent me to Wabote. Nowhere in my phone record would anyone find any conversations between either me and Timi Frank or Jackson Ude where any demand or issues with Wabote or anyone was discussed. It is all lies from the pit of hell!” Ogidi said.

While giving details to what happened, he said: “Wabote’s problems with me started when he asked me to appear as a witness for him over the defamation case against Mr Ude. I refused.

Next thing, he sent some people to me in my Yenagoa home at about 10 pm in the evening offering me money to appear as a witness to corroborate his claims that he is being blackmailed by Ude and Frank. I told the people he sent | would never do that since that was not the case.

“He then without my knowledge or consent, added my private chats with him in his U.S Court filings, claiming blackmail and attempt to extort him. It is all a lie and a ploy by Wabote to beef up his case which he is struggling to prove in the U.S Court.

“After I refused to back him up and instead tendered an apology to Mr. Ude who knew nothing about my conversations with Wabote, Wabote and the Minister of State, Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, used the DSS to arrest me. I was detained for 48hrs by the DSS in Yenogoa for no reason. Till date, nobody has told me my offense or offences.”

Raising alarm over his safety, Ogidi lamented “My life has been in danger, I have been in hiding since I was released from the DSS detention. I have been receiving threat calls from unknown numbers who are accusing me of trying to bring a fellow ljaw man down.

“I run a news blog and most times cull up stories from different websites. I culled up the story that brought about the defamation against Mr. Ude from Pointblanknews. I didn’t do that for pecuniary gains. Although, I contacted Wabote on a personal level as an Ijaw man. I regret that decision.

Wabote should please leave me alone and stop using my conversations with him to attack people.”
He urged Wabote to face his defamation case and allow truth to prevail in the event that he has nothing to hide.

“Seeking to use me after his failed attempt to lure me with N10million to support him in his defamation case will never work. I am speaking up now that I am still alive. I don’t know what his antics would be next. If anything happens to me and my family, the world should hold Simbi Wabote, his leader, and his proxies responsible. I will continue to defend myself and those he is seeking to bring down in this matter”. The letter concluded.

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“Tunji Ojo Has No Case To Answer” -Shehu Sanni

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Olubunmi Ojo

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, says Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has no case to answer regarding the contract awarded to a company linked to him by suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.Sani, in a chat with The Whistler, said Tunji-Ojo did not violate any public service law since he resigned from the company years ago.
” It could have been a conflict of interest if he hadn’t resigned.The senator further said it is “not his ministry (that awarded contracts), and companies have the right to pursue businesses anywhere.“Edu’s case is very clear and can’t be equated with that of a company associated with Hon Ojo.“Legally, he can’t be held to account on this matter.“Let’s not be distracted,” Sani said.“The extant provision of the law under the 1999 Constitution is that anybody who is a public servant cannot engage in any business other than farming,” said Nelson Kebordih, a senior lawyer whose interest is in public policy.He said the implication of the law is “that a person must be in active control and directorship of the company in the management of any enterprise.“You are permitted to own shares because owning a share does not put you in the day-to-day management of the company or any enterprise.“If he (Tunji-Ojo) has resigned from being a director, the law does not stop him from owning shares in the company,” he stated.The former lawmaker’s position aligns with the 2008 Federal Service Rules on Chapter 4 which states that “Public officers are not prohibited from holding shares in both public and private companies operating in Nigeria or abroad except that they must not be Directors in private companies, and may only be Directors in public companies if nominated by Government.”
Following the suspension and quizzing of Edu, concerning alleged financial sleaze, the Minister of Interior has come under pressure to resign or equally be suspended by the president after it emerged that his company, New Planet Project Ltd, also received a contract from Edu.Edu had awarded some companies contracts, some of which were unregistered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) raising concern of fraud and illegality.Tunji-Ojo is also being pressured to step down with many commentators saying he has flouted the Public Service Rules which barred public servants from being awarded contracts or contracting any business except farming.But the Minister while speaking on television explained that he had resigned since 2009 from the company.“Almost five years ago, I resigned as director of the company, so I’m not a director. I resigned on 1st of February, 2009, you can take that to the bank,” the minister had said.

