Senators are standing behind Ekweremadu – Smart Adeyemi
Smart Adeyemi, a federal lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial district, has said that senators in the federal legislature are 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 senator and his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu,’s arrest in London on Thursday.
More information about the drama surrounding the arrest and detention of the embattled senator has been coming out into the public domain about the purported organ trafficking case.
In an interview with Channels Television, Senator Adeyemi said there are still a lot of unknown facts about the case, hence the need to be guided so as not to rush to a hasty conclusion.
“This issue is most unfortunate, it’s something that is very disturbing to everybody in the Senate because he is one of us; but more importantly is the fact that I know him to be a man of great value and strength of character; a man with a very high moral foundation,” Adeyemi told Channels Television about the high moral standard Ekweremadu has that 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 this, I think it is too early to start apportioning blame as to whether he is guilty or not. All of us who are colleagues, are feeling the pains and we are standing with Ike Ekweremadu on this. We will not abandon him to this.
“Effort is being made by quite a number of Senators to see what we can do by way of giving moral support and any other support that is required.
“But we want to get the full details of the case. The issues are that the victim was not of age, that he was below 18 years old, so he could not be seen to have had the right of determining as to whether he could offer his organs for someone else.”
Read also: Ex-senator, Ike Ekweremadu, wife arrainged for organ trafficking
Yobe North: INEC confirms Machina not Lawan as APC Candidate
The rudder of the ship steering the political ambitions of the embattled senate president, Senator Ahmed Lawan, seems to be blowing him away from the national assembly come 2023.
This follows a new twist in the saga surrounding his reelection bid under the umbrella of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the senatorial election for Yobe State come 2023, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed Bashir Machina as the true representative of the APC.
INEC reaffirmed its position that Machina won the May 28 Primary Election in Yobe Zone C at a time when the Senate President was aspiring for the presidential ticket of the party.
Unfortunately, Machina’s name was substituted with that of Ahmed Lawan by the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party. A situation that led to a protest by Machina.
However, in a twist of fate, succour has come the way of Machina, as INEC recognises him as the true winner and representative of the party for the upcoming senatorial election come 2023.
read also:How political apathy and vote-buying may mar Nigeria’s economic future
Nigeria expects improved security to boost oil production, minister says
Timipre Sylva, the minister of state for petroleum, has said that the oil sector’s security situation is expected to improve, enabling the country to meet its OPEC production quota by the end of August.
The minister gave this reassuring message after his meeting with the representatives of some of the oil companies operating in Nigeria.
Unfortunately, the country loses millions of barrels of crude oil a year because of the activities of vandals and oil thieves, a situation that has not only hurt the purse of the country but also impacted badly on the environment.
The President, in collaboration with governors of the oil-producing states, has pledged to stop oil theft, especially following the establishment of special courts to fight this problem.
Currently, the country is producing below its OPEC quota as production falls 300,000 barrels per day below its 1.8 million barrels per day production target.
This shortfall is caused by crude oil theft and unprovoked attacks on oil facilities. An outcome that pushed all the international oil companies to sell most of their oil mining licences and go offshore.
“For us in Nigeria, we are at a low point. We are not able to meet our OPEC quota.
“We have given ourselves just about a month to ensure that we can … we believe that by August we would see some improvement in security,” he said.
Launch of OPEC Africa Dialogue, my landmark achievement – Barkindo
Dr.Mohammad Barkindo, the secretary-general, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said that one of his landmark achievements in OPEC was the launch of the inaugural OPEC Africa Dialogue in June 2021.
Barkindo, who made this position known in a letter he addressed to Anibor Kragha, the Executive Secretary, African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA), said that the launch couldn’t have been made possible without the excellent leadership of Kragha, and ARDA.
“As I prepare for the end of my tenure as Secretary-General of OPEC on July 31, 2022, I am taking the time to say farewell to many of the key stakeholders I have had the privilege to work with over the last six years.” His letter addressed to Kragha stated that he was recounting the emotional and professional impact most of the people he had worked with had on him.
“Indeed, I am taking stock of the myriad accomplishments that, together, we have been able to achieve.
“And, perhaps even more importantly, the excellent relationships that have developed and the personal bonds that were forged during this exciting yet challenging period of time,” he continued.
He admitted that one of the most significant accomplishments of his administration is the OPEC dialogue forum, which is a product of a strategic partnership between the ARDA, the African Energy Commission (AFREC), and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO).
A partnership he believes will be of great benefit to OPEC and its member countries.
He reminded all that the growth in membership of the elite oil club necessitated the establishment of the newest OPEC dialogue platforms.
“In fact, we have proudly welcomed three new members from Sub-Saharan Africa during my short tenure alone.”
“Congo joined OPEC in 2018, Equatorial Guinea joined in 2017, and Gabon rejoined in 2016, after having been a member for two decades, from 1975 until 1995,”
“These newer members are building upon an already strong continental foundation, which includes Libya, which joined OPEC in 1962, Algeria in 1969, Nigeria in 1971 and Angola in 2006,” he added.
Crude oil picks up 3.2% steam despite weekly decline
The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures edged higher by 3.2 percent to close at $107.6 per barrel on Friday following news that supply may outweigh falling demand.
According to Trading Economics, supply from Libya has been affected as production shuts down following unrest in the troubled country. This makes it increasingly difficult for OPEC to meet its production targets.
The Libya problem also adds to the petroleum minister of Nigeria’s discouraging 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 oil demand.
