Indian Refiner ignore Nigeria's oil, focus on Malaysia

A number of Indian state-owned refiners have been actively picking up Malaysian oil cargoes for loading in July and August amid growing uncertainty over the exports of Nigeria’s crude grades, according to regional sweet crude traders.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited on Monday issued a spot tender to purchase several Malaysian light sweet crude grades, raising expectations that more Indian end-users could switch their focus to Southeast Asian supplies, Platts reported.

BPCL was said to be seeking up to one million barrels of various Southeast Asian light sweet crudes, including Malaysia’s Miri Light, Labuan, Tapis, Kikeh, Kimanis and Bintulu as well as Brunei’s Seria Light and Champion crudes for loading over September 11-20, according to an official tender notice seen by S&P Global Platts.

According to the latest shipping fixtures seen by Platts, India Oil Corporation fixed Olympic Sky and Seafalcon to move a total of about 1.2 million barrels of Malaysian Labuan crude for loading in July, while BPCL fixed Nordic Jupiter, Mare Siculum, Shah Deniz and Pavino Spirit to move around one million barrels each of light sweet Kikeh and Kimanis crudes for loading in July.

The tender closes July 22, with validity until July 26. The latest spot tender raised a few eyebrows in the Asia-Pacific sweet crude market, as the Indian state-owned company does not regularly seek Malaysian and Bruneian crude grades in the spot market.

“BPCL, like many other Indian state-run companies, prefers to take Nigerian light sweet crudes like Qua Iboe and Bonny Light. Those are the number one choices,” the source said, adding that “when production [of light sweet Nigerian grades is] in doubt, the next best option would be Malaysian (grades).”However, BPCL’s latest move was seen as necessary, as the procurement of any Nigerian crude grades would be a big risk amid ongoing production hiccups caused by militant attacks in the Niger Delta, a company source said Tuesday.

Late last week, Mobil Producing Nigeria, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, said Nigerian crude grade, Qua Iboe, had been placed under force majeure and exports were halted, while Italian company Eni confirmed earlier this month that 4,000 barrels per day of oil equivalent of equity production had been shut in following an attack claimed by Nigerian militants in the Niger Delta.

Nigerian militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, said Friday that it would not permit foreign oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region to carry out repairs on bombed oil pipelines, threatening more devastating attacks on any repaired facility.

“There is no guarantee the Nigerian crudes will load and set sail safely. It’s very risky,” said a Singapore-based sweet crude trader.

Mourinho keeps mute on Pogba swoop

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted on Thursday the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba.

Media reports in the UK Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club’s pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola.

Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports.

“I don’t confirm and I don’t deny. I cannot tell you,” Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday.

“I don’t think it’s correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he’s a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player.

“The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do,” said Mourinho.

“I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need.

“I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August.

Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking £100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder.“We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance.”

United are believed to have had an opening bid of £86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of £85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013.

Mourinho has already spent more than £50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday’s opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer.

Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club.

Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles.

Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday.

Three people prosecuted for forging Governor Ugwuanyi's signature

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested three persons for alleged forgery of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s signature to secure employment at the State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH).

The state police spokesperson Ebere Amaraizu made the disclosure on Thursday in Enugu in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The statement said that the suspects, Gloria Onuoha, Roseline Onwuamaeze and Thomas Nwigwe, allegedly raised a letter purported to have emanated from the Office of the Governor with his signature.

The statement said that one Chijioke Nzegwu currently at large, facilitated the illegal deal for Gloria and Roseline having received a huge sum of money from them through Nwigwe.It added that the suspects used the letter to secure employment in the hospital as Accountant on Grade Level 7, Higher Executive Officer (HEO) on GL 8 as well as Chief Typist on CONTISS 8 step 13 respectively.

Amaraizu said that the suspects were assisting the police in their investigations.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to check corrupt practices in higher institutions.

A statement signed by Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, the commission`s spokesperson, on Thursday in Abuja, listed the corrupt practices to include indiscipline, examination malpractice, extortion and sexual harassment, among others.

Okoduwa said that the MOU was aimed at getting students involved in the anti-corruption campaign and to educate them on how to report corruption cases to ICPC for prosecution.

She said that the MOU would also encourage students and teachers to engage ICPC through its training arm, the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) in research on corruption and related matters.

The commission’s Secretary, Mr. Elvis Oglafa, was quoted in the statement as saying that the commission was “looking at a bigger picture where institutions of higher learning can achieve 100 per cent discipline and zero tolerance for corruption’’.

“But with the signing of the MOU, a new door has been opened for the reporting of such vices.’’Oglafa, the statement added, stated that over the years, NANS had not provided any platform which could enable its members to report corrupt practices within the educational system.

He expressed optimism that since Nigerian students had demonstrated willingness to confront corruption, a new vista which had just been set, would cleanse the system of the debris of corruption in institutions.

“NANS President, Mr Tijani Usman, commended ICPC for the initiative and affirmed that Nigerian students were willing to fight corruption because they were always at the receiving end of its adverse effects.

“The MOU was signed on behalf of ICPC by the Secretary to the Commission and Usman, the head of the students’ delegation, on behalf of Nigerian students,’’ Okoduwa said in the statement.

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Photo shoots from Dallas slain polce funeral

Iraqi security forces celebrates victories over islamic state jihaist group

Iraqi security forces paraded through Baghdad on Thursday to celebrate victories over the Islamic State jihadist group, but an unannounced rehearsal two days earlier put a damper on the festivities.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reviewed the forces from a pavilion as they passed through central Tahrir Square, and military jets and helicopters overflew the city.

The parade was held to mark “the liberation of Fallujah and Ramadi and all the Iraqi territory that was liberated,” defence ministry spokesman Brigadier General Tahseen Ibrahim told AFP, referring to two key cities recaptured from the jihadists.

But an unannounced rehearsal for the parade held on Tuesday, in which many roads were closed and military vehicles drove through the city, inspired fear rather than celebration.

Some speculated on social media that it was a message to protesters planning a demonstration on Friday that Abadi has called on them to delay, while others speculated that it could be a military coup.

Iraq announced the full recapture of Fallujah, a city 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad that had been outside government control for more than two and a half years, at the end of June.

Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, was declared to have been recaptured at the end of December, but fighting in the area continued into this year.

More recently, Baghdad’s forces seized a key military base south of Mosul from IS that the Pentagon has said will serve as a “springboard” for the push to retake the last IS-held city in Iraq.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and training have since regained significant ground.