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Tag: plans

  • Badagry visitors’ bureau unveils plans

    Badagry visitors’ bureau unveils plans

    IN an effort to boost the profile of the ancient town of Badagry as a tourism and investment destination, the Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau has unveiled plans for the Badagry Economic Summit and the Lagos Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference, among other events lined up to promote and market the rich heritage of Badagry in 2017.

    The development, noted the bureau, would help reposition Badagry as a tourism destination in Lagos.

    Speaking during the monthly Forum of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) at NANTA Secretariat  in Lagos recently, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau, and former permanent secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Dr Ashamu Sewanu Fadipe, said the bureau has also concluded arrangements to organise the Igbo Art and Culture International Festival and the Yoruba Conference Series in 2017 in Badagry.

    He said that the bureau is set to market Badagry as a tourism destination to the rest of the world and to serve as a focal point for coordination of all tourism activities in Badagry.

    He pointed out that the convention and visitors bureau is found in other developed countries of the world, hence the establishment of the Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau.

    The aim is to make Badagry a destination and create programmes that will make Badagry worth visiting and investing in, Dr Ashamu explained.

    He listed other functions of the bureau to include provision of services that will enhance the quality of visitors’ experience, providing leadership in expanding tourism opportunities in Badagry, generating economic activities through visitors’ spending for the people of Badagry and environs, serving as catalyst and facilitator for tourism infrastructure development, serving as a clearing house for all hospitality establishment in Badagry, attracting investment opportunities to Badagry and encouraging visitors to enjoy the ambience of natural, cultural and historical sites, including the hospitality of the people of Badagry.

    Fadipe disclosed that the bureau is a Public Private Partnership arrangement with the Badagry Local Government.

    He explained that the Badagry Economic Summit is expected to bring together stakeholders in the Badagry economy to find ways of making Badagry the next economic hub in Lagos State, adding that speakers and investors are expected to deliver papers in the area of tourism, seaport development, logistics parks, oil sector and hospitality development.

    On the Lagos Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference, the MD/CEO of the Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau noted that the state of Lagos is overdue for annual hotel and tourism conference.

    “The theme for this conference scheduled for 24th and 25th of August, next year, is making Lagos the preferred hospitality and tourism hub in Africa. The purpose of this important conference is to further create awareness about the industry and bring visitors and investors not only to Badagry, but as well as the state. Speakers have started showing interest. Discussions will centre on areas which are not limited to the development of business tourism in Lagos State, challenges of tour operators in Lagos State, tourism and immigration services, Nigerian experience, eco-tourism development which way for Epe and Badagry axis,” Fadipe said.

    He stated that the Igbo Art and Culture Festival is scheduled for 28th and 30th of April 2017 in the ancient city of Badagry.

    He said: ”Our main focus is to bring as many visitors as possible to Badagry. This festival is expected to showcase different Igbo culture and traditions to the delight of the visitors. We have commenced preparations for the festival.”

    He added that the Yoruba Conference Series is a unique opportunity for the Yoruba to come together to deliberate on their history for subsequent generations.

  • NBCC advises CBN on monetary policy plans

    Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to sustain a monetary policy aimed at increasing capital inflows, encouraging domestic lending and enhancing production for export.

    The Chamber also asked the apex bank to focus more on policy that will drive infrastructural development, enhance tax compliance and ensure a favourable environment for SMEs in the country.

    NBCC President, Prince Dapo Adelegan, who disclosed this during the Chamber’s quarterly review of the economy identified decline in economic activities, increase in the rate of unemployment and high operating cost as some of the effects of the restriction earlier placed on foreign exchange.

    On foreign portfolio investment, Adelegan said the foreign inflow dropped from N53.20 billion in April, last year to N14.52 billion in April, this year.

    He noted that many investors had left the country due to foreign exchange restriction and economic downturn.

