The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Northern traditional leaders pledge support for Tinubu

    Northern traditional leaders pledge support for Tinubu

    From Moses Emorinken, Abuja

    The Northern Traditional Leaders’ Committee on Primary Health Care Service Delivery (NTLC) has assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of its unwavering support, especially on the health of Nigerians.

    Speaking during the second quarter review meeting organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Abuja, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, lauded President Tinubu’s uncommon skills in tackling the challenges bedeviling the country.

    He urged other traditional leaders and relevant stakeholders across the country to ensure that the primary healthcare system is revitalised optimally, while leaving no one behind in the country’s target to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

    NPHCDA’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said: “I want to assure you that the NPHCDA remains fully dedicated to the goal of stopping the transmission of all forms of polio in Nigeria. We are resolute in our commitment to strengthening PHCs through innovative programmes and collaborative efforts at all levels.

    Read Also: COAS assures Tinubu of absolute loyalty

    “I am delighted to inform you that just last month, in collaboration with the NPHCDA, the Federal Ministry of Health inaugurated the Southsouth Zone Traditional Leaders’ Committee on PHC Delivery (SSTLC) in Benin City, the Edo State capital, under the esteemed chairmanship of His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin.

    “Furthermore, I am pleased to announce that as part of our efforts to strengthen PHCs with improved delivery of reproductive, maternal, child, and adolescent health services across the states, the Federal Government, through the NPHCDA, has launched and commenced the roll-out of the Community-Based Innovative Research Programme (CRISP).

    “This programme aims to optimise human resources for health, reduce maternal and newborn mortality rates. In addition, its objective is to enhance the capacity of primary healthcare (PHC) facilities by hiring proficient birth attendants, medical officers of health, and deploying CRISP resident doctors.”

  • President Tinubu remembers mother 10 years after

    President Tinubu remembers mother 10 years after

    •Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, others pay tribute

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid glowing tributes to his late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, on the 10th year anniversary of her death.

    Tinubu, who shared his tribute on his verified Twitter page, relived memories of how his mother instilled the values of hard work and forthrightness in him.

    The late Alhaja Mogaji died in 2013. She was 96. She was, until her death, President-General of Lagos State Market Women Association.

    President Tinubu said: “10 years ago today, my darling mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji passed away. On this day, I remember her love, grit, devotion and generosity. I will always cherish the time we had together and the values of hard work, forthrightness and perseverance she instilled in me.

    “May Allah continue to rest her beautiful soul.”

    Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has admonished Nigerians to emulate good virtues of the late Alhaja Mogaji, and be agents of change in their communities.

    Sanwo-Olu described the late Mogaji as a woman of ‘tremendous grace and resilience, a staunch advocate for the welfare and development of the grassroots, and a trailblazer for breaking barriers for women to take up leadership roles in the business circle’.

    Read Also: INEC tenders Tinubu’s biodata form, BVAS report for 36 states, FCT

    Sanwo-Olu, who spoke yesterday at her 10th remembrance prayer, said: “On behalf of President Tinubu and the Mogaji family, I thank everyone for gracing this remembrance . Nobody knew that the prayers mama prayed many years ago for Asiwaju would come to pass 10 years after her death. Our mother did great things because of her righteousness. She is a woman of many parts.

    “Asiwaju sends greetings to you all. Indeed, prayers of the faithful will surely be answered, it may not come to pass within one or two years, but it will come to pass. We appreciate what mama was able to do in her lifetime and what she left behind.”

    Chief Missioner of Ansarudeen Islamic Society, Sheikh Abdurrahman Ahmad, in his sermon, said the late Alhaja Mogaji stood out because of her righteousness. He enjoined the people to emulate good conduct, noting that tomorrow would beckon everyone.

    Also in his sermon, popular preacher, Sheikh Muhyideen Bello enjoined the audience to be watchful of their deeds if they hoped for a better tomorrow. “Whatever position you occupy, you must do well because it has repercussions,” he advised.

    During the Fidau, Muslim and Christian clerics offered prayers for the Alhaja’s soul, President Tinubu and family, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, the executive, legislature, and judiciary, as well as for continuous peace and progress in Lagos and Nigeria.

