Serie A club, AS Roma are targeting a move for OGC Nice forward,Terem Moffi, DAILY POST reports.

Roma are looking for a new striker to replace Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium international has returned to Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan.

According to LaRoma24.it, the Giallorossi have lined up Moffi as a potential replacement.

The Nigeria international was signed by Roma director Florent Ghisolfi from Lorient during his time as Nice sporting director.

Moffi registered 11 goals and two assists in 32 appearances for Nice last season.

The Supreme Court will tomorrow, deliver judgment in the suit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 Governors seeking full autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country.

A document sighted on Wednesday at the apex court indicated that parties in the suit have been notified through their respective lawyers.

It was observed the notice for the judgment delivery was served on the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.

Details shortly…

OB3 gas pipeline project

The presidency is concerned over the failure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to fulfill milestones critical to the goals of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, TheCable understands.

According to insiders, Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to Tinubu on policy and coordination and head of the central results delivery coordination unit (CRDCU), expressed these concerns during a review of the quarterly performance assessment of the ministry of petroleum resources (oil).

Usman said the government is worried about key uncompleted projects by NNPC, a source told TheCable.

Specifically, the government official said the NNPC has continued to delay the completion of state-owned refineries — including the Port Harcourt refinery.

This, according to Usman, followed the “mechanical completion” of the rehabilitation work on a section of the refinery on December 21, 2023 — with assurance that operations would commence after the Christmas break.

The NNPC shifted the commencement of operations to April 2024 — of which Usman noted that there has not been any update on whether production at the refinery would commence this month, the source said.

Usman was said to have stressed that the endless changes in timelines for the commencement of production at the refinery was concerning to the government and Nigerians.

“This continued shifting in timelines is eroding the confidence of Nigerians in the government, and as an administration, we cannot allow that,” Usman was quoted as saying.

“This is why Mr President mandated the CRCDU to track the deliverables and performances of all MDAs, and we have no option but to identify and engage the Ministry of Petroleum NNPC Ltd on the situation at hand.”

According to the source, Usman also said the rehabilitation of the refinery was meant to bring the facility to optimal capacity for production rather than “attain tokenistic and marginal production milestones”.

Furthermore, she expressed worry about the decline in crude oil production from 1.351 million barrels per day (mbpd) in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023 to 1.265 million bpd in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024.

In addition, the source said the government official emphasised the need for the NNPC and the security agencies to work together to improve daily production and achieve the government’s target of 1.65mbpd for the second half of 2024.

She also identified the importance of ramping up efforts to expedite the speedy completion of the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline project, which has been lingering.

Usman, it was learnt, said the CRDCU would employ the support of all stakeholders to ensure that the NNPC delivers on its performance indicators as directed by the president.

Bandits have released the remaining three children of Janet Gimba, a customary court judge, who were abducted in Kaduna, after spending 15 days in captivity.

Godwin Ochai, chairman of the Kaduna branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), confirmed the children’s release on Tuesday.

Family sources also confirmed the development to TheCable via telephone chat.

However, it was not immediately clear if a ransom was paid for their release.

The judge and her sons were reportedly abducted at their residence in the Mahuta area of Kaduna on June 23.

The abductors, numbering up to 15, invaded the home of the judge at night when her husband, a medical doctor, was away on duty.

The bandits were said to have demanded N300 million ransom for their release and threatened to start killing their victims one after the other if payment was delayed.

One of the children, a 14-year-old boy, was, however, killed by the bandits when the N298 million ransom demanded could not be delivered at the stipulated time.

On July 4, the abductors released Janet, holding the three children captive.

She said the bandits had reduced the ransom demand to N150 million upon release.

A witness at the Ikeja Special Offences Court has disclosed how former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele transferred millions of naira to his wife, Margaret’s accounts.

The witness, an assistant bank manager, Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, on Tuesday, testified that millions were moved in tranches to various companies’ accounts.

Emefiele faces trial for abuse of office and alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud. He is facing trial in three courts in Lagos and Abuja, alongside co-defendant Henry Omoile.

Prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) led Ogbonnaya in evidence. The witness managed accounts that received huge funds from CBN. She confirmed that Margaret Emefiele owned the accounts and approved transactions.

Ogbonnaya listed companies involved, including Amswinh Resources and Solution, Limelight Dimensional Service Limited, Omec Support Service Limited, and Mango Farm.

The witness said: “The accounts are for Mrs Margaret Emefiele, the ex-CBN governor’s wife.

“The companies sent transfer instructions to my email and Margaret Emefiele is the beneficiary and owner of the money.”

She said Emefiele’s wife sent transfer instructions via email, phone calls, and WhatsApp.

The court admitted transaction details as evidence. The trial is expected to continue today.

