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Tag: PTDF

  • Foreign scholarships: PTDF pledges transparent process for shortlisted candidates

    Foreign scholarships: PTDF pledges transparent process for shortlisted candidates

    The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has pledged a transparent selection process for the 606 candidates in the northeast sub-region shortlisted for its foreign scholarship programme.

    Speaking during the screening exercise of the candidates at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi, Suraju Abdullahi Fari, the team lead of the Fund, noted that the screening is taking place across six states in the northeast sub-region.

    Fari explained that the 606 candidates, who are applying for both second and third-degree programmes, were selected through an online application process managed by a computerized system and verified by the Fund’s independent consultant to ensure transparency.

    According to him, applications must focus on oil and gas or renewable energy to address some of the nation’s energy challenges.

    Fari said: “For transparency and fairness, we conducted the application process online, where initial selections were made by a computer system. These selections were then reviewed by our staff and vetted by independent consultants. We also invited a panel of experts from various universities and industries, including Shell and Chevron.”

    Read Also: PTDF boss Aminu pledges development of indigenous capacities in oil industry

    “Here in Bauchi, we have 606 shortlisted candidates and today, we are going to interview 204 which consist of 102 PhD and 102 MSc.

    “The mandate of PTDF is to develop capacity, competency, and skills in the oil and gas industry and we cannot go beyond our mandate.

    “PTDF candidates that normally study abroad are outshining. Our candidates are performing excellently because of the selection process which is transparent and based on merit.”

    Also, Dr. Usman Hassan, Head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi, stated that most of the proposals from the applicants interviewed so far were relevant to the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

  • PTDF urge scholars to contribute quota to Nigeria

    The Executive Secretary of The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Mr Bello Aliyu Gusau, on Monday, urged shortlisted scholars of its 2019/2020 overseas Masters of Science (MSc) and Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) scholarship to return and contribute their quota to the development of the nation.

    Speaking at the induction ceremony for the scholars in Abuja, Aliyu, urged them to be good ambassadors of the nation.

    He  said that 194 scholars are in pursuit of Masters of Science (MSc) programme, while 148 are for Doctors of Philosophy (PhD).

    Read Also: 27, 474 apply for PTDF scholarship

    He described the PTDF scholarship scheme as the best in the country stating that the programme was tailored to help develop the country’s oil and gas sector.

    “You have passed through very rigorous process and you are among the few selected from thousands of applications received, starting from today, you are now in the list of awardees of PTDF scholarships”.

    “The PTDF scholarship is the best in Nigeria because it is structured in a manner to ensure that we exclusively take care of our students and in turn the oil and gas sector”.

  • Ex-PPPRA’ Boss, Oluleye Dies

    Former Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Dr Oluwole Oluleye on Saturday died at Abuja hospital after a brief illness.

    Oluleye contested the Ekiti governorship seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, but lost to Governor Kayode Fayemi in the primary.

    He was also at a time the executive secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Trust Fund (PTDF).

    A senator elect in Ekiti State, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, described as a monumental loss Oluleye’s demise as a personal loss to him.

    In a statement in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, Bamidele said Oluleye’s death was a devastating loss, being from Ekiti Central senatorial district where he had just won election to the Senate.

    READ ALSO: Oluleye joins Ekiti Guber race

    Bamidele branded Oluleye as an illustrious son of Ekiti and accomplished technocrat and educationist, who rendered selfless services to Nigeria to be great while alive.

    “Dr. Oluleye’s demise was a devastating one, in view of his outstanding character as a public servant, community leader and politician.

    “His administrative astuteness and competence were recognised by the federal government and this earned him the respectable position he held at different times as Executive Secretary of PPPRA and PTDF.

    “Though, he never had the opportunity to serve at the state level, but he left an indelible footprint on the sand of time as a philanthropist and community builder.

    “I condole with the Ekiti state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the traditional ruler of Efon kingdom, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare and the entire citizens of our dear state over this scandalous and irreparable loss.

