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Tag: NNPC

  • NNPC, DPR to explain zero collection of revenue – AuGF

    The Auditor General for the Federation, Mr. Anthony Ayine, in his Annual Audit Report for 2016 has said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) have cases to answer concerning the non-remittance of revenues for some months into the Federation Account.

    According to the report, “It was observed from the CBN Components Statements that no collections were reported into the Federation Revenue Account by some revenue collecting Agencies for certain months of the year. It was not clear from available records why these months recorded no revenue collections and no explanation was provided for this.

    “The Accountant-General has been requested to: Obtain an explanation from the Group Managing Director of NNPC and Director DPR for the non-collection of revenue during these relevant months. Ensure that any revenue found due for these months is remitted to the Federation Account, and evidence forwarded for audit verification.”

    Ayine added that another abuse of financial regulation of the 2016 budget was found in the illegal movement of monies from two dedicated funds to purposes other than for the mandates of the funds.

    He pointed out that monies were moved from the Stabilization Account for States and the Federal Government by the Presidency for the establishment of an Army Barracks and another sum as investment in the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

    The two acts, according to him, apart from not being tidy on framework of recovery, are illegal. Just as another case of lending out the Ecological Funds meant to strictly check ecological challenges without records to track recovery.

    “From available records, a total of N17,108,583,681.78 accrued from the Federation Account into 0.5% Stabilization Fund from January – December 2016.

    Read Also: AGF overpaid FIRS, DPR by N837bn in 2016 – OAuGF

    “During the examination of Central Bank, Bank Statements for the year, we observed that the sum of N2,812,694,928.36 was funds released to the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), and N14,374,728,817.20 to the Federal Ministry of Defense from the Stabilization Fund.

    “The Accountant-General has been requested to: Provide the authority for the Funds Invested, tenor of the investment, rate of interest payable, certificate for the funds invested and forward same for audit verification; Explain the utilization of N14,374,728,817.20 for the purpose of funding a new division contrary to the purpose for which the Fund was created; Provide evidence of refund of this sum of N17,187,423,745.56 back to the Stabilization Fund,” the report said.

  • NNPC targets 20% in Fertilizer Company

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is billed to take 20% equity in the project Nagarjuna Fertilizer Project to provide the gas feedstock.

    The corporation’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, however on Monday charged members of the Joint Management Committee (JMC) of the project to work hard to achieve early Final Investment Decision (FID) for eventual take-off of the project.

    NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, disclosed this in a statement.

    According to the statement, the “Nagarjuna Fertilizer Project in Nigeria is designed to produce 2.8 metric tonne per annum (MTPA) of Urea and 0.22MTPA of Ammonia and NNPC is billed to take 20% equity in the project and provide the gas feedstock.”

    Speaking recently while inaugurating the JMC made up of members drawn from Nagarjuna Fertilizer and Chemicals Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the India-based Nagarjuna Group, and NNPC, Dr Baru noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was keenly interested in diversifying the economy by growing the agricultural sector and that the early take-off of the Nagarjuna Fertilizer Project would be a boost to that aspiration.

    Read Also: $1bn Pipeline Contract Probe: NNPC, Total absence stalls session

    “It is my expectation that the negotiations with the Financiers and other prospective investors will be concluded in order to meet the FID target of March 2019. With the composition of the Joint Management Committee, I believe the target FID date will be achieved. The key message to the Joint Management Committee therefore is to ensure that we conclude the pre-FID activities in good time to achieve the FID target”, the GMD stated.

    He said the project was in tandem with the objectives of the Federal Government’s 7-Big Wins and the corporation’s 12-Business Focus Areas to aggressively commercialise the nation’s enormous gas resources through gas-based industrialization and congratulated the Management of Nagarjuna for its tenacity and acquisition of a new project site in the Ikot Abasi Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone.