    Others in attendance were Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat; Speaker of House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa and wife Falilat; Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Chief (Mrs.) Folashade Tinubu-Ojo; members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), state officials, politicians, technocrats, friends and family of the deceased, among others.

    First Lady Oluremi Tinubu was represented by the Chairman of Iru/Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Princess Rashidat Adu.

  • Keeping seas, ships clean

    Keeping seas, ships clean

    Towards the end of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Federal Government signed a concession agreement with XPO Marine Services Limited for the provision of an Offshore Waste Reception Facility (OWRF) in the nation’s eastern zone. In this report, OLUWAKEMI DAUDA looks at the benefits of the facility to the country.

    One of the key programmes okayed by the immediate past Federal administration is the cleaning of ships and ports.

      To give teeth to it, the Federal Government signed a concession agreement with XPO Marine Services Limited to provide Offshore Waste Reception Facility (OWRF) in the eastern zone clean seas and ships of any debris. The zone covers Cross River,  Akwa Ibom, Rivers to Bayelsa states.

    The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, represented the Federal Government, while the Managing Director, XPO Marine Services, Wellington Agharese, signed for the company.

    What is a port reception facility?

    A port reception facility is a kind of provision that any international shipping port must make to collect residues, oily mixtures, and garbage generated from sea-going vessels. The arrangements must be such that the receiving operation can be performed as fast as possible to avoid undue delays of the ships.

    The facility also refers to any fixed, floating or mobile facility capable of receiving waste.

    The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) mandates the facility to receive to receive residues/waste from ships.

    What is MARPOL?

    MARPOL was adopted in November 1973 at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) meeting.

    It is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental pollution.

    The Convention states that parties to it should ensure adequate provision of facilities at ports and terminals to meet the need of ships using them without causing undue delays.

    The merchant fleet of ships in the shipping industry is divided into two main categories: dry ships, which carry dry cargo in bulk and wet ships – these ships generate oily residue mixture and garbage during their cargo carrying operations.

    The oily residue mixture and garbage generated by the vessel cannot be discharged to the sea, according to the law to avoid marine pollution. That is why they are disposed to the port reception facilities around the world.

    Read Also: Navy to unveil seven additional navigational charts

    Position of IMO

    The IMO recognised that reception facilities are crucial to  the effective MARPOL implementation, and the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) has encouraged member-states (Nigeria inclusive), particularly those parties to MARPOL as port states, to fulfil their treaty obligations on providing adequate reception facilities.

    Benefits of agreement signed by the govt

    The benefits of the agreement include pollution elimination in Nigeria’s waters, infrastructure stock increase, revenue generation,  employment, improved economic activities and transfer of the assets at the end of concession period to the Federal Government.

    The importance of adequate waste reception facilities in the chain of implementation of MARPOL and MARPOL policy of “zero tolerance of illegal discharges from ships” could only be enforced when there are adequate facilities provided by the government or its agents.

    Agharese expressed the capability of the company to take on the responsibility.

    The company, he said, would utilise the Design, Finance, Build, Operate, Maintain and Transfer (DFBOMT) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) strategy for the project, which will ensure that from inception government funds were not utilised in project operations while the Federal Government partakes in revenue sharing.

    Objective and application

    Nigeria is a party to the International Convention on the Prevention of pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) develop under the IMO. The MARPOL Convention requires in its annexes I, II, IV, V and VI that Port Reception Facilities be provided and adequate for ship wastes by member-states.

    •These regulations are founded on international commitments of objectives.

    They provide for a framework for waste reception facilities for ship-generated waste: statutory backing and regulatory oversight for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in providing shore-based reception facilities; regulatory cover for reception of waste generated across various offshore installations; for the licensing of waste management organisations and guidelines for developing charges; and reporting requirements for waste delivery and receipt.

    •These regulations apply to any port, terminal, jetty, shipyard and offshore installation.

    •Subject to sub-regulations and

    •These regulations apply to ships calling at/or operating within a port, terminal or otherwise operating a commercial service within the waters.

    •These regulations do not apply to any warship, naval auxiliary or other ship owned or operated by a state and used for the time being, only on the government’s non-commercial service.

    •The provision of regulations 9 and 12 of these regulations do not apply to a ship which is afishing vessel; or recreational craft authorised to carry or designed to carry not more than 12 passengers.

