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Tag: John Ofikhenua

  • We won’t chicken out of Chad Basin oil search-UniMaid

    We won’t chicken out of Chad Basin oil search-UniMaid

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi has pledged the commitment of the institution to go the whole hog with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) in the search for commercial hydrocarbon deposits in the Chad basin despite the recent insurgent attack.

    The don stated this over the weekend in Maiduguri while receiving the high powered delegation from the  Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the NNPC led by Engr. Saidu Mohammed, Chief Operating Officer in charge of gas and power unit of the Corporation.

     Njodo told the delegation that though the entire University community was distraught by the cruel incident of July 25th 2017, the University cannot “Chicken out’’ from doing what it is supposed to do when eventually the NNPC re-organizes and return to exploration work in the area.

    Tracing the University’s partnership with the Corporation to over 12 years ago when the NNPC teed-off exploration activities in the Chad Basin, the UniMaid VC described the cruel attack on the Frontier Exploration Services/Surface Geochemistry Sampling team comprising the NNPC, Consultants from University of Maiduguri, Consultants attached to the Integrated Data Services Limited, (IDSL) a subsidiary of the NNPC and Civilian escort team, as an act of God.

    The NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday said that Njodo noted that the situation painful as it might appear must be seen as a necessary sacrifice for the development of the country.

     Njodo, however, called on the NNPC to stand firmly beside the University and the families of the bereaved and provide the much-needed support to overcome the massive setback wrought by the insurgent attack.

    Responding, Engr. Mohammed said as a responsible corporate entity the NNPC would do everything within its means to support the University and the families of the victims of the attack.

    “We have been great partners with the University of Maiduguri for many years and certainly when losses like this happen and under this circumstance, we cannot abandon our partners to their fate,’’ Engr. Mohammed said.

    He promised to return to the University after conferring with the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the Group Managing Director of the NNPC.

    Earlier, the high powered delegation paid a similar visit to the Governor of Borno State at Government House Maiduguri where the deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Durkwa, charged the NNPC not to allow the attack to dampen its morale in the quest for new oil finds in the region.

    Before leaving Maiduguri, the Delegation paid a visit to the Theatre Command Headquarters of operation Lafia Dole where a formal condolence letter from the HMSPR was handed over to Brig. Gen. Stevenson Olabanji who stood in for the theatre commander.

    General Olabanji restated the readiness of the military to perform its statutory role of providing security cover for exploration activities in the Chad Basin and beyond.

    Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru upon return of the Delegation over the weekend, announced some short term palliatives for victims of the attacks.

  • AEDC lifts Maitama hospital with N500,000

    AEDC lifts Maitama hospital with N500,000

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Plc has presented a Cheque of N500 000 as a corporate gesture in support of the Maitama District Hospital of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The Medical Director, Maitama District Hospital, Dr Adeun Sotimehin, commended the management of for the company’s commitment to delivering regular power supply as well as its humanitarian support to the institution.

    The company’s Head, Public Relations & Media, Ahmed Shekarau, who the disclosed this in a statement yesterday, noted that the MD made the commendation at the hospital’s send forth and awards ceremony within the Hospital’s premises where AEDC Plc presented the cheque.

    Sotimehin disclosed that the AEDC, like numerous other friends of the hospital, has in numerous ways supported the institution’s care giving efforts to residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and beyond.

    Also speaking at the ceremony, the Ag. Secretary, Health & Human Services, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mrs Alice Odey-Achu and the Director, Clinical & Diagnostics, FCT Hospitals Management Board, Dr Frank Alu echoed the words of Sotimehin, praising AEDC for ensuring regular power supply to the Maitama Hospital.

    Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of Managing Director/CEO of AEDC, the Head, Human Resources & Administration, Mr Folorunsho Dada, said the company’s gesture was in support of the laudable efforts that the Maitama Hospital was making in rendering humanitarian services to residents of the FCT and beyond.