    Members of the JMC are: Mr. Kovvuri H. Dharudu, Chairman; Ms. Blessing Arinze (Nagarjuna); Mr. Moses Oladejo (Nagarjuna); NNPC Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Isiaka Abdulrazaq; NNPC Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Engr. Saidu Mohammed; Managing Director, Gas & Power Investment Company (GPIC), Mr. Husaini El-Yakub; and Group General Manager, Corporate Planning & Strategy, Mr. Bala Wunti.

  • FIRS to explain N90bn drop in collection to FAAC

    The Federation Account Allocation Committee ( FAAC ) has resolved to go after all revenue generating agencies to see that they remit true and accurate accruals into the federation account.

    Next to be targeted, after the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) underemittances has been addressed is the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

    Addressing journalists over weekend on the resolve of the FAAC to go after revenue generating agencies, Chairman Finance Commissioners Forum Mr. Mahmood Yunusa disclosed that they will go after FIRS to explain why there was a drop in what they were suppised to remit to the federation account in May and June 2018.

    According to Yunusa, on FIRS, “if you look at the FAAC report, there was a sharp drop in FIRS’s May and June collections but there was no opportunity for us to actually engage the FIRS for them to explain to us why there was a sharp drop. I can’t remember vividly but the drop was about N90 billion.”

    “So FIRS also needs to tell us why the sharp drop. If they think they are not being sweated too, we will sweat them up because you cannot adopt a kind of arm-chair work – you just sit in your office what comes you take it and what doesn’t get to you, you don’t care to pursue it, no!”

    He noted that “at the state level, we are very willing to cooperate with the FIRS when it comes to VAT (Value Added Tax) remittance because we know as states, we even benefit more than the federal government when it comes to VAT. We are willing to work with FIRS to increase the generation of all the taxes that can be increased for the benefit of the entire country.”

    Yunusa warned that “It is not just NNPC, if Customs is not doing well we will engage them. We have been asking this questions, we have been engaging them. Every revenue generating agency has a target, and we will apply the necessary rules to ensure that we take value for why every revenue generating agency was established.”

    Yunusa reiterated that strengthening the revenue collection and remittance of same to the federation account was an issue FAAC had resolved to see to a logical conclusion.

    According to him, “part of the process of strengthening the system will be to take the collection and remittance of royalty from NNPC to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) while the collection and remittance of PPT will also be returned to the FIRS in line with the law.

    Yunusa insisted that “this is part of the process that we are trying to strengthen and we are trying to adopt. It is there, it is part of the law under oil and gas, like in any other IOC, that all royalties should be collected and remitted to the federation account by the DPR, it is DPR’s responsibility. Before DPR collect that royalty, it has to make sure that the actual amount that is supposed to be remitted is remitted.”

    “If it is under remitted, the DPR will be responsible for the shortfall and I know DPR would not want to be responsible for a shortage that they are not even aware of. If you are supposed to remit X billion of naira, and you remit B billion of naira to them, they won’t accept because it is under remitted. The royalty is calculated and paid based on the oil lifted” he said.

    He added that “the same thing with PPT, the NNPC has to remit the same amount that has to be remitted to FIRS, if not the FIRS will not accept because they would not want to be responsible for the shortfall or under remittance that ordinarily they shouldn’t be responsible for. So that will balance the revenue collecting system. There should be a kind of check and balance. Had it been we had this, this issue wouldn’t have cropped up. That is the system we are trying to strengthen and adopt.”

    On the ongoing face-off between FAAC and NNPC, and the oil Corporation’s claim that exiting the Joint Venture Cash Calls agreement was responsible for the drop in remittance to the federation account, Yunusa said ” the Commissioners of finance forum has very experienced people, professional accountant some of whom have worked in the NNPC. We had a workshop on the JVC programme. Whatever it is, if you want to exit the JVC there is a model or a machinery that is in place, even if you dont understanding, come and tell us. What is JVC -it is a joint Cash Call – it is for me to bring x amount of money while the other partner also brings x amount of money to do a business. So I need to know what I am contributing and I equally need to know what the other party is contributing.”

