Business

Why We Shut Down PHRC, PPMC

Published

5 years ago

August 28, 2019

Operations of the Petroleum Downstream Sector in Rivers State got ruffled last week, following a face-off between the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), the management of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC).
Problem started when the leadership of IPMAN mobilised its members last Wednesday to stage a peaceful protest at the premises of the PHRC and PPMC in Port Harcourt to register their discontent over perceived institutional breaches and inefficiencies on the part of the companies to discharge their statutory functions.
The protest which commenced in the early hours of Wednesday, last week, shut down the operations of the two federal agencies, as the aggrieved IPMAN members barricaded the entrances to the two companies with placards of varying inscriptions to press home their demands. Some of the placards read thus: “Diversion of our products is a crime,” “Private depots owners steal “PPMC products with the backing of NNPC staff,” “We want products not excuses, “ PHRC, PPMC encouraging illegal bunkering.”
Since then Motorists and other users of petroleum products have been thrown into a state of apprehension and panic over a looming fuel scarcity following the shutdown and the threat of IPMAN and other related organisations to down tool if the PHRC and PPMC failed to heed their demands.
But IPMAN has insisted that its actions as a body was justifiable as it was billed to expose the sharp practices in the sector which have undermined their business concerns and service delivery to the public.
The major bone of contention, according to the IPMAN leadership, is that for over two years now, the PHRC and PPMC have failed to produce AGO(diesel)or DPR(kerosine) thereby making the independent marketers to depend on adulterated diesel (kpoofire) to fuel their haulage trucks before they could load the “imported PMS((Petrol) made available at the deport.”
This tendency, according to the IPMAN leadership, was an indication that PHRC and PPMC were encouraging illegal bunkering.
Rivers State Chairman of lPMAN, Comrade Emmanuel Inimgba, who spoke with The Tide in an exclusive interview prior to the protest, disclosed that the dependence of the independent marketers on adulterated diesel to fuel their trucks in the loading of products was destructive on the engines and also exposed them to health dangers and other associated hazards.
The Rivers IPMAN said petroleum products sent from Lagos and Warri to Port Harcourt were diverted to private depots in Port Harcourt which are mostly owned by PPMC and NNPC management, and thus deny the independent marketers acces to the products at PPMC depot in Port Harcourt.
He said; “For more than two years now we haven’t been loading any products apart from imported PMS, we don’t have access to diesel and kerosene and we are constraint to depend on illegally refined products to power our loading trucks. This has resulted in very high cost of operation on our part and affected the delivery of our services to the public, we are not going to load from those private depots where our products are diverted to until the products are supplied to the right depot.”
Comrade lnimgba who described the operations and services of IPMAN as capital intensive, said most of the independent marketers obtained loan facilities from banks to run their businesses and as such were under tight obligation to pay back the funds.
He regretted the perceived “indifference” of the regulatory agency in the Petroleum industry, i.e the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) which according to him seem to gloss over the anomalies in the activities of the downstream sector in Rivers State despite several overtures made by IPMAN and other affected stakeholders to address the rising challenges.
He pointed out that the protest was to expose the; “shoddy deals going on in the down stream sector and to bring to the fore the sad experiences of the independent marketers.”
He called on the DPR to live up to its statutory responsibilities by creating the enabling environment and ensuring transparency in the process, especially in products availability, arbitrary increase in prices of products and renewal operational licenses.
Comrade lnimgba also raised concern over the growing spate of insecurity against the investment of the independent marketers, noting that filling stations have become targets of incessant robbery, especially in the night.
While applauding the Rivers State Governor for his efforts in promoting the security of lives and properties in the state, he appealed to the government to create a special police division to protect the investments of the independent marketers to enable them render services to the public with relative ease.
“ Filling station owners have become endangered species, we can’t sell at night without threats of robbery attack.
The use of POS has helped to an extent but we want the government to come to our aid by creating a special police division to protect our operations. This will go a long way to address the challenges of insecurity we are experiencing,” he stated.
The IPMAN chairman also commented on the state of refineries in the country, particularly the Port Harcourt Refinery which he said was completely dysfunctional. He called on the Federal Government to fix the ailing refineries and make them effective in product delivery.
Apart from revamping the existing refineries, he said the Federal Government should also make real its promise of building modular refineries in the Niger Delta Region so as to give the people of the oil rich region a sense of active participation in the oil and gas industry as well as enhance massive economic growth and expansion in the industry.
He contended that the building of modular refineries in the Niger Delta would address the issues of unemployment and other social vices among the youth.
He said; “when modular refineries are created in the Niger Delta, most youths who engage in illegal bunkering will channel their talents and energies in a more positive way as their technological capacities will be fully developed.”
Comrade Inimgba said that existing policies in the Nigeria oil and gas sector were tailored to the disadvantage of the Niger Delta people. He regretted that despite the enormous contributions of the region to the development of national economy the region still suffered huge development neglects.
He, therefore, called for a review of Nigerias’ petroleum laws to reflect the imperatives of justice by giving the people of the Niger Delta assess to their natural resources for the development of the region.
“I want to correct the erroneous impression that the people of the Niger Delta are not fit to play roles in the oil and gas industry, we have qualified technologists and technocrats in the Niger Delta. We want the Federal Government to allocate oil blocks to indigenes of the Niger Delta, this will give the people a sense of belonging, create direct development impact in the region and correct the imbalances in the oil and gas sector. “
The lPMAN chairman was also irked over the issue of pipeline vandalisation and explosions which had become a recurrent event in the Niger Delta region, resulting in wastages of lives and revenue.
He said IPMAN as a body was totally against pipeline vandalisation which is considered as sabotage, adding that the association has contributed its quota towards addressing the menace, such as constitution of special anti-pipeline vandalisation committee with the mandate to work with relevant stakeholders to address the endemic vice.
He pointed out that the issue of pipeline vandalisation can not be tackled on a shallow bases except the root cause is addressed.
“IPMAN as a body condemns pipeline vandalisation in its entirety, it’s a menace that have brought incalculable losses as people are killed in the process while revenue is lost.These pipelines pass through communities, the government should liase with communities on the surveillance and security of the pipelines. Also, obsolete oil pipelines in the Niger Delta should be replaced to avoid leakages and possible explosion,” he said.
Speaking on the activities of multinationals corporations and International Oil and Gas Companies (IOCS) in the Niger Delta, the oil and gas expert described the modus operandi of most of the companies as “defective and bereft of international best Practices.”
He expressed disappointment over the fact that “ most of the companies operating in the Niger Delta deny the people employment quotas or simply engage them without stipulated employment policies or condition of service and subject them to slave labour and caualisation.”
He also kicked against the relocation of the corporate headquarters of the multinationals from the Niger Delta to Lagos on the excuse of insecurity, saying that such excuses were calculated ploys to slight the region economically.

