Economy

NNPC allays fears of fuel scarcity, admits hitches in depots

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has admitted that there are pricing issues at some petrol depots in the country but ruled out any hike in the pump price of the product.

It was reported on Tuesday that fuel queues resurfaced on Monday in the Federal Capital Territory and some parts of Nasarawa and Niger states.

Retailers had claimed that the ex-depot price of the product had been increased by private tank farm owners from the recommended N148-N149.5/litre to between N153 and N155/litre.

The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, while delivering a presentation at a conference organised by Energy correspondents in Lagos on Tuesday, said the corporation had an adequate stock of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).

He said, “As we speak now, there is speculation of fuel scarcity within the media, but we have over 1.7 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit in the country. We have another 2.3 billion litres coming in; so there is no shortage in supply as being speculated.

“Of course, there are issues about pricing at some depots but the government has no plan to revise the pricing structure.”

According to Kyari, NNPC’s objective is to provide energy security for Nigeria and ensure the availability of petroleum products in the country.

Speaking on ‘Petroleum Industry Act: Energy transition and the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas,’ he explained why Nigeria was demanding energy justice at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland amid the global push for the energy transition.

Kyari noted that the COP26 again highlighted the challenges faced by Nigeria and other African countries in the global energy transition.

He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari in his speech before the world leaders had demanded energy justice for Africa and highlighted the need to exploit the available resources as a pathway to attain the net-zero carbon objective by 2050.

According to Kyari, although Africa accounts for only about three per cent of the global carbon emission, the continent still has the responsibility to join the world in combating climate change.

He said Nigeria had identified its abundant gas resources as its fuel for energy transition, citing the declaration of the year 2021 to 2030 as the ‘Decade of Gas’ by the government.

The NNPC boss said, “We are making good progress in terms of the implementation of the PIA which is clearly creating the path for transition.

“There is no way we can achieve this feat without adequate infrastructure to transport the resources to where it will be used, and that is why we are investing in massive gas infrastructure.”

He said gas projects such as the Obiafu-Obrikon-Oben and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipelines would deepen gas utilisation in the country.

Economy

Court reverses self over contempt charge against Fidelity Bank chief

Managing Director of Fidelity Bank,Nneka Chinwe Onyeali-Ikpe

The Eyewitness reporter

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has vacated its ruling that convicted and sentenced the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank,Nneka Chinwe Onyeali-Ikpe and Company Secretary of Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Unuigboje Ezinwa to six weeks in prison or a fine of Four Hundred Thousand Naira respectively for contempt.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Lateef Owolabi vacated the order in a Suit No: MIK/4726/22 between Justin Ahmed, (judgement creditor), Prince Enabulele Osazee, (judgement debtor) and Fidelity Bank Plc, (1st Garnishee/Applicant).

The court, in an earlier ruling delivered on February 6, 2023, held that the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Nneka Chinwe Onyeali-Ikpe and the Company Secretary, Mrs. Unuigboje Ezinwa should be committed to six weeks’ imprisonment over alleged disobedience of a garnishee order of the court restraining the bank from allowing a judgement debtor access to his account.

However, at the resumed proceedings on the matter on Feb 15, 2023, the court vacated the committal order on the premise of facts presented before the court that the alleged acts of contempt were not deliberate but arose out of a communication gap between the said parties and the erstwhile counsel.

The court in its ruling also stated that the error or sin of the counsel should not be visited on a party or litigants. The court also noted that the monies that were the subject matter and fulcrum of the contempt proceedings have since been paid to the judgment creditor.

“From the materials presented before this court by the applicant, this application falls within the classic rule where the error or sin of the counsel should not be visited on a party or litigants. Moreover, the applicant has averred that the monies subject matter, the fulcrum of the contempt proceedings had since been paid to the judgment creditor.

”Having fully discharged this payment to the satisfaction of the judgment creditor, this court should not be seen to cry more than the bereaved”, Mr Lateef Owolabi held.

”The solicitor to the bank explained that Fidelity Bank, being a law-abiding institution that will never or under any circumstance, directly or indirectly denigrate the integrity of the nation’s judiciary, had upon receipt of the garnishee order nisi on December 22, 2022, conducted a search immediately, and the result showed several accounts bearing similar names to the Judgment Debtor’s (Prince Enabulele Osazee).”

”To prevent the bank from erroneously restricting the wrong account, the bank filed an affidavit requesting additional account details to enable it to ascertain the correct account(s) to restrict.”

He further stated that, on January 16, 2023, the bank received the Judgment Creditor’s affidavit showing the account number of the Judgment Debtor. Armed with the correct account number, the bank immediately identified and placed a lien on the Judgment Debtor’s account. Unfortunately, during the intervening period, the judgement debtor had carried on depositing and withdrawing from his account.

In vacating the order on February 15, 2023, the Chief Magistrate held that based on the materials before the court, the applicant has been able to tether the law to the facts to warrant the grant of the relief sought on their own strength and not based on lack of opposition.

Economy

Supreme court restrains FG from enforcing naira swap deadline

The Eyewitness reporter

There was a temporary relief for Nigerians over the scarcity of naira notes as the Supreme Court has issued an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from enforcing the February 10 deadline for the phasing out of the old naira notes.

A five-member panel of the court, led by Justice John Okoro said that it was a matter of urgent national importance that the court intervenes and grant the order.

The ruling was on an ex-parte motion filed by the governments of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states

The order, according to Justice Okoro, who read the lead ruling, is to subsist pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the state for interlocutory injunctions.

The court adjourned till February 15 for the hearing of the motion on notice and the preliminary objection filed by the defendant – the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), challenging the court’s jurisdiction over the case.

Economy

CBN succumbs to pressure, extends use of old naira notes to February 10

The Eyewitness reporter

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has finally caved in to Public outcry over the February 1st deadline for the use of old naira notes when on Sunday, the apex bank announced February 10 as the new date.

Announcing the new deadline in a statement, Governor Central Bank Of Nigeria(CBN), Godwin Emefiele, said the decision to add extra 10 days was “to allow for the collection of more old notes”

Up till Saturday, CBN had insisted on the 31st January deadline for the validity of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 despite overwhelming complaints that the notes are either not available or in short supply in the banks or their Automated Teller Machines.

Last October, Emefiele announced the Naira redesign policy which entails the issuance of new notes to replace the existing N200, N500 and N1,000 series.