    Mr. Dada particularly commended the management and staff of the hospital for what he described as their “high level of dedication” to rendering services to humanity which he said was essential to the well-being of the society at large. While receiving the plaque of honour presented to the AEDC on behalf of the company’s CEO, the Head of Human Resources thanked the hospital for the recognition and promised that his company will continue to explore ways of improving its service delivery to the hospital and to all other customers in its franchise area

  • NSE extols NNPC on fuel supply 

    NSE extols NNPC on fuel supply 

    The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for stabilising the supply and distribution of petroleum products and for crashing the price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) otherwise known as diesel across the length and breadth of the country.
     
    NSE President, Engr. Otis Anyaeji, gave this commendation when he paid a visit to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, in Abuja on Tuesday.
     
     Anyeaji said the NSE was proud of the NNPC for its scholarship programme, its various social investments in the promotion of healthcare and for its various interventions to boost the Nigerian economy, urging the Corporation to keep it up.
     
    He praised the NNPC for the engagement of indigenous Engineering Construction, Manufacturing, Chemical and Processing Firms in its various operations enjoining other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to emulate the Corporation in the promotion and engagement of local content service providers.
     
    In his response, NNPC GMD, Dr. Baru, assured Nigerians that the Corporation under his watch would continue to ensure efficient supply and distribution of petroleum products, stressing that the fuel queues were gone for good.
     
    Dr. Baru applauded the in-house unions of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers(NUPENG) and other associations in the petroleum industry for partnering with NNPC in stabilising supply and distribution of petroleum products.
     
    He described the engineering profession as the cornerstone of the Oil and Gas Industry, adding that the profession had a lot of input in terms of technology both for the production of human goods and making life easy for all Nigerians.
     
    Dr. Baru pledged to partner the NSE in the areas of patronising engineering companies, consultancy, advocacy and development of standards and codes to promote the Nigerian Content drive. 
     
    The NNPC helmsman said the Corporation under his leadership was committed to transforming the NNPC from an Oil and Gas company to a world energy company that would contribute immensely to the energy landscape of the country.

    He noted that already, the NNPC was partnering GE to build power plants across the country with the capacity of 4,000 megawatts, adding that the GE was ready to give the Corporation all the required technical support to achieve the strategic plan.

    Earlier, Dr. Baru, who received the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Michael Umale Adikwu, described education as the bedrock of any nation, saying it had the capacity to boost the capacity of the citizenry to grow and develop its economy.

    He said through the knowledge acquired from the Ivory Towers, NNPC was working round the clock in collaboration with others to end the recession.

    Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adikwu, applauded the NNPC for touching the lives of Nigerians in several positive ways especially in the area of steady supply of petroleum products.

  • Osibanjo urges Africa oil producers to track terrorism funding

    Osibanjo urges Africa oil producers to track terrorism funding

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD) Dr. Maikanti Baru on Monday announced that the corporation could not sustain its last week record of 2.2million barrel per day (mbd) owing to the yesterday’s (Monday) attack on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Ogoniland which culminated in the loss of 150,000barrel.

    Asked whether the NNPC was able to sustain its last week production feat, he said “Unfortunately, we have not been able to sustain it because of challenges. As I am talking to you this morning the Trans Niger pipeline has been breached in Ogoniland and that is 150,000 barrel per of oil has been locked up day. That has been fairly an issue in that area. And We hope we can continue at that level.”

    He spoke to reporters after the opening ceremony of the “Extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) in Abuja.

    In his opening remarks, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, urged the African oil producing countries to track the funding of terrorists with oil funds.

    He noted that there was a global threat to peace from the funding of terrorist groups and other sources of violence and conflicts that have become a threat to the security and safety of the member states.
    Urging the member state to build up a data base that will track every molecule of oil produced in the region, he noted that the measure will also bring about accountability, transparency and global cooperation.

    His words: “Permit me to mention a matter of immediate concern. Around the world today, we are increasingly seeing crude oil, often of untraceable origins, funding the activities of terrorist groups and other purveyors of violence and conflicts.

    “Many of these groups constitute a threat or a potential threat to the safety and security in member of our member states. APPO reforms, therefore, need to build the capacity to maintain a reliable statistical database and to deploy technology to track every molecule of crude oil extracted from our territories.

    “This is an important step, not only for global security but also for fiscal transparency, accountability and of course, the required levels of international collaboration and cooperation that an organisation like APPO is well-placed to muster.”