  • Ndoma Egba’s 2019 plans

    Ndoma Egba’s 2019 plans

    Former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, may plan to return to the National Assembly in 2019, a source close to him has revealed. The former lawmaker, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is not thinking of contesting for the governorship currently held by the North Senatorial District, while he hails from the Central zone. The former Senate Leader recently assumed the status of the leader of the APC in Cross River State following his defection to the party about two weeks ago.

     

  • Business School plans youth academy

    The Year 2016 promises good things for young people seeking to get ahead in their careers courtesy of the Business School Netherlands (BSN) Nigeria, which has announced an elaborate programme to address unemployment.

    The Youth Leadership Academy is BSN Nigeria’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to give back to the society, where it has enrolled over 1,000 students for the Action Learning MBA programme of BSN.

    CEO, BSN Nigeria, Mr Lere Baale, said the programme to be implemented with Howes Consulting Group would entail various technical and soft skills training to enhance employability skills of young people and encourage them to become entrepreneurs if they are unable to find jobs.

    “Informed by an estimated over 50 million unemployed and underemployed youths in Nigeria, Youth Leadership Academy will form a consortium of volunteers and partners to invest in youth employability skills for accelerated career growth and empower underemployed/unemployed youths in order to deepen their interest in self employment and synergise joint ownership of enterprises,” he said.

    The participants would be paired with mentors in the business world, particularly among BSN graduates.

    Baale said the CSR programme is in line with BSN’s focus to train business managers who are skilled in the science and art of business management and able to solve problems that organisations face doing business in Nigeria.

    He expressed hope that through MBA as well as the CSR initiative, Nigeria would boast of indigenous businesses that would outlive their founders and last many centuries like many multinationals.

    “We want African indigenous firms to continue to stand the test of time and wax stronger even after the departure of the founders,” he said.

    On the landmark achievement of enrolling 1,000 Nigerians for BSN Action Learning MBA, among whom 341 successfully completed the programme, Baale said it represented a significant contribution to Nigeria’s manpower.

    Apart from the CSR programme, Baale spoke of plans to launch the Leadership Legacy Award to “recognise distinguished leaders across various sectors who have demonstrated exemplary ethical leadership”, as well as introduce the Executive Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme for senior professionals and CEOs. Already, he said, 10 people have been enrolled for the programme.

  • Fed Govt to roll out growth plans for power, says BPE

    Fed Govt to roll out growth plans for power, says BPE

    The Federal Government has put in place modalities to drive the power sector for growth, just as it has driven the telecommunication industry for better performance, the Director- General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE),Benjamin Dikki has said.

    The modalities, according to him, include making the bodies such as the Ministry of Power and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to provide stronger regulatory frameworks that would help in developing the sector and the introduction of a competitive environment for operators, among other initiatives.

    Speaking in Lagos at a stakeholders’ meeting, Dikki said the need to make the power sector more competitive and vibrant is imperative for the growth of the economy.

    The meeting, which has the Minister of Power, works and housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Chief Executive Officers of Eko ElectricityDistribution Company(EKEDC),Oladele Amoda, Ikeja Electric, Mr Abiodun Ajifowobaje, and other stakeholders, was at the instance of the management of Egbin Power Company Plc.

    He said once the regulators nurture power sector for growth, there would be stability in the electricity supply and the economy will get better.

    He said: ‘’ Power sector will work because the telecom industry works.  The telecom sector works because the regulators were allowed to nurture investments in that area.  I believe the regulators would nurture investments in the electricity industry for growth, given a conducive environment.  Investments would not only engender competition, but would make the operators fare better. Once there is competition in the energy sector, prices of products and services would come down and the better for consumers.’’

    Dikki said problems such as revenue shortfalls, inability of power firms to garner enough capital for operation and others,  are hindering the growth of the sector, urging operators to drive investments to generate revenue for growth.

    According to him, privatisation has opened a new phase in the nation’s power sector, because private operators are now saddled with the responsibility of running the industry.

    On industry’s performance, Dikki said some of the new investors in the sector have tried to improve electricity generation and distribution.