    “I pray that the good lord shall fill the vacuum left by Dr. Oluleye and heal all broken hearts this death must have caused

  • Ex-PTDF boss wants improved human capacity development

    The former Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development fund, PTDF, Engineer Murtaqa Rabi Darma, has challenged governments at local, states and federal levels to focus on human capacity development, encourage creativity and job creation to reduce poverty and empower the citizenry

    Engineer Darma who is also the President/founder of the newly established ‘’Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Human Development Center ‘in Katsina, gave the charge on Monday during its launching, adding that embarking in such productive engagement policy will no doubt address the ranking of Nigeria in the world poverty index

    He said, the center whose construction started 8 years ago, was wholly funded from his gratuity earnings, after retiring on the completion of 4 years appointment, would have been launched by July this year but for the rainstorm which hit the state early May this year and blew away the roof tops of the building necessitating the reconstruction of the entire project

    He said’’ the objectives for establishing the project is to achieve material and spiritual development of the people, by establishing several units including ,Technology training and skill development, library, clinics and fitness center for vital signs’

    ‘’we also want the state government to help young Katsina entrepreneurs, by staging technology fair and innovations’’

    ‘’ We envisage about training 3800 to 5800 youths each year in various vocations including CBT training for JAMB candidates. We are determined to transform katsina into a viable state in the next 5 years’’

    On payments of fees for the training, he promised that the charges will be modest especially to cover the cost of logistics and procurement, adding that the center has made several alternative funding arrangements, including the support of sponsoring clubs: the Sport and Library Clubs

    On recruitment of staff for the center, he noted that except for the cleaners and security men, all other training personnel were volunteers, who offered to freely serve humanity, and that there are more than 3o of them

    Engineer Darma, who further expressed his desire to partner government agencies, also wants the federal and Katsina state government to recognize the center as a federal and state brand since it is bearing the name of former Katsina state Governor and later Nigeria’s President

  • PTDF: Is studying in Nigeria a crime?

    SIR:  After obtaining a PIN with N1000 to apply for the PTDF Local Scholarship Scheme (LSS), I was finally shortlisted to come to Lagos and take a test on Saturday, July 8.

    Locating the test venue at 229 Ikorodu Rd, Mushin, Ikorodu, Lagos was an uphill task. I finally wrote the exam that fateful day, alongside those that wrote for the Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS) to obtain Masters and Doctorate degrees in the United Kingdom and some other countries.

    PTDF released the list of the OSS candidates a bit late, causing them to carry out the induction of the OSS awardees in mid-September.

    PTDF later sent emails to some LSS scholars asking them to input details about the universities they have gained admission to study. From previous years of the award, once you received such an email, it simply meant you had gotten the scholarship. These LSS scholars were overjoyed; however, their candle light of joy was soon to develop a grim face.

    The LSS scholars were happy for the OSS scholars as they were being prepared to leave the shores of the nation by PTDF. The LSS scholars were hopeful that once PTDF was through with all the logistics for the OSS scholars, the light would beam on them.

    September crept away. Still the LSS scholars did not know their fate. October has passed and still, no word from the PTDF management headed Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau.

    Should the LSS scholars keep mum?

    It will be a dent on the youths who hope to turn this country around positively to sheath their sword of words in the face of intellectual racism perpetuated against those who decide to study in Nigeria. Is studying in nigeria a crime?

    Unconfirmed reports indicate that those who obtained the LSS scholarship in 2016 just got paid in October. Their cash was probably kept by good Samaritans within the ranks of the PTDF management for over seven months!

    Many of the LSS scholars have already begun their studies and are not happy because there doesn’t seem to be any hope from PTDF as they cannot afford the fees assuming PTDF fails to do the needful.

    It isn’t logical that PTDF would spend millions to train a Ph.D. candidate abroad and find it difficult to train a Ph.D. and masters candidate in Nigeria for far less.

    Why do we complain about the whites being racist when we ourselves are treating our citizens worse? If the management of PTDF is certain that it is not a crime to study in Nigeria, let the PTDF management led by Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau do the needful, and not make us feel like tokunbo educated individuals in our fatherland.

