News

Missing $49.8bn; NNPC, CBN Meet, Today

Published

12 years ago

December 16, 2013

New Chief Operating Officer, Horwath Dafinone (Chartered Accountants), Dr. Daphne Terri Dafinone and new managing partner, Mr. Igho Dafinone, during a cocktail party to honour Praveen Bhasin and usher-in the new management team in Lagos, recently. Photo: NAN

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance will today meet over the sum of $49.8bn, which the CBN alleged NNPC failed to remit to the federation account.

The NNPC’s Executive Director, Explorations and Production, Mr. Abiye Membere, and the Director, Department of Petroleum Resources, Gerorge Osahon, disclosed this, Saturday at a media briefing in Abuja.

Osahon said, “The agencies are meeting on Monday to straighten the record.”

Corroborating Osahon, Membere said, “All the agencies will meet on Monday: the CBN, NNPC, FIRS (Federal Inland Revenue Service), the ministry of finance and the budget office. “The Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office has to be there because they give us the target.”

Membere stated that the NNPC was ready to defend what it had done.

The CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, had in a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, alleged that the NNPC failed to remit $49.8bn to the federation account from January, 2012 to July 2013.

But Membere, at the media briefing, said that the figure could not be justified. He said the NNPC was surprised because the letter, which was written in September 2013 was leaked to the public to heat up the polity.

He said, “The letter was written in September. The NNPC responded immediately through the channel it came. It was really surprising that a confidential letter of this nature will also go out and heat up the polity. “This is actually why we are worried, considering where it is coming from. It is coming from the top. It is taking a political dimension, which is not good for the country at all. It has come to a point where the NNPC and other agencies have no choice but to keep the record straight.”

He said the NNPC remitted $18.48bn to the federation account and not the $15bn claimed by the CBN. Membere stated, “The CBN governor’s letter indicated an amount that was remitted: $15bn. But our record indicated that we remitted $18.48bn within the same period.”

The executive director said the CBN ought to check accounts for royalty and tax before making the claim about the missing $49.8bn.

He stated that the NNPC would not collect revenue on behalf of the Federal Government and not remit it. According to him, expectations on revenue should be lower compared to previous years because of incessant pipeline vandalism.

News

HoS Hails Fubara Over Provision of Accommodation for Permanent Secretaries

Published

18 hours ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The Head of Service (HoS) of Rivers State, Dr. Mrs. Inyingi S. I. Brown, has commended Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, for approving befitting accommodation for Permanent Secretaries in the state.

This commendation was contained in a press release made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.

According to the Head of Service, Governor Fubara has continued to demonstrate uncommon commitment to the welfare of civil servants in Rivers State, stressing that such gestures underscore his people-oriented leadership style. She urged civil servants across the state to remain supportive of the governor’s administration in order to sustain good governance and effective public service delivery.

Speaking on behalf of the Body of Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Brown congratulated Governor Fubara on the occasion of his 51st birthday, describing him as “a Governor who leads by serving.”

She further praised the governor’s service-driven and people-centred leadership approach, noting that it has significantly contributed to institutional stability and improved efficiency within the state’s public service. Special appreciation was expressed for the approval of a befitting accommodation complex for Permanent Secretaries, which she said reflects the governor’s commitment to staff welfare and enhanced productivity.

As part of activities to mark the governor’s birthday, the Body of Permanent Secretaries announced the sponsorship of 329 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for indigent students across the state.

A breakdown of the initiative shows that 319 forms will be distributed across the 319 political wards in Rivers State, while five forms are allocated to non-indigenes and five forms to persons living with disabilities.

Interested applicants are advised to contact the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, for further details.

The Body of Permanent Secretaries wished Governor Fubara continued good health, divine wisdom, and greater accomplishments in his service to the people of Rivers State.

By John Bibor

News

Allegation of Disrespect to President Tinubu Unfounded — Rivers Government

Published

19 hours ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn to a statement credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), purportedly authored by one Bestman Innocent Amadi, alleging that the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, removed the official portrait of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, from the Government House, Port Harcourt.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Rivers State Government wishes to categorically state that there is no policy, directive, or intention on the part of the government or the Governor that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government.

On the contrary, the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, currently enjoys a robust, cordial, and collaborative relationship with the Federal Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Renewed Hope Agenda—a partnership that is already yielding positive and tangible benefits for the people of Rivers State.

Consequently, the insinuation that the Governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” is misleading, irresponsible, inflammatory, and entirely unsupported by verifiable facts, and should therefore be disregarded by the public.

It is regrettable that a body expected to promote youth unity, peace, and responsible engagement would resort to incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated claims capable of overheating the polity at a time when Rivers State requires calm, dialogue, and mature leadership.

The Rivers State Government therefore calls on well-meaning members of the public, particularly its esteemed and hardworking youths, to disregard and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups bent on advancing divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.

Rivers State belongs to all of us. Political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, peace, and the collective pursuit of progress.

Members of the public are further urged to remain vigilant and avoid lending credence to inflammatory statements or the activities of fifth columnists pursuing dubious agendas aimed at sowing discord.

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News

Rivers Government Dismisses Allegations of Disrespect to President Tinubu

Published

19 hours ago

February 2, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has dismissed as unfounded and misleading allegations that Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara removed the official portrait of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the Government House in Port Harcourt.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the state government reacted to claims credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), describing the allegation as false, irresponsible, and unsupported by any verifiable facts.

The government clarified that it has no policy, directive, or intention that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government. It emphasized that Governor Fubara maintains a cordial, respectful, and collaborative relationship with President Tinubu and the Federal Government.

According to the statement, the relationship between Rivers State and the Federal Government has grown stronger under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with tangible benefits and positive impacts already being felt by residents of the state.

The Rivers State Government described insinuations that the governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” as deliberately provocative, noting that such claims are capable of misleading the public and unnecessarily heating up the polity.

It further expressed concern that an organization expected to promote youth unity and peace would engage in what it termed incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated accusations at a time when the state requires calm, dialogue, and responsible leadership.

The government called on well-meaning members of the public, especially the youths of Rivers State, to disregard the claims and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups spreading divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.

Reaffirming its commitment to peace, unity, and progress, the state government stressed that political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, and the collective interest of the people.

Members of the public were also urged to remain vigilant and not give attention to inflammatory statements or individuals described as fifth columnists bent on causing division within the state.