    Goung forward, he queried NNPC that ” if I am contributing to a JV, I am investing and for every investment there should be return on investment. If there is no return on investment why should you invest? Why should government company invest? It is because it is not your personal company. Government company is your company and it should even invest more than you because your personal company could be restricted just for you and your immediate family. But government company, if it is well sustained, well maintained, well invested and well managed, it could serve even people that are yet unborn and it will keep on driving development in the country.”

    On the issue of hiring forensic auditors and consultants to work with the NNPC as suggested by the Federation Account Allocation Committee in March, the Chairman of the Forum said, “we are on course, but we want to take these problems one after the other. NNPC is not the only revenue generating agency in the country but NNPC is having this much attention because it is the major driver of revenue, all the tiers of government rely to some extent, on the revenue that is driven from the centre and the major contributor of that revenue from the Centre is NNPC and we can’t afford not to fix whatever problem we see or we presume is there in NNPC, we are risking the entire economy. Be that as it may, we are still sticking to our decision, by the time we solve this problem, we will look at other issues within the NNPC and other parastatals under ministries of finance and petroleum.”

    The engagement of the consultant he assured “is on course, we will sort all these issues out. NNPC as I have said, is the major contributor of revenue but that does not mean we should take our eyes off other revenue generating agencies like the Customs, FIRS, DPR and the non-mineral sector. We want to take these issues one after the other with a view to solving them entirely.”

    Speaking on why FAAC was cancelled three times in a series, Yunusa said, “we thought we had concluded our reconciliation where whatever that we have put forward to government based on our projections, is supposed to have been solved so that we can have FAAC, and then we move on. But due to some other issues, the government was not able to get the desired attention it supposed to have gotten in respect to the process we said should be followed.”

    However, from the reaching FAAC members, Yunusa said “the top management of the NNPC are out of the country for a meeting, by the time they return, all these things will be put to order. It’s just fair that if such decision should be taken, it should be in a joint session that will involve the Governor’s Forum, the Ministry of Finance, the NNPC as well as the Forum of Finance Commissioners. We are on course towards solving all the problems and we are focused.”

  • $1bn Pipeline Contract Probe: NNPC, Total absence stalls session

    The Senate Committee on Gas on Friday, said deployed major stakeholders’ absence at its investigative sitting on the alleged one billion-dollar pipeline contract, saying it was a setback to the committee.

    Chairman of the committee, Sen. Bassey Akpan, told News Agency of Nigerian in Abuja that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Total Nigeria Plc led the oil companies and other stakeholders that failed to appear at the session on Thursday.

    He said that the committee was forced to adjourn the session due to poor attendance by those expected to defend their levels of involvement in the allegation.

    According to him, the development has set the committee back as we ought to submit our report before the National Assembly proceeds on its annual break on July 26.

    The lawmaker disclosed that while Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) obtained permission for absence, other stakeholders did not do so or were represented by officers below the rank of Managing Directors, adding that it was unacceptable.

    “We have been investigating the astronomical cost of completing two major gas pipelines – Northern Option Pipeline (NOPL) and Obite-Ubeta-Rumugi (OUR) Pipeline by Total.

    “We have been on this investigation for a couple of months now. Only recently we had an on-the-spot assessment of the pipeline, about a 100-kilometre pipeline.

    “A section of it is about 26 inches; another section is 22 inches and the 100-kilometre pipeline was completed at the cost of over one billion dollars.

    “In view of this, the Senate mandated the committee to investigate the matter.

    “The meeting was meant to communicate our findings and who we need to indict on the astronomical cost of completing this major pipeline but it did not hold.

    “NNPC was not there, NAPIMS was not there and the MD of Total was not there.

  • Oando, Shell, Agip sign $3.7b gas supply contract with NNPC

    Oando Plc, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), other indigenous and international oil companies in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have signed agreement to implement gas projects worth $3.7 billion.