    We want to let the PTDF know that we do not want our funds to be cooling in the bank account of an individual and yielding interest. I expect the seasoned scholar, the executive secretary of PTDF to do what is right.

     

    • Name supplied,

    On behalf of 2017 LSS PTDF scholars

  • Lagos sends seven pupils to PTDF competition

    Seven students from public schools in Lagos State will represent the state at the Southwest zonal finals of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Emerging Talents Science Competition for senior secondary school pupils nationwide which will hold in Abeokuta.

    Peter Rebecca of Awodi-Ora Senior Secondary School, Ajegunle (District V), will represent in essay writing on Petroleum Technology; Bode-Hassan Qudus, Oderinde Abdullai  and Amichebe Chidera all of the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Yaba (District IV) will represent in quiz competition in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, while Opadotun Tobi, Ezeama Ogechi and Adesanya Olufemi, all of Vetland Senior Grammar School, Agege, District 1 will compete in a debate on Petroleum Technology.

    For the three categories of the competition, N30, 000.00 would be awarded to the first position, N25, 000.00 to the second, and N20, 000.00 to the third position.

    The competition tagged, “PTDF catch them young”, was last held in 2011 and has now been renamed the PTDF Emerging Talents Science Competition to reflect its main purpose of encouraging senior secondary school pupils to develop interest in science subjects which are needed to pursue careers in the oil and gas industry.

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr. Adesina Odeyemi is confident that the pupils will win the Southwest competition to represent the zone at the national level.

    He disclosed that the 2016 Edition of the competition started with preliminary at the District level. A total 60 students participated in the essay, 1,010 in written/quiz category while 18 schools participated in the Debate category. All the participants represented the six Education Districts at the State finals held at the District level between November 24 and 25, 2016 at Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, Ikeja.

     

  • ‘CBN, SEC, PTDF, others didn’t remit N450b’

    ‘CBN, SEC, PTDF, others didn’t remit N450b’

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), National Agency for Food and Dr ug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA),  the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), among others have been accused of failing to remit about N450billion  operating surpluses.

    To recover this funds, the  Ministry of Finance has constituted a committee.

    The committee, led by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, was mandated to reconcile the operating surpluses of 31 revenue-generating agencies of government between 2010 and 2015.

    A statement from the Ministry of Finance endorsed by Festus Akanbi, Special Assistant, media to the Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, explained that “the findings of the committee so far, have shown under-remittance of over N450 billion, which accrued within the period.”

    The Finance Ministry said  workers at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation have critically reviewed the accounting statements of the agencies. It added that the Committee will therefore be inviting the management of the affected agencies to explain why their operating surpluses were not remitted as mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.

    Some of these agencies, the ministry lamented, “have incurred huge expenses on overseas training and medicals, and huge expenses on behalf of supervisory ministries and/other organs of government involved in oversight or regulatory functions without appropriate approval.”

    Other infractions include payment of salaries and allowances to workers and board members, governing councils, and commissions which are outside or above the amount approved by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) and the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

    The list also includes unacceptable expenses incurred on donations, sponsorships, and others; unfavourable contract signed for revenue collection by a third party; granting of loans to workers that have not been repaid as well as sale and transfer of assets to board members, among others.

    According to the Finance Ministry, the overall effect of these practices is that operating surpluses of these agencies are lower than should be.

    As a result of this, Mrs. Adeosun has directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to issue a circular that will limit allowable expenses that can be spent as part of measures to ensure that these agencies face strict monitoring.

    This development, the statement explained, is part of the resolve of the minister to ensure that leakages are blocked.

  • CBN, SEC, others fingered in N450bn un-remitted operating surpluses

    CBN, SEC, others fingered in N450bn un-remitted operating surpluses

    The Federal Ministry of Finance said it constituted a committee to recover unremitted operating surpluses of agencies of government, running into N450billion.

    The committee led by the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, was mandated to reconcile the operating surpluses of 31 revenue-generating agencies of government for the period 2010-2015.

