News
‘Nigerians Don’t React’, Amaechi Blames Citizens For Politicians’ Rascality

A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has blamed the docility of Nigerians for the inability of the country to get the right form of leadership.
Amaechi was speaking at the 2023 TheNiche Annual Lecture themed “Why We Stride and Slip: Leadership, Nationalism, and the Nigerian Condition,” held on Thursday in Lagos where he was a special guest.
According to him, Nigerians know most politicians are not honest but they still go ahead to vote for them during elections.
“What is new to say, Nigerians don’t react to anything. Has any politician told you he is not a thief? Which politician told you he went to university, which politician told you she served in NYSC, and which politician told you he has his certificate?
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“Nigerians know and still vote for them, so what is your problem? I say why should I speak when already there’s nothing new?
“Nigerians choose who to believe and who not to believe, Nigerians choose who to vote and who not to vote. Even if you come to a Nigerian man’s house and kill his mother, the father will continue his life. Nothing bothers you, nothing, so why should I waste my time?” Amaechi said.
The former governor of Rivers State also criticized a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority, (NPA), Hadiza Usman, for allegedly putting out false narratives in her book titled: “Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority.”
“The lies were too many. For instance, she claimed she was not invited by the panel. I even came with the memo of the president, where the president endorsed her removal,” the 58-year-old said.
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“Count one is in the question of the fact that the panel says she is guilty; count two is due to the fact that a Managing Director of NPA with an N2.5m approval limit can approve N2.8b contract with no appropriation.”
Two years ago, then-President Muhammadu Buhari asked Hadiza Usman to step aside from her role while an Administrative Panel of Inquiry, headed by Rotimi Amaechi, investigated the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Amaechi insisted that Mrs Usman was guilty of the same crimes she was accusing him of and making concessions for the high and mighty in society.
“Why is that document not published because prominent Nigerians are involved? She gave waivers to prominent Nigerians, which she has no power to give and these are dollars accruable to Nigeria’s economy but she was bold enough to write a book or is it a pamphlet and Nigerians are following her, launching the book, so how will Nigeria move forward?
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“But let’s wait until they bring the original copy because if I give you the photocopy, you will say it is fake. I will show you the original but I won’t allow you to read it because you would see the names of those prominent Nigerians that were indicted by the panel. I would rather read the areas that concern her and leave those prominent Nigerians, they didn’t look for my trouble.”
The former minister affirmed that Usman had been indicted by the panel and denied that he was purposefully behind her removal as the boss of the NPA.
News
BRC Sympathises With Edo NSCDC, Family, On Painful Death Of Commandant

Benin Recreation Club 1933 (BRC) has sympathised with Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo State Command, over the painful demise of the state commandant, Agun Gbenga Joseph.
In a statement issued by the club’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Edoko Wilson Edoko, president of the club, Mr. Osayi Courage Osamuyi, described the death of commandant Gbenga as shocking and a painful loss to the security community and the state at large.
“The late Commandant’s death is indeed shocking and a painful loss. He was jovial, very accommodating, and an initiative-driven individual,” Mr. Osayi stated.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: NSCDC Commandant, Slumps, Dies In Edo
“I recall our Club’s visit to his office, where I led members of my Executive Committee to meet with him. We discussed areas of collaboration between Benin Recreation Club and the NSCDC, Edo State Command”, he said.
Osayi further urged the bereaved family and the NSCDC to draw strength from the late Commandant’s legacy of service, professionalism, and dedication to duty.
He prayed that God grants them the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.
Recall that the Commandant reportedly slumped and died on Thursday, 2nd October 2025, while delivering a goodwill message at an event organised by the International Association of World Peace Advocates held at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre in Benin City.
News
House To Probe $20bn Shortfall In Oil Firms’ Cleanup Funds