    Citing Egbin Power Plant, the BPE’s DG said the plant, which was owned by the Sahara Energy Group, has relatively improved power generation.

    ‘’Egbin Power Company should be commended for being a flagship of what privatisation is.  The reason is because its management has been able to increase electricity megawatts (Mw) 400 to over 1,000 megawatts of electricity.  This growth needs to be sustained for the benefits of consumers,’’ he added.

    Also, the Chief Executive officer, Egbin Power Company, Mr Dallas Peavey, said the firm has overhauled its operation to ensure growth, adding that the turbines are nearing full capacity.

    He said the firm has six turbines, adding that the turbines are returning to their installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts of electricity soon.

    Peavey said efforts are on-going to make the six turbines produce optimally, stressing that the development would help in improving power supply in the country.

  • The best laid plans of mice and men…

    Clearly, no one ever had any inkling that the best laid constitution of a country could be stumped by a simple fact as a man taking the most natural step of dying, albeit at an ill-chosen moment

    I am sure that you have been as enthralled by the Kogi State election problem as I have been. Here is that, at best sleepy and at worst little known, state suddenly finding itself being flung into a constitutional crisis it did not ask for. Does it not just remind you of those stories about unknown, laid back citizens content to be buried in their drinking cups suddenly finding all eyes in the country trained on them because, God Almighty, they are holding the winning vote? Grrr! Right now, I bet the people of the state are looking much like a rat surprised suddenly by light from a torch.

    What brought all this about is well known to us, i.e. the sudden death of APC’s candidate who was well nigh biting into a victorious second coming in the state as governor. Well, many of us regard this as one of those things that happen in life. How do we say it, life happens, right? Yeah, life happens, in spite of your best laid or worst laid plans. Let me illustrate.

    The story is told of a man who went all out to obtain a government contract. Naturally, he was in competition with others for it. This man pulled all the stops to get the contract: notes from all and sundry that mattered. Indeed, with such well-marshalled armoury, our man was well on the way to victory. He was told by the fellow in charge to return at eight in the morning and sign the papers; and he was warned that eight had to mean eight a.m., not nine as it would go to the next man in line. Well, guess what: our man started his celebration that evening and did not wake up until half past ten the next morning. According to a commentator on the story, it was an illustration of how to snatch a loss from the jaws of victory.

    Actually, you can also snatch a victory from certain defeat; just watch a football match where the best and winning goals are scored in the dying minutes of the game. The incredulity of such unplanned wins and losses have led to the making of careers and, of course, the shooting of wives who change TV channels without permission. There is however no greater illustration of how to snatch a loss from certain victory than the story of the country called Nigeria.

    Nigeria is very good at it, snatching losses from victories, that is. I have since found out that no matter how Lady Victory clenches her jaws and determines to favour us, we determinedly insist on turning the victory to watery defeat. So many states are blessed with large numbers of talented and well educated people who can lead their states to unparallel victories, but somehow it’s the uneducated ones among them who are called to rule and take their states to the despair-inducing depths of defeat. Reason? Most times, we flash the cards of tribalism and/or religion. Uncanny, no?

    On the other hand, take the little matter of natural resources for instance, or even the earnings from those resources. Very few countries on earth have oil in this abundance or even anything else for that matter and they are getting by. Here we are in Nigeria not only collectively burning off this oil; worse, we are individually squandering our earnings from it in petty thieving and brigandage. From the clenched jaws of victorious abundance, Nigeria is wrenching out deep, abundant poverty.

    So, the little problem in Kogi is great material indeed for an election drama. At the height of the election victory of his APC party, Audu, the gubernatorial candidate keels over and dies. It can’t get more dramatic than that. So, rather than talk of victory now, the party and Nigerians are instead plaintively crying, what do we do, just what do we do? And there is none to answer them, not the constitution, not the law. Clearly, no one ever had any inkling that the best laid constitution of a country could be stumped by a simple fact as a man taking the most natural step of dying, albeit at an ill-chosen moment.

