The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rivers State

  • Expert suggests steps to end gas flaring

    Worried by the huge socioeconomic losses incurred by the country as a result of gas flaring, Mr. Weyinmi Richards, an oil and gas expert has suggested practical steps to tackle the menace.

    Speaking in an interview with The Nation from his Sapele base, in Delta State, recently, Richards described as scandalous the inability of the federal government to address the lingering issue of gas flaring in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

    “The federal government has been talking about the problem of gas flaring and the need to stop it for as long as I can remember. There has been too much talk but less action,” he said.

    Oil and gas firms operating in the country flared a total of 282.08 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas in 2018, amounting to a potential loss of N234bn.

    Data obtained by our correspondent from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation showed that the volume of gas flared last year fell slightly from 287.59 billion scf in 2017.

    The data also revealed that gas supply in the country increased to 2.83 trillion scf last year from 2.79 trillion scf in 2017 and 2.58 trillion scf in 2016.

    The firms, including international and indigenous operators, wasted 31.68 billion scf of gas in January; 27.25 billion scf in February; 26.88bn scf in March; 23.06 billion scf in April; 21.20 billion scf in May and 21.66 billion scf in June.

    They flared 21.21 billion scf in July; 22.42 billion scf in August; 20.54 billion scf in September; 20.51 billion scf in October; 23.78 billion scf in November and 21.89 billion scf in December.

    According to him, gas flaring should be seen as a blessing in disguise rather than a curse. Citing the case of Omoku town, in Rivers State, with a population of about 200,000 people, which enjoys relatively stable power supply thanks to oil companies like Shell Petroleum Development Company, Total Exploration & Production Nigeria and Nigerian Agip Oil Company.

    “If you go to Omoku, they don’t pay electricity bill. But they have 24 hours uninterrupted power. How did they do that? It’s simple. Omoku gets electricity from gas turbines from Agip. We’re talking about gas flaring, gas flaring, all we need to do is to do is to ensure that that gas that is being flared if we channel it to drive the gas turbines, we will have electricity. All it takes is to rechannel it. Let there be constant flow. As that gas is been flared, it powers it. Now the gas is being flared and wasted. Rechanneling it shouldn’t cost us the world,” he stressed.

    Expatiating, he said, “If we rechannel it and send it to drive an impeller that is connected to a turbine, you will have electricity supply nonstop because that gas will continuously be flared and it will continuously be generating electricity.

    “What it takes is for the federal government to take the bold step and putting a policy in place for that. What is wrong if government insist that for every 50 kilometres into the town from an oil well, the company must provide electricity? Put it as a policy statement and let the National Assembly approve it for it to be implemented. Right now, DISCOs are supplying electricity to all those villages. If this becomes a policy, electricity hitherto supplied to the villages can be supplied to the cities and it will add more to the grid. These are little things that policy can just change,” he reiterated.

     

  • Rivers PDP to national leaders: don’t push us too far

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has warned some national leaders of the party not to push its members too far, as doing so would attract dire consequences.

    An official of the state chapter of the party close to the Rivers chairman, who pleaded not to be named, said some leaders and elders of the PDP at the national level had been commenting and taking actions capable of alienating the state chapter.

    The state chapter said its leaders and members have suffered and endured many things, warning that there is a limit to what anybody could take.

    “We have suffered abuses, but we have restrained ourselves. What the so-called leaders should know is that we are not keeping quiet for want of what to do. If they continue, we will react,” the official said.

    The party chieftain spoke against the backdrop of the crisis in the party over the choice of the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

    Read Also: No plans for reaffirmation, says Kogi PDP

    The state PDP and some national leaders preferred Kingsley Chinda. Others backed the choice Ndudi Elumelu.

    Without alluding directly to the crisis, the Rivers PDP chieftain warned that if its leaders and members were pushed to the wall, they would make a statement through a reaction that would not be good for the PDP.

    The state PDP chapter said: “Despite the sacrifices and contributions its members and leaders made for the success of the party in the last elections and during the crisis that engulfed the national body, some party leaders and elders are treating them unpleasantly.”