    The gas projects tagged ‘Seven Critical Gas Development Projects (7CGDP)’ is set to bridge the gas supply shortfall in the country.

    The 7CGDP is an integral part of the gas development strategy designed by the NNPC to leverage the full potential of gas to meet the target of generating at least 15 gigawatts (Gw) of electricity by 2020. The agreement includes the development of the 4.3 trillion cubic feet (TCF) Assa North/Ohaji South field, the development of the 6.4 TCF Unitized Gas fields (Samabri-Biseni, Akri-Oguta, Ubie-Oshi and Afuo-Ogbainbri) and the development of 7 TCF Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation’s (NPDC) OMLs 26, 30 and 42.

    Speaking at the event, the Chief Operating Officer, Oando Energy Resources, Dr. Ainojie Irune, said: “The company’s focus was to ensure that indigenous companies play an integral role in creating the new Nigeria; a Nigeria where as a result of our combined efforts we are driving industrialisation, driving the commercial use of gas, and ultimately creating and enhancing value for the nation.

  • Why NNPC signed pact with IOCs on domestic gas supply shortfall

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has signed an agreement with some International Oil Companies (IOCs) to bridge natural gas deficit in the domestic market.

    In the deal, NNPC is targeting least 3.3 billion standard cubic feet per day of gas (bscfd) in the next two years, from about 1.5bscfd.

    NNPC signed the Unitisation and Unit Operating Agreements (UUOA) with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Oando.

    Five assets, which NNPC shares with these firms in the Joint Venture (JV) and two from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of NNPC, were identified as the Seven Critical Gas Development Projects (7CGDP).

    According to NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru, who signed the agreement for the corporation, the Seven CGDP include five from NNPC Joint Venture (JV) and two from NPDC.

    In his his keynote address entitled: “Framing workshop on the Seven Critical Gas Development Project (7CGDP)”, in Lagos, Baru said the projects would be executed simultaneously by the JVs and NPDC.

    “I hereby request that, as critical stakeholders, we must all come together to support the project management teams to ensure that these vital national projects are executed expeditiously for the benefit of the country.”

    “Domestic gas demand is growing at an exponential rate and outpaces gas supply development plan. A gap of about 3bcfd by 2020 has been identified by NNPC, which will be bridged at the full completion of the Seven Critical Gas Projects. We, therefore, see this as the beginning of the end to the gap in domestic gas supply/demand of 3.5bscfd, as these projects at full implementation will be the final solution in resolving the foreseen domestic gas supply gap.

    “NNPC has engaged two world- class project management consultants,  DeltaAfrik/Worley Parson & Crestech/Penspen, that will work with NPDC and NNPC JV partners and other stakeholders to achieve set project deliverables. The project management consultants are here present. The PMT will work with NNPC and partners to revalidate and carry out relevant technical studies to propose development plans, provide financial advisory services for project funding/financing strategy, appraise the fiscal requirements for viability and advice on interventions that may be required.

    “Others include to study and recommend fast-track tendering process for field development and project implementation, establish realistic cost  benchmark for identified projects, develop project schedules and cost Estimates for the respective projects, among others.”  In  addition, the NNPC Project Management  groups “will strengthen oversight function on the seven critical gas development projects by ensuring prompt decision making and timely approvals in line with international best practices.”

    The projects include the use of Uquo Gas Plant (200mmscfd) – NPDC OML 13 Utapate gas (Phase 1 AG) – to be developed and processed at the Seven Energy Uquo Gas Plant, which has a  capacity of 50mmscfd – 80mmscfd. The processed gas will be evacuated through Seven Energy spare pipeline capacity of 400mmscfd from Uquo Gas Plant to Trans Nigeria Gas Pipeline through Ukanafun-Obigbo Node to OB3.