    A statement from ministry of finance signed by Festus Akanbi, Special Assistant, media to the finance minister said “the findings of the committee so far, have shown under-remittance of over N450 billion, which has accrued within the period.”

    The Finance Ministry stated that staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation have critically reviewed the accounting statements of these agencies, which include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Petroleum Technology Development Fund, (PTDF), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), among others.

    The Committee will therefore be inviting the management of these agencies to explain why their operating surpluses have not been remitted as mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.

    Some of these agencies the ministry said “have incurred huge expenses on overseas training and medicals, and huge expenses on behalf of supervisory ministries and/other organs of government involved in oversight or regulatory functions without appropriate approval.”

    Other infractions include payment of salaries and allowances to staff and board members, governing councils, and commissions which are outside or above the amount approved by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) and the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

    The list also includes unacceptable expenses incurred on donations, sponsorships, etc; unfavourable contract signed for revenue collection by a third party; granting of staff loans that have not been repaid as well as sale and transfer of assets to board members, among others.

    According to the Finance Ministry, the overall effect of these practices is that operating surpluses of these agencies are lower than should be.

    As a result of this, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has directed the Accountant General of the Federation to issue a circular that will limit allowable expenses that can be spent as part of measures to ensure these agencies face strict monitoring.

    This development the statement said is part of the resolve of the Minister to ensure that leakages are tackled.

  • Update: Buhari sacks heads of 26 government agencies

    Update: Buhari sacks heads of 26 government agencies

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved the immediate disengagement of 26 chief executive officers of some government parastatals, agencies and commissions.

    A statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir David Lawal, said the President approved that the most senior officers in the parastatals, agencies and councils should oversee the activities of the organizations pending the appointment of substantive CEOs.

    The government agencies affected are – Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON) and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Others are – the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

    Also affected are – Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) and Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC).

    The Bureau of Public Procurements (BPP), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Bank of Industry (BoI), National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP).

     

  • PTDF expresses optimism on local content fabrication

    The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), says Nigerian locally trained welders would soon take over fabrication/welding activities in the oil and gas sector.

    The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Femi Ajayi stated thisin Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital yesterday, during the graduation/certification ceremony of 400 youths trained in Manual Metal Arc (MMA) Welding across the South-South region.

    Ajayi, who expressed confidence on the capability of the graduands to compete favourably with their counterparts in parts of the world, said in no distant  time, Nigeria will have enough indigenous manpower for the jobs.

    “This milestone is part of the Fund’s drive to up-skill Nigerians in welding and fabrication capabilities. It is also a visible indicator that Local Content goals and targets on fabrication will be met in the not-too-distant future if we keep up the tempo or even increase it”

    He said the MMA Welding comprises of three modules- Fillet Plate and Pipe weld, which according to him is a higher training level in welding and fabrication for the oil industry and engineering companies. He said the training was predicated upon the need to bridge the gap on indigenous capable/competent welders with International standard certification, which he said led to the influx/domination of expatriates in the country’s oil and Gas Industry.

    He maintain that the trend would soon change; the Executive Secretary noted that the programme which began seven years ago has graduated over 1000 persons in two sets, having completed the three Modules of MMA, which has qualified them to work in any company across the World.

    “In the past, the industry was plagued by a shortage of indigenous manpower leading to the domination of Oil and Gasindustry by expatriates. This practice led to heavy losses in national income through capital flight as a result of the exports of major Engineering, procurement and construction works; which is the backbone of Petroleum industry to other technologically developed countries.

    This capital if retained in the country has pote4ntial to revitalise the economy, increase gross national product and create millions of jobs for the unemployed youths in the country.

    “Today as a result of PTDF’s capacity-building programmes, Nigerians are now singing a different song,since the industry is seeing a dramatic turnaround.

    Collaborating Ajayi the Executive Sectary of Nigerian Content Development and Management Board(NCDMB), Denzil Kentebe the aim of the Federal Government and his Board is to ensure that Nigerians supply welding manpower to other countries of the world, and pledged his Board’s determined efforts to ensure it is achieved.