    •The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is responsible for the provision of waste reception facilities offshore for the reception of waste generated by ships to which these regulations apply that do not call into ports or are otherwise engaged in commercial service within the waters; and offshore installations.

    The agency may, in the discharge of their duty, collaborate with  a qualified organisation in providing waste reception facilities; direct or arrange for the provision of such reception facilities by any other person who shall be qualified to undertake the provision of facilities.

    What experts said

    In a statement, two stakeholders in the industry, Dagogo Jack  and Afiz Abass, said there is interest in marine environment protection among African  coastal states, as the region takes steps to harness its vast maritime endowments.

    The statement reads in part: “Nigeria in this respect is conscious of the fact that her people depends on the sea for livelihood.The country is recognising more and more the need to scale up its environmental stewardship  by intensifying efforts to implement the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78), which it is a party to. 

    MARPOL, one of the instruments of IMO, is the main international convention covering the prevention of pollution of the marine environment through ships from operational or accidental causes.

    “In line with the MARPOL Convention, the Federal Government enacted the Merchant Shipping Act, 2007, and Merchant Shipping (Ship Generated Marine Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations, 2012. Nigeria, being a major oil producing nation, contends with oil-related pollution.

    “Oil is the main pollutant of Nigeria’s maritime environment, given the crucial role of the product in the country’s economy.

    “Several offshore activities pollute the ocean and coastal communities. Contamination from ships and drilling facilities harms plants, animals, and human communities. It is estimated that more than half a billion barrels of waste fluids are generated annually in the course of oil and gas activities in Nigeria.

    “To deal with such pollution menace, the Federal Government, acting through the country’s maritime regulatory agency, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), recently signed a concession agreement with XPO Marine Services Limited for the provision of an Offshore Waste Reception Facility (OWRF) in Nigeria’s Eastern Zone. The zone stretches from Cross River State, through Akwa Ibom, Rivers to Bayelsa State.”

    The contract signed

     Dagogo and Abass said: “The contract, signed on May 15, will be executed under a Design, Finance, Build, Operate, Maintain and Transfer (DFBOMT) public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement. It will be executed in four phases for an initial period of 10 years at a total cost of USD72.2 million.The facility would handle inspections for verification of compliance and assessment of service requirements, collection/reception of ship generated waste, waste processing and safe recycling and disposal.

    “The specialised vessels will also patrol the seas and oceans to protect them from pollution, and act as first responders.

    “The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), which has regulatory guidance over the project, announced in December last year that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved three PPP projects to be executed in NIMASA.

    “ICRC said the projects were expected to generate over USD1, 110,384,387 for the Federal Government during the concession period.

    “The Eastern OWRF, Central/Western OWRF, and a Floating Dry Dock were approved by FEC, following the issuance of Full Business Case Certificate of Compliance (FBC) by the PPP regulator, ICRC.”

    What ICRC said

    The Director-General, ICRC, Michael Ohiani, had said the approvals demonstrated the commitment of the former President Muhammadu Buhari administration to the environmental well-being of coastal communities and offshore fisher folks.

    ICRC said the OWRF projects would help keep the seas and oceans clean.

    “The projected total revenue from Eastern OWRF for the entire concession period due to Federal Government based on revenue-sharing ratios is USD279, 487,228.35.The projected total revenue for the entire concession period from the Central and Western zones due to Federal Government based on the revenue sharing ratios is USD765, 289,988.

    ”The IMO recognises the provision of waste reception facilities as crucial for effective implementation of the MARPOL Convention. IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee also encourages member-states, particularly parties to MARPOL as port states, to fulfil their treaty obligations on provision of adequate waste reception facilities at ports and terminals. Nigeria stands to benefit immensely from the offshore waste disposal facility.

    “It comes at a time of fervent quest for deep seaports by the state and federal governments, and revelations that about 70 per cent of cargo bound for West and Central Africa are destined for Nigeria.’’

     Besides, NIMASA is expected to commence soon the operation of its floating dry dock, which is of huge commercial benefit to the country in ship dry-docking and repairs. These are in pursuit of the objective of developing Nigeria as a regional and global maritime hub. The waste reception facility would be a significant effort to deal with the increased pollution in maritime activities.

