ONE WORD

Shortly after declaring President Buhari winner of Saturday's presidential election, INEC chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu confirmed that certificates of return will be presented to the president-elect Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo at 2pm today. The presentation ceremony will be held at the National collation center in Abuja. Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/02/inec-to-present-certificates-of-return.html

Kate Henshaw on set All is now set for the release of 4th Republic, which stars Kate Henshaw. Also starring in the political thriller are, Bimbo Manuel, Sani Muazu, Enyinna Nwigwe, Linda Ejiofor and Yakubu Mohammed. Award-winning director and writer, Ishaya Bako, directs it.According to Henshaw, “what is most significant is the message it carries; we need to stand up for the truth and fight for justice. It’s our duty.” After her campaign manager, Sikiru (Jide Attah) turns up dead, gubernatorial aspirant Mabel King played by Henshaw challenges the victory of the incumbent, Idris Sani (Sani Mu’azu), in the law court for her mandate. Ike (Eyinna Nwigwe) and Sikiru’s daughter, Bukky (Linda Ejiofor), support King, while Sani’s associate, St. James (Bimbo Manuel) and Ike’s Law School rival, Danladi (Yakubu Mohammed) try to take down witnesses. The action-packed thriller takes viewers from voting polls marred by violence and rigging to the law court as, King petitions the tribunal...

They are slowly plowing their way across thousands of miles of ocean toward America’s Gulf of Mexico coastline. As they do, twelve empty supertankers are also revealing a few truths about today’s global oil market. In normal times, the vessels would be filled with heavy, high sulfur Middle Eastern oil for delivery to refineries in Houston or New Orleans. Not now though. They are sailing cargo-less, a practice that vessel owners normally try to avoid because ships earn money by making deliveries. The 12 vessels are making voyages of as much as 21,000 mi direct from Asia, all the way around South Africa, holding nothing but seawater for stability because Middle East producers are restricting supplies. Still, America’s booming volumes of light crude must still be exported, and there aren’t enough supertankers in the Atlantic Ocean for the job. So, they’re coming empty. “What’s driving this is a U.S. oil market that’s looking relatively bearish with domestic production estimate...

International maritime crime is becoming “increasingly sophisticated” as criminal groups exploit jurisdiction and enforcement challenges on the high seas and pose “immediate danger to people’s lives and safety”, the UN anti-drugs and crime chief warned the Security Council. The illegal oil vessel “Two-thirds of the world’s surface is ocean. Nearly all of that is beyond any State’s territorial waters and largely not subject to a single state criminal jurisdiction,” Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said as he briefed the Council’s first-ever debate targeting the global challenge of transnational maritime crime. Speaking via video conference from UNODC headquarters in Vienna, he spotlighted the root causes of transnational organized crime at sea and the linkages between terrorism, piracy and illegal trafficking. “The high seas are open for vessels of all countries, both coastal and landlocked, to support international trade and econom...

By Udeme Akpan Saudi Arabia has concluded plans to invest $100 billion in India, Nigeria’s major oil importer, thus threatening future importation from the country. Oil industry The moves by Saudi Arabia, the 14th largest country in the world, covering around two million square kilometres, making it the second largest OPEC member country with a population of over 32 million, is said to be aimed at capturing the entire Asian market for its oil. The opening up of new markets is expected to enable Saudi Arabia that also possesses around 18 per cent of the world’s proven petroleum reserves generate adequate foreign exchange for its development. In its recent report, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, stated: “The oil and gas sector accounts for about 50 per cent of gross domestic product, and about 70 per cent of export earnings. Apart from petroleum, the Kingdom’s other natural resources include natural gas, iron ore, gold, and copper.” Meanwhile, providin...

A chapter in my new book, “Nigeria: Why Looting May Not Stop,” is entitled, ‘Dying For Looters.’ It happens all the time! The rescheduled presidential and national assembly elections are here with us. One very sad, painful truth is that there are some fellows who call themselves “party supporters” who may not live to see the end of the voting exercise tomorrow or hear the results declared. There are some others too who may die the day the results would be announced because they would eagerly indulge in some violent activities on behalf of some politicians defeated in the elections. But these are clearly avoidable deaths which will only happen if people refuse to learn from the past foolish mistakes of others, and so fail to place appropriate value on their lives. In this case, it is a choice, either to live or to die. Many politicians who are out there threatening to unleash fire and thunder during these elections have carefully removed their families very far from the battleground...

•11 seats yet to be declared •Three inconclusive WITH 61 seats won by its candidates at last Saturday’s National Assembly election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to maintain dominance in the Ninth Senate. The number will give the APC numerical strength in the Red Chamber. It will also enjoy a simple majority. It will, however, not afford the APC the luxury of a two-third majority in the upper chamber. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won 33 of the seats announced as at the close of yesterday. The Young Progressive Party (YPP) won a senatorial seat in Anambra State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election in four senatorial districts inconclusive. It was yet to announce the results from 11 senatorial zones as at the time of going to press last night. There are 109 seats in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. They are made up of three senators from each of the 36 states. The Federal Capital Ter...