    He said that the session is holding when the continent and the rest of the world are witnessing volatility in the petroleum market, and by implications, in their local economies.
    According to him, the centrality of the hydrocarbon industry to the economies of the continent is self-evident, it is reflected in the revenue inflows that accounts for a significant percentage of their budget.

    This, said the Acting President, has become one of the, if not the primary sub-structure upon which economic planning is based and on which economic development and growth are generated.
    He added that “Over the last three years or so, oil producing countries across the world have experienced the full impact of the drop in oil prices with significant negative impact on government revenues and budgets and of the value of national currencies.

    “This volatility has triggered much soul-searching and governments are compelled to ask themselves difficult but necessary questions about the present and the future. Besides, the reality of the future, where demands for and revenues from oil drop sharply is already upon us; and almost every major oil importing country today has embarked on an aggressive non-fossil fuel alternative programme.

    “China, Japan and some Scandinavian states have already set dates within the next 10 to 15 years, to produce and use only electric vehicles. The zero oil days are clearly around the corner and I think the point has been very eloquently made by kachikwu.”

    He explained that African’s government and export bases are in dire need of diversification from the inimical dependence on natural resources that they enjoyed in the past.

    Kachikwu

    Continuing, he said that “But also the paradox is inescapable that we need oil to get out of our dependency of oil. The capacity to add value to the crude oil that we extract is crucial.

    “The whole range of the petrochemical enterprise remains a largely untapped option for growing industrial opportunities, creating jobs and increasing our chances of delivering on our national and continental commitment to inclusive growth.

    “We must leverage our resources to fund and to support our ambition to create economies fit and ready for the 21st century.

    “In Nigeria, we are pursuing series of reforms along these lines, combining executive and legislative actions to create a sector that is more efficient, more transparent and more attractive to domestic and foreign investors.

    “We are also making progress in fine-tuning and implementing our local content policies, and that I must say is one area that is critical to the future of APPO. Indeed, that is one of the reasons why APPO was created, to provide a platform that would support and empower African countries to build and exploit local capacity and technology to the fullest.”

    Osinbajo announced that from February 2018, Nigeria would host annually, a world class international petroleum summit in Abuja.

    Speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said that one of the challenges facing the (APPO) is the need to reform and reorganise to giving it a bite.

    The minister told his members that the oil world has changed and brought about a decrease in price to about 40% of what it was five years ago.

    So most countries that produce oil, he said, have lost substantial revenue and have lost even the capacity to do some of the huge developmental programme that they are known for.

    Kachikwu added that = market is becoming very distraught and most regional block producers are beginning to ring-fence specific markets.

    He submitted that America has pulled out of the large market of oil importer while Asian and the Gulf countries are protecting their markets.

    He charged the APPO members to consider ways of enlarging and protecting the African market to give its players the first opportunity to utilise the market.

    Kachikwu said: “the Asian, the Gulf countries ensuring that their markets are protected. With America pulling out of the larger market as a major importer of oil, and the America first policy, it is becoming absolutely imperative for member countries of this organization, we need to begin to look at the African market and how they can enlarge it, expand it, make it robust and yet protect it, so that those of us who play in that market would be able to have the first opportunity to utilize that market.”

  • Fashola to intervene in alleged inflation of Gencos’ invoice

    Fashola to intervene in alleged inflation of Gencos’ invoice

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola will dig into the allegation that the Nigerian Electricity Bulk Trading (NBET) Plc was inflating electricity invoice in favour of the Electricity Generation Companies (Gencos), it was learned on Monday.

    According to the Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generating Companies (APGC) Barrister Joy Ogaji, who revealed this in a statement on Monday, the allegation gives the impression that the power sector operators are uncontrollable.

    The statement came nearly a month after which The Nation broke the story of June 27 that the NBET was inflating electricity invoice in favour of the Gencos.

    She accused the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) being responsible for the rumour that the power producers under the watch of Fashola, were involved in sharp practices.

    She noted that the power producers, who are entitled to 60% of the invoiced energy bill that are facing an outstanding debt of N500 billion deserve pity instead of ridicule.

    Ogaji condemned the position of the DisCos on the removal of capacity charge, stressing that, there is nowhere in the world where power generating companies are paid only for energy.

