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Rep Urges Regulation Of Illegal Refineries
A member of the House Representatives, Mr Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, said rather than destroy illegal refineries in the Niger Delta, Federal Government should license and regulate them.
He told newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, that the government should leverage on the skills of operators of the refineries to develop small outlets for refining crude oil for domestic use.
Agbonayinma, who represents Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Constituency of Edo State, said that his advice to government became necessary at the backdrop of failure of persons given licenses to build refineries by previous administrations, to do so.
He also said that it was because of the inability of the government to fix existing refineries and had resorted to sustained importation of petroleum products.
He said that the number of illegal refineries being destroyed and the rate at which they resurfaced was evidence that the operators had some engineering skills that government should harness.
According to him, rather than destroying the so-called illegal refineries, government through the Ministry of Niger Delta, NDDC and Amnesty Programme should bring together the youths engaging in the illegal refinery and harness their technology.
“The activities of illegal refineries operators should be regulated, licenses should be issued to them and crude oil allocated to them based on their capacities.
“In the civilized countries, what to do is to bring all those youths and look for a way to harness their brains rather than to destroy the refineries.
“They are doing what government cannot do by consistently refining crude oil into petroleum products; they deserved to be assembled and encouraged to do it better, under regulation.
“Call them and ask what quantity each of them can refine and allocate it to them; let them refine it and let Nigerians benefit from it.
“Destroying the refineries and at the end of the day, they keep coming back, building new ones will not help. The resources used in destroying the refineries should be used to encourage them,” Agbonayinma said.
He said that the activities of Niger Delta youths were not the major cause of the low oil production or its availability in sufficient quantity.
According to him, contrary to the claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), multinational companies which collude with some elite in the country to siphon Nigerian crude through back door are the major problem.
“The NNPC is crying here that Niger Delta militants or avengers are the problem whereas the real problems are multinationals that are the core and real avengers.
“Go to Niger Delta area and see the pollution and the degradation; the farmers can no longer farm, the fishermen can no longer fish, and the youth resorting to ingenuity of refining crude which NNPC has failed to do.
“The refineries are not working because NNPC has refused to solve the problem or fix them.
“They have a reason for not fixing them; they refused to fix them because of their own selfish gains,’’ the lawmaker said.
Agboniyanma said that it was only Nigerians that could help to put a stop to the stealing of the country’s crude oil.
“NNPC knows that once the refineries start working fully, the means of stealing will stop; so they don’t want the refineries to work.
“Let NNPC be unbundled, that does not solve the problem,” he said.
The lawmaker also advised Nigeria to emulate the United Arab Emirate in the use of its oil sector for national development.
“Since British left, we have not been able to get it right. So, I will say that we should do what Dubai did.
“They have oil; they invited and negotiated with US government and their firms to help them to develop the country. They told US `come, see our oil, manage it for us and develop our country’.
“Dubai was a desert 10 or 15 years ago; today that same Dubai is where Nigerians go for holidays as well as send their children to for studies, while we are killing our country,’’ he said.
Agbonayinma said that Nigeria could also negotiate with its oil for a period of four or eight years contract to develop the county.
“We go into contracts because we don’t know how to run the government and so far, so good; we have run it and we have failed. Nothing works in Nigeria, and the laws are there.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that peace has prevailed because he draws strength from God to resist insults and tantrums thrown at him while frustrating attempts by some disgruntled persons who wanted to plunge the State into unending crisis.
The Governor also said that because he has anchored his Government on promoting peace, the enabling atmosphere has been provided for investments and sustainable development to flourish.
Governor Fubara made the assertion when he received a delegation of members of the Bishops and Gospel Ministers’ Association International Incorporated, Rivers State Chapter, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, Governor Fubara said while most people took his meekness for weakness, his stance on peace has unarguably enhanced harmonious atmosphere of concord as residents sleep with their two eyes closed, and investors and shareholders are happy with the returns on investment.
He said, “Before, what they hear of Rivers State is that they are fighting, and some genuine investors will not come. Some people even ask you: How are you coping in Rivers State?
