Headline

FG Approves Amendment Of 2022/2023 Deep Offshore Oil Block Bid Round

Published

2 years ago

April 1, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the amendment of the 2022/2023 Deep Offshore oil block mini-bid process to accommodate concerns raised by potential local and international investors.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) stated in Abuja on Saturday that the amendments would address concerns over the terminal date of the current administration to the closure of the bid schedule.

Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, said in the statement that the amendments would also boost confidence in the transparency and continuity of the process.

Komolafe said following the approval by the president, the NUPRC had extended the deadline for the submission of bids to May 19.

He said it had also revised the timeline for concluding activities of contract negotiations and signing to between July 3 and July 28.

The extension of time would afford interested international oil companies enough time to enter into, and conclude necessary joint venture arrangements with indigenous companies.

It would also allow for proper evaluation of relevant data by all bidders, Komolafe said.

He added that the bid round was progressing in accordance with the Schedule which had been published as part of the guidelines.

“Outstanding activities for the conclusion of the exercise include the Technical/Commercial bid submission and the Ministerial Consent/Contract Negotiation and Signing.

“The Technical/Commercial bid submission involves data access, purchase, evaluation, bid preparation and submission, bid evaluation and publication of results as well as commercial bid conference and announcement of winners.

“The Commission is fully committed to conducting the bid round in a manner that guarantees the achievement of the objectives of the exercise,’’ he assured.

Komolafe added that constant interrogation and oversight of the process showed two concerns that the Commission felt might impact the success of the exercise if not immediately addressed.

He listed the concerns as the plan to conclude the bid process before the transition to the incoming government and the need to guarantee the participation of qualified indigenous companies, working collaboratively with multinational oil companies.

The collaboration would leverage technology, funding and expertise in the deep offshore, he noted.

Komolafe said also that the NUPRC had announced the requirement for Joint Venture arrangements between international oil companies and indigenous companies and amended the guidelines accordingly.

He said the measure would address the issue of collaboration between indigenous and interactional oil companies and was also in consonance with, and supports the Nigerian Content requirements of the bid round.

Komolafe said it was also in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution which provided that the resources of the nation should be harnessed in a manner that promoted national prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and self-sustaining economy.

Headline

Trump Birthright Citizenship Order Halted In Class-action Suit

Published

1 day ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s order restricting birthright citizenship, as opponents of the policy pursue a new legal avenue following the US Supreme Court’s overturning of a previous block.

The high court’s conservative majority delivered a landmark decision in late June that limits the ability of individual judges to issue nationwide injunctions against presidents’ policies.

Several such judges had in fact blocked Trump’s attempt to end the longstanding rule, guaranteed in the US Constitution, that anyone born on US soil is automatically an American citizen.

However, the Supreme Court left open the possibility that orders could be blocked via broad class-action suits against the government.

Trump’s opponents quickly filed new class-action suits seeking to block again the executive order.

On Thursday, Judge Joseph Laplante of the US District of New Hampshire granted class-action status to any child who would potentially be denied citizenship under Trump’s order. The judge ordered a preliminary halt to it as legal proceedings carry on.

The judge delayed his ruling for seven days to permit the Trump administration to appeal.

Cody Wofsy, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who argued the case, called the ruling a “huge victory” that “will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended.”

Trump’s executive order decrees that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become citizens — a radical reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.

His administration has argued that the 14th Amendment, passed in the wake of the Civil War, addresses the rights of former slaves and not the children of undocumented migrants or temporary US visitors.

The Supreme Court rejected such a narrow definition in a landmark 1898 case.

The current high court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, avoided ruling last month on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order and only addressed the issue of nationwide injunctions.

It nonetheless permitted the order to go ahead but delayed its ruling from taking effect until late July to allow for new court challenges.

Several lower courts, in issuing their previous injunctions, had ruled that the executive order violated the Constitution.

Headline

PICTORIAL: Two Undocumented Nigerians Arrested For Drug Trafficking In Libya

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

Libya’s Counter-Terrorism Forces have arrested two undocumented Nigerians over alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

According to a statement shared by Migrant Rescue Watch on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the suspects were caught with quantities of hashish and hallucinogenic pills, including Tramadol and Lyrica.

Authorities also recovered a large sum of cash suspected to be proceeds from drug sales during the operation.

Following their arrest, the two Nigerians have been handed over to the appropriate legal authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The statement said, “Counter-Terrorism Forces arrested 2 undocumented #migrants of Nigerian nationality for drug trafficking. The individuals were found in possession of hashish, hallucinogenic pills “Tramadol” & “Lyrica” as well as cash from proceeds.

“Both individuals were referred to competent authorities for legal action.”

Headline

31 Workers Escape Death As Tunnel Collapses In Los Angeles

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2025

Editor

All 31 workers escaped without injuries from a collapsed industrial tunnel in Los Angeles’ Wilmington area, after scrambling over a tall pile of loose underground soil, city officials said late on Wednesday.

The trapped workers were shuttled back to the tunnel’s entry point, more than 5 miles (8 km) away from the affected area, after they escaped the collapsed section and met several coworkers in the unaffected part of the tunnel, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.

The tunnel, which had a diameter of 18 ft (5.5 m), trapped 27 individuals, while four workers entered the damaged section to assist with rescue, LA Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva told reporters in a media briefing.

“The workers had to climb through debris. They had to make themselves out through,” before they were assisted out, Villanueva said.

Robert Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager of Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, told the briefing that a section of the already built part of the tunnel experienced squeezing ground conditions and partially collapsed.

“LAFD has just reported that all workers who were trapped in the tunnel in Wilmington are now out and accounted for. I just spoke with many of the workers who were trapped. Thank you to all of our brave first responders who acted immediately,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.

The collapsed section was a part of the Los Angeles County’s Clearwater Project, where the new 7-mile tunnel is being built to upgrade the region’s sewer system, officials added.

(Reuters)