    Findings have shown that the offshore waste collection facility has the capacity to receive various classifications of residues/wastes, in line with the demands of MARPOL I-VI, covering oily waste, residues containing noxious liquid substances (NLS), sewage, garbage, including dry/bulk cargo residues and cargo-associated waste, such as dunnage and packaging; and ozone-depleting substances and exhaust gas cleaning residues.The facility is in tandem with efforts to increase Nigeria’s infrastructure stock through PPPs, as captured in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (METF/FSP) 2020-2022.

    Increase in revenue

    The facility will raise revenue for the government and provide the country an innovative best-practice solution and infrastructure for offshore waste management. It would create employment opportunities for the host community and other Nigerians, with an estimated 1, 200 direct jobs, and up to 2,000 indirect and ancillary jobs. It would give maritime students and scholars an opportunity to sharpen their knowledge through easy data collection, investigation, and analysis.The waste collection project would stimulate greater economic activities in the maritime industry and attract investments.

    Advantages of the project

    All these, it was gathered, would be at no cost to the government, as incidental risks are transferred to the concessionaire. The DFBOMT PPP strategy also brings advantages to the government. It ensures that, from start to finish, the government funds are not involved; the government has the opportunity to share from the revenue; and it meets it complies with the international maritime convention. Above all, the asset will revert to the government upon expiration of the concession period. In trying to harness the potential of its maritime environment, Nigeria has invested a great deal of effort in ventures meant to guarantee long-term ecological health and improvement.

     Globally concerns

    Gobally, concerns are rising about the harmful effects of human activities on the environment.The World Economic Forum (WEF), a Switzerland-based non-governmental and lobbying organisation, warned about a climate crisis in its 2022 Global Risks Report. It said the environment’s health remained the biggest long-term worry for humanity.

    The risks report is usually released before the meeting of world business and political leaders held every January in Davos, Switzerland to address global economic issues. Things did not turn out better than forecasted over the course of 2022. WEF started the event with a warning that the world was on the verge of a perilous “polycrisis” – a tangled web of crises straddling global systems. Climate change was one of the major threats identified by the WEF.The Nigerian maritime industry has witnessed an inclination towards innovative steps aimed at securing and preserving the environment for profitable investment. The country intends to develop an environment favourable to faster rollout of its blue economy potential.

    The country made international headlines in September 24, 2021, when it launched a wreck removal initiative, in deliberate effort to further open up the maritime sector for sustainable investment.The then Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, at the launch of the wreck removal in Lagos: “This creative venture of clearing our waters of wrecks and derelicts, apart from guaranteeing better safety of navigation, opens up the prospects of many new investments in the maritime industry.”

    On February 20, 2020, the former Director-General,  NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, initiated the Maritime Action Plan on Marine Litter and Plastics, setting a national roadmap for tackling marine pollution.

    IMO Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, said: “Shipping must be balanced with the safety of life at sea, the long-term health and diversity of oceans and the conservation of the marine environment. Marine litters are a great concern and the discharge of garbage from ships has been prohibited since the 1980s by the MARPOL convention and additionally by the London convention Governments the world over have adopted partnership with the private sector as an effective strategy for maintaining ocean and sea health.”

    Last line

    Investigation has shown that in the United Kingdom, the ports employ licensed waste disposal contractors to serve the shipping community. The approach is similar in the United States, where port/terminal operators employ firms for waste reception/removal services, and update the companies’ information with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) if there are changes.

    Stakeholders said the latest partnership with XPO Marine Services for an offshore waste reception facility was a good attempt by the Buhari administration to secure the marine environment to support life and investment. The company that won the contract has provided integrated offshore marine support services to the oil and gas industry in West Africa for over a decade, hence the decision of the government to give it a trial.

    “We are proud to be part of the execution of Nigeria’s critical treaty obligation under the MARPOL Convention,” said  Agharese.

  • Trillions wasted on subsidies enough to save planet, says World Bank

    Trillions wasted on subsidies enough to save planet, says World Bank

    A new World Bank report has explained how trillions of dollars spent on subsidies can save the people and the planet.

    The global bank said $577 billion was spent in 2021 to lower the price of polluting fuels, such as oil, gas, and coal.

