Home Blog Page 2430

No increment in petrol depot price this month – NNPC insists despite visible hike

0

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has insisted that there is no increment in the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit also known as petrol this month despite a template released by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency that the new price of petrol has reached N212.6 per litre.

The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold by the NNPC to marketers at the depots.

The NNPC ruled out any increment in the ex-depot price on Friday in a terse tweet via its verified Twitter handle, @NNPCgroup.

See Also: PPPRA increases petrol price to N212 per litre after promising there’ll be no increase this month

“NNPC Insists No Increase in Ex-Depot Price of PMS in March,” it tweeted hours after the PPPRA released the template.

According to the template which the PPPRA released midnight, petrol is expected to sell at a lower retail price of N209.61 and at an upper retail price of N212.61. Nigerian marketers usually use the upper band for pump price.

The expected ex-depot price, as seen in the template, is N206.42, while the landing cost is N189.61.

With ex-depot price standing at N206.42 per litre, the March template shows that the landing cost for petrol per litre is N189.61.

PPPRA increases petrol price to N212 per litre after promising there’ll be no increase this month

0

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has announced an increase in the expected retail price of petrol.

In a petrol pricing template published on its website late Thursday, PPPRA said the recommended retail price is between N209.61 and N212.61 per litre.

According to the document, the landing cost of petrol is N189.61.

See Also: FG announces reduction in fuel price to N162.44 per litre

The ex-depot price, which is the rate marketers get the product, was fixed at N206.42.

Nigerians have been anticipating an increase in the retail price of petrol after crude oil price rose to as high as $71 per barrel.

However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ruled out an increase in the ex-depot price of petrol in March saying it had enough stock to last for 40 days.

Kennie Obateru, the NNPC spokesman, had said the decision was taken “in order not to jeopardise ongoing engagements with organised labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that will not expose the ordinary Nigerian to any hardship”.

See Also: There’ll be no increment in petrol price in March – NNPC assures Nigerians

In February, the NNPC had also allayed fears over the possible increase in the price of petrol, amid concerns on the rising price of crude oil on the global market.

Nigeria currently runs a price modulation system where the retail price of petrol is fixed to mirror occurrences in the global market.

In February, Timipre Sylvia, the minister of state for petroleum resources, advised Nigerians to be ready to bear the pain of higher petrol prices because there was no budget for under-recovery; the term given to the differential between landing cost and fixed retail price.

Prince William Says British Royal Family Not “Racist” After Harry And Meghan Interview

Prince William on Thursday spoke out in defence of the British royal family after his younger brother Harry and wife Meghan Markle accused them of racism in a bombshell interview watched around the world.

“We’re very much not a racist family,” William told reporters during a visit to a multi-racial school in a deprived area of east London. He is the first royal to personally respond to the allegation during his first royal engagement since the Oprah interview.

The Duke of Cambridge, son of heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, added that he had yet to speak to Harry in California since the interview first aired in the United States on Sunday.

“No, I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will do,” he said.

A keenly awaited statement from Queen Elizabeth II issued Tuesday was conciliatory towards her grandson and his mixed-race spouse, after their interview with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey.

But it also stressed that “some recollections may vary”, as Buckingham Palace vowed to look into the couple’s assertion that an unidentified royal had asked how dark their unborn son Archie’s skin would be.

Charles has yet to comment on the controversy but was filmed on Tuesday touring a Nigerian Christian church in London.

In the interview, Harry also said that his father and brother were “trapped” in a hidebound institution.

Selena Gomez says she might retire from music

Selena Gomez says music might not be in her future forever. The actress/singer made the admission in an interview with Vogue. Gomez is their April cover star.

“It’s hard to keep doing music when people don’t necessarily take you seriously. I’ve had moments where I’ve been like, ‘What’s the point? Why do I keep doing this?'”

She added, “‘Lose You to Love Me’ I felt was the best song I’ve ever released, and for some people it still wasn’t enough. I think there are a lot of people who enjoy my music, and for that I’m so thankful, for that I keep going, but I think the next time I do an album it’ll be different. I want to give it one last try before I maybe retire music.”

Gomez debuted her first album in 2009 with “Kiss & Tell,” and went on to release three solo albums and two more albums under Selena Gomez & the Scene.

I’m proud to look like a woman who’s had three babies- Jennifer Garner

Hollywood actress, Jennifer Garner says she embraces her body changed after giving birth to three children.

The “Yes Day” star appeared on the “Happy Mum, Happy Baby” podcast, where she told host Giovanna Fletcher that despite what people may think, she doesn’t have a “bounce back” bod.

“There are some incredible women whose bodies just, no matter how many babies they have, they bounce right back to that slim-hipped, no stomach,” Garner said. “It’s incredible. I have so many girlfriends who have that physique, and I’m so happy for them. I am not one of them. That is not my gig.”

Garner, who shares daughters Violet, 15, Seraphina,12, and son, Samuel, 9, with ex-husband Ben Affleck said that for the rest of her life she will look like a woman who’s had kids and doesn’t mind it one bit.

“I can work really hard, and I can be really fit and I will still look like a woman who’s had three babies, and I always will,” she said.

She also addressed the constant pregnancy rumors surrounding her, saying that she’s definitely not.

“It’s still happening. I’m 48, and I’m single. And it’s still happening, so you might as well take that bull by the horns,” she said, adding, “It’s just a body. Be grateful to it. It carried you this far. It carried babies for you. What else do you want? My goodness.”

Inventor of Audio Cassette Tape, Lou Ottens, dies aged 94

Lou Ottens, the Dutch engineer credited with inventing the audio cassette tape, has died aged 94.

An estimated 100 billion cassette tapes have been sold around the world since they were introduced in the 1960s.

Ottens’ invention transformed the way people listened to music, and there has even been a resurgence of the cassette in recent years.

The engineer died in his hometown of Duizel last weekend, his family announced on Tuesday.

Ottens became head of Philips’ product development department in 1960, where he and his team developed the cassette tape.

In 1963, it was presented at the Berlin Radio electronics fair and soon became a worldwide success.

Ottens struck a deal with Philips and Sony that saw his model confirmed as the patented cassette, after a number of Japanese companies reproduced similar tapes in a number of sizes.

On the 50th anniversary of its creation, he told Time magazine that it was a “sensation” from day one.

Ottens was also involved in the development of the compact disk, and more than 200 billion of those have been sold worldwide to date.

In 1982, when Philips showed off a production CD player, Ottens said: “From now on, the conventional record player is obsolete”.

He retired four years later. When asked about his career, he said his biggest regret was that Sony and not Philips had created the iconic cassette tape player, the Walkman.

According to the Official Charts Company in the UK, the sale of cassettes in the first half of 2020 increased by 103% compared to the same time period the previous year.

And in the US, according to Nielsen music, sales of cassette tapes grew by 23% in 2018 compared with the previous year.

Fashion: Louis Vuitton showcases fall collection at the Louvre Museum

Louis Vuitton paraded its fall collection in a virtual tour of the Louvre Museum on Wednesday, closing out Paris Fashion Week’s online shows by framing designs that echoed the sculptures on display.

Vuitton was among several luxury brands that paid homage to cultural institutions shut down by the pandemic, which has also put live runway shows on hold.

Christian Dior, which like Vuitton is owned by the LVMH conglomerate, earlier this week filmed its own show at the 17th century Palace of Versailles.

Vuitton’s parade of ruffled skirts and futuristic, oversized jackets was accompanied by a pumping Daft Punk soundtrack, just weeks after the after the celebrated French electronic music duo announced it was splitting.

Models wore boots with a cowboy edge to them, with zippers down the sides.

Vuitton’s signature monogrammed handbags featured images of Greco-Roman busts and lithographs inspired by the engravings of Italian artist Piero Fornasetti.

Man Goes Into Shock After Getting 2 Covid-19 Shots In One Day.

0

A 91 year old Ohio man reportedly went into shock after receiving two shots of the covid-19 vaccine in one day.

Victor Smith, had gotten his first ever vaccination shot on January 22, after which he collapsed from extreme fatigue. Smith who is an amputee, then had to be hospitalized and transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Hamilton, Ohio.

Smith, was scheduled for a second shot while still in rehabilitation and took it at a county vaccination site on Februaury 25.

According to his daughter Dawn Theodore Smith, she had spoken to him after his first shot of the day and he had said that he was fine. Mr smith was later re-injected in a mix-up, as inmates in his facility where scheduled to be vaccinated that same day.

The 91 year old was vaccinated for the second time in 4 hours that day and immediately Smith’s body went into shock and he developed low blood pressure. “They pretty much told me he was not going to make it,” his daughter said 

Fortunately, smiths condition did improve and he is said to be recovering well.

Minimum Wage: Lobby your representatives to kill the anti-labour bill – Gbajabiamila tells Workers

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has urged Nigerian workers under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to rally the support of their respective lawmakers with a view to kill the controversial bill which seeks to remove the Minimum Wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative List.

The Speaker who spoke through the Majority Leader, Hon Ado Doguwa, during the peaceful protest held by the organised labour on Wednesday, also demanded the reversal of the recent hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and electricity tariff.

Earlier, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress had embarked on a nationwide protest after the bill which is sponsored by Honourable Garba Mohammed of Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, Kaduna State passed its second reading at the House of Representatives. 

While expressed the House leadership’s readiness to defend the interest of Nigerian workers, Hon Gbajabiamila said: “Mr President, may I say on behalf of my Speaker and the entire members of the House of Representatives that we are also by extension members of the organised labour; we are your employees. By this implication, we have no case whatsoever to shy away from the interests and yearnings of Nigerian workers. When you are happy we are happy.

“I, therefore, say on behalf of the Speaker and the House that we have accepted the letter written and signed by the president of the organised labour and we are going to give it the right treatment. There would be an opportunity to come and address us through public hearings. That initiative is only an opinion. The recommendation of that Bill is only a proposal. From what I am seeing now it is clear that organised labour are against that Bill. I want to assure you that the House of Reps would give a listening ear to your message.

“We will still invite you to come and engage with the relevant committee of which I am a member. You will come and make your position fully. Your position will be heard at the committee level and when we come to the plenary to consider the bill, members that are representing your respective communities, engage with them to do justice to that Bill and I can understand that the only justice would be to kill the bill. I want to advise please lobby members that you elected that you do not want the bill and members will make sure the bill is killed.”

The protesters for the first time had unfettered access to the National Assembly arcade where they were received by representatives of the Senate President, Senator Abdullahi Sabi, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Ado Doguwa, Majority Leader, who were booed when mentioned.

The protesters who displayed various placards also demanded the recall of the lawmakers, who sponsored the anti-workers bill.

Read Also: Stop the disbursement of £4.2m Ibori loot – Reps tells FG

Some of the placards read: ‘’El-Rufai, Abbass Tajudeen, Datti Muhammed, agent of anarchy, don’t destabilise Nigeria’; ‘Progressive lawmakers, rise like in the past and defend workers rights’; ‘Give us our new minimum wage now’; ‘No minimum wage, no work from November 6th’; ‘Minimum wage willingness to pay and not about to pay is the challenge’; ‘National minimum wage protects unskilled and the vulnerable, leave it on Exclusive List’; ‘River State people should recall dishonourable Bob Solomon from Abua Odual/Ahoada East constituency for sponsoring a bill to remove minimum wage from Exclusive List’; ‘President Buhari no room for fifth columnists, stand with Nigerian workers, keep minimum wage on Exclusive List’; ‘Wage theft: Crime agent workers, crime against humanity’; ‘Upward review of minimum wage would not trigger inflation’; ‘Removing national minimum wage from Exclusive List is a declaration of war on Nigerian workers’; ‘No wage poverty, yes to living wage,’ among others.

While addressing the lawmakers and the massive crowd during the rally, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who warned against compounding the woes of average Nigerian workers, maintained that the issue of the national minimum wage was encapsulated in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and of international best practice.

While urging the 9th Assembly to jettison the proposed bill, by maintaining the status quo, Comrade Wabba threatened that the Labour Movement will not hesitate to paralyze all business and government activities across the country, if the National Assembly continues with the consideration of the anti-people’s legislation.

The workers also demanded a reversal of the recent hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), electricity tariff.

In the same vein, the unions demanded full autonomy of Local Government Councils across the country as part of efforts aimed at deepening democracy in the country.

Nigeria Records N7.38 Trillion Trade Deficit For 2020

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) foreign trade data released on tuesday shows Nigeria’s external imbalance continues to widen as the trade deficit for 2020 hit N7.38 trillion.

Of the total yearly foreign trade value of N32.42 trillion, export accounted for N12.52 trillion (or 39 per cent) as against N19.89 trillion import bills.

According to the data, the 2020 figure was 10.3 per cent lower than the 2019 record.

“On an annual basis, total trade was valued at N32, 420.7 billion in 2020 or 10.3 per cent less than the value recorded in 2019. The value of total imports in 2020 stood at N19, 898 billion, or 17.3 per cent higher than in 2019 while total exports were valued at N12, 522.7 billion or 34.8 per cent less than in 2019. The annual merchandise trade deficit in 2020 was recorded at -N7, 375.3 billion,” the report noted.

Nigeria’s total foreign trade for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020 rose to N9.12 trillion, representing an increase of 8.88 per cent compared to N8.38 trillion recorded in the previous quarter.

Crude oil has continued to dominate the country’s exports by a disturbing margin as it accounted for 9.44 trillion last year, an equivalent of 75 per cent of the total value of export.