The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cuts

  • NIWA ‘cuts’ MTN cable over right of way

    Officials of the National Inland Waterways (NIWA) have allegedly cut MTN Nigeria’s optic fibre cable in Cross River State over right of way (RoW).

    According to a source, who spoke   in confidence at the weekend in Lagos, the cable has been cut thrice in quick successions without the agency following due process.

    The source added that Kogi State has allegedly been pestering the telco over payment for RoW, which has already been paid to the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works.

    “We have recorded three cuts on our cable in Cross River State in recent times by NIWA officials over payment of RoW,  which we have paid to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works. In Kogi State too, we are having issues with NIWA over the same payment. We have been trying to get one of its officials identified simply as Suleiman to resolve the issue,” the official lamented.

    According to a document, officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had, in its regulatory intervention role, held  meetings with NIWA officials and Federal Ministry of Works on the RoW issues. Resolutions reached at those meetings urged parties to articulate position paper in which identifiable conflicting provisions would be highlighted for harmonisation; that during the pendency of the negotiation, NIWA shall continue to issue demand notices to operators without enforcement action until after six months starting from August 18, 2017.

    It said NIWA should not obstruct, stop or hinder the deployment/construction/installation of telecoms infrastructure during the pendency of the above period; that the Commission, as an arbiter, should persuade the Minister of Communication to use his good office to bring the two ministries (Transport, Works, Power and Housing) together to hasten negotiation on these resolutions. It added that the NCC should advise telecoms operators to always submit their infrastructure rolling plans to NIWA where it is within their RoW for costing to avoid breach.

     

  • OPEC likely to extend cuts

    OPEC likely to extend cuts

    Oil prices have hovered around their highest levels of the year over the past few weeks, reaching a two-year high of $59 per barrel in late September. The bullish sentiment in the market reflects four major developments: higher global demand, the rising likelihood that OPEC will extend its production cuts until the end of 2018, the fading impact of hurricanes in the US and heightened geopolitical risks in Iraq and Iran.

    According to The Peninsula Qatar, non-OPEC output is expected to increase further in 2018 and we believe OPEC will therefore extend its production cut agreement from its expiry in Q1 2018 to the end of 2018 to support the market. As a result, we maintain our forecast for an average price of $58 per barrel for 2018.

    So, what is driving the recent bullish sentiment in oil prices? The first development is a firmer global demand outlook. In September, the International Energy Agency (IEA) raised its global oil demand forecast for the whole of 2017 due to improving growth in the US and Europe. It now projects an increase of 1.6 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2017 compared to 1.4m b/d previously.

    The second major development has been increasing speculation of an extension of OPEC and non-OPEC production cuts beyond Q1 2018. We first highlighted that OPEC was increasingly likely to extend its production cuts back in early July (see our commentary, OPEC’s 2018 dilemma). Recently, Russia and Saudi Arabia have had high level talks discussing the possibility of an extension and Saudi Arabia has also said that it will unilaterally cut production by an additional 0.3mb/d, over and above its existing OPEC agreed cuts, beginning in November to further support prices. At the same time, although inventory levels have declined since the start of the year, they have not fallen quickly enough to achieve OPEC’s stated target of bringing inventories down to their five-year historical average by Q1 2018. All of these factors have pushed markets to expect that an extension of the agreement is increasingly likely

    The third development is the fading impact of Hurricane Harvey on the US oil market. Hurricane Harvey, which hit the oil producing Gulf Coast region of the US, paradoxically resulted in lower and not higher crude oil prices in late August. This is because the hurricane disrupted refinery output and left crude oil production largely undisturbed. The end result was an increase in crude oil inventories in the US, depressing crude prices, and rapid draw down of refined product inventories. Now, prices have rebounded as refining capacity has mostly come back online and the crude oil inventory glut is being cleared by record high US crude oil exports.

    The fourth development is heightened geopolitical risks. The Kurdish independence referendum has created some uncertainty over the future flow of 500,000 bpd from Iraqi Kurdish oil fields to Turkey.

  • Stocking your medicine cabinet

    Stocking your medicine cabinet

    Continued

    For cuts, wounds, and burns

    Avoid allowing bacteria to enter the body through cuts and wounds. For minor wounds, antiseptic spray or lotion can be used to clean cuts. Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used. Rubbing alcohol and alcohol wipes are also helpful.  Antibiotic skin creams or ointments can be applied to prevent infection. They contain antibiotics such as bacitracin and neomycin.  Petroleum jelly should be applied to burns immediately.  Burns should be professionally dressed as soon as possible.

