By Jessica Sabano

Officials handling the construction of the Mukono-Katosi road have blamed the Uganda National Road Authority (Unra) Land Acquisition office for failing to compensate residents in time to vacate their land for road construction, noting that the failure would affect the scheduled completion date.

The project engineer Joseph Mbazira on Friday said up to now some residents have not yet been compensated and there is no way they can vacate which is slowing down the construction works.

He added that they have, and are only working on the areas where residents were compensated. Mr Mbazira said the project which started on January, 2015, and is scheduled to be completed in July, 2017 meaning that the original contract period is 911days.

“We thought by this time we would have done 75 per cent of the work but we have only covered 60 per cent. Therefore, we are behind with 15 per cent and this is due to compensation,” he said.

He added that 28 kilometers of the road have fully been completed with the upper surface/final layer.

The project road section is 74.2km of Mukono-Katosi (26.5km) and Kisoga -Nyenga (47.7km) estimated to cost Shs254 billion and the works certified up to date is Shs94 billion representing 36.88 per cent of the project cost according to Mr Mbazira.

In 2013, Katosi project stalled after Shs24 billion was paid to a shadowy company.

Read: Former UNRA chief pins Byandala on Katosi scam

The ACE Consulting Engineer Moharram Bakoum said that the road starts from Watoni junction, has two stretches and one bridge and it connects to Buikwe and Jinja districts.

He also said they found new sections of 10 swamps that have been identified and yet the initial design only identified two swamps.

“These more swamps have also delayed the works as they need three months to be treated, filled and surfaced,” Mr Bakoum told Daily Monitor.

Patrick Onyok, the assistant resident engineer said they also had a problem with the Standard Gauge Railway who said Unra was encroaching on their railway land and this has affected 1km of the road. He added that increased demands from the community for access roads have also affected the road construction.

Unra land acquisition officer Stella Nakimbugwe said in a telephone interview that they are going to compensate all the residents before the end of this month. She also said the problem was about revaluation of the project noting that some residents were undervalued.

“We had to repeat the process after some residents complained of being undervalued but they are going to receive the payments at the end of this month so that the road construction can go on smoothly,” she said.

Kayode Ibrahim, the engineer supervising section one of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction/rehabilitation contract, by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, said that the project was 32 per cent completed.

Mr. Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday that work had been completed on one section of the Long Bridge and on various critical sections.

NAN reports that section one of the projects is from Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange and is being handled by Julius Berger.

The engineer said more warning signs and crash barriers had been deployed to the highway to ensure free flow of traffic and check accidents.

“We will complete the repair of the long bridge by December 15 and we will complete all palliatives to make the road motorable before the Yuletide.

“The entire project is 32 per cent completed. We have done earthworks, laid asphalt and base course, done culverts and drains on various changes between Redeemed Camp and the Sagamu Interchange.

“We have constructed trapezoidal drains, rectangular drains and retaining walls on various portions and also laid polymer modified asphalt on various shoulders. We are working massively on various portions,” he said.

A NAN correspondent on inspection of the highway with the inspection team of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, reports that the highway is free from the usual traffic logjam as at press time.

Tack coat (binding material for asphalt) was being laid on a portion of the outer lane of the popular Long bridge.

Earthworks and laying of asphalt were also ongoing on various points as the committee members made intermittent stops to raise questions.

NAN

By George Ngigi

Cement manufacturer East African Portland Cement (EAPCC) is set to retrench more than two thirds of its staff in a restructuring plan which will cost the State-owned company about Sh2 billion.

The Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm, which was has been ruled technically insolvent by the auditor general, says it will plans to lay off over 1,000 employees, reducing its staff count to 500.

The loss-making company has offered the government 2,000 acres of its idle land for Sh10 billion to be used to turnaround its fortunes including paying for the voluntary retirement programme.

“We are overly overstaffed with our employee numbers at over 1,500 and close to 2,000. By benchmarking with the rest of the industry we need only 500,” said Bill Lay, Portland’s chairman.

Mr Lay said staff reduction was a major priority as it was an investment with a shorter payback period with payroll savings expected to recoup the cost in two years.

Portland reported an operational loss of Sh1.6 billion for the year ended June with staff costs representing 31 per cent of its revenue at Sh2.7 billion.

The company owns more than 14,000 acres of land which has attracted the attention of the government which has plans to build industrial parks and extend the Export Processing Zone.