    The report, titled: Detox Development: Repurposing Environmentally Harmful Subsidies, says the subsidies were wasted on agriculture, fishing and fossil fuels.

    The report puts the global direct government expenditures in the three sectors as $1.25 trillion a year, adding that redirecting the subsidies could unlock at least $500 billion towards more productive and sustainable uses.

    The Senior Managing Director of the World Bank, Axel van Trotsenburg, said: “People say that there isn’t money for climate, but there is – it’s just in the wrong places. If we could repurpose the trillions of dollars being spent on wasteful subsidies and put these to better, greener uses, we could together address many of the planet’s most pressing challenges.”

    The problem, a statement by the bank said, is bigger than direct government expenditures.

    Read Also: ‘Nigerians should be patient with Tinubu over subsidy removal’

    “The report assesses the harmful impact of implicit subsidies, which amount to $6 trillion each year. These represent the costs on people and the planet from pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, road congestion, and the destruction of nature ultimately resulting from the subsidies.

    “In agriculture, direct subsidies of more than $635 billion a year are driving the excessive use of fertilisers that degrade soil and water and harm human health. Subsidies for products, such as soybeans, palm oil, and beef, cause farmers to push into the forest frontier and are responsible for 14 per cent of forest loss every year.

    “Fisheries subsidies, which exceed $35 billion each year, are a key driver of dwindling fish stocks, oversized fishing fleets, and falling profitability. With more than 1 billion poor people obtaining most of their animal protein from fish, it is critical that the world’s fish stocks are restored to healthy status.

    “The burning of oil, gas, and coal causes 7 million premature deaths a year around the world through the bad air that people must breathe. The burden falls mostly on the poor,” the bank said.

    The World Bank’s Chief Economist of the Sustainable Development Practice Group, Richard Damania, said: “With foresight and planning, repurposing subsidies can provide more resources to give people a better quality of life and to ensure a better future for our planet.

    “Much is already known about best practices for subsidy reform, but implementing these practices is no easy feat due to entrenched interests, challenging political dynamics, and other barriers.”

  • Delta APC group seeks probe of party’s senators’ votes

    Delta APC group seeks probe of party’s senators’ votes

    A group in the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Concerned APC Frontiers, has expressed concern over a viral publication that showed that the two APC senators from the state reportedly voted against Senator Godswill Akpabio in the Senate leadership election.

    Expressing shock that the two APC senators from Delta State may have voted for Senator Abdulazziz Yari, the group urged the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to investigate the matter.

    Read Also: Tinubu orders probe of EFCC chairman’s tenure

    It alleged that the action of the senators connoted disloyalty to the leadership of the party.

    A statement by Chief Bokimor Francis, Lugard Omatsone and Odoku Paul, on behalf of APC Frontiers, said: “Their choice of candidate, clearly shown on the purported list, is not only embarrassing but a flagrant disloyalty to the party and wish of the party.

    “That this show of disloyalty displayed by these distinguished senators who should know better depicts a calibrated attempt to paint all APC Delta State members, particularly Delta South and Delta Central Senatorial Districts, to be on the same page in their act of disloyalty.

    “That this list potentially puts the former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo Agege in a very bad light, especially the vote by the Delta Central senator, who is from the same constituency.”

  • Ojerinde, family members arraigned over alleged sale of govt property

    Ojerinde, family members arraigned over alleged sale of govt property

    • •Ailing ex-JAMB boss weeps during proceedings

    A former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, was arraigned yesterday with his three sons and a daughter-in-law at a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged complicity in the sale of a Federal Government’s property in Ghana.

    Ojerinde, his son’s (Olumide Abiodun Ojerinde, Adedayo Ojerinde and Oluwaseun Adeniyi Ojerinde) and daughter-in-law (Mary Funmilola Ojerinde) as well as six firms were arraigned on a 17-count charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

    The firms are: Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Limited, Cheng Marbles Limited, Sapati International Schools Limited, Trillium Learning Centres Limited, Standout Institutes Limited and ESLI Perfect Security Printers Limited.

    Read Also: Bitter two-term lessons from Emefiele and Ojerinde

    The accused were said to have unlawfully sold a Federal Government property identified as House Number 4, Ahomko Drive, Achimota Phase II, Accra, Ghana.

