Saudi Prince Talks OPEC Cuts with Nigeria President

Saudi Prince Talks OPEC Cuts with Nigeria President

It's unusual for Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, who is effectively the kingdom’s ruler, to call other leaders about OPEC matters.

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia, de facto leader of the OPEC cartel, held a call with fellow member Nigeria as the organization strives to deliver production cuts aimed at bolstering global crude markets.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari discussed “ways of cooperation to enhance the stability” of the market during a phone call on Monday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. It’s unusual for the prince, who is effectively the kingdom’s ruler, to call other leaders about OPEC matters.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners have pledged to curb oil output by 9.7 million barrels a day -- roughly 10% of global supply -- to offset the demand losses inflicted by the coronavirus crisis. Yet some members of the coalition, most notably Iraq and Nigeria, have been rebuked for failing to implement their share of the reduction.

Last week the African exporter promised additional curbs to make up for its initial non-compliance. Some of these were already made in early June and the remainder will be fully executed by mid-July, Mele Kyari, group managing director at state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., said on June 12.

Yet the country’s latest cargo-loading schedules suggest the compensation cuts may not be forthcoming.

Nigeria should pump about 1.37 million barrels of crude oil a day next month in order to meet its OPEC quota and compensate for past under-compliance. But exports alone amount to 1.38 million in July, the loading programs show, even if about 15% of the total is considered as condensate, which is exempt from quotas. Shipments are scheduled to rise again in August, despite further compensation cuts due that month.

The country’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Nigeria has regularly strayed from its commitments to OPEC+ over the past few years, as it seeks to prop up a weak economy and provide revenues for Africa’s largest population. It contends that some grades are a type of light oil known as condensate, rather than crude, and thus aren’t subject to OPEC targets.

Overall implementation of the OPEC+ accord has been robust, standing at 87% last month, and crude prices have strengthened in consequence. Brent futures traded near $41 a barrel in London on Tuesday, having more than doubled since late April as a result of OPEC’s intervention and a revival in demand.

--With assistance from Julian Lee and Javier Blas.

Why 58 Nigerian medical doctors were traveling without UK Visas

By Lawani Mikairu

Some facts have emerged why 58 Nigerian medical doctors who were denied departure to the UK through the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, were traveling without UK Visas.

The medical doctors were going to the UK for recruitment at NES Healthcare. A letter from the recruitment director currently in circulation shows that the medical doctors had Visa waiver letters arranged by the NES Healthcare recruitment director.

The letter from the director to the Nigerian medical doctors reads: ” I am the recruitment director with NES Healthcare and I will like to inform you of an important update”.

” As you are aware, the TLSContact Visa centres are currently closed and there is no guidance as to when they will be reopening. In addition, we are aware that there are no immediate plans to reopen Nigeria airspace to international commercial flight”.

“We have therefore been in discussion with UKVI ( UK Visa and Immigration ) about a potential solution that would allow you to travel to UK”.

” With their agreement, we will issue you a visa waiver letter – this will enable you to travel to the UK and to then apply for Visa once you are here.

“We are also planning to arrange for a private charter flight to the UK, leaving from Lagos w/c 6th July ( exact date to be confirmed but this will most likely be 10th or 11th July.

“The cost of the flight will be heavily subsidized by NES Healthcare so we will only ask for a contribution of £500 towards this”.

“To put this into action, I do need the following confirmation from you by 9 am tomorrow morning ( 19 th June ):

“You are able to join the flight leaving from Lagos w/c 6th July. You understand that you will contribute £ 500 towards the cost of the flight.

The UK address that you will be staying at UK( this will be the address that we will use for your Visa.)”.

Recall the Nigeria Immigration Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, ,Lagos command on Friday refused departure of fifty-eight (58) Nigerian Doctors who attempted traveling aboard a UK bound aircraft flight number ENT 550, registration number SP-ES that flew in from London.

Fifty-Six (56) of the Doctors had no Visa for entry to United Kingdom, while only two (2) had visa.

According to DCI Sunday James, Service Public Relations Officer, NIS, the ” Fifty-eight (58) Medical Doctors were refused departure in line with Section 31 subsection 2a and b, on powers conferred on the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service by the Immigration Act 2015, to prohibit departure of any person under the conditions stated in the Act”.