    The statement reads: “Relative to the news trending in the sector that Gencos are fraudulent and are conniving with NBET to inflate their monthly invoices, we wish to state here that we are not aware of any such practice, although we hold no brief for NBET whom we expect should respond to this allegation as soon as possible.

    “We are not sure what could have led to this allegation but since it is been perpetrated by the DisCos, they should make public the evidential proof of this allegation immediately, as it is said in law “He who asserts must prove”.

    This allegation will be escalated to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, who as the leader of the sector is expected to intervene and deal with the issues as appropriate.

    “It is a fact that GenCos, who are entitled to about 60% of invoiced energy bills, face the greatest risk in the electricity value chain with an outstanding unpaid invoice of over five hundred billion (N500bn) naira deserve pity rather than ridicule. Trying to smear our image with such baseless and unfounded allegations is not only unfair but misleading to the Nigerian populace: giving the impression that the sector is not regulated, and that market participants can do as they please.

    “On the issue of calling for the removal of capacity charge from GenCos payments, we want to put on record that this call has been borne out of sheer ignorance of how the electricity market works. There is no place in the World where a generation company is paid only on energy. Projects will have to be privately financed, supported by non-recourse or limited recourse loans, with long-term agreements financed by the Electricity Market.

    “Capacity payment is needed in order to guarantee energy supplies and to keep the prices as low as possible. Without a capacity payment system, new investments in power plants will come to a standstill. It incentivises the Gencos to make capacity available when it is needed most.

    “Amongst other things, the MYTO is based on benchmarks on projections of the available capacity of energy to be sold in the market; the cost of gas and other feedstock; and the prediction of inflation and foreign exchange. The MYTO tariff methodology was developed in consultation with industry stakeholders, labour groups and consumer groups.

    “MYTO is supposed to provide a correct pricing of electricity, taking into consideration the key principles of cost reflectivity, affordability of electricity tariffs, and incentives for efficient operations. The MYTO methodology sets tariffs for the key electricity sectors players, namely – Generation, Transmission and Distribution, based on certain key assumptions and inputs.

    “Generation companies are paid based on their negotiated Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and hence are not unilaterally determined. All negotiated PPAs are approved by NERC after ensuring that such cost is prudently incurred before it is sent to NBET to make payments.

    “We make bold to state here that, contrary to the allegation by the DisCos of inflated GenCo invoices in cahoots with NBET, no sector participant has any overriding powers to negotiate inflated invoice payments.

    “We also expect that only adequately researched and verified information be published by players in the sector and not a propagandist and misleading information which we believe are distractive tactics. GenCos take exception to being used as a weapon for such dirty politics.”

  • NNPC loses 150,000mpd as militants strike pipeline in Ogoniland 

    NNPC loses 150,000mpd as militants strike pipeline in Ogoniland 

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD) Dr. Maikanti Baru on Monday announced that the corporation could not sustain its last week record of 2.2million barrel per day (mbd) owing to the Monday attack on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Ogoniland which culminated in the loss of 150,000barrel.

    Asked whether the NNPC was able to sustain its last week production record, he said: “Unfortunately, we have not been able to sustain it because of challenges. As I am talking to you this morning the Trans Niger pipeline has been breached in Ogoniland and that is 150,000 barrel per day of oil has been locked up day. That has been fairly an issue in that area. And We hope we can continue at that level.”

    He spoke to reporters after the opening ceremony of the “Extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) in Abuja.