The House of Representatives launched an investigation on Thursday into the compliance level of oil and gas companies with decommissioning and abandonment regulations in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
This comes against the backdrop of concerns over a staggering $20 billion compliance gap and spikes in environmental, fiscal, and social risks associated with outdated infrastructure.
This followed the presentation of a motion of urgent public importance by the Chairman, House Committee on Political Parties Matters, Mr Zakaria Nyampa, at Thursday’s plenary.
Speaking on the significance of the motion, the Adamawa lawmaker said, “Across oil-producing countries, operators are required to set aside funds during the productive phase of their assets to cover the future costs of dismantling, site remediation, and restoration.
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“This principle is clearly enshrined in Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the NUPRC/NMDPRA Decommissioning and Abandonment Regulations of 2022, yet compliance remains alarmingly poor.”
He argued that Sections 232 and 233 of the PIA mandate licensees and lessees to “Establish decommissioning programmes, maintain dedicated escrow accounts, obtain regulatory approvals, and pay penalties for non-compliance.
“Unfortunately, most operators in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors are flouting these provisions. In some cases, International Oil Companies have divested from assets in the Niger Delta without adequate D and A funding, effectively transferring future environmental and financial liabilities to the government and host communities.”
In his words, over 90 per cent of operators have failed to meet their mandatory D&A funding obligations, while regulatory agencies, particularly the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, have not shown the necessary enforcement commitment.
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“We are witnessing a dangerous regulatory gap. The regulators must be held accountable for ensuring that every operator complies fully with decommissioning laws. Otherwise, Nigerians, especially host communities, will bear the brunt of environmental disasters,” he added.
He added that the cost of decommissioning in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is estimated between $500,000 and $1m per well, and up to $50 million per field, with total liabilities projected at $10bn to $15bn in the upstream sector alone.
“Less than 20 percent of operators have established properly funded escrow accounts. The total amount contributed so far is below $1bn, leaving a massive shortfall and compliance gap of about $15bn to $20bn across the industry,” he expressed.
Nyampa raised the alarm that the midstream and downstream sectors face huge risks, with decaying refineries, depots, gas plants, and pipeline infrastructure constituting potential remediation liabilities of up to $5bn.
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“If urgent action is not taken, Nigeria risks widespread environmental degradation, oil spills, toxic contamination, and safety hazards such as fires, gas leaks, and explosions, particularly in already vulnerable host communities.”
Following the adoption of his motion, the House resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the level of compliance with decommissioning and abandonment provisions as spelt out in the PIA.
When constituted, the Committee is expected to invite relevant regulatory agencies and oil companies, scrutinise their D and A escrow accounts, and report back to the House within twelve weeks for further legislative action.
News
Tinubu Approves National Honours For 959 Nigerians

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the conferment of 959 national honours and endorsed reforms to strengthen the funding framework for the Nigeria Police Force.
This came as he presided over marathon meetings of the National Council of State and the Police Council at the State House, Abuja.
Addressing State House correspondents after the meetings, the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the President approved the report of the National Honours Award Committee for 2024 and 2025, as well as special awards that were earlier bestowed by the President from January 2025 to date.
According to Umobong, the current honours committee, reconstituted in August 2021 and chaired by Justice Sidi Bage, screened over 5,000 applications before recommending 824 recipients for the 2024/2025 National Honours and 135 special awardees, totalling 959 honourees.
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“The award of titles of honour and decorations of dignitaries is a yearly event at which the President honours deserving nationals and non-nationals who have distinguished themselves in the service of the nation and humanity,” she said.
Umobong added, “After diligent screening and selection by the committee, a total of 824 successful applicants were recommended for the 2024/2025 National Honours and 135 special awards by the President, bringing it to a total of 959 awardees.”
She noted that President Tinubu, in the spirit of inclusive national recognition, had already honoured several distinguished Nigerians and friends of Nigeria in the past year, including Bill Gates for contributions to public health, Uncle Sam Pemu for journalism, and the Super Falcons and D’Tigress for excellence in sports.
Others include the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four, honoured posthumously for environmental activism, and Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing INEC Chairman, recognised for service to Nigeria’s democratic process.
READ ALSO:Tinubu Grants Presidential Pardon To Herbert Macaulay, 174 Others
The updated list of awardees, Umobong said, would be published soon.
Following the Council of State session, President Tinubu chaired the Nigeria Police Council, where members approved major reforms to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund.
In his first-ever briefing to journalists since assuming office in August 2023, Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, said the Council ratified proposals to repeal and re-enact the 2019 Police Trust Fund Establishment Act to remove its six-year limit and transform it into a permanent agency.
“The sunset clause of six years in the current Act limits the lifespan of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund and impedes long-term planning, thereby constraining sustainable police reform.
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“We also prayed that the Council approve the repeal and re-enactment of the Nigerian Police Transparency Establishment Act 2025 in order to remove the sunset clause and transition it into an agency,” Geidam said.
He explained that the Council further approved an upward review of the Police Trust Fund’s allocation from 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of the Federation Account, as well as a directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation to incorporate all resolutions into an executive bill for submission to the National Assembly.
Established in 2019, the NPTF was designed to bridge funding gaps in policing by supporting training, welfare, technology acquisition, and logistics. However, its limited tenure and budget constraints have long hindered sustainable reforms.
“All these prayers have been approved without any omission,” Geidam confirmed, adding, “The Council also directed that the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice input all the approvals of the Council in the proposed Executive Bill.”
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