The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GOVT

  • Govt, PSP disagree on pricing, duration

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere yesterday heard that talks between the Lagos State Government and the Incorporated Trustees of Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWMN) have stalled because of pricing and duration differences.

    The parties told Justice Taofiquat Oyekan-Abdullahi that they failed to perfect their terms of settlement within the two-week mandate given them by the court on March 7.

    The judge noted that the dispute might have to go to trial.

    Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi said: ‘’I think you should go to trial.”

    She fixed May 3 for hearing of pending applications, following which the matter may be assigned to another judge for trial.

    PSP’s Counsel Tosin Adesioye explained that the parties met thrice at the Attorney-Genenal’s office with Mr Quadri, but that two key issues were not solved.

    Adesioye said: “Mr Quadri advised us to hold another meeting.”

    Counsel to Visionscape and ABC, Mr Francis Akinlotan said the issue of willingness to collaborate had been resolved.

    However, he noted that that no headway was made on two other issues.

    Akinlotan said: ‘’In principle, there is no disagreement. The issues here are the granular terms of this marriage. We have resolved all but two, which have to do with pricing and duration.

    ‘’Save for price, we have moved on all other issues. However, the claimants are not satisfied with the degree of compromise that we have reached,’’ he said.

    The government’s counsel, Ms Adetokunbo Ladega echoed the other counsel’s views.

    She noted that a trial might be the next step.

     

  • Govt orders MDAs to submit budget details by Friday

    The Presidency yesterday directed defaulting Ministries Departments and Agencies yest to submit and defend their 2018 budget to do so latest by Friday.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha in a memo dated March 19 said: “It has come to the attention of Government that a number of Agencies, Corporations and Government owned Companies have not fully complied with the provisions of Section 21 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007.”

    “Agencies are reminded that the FRA 2007 provides that consequent upon laying of summary of budget estimates of Agencies listed in the schedule to the FRA alongside the National Budget by Mr. President, it is required that details of such budgets are made available to the National Assembly for consideration and passage. This position was reiterated in the attached publication in the Nation Newspaper of Wednesday, February 7, 2018, by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSAP) on National Assembly Matters (Senate).”

    Mr. Mustapha added that President Buhari “has directed:

    (i) That Agencies, Corporations and Government owned Companies in the schedule to the FRA 2007 should comply with the provisions of the law;

    (ii) All submissions (109 copies to the Senate and 360 copies to the House) should be made available to the appropriate Committees of the National Assembly. Copies should also be made available to the SSAP on National Assembly Matters (Senate and House respectively), not later than Friday, 23rd March, 2018; and

    (iii) All Agencies, Corporations and Government Owned Companies should honour invitations to defend their estimates timeously.”

     

     

  • Edo Govt. reinstates commitment to attract investors

     

     

    The state Deputy Governor, Mr Philip Shaibu, stated this at a one-day investment promotion workshop with the theme “Investment promotion in Edo state as a tool for enhancing economic growth.”

    Shaibu said that the workshop was to examine ways to attract potential investors to the state and to provide ease of doing business in the state.

    He said the one-day deliberation among the resource persons and other participants would proffer solutions to the challenges that confronted investors when trying to set up businesses in the state.

    The deputy governor said that development strategy had shown that the state was focused on achieving millage in the areas of agriculture, solid minerals, power, culture, tourism and housing among others.

    Read also:staging.thenationonlineng.net/edo-committed-attaining-self-sustenance-igr-shaibu/

     

    He assured investors that the state government had new security architecture in place being implemented ”to give total security coverage to all.”

    Shaibu further assured that the state government had embarked on massive construction of access roads in the state with particular importance to roads leading to industrial sites.

    In his presentation, one of the resource persons, Kenny Aliu, said that investment in the state would among others, creation jobs opportunities, especially the unemployed.

    (NAN)

  • Govt eyes $40b investment from three fields, others

    • To seal refineries’ deal in April

    The Federal Government is expecting investments worth $40 billion in the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry in the next five years, The Nation has learnt.

    Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who spoke with reporters in Abuja at the weekend, said the investments would come through three major deepwater oil fields – Total’s Egina field located in oil mining lease (OML) 130, which will give the country 200,000 barrels per day (bpd).

    The investments will bring $16 billion, he added.