    Others are joint development of  OML 24 (NNPC/Newcross JV) & OML 55 (BELEMA OIL) gas. Joint development of gas due to the close proximity of both assets will end gas flaring in OMLs 55 and 24 and add  120mmscf/d to the domestic market.

    “Full utilisation of Seplat Oben Gas Plant (465mmscfd) – Seplat has  expanded Oben NAG gas plant to 465mmscfd, but the sub-surface resources can only deliver about 320mmscfd creating a spare gas plant capacity of 145mmscfd. There exist another synergy opportunity for upstream operators in close proximity to OML 4 to process its gas in Oben NAG plant and evacuate the process gas through the ELPS.

    “Full utilisation of Pan  Ocean Ovade  Gas Plant (130mmscfd) – there exist another opportunity to utilise the spare  capacity of 100mmsfd in Pan Ocean Ovade Gas Plant, which currently processes 30mmscfd due to sub-surface limitation. The plan was to send NPDC Oredo gas to Ovade for processing, but due to lack of alignment of schedule, NPDC has progressed significantly with the installation of two compressors to supply the gas into the ELPS. This non-alignment can be eliminated through proper synchronisation of our developments.”

    On the challenges, Baru said: “I will seize this opportunity to talk on some key project issues and what we are doing to address them.  Timely availability of funds, NNPC has exited cash calls and we are in the process of settling all outstanding cash call arrears amounting to $5billion dollars. We have developed a third party financing arrangement for new investments and have secured $3.7billion for the under-listed projects.

    “Infrastructure development to enhance gas supply is a critical focus area in the Federal Government’s 2016-2019 “Big Wins” for the oil and gas industry as well as in NNPC’s 12 Key Business Focus Areas to grow the industry that will increase gas supply with correspondence improvement in power supply.”

  • NLNG:  Buhari congratulates stakeholders

    …Buhari’s signature project back on the cards

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the board, management, staff and shareholders of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company (NLNG), the NNPC and other Joint Venture partners, Shell, Total and AGIP on the signing of the contracts for the Front End Engineering Design (FFED) of Train 7 of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Project.

    The President, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, welcomed the signing of an MOU between NLNG, “B7 JV Consortium” and “SCD JV Consortium”, on Wednesday in London.

    According to him, it paves the way for the additional Train 7 that would increase the country’s gas production output from 22 million tonnes per annum to 30 metric million tonnes per annum.

    Read Also:NLNG needs $12b to boost expansion

    The President also welcomed the commitment of all parties in supporting his administration to launch the “gas revolution” in Nigeria by ensuring the realization of Train 7, which has been stalled for many years under previous administrations.

    He is optimistic that the significant step would culminate in a Final Investment Decision (FID) for the much-awaited multi-billion dollar Train 7 expansion programme by the end of this year.

    The President noted that the signing of the contract for the plant expansion project after an eight-year delay is a sign of irreversible commitment by the Joint Venture to enter a Final Investment Decision (FID), and a clear indication that the confidence of investors is coming back to Nigeria following the good governance practices instituted by his administration.

    Buhari also noted that the 7th train which is expected to provide some 8,000 jobs is not only important for the country, but also an important benchmark for the Niger Delta region, which rightly yearns for development projects.

    As a former Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources, the President recalled with nostalgia that several signature projects, launched under his watch, which would have accelerated the growth of Nigeria’s economy, including the NLNG, had sadly suffered neglect and abandonment by succeeding administrations.

    For instance, the NLNG had the goal of establishing 12 trains by early 1980s but the project growth was stunted. So far, only six of those trains have been commissioned.

    However, with this signature project back on the cards, President Buhari strongly believed it is destined for his administration to complete the project.

    ”This project perfectly keys into the Federal Government’s ‘Economic Recovery and Growth’ agenda.

    ”It signifies foreign investors’ confidence in our country’s economy,” the President said.

  • Falana gets information on N4.6b fuel drained daily from FG

    The federal government has forwarded to Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) information on fuel importation and sundry matters.

