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France Expresses Willingness to Foster Relations Based on Mutual Respect with Nigeria Insists No Establishment of Military Base, Exploration of Solid Minerals on the Card

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France Expresses Willingness to Foster Relations Based on Mutual Respect with Nigeria Insists No Establishment of Military Base, Exploration of Solid Minerals on the Card

By: Michael Mike

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier has reaffirmed France’s commitment to fostering respectful partnership relations with Nigeria, insisting that there has at no time been a plan by the French government to establish a military base in Nigeria.

Speaking at a music show to roundup the French Ambassador activities to celebrate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, the envoy said France does not impose its interests on any nation, including Nigeria, while acknowledging the deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.

The event, themed around the fight against gender-based violence, marked the culmination of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, and featured a performance by Nigerian artist Morell, who created a special Hausa song for the occasion, and a documentary screening by Anti-Sexual Violence Lead Support Initiative ASVIOL.

In his speech, Fonbaustier highlighted the French Embassy’s collaboration with Nigerian civil society organisations to address gender-based violence.

He explained that over 13 major projects were launched across 11 states, raising awareness among more than 600 people through debates, workshops, and innovative tools like educational games.

The Ambassador lauded the courage and resilience of survivors, urging society to move beyond viewing them as victims and instead honor their voices as a source of inspiration and a call for change.

The evening showcased the power of art as a driver of social transformation.

Ambassador Fonbaustier praised the creative advocacy tools employed during the campaign, such as Morell’s music and ASVIOL’s documentary, which blended sound, storytelling, and visuals to convey powerful messages.

“These artistic expressions transcend cultural and social boundaries, uniting diverse communities in a shared commitment to ending violence.”

The Ambassador concluded by urging sustained action beyond the 16 Days of Activism, emphasizing that the event was a continuation of the conversation on gender-based violence, not its conclusion.

He expressed deep gratitude to the partners who made the evening possible, including Morell, Hassana Maina, and various grassroots organizations.

Their contributions, he said, underscore the importance of collective action in building a future free from violence.

In an interview with journalists at the sidelines of the event, the envoy said:
“I think France can be, frankly, a genuine reference partner for many issues. And I would quote four of them. Training, agriculture, culture and arts activities and industry.”

He added that Tech is very important, and energy is already very present, “but we can really enlarge, I would say, the scope of economic business-to-business cooperation. That’s my conviction as ambassador. We are good and right in doing APD, you see, public aid development.

“It’s very important. But I think that the game changer stems from economy. If French companies invest massively in Nigeria and reciprocally Nigerian billionaires and big companies like your four banks, which are now settled in Paris, come to France, these cross-exchanges will fertilize something very positive.

“I recall the figure. It’s huge. 100 companies operating here, 16,000 jobs directly, 100,000 indirectly. France is already a player, a significant player in your country.

“But we want to do more. Respectfully, I insist on this. We will never impose French solutions or ways to do things on our Nigerian friends.”

Reacting to the misconception that France is interested in establishing a military base in Nigeria, the Ambassador said: “We must listen carefully to what you need and what you look for. This relationship comes with a lot of misconceptions from different sections of Nigeria.

“We heard several stories. French is coming here to establish bases. French is coming.”

He acknowledged that the Nigerian military has done so much to put a lie to that, stating that: “If you look carefully, some messages have been sent by your Ministry of Defence, which have clearly excluded any foreign military presence on a permanent basis in Nigeria. So that’s not me who says it. Your authorities have said it.

“But there is absolutely not the hint of the beginning of any planning of that type. I must say it clearly because there’s been, as you say rightly, some fake news or misunderstandings, maybe. We have not at all any intention of that type.”

He however said: “By the way, we can enhance military cooperation in some fields and security cooperation, but not with a permanent presence. This is absolutely not in the air du temps, as we say. So it’s not in the mood of the times.

“France, as you know, is withdrawing from many countries, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes not. But in Nigeria, it’s absolutely never been an issue. I insist and say it with all clarity.

“There’s been something wrong also about maybe this memorandum of understanding on solid minerals. I read some comments saying, well, France will now exploit the resources of Nigeria. It has not been read carefully.

“This is a framework agreement, and President Tinubu was only eager to ask France, as well as other partners, for instance Germany, to provide technical assistance and expertise to help the Nigerian companies and Nigerian authorities to make better usage of the huge resources which are in your soil. But I insist, there is nothing more than that. But as again, you see, I don’t know who exactly has an interest in trying to spoil the relationship.”

France Expresses Willingness to Foster Relations Based on Mutual Respect with Nigeria Insists No Establishment of Military Base, Exploration of Solid Minerals on the Card

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President Tinubu reconstitute NNPC Board, remove Kyari Mele

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President Tinubu reconstitute NNPC Board, remove Kyari Mele

By: Our Reporter

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a sweeping reconstitution of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited board, removing the chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure and the group chief executive officer, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari.

In a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga,
Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), President Tinubu removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023.