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”Your mentorship, humility, and resilience was exemplary” Oando Boss, Wale Tinubu Mourns Barkindo

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The Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc, Jubril Adewale Tinubu, has mourned the death of H.E. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.
Tinubu said Barkindo’s death has robbed him of a good friend.
He wrote: “We had many conversations and speeches together  yesterday but this wasn’t one of them.
“The most profound reminder of the fragility of life is death.
“You were a good man who lived a great life. Y
“I still can’t believe the news, but Allah knows best. Till we meet again my good friend.”
Barkindo died at about 11pm on Tuesday, 5th July 2022.
His death confirms the old saying of a thin line separating life from death. But once that line is crossed, the gulf created becomes as large as an ocean, and so treacherous that it’s impossible to cross back.
The sad incident of the death of H.E. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo has again brought to the fore what difference a few hours coiuld make between life and death.
Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo was among other top and eminent personalities that delivered speeches at the ongoing 21st Nigeria’s Oil and Gas conference in Abuja . His speech earned him a standing ovation.
Unfortunately, the technocrat died of heart attack hours after he was honoured by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
A former managing director of the NNPC,  Barkindo was appointed OPEC Secretary-General in 2016. He was the fourth Nigerian to hold that position and the 28th person in the role overall.
He was GMD of the NNPC between 2009 and 2010.
He was 63 years old.


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Oando,  LAMATA sign MoU on electric mass transit buse

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 Oando

 

Oando Clean Energy Limited has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (referred to as LAMATA), the Lagos State Government agency tasked with planning, implementing, regulating and franchising sustainable integrated public transport in Lagos.

The MoU establishes a partnership between OCEL and Lagos State in her journey to becoming a sustainable city via the rollout of electric mass transit buses, supporting charging infrastructure and service centres (EV Infrastructure Ecosystem).

The statement obtained from the NGX noted that with over 25 million residents, Lagos is the most populous city in Africa and among the top ten of the world’s fastest-growing megacities.

 

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde said the MoU represented the State Government’s commitment to cutting greenhouse gases by replacing them with cleaner sources of energy.

Oladeinde said, “With an understanding that transportation is a key emitter of greenhouse gases in Nigeria, we developed a strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 50%. A key component of this strategy was identifying and developing a more robust mass transit system for Lagos that would include rail and waterways amongst others. Using electricity to power mass transit is a step in the right direction, and from there we would gradually transit to private cars.

“This is just the beginning, there is still a lot more to come on stream. I commend LAMATA and Oando on this MoU signing, and both parties can be rest assured that they have my full backing to ensure success,” he added.

Commenting on the MoU signing, the Managing Director, LAMATA, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo said: “We began this journey late last year, and for us, this has been a rapid development. It speaks to the energy and zeal of both organizations, and that is commendable. Oando Clean Energy came to us with a comprehensive solution that went beyond electric mass transit buses to include supporting infrastructure, and this was key for us, as the full remit of an EV support ecosystem is the only way to achieve success.

“This initiative will not only accelerate the Government’s transportation agenda, but also positively impact the health of Lagosians and the environment. The magnitude of its impact is far-reaching, and when you start to look at it as more than a transport initiative, you will see how laudable a project it is. The Oando brand comes with know-how and experience, and we are relying on this to successfully move from MoU signing to actual implementation that will in the medium to long term benefit over 22 million Lagos commuters. We look forward to a very robust and fruitful partnership.”

In his response, the Chairman, Oando Clean Energy, Adewale Tinubu, who was represented at the MoU signing by Dr. Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune said: “Oando Clean Energy was born out of a need to curate the best energy mix to propel Nigeria and indeed Africa, to its full potential.

As a company, Oando has always championed Public-Private Partnerships as fundamental to Nigeria’s industrialization. Through the signing of this MoU, we are revolutionizing the landscape of mobility by pioneering e-mobility in Lagos. Furthermore, we remain dedicated to achieving our national commitment to net-zero by 2060, ending energy deficiencies and further propelling the country to an industrialized phase through decentralized and sustainable energy systems.

We are excited to be embarking on this journey with Lagos State and must commend their foresight and willingness to forge a template for others to follow. It’s easy to be perturbed by the perceived challenges that come with the mega-city status tag, but by taking this bold step, Lagos is showing the continent what is indeed possible and giving other cities the impetus to redefine today how to build a public transport system for the future.”

 

Over the last decade, the number of vehicles on Lagos roads has quadrupled, yet studies suggest that Lagos could become the world’s most populated city by 2100 with as many as 100 million residents; and as the city grows, so will the number of vehicles.

This upward trajectory in vehicle numbers poses a significant challenge as transportation has been identified as the key contributing sector at circa 23% to 30% in annual CO2 emissions.

Against this backdrop, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between LAMATA and OCEL will enable the successful fulfilment of the objectives of the Lagos State Government through the deployment of an EV Infrastructure Ecosystem towards the attainment of a sustainable road transport system in the State.

Furthermore, this initiative will bridge the existing gap in available mass transit buses for the increasing number of Lagos commuters.


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