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Petroleum Minister, Sylva, NNPC Boss, Kyari Sabotaging Refineries Investigation, Reps Alleges

Published

3 years ago

April 21, 2022

The House of Representatives on Thursday accused the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Sylva and the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari of sabotaging refineries investigation.

Chairman of the House adhoc committee investigating rehabilitation of the refineries, Ganiyu Johnson, accused Kyari and the minister of frustrating efforts by the parliament to unravel why Nigeria’s refineries are not working despite billions of dollars spent on their rehabilitation.

He spoke at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, stressing that the Minister, the Group Managing Director and Managing Director of Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries have refused to appear before the committee on three different occasions.

While summoning them to appear before the House on Thursday, April 28, Johnson said if those concerned had nothing to hide from Nigerians, they would have honoured the invitation from the parliament, adding that failure on their part to honour the invitation is a sign of disrespect for the National Assembly.

The Committee was constituted by the Speaker of the House in January to investigate why the nation is still depending on the importation of petroleum products and a huge amount of money spent on the rehabilitation of the refineries.

He said the NNPC recently awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of the refineries in Kaduna (1.3 billion dollars), Port Harcourt (1.5 billion dollars) and Warri (900 million dollars).

The Committee Chairman said “You may all recall that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila in January 2022 constituted this Committee to determine the actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries and what is needed to bring them back to maximum refining capacity.

“The Committee was mandated to determine the true state of the Refineries, ascertain the actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries and what is needed for the refineries to function at maximum refining capacity.

“The Committee therefore relying on relevant laws and pursuant to the provisions of sections 62, 88, and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), requested the GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to forward a Status Report on the Nation’s Refineries and the actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries from 2012 to date.

“The Committee specifically requested the GMD to provide relevant information and documents that will help in the investigations.

“We are compelled to make this Press Statement because of the continued refusal and flagrant disregard of the GMD of the NNPC, the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the General Managers of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries to the invitations to appear before the Committee.

“We consider this continued refusal and negligence to appear before the Committee as disrespect to the Leadership of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Committee is worried that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Warri Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) and Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (KRPC) had all been operating at gross losses since 2010 before they were finally shut down in 2019.

“This Committee has the mandate of the House of Representatives and the Constitutional responsibility to demand accountability from those in positions of
managing our resources.

“It is worrisome that the GMD of the NNPC, the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the General Managers of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries have refused on three invitations to appear before the Committee to account for the Billions of Dollars spent on the rehabilitation of the refineries over the years.

“The Committee is aware that the NNPC recently awarded contracts for Rehabilitation of Refineries (WRPC $900 Million, PHRC $1.5 Billion and KRPC $1.3 Billion)

“As Chairman of this Honourable Committee, I hereby summon the GMD of the NNPC, the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the General Managers of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries to appear before the Committee on Thursday 28 April, 2022 to avoid legal, constitutional and parliamentary measures to be taken against them in order to compel them to appear.

“As members of the National Assembly and Representatives of the people, we have the constitutional duty to name and demand from those responsible; the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the GMD of NNPC and the Operators of the Refineries to let us know the problems besetting our refineries in order to proffer solutions for a sustainable future and for the benefit of all Nigerians

“We represent the people and we own the people this responsibility and until they appear, they are stalling our investigation. Unless they have something to hide. Otherwise, by now, we should have made progress. So this should be the last time we are calling on them to appear. Why is the refinery not functioning if they do not have anything to hide.”

DAILY POST

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Most Followed Tiktoker Khaby Lame Deported From US Over Visa Violation

Published

10 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Editor

Italian-Senegalese social media sensation, Khaby Lame, known as the world’s most followed TikTok creator, has been deported from the United States after allegedly overstaying his visa, The New York Times reported.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that Lame, 25, was detained last Friday at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

The agency confirmed the detention in an official statement, stating that Lame entered the country on April 30 but “overstayed the terms of his visa.”

Lame, who rose to international fame for his silent comedic reactions to overcomplicated “life hack” videos, has amassed over 160 million followers on TikTok.

His online popularity led to collaborations with global fashion brands, a role in a Hollywood film, and a reality show on Tubi titled Khaby Is Coming To America.