    Details later…

  • 195 winners emerge from Customs e-auction

    • As 19 bababy’snks jostle for bidders
    Investigations on Sunday revealed that 195 bidders have emerged winners of the recently launched e-auction of the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS).
    The Nation learnt from the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah in Abuja that “the first round produced 43, the second one produced 115, and in this third round 37 items were uploaded and also won. So, this is making a total of 195 winners so far.”
    He also disclosed that 19 banks have hooked on to the e-auction wallet, which has now relieved the bidders of the itches they experienced in the beginning of the exercise when only Jaiz Bank participated in the process.
    The bank fell into line after the Comptroller-General, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd) accused them of sabotaging the e-auction exercise even after their involvement in the acceptability test of the process.
    Following the refusal of the banks to participate in the exercise, Jaiz Bank was the lone bank opened to the e-auction bidders. The bank was however overwhelmed as too many customs had recourse to it for the process.
    Consequent upon the challenges in the bidding process, the frustrated applicants accused the NCS of engaging only  Jaiz Bank for the e-auction in order to favour Muslims and northerners.
    But 17 banks banks that on Tuesday explained to the Ali in Abuja that they were having technical challenges that hindered them from logging onto the e-auction, promising to oblige as soon as they triumph over their hiccups.
    were battling bid for the auctioned items without to The banks refusal to participate in the exercise made the bidding process.
    The Public Relations Officer however told The Nation in his office yesterday that “most of them have hooked up. They said they were experiencing some technical hitches with the interswitch which  has been resolved. But I can confirm to you that as at today we have 19 banks in the platform.
    “The import of this now is that interested bidders will now have options of banks to go to. They are free to choose any bank nearest to them that is in the platform to make their payment.”
  • Kachikwu advocates Nigerian first in crude oil award

    Kachikwu advocates Nigerian first in crude oil award

    • Seeks five years timeline transformation plan

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu on yesterday plans to ensure that Nigeria is investors’ first priority and that the nation also gives its citizenry first priority in the award of crude oil contracts: Direct Supply Direct Purchase (DSDP).
    He also revealed the plans to strategize for Nigeria to ‘capture’ of all African and Asia investments in the industry.
    The minister noted that owing to the saturation of the market in the US and other continents, Nigeria has to plan for product and regional specialization which is the  competitive advantage in the industry.
    He spoke in Abuja during the 6th Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) conference that was organized by CSR-in-Action with the theme: “Building Local for Global.”
    Kachikwu insisted that Nigeria must secure investments for every quantum of oil and gas that is extracted in the two continents.
    According to him, Nigeria will on Monday host 19 African Oil Ministers in order to develop a relationship that will culminate in harnessing the potentials of the African oil and gas industry market.
    His words: “Nigeria is going to look at Nigeria first. What do we do to encourage Nigeria to participate in terms of incentives. It in this line, for example, you are going to have product specialization, sector specialization. We look at the areas we have competitive advantage in trade if oil and gas.
    “Why is it that up till now Nigeria has not been able to capture the African terrain of the market. We will still look at how we award our contracts so that the crudes whether it is the DSDP formulation, whether it is investments. What we are doing now is to bring together the African producers.
    “How do we ensure that the African market is first….By Monday we will be hosting the conference of 19 African Petroleum Ministers. The whole idea is to begin to put together the relationship net that will enable us to look at the African market.
    In the current very competitive environment you have to become sectoral in terms of regional  play.
    “There are new places springing up in terms of regional play. The only regions available are Asian and Africa. How do we ensure that every drop of oil that comes out Africa first of all comes to Nigeria? Every drop of gas that comes from Africa comes to Nigeria. These are the things that we and Angola are to decide. We are supposed to capture  that market. We are going to put together the resources.”
    The minister said for Nigeria to open its economy to foreign investors, it has to tackle security issue with the involvement of state policing and broader protection.
    According to  him, Nigeria needs to favour the local industries and every industry needs to be transparent.
    Kachikwu however called for consistency in policy formulation and vigilance in terms of  international conspiracy.
    Continuing, the minister submitted that : “In ending this, I will call for a five year time frame in which we strengthen our resource base, our economic base and getting our companies ready for international play. If we follow some of the things we have highlighted here we will begin to transform our economy.”
    He said that unless there is a deliberate approach to address the issues in the industry, transformation will not come by happenstance.
    In her address, the Convener and Founder of CSR- in -Action, Bakeme Masade, noted that Nigeria has allowed too many resources and potentials in the industry to fritter away.
    He said that this is the best time to galvanize resources towards establishing a framework that encompasses environmental management, human rights, community engagement and management of economic opportunities.