In a separate case, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) adjourned ruling on Emefiele’s application to travel abroad for medical treatment. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed the application, fearing Emefiele might flee if his International Passport is released.

Lionel Messi was on target for Argentina in the 2-0 win over Canada to guide them into the final of the 2024 Copa America.

The defending champions produced arguably their best performance of the competition with a dominant showing to qualify for a second consecutive final.

Manchester City forward, Julian Alvarez put Argentina in the lead in the 22nd minute with a low key finish following good work from Rodrigo Paul.

The trio of Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo Paul and Lionel Messi combined to devastating effect to rip Canada open at every opportunity but they were unable to add to their lead going into the break.

Six minutes into the second half, Lionel Messi scored his first goal of the competition with a close range finish to make it 2-0 for Argentina.

Canada failed to test Argentina goalkeeper, Emi Martinez until the last minute when Tani Oluwaseyi’s effort was parried away from safety.

Lionel Messi was named the player of the match following another influential performance and he is on course to win a third consecutive trophy for Argentina after the Copa America in 2021, FIFA World Cup in 2022.

He has now become the only player to lead his country to eight major finals in the history of football after guiding them to five Copa America finals, two World Cup finals and Olympic football finals.

The 37-year-old revealed that he is enjoying his “last battles” as he closes in on rounding up an illustrious career.

Messi said, “I’m living it like I lived it in the last Copa America, in the last World Cup….these are the last battles and I’m enjoying them to the maximum.”

He also praised his teammates for the way they have recovered from past disappointments to become successful.

He said, “The truth is that it’s crazy what this group has done, what the Argentina national team has been doing, because after all this it gives value to all (the tournaments) I and the old generation have played in,

“It’s not easy for us to be in a final again, for us to compete again to be champions,”

Lionel Messi and his teammates will take on the winner between Uruguay and Colombia in the final on Sunday.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, is planning to secure a fresh $2 billion oil-backed prepayment loan amid fuel scarcity in the country.

This is according to a report by Reuters on Tuesday, suggesting that NNPCL plans to achieve the deal in two months.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari said the new financing would allow investment in its business. 

“We have no problem covering our gasoline payments. This is just money for normal business and not a desperate act,” Kyari told Reuters.

Kyari said the company wanted the new loan against 30,000-35,000 barrels per day of crude production, though he declined to say how much money it sought.

“It will be a syndication with critical but regular partners who have been in business with our company to forward the cash,” Kyari said on Tuesday, adding that he expected to conclude the deal in the next two months.

This comes as a report emerged that NNPCL’s debts to petrol suppliers had doubled in the last four months to hit $6 billion.

However, the spokesperson of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye dismissed the claim.

Recall that on August 16, 2023, NNPCL secured a $3.3 billion emergency crude repayment loan — a transaction aimed at supporting the naira and stabilizing the foreign exchange (FX) market.

Arranged by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the $3.3 billion crude-for-cash loan was also targeted at supporting the federal government’s monetary and fiscal reforms.

Further analysis showed that the existing $3.3 billion and the new $2 billion would amount to a $5.3 crude-for-cash loan.

The development comes amid concerns by Dangote Refinery over its inability to get Nigerian crude from International Oil Companies.

This is also as Nigerians have continued to groan as fuel scarcity which started last week in Abuja, Nasarawa, Lagos has spread across Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and other states.

Professor of Political Economics, Patrick Utomi, has said the new policy on 150 days import duty-free window for rice, maize, wheat and other cereals by President Bola Tinubu is wrong.

Pat Utomi said the new policy announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, on Monday, was an invitation to famine.

On Tuesday, Utomi said the federal government was repeating mistakes made by previous governments that led many farmers to leave farming for oil-related jobs and construction as crude oil prices rose in the international market.

“Do we forget so quickly? How poor trade policy with the ascendance of oil income caused cash crop farmers to abandon the farms to the non-tradable goods sector as messengers and construction workers and when Oil price volatility resulted in construction firms not being paid on time triggering their retrenchment.

“They did not go back to farms and we became a mono-product economy. Now we want to make dependence on food imports permanent when we have not the money to pay for the imports. We are inviting a famine,” Utomi said.

Professor Utomi said had the federal government addressed insecurity and banditry, food inflation would have been brought down as farmers would have access to their farms.

He further accused the federal government of preferring luxury projects to factors that caused food inflation.

The Economist said the 150 days import duty-free window for rice, maize, wheat and other cereals would cause structural damage in the future.

“Months ago I pleaded that this food price inflation should be combated with forest rangers being deployed to fertile territories and farmers given input incentives managed by NGOs and not corrupt government officials so that they can focus on legumes that can be harvested in three months and the markets flooded with food.

“Instead, we focused on Presidential Jets, Lagos-Calabar Highway, SUVs for National Assembly and Presidential motorcades of 100 vehicles. The height of unwisdom. Now the chicken has come home to roost and we want to inflict long-term structural damage in panic incentives,” Utomi added.

