The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GOVT

  • Industrialist urges govt to stop furniture importation

    An industrialist Mr. Oyemike Onaham has urged the Federal Government to curb foreign exchange wastage on furniture importation by empowering indigenous furniture producers.

    Onaham, who is the managing director of the ongoing first made- in-Nigeria furniture fair, made the call while visiting stands at the exhibition on Sunday in Abuja.

    He said the government’s empowerment with loans and grants would boost local production of world- class furniture products and effectively curb importation.

    “Government injection of fund and other policy support will open up the potentials of this multi-billion naira sector to the teeming youths for self employment.

    “The present federal administration is a responsible and serious government, I therefore, appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate the empowerment of furniture industrialists by providing special support loans and possible grants to industrialists in the sector,” Onaham said.

    He noted that furniture production business had been profitable for local and foreign companies in the country, adding that “The sector is almost still at virgin level with a huge potential for growth, employment and even exportation.”

    Onaham said: “Nigeria is one of the countries in the world blessed with amazing varieties of wood, including hard and water proof ones, which are suitable for production of dazzling and diverse furniture products for homes, offices, factories, vehicles among others.”

    He said since no one could do without furniture, it was necessary that government pays attention to the industry, noting that funds assistance and patronage by the federal, state and local governments, and corporate organisations would boost the furniture industry and make it attractive to youths. “Once there is patronage by governments as a policy, it will be easy for corporate organisations to follow suit and thereby expand employment opportunities in the sector,” Onaham noted.

    The first made-in-Nigeria Furniture Trade Fair is being organised by Baca Furniture Products Limited.

     

  • ‘Govt working for fuel self-sufficiency, export’

    Nigeria requires a mixture of bigger and modular refineries to achieve self-sufficiency in crude oil processing, to become an exporter of petroleum products in Africa, Deputy Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Olumide Adeleke, has said.

    According to him, the four state-owned refineries – Port Harcourt 1 &2, Warri and Kaduna refineries are operating below installed capacities of 445,000 barrels per day (bpd), adding that it was a setback to the country’s goal of providing fuel for domestic market aside making fuel available for export.

    At an industry’s forum in Lagos, Adeleke said when Dangote Petrochemical and Refinery starts production in 2019, the country would be at an advantage to distribute enough fuel in the country, and  export the product to other countries.

    He said Dangote Refinery and other refineries are bigger platforms needed to refine crude oil, noting that the bigger a platform is, the higher the profit margin that accrues to the owner of the platform.

    The decision by the Federal Government to license operators that wish to invest in modular refineries few years ago, was part of efforts to encourage processing of crude oil in the country, he said.

    He, however, said the DPR, which issued the licences on behalf of the government, was not happy that the many of the operators are yet to begin processing of crude oil.

    Adeleke said: “While the government is making crude oil refining for domestic consumption by encouraging as many firms as possible to go into it, it is worthy of note that many of the firms that were licensed are yet to  show meaningful progress in that regard. To achieve self-sufficiency in the area of crude oil refining locally, private operators need to be up and doing by processing crude oil optimally.”

    According him, finance is a major setback to operators, who want to invest in refineries, adding that many operators are finding it difficult to get a minimum of $2billion required to operate a big refinery.

    This, Adeleke said, informed the decision of the government to arrange some finances for operators.

    On issue of co-location, Adeleke said col-location is good, when firms established for that purpose are situated where refineries are. He said co-location that is going on in Port Harcourt was as a result of the refinery in that region.  In Port Harcourt alone, co-location of about 100,000 barrels of crude oil is ongoing, a development, which is good for the country.

  • Paris club refund: My govt is for all, says Akeredolu

    Paris club refund: My govt is for all, says Akeredolu

    The Ondo State government yesterday explained the disbursement of its N6.38 billion Paris Club refund.

    A statement by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant, Special Duties & Strategy, Dr Doyin Odebowale, said contrary to claims the administration got N7.03 billion, the state got N6.38 billion to pay September 2016 arrears and execute projects.

