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Senate Pledges Quick Passage Of Petroleum Industry Bill

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The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Sen. Ita Enang, said on Thursday the Senate would expedite action on the passage of the new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Enang gave the assurance while speaking to journalists in Abuja after President Goodluck Jonathan presented the bill to the Senate.

The Senate President, Sen. David Mark on Thursday read the President’s letter requesting for the passage of the bill.

Enang called on Nigerians to exercise patience as the Senate was committed to passing the bill with utmost urgency.

He observed that the Senate could not attend to the bill because it was received on the eve of its annual recess which starts from July 20 to September 17.

“We will be very reasonable in our timing and consideration of the PIB, knowing the importance it has in investments in the petroleum sector in particular, and the economy in general.

“But please, let there be reasonable reaction and comments. Nigerians should be patient with us as we are determined to live up to their expectations.

“The gazette version would be made available to the media to ensure that what PIB being debated is the same as the original copy forwarded by the President,” Enang added.

Jonathan also forwarded for the Senate’s approval the 2012 budget proposal of N250.858 billion for the NDDC.

He stated that the budget “will concentrate on the timely completion of on-going projects, hence there are no new projects planned for this year.”

The breakdown of the budget shows that N232.06 billion is for development interventions, N17.78 billion for personnel and overhead expenditures and N1.018 billion for internal capital requirements.

Commenting, the Senate President decried the late submission of budget proposals by government agencies.

“We have consistently complained about the late presentation of budget proposals and this is one of them.

“We are not going to do anything about it until we return from our recess and nobody should begin to put pressure on us,” he said.

The Senate also on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Justices Kumai Akaahs and Stanley Alagoe as Justices of the Supreme Court.

Their confirmation followed Senate’s approval of the report of its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters which earlier screened the nominees.

Meanwhile, the Senate has referred the motion on the sale of oil bloc “OPL245” to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited to its Selection Committee.

The committee was mandated to determine whether the motion should be investigated by an ad-hoc committee or by a Standing Committee of the Senate.

Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP- Bauchi) and 17 other senators had brought a motion that “media reports had raised legal and ethical issues surrounding the transaction and pattern of the distribution of the proceeds to beneficiaries.”

He argued that the investigations should be conducted by an ad-hoc committee because it involved oil resources and bank transactions.

He stressed the need for investigation, otherwise “Nigeria may be sanctioned by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for violating a global initiative.”

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Association Woos Govt, Coys On  Boat Operators  Employments

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1 week ago

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June 12, 2026

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The leadership of Bonny Maritime Boat Association has called on Rivers state Government and oil companies operating in the state to provide sustainable employment to unemployed boat Operators.
The Association also want the government, companies and other relevant employers of labour to provide trainings for boat Operators to enhance their skills
Safety Officer of the Association, Comrade Kingdom Kingsley made this known in  a  telephone interview with  The Tide.
He noted that most of the boat Operators and owners plying Bonny route lacks jobs due to the fleets of boats introduced by Bonny Road Transport that had taken over the passengers to the Island
He noted that passengers are no longer patronizing boats owned by the Association, thereby rendering the operators redundant
“Most of our operators can not afford to feed their families due to no jobs, we don’t want to indulge in crime, government should fix our members with  sustainable jobs to take care of their immediate needs”
He called on oil companies operating in the state to engage their skilled boat Operators in their companies to reduce the sufferings faced by the Association.
The Safety Officer called on the state government  to made funds available to unemployed youths in the state to start up business than roam the streets.
He noted that provision of funds to youths would reduce crime rates and reposition their mindsets for a better life
“The  youths of Rivers state are suffering, have no job to feed their families, thereby indulging in criminality daily”
“The youths need empowerment,  jobs,  recreational facilities and better things of life as citizens of this Nation”, Kingsley said.
CHINEDU WOSU
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FG Approves $1 Bn AFCFTA Credit Facility For Nigerian Exporters

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1 week ago

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June 12, 2026

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The Federal Government has approved a whooping $1bn credit facility to support Nigerian exporters and small scale businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in order to boost production, competitiveness and intra-African trade.
The $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility is also expected to address some of the financing gap being faced by Nigerian exporters and enhance the competitiveness of African businesses within the continental market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this  during the second quarter 2026 meeting of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee held in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Obilor-Duru Okechi, Oduwole said the financing facility represented a major opportunity for Nigerian businesses seeking to expand operations, modernise production processes and increase exports to African markets.
The statement partly read, “?The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s export-led growth agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area, unveiling opportunities for businesses to access a US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility aimed at boosting production, competitiveness, and intra-African trade.”
She noted that despite the progress Nigeria had made in implementing the continental trade agreement, many local businesses continued to face obstacles that limited their ability to take advantage of the single African market.
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“Many businesses still face challenges relating to export documentation, certification, standards compliance and market access,” the minister said.
She explained that the Federal Government was addressing these bottlenecks through enhanced trade facilitation measures, simplified AfCFTA guidance tools, stakeholder engagement programmes and stronger collaboration with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Oduwole stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework by domesticating key AfCFTA protocols, particularly the Digital Trade Protocol, to position the country as a major player in Africa’s growing digital economy.
The minister also highlighted some of the gains recorded in Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation efforts.
According to her, the expansion of Nigeria’s Air Cargo Corridor Initiative to Rwanda, increased collaboration with development partners and private sector players, as well as sustained engagement with state governments, were helping to deepen awareness and participation in the continental market.
In her welcome address and first-quarter update, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs Patience Okala, provided details of the financing initiative.
Okala said the $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility was targeted at large African businesses with a minimum financing capacity of $10m.
She revealed that the National AfCFTA Coordination Office was working closely with fund managers to facilitate access for eligible Nigerian companies and had begun assembling a pilot group of businesses to ensure that Nigeria maximised the opportunities provided by the facility.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NIWA Harps On  Avoidance Of Leaking Boats

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1 week ago

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June 12, 2026

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The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has advised Nigerians against boarding boats that require constant bailing of water in the interest of their safety.
 NIWA Area Manager for Cross River and Ebonyi, Mr Stanley Onuoha gave this warning in an interview with Newsmen in Calabar.
Onuoha who spoke on waterway
safety, said that passengers should take responsibility for their safety by inspecting boats before embarking on any journey.
According to him, repeated scooping of water from a boat is a clear indication that the vessel may be leaking.
“If you are entering a boat and see people using a bailer to remove water, it is the first signal that the boat is leaking,” he said.
He urged passengers to check the integrity of boats, including seating arrangements and other visible safety features.
The Manager restated the importance of using safety jackets, saying that damaged jackets may fail during emergencies.
He further said that passengers should ensure that safety jackets were appropriate for their body sizes in order to guarantee effective flotation.
 Onuoha reiterated the need for passengers to fill manifests before departure to aid accountability during emergencies.
The NIWA official further advised travellers to monitor weather conditions and avoid boarding boats when the weather is unfavourable.
According to him, poor weather conditions can trigger strong tidal waves capable of affecting small boats commonly used on inland waterways.
He said that waterway journeys should be embarked upon between 6.00a.m and 6.00p.m for clearer visibility.
Onuoha said  the Authority had continued to sensitise riverine communities to the need for safety precautions during waterway journeys.
He stated that sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement measures had contributed to safety waterway safety in Cross River.
CHINEDU WOSU
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