    The party said “it would be in the best interest of the PDP if there is mutual respect and appreciation of everybody’s contribution.”

  • Pirates kill one, injure others in Rivers

    A royal father in Bille Kingdom of Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, Alabo Bennett Okpokiye-Dokubo, has raised the alarm over incessant attacks by sea pirates on Bille waterways.

    Chief Okpokiye-Dokubo, who cried out to reporters in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said the activities of the criminals led to the death of one Abraham Anthony Alex yesterday, while some others sustained different degrees of injury.

    He said the criminals, who dressed in Army camouflage, have constantly attacked travellers on the sea, dispossessed them of their belongings and seized the boat they were travelling in, leaving them stranded at the middle of  the sea.

    Okpokiye-Dokubo said the Kingdom is under the siege of the criminals.

    Read Also: Monarch makes case for peace, unity

    He said economic activities in the area have been grounded, regretting that businessmen and women, civil servants and students who travelled home over the weekend are still stranded as the movement in and out of the community have been halted.

    “Life has become unbearable within the Bille Kingdom by reason of the unprovoked attacks. We are suffering in the hands of pirates,” he lamented.

    He called on Governor Nyesom Wike and the Federal Government to urgently put appropriate measures to halt attacks in the area.

    Rivers State Police Command spokesman Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the police are not aware of the development but promised to follow it up and ensure they intensify patrol along the area.

  • Tribunal affirms Wike’s re-election

    The Rivers State governorship election tribunal has dismissed the petition by the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Nyesom Wike and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The tribunal, presided over by Justice K. A. Orjiako, dismissed the petition on the ground  that it was deemed abandoned on the ground of Paragraph 4 of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act.

    According to the tribunal, the petition was deemed to be technically abandoned because the AAC and its candidate failed to meet key procedural requirements as to applying for pre-hearing information.

    The three-man panel said petition number EPT/RS/GOV/03/2019 was incompetent and therefore, dismissed it.

    The tribunal also struck out applications by the AAC governorship candidate, seeking to be separated from all joint applications previously made with the party.

    Read Also: Wike: I’m not surprised by Reps’ action

    AAC recently adopted Henry Bello to represent it at the tribunal after its former lawyer, Tawo Tawo, withdrew from the case, with a notice of change of counsel filed the tribunal.

    This application came in after the AAC brought in another counsel to handle its matter at the tribunal.

    The three-man panel, after going through arguments in the Awara/AAC suit against Wike, ruled that all applications by the first petitioner (Tawo Tawo, former AAC counsel) are struck out.

    Ojiako noted that the application by the petitioner (counsel for Awara; Mustafa Ibrahim) has been found to be an abuse of court process. The panel also struck out the application filed by the petitioner for pre-hearing of the matter.

  • Rivers revenue board seeks to jail NDDC chiefs for ‘contempt’

    The Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue (RSBIR) has initiated contempt proceedings against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director and three other officials before the Rivers State High Court for allegedly unsealing the commission’s premises without a court order.

    NDDC, Acting Managing Director Prof Nelson Brambaita, Acting Executive Director Finance and Administration Chris Amadi, Acting Executive Director Project Adjogbe Samuel and Director of Legal Services Kaltungo Moljengo are the alleged contemnors.

    The court granted RSBIR’s prayer to serve Form 49 (order of committal) on the officials by substituted service over alleged disobedience of the court’s order.

    RSBIR earlier served Form 48 (notice of consequence of disobedience of order of the court) on the respondents.

    The court had on April 17 held that NDDC is indebted to  RSBIS to the tune of N50billion, being outstanding tax liability owed the River State Government with respect to Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Withholding Tax (WHT) and other unpaid taxes from 2012 to 2017.

    The court ordered the issuance of a warrant authorising RSBIR to seal any land or property belonging to NDDC in order to recover the tax debt.

    The court further ordered NDDC to pay N20million as cost incidental to the recovery of the amount owed.

    On April 23, RSBIR executed the order and sealed three properties belonging to NDDC in Port Harcourt.

    The following day, NDDC officials met with RSBIR, after which the commission wrote to request that their properties be unsealed.

    It was agreed that NDDC would first make some payment. Rather than make the payment, NDDC filed a Notice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal on April 26 to challenge the verdict on the tax indebtedness.

    Read Also: NDDC contractors condemn attack on management

    On April 30, NDDC also filed a motion for stay of execution of the order at the Court of Appeal, and sought to restrain RSBIR from attempting to seal or sealing the commission’s premises pending the determination of the appeal.

    RSBIR alleged that on May 6, NDDC unsealed the three premises, repossessed them and placed armed mobile policemen in them without a court order.

    The plaintiff consequently served Form 48 on the Acting NDDC MD and the others for allegedly violating the order to seal the properties, which it executed on April 23.

    Three motions filed by the NDDC that are pending at the Court of Appeal , while one is pending at the High Court with respect to the contempt proceeding, which NDDC is challenging.

  • MOSOP’s Secretary-General regains freedom

    THE kidnapped Secretary-General of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Anthony Porole, has regained his freedom after almost one week in the kidnappers’ den.

    It was gathered on Thursday in Port Harcourt that Porole was released in the evening of Wednesday (July 3), but it could not be confirmed if ransom was paid, before he regained his freedom.

    The secretary-general was kidnapped around 8:30pm on June 28 in his compound at Biara-Ogoni hometown in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, with the criminals shooting sporadically, before escaping with him to an unknown destination.

    Read Also: Breaking: MOSOP’s Secretary-General abducted

    MOSOP, on Thursday in Port Harcourt, through its Publicity Secretary, Sunny Zorvah, stated that members of the umbrella organisation of Ogoni people were glad about Porole’s release unhurt.

    It said: “We commend all efforts by individuals and the security agencies in the release of the MOSOP’s Secretary-General. We are calling on the leaders of the various communities in Ogoni to secure their territories and purge criminal elements from their kingdoms.

  • Wike: I’m not surprised by Reps’ action

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike on Thursday said he was not surprised at what happened with the minority positions of the House of Representatives.

    The governor regretted the development, saying “trading” had been placed above party loyalty in the House.

    Wike spoke at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, when he hosted Oyo State Governor Oluseyi Makinde.

    The governor said he remained purely a party loyalist with a strong belief in the ideals of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said: “I am not surprised. When you have traders and merchants, what do you expect?

    “It is unfortunate for those who do not understand what politics is all about. I am a core party man. I believe in the party.”

    Wike noted that peer review is necessary to advance the course of development across the states of the federation.

    “I am happy for this visit. We shall reciprocate the visit at the appropriate time. It is good for us to continue to compare notes to learn best practices from each other,” he said.

    Read Also: Reps to probe Gogo, others for attempted mace-snatching

    The governor expressed confidence in the ability of his visitor to take Oyo State to greater heights.

    Makinde frowned at the happenings at the House of Representatives, saying a situation where the position of the PDP could be subverted in the National Assembly called for concern.

    “We all saw what happened at the National Assembly yesterday (Wednesday). They are things that call for concern. If the party takes a position on certain things, we want to ensure that, that is carried through,” he said.

    The Oyo State governor added that he was in Rivers State to also discuss issues of true federalism and the role of states in the development process.

    Makinde hailed Wike for his developmental strides during his first term.

    The governor said he expected his Rivers State counterpart to deliver more projects for the people.

    “We have seen the giant strides of the Governor during his first term. We are here to learn from him,” he said.

  • Police go after killers of DPO, three officers

    It was a sad day for the police on Monday as they lost six officers to gunmen in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

    In Bayelsa State, some unidentified gunmen, operating on a speed boat, attacked a station in Agudiama-Ekpetiama, Yenagoa Local Government Area, killing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and three others, including an expectant officer.

    Two policemen, who were escorting a bullion van around Ojoto-Timber, Mile Two, Diobu, Port Harcourt, were shot at close range by suspected robbers.