The government holds a 25.3 per cent stake in Portland while the National Social Security Fund has 27 per cent. LafargeHolcim, which also has a stake in Portland’s rival Bamburi Cement, owns a 41.7 per cent stake.

Machine breakdowns and operational inefficiencies have seen the company fortunes turn for the worse and its market share shrink to 11 per cent from 23 per cent three years ago.

The cement maker plans to spend Sh6 billion of the cash it raises from mortgaging its land holdings to settle outstanding debts with the balance of Sh2 billion going towards its production plant upgrade.

International financiers

Portland’s current liabilities of Sh4.96 billion have grossly exceeded its current assets of Sh2.1 billion indicating that if its creditors recalled their debt the firm would not be in position to settle them.

Mr Lay disclosed the company is also looking for cash from international financiers even as it urges the government to sell some of its shareholding.

READ: Portland Cement hires E&Y to probe multiple revenue leakages

Portland’s rival Bamburi reduced its staff numbers by 71 last year following layoffs and voluntary early retirements. Bamburi, which enjoys the largest market share in the industry has 851 employees with a payroll of Sh1.9 billion.

Several other manufacturing companies have announced plans to cut jobs underlining concerns over the health of East Africa’s largest economy.

Mr Lay said the company plans to close its factory in March next year to allow it refurbish its kiln in an attempt to increase its capacity.

The factory has a capacity of 450,000 metric tonnes an year — but it produced 380,000 metric tonnes in the year to June due to breakdowns. It expects to increase capacity to 480,000 after the refurbishment.

Ernst & Young is currently conducting a forensic audit at Portland in an effort to seal operational gaps that may have been exploited by unscrupulous employees to enrich themselves.

FORMER Finance Minister Tendai Biti has launched a scathing attack on his successor Patrick Chinamasa, describing the Zanu PF ministerial appointee as the biggest bank robber the country has ever seen.

Biti said at a policy dialogue forum at Dr Ibbo Mandaza’s SAPES Trust recently that Chinamasa had abandoned all economic fundamentals and raided bank accounts to prop up President Robert Mugabe’s faltering regime.

He accused Chinamasa of conniving with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya to raid bank accounts and of ordering the repatriation of Nostro bank balances to be squandered by the government back in Zimbabwe.

Biti said the current government has been raiding RTGS balances since April 2014.

The PDP leader accused Chinamasa of transferring the government account from CBZ where there was better accountability, to the central bank where the Finance Minister and Mangudya were allegedly conniving to issue what he said could now be $3 billion worth of “toxic” treasury bills.

“There is a myth that we are in a cash crunch because people are externalising,” Biti said.

“What has happened is that we have had a bank heist, a bank robbery at the central bank and that robber is Patrick Chinamasa who has been raiding these RTGS balances from the system.”

Biti said Chinamasa and Mangudya had now turned to raiding export proceeds.

“It’s not enough that they are stealing that which is already in the system; they are also stealing income that is accruing to us in terms of export proceeds.

“They have been issuing treasury bills like confetti.”

He added: “They have been issuing treasury bills to finance their recurrent expenditure. When President Mugabe goes to Singapore, he is taking at least US$6 million which is somewhat being financed by a very narrow revenue base.”

Biti said government’s $500 million input command agriculture scheme was being financed through treasury bills adding that the same government had no clue on the total stock of treasury bills it had issued so far.

“The Ministry of Finance has become a nominal ministry; there has been state capture of the Ministry of Finance by the office of the OPC (Office of the President and Cabinet) which euphemism of junta, Mnangagwa and Lacoste, that horrible politics…just two people are doing this, Chinamasa and his friend (Mangudya),” he said.

The former MDC-T secretary general and lawyer also said Zimbabwe’s deepening economic crisis was far from being a by-product of objective economic difficulties but that of “subjective challenges of government dishonesty”.

“How does a self-respecting minister actually go and steal people’s monies that are in RGTS balances? I don’t understand it!

“And when you are a lawyer for that matter who knows the law! There is no provision in our law that allows a government to maintain an overdraft with the Reserve Bank; it’s not there at all.”

Biti said government was living beyond its means and was abusing public funds to finance party programmes such as President Mugabe’s million dollar march earlier this year and conferences.

“You have a group of men and women who are not afraid of other people’s assets. When I did criminal law, I was taught that if you take something without someone’s consent, its theft.

“I have a problem with Patrick and his colleagues because they are cynical; they have no respect for rules, they have no morality at all and that’s why we are in this crisis. We are run by a bunch of thugs without respect to rules, principles or morality.

