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Fuel Scarcity: RSG Seals Two Filling Stations …As PPPRA, PPMC Warn Against Panic Buying

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President Goodluck Jonathan (middle), cutting the tape to inaugurate the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation in Abuja yesterday. With him are Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Sen. Lawan Ahmed (left) and the Auditor-General for the Federation, Mr Samuel Ukura.

President Goodluck Jonathan (middle), cutting the tape to inaugurate the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation in Abuja yesterday. With him are Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Sen. Lawan Ahmed (left) and the Auditor-General for the Federation, Mr Samuel Ukura.

The Rivers State Government yesterday sealed off two filling stations, Oando and Conoil, in Eleme Local Government Area of the state for allegedly hoarding petroleum products.
Rivers State Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Hon Okey Amadi, who announced this said the filling stations, apart from hoarding petroleum products, were also involved in fraudulent meter adjustment.
Hon Amadi, who expressed disappointment at the attitude of some marketers described the acts as economic sabotage, and warned that any filling station found hoarding products or adjusting their meters would be made to face the full weight of the law.
The commissioner advised members of the public to desist from panic buying and inform his ministry of any station embarking on such illegal practices.
He warned those hoarding and storing petrol in their houses of the consequences.
By hoarding petrol in your house you can cause wide spread fire outbreaks that can take lives and you can never imagine the level of damages to properties’, he said.
He also advised landlords and neighbours to be part of the campaign against storage of petrol in their homes because they might be affected irrespective of whether they are innocent or not.
He restated that normal supplies were coming to the state from the refineries, adding that the supplies from tank farms complement supplies from the refineries.
However, our correspondent who visited some filling stations in Port Harcourt and its environs reported that most filling stations were not selling while long queues were seen in the few ones selling.
From the entrance gate of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology Nkplou, Port Harcourt, to Education Bus Stop on the busy Ikwerre Road only two filling stations (Chindah Oil and Conoil) were selling while the rest were locked up.
Mr Ejike Ozmene, a businessman told The Tide that he spent three hours at a filling station along East-West Road and that at last the fuel got exhausted before it got to his turn.
At Total Filling Station, near Kampala Busstop along Ikwerre Road, a supervisor who identified himself as Mr Service said, “we don’t have product”.
He said virtually all major marketers do not have supply except some independent marketers who are managing to sell”.
At Conoil Filling Station, motorists and petroleum users were scrambling to purchase fuel with queues of vehicles and jerricans stretching to Udi Street.
An attendant who declined to mention his name said, the company paid for the product since 24 January and was only getting product today (yesterday).
The situation was not different at Aba Road, Chidi Nwakanma who was interviewed at Eternite Oil said for over two weeks, they have not got any supply and do not know when the station would get supply.
Chairman of Abali Park branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Bethel Dappa said, “our members now struggle to get fuel and where they get, they pay between N120-N140 per litre.
“It is obvious that if the situation persists, commercial drivers would be forced to increase fares”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) says the reappearance of long queues at filling stations across the country is artificial and uncalled for.
The PPPRA spokesperson, Mr Lanre Oladele, told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that there was no basis for the scarcity currently being experienced.
Oladele said that there was enough stock to keep the country going for days, adding that with the release of allocation of licences to marketers for the first quarter of 2014, there was no reason for the fuel scarcity.
He described claims that the scarcity was due to the delay in the release of import allocation to marketers as false and unfounded.
Oladele said the last allocation was enough to sustain the market till when the next allocation would be released.
He said contrary to insinuations by marketers that their allocations for the third quarter of 2013 expired on December 31, 2013, they actually covered transactions up to January.
Oladele staid that the allocation was usually done in such a way that it would overlap into another quarter, to make provision for any exigency.
According to him, the marketers create the impression that allocation has been delayed for over one month and they engaged in hoarding of the products to create false impression.
He advised Nigerians not to engage in panic buying, adding “what we have is artificial scarcity, we have enough stock to keep the nation wet for days”.
Chris Oluoh

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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo

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The Sole Administrator of Emohua Local Government Area, Barr. Franklin Ajinwo, has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to supporting community development, peace, and progress, describing it as his life’s calling.
Ajinwo made this known on when Okporowo Vanguard—a foremost association dedicated to driving sustainable development in Okporowo community—paid him a courtesy visit at the Council Secretariat, Emohua.

Speaking during the visit, the Emolga  Council boss advised the group to shun internal wranglings and leadership tussles, cautioning that such impediments could undermine their collective goals. He emphasized that unity is strength, and true power comes only from God.

Highlighting his ongoing efforts in repositioning standards within Emohua Local Government, Barr. Ajinwo commended Okporowo Vanguard for initiating plans to conduct large-scale skills acquisition training for young people in Okporowo. He assured them of his steadfast support towards such developmental initiative.

The former Chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Rivers State stressed the need for selfless service, saying it is essential for achieving peace, unity, and development in any community.

He applauded the group’s vision of empowering youths through skills acquisition, aligning it with global best practices aimed at reducing dependency on white-collar jobs.

Earlier, the President of Okporowo Vanguard, Hon. Israel Emeji, outlined Barr. Ajinwo’s numerous and impactful contributions to the development of Okporowo community.

According to him, every family in the community has benefited from Barr. Ajinwo’s dedicated employment initiatives.

Hon. Emeji disclosed that during his tenure as Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA) and as NULGE Chairman, Barr. Ajinwo facilitated the employment of over five hundred (500) individuals from Okporowo community—a record that informed the association’s decision to honour him with the Excellent Leadership Award.

In a vote of thanks, the Secretary of the group, Dr. Okechukwu Godwin Amadi, praised Barr. Ajinwo’s outstanding leadership and unwavering support, both before and after his appointment as Sole Administrator.

He thanked him for the warm reception and appreciated members of Okporowo Vanguard for their strong turnout and continuous support for the present administration.

In their separate remarks, Barr. Kelvin Ajinwo, Chief Polycarp Ndala, and other dignitaries present prayed for God’s continued guidance and protection over Barr. Ajinwo, describing him as a divine gift to the Okporowo community.

They expressed hope that he would be granted even more leadership opportunities to further uplift the living standards of the people.

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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP  …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

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Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their  living conditions.

This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.

Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s

She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.

According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.

The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while  bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.

Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.

Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.

According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.

He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.

Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may  lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.

During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.

The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.

He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.

They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.

At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.

King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.

Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.

Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.

At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.

He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.

Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.

 

John Bibor

 

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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman 

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The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.

Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.

Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.

In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.

However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.

Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.

In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.

Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.

“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.

 

 

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