    Believe me, there have been suggestions, many of which should just pass in through one ear and be cocked by the other, never exiting through the mouth but I will tell only you. I have heard some say the running mate should transmute to the governorship. A good solution if only INEC had declared the election good and won by APC, or if the state were made of one homogeneous group instead of three very divided peoples. But this declaration was not made by INEC, in its wisdom and the winning tribe is flashing its card. Some have suggested that there be some kind of candidate substitution. Some, on the other hand and perhaps out of grief, have suggested replacing the deceased with his son. Now, now, now, I say, let’s pause a bit.

    First, I ask myself, does the constitution permit the substitution of a deceased candidate with his son? Obviously the constitution is very silent on many things. It only says for instance that my child is entitled to food but it is silent on the kind of food I am supposed to give him as his parent. So he cannot brandish the said constitution in my face when he demands that I feed him salad instead of eba. So, I ask again, which silent part of this constitution says that once we vote in a man we have voted in the entire blessed family, sane or mad, cattish, doggish, etc.?

    I therefore think that the so called elders of the deceased’s party who came up with that hare-brained idea should put on their thinking caps once again. I would have taken the suggestion as coming from grieving mouths which can say anything but for the fact that one or two supposedly educated governors have reiterated it. Now, I do not know the young man who is being put forward; but I object very strongly to the attempt to make the entire country feel obliged to take such a suggestion.

    When words such as ‘to compensate the Audu family’ are used to persuade us to accept the son in place of the father, I ask, what kind of democratic practice allows that? What are we compensating exactly? Who is responsible for that death: the country? More importantly, is any of Nigeria’s elective position hereditary now? Are these governors and others thinking like them trying to tell us that the wisdom to govern states resides only in their families? I only ask.

    Many people have said rightly that the problem with Nigeria today is her elite class. They are the ones who twist the right things around to suit their selfish egos. They are the ones who reinterpret democracy for the rest of us and give us home-grown concoctions for governance in the hope of keeping their families in perpetual governance. They forget two important and immutable laws of life: whatever goes around comes around; and as we lay our beds, we must also lie on them. On these two laws hang all human deeds.

    I think it is important that we all strive to build a future for this country that will not give us palpitations. This means that we all must be objective about what we put down today in the name of governance because we and our children for generations to come are surely going to have to eat our fills from it. It is a truism that the best laid plans of mice and men are filed away somewhere, because, I tell you, life happens.

  • My plans for Ajasin varsity, by VC

    My plans for Ajasin varsity, by VC

    Ten months after assuming office, Vice-Chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University at Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State, Prof  Igbekele Ajibefun, has held an interactive session with students on his plans for the institution. RICHARD ADURA-ILESANMI (400-Level Mass Communication) reports.

     

    Prof Ajibefun
    Prof Ajibefun

    In January 6, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun stepped down as the Rector of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) in Ondo State, following his appointment as Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Adekunle Ajasin University at Akungba, Akoko (AAUA).

    His appointment followed the expiration of five-year tenure of the immediate past VC, Prof Femi Mimiko. Ten months after assuming office, Ajibefun has met with students tell them his plans and mission at the university.

    For over two hours, he answered questions from the students, who thronged the meeting tagged VC-Students’ Forum at the Olusegun Obasnajo Hall on the campus.

    The meeting, Ajibefun said, is aimed at identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses, and to suggest ways of engaging the students as major stakeholders in moving the school to the next level.

    He said: “One of the reasons for calling the meeting is to interact and rub minds with you. We want to know those areas where you are doing very well and to also know the areas where you have some challenges in order to see what can be done to solve the challenges that you might be facing.”

    Congratulating the students for what he called “privilege” to study in the institution, the VC said his predecessor’s ingenuity and reforms had raised the institution’s bar of excellence and placed it as the best rated state-owned university in the county.