His deportation has sparked a storm of reactions online.

“Every single illegal alien needs to be DEPORTED. When I found out the biggest TikTok star, Khaby Lame, is an illegal alien evading taxes, I worked with Trump’s ICE to have him removed. He’s since been detained by ICE and removed,” Bo Loudon, a Gen Z Trump supporter and self-styled activist, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Following his deportation, Lame has not issued any formal statement. However, on Monday, he posted an Instagram story tagged in São Paulo, Brazil, marking his first confirmed location since leaving the US

Lame’s former legal representative, Riccardo Lanzo, told The New York Times that the influencer had spent significant time in the US recently but acknowledged uncertainty regarding his visa status.

The case came amid a broader immigration enforcement push under Trump’s renewed administration.
APF

Headline

Trump Unveils Website For $5m US Residency Visa

Published

20 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Editor

President Donald Trump touted a new website for his planned $5 million US residency permit on Wednesday, saying the waiting list for the golden visa has opened on TrumpCard.gov.

“Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Trump unveiled the first such visa aboard Air Force One in April, holding a golden prototype that bore his face and promising the special permit would probably be available “in less than two weeks.”

The visas are not available yet, but the website announced Wednesday allows interested parties to submit their name, desired visa and email address under a header that says “The Trump Card is Coming.”

Trump previously said the new visa, a high-price version of the traditional green card, would bring in job creators and could be used to reduce the US national deficit.

The announcement comes as deportation raids are being ramped up across the country, prompting protests, and as Trump’s administration faces ongoing lawsuits and accusations of rights violations over its anti-immigration blitz.

Trump has said the new card would be a route to highly prized US citizenship. He said in February that his administration hoped to sell “maybe a million” of the cards and did not rule out that Russian oligarchs may be eligible.

AFP

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19-year-old Nigerian Artiste Beaten To Death In Ghana

Published

1 day ago

June 11, 2025

Editor

A 19-year-old upcoming Nigerian artiste identified simply as Destiny has been beaten to death in the Volta Region area of Ghana.

According to The PUNCH, the incident happened on May 28.

It was gathered that a yet-to-be-identified Nigerian based in Ghana accused him of failing to remit funds related to a business venture they introduced him to.

The male adult, who was also said to be among those who facilitated his trip to the country, stormed his apartment alongside two others to question him about the funds.

However, Destiny’s failure to provide answers led to a severe assault meted out to him.

A source privy to the incident told The PUNCH on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because he lacked the authority to speak with the media that the Edo State-born artiste thereafter succumbed to the injuries sustained from the assault.

“Destiny went to Ghana to further his education, and the travel was facilitated by someone he called his street brother. These are the same people who provided an apartment for him over there. Those who broke the news to us from there said the men introduced him to a business, which they later accused him of diverting some funds meant for the business. This angered them, and they went to his apartment and beat him up. The beating was so intense that he felt weak and gave up the ghost in the process,” the source narrated.

It was further learnt that the suspects left the deceased’s body in the room after they discovered that he was motionless.

Another source who spoke to newsmen said the police later discovered the corpse a few days after the incident.

“The police were alerted to the incident, and some officers were deployed to the apartment where Destiny’s remains were found. We were told that no suspects had been arrested since his death. We hope the Ghanaian authorities find his killers and bring them to justice.”

In a video obtained by The PUNCH, Destiny was seen speaking about himself and what his plans were.

He said, “I am Destiny and I am a streamer from Nigeria. I want to apply to Streamers University, and this will be a great joy for me, my mother, and everybody. I am also an artiste and a gamer. I do all sorts of things.”

Recall that in April a 77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver, Olatunji Bolaji, was killed in a shooting outside a hookah lounge in Philadelphia, United States.

Bolaji, who lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania, was on duty around 2 a.m. on Wednesday when he picked up a passenger, a 22-year-old man, outside the Byblos Hookah Bar near Rittenhouse Square in Centre City, CBS reports on Friday.

Police said shortly after Bolaji picked up the young man, another vehicle pulled up behind his SUV, and two men got out.

One of them opened fire, shooting both Bolaji and the passenger.