    Eni’s Zabazaba field, which will be operated by the Nigerian subsidiary, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), located in oil prospecting lease (OPL) 245, will bring in $12 billion Shell’s Bonga South West/Aparo (BSWAP), located in OML 118, will bring in $10 billion.

    Others are refineries’ rehabilitation, which will bring in about $2.5 billion to $3 billion and pipeline contracts, which will attract investments of about $3 billion, among others.

    Kachikwu observed that these projects are important to Nigerian content development, adding that the government targeted $100 billion investments to take the industry to where it supposed to be and make maximum contribution to the economy.

    According to the Minister, the government has concluded plans on private investments that will come into the downstream for rehabilitation of existing refineries. Announcement of the deals and commencement of the rehabilitation will be in next month, he added.

    He said: “My target is that over the next 10 years, Nigeria will develop a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) here locally, also become self-sufficient in its own power provision and over the same period Nigeria will begin to move away from crude oil as it were and to very refined, clean provision of fossils.

    “My target is that over the same period investments in the sector will be such that Nigerian companies, entities and shareholders will begin to move from a minuscular 10 per cent today to between 40 per cent and 50 per cent to the real time investors. There are major plans because everywhere you look there are opportunities in the oil sector.

    “We have done a lot in the last two years. We launched the 7BigWins and what have we achieved so far? Through a lot of struggles, we have changed the funding mechanism in the upstream sector and that has helped to energise investors in that sector. Previously we were not sure of returns in that sector. Now we are beginning to see projects like Egina, Bonga which its final investment decision (FID) is coming and Zabazaba.

    “We expect investments of about $40 billion in the sector over the next five years if we do the right things, set the right models, policies and give the right speed that is essential. That is very key, coming from a country where investments had run away for seven to 10 years.”

     

     

  • Govt shuts Olusosun dump over fire

    •Many injured, 20 vehicles, goods burnt

    THE Lagos State Government yesterday shut  the Olusosun dump at Ojota, which went up in flames on Wednesday night, emitting thick smoke .

    The smoke was still billowing yesterday, making visibility impossible for motorists.

    Many parts of Ojota, the old toll gate, Ikosi, Ketu, Seven-up and Alausa were covered in smoke.

    Some passersby  covered their noses with handkerchiefs and scarfs; others wore face masks to wade through the axis.

    Scores were injured in the explosion; about 20 vehicles, including caterpillars and trucks, were burnt

      Containers,  which served as homes, were also destroyed.

    In a statement, the Commissioner of the Environment Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti explained that the fire was  the ‘’natural outcome of the trapped gases from the waste’’, which escaped.

    This, he said, occurred occasionally in dump, adding that waste in dumpsites naturally emit certain gases that are occasionally released to cause combustion  as  witnessed in Olusosun.

    Durosinmi-Etti directed the public to the Epe Landfill and other dump in the state until the Olusosun dumpsite is restored.

    He recalled that the governmnet had warned that the Olusosun, Solous Igando and Ewu Elepe dump were not sustainable  and had made plans for their phased closure.

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire Service and Lagos State Water Corporation  battled through out yesterday to  quench the fire.

    An Okada rider, who identified himself simply  as Obina, said the explosion occurred around 4pm on Wednesday.

    He said : “I was in the area when the incident happened. We heard a loud sound and everyone ran for their lives. It was fire explosion from diesel at the dump.  One of those boys in the dump must have smoked cigarette, threw it carelessly and it engulfed into fire which contacted with the diesel trucks and led into an explosion. The fire was much and it gave a tough time to all the firefighters that came here. The wind was blowing the fire and that was how it destroyed many things at the dump. I am sure all the firefighters would have used nothing less than 40 trucks to quench this fire from yesterday (Wednesday) till now that they are still battling with it.

    “Many plastics meant for recycling were also lost to the fire. The dump has a side where they usually keep diesel and all the diesel trucks were razed. Thank God no one died.”

    A worker around the dump, Adegoke Obanla, said one of his friends fondly called Papary lost all he had to the fire.

    “Papary works and lives at the dump every Monday to Friday, he only goes to his Ikorodu home on weekends.  He is in Ikorodu now. He has a shop where he does phone charging; the shop and everything he has inside were burnt, including extension boxes, chargers, tables and chairs,” he said.