“How do you go to a shop like SeedCo and issue a treasury bill that you know it is not even worth the paper that it is printed on.”

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday appealed to the people of the Niger Delta to embrace peace and focus on agriculture for sustainable economic development and wealth creation.

Mr. Buhari made the appeal at the 20th Anniversary of Nigerian Agip Oil Company’s Green River Project Farmers Day, held at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.

The president urged them to take advantage of the huge potential in agriculture and stop the destruction of oil and gas pipelines, which only served to destroy the country’s ecosystem and economy.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the president was represented at the occasion by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri.

He commended the unrelenting efforts of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, who he said had proved that oil production and agriculture can coexist.

“They have for the past 29 years supported their host communities to focus on agriculture through the Green River Project, a corporate social responsibility initiative which has resulted in sustainable development in these communities.

“I appeal to the people of the Niger Delta region to embrace peace and focus on agriculture for sustainable economic development and wealth creation.

“I urge you to take advantage of the huge potential in agriculture and stop the destruction of oil and gas pipelines which only serve to destroy our ecosystem and economy.

“The present administration is committed to doing everything possible to support Niger Delta to achieve their potential in agriculture which is far more than its endowments in oil and gas,” Mr. Buhari said.

Mr. Buhari said the focus of his administration was to redirect attention to agriculture in its entirety and empower Nigerians in a productive and sustainable manner.

He said the process entailed treating agriculture as a business to create wealth and provide employment.

According to him, it also involved taking the country from being an import dependent country to a self-sufficient nation, with surplus for export to earn foreign exchange.

The president noted that Nigeria spent an average of $22 billion annually on wheat, rice, sugar and fish imports.

Buhari said that Nigeria had an estimated 84 million hectares of arable land with an estimated 10 per cent only being optimally utilised.

He said there was an abundance of land available for cultivation to meet the demand of about 170 million consumers in the Nigerian domestic market and the entire West Africa sub region.

The Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Agip, Massimo Insulla, said it was significant to choose the theme Sustainable Farming for Sustainability for the milestone celebration.

“This is to underscore the achievements of the Green River Project over the years, in terms of the important roles it is playing in the livelihood and sustenance of many families.

“The opportunities it provides for youths and women empowerment and as a model for sustainable socio-economic development.

“It has also become a vehicle for positive engagement and collaboration with communities and host governments, such as we are having here today.

“I am therefore pleased that NAOC Green River Project’s Farmers Day celebration is being held for the first time, in a different location, and in Bayelsa,” he said.

Mr. Insulla expressed gratitude to Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson, for accepting to host NAOC Green River Project’s Farmers and other farmers from Delta, Imo and Rivers states.

Humphrey Ogon, Vice Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Amassoma, said the programme was timely and is commendable considering the economic situation of the country.

Mr. Ogon said that the benefits included improving the livelihood of farmers in the region, food security and creation of employment.

“I will therefore use this opportunity to unveil a new relationship between Niger Delta University and the Green River Project for our mutual benefit in the area of collaborative research.

“Currently NDU operates a research farm and is developing integrated farm, which frame work is a perfect platform for such research collaboration,” he said.

The occasion, with the theme, ‘Sustainable Farming for Sustainability’, had in attendance representatives of host governors of Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Imo states.

Others were General Manager, District of Agip, Marco Rotondi; former Military Governor of old Rivers, Alfred Diete-Spiff, among others dignitaries.

(NAN)

By Emmanuel Addeh and Sylvester Idowu

President Muhammadu Buhari at the weekend in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, vowed to revamp the economy of the Niger Delta to ensure that in the next few years, agriculture would coexist and compete favourably with proceeds from the export of oil and gas resources.

The president who blamed successive governments for missing several opportunities to steer the Nigerian economy away from its sole dependence on oil and place it on a solid footing, pledged that his administration would pursue the diversification of the Nigerian economy with vigour.

Buhari who spoke during the Green River Project (GRP) Farmers’ day, jointly organised by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and supported by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Oando Plc, stated that if the current momentum is sustained, Nigeria would be self-sufficient in a couple of years from now.

The GRP is dedicated to the celebration of achievements of farmers in Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Imo States and according to the organisers, has enabled Agip and its joint venture partners to assist the states in agricultural production towards achieving food sufficiency and economic empowerment.

While calling for the support of everyone, the Nigerian leader reiterated that he had already begun plugging the loopholes which led to the degeneration of the economy, noting that with the feedback at his disposal, Nigeria was on the path of recovery.