    First aid supplies

    The cabinet should have a supply of cotton wool and swabs, various sized plasters, bandages, gauze pads, adhesive tape, scissors and tweezers.  Elastic bandages help to reduce swelling.

    A thermometer is used for taking temperature to monitor a feverish condition.  A rectal thermometer should be used for children less than 3 years old.  Older children can use a rectal, an oral, or an ear thermometer. Temperature can also be measured in the arm pit.  Mercury thermometers should not be used for children because accidental spill of mercury is dangerous.  Instead,digital thermometers should be used and may be applied rectally or in the armpit and other places.   Include a lubricant such as petroleum jelly to apply the rectal thermometer.

    General components of the medicines cabinet may be:

    .A nasal aspirator bulb or bulb syringe for drawing mucus out of a stuffy nose.  Saline drops to loosen mucus before use of the bulb syringe.Rubbing alcohol or spirit to sterilize thermometers, tweezers, and scissors before and after use.

    .Dosage spoon or cup for measuring and administering medications.

    .Tweezers for removing splinters or ticks

    .A heating pad for minor aches and pains

    .An instant cold compress to reduce swelling that comes with minor bumps and bruises

    .A small flashlight for checking your baby’s nose, ears, and mouth

    .First-aid manual or instructions

    For menstrual discomfort

    Menstrual pain can be treated with analgesics.  A diuretic can give relief from excess water and bloating.  Caffeine is also added to some menstrual relief formulas.  Available products include Ayer Select Menstrual Multisymptom Formula, Pamprin Multi-Symptom, and PMS Multisymptom Formula Midol.

    For coital difficulties

    Vaginal lubricants such as gynemoistrin and replens or a male lubricant such as petroleum jelly may be useful.

    Contraceptives

    Young women are often unfortunately in sexual bondage conditions with anoverpowering or threatening member of their household.  Unwanted pregnancies and abortions can be avoided with the use of a spermicide such as nonoxynol-9 oroctoxynol whichkills sperm to prevent pregnancy or pre-coital contraceptives which block the possibility of conception.Emergency contraceptives such as levornorgestrel (Plan B) and morning after pills used after coitus may actually be abortifacient rather than contraceptive by preventing implantation of a fertilized ovum.

    Baby’s supplies

    Your baby-care cabinet may include: gripe water, anti-gas drops, baby nail clippers or a small nail file, baby-safe sunscreen lotion, baby-safe insect repellent, baby shampoo or baby soap, baby moisturizing cream, baby diaper rash cream, washcloths for cleaning your baby’s body and caring for gums and emerging teeth, teething powder or topical pain relief gel, a soft-bristled baby brush, and teething toys.

    Spiritual aid

    On the lid or door of the cabinet, paste a prayer card with a religious verse or quote or your own composition on it that is anti-panic, pacifying, and will help you be in control over adversity and do the right thing in troubled situations.   Telephone numbers of people who could give spiritual support could also be included.

     

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910 or 08160944635

  • Drop in allocation: Bayelsa cuts wage bill

    Bayelsa State has ordered a cut down on its wage bills and emoluments for its public officials as part of its belt tightening measures.

    A statement by the government yesterday, said Governor Seriake Dickson directed the cost cutting measures in response to the drop in the state’s allocation from the Federation Account.

    Dickson also called on the people to face the harsh economic reality of the times, noting that the allocation in the past months to the state had nosedived by about N5 billion.

    According to a Government House statement: “This situation has prompted many states to cut salary of workers in their states by half and many other states cannot meet their salary obligation to civil servants and even to contractors. Cross River and Benue states are among states in the federation that have taken steps to cut salaries by half owing to the grim economic downturn”.

    The governor has ordered the Commissioner of Finance and his team to expeditiously work out modalities to cut down on the state wage bills such as remunerations approved for parastatals and travel allowances for government functionaries including the governor.

    “He however instructed that this should be done in such a way that we should be able to cope with the stress that has been induced by the reduction in our inflows.

    “I have a duty as your governor to explain the reality of our current economic situation from when I took oath of office till now, our monthly revenue has dropped by over N5 billion. So, if we are not careful to build alternative revenue sources, we will get to a point where the Federal revenue will not be enough to enable us meet our minimum obligation as a State, particularly bearing in mind the very high wage bill that we have in this State that is higher than that of any other state in this country.

    Therefore, I have directed that approvals beginning with Government House expenditures should be further reduced by as much as 50 per cent in the light of the current realities. There is every need for us to review most of our expenditure patterns and let it be said when that day comes that, there was a Governor who saw that possibility and worked hard to avert it.