    Obanla said he lost the N50, 000 cash he kept in his room at the dumpsite for what he called ‘’emergency business’’..

    “There was another guy that got injured on his right hand. The guy was lying on the rug in his room, when he noticed the rug was bringing out smoke. He had to rush out of his room.”

    “Thank God the incident happened at the front side of the dump; if it had happened at the rear, the causalty would have been more than this, because there are many tyres in there as well as residential houses,”he said.

    An official of the firm, which manages the red buses,  said eight of their vehicles were burnt. Some  Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) trucks were also burnt. He said the fire must have been caused by the burning of the refuse dump.

    “Those people at the dump must have tried burning some of the refuse in the area; they would not have expected it to result into an emergency. Thank God nobody died.”

  • Why govt, stakeholders should assist FUPRE, by VC

    During a visit to The Nation, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State, Prof. Akaehomen Akii Ibhadode, spoke with AKINOLA AJIBADE and AMBROSE NNAJI, on  the university’s achievements and funding challenges. He urged stakeholders to assist the institution.

    What makes the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State, different from others?

    Let me start by saying that there are two reasons we are paying this visit to the management of The Nation. Firstly, we are here to appreciate The Nation for the visibility the school has been enjoying from it, especially during its convocation last year. Secondly, we are here to present to the newspaper the possibilities of the university, its potential and challenges.

    FUPRE was set up in 2007 as a specialised petroleum university.  Up till today, it is the only petroleum university in Africa and the sixth in the world. The school has the special mandate to train high-level manpower for the oil and gas industry. As we all know, crude oil remains the mainstay of the country and as a result, the Federal Government felt the need to establish a specialised university to develop the petroleum industry.

    The insitution has had some challenges.  Through the mandate of the university, the school has a crop of highly committed and talented members of staff who are delivering the mandate based on available  resources to take care of the school.

    The school has 13 courses which are fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). We have full accreditation from the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). It is a specialised university and it’s different from others because it tries to put industry skills into its curriculum from its inception.

    What is the relationship between the university and oil and gas industry operators and stakeholders. What has the school done to prove its mettle?

    The school interacts with stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to enable students after graduation, walk into the oil companies and secure jobs. It has done a lot of collaborations with the industry in this regard. In terms of the things the school has done, it has come up with quite a number of innovations. Some of them have been patented while others are still in the process of being patented.

    Last year, some students and lecturers of marine engineering department came up with a design where they generated energy from ocean waves. That project had support from a Norwegian company to develop it further.

    Also, the school has developed a robot for surveillance of petroleum pipelines. In the event there is a leakage in the pipeline, this robot can detect the leakage by sending signal through which to locate the leakage(s).

    The school in 2015 entered the Shell Eco-Marathon competition, which holds yearly in South Africa. In the competition, students of each competing school designed a vehicle or car that can go a kilometre with one litre of fuel. Our university came first and overall best with its vehicle – Delta Cruz. In 2016, the school entered again and came second. In 2017, having seen the accomplishents of the university, Shell chose to sponsor our project in the competition and we came second again. For the first two years, the school ran the project by raising money within our means. Shell has challenged us to establish automobile engine that can run on electric fuel, or solar. We are working on that. We also plan to build a refinery. We have come out with a design and we are working on bringing it to fruition.

    That is one of the reasons we are urging the stakeholders, such as the government, and operators in the value chain to come and see what we are doing. On our own, we are trying to reach out to investors in the industry with a view to see how we can bring this to pass.

    The idea is to make this mini-refinery operational so that after this, we would build another modular refinery. These are the things we have done. It is our dream to find solution to the recurrent fuel scarcity.

    We want to build low-cost refineries in various states of the federation and we are appealing all stakeholders and funding agencies to support this objective. We are reaching out to operators, including those of marginal fields to see how they can tap into these inventions, produce and refine oil at reduced costs. Apart from solving the fuel issues, it will create unimaginable direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians.

    What do you want the government to do for the university?

    We are challenging the government and other stakeholders to come and assist us and bring this idea to fruition. We are partnering a United Kingdom-based company to achieve growth in the petroleum sector. We are also developing some computer industrial games for the students. As students, instead of wasting their time on other games and social media networks or dating platforms,they can have fun through these computer industrial games and while doing this,they can also learn from the process one or two things about their professions and disciplines in more practical-like ways. In our mid-year report, all the things we are doing are stated there. That is why we are looking at how our challenges would be solved by telling people to come and see what we are doing. As I said, our research would not be driven by the publications but by the need to create the right value for the society.

