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Presidency Releases Details Of Refunds To Niger Delta: Akwa Ibom, Delta Get Largest

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… Details Prove Edo Govt, Others’ Claim Wrong

Amidst growing discontent in Niger Delta states that some government officials had misused the oil derivation refunds in the region, the Presidency released more details of oil derivation refunds made to the states on Friday.

The details provided by the Presidency show that Akwa Ibom and Delta States received the largest refunds from the federal government.

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Garba Shehu, the presidential spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday and made available to the Daily Post.

Shehu revealed that the nine oil-producing states got a total of N625.43 billion 13 per cent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds from the Federation Account between 2021 and 2022.

READ ALSO: Edo Govt. Clears Air On 13% Derivation Refund

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He said the date of the refund was from 1999 to 2021.

Recall that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had showered praise on President Muhammadu Buhari for releasing the 13 per cent oil derivation to the Niger delta States.

Wike further said he spent the funds on multi-billion projects in his State, challenging his colleagues to explain how they used theirs.

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Following the revelations by Wike, many Nigerians raised questions about how governors from the oil-producing states utilised the funds in their respective states.

Part of the statement read: “According to the figures, under the 13 per cent derivation fund on withdrawal from ECA without deducting derivation from 2004 to 2019, Abia State received N4.8 billion with an outstanding sum of N2.8 billion, Akwa-Ibom received N128 billion with an outstanding sum of N77 billion, Bayelsa with N92.2bn, leaving an outstanding of N55 billion.

“Cross River got a refund N1.3 billion with a balance N792 million, Delta State received N110 billion, leaving a balance of N66.2 billion, Edo State received N11.3billion, with a balance of N6.8billion, Imo State, N5.5 billion, with an outstanding sum of N3.3 billion, Ondo State, N19.4 billion with an outstanding sum of N11.7bn while Rivers State was paid 103.6 billion, with an outstanding balance of N62.3 billion.”

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READ ALSO: $418m Paris Club Refund: Malami’s Action Fraudulent, Self Serving – NGF

The statement indicated that States were further paid in eight instalments between the months of October and January 2022.

“Under this category, Abia State received N1.1 billion, Akwa-Ibom, N15 billion, Bayelsa, N11.6 billion, Cross River, N432 million, Delta State, N14.8 billion, Edo State, N2.2 billion, Imo State, N2.9, billion, Ondo State, N3.7 billion, and Rivers State, N12.8 billion,” it said.

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Putin Says Will Speak With Trump On Phone Today

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he would speak with US counterpart Donald Trump on the phone Thursday, their first publicly announced call in over two weeks.

The two have been in regular contact since Trump took office in January and have discussed issues like the Ukraine conflict and economic cooperation.

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Putin did not say what the two would discuss in Thursday’s call.

READ ALSO:Putin Rolls Out Conditions To End Russia-Ukraine War

“I will talk to the US president today,” the Russian leader told the media during a visit to an exhibition centre in Moscow.

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Trump confirmed the call on Truth Social, saying it would start at 10.00am (1400 GMT).

The two leaders have praised each other in recent weeks, despite Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine.

Putin said last week that he had “great respect” for Trump and that US ties were improving. Trump said Putin’s statements were “very nice”.

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NAFDAC Warns Against Use Of Excess Hydroquinone In Cosmetics

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned users of bleaching creams to refrain from using products containing excessive hydroquinone to safeguard their health.

NAFDAC Bauchi State Coordinator, Mr Hamis Yahaya, advised in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday.

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Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening agent used to treat hyperpigmentation, such as melasma and age spots.

READ ALSO: NAFDAC Alerts Public To Fake Antimalarial, Aflotin

Yahaya said that the approved quantity of the chemical substance in cosmetics was only two per cent.

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According to him, NAFDAC conducts checks on market products to ensure public health and safety.

The black colour provides natural protection against harmful radiation due to melanin content.

READ ALSO: Trump Says Will ‘Take A Look’ At Deporting Musk

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“Applying creams with hydroquinone contents more than two per cent is harmful. Mixing creams by non-experts is wrong.

“Hydroquinone affects the health of the users gradually, including causing cancer,” he said.

Yahaya urged the media to raise awareness about the dangers of cosmetics that could endanger consumer lives.

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AU Helicopter Crashes In Somali Capital – State Media

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An African Union helicopter crashed Wednesday at the airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu with eight people onboard, state media said.

The aircraft was part of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), tasked with fighting the Al-Shabaab militant group.

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The state media agency Sonna said the AUSSOM helicopter, carrying eight people, “crashed during landing at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde Airport this morning after departing Balidoogle”.

READ ALSO:Man Jailed Seven Years For N11.4m Enugu Land Fraud

The fire has been contained, and authorities are assessing the situation,” it said in a post on X.

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Sonna quoted the country’s civil aviation authorities as saying that “flight operations remain normal”.

There were no further details given, but unverified clips and images shared online showed a plume of black smoke over the city.

The AUSSOM mission faces funding difficulties, even as fears of an Al-Shabaab resurgence are stoked by attacks in the Horn of Africa nation.

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