Senators support Ekweremadu – Smart Adeyemi

Smart Adeyemi, a federal lawmaker representing the senatorial district of Kogi West, said senators in the federal legislature were throwing their weight behind embattled Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

The senator who was speaking on behalf of his colleagues was reacting to allegations of organ harvesting following the arrest of the senator and his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, in London on Thursday.

More about the drama surrounding the embattled senator’s arrest and detention has been made public over the alleged organ trafficking case.

In an interview with Channels Television, Senator Adeyemi said there are still many unknown facts about the case, hence the need for guidance not to rush to a hasty conclusion.

“This question is most regrettable, it is something that bothers everyone in the Senate because he is one of us; but the most important thing is the fact that I know him as a man of great value and of great strength of character; a man with a very high moral base,” Adeyemi told Channels Television about Ekweremadu’s high moral standard which makes it inconceivable to believe that a man of his status will be involved in a criminal enterprise like illegal organ harvesting. .

“But having said that, I think it’s too early to start blaming whether he’s guilty or not. All of us who are colleagues feel the pain and we support Ike Ekweremadu on this. We won’t let him down. that.

“Efforts are being made by a number of senators to see what we can do by providing moral support and any other support needed.

“But we want to get all the details of the case. The problems are that the victim was not of legal age, she was under 18, so she could not be considered to have the right to determine whether she could offer her organs for someone else.

Read also: Ex-senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife indicted for organ trafficking

Yobe North: INEC confirms that Machina is not Lawan as APC candidate

The helm of the ship steering the political ambitions of embattled Senate President Senator Ahmed Lawan appears to be steering him away from the National Assembly in 2023.

This follows a new twist in the saga surrounding his bid for re-election under the umbrella of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2023 Yobe State senatorial election, as the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) confirmed Bashir Machina as the true representative of APC.

The INEC reaffirmed its position that Machina won the May 28 primary election in Area C of Yobe at a time when the Senate Speaker was vying for the party’s presidential ticket.

Unfortunately, Machina’s name was changed to that of Ahmed Lawan by the Party’s National Work Committee (NWC) led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu. A situation that led to a protest from Machina.

However, by a twist of fate, rescue has come to Machina, as INEC recognizes him as the true winner and representative of the party for the upcoming senatorial elections in 2023.

Also Read:How Political Apathy and Vote Buying Can Spoil Nigeria’s Economic Future

Nigeria expects improved security to boost oil production, minister says

Timipre Sylva, the minister of state in charge of oil, said the security situation in the oil sector should improve, allowing the country to reach its OPEC production quota by the end of August.

The minister sent this reassuring message after his meeting with representatives of some oil companies operating in Nigeria.

Unfortunately, the country loses millions of barrels of crude oil per year due to the activities of vandals and oil thieves, a situation that has not only hurt the country’s stock market, but has also had a negative impact on the environment. .

The president, together with the governors of the oil-producing states, has pledged to end the theft of oil, particularly following the creation of special tribunals to combat this problem.

Currently, the country is producing below its OPEC quota, with output falling 300,000 barrels per day below its production target of 1.8 million barrels per day.

This shortfall is caused by the theft of crude oil and unprovoked attacks on oil installations. A result which pushed all the international oil companies to sell most of their oil exploitation licenses and to expatriate.

“For us in Nigeria, we are at a low point. We are unable to meet our OPEC quota.

“We’ve given ourselves about a month to make sure we can…we think by August we’ll see an improvement in safety,” he said.

Launch of the OPEC Africa Dialogue, my milestone achievement – ​​Barkindo

Dr Mohammad Barkindo, Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said that one of his landmark achievements within OPEC was the launch of the first OPEC Dialogue on Africa in June 2021.

Barkindo, who made this position known in a letter he addressed to Anibor Kragha, the executive secretary of the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA), said the launch would not have been possible without the excellent leadership from Kragha and ARDA.

“As I prepare for the end of my term as OPEC Secretary General on July 31, 2022, I take time to say goodbye to many key stakeholders with whom I have had the privilege of working over the course of of the past six years.” His letter to Kragha said he recounted the emotional and professional impact most of the people he worked with had on him.

“Indeed, I take stock of the myriad of achievements that, together, we have been able to accomplish.

“And, perhaps most importantly, the great relationships that have developed and the personal bonds that have been forged during this exciting but challenging time,” he continued.

He admitted that one of the most significant achievements of his administration is the OPEC dialogue forum, which is the product of a strategic partnership between ARDA, the African Energy Commission (AFREC) and African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO).

A partnership which, according to him, will be very beneficial for OPEC and its member countries.

He reminded everyone that the growth in membership of the elite oil club necessitated the establishment of OPEC’s new dialogue platforms.

“In fact, we proudly welcomed three new members from sub-Saharan Africa during my short tenure.”

“Congo joined OPEC in 2018, Equatorial Guinea in 2017 and Gabon in 2016, after being a member for two decades, from 1975 to 1995”,

“These new members build on an already strong continental base, which includes Libya, which joined OPEC in 1962, Algeria in 1969, Nigeria in 1971 and Angola in 2006,” he said. he adds.

Crude oil picks up 3.2% despite weekly decline

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures edged up 3.2% to close at $107.6 a barrel on Friday after news that supply could outweigh falling demand.

According to Trading Economics, supply from Libya has been affected by the halt in production following the unrest in the troubled country. This makes it increasingly difficult for OPEC to meet its production targets.

The Libyan problem also comes on top of the Nigerian Oil Minister’s disheartening statement that OPEC+ is running out of capacity to pump more oil, including its biggest member, Saudi Arabia.

However, Crude Oil is reacting more to news of likely monetary tightening in major economies aimed at fighting inflation. A development that has affected the demand for oil.