    Odebowale said no major administrative decision was taken on welfare without consulting the labour union.

    According to him, it was shocking that those who participated in meetings on the payment of arrears could misinform the public.

    He said: “It is on record that some states allocated 50 per cent of the refund to offset salaries and the remaining 50 per cent for projects. Ondo State has agreed to allocate 75 per cent to pay pensioners in full, offset part of gratuities owed retirees, release subventions to institutions and parastatals and to pay 80 per cent of the September salary.

    “The remaining 25 per cent is for capital projects. It is rather disturbing to note that those who claim to serve the public will insist that the government should reserve nothing for the  the people who constitute over 95 per cent of the populace.”

    The statement said: “The allegiance of this government is to them and not a select few. No worker should be afraid of persecution in this dispensation. No one will, however, enjoy unmerited privileges.

    “No amount of blackmail can stampede the administration to take decisions inimical to the interest of people not in the employ of the government.”

  • Govt should fix this road

    A critical section of the highway from Owo to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has collapsed. At Ibillo in the Akoko Edo Council Area of Edo State, there is a huge gully on the highway,  making it almost impossible for motorists to navigate through.

     Vehicles conveying goods and passengers to and from Abuja and its environs are forced to spend several hours on this bad portion of the road.

    The worst affected are the heavy duty vehicles like trucks and tankers that spend the whole day trying to find their ways through the bad portion of the road.

    Many of the vehicles, as an alternative, are passing through the inner part of the Ibillo community, thereby endangering the lives of the residents.

    Motorists and the indigenes of Ibillo are appealing to the government to urgently come and fix the Ibillo-Magongo stretch of the expressway to Abuja.

  • Oyo govt to sanction churches, mosques, others for noise pollution

    Oyo govt to sanction churches, mosques, others for noise pollution

    •Three churches sealed as pastor harasses commissioner

    Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Chief Isaac Ishola, at the weekend narrated his ordeals in the hands of the General Overseer of a new generation church while attempting to seal off the church for violating environmental laws.

    The commissioner said the General Overseer allegedly molested, harassed and insulted him on the church premises to prevent the sealing of the church.

    Three churches were reportedly sealed off for alleged noise pollution and violating the government’s prescribed noise level.

    Speaking with The Nation in his office at the weekend, the commissioner warned against violation of noise regulation laws.

    He noted that the ministry would no longer tolerate what he called the impunity among religious bodies that were fond of exceeding the prescribed noise level.

    Ishola said: “…I was insulted and harassed (at the weekend) by a pastor, the owner of one of the sealed churches. He refused to comply with the state noise regulations. The pastor refused to attend a meeting when called. In fact, the pastor came out, pounced on me and said I could not seal the church because if I did, it would close my destiny. And I told him that I am a Christian too, but ‘you cannot use Christianity to disturb the peace’ of others…”

    The commissioner urged religious bodies to remove speakers mounted on their buildings, saying doing so violated government’s laws regulating noise in the environment.

    According to him, anybody who refuses to comply will be arrested and the premises sealed, in line with the laws regulating noise in the state.

  • Govt screens bidder under fresh fuel importation

    The Federal Government has started screening local and foreign oil companies which submitted bids to import fuel into the country under  the Direct Sales Direct Purchase (DSDP) model, it was learnt.

    The aim is to ensure that the firms are financially and technically fit.

    Under the DSDP, firms  get crude allocation from the government and bring products of equal value to the country   to ensure even distribution   nationwide.

    The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ndu Ughamadu, in a telephone interview with The Nation, said the government had set up a technical committee to look at the financial strength.

    Others, he said, include ascertaining the level of credibility of the bidding firms and their capacity to deliver at an agreed date in the event their bids were approved by the government.

    According to him, the issue of eligibility of the firms is of utmost concern to the government, adding that government is stopping at nothing to ensure that only the companies with strong financial capacity and reasonable level of credibility were approved for the DSDP import model.