The new 11-man board has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman.

Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu.

Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country’s geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West, Yusuf Usman, North East, and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas( NLNG), who represents North Central.

President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a Non-executive director from the South West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South East.

Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

All the appointments are effective today, April 2.

President Tinubu, invoking the powers granted under Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, emphasised that the board’s restructuring is crucial for enhancing operational efficiency, restoring investor confidence, boosting local content, driving economic growth, and advancing gas commercialisation and diversification.

President Tinubu also handed out an immediate action plan to the new board: to conduct a strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture Assets to ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.

Since 2023, the Tinubu administration has implemented oil sector reforms to attract investment. Last year, NNPC reported $17 billion in new investments within the sector. The administration now envisions increasing the investment to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.

The Tinubu administration targets raising oil production to two million barrels daily by 2027 and three million daily by 2030. Concurrently, the government wants gas production jacked to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion cubic feet by 2030.

Furthermore, President Tinubu expects the new board to elevate NNPC’s share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030.

The new board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is from Borno State. He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he received a degree in civil engineering in 1984. He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris

He started his career in the oil industry at Elf Petroleum Nigeria and later joined Total Exploration and Production as a trainee engineer in 1985.

Musa became Total Nigeria’s Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services in 2015. Last year, he became an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group.

Apart from his oil industry career, Ahmadu Musa Kida is a former basketballer and the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation(NBBF) board.

Ojulari, the new NNPC Limited Group CEO, hails from Kwara State. Until his new appointment, He was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. His Renaissance recently led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the landmark acquisition of the entire equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), worth $2.4 billion.

Like Kida, Ojulari is also an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked for Elf Aquitaine as the first Nigerian process engineer to begin a stellar career in the oil sector. From Elf, he joined Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991 as an associate production technologist.

Apart from working in Nigeria, he worked in Europe and the Middle East in different capacities as a petroleum process and production engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager. In 2015, he became the managing director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO).

During his career, he was chairman and member of the board of trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

President Tinubu thanked the old board members for their dedicated service to NNPC Limited, particularly their efforts in rehabilitating the old Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which enabled them to resume petroleum product production after prolonged shutdowns. He wished them well in their future endeavours.

President Tinubu reconstitute NNPC Board, remove Kyari Mele

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Uromi Killing: NHRC Demands Protection for All Nigerians

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Uromi Killing: NHRC Demands Protection for All Nigerians

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned the recent gruesome killing of 16 traveling hunters in Edo State, who were mistook for kidnappers.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission Dr. Tony Ojukwu expressed deep concern over the horrific incident, which highlights the dangers of mob justice and the urgent need for effective law enforcement and respect for human rights.

He said: “We commend Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for his swift and decisive action in suspending the Commander of the Edo State Security Corps, CP Friday Ibadin (Rtd.), and banning all illegal vigilante groups operating in the state, but more need to be done.”

Ojukwu said the Commission wishes to use this opportunity to remind the government and the people of Nigeria that every individual has the right to life, as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution as amended as well as Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

He equally said the Commission emphasized that the freedom of movement, as guaranteed by the Constitution and Article 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has been grossly violated in this dastardly incident.

Ojukwu said: “We at the Commission demand that all the perpetrators be fished out and brought to justice. We call on the government to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future, there is no justification for jungle justice anywhere in the world.”

He emphasized that every Nigerian has the right to life, dignity, and freedom from violence, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or occupation, assuring that the Commission will continue to advocate for the protection of human rights and the rule of law in Nigeria.

Ojukwu said: “We urge the Edo State Government to continue its investigation into the killings and ensure that all perpetrators face the full wrath of the law. On our part, we will continue to monitor the process of investigation to ensure that justice is served. This will serve as a deterrent to others.

“Promotion and protection of human rights is paramount to national development, let’s all imbibe the culture of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom to make Nigeria a better place.”

Uromi Killing: NHRC Demands Protection for All Nigerians

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Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

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Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

By: Zagazola Makama

Angry youths in Iware, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State, attempted to burn down the office of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) following the alleged torture and death of a suspect in custody.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makaka that the unrest began after Yunusa Kaka, 42, was reportedly tortured by security personnel at the NSCDC office in Iware.

Trouble started on March 30 at about 9:00 p.m. when Biliaminu Adamu, 24, was arrested for allegedly stealing two handsets and two packets of Benson cigarettes from Peter Majo of Iware Ward. While in custody, Adamu claimed he had given the stolen phones to Kaka, who denied any involvement.

Security personnel allegedly resorted to torturing Kaka in an attempt to extract a confession. He later became unresponsive and was rushed to Miyetti Allah Hospital in Iware by his brother, where he was confirmed dead.

News of Kaka’s death sparked outrage, with a large number of youths mobilizing to attack the NSCDC office.

However, security personnel managed to prevent the attack, and calm has since been restored to the area.

Authorities say investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Irate Youths Attempt to Burn NSCDC Office in Taraba After Alleged Torture of Victim to Death

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