    These are materials for wealth creation. We need at least N5 billion yearly. We need to build laboratories, get a drilling rig for practical and a couple of simulators for engineering activities. If we have the funds, we would procure a drilling platformwhere students can train using training simulators, among other equipment. Because the university does not have one, our students have to travel all the way to the Nigerian Naval College in Sapele to use theirs for training.We want to see how we can use the waste materials around us to provide energy, so that we can discharge less fumes into the environment.

    With this we will be able to create values for the society. We would not remain like this. We aim at making our discoveries very standard an also commercialise them such that the society will derive value from what we are doing.

    There are so many problems facing us as a country ranging from turning our raw materials into valuable finished products, among others and those are the areas we are focusing on.

    How can we extend the life of an engine?

    That is why we are calling on companies to come and partner us since we have funding challenges. If we able to create value for the system, we would better the lots of the society.

    Why is the government not showing interest in the university?

    It is not that the government is not showing interest, but FUPRE is not getting what it requires as a specialised university. You know the government has a lot on its hands. Sometimes, the presentations made to government officials are applauded, but after that everybody goes to sleep.

    We have made noise to let the stakeholders know what we are doing and we can do as an institution, and we are now throwing the challenge to the government and to whoever cares. If we get the needed attention, we are sure we can deliver on our mandate.

    The fact is that FUPRE got the first take-off grant of N500 million released by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) was supposed to release another N500 million to the university, but that has not happened. But last year, the PTDF said they were working on it and we are still waiting for them to do so.

    Also, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, PTDF and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) were expected to contribute two per cent of their yearly budgets for development of research programmes in petroleum technology and facilities acquisition in the university but the contributions are not being made. PTF was also given the mandate to do the same thing. And also it sounds ironical that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) does not have a single project in FUPRE. We find that very strange. We have gone to them that they said they are going to do something, we are still waiting for them to do that. I must tell you that since this management came on board, it started creating a vision of making the university one of the best specialized universities in the world and it has been working towards achieving that. One of your correspondents came during our convocation he saw a lot of things we exhibited. We also provide trainings, research and development (R&D) services for oil and gas sector.

    We are facing serious funding challenges. We are calling on stakeholders to come to our aid, we are not begging, we are saying come and see what we are doing and add value. We want to be industry relevant by solving industry problems and for oil fields owners. We want the university to be a training hub for Africa especially the countries that have oil. Nigeria has over 50 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, then Ghana, Tanzania and all other countries that are coming up, we will be able to assist them. Let the resources come so that we would be able to do that which we are supposed to do.

    What we are saying is that the University after 11years of establishment is suffering from serious neglect. What is important in this matter is that the petroleum industry will remain the mainstay of our economy even in the foreseeable future. Yes the government is making efforts to diversify the economy, but as it is today, the main driver of our economy is the petroleum resources, and it is established that we are created to train high level manpower that will drive the industry, so the university needs all the support now.

    From what you have said, doesn’t the Federal Government give adequate allocation to a federal university like yours?

    They do, but you know there are over 40federal universities so the resources are shared in the formula based on students –that is why we are saying they should capture us in the 2018 budget and if they do let the budget be fully implemented.

  • Govt eyes N200b from electricity metering

    The Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) is eyeing over N200billion investments over the next three years from the implementation of the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) Regulation.

    Presenting the regulation at the 25th monthly Ministerial Power Sector Stakeholders meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye, said the regulation would create jobs as it is compulsory to comply with 30 per cent local content in the engagement of manpower.

    Akpeneye said: “We all arrived at the same answer that we have to do something different. We can no longer leave this very important obligation to the DisCos alone; other players have to come into this space.

    “So, we went about creating the NERC Meter Asset Provider Regulation, 2018. What does this seek to do differently?

    “In the past, we left it as a sole responsibility of the DisCos in their performance agreement that they are to meter customers. It’s been over four years since privatisation and customers are still complaining. So, to solve this problem, we are creating a new class in the industry called meter asset providers.

    “MAPs will be independent people who will be approved by NERC but contracted by the DisCos to bridge the metering gap. In doing this, there will be various options available to customers.