    The requested information was forwarded to the lawyer by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) which was acting on the directive of the Minister of state, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachukwu as requested in his letter to the minister dated April 17, 2018.

    A letter dated July 9  and signed by Kingston Chikwendo on behalf of the DPR  to Falana and titled “Re: Request for Information on Fuel Importation and Sundry Matter” stated in part: “We humbly referred to your letter dated 17th April, 2018 to the Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum (HMSP) requesting for information on fuel importation and sundry matters.

    “The HMSP has directed the DPR to provide you with the requested information.

    “Consequently, we hereby forward to you the requested information as detailed in your letter”, it stated.

    In his letter dated April 17, Falana had specifically requested the minister to provide him with copies of the documents relating to: “ Bill of laden and DPR certified cargo discharged certificates of the imported subsidized petroleum products  into the country from December 2017 to March 2018;  Offshore processing  agreements pertaining to the sale of the 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day plus any additional crude barrels approved for domestic consumption from December 2017  to March 2018;  Volumes of domestic refined products by the nations’ local refineries against gross expenditure on refinery turn around maintenance(TAM)/ expended budget in 2017”.

    Others are  “Gross  amount of forex differential or forex subsidy (gap Between CBN rate and Special rate approved for fuel importation) from December 2017 to March 2018 and   amount expended by PEF on Project Aquila from inception aimed at tracking petroleum trucks nationwide to prevent smuggling of petroleum products”.

    Read Also: Insecurity: Falana seeks removal of service chiefs

    Falana’s request followed disclosure by the management of the NNPC that the nation’s  consumption rate of fuel was 28 million litres per day and that subsidy cost was N726 million per day,  that is,  N261.4b per annum.

    He also recalled that on March 5, 2018, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru claimed that the figure had metamorphosed to 50 million litres per day and that NNPC had spent $5.8billion (N1.7 Trillion) on fuel importation in January and February 2018 and that at a public forum held in Abuja two  weeks ago, the minister stated  that the consumption rate of fuel  has skyrocketed to 60 million and that the cost of  subsidy is N1.4 trillion per month!

    On the alleged subsidy of fuel importation, Falana reminded the minister that he failed to disclose the amount realized from the sale of the 60 million liters at N145 per liter.

    “You have also conveniently failed to account for the sale of the 445,000 barrels of crude oil allocated to the NNPC daily by the federal government.

    “Honorable Minister, the convenient defense of smuggling as cheap justification for a gap of 32 million litres a day (at N145 per litre is N4.6 billion daily) is untenable given the billions of Naira continually expended on Project Aquila Software by the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF), a Parastatal under your watch in the Petroleum Ministry, to track every litre of petroleum product evacuated from the Depots and sold at retail stations in the country”, Falana stated.

    He argued “since the Project Aquila Software has capability to identify the owners and locations of all trucks loading petroleum products in Nigeria why has your office and NNPC continue to blame smuggling for the drain of N4.6 billion daily on petroleum products? How many of the Truck owners involved in the alleged smuggling have been arrested and arraigned in court since Aquila has the data base of all Truck Owners in the country?”, he asked.

    The federal government blamed the increasing consumption rate on the smuggling of fuel from Nigeria to neighboring countries by some economic saboteurs.

    Falana had insisted that the claims of the government does not explain the difference of 32 million litres per day between the consumption rate of imported fuel in December 2017 and March 2018 when it is assumed that

    The total volume of fuel consumed by Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Ghana is said to be less than 250,000 litres per day.

  • Reps probe N100b ‘under-remittance’ by NNPC

    The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the earnings of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from since the begining of this year.

    The lawmakers said the ambiguities surrounding the running of state-owned oil firm made it imperative for the lawmakers to ascertain the volume of production of oil within the period under review.

    The probe will also ascertain the country’s earnings for that period, an ad hoc panel will also find out the status of cash calls involving joint venture operations including the template used in arriving at the sharing formula.

    Also, the House will be looking at the exchange rate during the period due to the fact that NNPC sells its crude in dollars but remits to the Consolidated Revenue Account (CFA) in naira.

    The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a matter of urgent national importance by Nicholas Ossai  (PDP, Delta), who said the failure of  NNPC to remit  about N100b into the CFA threw states and local governments that depended on the monthly allocation into a financial challenge that affected the payment of their June salaries.

    He said the development was frustrating as it was not the first time such under – remittances would be made by NNPC.

    “Such under-remittance at a time when oil price is high and stable calls for an investigation because if not addressed, NNPC would just inform the nation one day that it has nothing to remit to the CRA from its crude oil sales. One organisation cannot be allowed to make a black spot on Nigeria,” he added.

    Dennis Amadi (PDP, Enugu) regretted that the country’s commonwealth is being mismanaged by NNPC, lending credence to allegations in the past on how the organisation is being managed.

    According to him, the corporation’s head was being alleged to have disbursed $5billion for oil prospecting, constructing highways in other countries as a well as payment of oil subsidies without due process.

    “NNPC seems to be higher than everyone but there’s a need to pressure it into doing what is right,” he said.

     

     

  • Student disagrees with WAEC answer in NNPC quiz

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) was put to test Monday in Ilorin when a participating student at the on-going Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) National Science Quiz Competition for states in the North Central Zone and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja disputed a mathematical answer the examining body proffered for one of the questions.

    Providing an option D answer (5/36) for the Mathematics Round One, Question 7 of the exercise, Ibrahim Wisdom of St. Kizito Seminary, Idah, Kogi State, stood his ground, which made the Quiz Master, Mr. Oyawale Olusegun, to halt the contest and summoned six subject experts among the teachers to intervene.

    As the tense atmosphere at the event slowly ticked away, Mr. Abdulahmeed Baba Ahmed, a Mathematics teacher from Demonstration Secondary School, Akwanga, Nasarawa State, who was among the subject experts that rose to the occasion, provided solution to the logjam.

    To the relief of participants, officials and the audience at the context, WAEC was right, as Ahmed’s solution tallied with the examining body’s option C answer to the question.

    The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who made this known in a statement yesterday, said the student was commended for being courageous to challenge WAEC.

    “The question”, said Ahmed with an air of authority, “was not direct; it was technical”, stressing however that Wisdom’s courage to challenge WAEC option should be welcome.

    Olusegun, the Quiz Master, who is a subject expert in Physics and is also a Deputy Director, Department of Science and Technology of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, said that rarely, youthful participants had disputed answer options provided by an examining body, adding that the intervention of subject experts who accompanied the students were always sought to resolved matters.

    The disputed question at the contest which held at Queen Elizabeth School in Ilorin was: A box contains 5 white, 4 green and 3 identical balls. If two balls are picked one after the other from the box without replacement, what is the probability that one is white and the other is green. WAEC provided the following answer options for pick: A 5/33; B 5/18, C 10/33 and D 5/36.

    Option C was adjudged the correct answer.

    Thirteen-year-old Wisdom who had earlier queried the WAEC’s answer concurred eventually with the examination body’s option, saying the question was rather technical, which was why he missed it.

    Its now two years running with WAEC as consultant to the contest, with the main responsibility of preparing standardized test items for the nationwide competition.

    At the preliminary stages up to the Zonal level, the NNPC quiz competition tests participants in five subject areas of Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. At the Grand Finale level, test of fundamentals on NNPC and the Oil and Gas Industry, is included.

    Also, on the sidelines of the contest, Favour Moshood Okikiola, who was a Zonal winner of the contest and who made it to the Grand Finale of the competition in Abuja in 2017, revealed his exploits in the just released West African Examinations Council Ordinary Level results.

    Okikiola, who had attended Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model School in Ilorin, made eight A1s in the examinations with only a B in English Language.

