NEWS
House Of Reps Launch Investigation Into NIMASA
The Nigerian House of Representatives has decided to launch an investigation into allegations of fictitious contract awards, mismanagement of large sums of money, and biased appointment of directors within the Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency (NIMASA).
This decision was reached after Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers) and five other representatives presented a motion on the matter during a session in Abuja on Wednesday.
During the motion, Rep. Chinda raised concerns about various allegations of questionable, inflated, and fictitious contract awards, specifically related to non-operational speed boats, security surveillance contracts, and the Deep Blue Water Contract.
According to the lawmaker, these actions have resulted in revenue losses and the granting of contracts to close associates of the agency’s director-general and other high-ranking officials.
In addition, he expressed concerns regarding the alleged failure to remit debts owed to the country by shipping firms, which was purportedly done with the knowledge and cooperation of the agency.
Mr. Chinda further highlighted that the agency had reportedly engaged in a highly questionable contract with a company called XPO Marine Limited. This contract involved the leasing of six speed boats at a monthly rate of $173,930 per boat, without conducting a proper needs assessment.
Furthermore, he pointed out that XPO Marine Ltd had previously been implicated in defrauding the agency of $80,000 in revenue.
The lawmaker also cast doubt on the integrity of the security surveillance contract known as the “Deep Blue Water Contract,” suspecting it to be a channel utilized by the agency’s management for embezzling funds.
Moreover, the lawmaker revealed that a security contract named “National Integrated Surveillance and Waterways Protection” had been awarded to an Israeli company called HSLI Systems and Technologies Limited.
According to him, this contract was valued at $195,300,000.00, despite the availability of a more cost-effective alternative an internet subscription through Lloyd’s Intelligence Platform for similar operations.
The agency was also reported to possess an existing surveillance system known as Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which is utilized for monitoring vessel movements within Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The lawmaker said “I am aware of allegations of high-level corruption against the DG and top management of the agency in the form of withholding of remittable revenue by Gas Shipping Nigeria Limited, Daddo Marine Ltd, among others,”
In response to the motion, the House of Representatives unanimously adopted it and established an ad hoc committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations mentioned.
The committee has been tasked with completing its findings and submitting a report within a four-week timeframe.
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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