” The chartered flight approved for landing in Nigeria was to carry forty-two (42) medical doctors for a training program but they were fifty-eight (58) with only two (2) having Visa for entry into UK, a situation that calls for refusal of departure”.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service as the agency saddled with control of entry and departure from Nigeria of persons will not allow individuals or groups of well-educated Nigerians who should know the procedures for travelling out of their country and the requirements, which include having a valid visa for entry into a destination country to leave”.

“This is to avoid refusal of Entry and repatriation back to Nigeria amidst Covid-19 pandemic and spreading of same as well as flouting the Federal Government’s directive on restriction of international flights unless for essential reason as approved by government”.

” There is no official communication to the Service from the Ministry of Health in Nigeria or any known Medical body notifying the NIS of the travel of this number of Medical Doctors. The Aircraft has departed for London without the Medical Doctors,” James said

Vanguard News Nigeria

Nigerian Scammers Used BTC & Gemini Exchange to Siphon Millions

Nigerian Scammers Used BTC & Gemini Exchange to Siphon Millions

The two Nigerians jetsetters who filled their Instagram accounts with pictures of their ostentatious wealth were extradited from Dubai to the United States. According to the FBI, they were able to convert millions of dollars into Bitcoin (BTC) via the Gemini exchange.

The two are Olalekan Jacob Ponle, also known as “Mr. Woodbery,” and “Mark Kain,” and Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, who used the aliases “Ray Hushpuppi” and “Hush”. The FBI complaint focused on the former’s activities and how he used Bitcoin to transfer the stolen funds.

Business email compromise — 1,500 BTC

According to the FBI, Ponle along with his accomplices was engaging in a scheme known as business email compromise or BEC. A criminal would gain access to a legitimate business email account and then manipulate the company’s employees into transferring company funds to the criminal’s bank account. The complaint alleges that Ponle and his accomplices defrauded American companies of tens of millions of dollars while converting $6.5 million into 1,500 BTC:

“Preliminary blockchain analysis indicates that PONLE received at least 1,494.71506296 bitcoin related to these BEC schemes, valued at approximately $6,599,499.98 at the time he received the proceeds.”

The complaint said it is clear that Ponle was not terribly concerned with covering his tracks on the Bitcoin network as he has been using the same address (16AtGJbaxL2kmzx4mW5ocpT2ysTWxmacWn) since 2014, though the complaint focuses on his illicit activity throughout 2019 only.

Gemini Exchange

Gemini was the criminals' favorite exchange. This may seem surprising, considering that the exchange is considered one of the most compliant in the industry. However, this choice can probably be explained by the fact the accused needed a U.S.-based exchange that caters to businesses.

On Feb. 15, 2019, Ponle’s associate confirmed that $2,149,000 had been successfully deposited to Gemini and converted to BTC.

A discussion between Ponle and his associate of the Feb. 15, 2019 transaction

These transactions, when traced on the Bitcoin blockchain, amounted to 340 and 261 BTC each, 601 BTC in total. At the time, Bitcoin price was at around $3,500.

Two Bitcoin transactions from Gemini exchange to Ponle’s address. Source: Crystal Blockchain

FBI Infiltrates Ponle’s Inner Circle

Another transaction took place on Jan. 17, 2019 when Ponle’s accomplice converted $119,000 into 33.13 BTC — in the FBI complaint, it mistakenly says 3.13 instead. This transaction originated from an unidentified address, but it is one hop away from another American exchange — Kraken. Although the latter is not mentioned in the complaint.

In July, the FBI was able to infiltrate Ponle’s inner circle when an agent began communicating with Ponle online using the same handle that was previously used by one of his associates. On Sept. 9, 2019, a discussion between Ponle and his associate about converting $5 million to Bitcoin took place.

A discussion between Ponle and his associate of the Sept. 9, 2019 transaction

Unbeknown to Ponle, this time it was an FBI agent at the other end of the chat. Although the complaint does not specify it, this transaction presumably never happened as no associated transaction can be identified with the “16AtGJ BTC Wallet.”

Cashing Out Via LocalBitcoin & Huobi

Whereas Gemini was the exchange of choice for converting stolen fiat into Bitcoin, LocalBitcoins and Huobi were preferable choices for cashing out. According to Crystal Blockchain, 577 BTC was cleared via the former and 539 BTC via the latter. Both have been criticized for lax KYC procedures in the past.