Taneh Beemene

Business

Paper Industry’s Economic Contribution Hits N398bn

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

The Tide

The contribution of the paper industry rose to N398.8billion in 2023 from N356billion it recorded in 2022.
Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Musa Yusuf, disclosed this in a report released to mark the inauguration of World Envelopes Day in Lagos.
Marking the event, which also commemorated the 50th anniversary of envelope manufacturing firm, FAE Limited, Yusuf stated that the paper industry has a profound economic impact across all sectors of the economy.
He, however, noted that the growth in digital technology had greatly disrupted the sector, especially as a mode of communication.
“As of 2023, the value of the Nigerian paper industry was N398.8billion naira, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
“The value was N365bn in 2022; N363 billion in 2021; and N255billion in 2020. This is a significant contribution to our GDP. However, when compared to the size of our economy, which is estimated at N230trillion as of 2023, it is still very small”, the CPPE boss stated.
Yusuf said the paper industry had been largely in recession because of the digital technology disruptions and other macroeconomic headwinds, especially relating to exchange rate depreciation, forex liquidity crisis and high cost of fund and energy cost escalation.
He emphasised that the paper industry had a profound economic impact across all sectors of the economy, which underscored the need for government intervention in the sector.
In her opening remarks, the Managing Director of FAE Limited, Funlayo Bakare, described World Envelopes Day as the brainchild of the company, which sought to set aside April 16 as a day to celebrate the fundamental role envelopes play in daily communication.
“As we celebrate our golden jubilee, we are delighted to announce the inauguration of World Envelopes Day, to be celebrated annually on the 16th day of April.
“This is a pioneering initiative by FAE Ltd in accordance with our leadership position in the sector.
“The establishment of World Envelopes Day is to raise awareness about the importance of envelopes in various aspects of human endeavour, including personal correspondence, business transactions, and creative expressions”, she said.
The Publisher of The Guardian Newspaper, Maiden Ibru, who chaired the occasion, stressed the need to strike a balance between digitalisation and physical paper production, especially due to the indispensable role paper plays in cultural preservation.
Nigeria once had three paper mills: the Nigeria Paper Mill Limited, located in Jebba, Kwara State; the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Limited, Oku-Iboku, Akwa Ibom State; and the Nigerian National Paper Manufacturing Company Limited in Ogun State.
The mills are no longer operational, and the country has had to depend on importation to make up for the shortfall.
The Asset Management Company of Nigeria has taken over the management of NNMC over unpaid debts.

