Author: The Nation

To boost confidence in the transparency and continuity of the 2022/2023 Deep Offshore Oil block Mini-bid Round process, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the amendment of the bid round calendar to accommodate the concerns expressed by local and international investors over the closeness of the schedule to the terminal date of the present administration in the country.

Following the approval by Buhari in his capacity as the Petroleum Resources Minister, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revised the Deep Offshore Oil block Bid Round Schedule by extending the deadline for the submission of Technical/Commercial bids to May 19, 2023, as well as the timeline for concluding activities of contract negotiations and signing between July 3 and 28, 2023.

The Commission Chief Executive, Engr, Gbenga Komolafe announced this in a statement at the weekend.

He indicated that the 2022/23 Deep Offshore Oil block Mini-bid Round is progressing in accordance with the Bid Round Schedule which has been published as part of the Bid Round Guidelines.

The outstanding activities for the conclusion of the exercise include the Technical/Commercial Bid Submission and the Ministerial Consent/Contract Negotiation and Signing.

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The Technical/Commercial bid submission involves Data access, purchase, evaluation, bid preparation and submission; Bid evaluation and publication of results was well as Commercial bid conference and announcement of winners.

The CCE reiterated that the Commission is fully committed to conducting the bid round in a manner that guarantees the achievement of the objectives of the exercise, pointing out that participation is both robust and beneficial to key stakeholders.  

However, constant interrogation and oversight of the process revealed two concerns which the Commission felt might impact the success of the exercise if not immediately addressed. 

 The concerns are the plan to conclude the bid process before transition to the new Government and the need to guarantee participation of qualified indigenous companies, working collaboratively with multinationals and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to leverage technology, funding and expertise in the deep offshore.

The Commission has already announced the requirement for joint venture (JV) arrangements between IOCs and indigenous companies and amended the Guidelines accordingly. This measure not only addresses the second concern but is also in consonance with, and supports the Nigerian Content requirements of the Bid Round. It is also in accordance with Section 16(1)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution which provides that resources of the nation shall be harnessed in a manner that promotes national prosperity and efficient, dynamic and self-sustaining economy.  

The extension of time is also to afford interested multinationals and IOCs enough time to enter into, and conclude the necessary joint venture arrangements as well as allow for proper evaluation of relevant data by all bidders. 

Former Minister for National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman has been reappointed for another four year term as Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).

Abubakar, who served as Minister for National Planning under the Jonathan administration, was first appointed to head the training arm of the National Assembly in 2019.

A statement by the Deputy Director, Information/Communication and Protocol at the institute,  Mrs. Joke Akinsanmi, said the appointment was approved by the Governing Council of the institute headed by the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan.

The statement reads: “The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman, has been reappointed for another four-year term by the President of the Senate and Chairman of NILDS’ Governing Council, Ahmad Lawan, in consultation with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Alternate Chairman of NILDS’ Governing Council, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila”.

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The statement said the reappointment of Sulaiman will take effect from May 28, 2023.

It said: “the President of the Senate has congratulated him while urging him to continue working towards achieving the core objectives of the Institute as outlined in sections 2-3 of the Institute’s Act (as amended).”

The institute is expected to organize trainings for newly elected legislators before their inauguration in June.

Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun has won at former Governor Olusegun Osoba’s polling unit 15 ward 14 situated at Open field. near Chief Omololu house, Ibara House Estate, Abeokuta.

Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 89 votes to defeat his main challenger, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, who garnered 43 votes.

Senator Ibikunle Amosun-backed candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Barr. Olubiyi Otegbeye scored 36 votes.

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There are 1,121 registered voters at the polling unit. Total votes cast was 170 and a vote was voided.

Chief Osoba did not bother to come for the governorship poll as the Card reader after the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) repeatedly failed to accredit him during the Presidential and National Assembly polls.

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for ensuring a smooth and peaceful electioneering process in the state.

Okowa made the remarks while speaking with newsmen after casting his votes on Saturday during the Governorship and House of Assembly elections at Eghoma Primary School, Ward 2, Unit 17, Owa-Alero, Ika North East Local Government Area.

The governor, who voted at about 10 a.m. acknowledged that the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) worked well and the process was smooth.

“I just cast my vote and everything is working smoothly and the capture was quickly done, the process here is seamless and everything working perfectly.

“To go beyond this, I have been talking to the security agencies, there are restrictions in terms of security but I think things are being sorted out.

“We also got information that certain persons are trying to impersonate the military and the police and I think the security agencies are on top of it.

“But beyond that, the reports we are getting everywhere appear to be peaceful and we want to thank the security agencies for the security architecture they put in place.

On the turn out, Okowa said that it was still early to rate the outcome of voters as poor.

‘’I believe that a lot of people will still come out to vote,” he said

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Speaking on the Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the governor said the INEC’s failure to keep to their promise of transmitting the elections’ results from the polling units to the servers was the major challenge.

“That election is a subject for the courts to decide, but I hope that INEC will be a bit credible in this current elections process so that Nigerians may have confidence in this.

“We are promised again that the BVAS would transmit the elections results from the polling units in this current elections.

’’I hope they do not come back to tell us any more reasons why results are not to be transmitted from the polling units,’’ Okowa said.

He urged Nigerians not to sit-at-home for the reasons that their votes would not count and feel disenfranchised.

“But the best reaction is to come out and vote once again and try to defend that vote,” Okowa said (NAN)