Daily Watch – 12 states clock 41 monkeypox cases, NNPC acquires Oando Retail

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported additional 41 new cases of monkeypox between 29 August and 4 September from 12 Nigerian states. The NCDC via its official website on Sunday listed the 12 states as including Lagos (14), Abia (7), Imo (6), Ogun (5), Ondo (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Borno (1), Delta (1), Osun (1), Oyo (1), Plateau (1) and Rivers (1). It said there have been 815 suspected cases, 318 confirmed cases and seven deaths from Monkeypox so far in the country in 2022. The public health agency said that seven deaths were recorded in seven states in 2022: Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1), Akwa Ibom (1), Kogi (1), Taraba (1) and Imo (1), with Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of 2.2 percent. According to the NCDC, from 2017 to date, only four states in the country accounted for 270 out of 544 cases of monkeypox in the country – Lagos (93), Rivers (71), Bayelsa (62) and Delta (44). This, the agency said, translated to 49.6 percent of the total number of confirmed cases.

The FG on Sunday announced that it is set to reopen the Trans Niger Pipeline, the country’s major liquid hydrocarbon delivery channel, which has been under force majeure for over six months, the Group General Manager of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Bala Wunti, has said. Wunti said in efforts toward reopening the pipeline, the NAPIMS leadership under the General Manager of the Joint Venture operations, Zakariya Budawara, had spent the last one week with the Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State where the pipeline is situated.  He said the visit was of monumental significance as it provided them with the opportunity to reconnect with the people of the Bodo community. He said the visit was part of the company’s continuous journey to re-strengthen its trust with one of the communities where NAPIMS and its partners are conducting business.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has acquired all 380 Oando retail outlets, and aviation and gas brands nationwide from OVH Energy. Speaking at the unveiling of one of the new NNPC Ltd stations formerly Oando in Abuja on Saturday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, said, “The acquisition will bring over 380 additional filling stations under the NNPC Retail brand in Nigeria and Togo, on our journey to attaining 1,500 stations. We will be the largest petroleum product retail network in Africa.” Kyari also noted that the acquisition was to strengthen the downstream business portfolio to enhance profitability and guarantee National Energy Security. “NNPC has, under an Accelerated Network Expansion (ANEX) Initiative, completed the acquisition of OVH downstream assets including reception jetty (ASPM) with 240,000 metric tons monthly capacity, eight Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plants, three lubes blending plants, three aviation depots and 12 warehouses,” he said. He also assured the 200 million shareholders and Nigerians that the firm will prudently manage the business noting, “We will make money for NNPC because this is a very profitable business”.

Chad has adopted resolutions that push back democratic elections by two years and allow interim leader Mahamat Idriss Deby to stay in power and be eligible to run for president in the eventual vote. Under the new plan, approved on Saturday, the transition that was due to end this October has been extended by two years, meaning elections would take place around October 2024. It also allows Deby to remain in power until the vote, although his Transitional Military Council will dissolve and be replaced with a transitional government, appointed by Deby. Opposition leader Brice Mbaimong Guedmabaye said the resolutions were forced through during ongoing national talks that the junta had promised would be an inclusive forum to negotiate the path back to democracy. “There are lobbies that are doing everything to keep the junta in power against the will of the people,” said Guedmabaye, who is president of the Movement of Chadian Patriots for the Republic party.