U.N. chief condemns tanker attacks, says facts must be established

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned
Thursday suspected attacks on two oil tankers near the Strait of
Hormuz.

The ships — one Marshal Islands-flagged and the other
Panama-flagged — were on their way to Taiwan and Singapore from
Qatar and Saudi Arabia, respectively.

“I note with deep concern this morning’s security incident in
the Strait of Hormuz,” Guterres told the Security Council. “I
strongly condemn any attack against civilian vessels.”

“Facts must be established, and responsibilities clarified. If
there is something the world cannot afford, it is a major
confrontation in the Gulf region,” he added.

Roughly one-third of the world’s liquefied natural gas and a
fifth of its oil consumption pass through the Strait of Hormuz each
day, making it a vital transit way for global energy supplies.

The suspected attacks near the strait are the second in as many
months.

Late last month, the United Arab Emirates said four vessels,
including two oil tankers, were hit by sabotage attacks near its
territorial waters, without blaming anyone for the attacks.

The U.S. said the attacks were conducted using limpet mines.

Saudi Arabia also said military drones carried out attacks on
two oil pump stations on its East-West pipeline, which carries
crude from the Abqaiq oil field to the Yanbu port on the country’s
Red Sea coast.

Riyadh blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen for the
attacks.

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Kwara: AbdulRazaq Releases N20m to Fix Township
Roads

Kwara State Road Maintenance Agency (KWARMA) has begun massive
rehabilitation of 10 roads across Ilorin, the state capital,
including the long-neglected Offa Garage Roundabout Road.

This followed the release of N20m by Governor AbdulRahman
AbdulRazaq for immediate rehabilitation of roads that are in bad
state and needed urgent fixing in the capital city.

Engineer Usman Baba Jibril, general manager of KWARMA, said it
has already started massive rehabilitation works on the Offa Garage
and Geri Alimi-Asa Dam roads.

He said the agency has the mandate to quickly fix the roads to
end the nightmares of the people.

“We have started work immediately
based on the fund the Governor has just released to KWARMA and
Kwara State Asphalt Plant,” Jibril said.

He listed other roads to be covered “under Phase 1” to include
Isale Aluko-Kokorokan-Ita Kudimoh Road; Adeta-Al-Hikmah road;
Olorunshogo-Geri Alimi road; Kaduna Road, Adewole; Osere-Cemetry
road; General Hospital- Geri Alimi; Offa Garage Geri Alimi Road;
and Sani Okin Road.

Jibril said they have a mandate to complete the rehabilitation
within the next seven days, with the phase two of the works likely
to begin very soon.

AbdulRazaq had said last week that he would embark on
rehabilitation of roads within the metropolis and other parts of
the state in phases

He lamented the poor state of the roads across the state, adding
that the government would collaborae with the Federal Government
and private sectors on some of the roads, especially federal
roads.

Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor