Business
Beneficiaries Hail RIMA’s Poverty Alleviation Initiative
Beneficiaries of Rivers State Government’s empowerment scheme have commended the effort of the State in ensuring that poverty is reduced to the barest minimum.
According to some beneficiaries of the scheme, which is managed by Rivers State Micro Finance Agency (RIMA) it has resulted to economic development in the rural areas.
The Tide correspondent who moved round the rural areas gathered that most beneficiaries had expanded their small scale businesses resulting in the reduction of crime in the different communities.
Speaking on the benefits of RIMA’s loan scheme, Mr Godspower Nkirika, the owner of GMN Favour Store in Ueken, Tai Local Government Area, said his business had increased greatly since he accessed the loan.
Nkirika who has completely paid back the loan said “what I cannot afford in the past, I am now able to afford it with the help of RIMA loan. The zeal and commitment to meet up the repayment made me to be serious and even benefitted the more, having renewed aim/focus,” adding that all the members of his cooperatives have completed their payment.
Another beneficiary, Mr Stephen Wiche the secretary to Omagwa Community Ikwerre Local Government, said the loan helped in alleviating poverty in the cooperative, stating that this is the first time the members of the cooperative are accessing government’s help.
“We have fully paid back the loan according to the specifications of RIMA. The only problem is that the repayment pattern was tough, so we need more loans and extended repayment period, so that we can buy more goods which will also improve economic development in this community,” he said.
He lauded the empowerment scheme saying that it is the best that has happened to the communities.
In a related development, Mr Allison Amadi, the secretary to Ozuoha United Cooperative, Ozuaha Community in Ikwerre Local Government, said his cooperative has just accessed RIMA loan, noting that the cooperative has already mapped out strategies to payback the loan, adding that “I commend RIMA. It is a way of alleviating poverty to make life meaningful for the people in the rural areas. I want to also commend them for increasing the repayment period to one year.”
The President of Belema Nabiokpo cooperative in Benebo compound, Degema Local Government, Mrs barisoma Vincent who has mini-cool room, said the loan took the businesses of the cooperative members to the next level, as they now have conducive environment for business.
Mrs Vincent stated that her business needs more money, adding that the loan has opened her eyes to the height she can reach in his business. She reiterated the need for government to continue in what she called community service.
The secretary to Owu-Baraibi cooperative, Obuama, Degema, who deals on beeds commend RIMA for the loan from N50,000 to N100,000, saying that the loan has opened her eyes to more business ideas.
Another beneficiary, Mr Debora Wurudain from Ovieten Odiwu Joinkrama traders cooperative, Joinkrama, who owns a provision store, said RIMA in addition to the loan, help the cooperative to overcome the traumer of flood.
“RIMA even extended the repayment period because of the flood. This has made business to move a step further,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gbo-du Gbidum cooperative society, Botem Tai, Tai Local Government defaulted in the repayment of the loan.
In an interview with the secretary of the cooperative, Dumbari Eke in Tai, he said he has completed his own payment, wondering why the chairman has not forwarded the money to RIMA.
The chairman, Mr Benjamin Sunday in a telephone interview claimed that some members have not paid their money but the mentioned members reported that they have fully paid to the chairman.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), along with their partner, the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and Zed Energy have executed a shareholders’ agreement for the establishment of a 50 million litre Petroleum Products Terminal in Brass, Bayelsa State.
The N10.5 billion Brass Petroleum Products Terminal project is expected to deliver an automated 50 million litre depot with two-way product jetty, automated loading bay, and 6 automated tanks for storage of 30 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)and 20 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
While speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his giant strides in the Niger Delta which is making a huge impact on the people of the area.
“I make bold to say today without any fear of contradiction that no President has impacted the people of the Niger Delta like President Muhammadu Buhari. Aside from what we are witnessing today, remember there is also the Brass Fertilizer & Petrochemical Company, the Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum and the Oil & Gas Park in Ogbia, all under Mr. President,” the Minister stated.
Sylva added that the establishment of the Terminal further demonstrates Mr. President’s commitment to the enhancement of the livelihood of the Niger Delta people particularly, the riverine communities in Bayelsa State where people purchase products at exorbitant prices due to logistics challenges associated with transporting products to that area.
Speaking shortly after signing the agreement, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari said the Corporation was proud to be part of the project which aside ensuring products availability in all nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta, will also guarantee the nation’s energy security and generate employment.