    The calm 16-year old, who also recorded an impressive score of 344 out of 400 questions in the last Joint Admission and Matriculation Board universities admission examinations, has already trained his sights on studying Medicine and Surgery at the premier University of Ibadan.

    “The NNPC National Science Quiz context was a morale booster to me”, Okikiola stated, saying that through the competition he was able to know his weak areas, which in turn enabled him to balance up.

    He admonished the winners and losers at the Ilorin Zonal contest to think positively as they all have a bright future ahead of them.

    Udeogu Chukwuemeka, Okikiola’s teacher, who was also at the North Central Zonal contest, said he made the school proud as he was the first student from their school who made it to NNPC National Science Quiz Competition Grand Finale.

    Chukwuemeka stated that Okikiola’s participation in NNPC quiz competition was a morale booster as he received a hero’s welcome to the school on return from the contest in Abuja last year, stressing that the confidence the quiz contest imbued in him must have partly informed his recent superlative successes in WAEC and JAMB examinations.

    NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who was represented at the occasion said the quiz competition was a flagship of NNPC Corporate Social Responsibility projects.

    He said he was proud of the successes of the initiative which has turned out scores of individuals that are making meaningful contribution to the society.

    He assured that NNPC would continue to affect the lives of Nigerians in all walks of life positively in line with the corporation’s pay-off line.

    Kwara State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Halima Garba, who was represented at the event by Alhaji Hammed Yinusa, Director, Information and Communication Technology Department of the Ministry, thanked NNPC for its support for science education across the country, adding that the corporation’s efforts had enabled many Nigerians to actualize their dreams.

    Hajia Garba wished the winners who would represent the North Central in the Grand Finale contest in Abuja success in their endeavours.

    Queen Elizabeth School Principal, Alhaja Ramata Abdulrahman, expressed appreciation to NNPC for the significant impact it was making to support the education of young Nigerians.

    She said she looked forward to seeing other corporate bodies emulate NNPC in the laudable initiative.

    At the end of the one-day competition which commenced as early as 9am, two states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Plateau State, represented by Okeke Favour and Ezemba Confidence respectively, tallied in their scores of 65 marks out of 75 points to emerge First and were trailed by Benue State who was represented by Agada Vincent, who made 3rd position. The three are to represent the Zone in the Grand Finale in Abuja later in the year.

    Kwara and Kogi states, represented by Femi Olufisayo and Ibrahim Wisdom respectively, equally tallied to take 4th position with 50 points each, with Niger and Nasarawa states, represented by Olamilekan Oladapo and Ajogwu Benjamin, making the distant sixth and 7th positions with 35 and 20 points respectively.

    The NNPC Quiz Competition was inaugurated in 2000 and was limited to participants from the Niger Delta but went national in 2001. This year’s event would mark the 16th edition of the competition.

    Designed mainly for students in the nation’s secondary schools, the competition has impacted positively on the intellectual attainment of young Nigerians. It has provided financial succour to successful contestants who have been placed on scholarship throughout their university education. Many of the awardees had moved on to achieve academic laurels in tertiary institutions, locally and internationally.

    Fulfilling aspects of its slant, records show many of the past awardees ended up studying Science and Technology related courses in the universities. In 2010, a past winner of the competition, emerged 2nd in a contest involving others from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Member Countries, and Austria to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of OPEC.

    Several years after its inauguration, the horizon of the competition soars.

    Among the main objectives of the competition are:

    · To implement a core element of NNPC Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) package

    · To promote Science education in the country

    · To encourage students in the study of Science and Technology related subjects

    · To prepare students for promotional and qualifying examinations

    · To build friendship amongst the participating students

    · To develop students’ competitive spirit

    · To break down long-held stereotypes and engendering a better sense of national being in participating students, through the cross-cultural interactions that the contest offers

    · To provide a platform for enlightening the students and the public on the activities of NNPC.