“But now”, he asserted: “The Governor has brought about a lot of changes in the State. One of the most important things is that he has changed the negative narrative. It is no longer Rivers of blood. It is now Rivers of peace.
“We are enjoying our lives here. Why? Because there is a change in the narrative. We have peace. The Governor is, as much as possible, absorbing any level of insult at him only for one purpose: that Rivers State may have peace; that we may grow; that this state will experience genuine development.”
Governor Fubara urged them, as members of the Christian family in the State, to continue to pray for the State and the Government so that the enemies of the State will be put to greater shame.
“This peace is what I want you to embrace. Go and continue to pray, because when the sower of the seed went and sowed, the enemy went in the night and sowed tares inside there. But the Governor is sowing peace.
“When I listened to the leader of the team, His Grace Eddy Ogbonda, he said you came all the way from Eleme Junction, and stopped at major junctions, and you uttered prayers for the peace of Rivers State.”
He also said: “I, hereby want to thank you for identifying with the Governor at a time like this. At a time when it looks as if someone wants the Governor’s peace posture misunderstood as weakness.
“When someone has the strength to fight back, but refuses to fight back. That is a bigger strength; that power of restrain does not just come, it can only come from God.
“You cannot give peace, if you do not have peace within you. The Governor is not interested in any form of trouble or violence. What he is interested in is known, and it is: let there be peace in Rivers State,” he said.
In his address, leader of the group, Archbishop Eddy Ogbonda, said they had observed a week-long intensive prayers that culminated into a peace rally, which brought them to Government House, and assured the Governor that God will continue to give him victory over his adversaries while preserving Rivers State.
“It is Rivers State Prophetic Prayer Convocation and Rally 2024 with the theme: ‘Peace be still’. Of a truth, everyone of us understands that we live in a time when we need peace much more than any other thing.
“Rivers State needs peace. Everyone as individuals need peace. The country needs peace, and the world at large needs peace. So, we are here to do a peace march. We pray that God will command His peace to reign in Rivers State,” he said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that hotels, schools, and other establishments that accept payments in dollars from their customers are at risk of facing arrest.
The Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said this in the agency’s publication called EFCC Alert on Monday, adding that action would be taken against individuals involved in the dollarisation of the economy.
According to him, the exception is if foreigners come in to transact business and the only means of transacting is their credit card and dollar but to charge local customers in dollars or other foreign currencies would no longer be allowed.
He said charging local activities and customers in dollars is against Nigeria’s constitution.
The EFCC chairman said, “Schools that charge Nigerians in dollar, supermarkets that trade in dollar, estate developers that sell their property in dollar, hotels that are invoicing in dollar, we are coming after you and we have made arrests in that area.
“Yes, if foreigners are coming in and the only means of transacting is their credit card, and dollar, why not? You will get that.
“But document it properly as against selling things within the system, local economy and you will be using dollar as the medium of exchange, it is illegal.
“Our law does not allow for that. And we have also affected some arrests.”
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has enjoined Muslim faithful to remain steadfast to the lessons learnt during the holy month of Ramadan.
Governor Fubara stated this in his message of felicitations to Muslims as they celebrate the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr Sallah, which marks the end of the one-month Ramadan fasting.
The Governor emphasised the importance for Muslims to also uphold the tenets of Islam by exhibiting the fear of God and showing piety in their daily work.
Governor Fubara said, “We must all continue in the good attributes imbibed during the holy month of Ramadan as directed by God through His Prophet, so as to ensure peace, unity and harmony in the society for a better future.”
While praying that the essence of the festival offers them happiness, peace and prosperity in all aspects of life, Governor Fubara said he recognises and appreciates the critical role that the Muslim community continues to play in the development of Rivers State, and indeed, Nigeria at large.
Governor Fubara charged them to remain unwavering and steadfast in their commitment and positive contributions to advance the development of the State and the country.
“I enjoin you all in the State to remain calm, be patient and continue to do what is right,” the Governor added.
He wished the Muslim faithful in the State and across the country a happy Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
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