Tag Archives: Agreement

Finally FG Reaches Agreement With ASUU

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on Wednesday acknowledged that the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities made progress during theirs talks.

He gave the assurance while addressing state house correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the state House.

Ngige said that ASUU had eight demands of which seven had been trashed out, adding that the government conceded to them the right to exclude endowment funds accruing to universities from the Treasury Single Account.

The minister said the TSA was not for punishment but to enable every government institution to, at a first glance, know its financial disposition and for accountability.

He said, “The government agreed to ASUU demand but limited it to only endowment fund, and that is fund sourced by ASUU.

“But that does not also mean that at the end of the day the university council will not have rights to audit such an account.

“That is really the area that is a little bit contentious.

“The other aspect of it is the earned allowances; the earned allowance is the only one that is not sorted out now because everyone knows and agrees that we are in a recession.

“And if we are in a recession and you are asking us to pay you N284 billion, nobody will pay it because the money is not there.

“So they agreed and National Assembly also agreed and something was worked out.

“And government offered them some amount pending when we finish the auditing of the first tranche of money that has been given to them in the same area of earned allowances.

“That tranche of money they collected is being audited but the auditing process is very slow because some people for strange reasons are not allowing auditing to take place.

“A time frame of six months has been fixed within which the auditing will be done.”

According to Ngige, within the six months government has offered what it will pay monthly while ASUU has made a counter proposal.

He said that both parties had gone back to their principals to look at the proposals and return.

He said the Executive and the National Assembly would look at the finances of government and propose an appropriation for subsequent years.

He said, “For 2016, there is nothing in the budget for it; it will be done and appropriated and paid when due.

“I don’t think the matter is a helpless case, we are moving forward and next week they will come back with their counter proposal.”

According to the minister, his education counterpart gave an update on the ASUU demand to FEC.

Credit: NAN

Iran, China Sign Agreement To Boost Defense-military Cooperation

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Iran and China have signed an agreement to boost defense-military cooperation and fight terrorism.

The agreement was inked by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Chinese counterpart General Chang Wanquan in Tehran on Monday at the end of an earlier meeting between the two sides.

“The development of [Iran’s] long-term defense-military relations and cooperation with China is among the top priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s defense diplomacy,” Dehqan said in the meeting.

He added that the two countries’ defense-military cooperation would guarantee regional and international peace and security.

He emphasized that all countries in Asia and the Oceania shoulder the responsibility to maintain peace and stability.

“Today, foreign meddling and lack of respect for the national sovereignty of countries have turned the Middle East region into a hotbed of crisis and insecurity in the world and led to [the emergence of] terrorism and its spread throughout the world,” Dehqan said.

He added that the US and some regional countries are supporting terrorism and the scourge is overflowing into Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus as well as other regions.

“Today, the threat of Daesh and terrorism has turned into an important regional and international challenge,” the Iranian defense minister said.

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Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea Sign Agreement On Joint Patrols

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Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea Tuesday in Malabo signed an agreement on the establishment of a combined Maritime Policing and Security Patrol Committee.

The conclusion and signing of the agreement is expected to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea and help in curbing maritime crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, sabotage of oil rigs and arms smuggling.

According to a communiqué issued at the end of President Buhari’s visit to Malabo, both countries also agreed to discuss greater cooperation on oil and gas production and a bilateral trade agreement.

It was further agreed that the Nigeria-Equatorial Guinea Joint Commission will be revived from its present state of dormancy and empowered to play its proper role in the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

President Muhammadu Buhari and President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo expressed satisfaction with the atmosphere of trust and solidarity that now exists between their countries.

In their talks during the two-day visit, the two leaders discussed sub-regional, regional and international issues including terrorism, violent extremism and the state of the global economy, especially as it affects Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

They also discussed the crises in some African countries and efforts by the African Union to achieve peace, stability and progress across the continent.

President Buhari who has since returned to Abuja thanked President Mbasogo and the people of Equatorial Guinea for the warm reception given to him and his delegation during the visit.

Credit: ChannelsTv

Nigeria To Sign UN Gas Flaring 2030 Deadline Agreement

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With the support of the National Assembly, Nigeria intends to sign the United Nations Agreement on Zero Routing Gas Flaring by 2030, according to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

He was speaking on Monday at the opening of the 6th African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition where he represented President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Vice President, who declared the conference opened, said that ending gas flaring was an imperative for African oil producers considering the amount of waste involved, adding that the Nigerian government had set an earlier national target of 2020 to end gas flaring in the country.

While calling on African countries to take advantage of the gas-to-power potentials, he observed that “there is also the gas-to-power challenge in many member-states and the paradox of much gas but precious little gas to fire power plants.”

“It’s time to take a much further stand on gas flaring, both from environmental and a waste-of-needed-resources perspectives,” the Vice President stated to the gathering composed of oil and energy ministers from several African countries and chieftains in the oil and gas sector.

The Vice President explained that the incremental use of gas in Africa’s energy mix has become an imperative, stressing that “if Africa must meet her future energy needs, the issue of the development of a robust gas infrastructure must be jointly addressed.”

According to him, of the over 150 billion cubic metres of associated gas flared annually in the world, “Africa flares an estimated 40 billion cubic metres, while about half of that is flared by Nigeria.” He further observed that Nigeria has the 7th largest deposit of gas in the world with reserves estimated at over 185 trillion cubic feet (TCF), and also the highest quality.

Credit: ChannelsTv

BREAKING: Oil Marketers Reach Agreement With Govt. On Resumption Of Fuel Supply

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Petroleum products marketers and the Federal Government on Monday have set aside their face-off resolved with government, resolving to immediately mobilize to ensure restoration of normal supply of fuel throughout the country.

At the end of a meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream and downstream) to resolve the crisis, Chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Obafemi Olawore, said its members, consisting Oando, Conoil, Forte Oil, MRS, Total and Mobil Oil agreed to commence lifting and distribution of fuel immediately from the stock supplied by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Capital Oil and Gas Ltd had on Sunday commenced the loading of 13 million litres of petrol from its depot in Apapa for distribution to the various states to reduce the current scarcity.

The Chairman of the company, Ifeayin Ubah, told journalists in Lagos that more than 2,000 trucks would be loaded before May 29 to boost the country’s economic activities.

He said the company’s facilities had the capacity to load 13 million litres of the product within the period. “This comes to approximately 500 trucks of petroleum products on daily basis. With this, it is our belief that once again our citizens will begin to smile and return to normal family and work life.

“We call on other petroleum marketers to follow suit and save our nation from this impending economic and social crisis,’’ he said.

Credit: premiumtimesng