    According to the charge, Ojerinde and his sons sold the property to conceal corrupt benefit after they had forfeited it to the Federal Government.

    The ICPC alleged that the corrupt benefit was conferred on Ojerinde while being a public officer by Jimoh Olabisi Olatunde through corrupt practices and abuse of office, in violation of Section 26 (1)(c) and punishable under Section 24 of the ICPC Act 2000, among others.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them, and their lawyer urged the court to allow them on bail.

    Although the prosecuting lawyer, Ebenezer Shogunle, objected to the bail for the defendants, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted them conditional bail.

    Justice Ekwo said the original title documents of the properties must be deposited with the court, while the defendants were directed to deposit their travel passports with the court’s Registrar.

    The judge adjourned till November 13 for the commencement of trial, as the prosecution hinted of its plan to call 18 witnesses in the case.

  • Poor maintenance, outages caused Max Air’s near crash, says NSIB

    Poor maintenance, outages caused Max Air’s near crash, says NSIB

    • •Agency releases preliminary report on incident

    The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released the preliminary report on an incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft operated by Max Air on May 7.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, NSIB Director General Akin Olateru said the agency’s findings showed that the flight crew of the aircraft were licensed and qualified to conduct the flight and that the aircraft had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness.

    The aircraft, marked 5N-MBD, recorded an incident between its take-off at Yola Airport in Adamawa State and on landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

    Read Also: Death toll in India’s train crash hits 280

    The findings of the accident bureau indicated that the quality control department of the airline failed to supervise the maintenance action of the brake unit and wheel change conducted on the aircraft on May 5.

    The findings also revealed that the crew did not take adequate measures to confirm the information about the missing wheel assembly.

    The report said the aircraft came to a stop between Link A5 and A6 about 2,900 m from the threshold of runway 22.

    It added: “The port wheel assembly was located by personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) about 1,000 m from threshold of Runway 35 Yola airport on May 8, 2023…

    “The roller bearings on the wheel assembly of number one main wheel had discoloration and were burnt out.”

  • Nigeria lost $9.05b to gas flaring in 10 years, says Rep

    Nigeria lost $9.05b to gas flaring in 10 years, says Rep

    Nigeria lost an estimated $9.05 billion to gas flaring in the last 10 years, a member of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Mohammed Munir (APC, Kaduna), has said.

    Presenting a motion on the need to address the practice by oil and gas companies in the country, Munir said Nigeria lost about N150 billion to gas flaring between January and April this year.

    The lawmaker said there was a report by National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) which stated that in 2022, Nigeria flared 216.5 billion standard cubic feet of gas in about 11 months, despite its commitment in November 2021 to reach net zero by 2060.

    According to him, the report states that 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted into the atmosphere, thus contributing to global warming.

    Munir said useful natural gas valued at $0.79 billion was burnt by the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

    The lawmaker stressed that the equivalent of $450 million in gas was said to have been uncollected.

    He recalled that in 2022 alone, 22,500 gigawatts (GW, which is equal to one billion (109) watts) hours of potential power generation went to waste, equivalent to the annual electricity use of 511 million Nigerians.

    Munir expressed concern that in 2021, an estimated $761.19 million was lost to gas flaring, from where a total of N316.5 billion monetary value would have accrued to the government if it had captured this volume and repurposed it.

    The lawmaker said this sum would have helped the country to provide basic amenities, as stated in the 2022 fiscal budget, and would have financed the total expenditure for Primary Health Centres (PHCs), rural electrification projects, and the maintenance of all road and bridge projects by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).

    Read Also: Drop in cooking gas price excites Kano residents

    According to him, these have a collective figure of N227.13 billion.

    A breakdown of the figures shows that N24.4 billion was budgeted for PHCs, N113.96 billion for rural electrification, and N88.76 billion for FERMA.

    Munir expressed concern that “in 2023, the trend continues as N150 billion value of gas was flared within the month of January to April. In the last decade, approximately $9.05 billion has been lost to gas flaring. This money would have offset 23.62 per cent of the country’s total foreign debt of $38.32 billion”.

    The House resolved to ask NOSDRA to furnish the Green Chamber with specified information on companies involved in gas flaring and include amounts flared and penalty costs in the last decade for local and international oil companies (IOCs) so that outstanding debts could be fully recovered.