  • Nigeria hits 2.2m barrels per day

    Nigeria hits 2.2m barrels per day

    Nigeria’s crude oil production yesterday hit 2.2million barrels per day, according to the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru.
    He spoke at the 6th Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) conference in Abuja. The theme of the conference was “Building Local for Global.”
    The target, he said, is to build up the country’s oil reserve to about 2.5mb/d and its subsidiary; the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), has already transformed from 15,000mb/d to 210,000mb/d.
    He said the corporation had identified seven critical gas projects in order to enhance power supply and stimulate industrial growth.
    The NNPC’s Chief Operating Officer, Oil and Power, Mr. Mohammed Saidu, who represented him attributed the increase in production to the peace in the Niger Delta.
    He said that the calmness in the Niger Delta and renewed efforts in the North East are indications that the corporation has renewed its strength for building oil reserves.
    Baru said: “Current production is building up, we are doing about 2.2 million barrels per day today, but of course, the intension is to build on that, sustain production and grow it up to about three million barrels per day in the next few years.”
    “We have to grow the reserves. We have had little or zero exploration for the past years, but thank God we are now renewing that. With the calmness in the Niger Delta and some of the efforts in the North-Eastern region, we have now renewed our vigor towards building the reserves.
    “And so in that way we have gone back to the Benue Trough and the Chad Basin. Although the Chad Basin is slightly behind, in the sense that we were about to go back when security challenges erupt, we are just waiting for the final green light for us to go back there.
    “Again all these are towards building the reserves, for is you build up the production to about 2.3 or 2.5 million barrels per day, you need the reserves to sustain that volume. The NPDC has grown production from a mere 15,000 barrels per day to about 210,000 barrels per day as at today.”
    Baru also stated that the corporation had reclaimed the three main pipelines that supply crude oil to the refineries and that the product lines had also been reclaimed.
    He added that “For the first time in the last five years we have been pumping products from Kaduna to Kano and this is in effort to reclaim the inland distribution and storage capacity that the NNPC has built over the years.”
  • Customs accuses banks of sabotaging e-auction

    Customs accuses banks of sabotaging e-auction

    The refusal of Deposit Money Banks (DMB) to participate in the recently launched e-auction bidding exercise of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday unsettled its Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Alli (rtd), who accused the banks of sabotaging the service’s effort at collecting revenue for the federation.
    He said that: “I am surprised and I don’t know what to say. This is an economic sabotage. The money you are going to collect is not coming to Customs, it is not coming to me as a person, it is going to the federation account that will be distributed to the three tiers of government. So, you deny that.”
    The Customs boss spoke in an interactive session with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of 17 banks that honoured his invitation to his office in Abuja.
    He expressed surprised that the same banks that participated in auction exercise when it was run manually distanced themselves from the ongoing automated auction system, leaving only Jaiz Bank as the sole participants.
    With the participation of one bank, the process was cumbersome for the bidders, who concluded that the exercise was skewed to favour Northners and Muslims.
    He was surprised that the same banks that collect duties for the NCS were reluctant to be part of the e-auction bidding process.
    Alli said that “for us to initiate this process and the banks pull out calls for concern. One is that we want to get some funds from there. Two, it’s going to ease the process of what we do, and it will encourage transparency in what we do. And the essence of what we do is to ensure that there is transparency  collected revenue for the federation.”
    The Customs boss who said the banks took the e-auction exercise aback, however said he was glad that 17 banks CEOs were in the session to lay bare their minds on the issue for possible solution.
    “I want to know if there are problem, and what are the problems?” he asked.
    He noted that fraudulent bidders had infiltrated the process by conniving with one another to circumvent the transparency and integrity of the exercise .
    According to him, whoever cuts corner will be delisted from the system.
    So far, he said he could not readily state how much the service has lost as a result of the non-participation of the banks in the exercise.
    He however dropped the hint that the bidding process has yielded N25,375,500.00 to the federal government.
    The bank chiefs however took turn to explain their challenges with the e-auction bidding which were mostly technical issues.
    Zenith Bank Plc said it was still trying to work on its software to participate in the exercise.
    Guaranty Trust Bank, said no bank would deliberately sabotage the process. But Citi Bank noted that the agreement it had with the NCS that elapsed in December 2014 was yet to be revalidated.
    According to the bank, the gap is that the banks were not involved.
    All the parties resolved that a technical committee that has all their representatives would meet from time to time to iron out all the technical issues until the stabilization of  e-auction process.