“As well as plug gaps and shortcomings, I am pleased to let you know that the results have started to take shape

“There is no doubt that these are difficult times for us as a nation. Having squandered most of the opportunities we had to lay a solid foundation in the past, we have seen our oil-dependent economy slide into recession largely on account of falling oil prices as well as militancy and vandalism of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

“But even as these economic difficulties have unfolded over the last two years, we have gone ahead to lay our vision for restoring the economy and placing it on a diversified footing largely on agriculture and solid minerals.

“The result has been heart-warming. The most recent GDP figures for the second quarter of 2016, rose in two major areas; agriculture and solid minerals,” he said.

In the audio-visual message he specifically sent for the occasion and a separate message read on his behalf by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who represented him, Buhari also begged Niger Delta militants to halt the harm being inflicted on the economy and the Niger Delta ecosystem by the bombing of oil and gas facilities in the region.

“I appeal to the people of the Niger Delta to embrace peace and focus on agriculture for sustainable economic development and wealth creation. I urge you to take advantage of the huge potential in agriculture and stop the destruction of oil and gas pipelines which only serves to destroy our ecosystem and economy,” the president added.

He said that with the agricultural policies and programmes currently being put in place and the kind of partnership shown by Agip in revamping agriculture in the Niger Delta, the people of Nigeria would soon have a cause to smile.

In the message, the president said the Niger Delta possesses one of the best wetlands in the world and advised its people to embrace peace so that genuine development could take place.

Buhari stated: “Let me use this opportunity to reiterate our uttermost commitment to our farmers across the country. This government is championing several schemes aimed at supporting farmers and agriculture.

“Let me list a few of them. The anchor borrowers programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria which has already impacted positively in rice production levels in several states.”

He said twith the good harvest coming in from parts of the country, there was no doubt that such partnerships initiated by NAOC and its owners would go a long way in adding value to farmers.

Describing the GRP in the Niger Delta as ” one of its kind and worthy of commendation and emulation by all oil companies, Buhari stated that apart from the huge oil and gas deposits, the Niger Delta region is blessed with one of the world’s largest wetlands with arable land for agriculture and has the capacity to become a domestic and international provider of agricultural produce.

The president disclosed that $9 billion dollars was currently being lost to lack of facilities for prompt processing of agricultural produce annually and $22 billion used in the importation of a few agricultural products.

He said the federal government was repositioning the bank of industry, BOA and has created the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending NIRSAL, to enable farmers access to credit facilities.

The President stated that the provision made by Agip in supporting beneficiaries with processing facilities would go a long way in ameliorating the huge losses.

While commending the ‘unrelenting’ efforts of the company”, he urged them to sustain the initiative as oil production and agriculture can coexist and pave the way for sustainable prosperity.

He urged the governors to collaborate with the federal government to make agriculture a key business in Nigeria as it will help curb restiveness and increase revenues in the states.

Chairman of the company, Uberto Cararra, in his speech said the programme has been helping the youths as well as women and expressed joy that the GRP was receiving attention from the right quarters.

The MD, Oando, Pade Durotoye, who was represented by Anthony Sawyer, General Manager Operations, noted that the programme currently has 35,000 farmers within 120 communities in its fold, but called for a ” more aggressive and varied implementation strategy”.

Also, the General Manager District, Marco Rotondi, said the GRP was changing the perception that the Niger Delta was “all about insecurity and militancy”.

Prof Humphrey Ogoni, Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University, in his address said attention should be paid to mechanised farming, integrated farming system and more collaboration with research institutions like the NDU.

Meanwhile, ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias “Tompolo” yesterday broke his silence on recent spate of bombings in the Niger Delta, alleging that his cousin, Michael Johnny, was behind series of recent attacks on national assets.

He said confidently that the security agencies were aware of the involvement of the said Chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State, Chief Johhny, in the recent attacks on oil facilities in the region.

Tompolo maintained that information at the disposal of security agencies indicated that a suspect in their custody had allegedly confessed that Michael Johnny sent him (the suspect) to bomb oil facilities.

Tompolo in a statement signed by his Media Consultant, Paul Bebenimibo, was reacting to an online publication that militants are plotting to attack more facilities unless the federal government stalls Tompolo’s trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He expressed surprise that the publication was coming up two days after his cousin, Chief Michael Johnny appeared on a national television accusing him of being the mastermind of attacks on oil facilities.

Reacting to the publication, Ekpemupolo again dissociated himself from the threat by the group noting that he did not and will not send anyone to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta Region.

“The attention of my client, Tompolo has been drawn to an online publication by a faceless person or persons, that militants have vowed to attack more oil facilities over Tompolo, if Federal Government of Nigeria refused to drop the criminal charges against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) unequivocally dissociates himself from this threat as he did not send anyone to attack oil facilities in the Niger Delta region because of his case with the EFCC. Tompolo has consistently denied involvement in the resurgence and bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.

“This online publication is coming two days after one Michael Johnny has accused Tompolo on Channels Television programme,” State of the Nation” of been behind the bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region.”

“Tompolo watched the programme with great disbelief as Michael Johnny accused him of being the brain behind the bombings of oil facilities, whereas information at the disposal of security agencies indicates that a suspect in their custody had confessed that Michael Johnny sent him (the suspect) to bomb oil facilities.

“That means that Michael Johnny is the one behind the bombings of oil facilities in the Niger Delta. Tompolo has instructed his lawyers to sue Michael Johnny for malicious damage.

“Tompolo has said in many occasions that he will not resort to violence and bombing of oil facilities because of his case with the EFCC. Tompolo sued the EFCC for illegally placing non-debit order on his company account in Warri before he was hurriedly dragged to court by the EFCC in Lagos. And after a year, the court has refused to hear his case for frivolous excuses. And he has vowed to patiently pursue his case rather than resorting to violence and bombing of oil facilities which is greatly affecting our economy”, the statement signed by Bebenimibo read.

Finally, Chief Ekpemupolo we wish to warn that no one should u warned against the use of his name to seek relevance in the present administration noting that such moves would be resisted by any legitimate means.

By Vera Anyagafu

At the forum organised by members of the Nigerian community in China to address the thriving illicit trade on drugs and its effects on not just China-Nigeria bilateral relationships, but also on Nigerians living and doing various businesses in China, the President, Good Governance Initiative (GGI) Mr. Festus Mbisiogu, while intimating forum on BBC World Service Poll declared that 85 per cent of Nigerians believe that China exerts a positive influence on the social and economic development in Nigeria.

He said that China and Nigeria as closest allies and partners, are not deserving of any bad image which the growing malaise of drug trafficking can rob on both nations integrity.

In this online interview, Festus who also disclosed that in as much as Nigerians transactions in Guangdong Province alone in China is recorded to a cash return of over $5,000,000 Million Dollars a day, Nigerians continue suffering the worst form of stereotyping in every aspect in China and many other host countries abroad in addition to being placed on various diplomatic restrictions.

Excerpt.

How would you describe China-Nigeria bi-lateral relations so far?

Both countries are committed to realising a long lasting bi-lateral relationship and as the Nigeria-China cooperation continues to grow, there are over 50 Chinese official development finance projects identified in Nigeria which cuts across rail, power and telecommunications projects within the last 10 years.

But the underlying fact which Nigerians in China has failed to grasp is that Nigerian immigrants in China should have been the direct recipients of these benefits of trade development and mutual cooperation.

China looks up to Nigeria as a model of trade and economic development in Africa to boost its cooperation with Africa. At present there over 2,000 registered Chinese businesses and companies in Nigeria alone and China seeks for avenues of mutual person to person cooperation between its Nationals, its business owners and Nigerian citizens.

Why are Nigerians placed on various diplomatic restrictions in China?

Today because of the involvement of some Nigerian citizens in illicit drugs and drugs trafficking in China and outside, we cannot truly say that the consummate benefits of this relationship are robbing off on all of us.

Rather we are being profiled on daily basis and denied some privileges which ordinarily should come with our residing in this country.

It is knowledge in the public domain that because of this involvement in drugs, by some miscreants, all of us are paying a heavy price for it. Like our people say, when one finger is dipped in the red oil it will automatically affect all the other fingers even when they do not want to be robbed with oil.

However due to our abusive tendencies to law and order we are on a daily basis denied these benefits and are instead placed on various diplomatic restrictions.

Would you say it is partly the reason Nigerians are denied resident permit and or visa extension?

In Guangdong Province, Nigerians are no longer giving resident permit. There is also no visa extension. Nigerians who are married and residing in China are not given resident permit. That is why many of us do not have our families here with us. Our citizens who come here to study cannot get resident permit and are not allowed to work unlike the citizens of other countries.

There is no doubt that illicit drugs and trafficking undermine state authority and the rule of law by fuelling corruption, compromising elections, and hurting the legitimate economy and significant impact on the livelihoods and quality of life of citizens, most particularly the poor, our women and children including all of us here, because one way or the other, we are involved.