    The Green Chamber also asked key and relevant government agencies in the petroleum sector, such as NNPCL and NOSDRA, under the Ministry of Environment; NERC, under the Ministry of Power, to avoid working in silos and strengthen synergy to produce a practical and unified multi-level governance and policy coherence analysis that will stem gas flaring, protect the environment and boost energy supply.

  • Onuachu, Aribo survive Saints’ mass clear out

    Onuachu, Aribo survive Saints’ mass clear out

    Paul Onuachi and Joe Aribo have survived the clear out by Southampton as the team have confirmed the release of 12 players in the wake of their Premier League relegation.

    Onuachu joined Southampton from Genk while Aribo teamed up with the then EPL side from Rangers and the Saints had a season to forget in 2022-23 as they churned through three first-team managers and eventually dropped out of the English top-flight.

    From Ralph Hasenhuttl to Nathan Jones and, eventually, Ruben Selles – the Saints struggled to find any form during the entire campaign.

    And, following the season’s end, the club have now revealed which first-team stars will be kept on for the 2023-24 campaign.

    The most notable name on the list, which the club gave special mention to, was attacker Theo Walcott.

    The 34-year-old will leave the Saints for the second time in his career, after joining them from Everton in 2020.

    Read Also: Rangers urged to resign Aribo from relegated Southampton

    Since his return to the club, the former Arsenal star has scored five goals from 58 appearances but was unable to prevent their relegation to the Championship.

    It was Walcott’s second spell at Southampton, having come through their academy as a youngster before moving to Arsenal in 2005.

    Along with Walcott, Southampton will also be parting ways with Norwegian winger Mohamed Elyounoussi.

    The winger, who joined from Swiss side Basel in 2018, went on to score nine goals from 89 appearances for the club.

    Former Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero is also coming to the end of his current deal, but the club confirmed negotiations over a new contract.

    Outside of the first-team, there are ten players that will join Walcott and Elyounoussi out of the doors at Southampton.

    The club confirmed the imminent departures of Goran Babic, Sam Bellis, Matthew Hall, Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo, Leon Pambou, Fedel Ross-Lang, Jak Stewart, Will Tizzard, Jack Turner, Caleb Watts.

  • Nestlé Milo Basketball Championship 2023: Lagos dominates Western Conference

    Nestlé Milo Basketball Championship 2023: Lagos dominates Western Conference

    Lagos State teams dominated the Western Conference of the 23rd MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Lekan Salami Stadium, in Ibadan as Topfield College, Ajegunle, Lagos, won both the girls’ and boys’ categories in the

    In the girls’ category of the championship, Topfield College, Ajegunle, Lagos State defeated their counterparts from Kings International College, Moniya, Ibadan Oyo State by 36 points to 30 points in a keenly contested encounter. The boys from Topfield College, Ajegunle, Lagos State, following the footsteps of their female counterparts, defeated the boys from Adedokun International School, Ota, Ogun State by 48 points to 17 points in a one-sided game.

    The coach of Topfield College, Ajegunle, Lagos, Godswill Anukaku said “It is a great privilege to come here and play on this platform. So, I feel very happy and proudd that we are moving to the nationals in Lagos, just as we did last year. we won in the conference here but did not really perform to the best of our abilities in the nationals, where we finished in third place. But, I assure you that this year, we are going to the nationals to come first in both the boys and girls categories.”

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    The Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. C. A. Abioye thanked Nestlé for their invaluable support over the years. She also called on other corporate bodies to follow their footsteps by supporting school sports.

    The girls and boys from Topfield College, Ajegunle, Lagos State have now qualified to play in the national finals of the competition in Lagos in July.

    Category Manager for Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria, Mr. Olutayo Olatunji, reiterated Nestle’s commitment to developing talents, promoting healthier lifestyles, and instilling values for success in life through sports. “MILO, firmly believes that through participation in sports, children learn enduring values to help them achieve success in life,” he said.

    Nestlé Nigeria’s MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship has been promoting the value of grit for over 23 years, helping school children learn essential life skills such as resilience, persistence, stamina, cooperation, and self-belief. These values enable them to overcome challenges and achieve their goals in life.