Recall the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), called for measures by the federal government to protect farmers and local investors who may be affected by the import duty-free window.

On Monday, NACCIMA National President, Dele Oye, commended President Tinubu but called for monitoring of the policy’s implementation.

Oye said importers and foreign companies may turn Nigeria into a dumping ground for substandard cereals with the policy in the next 150 days.

The budget office of the federation says the government spent N5.78 trillion on debt servicing in the first nine months of 2023.

In its 2023 third quarter (Q3) budget implementation report released on Monday, the office said the figure is higher than the prorated projection of N4.91 trillion in the 2023 budget.

This represents an increase of N869.38 billion (17.68 percent).

The budget office said interest on ways and means during the period amounted to N1.69 trillion.

“The sum of N2,901.60 billion was used for domestic debt servicing, a difference of 430.27 billion (17.41 percent) from the prorated projection for the period, while N1,189.32 billion was spent on external debt servicing during the period under review,” the office said.

“A total of N1,225.73 trillion was released and cash-backed to MDAs for their 2023 capital projects and programmes during the period.

“Available fiscal data revealed that only N962.84 billion (78.56 percent) of the total amount released and cash-backed was utilized by MDAs as at 30 September, 2023.”

The budget office said the revenue and expenditure outturn of the government resulted in a fiscal deficit of N4.4 trillion between Q1 and Q3 last year.

According to the office, this is N4.29 trillion (49.32 percent) below the projected N8.7 trillion deficit for the reviewed period last year.

“It was however below the N5,991.12 billion deficit that was recorded in corresponding period of 2022,” the office said.

“The deficit was financed through domestic borrowing of N3,430.0 billion thereby reflecting a negative net financing of N979.49 billion in the period under review.”

The budget office said the nation’s economy grew by 2.54 percent in Q3 2023, a sign that the Nigerian economy has continued to recover from the second recession in six years.

The agency attributed the positive growth performance in the quarter under review to the effect of some measures put in place to curtail the negative impact of external shocks and crude oil theft.

Other measures include the recent rise in global economic activities, the associated rise in international crude oil demand and price, as well as various incentive packages executed by the government.

The budget office added that the positive trend is expected to continue in the last quarter of 2023 and beyond.

The house of representatives has asked the federal government to suspend implementation of the Samoa Agreement.

The house has also resolved to investigate the agreement signed by the federal government on June 28.

The green chamber passed the resolution following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Sani Madaki, the minority whip, and 87 other lawmakers.

The agreement recently sparked controversy following reports that some lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) provisions found their way into the pact.

WHAT IS SAMOA AGREEMENT?

According to the European Council, the Samoa Agreement is the overarching framework for European Union (EU) relations with African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries.

The agreement serves as a new legal framework for EU relations with 79 countries, including African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries.

The agreement covers six priority areas, which are democracy and human rights; sustainable economic growth and development; climate change; human and social development; peace and security; and migration and mobility.

The agreement was officially signed on November 15, 2023, by the EU and its member states and Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) members in Samoa, a country in Oceania.

Nigeria did not sign the agreement initially, as the federal government said it was still studying the pact.

The new agreement replaces the Cotonou Agreement, which was signed in 2000.

The signing of the agreement has been dogged with claims that it seeks to compel developing nations to support LGBTQ agitations.

The claims have been established to be false.

Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, clarified that the federal government ensured that the agreement did not contravene the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and other extant laws.

The government has also explained that the agreement is strictly for the economic development of the country — as against claims that it contains provisions for same-sex marriage.

THE DEBATE

Moving the motion, Madaki said the agreement violates the nation’s law on LGTBQ and same-sex marriage.

Supporting the motion, Ghali Tijani from Kano, said the house should reject the Samoa Agreement in its “entirety”.

Bello Kumo, majority whip, said the federal government should rescind the signing of the agreement and tender an apology to Nigerians.

Kingsley Chinda, minority leader who is a co-sponsor of the motion, said the movers of the motion were not approving or condemning the agreement.

He asked his colleagues not to be “judgmental”, adding that the motion was calling for an investigation.

The lawmaker said the federal government should have carried lawmakers along before signing the agreement.

“The problem is lack of information. We were not carried along,” he said.

Julius Ihonvbere, majority leader, told his colleagues that “there is no portion in the agreement that supports LGBTQ”.

As Ihonvbere spoke, his colleagues interrupted, shouting “no” in unison.

NIGERIA’S ANTI SAME-SEX LAW

Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) passed in 2014 prohibits LGBT rights and criminalises marriage between people of the same sex.

Nigeria’s legal position on same-sex marriage was what fuelled the uproar that followed its signing of the Samoa Agreement.