What can the Nigerian authority in China do in this regard?

I plead with the Nigeria embassy and the Consulate General authority in China to find every means to look into the affairs of the many Nigerian citizens present here. The Community gathering known as “Nigerian Union” is vey paramount.

We are a communal people and China recognizes the impact of our community gatherings, as it aids control and management of the numerous Nigerian immigrants resident or transacting businesses across China. Our embassy authority should help in creating a platform of legality in the leadership of the Nigerian Community.

This I believe will aid all our efforts in harnessing the activities of many Nigerian citizens who are here in China for different purposes. Although, the embassy may not be able to follow activities of every Nigerian, a legal platform of the Nigeria Union in countries of abode can combat some of the excesses of a few robbing us the immense benefits of our cooperation with host countries.

What advice do you have for fellow Diaspora Nigerians?

We should all rise and say No to drugs because drugs and crime undermine development by eroding social and human capital. The direct impacts of victimization, discrimination, image problem as well as fear of crime impede the socio-economic development of all.

It also leads to restriction of movements as already highlighted by the position of Chinese authorities on some of us here in China. It also impedes access to possible employment and educational opportunities, and it discourages the accumulation of assets.

Nigerian citizens used to be the most favourite of China’s selection of Africans to partner with in business and other mutual relationship but these unlawful behaviors robbed the average Nigerian immigrant and businessmen in China that privilege.

The negative effects of illicit drug trafficking and unlawful behaviors goes beyond the shores of China, I can’t remember any former drug dealer who is at peace with the proceeds made from drug trafficking whether for himself, children and family therefore why should you continue to plot your own ruin in life. We all must rise to say No to drugs.

Nigerians must rise to say No to drugs. Let me emphasize here that religion has become a part of our cultural values, and since it plays a major influence on how we value life, I urge religious leaders to help discourage the temptation rather encourage true blessings of God when we work hard, pray and trust God.

As much as we are foreigners in China and have come here with the sole intent to succeed and take wealth home, the issue of clash of interest and partisan politics among Nigerian citizens whom I believe all has genuine intentions in helping to organize their fellow brothers and sisters should not be viewed in the negative but to be encouraged to take a formal approach with due respect to the laws of the land

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), says it has destroyed another set of illegal oil barges in Rivers.

Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, said the barges were filled with stolen oil.

According to Famuyiwa two of the latest barges filled with stolen oil were set ablaze by NAF helicopters on armed patrol around Okoromabie in the South-East of Port Harcourt Refinery.

Famuyiwa explained that the third barge, surrounded by canoes carrying drums, was sited at Onne, while individuals around the barge and canoes fled.

He explained further that the barge and drums did not explode, indicating the possibility of being empty.

“The latest operations like the previous ones are clear pointers to the fact that it is no longer profitable to steal crude oil in Nigeria,” Famuyiwa said.

NAF, had in the past one month, destroyed a number of illegal refineries and oil barges in Rivers.

Authorities in Mozambique are still trying to determine the cause of a lethal explosion in a village. What’s clear is that a fuel truck went up in smoke, killing more than 40 and injuring scores more.

At least 44 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a fuel truck burst into flames in a village in western Mozambique, according to Jose Mendonca, spearker of the provincial government in the Tete region. State-run Radio Mozambique was reporting a higher death toll of 73.

Mendonca said that 15 children were among the wounded as well as two pregnant women.

“There are two pregnant women with third-degree burns. That worries us a lot. We are monitoring all the necessary information. The whole community is on alert. We’ll have information coming from different places,” Mendonca said, adding that an investigation was underway and that further data could be available as soon as Friday.

The truck had crashed on Wednesday afternoon and was immobilized.

Accounts of how the explosion was triggered varied. Some locals suggested a problem inside the oil tank or a short circuit, others blamed people trying to siphon off fuel from the vehicle, while other accounts suggested that police warning shots – trying to disperse people stealing fuel – could have set off the blast. One witness even blamed police entirely, saying they were the ones siphoning off the fuel.

“Police were siphoning off fuel in order to sell it to the people in Moatize. We were looking. Then I don’t know what happened. A shot and there was a fire.”

Mendonca referred to the ongoing investigation when asked about these allegations, saying authorities still did not know what had caused the fire. Three government ministers were expected on site on Friday to monitor the rescuers’ ongoing work.

mc/msh (AFP, AP)