    The unidentified gunmen invaded the Divisional Police Station in Yenagoa at about 2am and forced the DPO to lead them to the armoury, which they raided before they killed the DPO and three other policemen on duty.

    It was learnt that the expectant officer, Mrs. Joy Wellignton, was shot dead by the bandits, whose actions sparked tension in the community.

    The gunmen had easy access to the station, which has no perimeter fence, through the waterways.

    Commissioner for Youths Udengs Eradiri, who hails from the area, said the bandits came by speedboats through the waterways crisscrossing the community.

    Thick blood stains were seen on the floor in the ransacked station.

    Eradiri, who inspected the the station, said the gunmen anchored their boats at the river bank, trekked about two kilometers to the station where they opened fire on the policemen on duty.

    The police commissioner, who condemned the unprovoked attacked, said the hoodlums destroyed the armoury and carted away arms and ammunition.

    He said: “This is highly condemnable. Our community youths, who heard the gunshots, tried to confront the bandits but there was little they could do against people, who were carrying sophisticated weapons.

    “I am pained because it is my community and we are going to do everything possible to unmask the identities of persons behind the attack. While I sympathise with the police for the attack, I call on them and other security agencies to fish out those behind the dastardly act.”

    A source said the criminals took the DPO, Ola Rossana, to the armoury and took all the guns and bullets before shooting him.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The gunmen after killing the DPO moved from one room to the other, searching for policemen believed to be hiding. It was in one of the rooms they killed the expectant policewoman identified as Joy Wellington.

    “Two other policemen on patrol in the community heard the gunshots and rushed down to the station where they had a gun duel with the gunmen, inflicting bullet wounds on them. They also suffered fatal wounds and are now in critical condition at the hospital.”

    The late Mrs. Wellington has been described as a gentle, popular policewoman, who was known for controlling traffic at Ekeki within the Yenagoa metropolis.

    The Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Mr Kemela Okara, who also hails from the community, said the government received the report of the attack with shock.

    Okara said: “The reaction is that of shock and disbelief. It is difficult to understand why people carry out such wicked and dastardly act in the dead of the night to kill police officers at their duty post. It is something that is completely unbelievable and wicked.

    Read Also: Two policemen killed as robbers make away with cash, rifles

    “I came personally to ascertain if what I was hearing was actually true, because it is beyond belief.  People who have committed such act and you cannot even begin to think of words to describe such human beings.

    “It is very important to first of all share our condolences to the families of those affected. I can assure you that as a government that places high premium on security of the people and those of law enforcement officers securing our citizens, we would not take this lightly at all.

    “We will leave no stone unturned; we will make every effort possible to bring those who committed this dastardly act to book. We would ensure they are apprehended and face the full wrath of the law.

    “We cannot afford to have a state where people feel they can move into a community and kill people at will; that we cannot allow to happen.”

    The two mobile policemen attached to the Rivers State Command were yesterday killed by armed robbery suspects in Port Harcourt.

    The gunmen, who escaped with an unspecified amount of cash, shot dead the security personnel who were escorting a bullion van.

    They also made away with the rifles of the policemen.

    The two policemen were in a Toyota Camry saloon car, when the criminals rained bullets on them yesterday afternoon.

    Many passersby were also injured in the incident that took place at Ojoto-Timber in Mile Two, Diobu, Port Harcourt, a close distance from a police station.

    The robbery suspects operated without any challenge and they quickly escaped amid sporadic gunshots into the air to scare residents and passersby.

    Long after the criminals had escaped, some policemen arrived at the scene and moved away the bodies of their colleagues that were still lying in the Toyota Camry car.

    Police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident and added that Police Commissioner Usman Belel had ordered detailed investigation into the robbery.

     

  • OML-25 crisis: no agreement to reopen flow station, says host communities

    Host communities of Oil Mining lease (OML)-25 in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State have denied agreeing to the re-opening of the oil facility which was shut over two years ago.