    He said: “Prof Mimiko did a great job. He judiciously used the resources accrued to the university and this is why we have all these facilities in place. His ingenuity is one of the reasons the university was ranked as the Best State-Owned University in Nigeria. We are also grateful to the government for prompt release of fund to the school.”

    Ajibefun promised his administration would step up the reforms to ensure the school remained the best, soliciting the students’ support in realising his objectives. He pledged that transparency and accountability would be the compass of his administration.

    Students, the VC urged, must imbibe the spirit of hard work, commitment and dedication to square up with alumni of the school, who, he said, are contributing positively to the cause of the nation

    He added: “I am surprised by the quality of students I met in AAUA. The management is receiving commendations for the good conduct our students have shown. This is my tenth month in office and I have never seen our students blocking the road or causing unnecessary riots. We want you to maintain that good behaviour, because it is in your own interest to behave well so that the institution could give good recommendation on you when the need arises.”

    Ajibefun urged the students to always use dialogue in pressing home their grievances, rather than resorting to violence, which he said may destabilise the peace in the institution. He maintained that Aluta (a students’ parlance for violent demonstration) did not have a place in academic environment.

    “What is logical today is dialogue. When we dialogue, we can solve a lot of problems. But when students embark on Aluta, management would ask them to go home and they would beg to come back. If school property is destroyed, you would come back to pay more for what is destroyed. Academic calendar would also suffer in the process. This is why you must be peaceful in your conduct and engagement,” he said.

    The VC said he would not condone extortion of students by any lecturer, emphasising that his administration remained committed to the ban on sale of handouts and paying money to boost score. He told the students to report any lecturer extorting them in whatever form, assuring that the school would protect anyone that gave information on erring lecturers.

    He also warned students against indulging in cultism and examination fraud, saying any student caught would be expelled.

    Students, who spoke at the forum, raised concern about inadequate facilities and personnel in the school. They urged the management to boost facilities in the school Health Centre and provide hostel accommodation.

    They also wanted the VC to provide libraries in all faculties, resuscitate the school solar lights and invite more banks to the campus.

    Responding, Prof Ajibefun to promised to address the issues as soon as possible to give the students a new lease of life.

    The VC said the hostels being built by the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) and other bodies would soon be completed. He added that the university had signed Memorandum of Understanding with some private individuals and firm to solve the accommodation problem facing the students.

     

     

  • Our plans for NNPC, by Kachikwu

    Our plans for NNPC, by Kachikwu

    Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD) Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu has his job cut out for him – rid the oil giant of corruption and opacity; make the outfit accountable and competitively profitable. At an interactive session with energy reporters in Lagos,  Kachikwu spoke of his plan to turn around the fortune of the Corporation, reports EMEKA UGWUANYI

    President Muhammadu Buhari clearly spelt out Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu’s mandate when he was named the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on August 4.

    He should clear the rot, overhaul the system and reorganise the corporation as a profit-making business entity with all the refineries reactivated to function at nameplate capacities.

    The President spicifically asked Kachikwu to rid the system of corrupt elements; work with anti-graft agencies and security outfits to recover stolen oil cash; prosecute the culprits; reposition the corporation’s structure to compete globally and give targets to all its subsidiaries as well as set a performance benchmark.

    Two months after Kachikwu took over, the President’s vision of putting the corporation on its toes and making it live up to its rating as the government’s cash-cow, is on track, laying credence to what integrity and good governance can do. Things are gradually taking shape, some industry watchers say.

    They recount how early this year, oil marketers almost ran the economy aground, as they subjected Nigerians to untold hardship. Then, a litre of petrol sold for as high as N300 and hawking of petroleum products became fashionable for jobless youths. Service nozzles at retail outlets ran dry and many stations temporarily closed shops.  Airlines were cancelling flights for lack of aviation fuel. Due to lack of gas supply to power stations caused by pipeline vandalism, electricity distribution companies at some point got zero power supply from the national grid, thereby throwing the nation into blackout.