    “Electricity consumers will now have the option of self-financing. Those who don’t want this will be able to obtain meters from MAPs and there will be a metering service charge spread over a period of 10 years.”

    The commissioner said the regulation provides for 30 percent local content which will be increased as the regulation progresses.

    Commenting on the issue, Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, said the federal government had to settle a 2003 meter contract before it could reach the regulation.

    “The next thing to do is to implement the regulation and that will require the cooperation of all stakeholders in the value chain,” Fashola said.

    “Government decided to pursue an out-of-court settlement on a meter contract that was awarded since 2003, which was held up in court until 2017.”

    The NERC commissioner said issues of availability of metering and estimated billings were recurring where the commission went to.

    He said the commission had consultations with different stakeholders, agency and consumers on the regulation, adding that findings were that NERC could not leave the task to the DisCos alone as other investors must come on stream, hence the Meter Asset Provider Regulation.

    He said: “Before you today is the NERC Meter Asset Provider 2018.” He said four years after privatisation, customers are still complaining which necessitated the regulation to have independent people approved by NERC and contracted by the DisCos  to bridge the metering gap.

    In bridging the gap, he said, customers will now have the option of self-financing, obtains meters from the asset providers to pay the metering service charge for a period of 10 years.

    The meter asset providers will also ensure that the meters are maintained 48hours should anything goes wrong with the meters, he added.

  • Association urges govt to break meter ownership monopoly

    The Electricity Meters Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (EMMAN) yesterday in Lagos appealed to the Federal Government to break the monopoly of distribution companies in the sale of meters to electricity consumers.

    EMMAN Executive Secretary Muyideen Ibrahim, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said it would go a long way in addressing the challenges with estimated billings.

    According to Ibrahim, breaking the monopoly will enable electricity consumers procure and own meters directly.

    He said it would also address complaints over estimated billing and outrageous billing from the distribution companies.

    Ibrahim said that the association had always advocated that government should liberalise the metering arm of the power sector so that everybody could have access to meters.

    He said: “If every consumer has prepaid meter, it will allow them to manage the electricity consumption, and the Discos will collect revenue maximally without billing outrageously. But now the consumers are short-changed because they are being given estimated bills. It presupposes that the Discos are smiling to the bank while the consumers are suffering.

    “Unfortunately, some of the Discos are complaining that they don’t have the fund to invest massively in metering, whereas the meters are available in the various warehouses of the manufacturers.

    “If the telecom sector could be liberalised, why not metering? The only thing is that it will enhance the whole power sector and also add value as well.’’

  • Govt hails Mo, Adichie, Omotola

    The Federal Government has congratulated Ebony Life TV owner Mo Abudu,  novelist Chimamanda  Adichie and Nollywood star Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde on the honours bestowed on them on the global stage, describing them as iconic women in the creative industry.

    In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the three women as great ambassadors of Nigeria.

    Mohammed said they had brought great honour not only to themselves, their families and their industry, but also to the country.

    He described as “well deserved’’, the listing of Mo Abudu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EbonyLife TV, and Nollywood star Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde among the top 50 women doing extraordinary things on the worldwide stage.

    They were listed by Variety magazine, a weekly American entertainment magazine. The minister said the already well-adorned cap of Chimamanda Adichie had been further festooned.

    He noted that her novel, Americanah, was listed in the New York Times’ list of 15 remarkable books by women that are ”shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century”.

    The minister said the women were role models whose achievements would inspire a generation of young Nigerians to also do extraordinary things.

    “Of more importance is the fact that these women’s achievements have transcended gender, nationality or race, placing them on the profound class of global, timeless achievers,” the Minister said.

    He said the great honours bestowed on the women would further focus world attention on the nation’s burgeoning creative industry, thus placing it on the right pedestal to take the world by storm.

     

  • Govt, stakeholders to deliberate on banking reform

    Top government officials and stakeholders in the economy will, tomorrow March 12, converge on the International Conference Centre, Abuja, to unveil a book-Banking Reform in Nigeria: The law, The Prospects and The Challenges.

    Expected guests include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The book is written by scholar, lawyer, chartered banker and member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Bode Ayorinde.

    The book traces the historical development of banking business in Nigeria and critically examines all the laws relating to banking since inception.