    He said the issue of selecting qualified bidders is sensitive and tasking, stressing that the development informed the decision of the government to take its time on the issue.

    Ughamadu said: “The process of picking bidders for fuel importation and other issues that are germane to the economy must be thorough, hence the decision of the government to handle the issue painstakingly.

    “The government has been careful with the issue of picking bidders for fuel importation ever since the time it came out with the idea of importation of fuel through Direct Sales Direct Purchase model. Both local and foreign firms have submitted bids for fuel importation under the DSDP model, in line with the directives of the government on the issue. The process of picking the best bidders is on-going. Presently, the government through NNPC is analysing the bids, while at the same time, looking into the financial capacity and ability of the firms to deliver, should they win the bids. Some firms operate onshore; others operate offshore.”

    Ugbamadu said the government is ready to open its doors to foreign crude refiners that want to invest in Nigeria. He said any attempt made by the foreign crude refining firms to invest in Nigeria is in tandem with the policy of the Federal Government, to grow the economy, by bringing in investors into the country.

    “If in the long run, crude oil refiners from developed economies, which would operate under the Direct Sale and Direct Purchase import model, wish to invest in Nigeria, they are welcomed. The more investors we have in Nigeria’s refining sector, the better for the country,” he said.

    He said the government has been calling for more local and foreign investments, in order to promote growth.

  • ‘Lagos govt committed to Ikeja model city’s master-plan’

    The Lagos State government yesterday reiterated its commitment to the renewed Ikeja Model City Master Plan originally conceived to address infrastructural challenges.

    A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode plannd to make Ikeja a model city and actualise the relocation of the Computer Village to the new site at Katangowa in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, in line with the reviewed master plan.

    The statement said the Ikeja Model City Master Plan designated the Computer Village for residential use, adding that the government will follow the plans to make the area more organised, serene and habitable.

    It said the government had not issued any permit to any individual or organisation to build an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialised mall beside the new Ikeja Bus Terminal.

    The government noted that such move is not in sync with the government’s regeneration plan for the capital city.

    It said as a sign of its commitment to the relocation of the Computer Village from Ikeja to Katangowa, the take-off of the Katangowa project was in its final stage of implementation.

    The government said it would ensure its speedy completion.

  • Firm, govt partner to create employment

    A company and member of some international bodies for credit rating agencies, Fagbadex Global Services Limited, has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Federal Goverment to create employment in Nigeria.

    Its Managing Director, Chief Friday Agbabule, made the declaration at the corporate headquarters of the organisation while briefing reporters on programmes for the overseas credit report seminar hui  company is packaging to sensitise the public on its franchise to represent some international organisations in Nigeria.

    He explained making credit reporting and verification his priority was borne out of his desire to share his wealth of experience, garnered over two decades, on business information, credit reporting and verification, third party verification and due diligence from various experts and acclaimed guru of credit reporting.

    He said the other reasons for his choice of business was his passion to reduce the rate at which people were defrauded owing to fraudulent and inaccurate documentation, which, at various times, were not verified.

    “Let me express that my desire and willingness to pursue this noble profession was as a result of my innate desire to liberate several people, especially to share the experience I garnered spanning over two decades in this credit reporting and verification exercise from various notable gurus and highly respected experts in the field.

    “Also, my passion to reduce the rate at which people were defrauded owing to fraudulent, inaccurate,  incorrect documentation that were not verified. This time around, I am determined to contribute my quota to end that menace called recession in Nigeria,” Agbabule said.

    He said his company decided to organise a seminar tagged “ Overseas Credit Report Seminar”, scheduled for November, to acquaint business-oriented persons with requirements of gredit reporting.

    Agbabule said his company could  provide reports on foreign companies within a few days, at a minimal cost, as well as such customer’s address verification, due diligence, corporate search and verification and confirmation of information of any company before in2itiating business.