    But, today, fuel stations have products, with attendants beg customers for patronage. Yet, the over N300 billion debt, owed to oil marketers under the petroleum subsidy regime, which they (marketers) claimed, was responsible for fuel scarcity, has not been paid. There is little or no report at all on gas pipeline vandalism. Substantially, stability has been attained in gas supply to the power stations, resulting to increased hours of power supply.

    At the NNPC, due process and new business models have suddenly replaced the old order.  Contracts that have no value to add to the system are being cancelled, a top official at the Warri Refinery told The Nation. He added: “It has been business unusual since Kachikwu came on board”.

    Not a few Nigerians have expressed shock at the sudden change of attitude even when the government has not taken any action against unscrupulous elements and saboteurs. The government, they noted, has not started pumping money into the petroleum and power sectors for upgrade and greater output.

    Their conclusion was that the perception of the President’s anticorruption stance has forced the saboteurs to fall in line while the hawks and locusts have voluntarily walked away.

    “Although Kachikwu is a lawyer by training, he is a thoroughbred oil and gas professional, having spent about 30 years in the oilindustry. He knows the industry inside out and has an impeccable antecedent. I’m sure he will deliver on his mission, make the industry and Nigerians proud, if allowed to work”, Oyibo told The Nation on Kachikwu’s appointment.

    But, the man in the saddle said his time is limited. Yet, he says the  presidential mandate must be carried out. The President gave him the liberty to use his discretion, provided such measures will lift the economy. Kachikwu has, however, urged Nigerians to brace for relocation from their comfort zones is the desired change moust be achieved. “If we don’t leave our comfort zones, this country will not move forward and you have no right to complain from the outside,” he said.

    Promising to make a difference, he said: “As I found myself thrust in this position and national responsibility, I’m determined to make my mark. I make bold to say that my time on this job is limited.

    “I see a lot of people take government jobs and their concern is on how long they last. My focus is not on how long but on how well. I’m conscious about how well I do the job given to me. I just want to make a difference, no matter how short I stay in office. So, if you see some of the actions that are coming out of my table, you’ll discover that I’m moving with a lot of speed, almost like I have very limited time to do much.

    “But frankly, I wouldn’t forgive myself if I stay there for one or two weeks and I didn’t take the right decisions. I would never have a reason to complain after this and that is my attitude. Every day I look at every model of our business and economy, I think what needs to be done.

    “I’m grateful to be working with the President, who has done everything one would expect in terms of giving you the latitude to bring your ideas on the table and discuss with him to raech decisions that will be beneficial to the industry and sort of, keep the institution moving. He has thus, given me a fairly free hand. And he is willing to assist me in sanitising the industry.”

     

    Taming the hawks, locusts

    In line with his decision to clean up the NNPC, make it competitive and profitable, Kachikwu has cutrunning costs. He has pruned directorates, cancelled and reviewed  some of the contracts initiated by the past administration.

    The business directorates, headed by group executive directors, have been trimmed from nine to four. After the reorganistaion, the directorates of Finance & Accounts, Exploration & Production, Corporate Planning & Strategy, Engineering & Technology, Gas & Power, Commercial & Investment, Corporate Services, Refining & Petrochemicals, and Business Development were rolled into Exploration & Production, Finance & Services, Refining & Technology and Commercial & Investment.

    The GMD also reviewed and cancelled the contracts on the delivery of crude oil to the refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, the Offshore Processing Agreements (OPA) and the crude for product exchange agreement (SWAP).

    He opened tender for the 2015/2016 lifting of crude and condensate, called oil term contract. The successful bidders will boost government’s equity in oil and condensate production.

    In apparent move to discourage importation of refined products, Kachikwu has directed the management to ensure that the refineries operate at a minimum of 60 per cent of their installed capacities within 90 days, failing which he threatens to shut any of the refineries that fail to meet up for complete repair.

    He described as unacceptable the yearly revenue loss of N10 billion by each of the four refineries due to inefficiency.