Ponle and his colleague Abbas lived a life of ostentatious wealth, parading their newly acquired fortunes on Instagram. In one of his last posts, Ponle admonished his followers against the guilt associated with wealth:

“YOU ARE WORTH THE PLEASURES OF YOUR LABOR 💙 Stop letting people make you feel guilty for the wealth you’ve acquired, especially when you paid in blood, sweat and tears, to have the things that are deemed “ un-purchase-able”.”

 

Ponle’s Instagram post. Source: Instagram

Now the court will determine his guilt.

Gemini declined to comment on the situation, although their spokesperson told Cointelegraph that the exchange is using Chainalysis to monitor risks.

The FBI declined Cointelegraph’s request for comment.

Gorillas in Nigeria: World's rarest great ape pictured with babies

Gorillas in Nigeria: World's rarest great ape pictured with babies

Image copyright

Only 300 Cross River gorillas are known to live in the wild

Photos have been released for the first time in years showing a group of rare gorillas in the mountains of southern Nigeria, conservationists say.

Only 300 Cross River gorillas are known to live in the wild, making them the most endangered sub-species.

But the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) says this sighting raises hopes that the animals at risk of extinction are actually reproducing.

A number of infant gorillas are visible in the shots taken earlier this year.

The inquisitive primates were pictured earlier this year

Conservationists say they are encouraged by the number of infant gorillas spotted

WCS in Nigeria, an international non-governmental organisation, said the pictures were captured by camera traps in the Mbe mountains.

'Wary of humans'

Cross River gorillas are the world's rarest great ape, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says.

They are naturally wary of humans and have subtle distinctions from other species - such as smaller heads, longer arms and lighter-coloured hair.

The primates were known to live in some mountainous areas in Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon but are rarely seen.

The WCS says it is working closely with a community organisation, the Conservation Association of the Mbe Mountains, as well as authorities in Nigeria's Cross River state to protect the primates.

This silverback was among the gorillas pictured in the Mbe mountains

10 Questions to Ask When Planning a Press Release

10 Questions to Ask When Planning a Press Release

 

Although some PR pros maintain that press releases are no longer effective, they have not disappeared. News releases may have evolved, but they remain a core public relations tool for businesses of all sizes. Polished publicity releases can be especially effective for smaller businesses and local businesses that don’t have large marketing budgets.

Besides distributing press releases to the media in the traditional fashion, businesses can place them on the company website, publicize them through social media, and distribute them to bloggers and other social media influencers with some adaptations. Owned media is a crucial distribution channel. News releases posted on a company’s website can sometimes attract more traffic than media articles reporting the news.

Simply writing a press release about anything and distributing it helter-skelter to publishers is unlikely to produce meaningful results and may even backfire. Journalists will ignore it or even be annoyed. To be successful, news releases must be planned, written, illustrated and disseminated properly.

Before you distribute a press release, ask yourself the following questions.

Is it newsworthy? In other words, why should readers care? The poor reputation of press releases stems from the fact that companies issue news releases for self-centered announcements that have little or no interest to others. The release should be unique, new and informative or helpful for your audience. “New” is the biggest part of “news.” Quality releases tell a news or feature story; they are not advertisements or marketing pamphlets.

Who is your audience? Consider which markets your organization targets – and, just as importantly, which audiences are likely to be interested in your announcement. Is your audience comprised of consumers or business professionals? Will you target a geographic area, business topic or a certain type of professional? Defining your audience will help find relevant material and determine how best to distribute and promote the release. Aiming at specific audiences through targeted distribution, such as niche publications and trade journals in your industry, is a basic requirement for news release success.

Is the news release optimized for search engines? Search engine marketing (SEO) is now an essential PR and marketing element for any business. SEO can increase your search engine ranking, drive more traffic to your website, and improve the quality of traffic. Include keywords in the headline, subheads, anchor link text, and within the body of the text. Be warned that Google’s algorithm punishes content mills that churn out releases filled with spammy, “unnatural” links. Follow Google’s rules about anchor text, and avoid stuffing the release with keywords by repeating them.

Is it well written? Well-written press releases are succinct, straightforward and free of clichés and industry buzzwords. Placing the hook in the headline and first sentence can win attention – especially from journalists or editors who decide whether or not to publish the story. If distributing the release through email, include your key pitch point in your email cover note.

Do you have a quote? A vibrant quote from a top executive or company expert can personalize and spice up the release. They offer the best device to add flair to news releases, and other PR content, yet most executive quotes fall flat. Long-winded quotes filled with jargon and flowery praise for company products will probably be deleted.