  • Govt blamed for low investments in renewable energies

    The Federal Government should be blamed for the low investment in renewable energies and the lack of improvement in electricity supply in the country, Manager, Business Development and Strategies, Green Power Oversees Limited, Mr. Olumide Aina, has said.

    He said had the Federal Government developed and maximised potential in the renewable energies that are at its disposal by increasing their investment, power supply would have improved in the country.

    He spoke on the sidelines of a seminar organised by Green Power in Ikeja. He added that the failure of the government to provide a conducive  environment for it is affecting investments in renewable energies, such as solar and biomass.

    He said efforts of the government to improve activities in solar and other renewable energies had been frustrated by the political climate.

    Aina said: “The political terrain in the country is bad such that investors are afraid of coming out to invest in solar or any other type of renewable energy. Nobody wants to come out and invest renewable energy in Nigeria for fear of not recording success.  The moment there is political and economic instability in a society, it is difficult for investment to take place. In the energy sector,  investment is more difficult because the area is sensitive and any negative reaction in one unit of production usually has spiral effects on the other units.’’

    According to him, it is obvious that the government is not interested in improving investment in that sub-sector of the power sector in view of its non-challant attitudes.

    He, however, said the Private-Public Partnership (PPP) model  would help in increasing investment in renewables if it’s well-packaged and implemented, noting that investments in that area in the past tilted towards private-to-public institutions.

    He said the cost of deploying solar solution was high, stressing that huge capital was required to get the value in solar energy. Though the price of solar power materials, such as panel and battery, is coming down, it is still very expensive.

    He said his firm is one of the institutions that pioneered investment in solar power, adding that was what informed the decision of the firm to improve development in that area of the power industry.

    He said the seminar was organised  to train the firm’s partners and engineers in the sector.

    The idea, Aina said, was part of efforts to show more commitment to the development of Gamatronic Solution in the country.

    Gamatronic is an Isreali-based company that provides uninterrupted power globally.

    He said through the seminar, Nigerians from the low-end to the high-end strata of the society were trained on the use, sales and deployment of Utility Power System(UPS) and other solutions for increased socio-economic activities.

    He said there are various sizes of UPS, adding that there are UPS with 60KVA, which is for domestic use and 1000KVA UPS for industrial use, adding that individuals and companies determine the solution that is suitable for them.

    He said UPS and generators serve as backups, adding that if there is a power failure from the grid, the two apparatus fill the gap for the users immediately.

    Participants at the seminar include Mr. OyinloyeTosin of Master Integrity Energy; Mr. Mohammed Qumber of Gamatronic Electronic; Mr.Kayode Oginni ofGinnisSuntech; and Bukola Ayeni of Greenpower.

  • Govt redeploys 32 top prisons officers

    THIRTY-two senior officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) have been redeployed by the Controller-General of Prisons (CGP), Ja’afaru Ahmed.

    The move was designed to enable the promoted Deputy Controllers-General take charge as substantive directorate heads as well as address some administrative gaps pursuant to the Federal Government’s drive for service delivery.

    A statement issued in Abuja by the NPS spokesman, Francis Enobore, said: “In the posting, DCG Shehu Kangiwa heads the Finance & Account Directorate and DCG Dorathy Atagiri takes charge of the Directorate of Health & Social Welfare Services.

    “DCG MBE Shemfe heads the Directorate of Operations and DCG Charles Ahaotu heads Works & Logistics Directorate. DCG Ogundana Jerome, who was the Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone A Lagos, now takes charge of the Directorate of Inmates Training & Productivity.

    “Others include ACG Emmanuel Ogundele mni, who takes over Prisons Academy, Ijebu-Igbo as commandant, ACG KA Babalola moves to Zone A, Lagos as Zonal Coordinator. ACG AI Omale, CP Bukar Shettima Hauwa and CP KN Okuori proceed on retirement.”

    The redeployment also affected 21 other senior officers across board.