    Sources say the NNPC chief’s focus is on how to optimise value from the 445,000 barrels of crude per day allocation to NNPC for local refining, even as the GMD described as unfortunate that only the Port Harcourt refinery could meet the 60 per cent target by the end of the year.

    According to him, the issue of pipeline vandalism and ageing facilities as reasons behind the refineries’ dismal performance will soon  be addressed.

    He said: “As at today, the average refining performance is 30 per cent. If by December, the refineries don’t work, I will export crude allocation and import refined petroleum products until we fix the refineries. Right now, the Port Harcourt refinery is showing signs that it will meet the December deadline.

    “However, I am not saying that the Warri and Kaduna refineries will not meet the deadline, but I hope they’ll all make it, so that we can continue to utilise our crude allocation to boost domestic refining.”

     

    Oil marketers’ and their new-found patriotism

    After holding the nation and Nigerians to ransom over the years, fuel importers under the auspices of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), have suddenly turned over a new leave. They have  become sober and patriotic. Their thinking in the past was that their refusal to import fule would trigger scarcity and that government would would be forced to accede to their requests. But, they have been proved wrong since Kachikwu came on board in the NNPC.

    At a forum in Lagos, The Nation sought to know why all filling stations have fuel to dispense in Lagos, even when the N300 billion debts remain unsettled.

    The Managing Director, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Mr. Tunji Oyebanji, said nothing has changed substantially on the government’s indebtedness to the marketers.  According to him, the stability being enjoyed in the fuel supply chain today is because President Buhari has not said that his administration will not settle the bill. Besides, Oyebanji said the banks have been more flexible and the corporation has been bringing in more fuel and the refineries have started working.

    Echoing him, the Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), Mr. Olufemi Adewole, said: “The marketers didn’t hold the nation to ransom. Rather, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) made the demand for their due debts to be paid and due to marketers’ poor financial state, they couldn’t pay. President Muhammed Buhari’s government has assured importers of payment, the banks, which were hitherto denying marketers’ funds, have calmed down and have granted some credit facilities to few marketers.

    “Check in the hinterland, fuel is only available in the major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, among others. There is no fuel in  the hinterland because the Product and Pipeline Marketing Company, an arm of NNPC, does more of the supplies as against the previous arrangement. So, what we have now is the concentration of products’ deliveries in cities.”

    The President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Francis Johnson said the commitment and assurance from the Buhari government has restored confidence and encouraged smooth running of affairs.

  • AUHF plans housing finance confab

    THE African Union for Housing Finance (AUHF) is set to hold its conference and annual general meeting at the Safari Hotel & Conference Centre, Windhoek, Namibia.

    AUHF is grounded in developing the institutional capacity of its members to enable them to effectively participate in addressing housing finance challenges on the continent; engaging with governments through member institutions; and developing partnerships with other regional and continental bodies on the African continent.

  • My plans to restore Kogi, by Audu

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, has promised to accelerate the economic development if voted into office.

    Audu, who made the promised while receiving the indigenes living in the United States (US), said it was regrettable that the state was stagnant and required efforts to terminate the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government via the November 21 governorship election.

    The APC standard-bearer, who promised to ensure the development of the state, said Kogites in the diaspora would see a new state if they returned after six months of his administration.

    He said the previous governments failed to improve on his performance when he left the Lugard House in 2003.

    Ex-Governor Audu has just returned to the country after trips to the United Kingdom and the United States where he conferred with stakeholders and business communities on his blueprint to build a new state.

    He left the country after he picked a member of the House of Representatives, Abiodun Falake, as his running mate and inaugurated the Prince Abubakar Audu Campaign (PAAC) organisation in Lokoja, the capital.

    Speaking on his plan for the state, Audu said: “I will advance on the infrastructure and human developments that have been in ruin. Kogi was the fastest growing state when I was the governor, but the same story does not apply now.

    “Kogi is the poorest and most backward state in the country. So, it is sort of a great concern to all of us. We are very sad about it. This is why it is imperative for me to come back and take the state out of the woods.”