    Stakeholders from the three host communities of Belema, Ofoin-Ama and Ngeje, in a statement at the weekend in Port Harcourt, denied signing any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to end the continued occupation of the facility.

    The statement was signed by representatives of the three communities – King Bourdillon Allen Ekine, Amanyanabo of Opukula (Old Shipping); Chief-elect Mpakaboari Welsch, Chief-elect Oputuboye Walter and Prince Opunabo Ekine.

    Others are Alabo Fiala Okoye-Davies, Sibia Aaron Sukubo (Offo XIII), Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, Spokesman PANDEF, Chief Ibiosia Nath-Sukubo, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, Chief Ibinabo Daniel Kiliya and Chief Wapakaboari A. Gaga.

    The reaction followed a statement by Governor Nyesom Wike’s media aide, simoen Nwakudu, suggesting that the OML-25 dispute had been addressed and the host communities agreed to sign a MoU with SPDC to end the crisis, and for protesting women to vacate the facility for a resumed operation.

    But the people dissociated themselves from the agreement, saying they were not invited to the meeting where the purported agreement was reached.

    They reiterated their previous statement that SPDC will never return to their domain again, saying they would rather divest the facility to their preferred investor.

    Read Also: OML 25 protest: Shell seeks peace with host communities

    The statement reads: “We insist that we do not want SPDC any more in our land. We will continue to occupy the oil facility peacefully until our demands are met. Let the Rivers State government and Shell come with their brute force, we are ready to die for this cause.

    “We remain resolute in our demands for the divestment of OML25 by SPDC, taking into cognisance the right-of-first-refusal of the host communities.”

    They also accused government officials who convened the meeting of colluding with SPDC, by taking a $5 million bribe to give the facility to Shell, against their wishes.

    “We are constrained to notify the public of the dangerous steps taken by officials of the Rivers State government in resolving the impasse surrounding the shutdown of OML25.

    “We have it on good authority that SPDC is engaging in unwholesome and fraudulent practices with government officials to do its bidding on the matter in flagrant disregard to due process, probity, fairness and equity.

    “We have been inundated with credible information that a top government official has received $5 million bribe from Shell, on behalf of the government, to undermine due process on this matter, all in a bid to forcefully re-open the facility.”

    But Nwakudu denied any sinister motive in the government’s intervention moves, saying the state and federal government have lost huge economic resources in the last two years and it was high time all disputes were resolved and the facility reopened for operation.

  • Kari wins Miss Niger Delta Peace pageant

    Miss Boro Woying Kari, an undergraduate of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has defeated 22 contestants to win this year’s edition of the Miss Niger Delta Peace Cultural Pageant competition which held at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Kari went home with a brand new car, opportunity to be trained on capacity building, skill acquisition, training programmes among others.

    Kari, who hails from Bayelsa State commended the organisers for giving her the opportunity to compete in the competition and promised that she will use her position, Miss Niger Delta Young Ambassador for Peace and Development positively to the development of the area.

    Other winners in the 18th edition of the competition include; Miss Freda Fred Bruce as the Miss Niger Delta Diaspora, Miss Elisabeth Ebi as the Miss Niger Delta Tourism and Cultural Heritage, Miss Temple Odogwu as Miss Niger Delta Ethics and Youth Re-orientation and Miss Blessing Ajini as Miss Niger Delta Beauty for Environment.

    Among artistes that performed at the event were Tim Godfrey, Lady IB, Mr. 2K. One Da Banton, The Soundforce Band, DJ Moonlight and Kessy Drills among others.

    Present at the event were Mrs Anna Brambaifa, wife of Acting MD /CEO Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other officials of the commission, Felix Obuah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chairman Rivers State, Emeka Bekee, a chieftain the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “The Miss Niger Delta Peace Cultural pageant is organised annually to promote peace, love, socio-cultural integration, tourism, positive engagement of female youths in the region, talent development and sustainable development,” said the organisers.

    “The first edition of the pageant was held in 1999 and has produced 18 beauty queens.”