What visuals do you have? Research shows that most people including journalists tend to learn better through visuals and are more likely to interact with images, videos and audio. Editors are more likely the run stories that include interesting visuals. PR experts recommend including color images rather than black and white ones, and combining words and images to improve the viewer’s comprehension. In today’s multimedia age, audio and video files can also help obtain placements, especially in digital publications.

Did you proofread it? Without thorough proofreading, an embarrassing mistake will eventually appear in a publication. More than a few PR agencies and departments have faced angry executives, suffered public ridicule, and lost revenue due to proofreading oversights such as misspelled names in headlines, incorrect prices and wrong dates for company events. Following recommended proofreading practices can help spot errors and avoid embarrassment. Also remember to check the contact information and basic boilerplate background.

How will you distribute the press release? PR people can build their own media databases with a spreadsheet and some earnest research. Many experienced PR pros now recommend against paying for news release distribution services, except under a few situations. Commercial news release distribution services place news releases in front of few, if any, relevant journalists. The services can place the release on online news sites, but the public often has no way to find the link. Google does not index the link, and it cannot be located through the site’s home page. Instead of relying on press release distribution services, build a targeted list of news outlets, develop relationships with reporters, and send news announcements directly to media outlets you know and who know you.

When will you distribute it? Releasing news releases on the wrong days can sink or seriously harm a PR campaign. Unless your announcement involves time-sensitive breaking news, avoid issuing news releases on certain days, such as just before a long weekend or when large corporations are hogging media attention. Some businesses avoid distributing news releases during the holiday season unless they have a seasonal connection, but that time offers PR opportunities because PR activity slows.

Where else can you use it? Repurposing the release can get more mileage out of the content. PR can modify and expand the release for a company blog or create a video interview based on the release.

How will you measure success of the press release? Demonstrating the value of news releases with media measurement and website analytics improves PR’s standing in the organization. Independent subscription media monitoring and measurement services now make media analytics easier, more accurate and more informative than ever. A media monitoring and measurement service can find where the story has appeared across all media, including social media mentions that can be just as important as traditional news media placements. Seek a monitoring service that offers a customizable PR measurement dashboard that integrates results from print, online news, broadcast, social media and analytics from corporate and brand websites.

Bottom Line: Press releases remain a superb tool for spreading company news as long the business follows best practices to prepare and distribute them and tracks and measures their effectiveness. Addressing these questions will help produce effective and successful press releases that deliver measurable public relations results.

Refrence 

Man abandons wife after delivering quadruplets

A 27-year-old woman has been abandoned by her husband after delivering quadruplets at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Western North Region on July 19, 2020.

The Graphic.com.gh reports that the bolted husband, George Ackah, who works as a cleaner has not been to the hospital since his wife was admitted about five weeks ago.

According to the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Kwesi Adu-Gyamfi, the woman was referred to their facility from a private health center due to her anaemic condition.

“After receiving her, I assigned a medical officer to her permanently, we followed her until the 31-weeks where we admitted her and then to 36-weeks when she delivered.”

“I must say that from the time of admission to the time of delivery, the husband who she said is a cleaner in a private firm, did not pass by the hospital nor answer his calls,” he said.

The Graphic.com.gh reports that before the arrival of the quadruplets, the unemployed woman already has two children with the bolted husband.

The health workers at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai municipality, said after the delivery at about 11 a.m. last Sunday (July 19), they had to contribute to get the basic items needed for the upkeep of the children and the feeding of their mother.

Initial scan

The mother of the quadruplets first reported for antenatal at a private facility, where initial scan revealed triplets, said the Medical Superintendent of the Bibiani Municipal Hospital.

“After we performed thorough assessment with further scans we realised they were quadruplets,” he said.

“For proper care, we adopted what we call Focus Antenatal; we assigned a midwife to the woman, but after some time we did not hear from her again, her phone was also not going through,” he said.

Asked how her bills and other needs were covered, Dr Adu-Gyamfi said, “From the day she was admitted, all her needs were covered by contributions of the hospital staff, the midwives and the doctors.”

Call for support

Upon hearing of the plight of the woman, the running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has supported the woman with GH¢2,000 and promised to do more.

The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and former Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, who presented the donation on behalf of Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, said she was touched by the plight of the woman.

The hospital administration has also called on members of the public to support the woman and her four children.