“This Terminal will create 1,000 direct jobs during the construction phase, and over 5,000 indirect jobs during its operation. Considering the potential for employment when completed, this will definitely reduce youth restiveness in the Niger Delta area and will also address the problem of illegal refining in the area,” Kyari stated.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Wabote stated that this milestone was as a result of strong interagency collaboration and public-private sector partnership.
“The NCDMB will continue to drive such partnerships across the industry to bring development in Nigeria,” he noted.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Project and Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Mr. Bala Wunti stated that the project would enhance the economics of marine petroleum products distribution.
The senate has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for its efforts towards attaining profitability and stamping out corruption from its system.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Suleiman Abdu Kwari, gave the commendation at a hearing which was held at the national assembly complex, Abuja.
Kwari said it was heart-warming to learn that the NNPC was making great strides towards profitability and urged the corporation to sustain the gains recorded so far for the good of the country.
In his presentation at the hearing, Mele Kyari, the group managing director of NNPC, said the corporation was championing the fight against corruption in the oil and gas industry by placing measures to curb incidences of corruption across its various business portfolios and by enlisting as a partner company of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
He also said that the corporation has reported several incidences of infractions such as products diversion and crude oil theft to the police, EFCC and other investigating agencies of the federal government to stem corruption within the oil and gas industry.
In an effort to clampdown on fuel smuggling, the ministry of petroleum resources launched the operation white project in October 2019 to monitor and track the movement of petroleum products in the country.
Also in February 2021, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) launched the downstream remote monitoring system (DRMS) to track the movement of petroleum products from depots to retail outlets.
“We have created an anti-corruption desk in NNPC that engages the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies on a regular basis,” NNPC GMD said.
“The desk ensures that in all our operations, every staff complies to the code of conduct procedures with consequence management.
“We have established a regulatory compliant governance charter and transparency policy; this is a mark of our compliance to the anti-corruption strategy.
“For the first time in 43 years, NNPC, as a part of the evolving culture of transparency and accountability, published its Audited Financial Statements (AFS) for 2018 and 2019. We are going to publish that of 2020.
“The AFS is the only document that tells how a company does its transaction. We are happy that by the time the 2020 AFS will be published, Nigerians will see the dividends of our accountability.”
Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Rick Kennedy, said the company has in the last 10 years spent an estimated annual average of $1 billion on Nigerian suppliers and service providers in line with its commitment to Nigerian Content Development.
Highlighting the opportunities and new approaches to the future of hydrocarbons at the ongoing 2021 NIPS in Abuja, Kennedy stressed the need for robust policies and regulations to address and remedy existing challenges in the oil and gas industry; digital technology/innovations; cost efficiency initiatives; sustained social investments as well as continued support for Nigerian Content Development.
Kennedy, who was represented by Monday Ovuede, director, NNPC/CNL Joint Venture, identified opportunities in lowering carbon emissions and harnessing Nigeria’s gas resources as key enablers in complementing the new approaches to future of hydrocarbons in the Nigerian oil and gas industry in the post COVID-19 era.
According to him, the global community has continued to scale up the collaboration towards lower carbon emissions, adding that Chevron supports global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and is actively investing in operations to improve environmental performance while also working with industry to develop new innovative technology and best practices to achieve these objectives.
He emphasised that CNL’s gas strategy is to end routine gas flaring and build a profitable gas business through a portfolio of projects, and stated that in Nigeria, CNL, with its joint venture (JV) partners, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has progressively reduced routine gas flaring by over 95% in the past 10 years and remained ahead in terms of maximising supply of on-spec gas into the Nigerian domestic market.
He also highlighted the NNPC/CNL’s Gas Sales and Aggregation Agreements with Egbin Power Plc, Dangote Fertilizer Limited, and Olorunsogo Generation Company Limited, while mentioning the positive impact of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) through which Nigeria supplies gas to countries in the West African sub-region – specifically, Ghana, Togo, and Benin – thus, helping to boost economic development in West Africa.
Kennedy also noted that Chevron has joined other energy companies supporting the Methane Guiding Principles to reduce methane emissions from natural gas exploration and production operations through digital innovation and deployment of best practices, which include designing, constructing, and operating its facilities in a manner to reduce emissions from its operations.
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