Business

Aviation Union Threatens Strike Over Revenue Deduction

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

The Tide

The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) has said it would embark on industrial action if the Federal Government refuses to exempt aviation agencies from a directive that seeks to deduct 50 per cent from their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
ATSSSAN disclosed this in a communique issued by its National Executive Council (NEC) after its National Economic Council meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The NEC, which had in attendance all 17 affiliates of ATSSSAN comprising all branch Chairmen, Secretaries, and national officers, reiterated calls for the exemption of the aviation agencies from the deduction of 50 per cent of their IGR under the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The association said the agencies were not established for profit, hence stifling them of the required funds would jeopardise the effective performance of their safety and security mandates.
ATSSSAN warned that if the Federal Government insist on the deduction, it would compound the current financial state of the agencies, and “we may be forced to direct all aviation workers to down tools until the government reverses itself”.
Last year, the Federal Government directed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to immediately commence the presidential directives on a 50 per cent automatic deduction from the IGR of Federal Government-owned enterprises.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, had issued a circular titled, “Re: Implementation of the Presidential Directives on 50 per cent Automatic Deduction from Internally Generated Revenue of Federal Government Owned Enterprises (FGOEs)”.
According to the circular, all partially-funded Federal Government agencies and parastatals (receiving capital or overhead allocation from the Federal Government’s budget) should remit 50 per cent of their gross IGR, while all statutory revenues, like tender fees, contractor’s registration, and sales of government assets, among others, should be remitted 100 per cent to the sub-recurrent account.
ATSSSAN stated its apprehension over what it perceives as deliberate efforts by certain private airlines to stop their employees from forming labour unions.
Citing Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and international labor norms, the association contends that such actions constitute a violation of workers rights.
The statement, however, did not specify the airline operators suppressing workers from joining unions.
Part of the statement read, “The NEC-in-session calls on all employers in the private sector in the aviation industry to respect collective bargaining agreements in order to avert industrial crises at the workplace.
“NEC-in-session was seriously disturbed by the continuous willful acts by some private airlines towards frustrating the unionization of their employees, contrary to the letters and spirit of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant international conventions and laws”.
The association, therefore, called upon the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to uphold and enforce employees’ rights to unionise within the aviation industry.
It urged the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to orchestrate a dialogue involving all relevant stakeholders, including the non-compliant airlines and labour unions, under the auspices of the Labor Ministry.
At the meeting, other issues affecting workers, especially members’ welfare and working conditions, and the aviation industry at large were discussed, and positions and resolutions were taken.
The aviation group decried what it perceive as a dearth of avenues for career progression within government-owned aviation entities.

Business

NCDMB Rakes In $1m Return On NEDOGAS Investment

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

The Tide

Management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says it has received a cheque of $1 million from Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL).
A statement made available to newsmen by the Directorate of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination of the Board said the sum received was part of the return on investment (ROI) on one of its strategic investments.
The statement added that: “The cheque was presented by the Chairman of the company, Engr. Emeka Ene, when he visited the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where he was received by the NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and other members of the Board’s management.
“Nedogas Development Company Limited (NDCL) is a joint venture company between Xenergi Limited and NCDMB Capacity Development Intervention Company.
“As part of the project, Nedogas NDCL constructed and commissioned a 300 MMscfd Capacity Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) and injection facility located in the Umusam Community, near Kwale in Delta State, Niger Delta, Nigeria.
“The KGG Facility was designed to handle stranded gas resources in Nigeria’s OML56 oil province by providing the opportunity for independent operators in the area to monetize natural gas from their fields through the gas gathering, compression, injection and metering infrastructure of the KGG for quick market access.
“Nedogas is one of the several strategic and successful investments of the NCDMB funded from the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), in line with the Board’s mandate to build capacity and catalyze local projects in the Nigerian oil and gas industry as enshrined under the Nigeran Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act”.
In his remarks, according to the statement, the NCDMB Executive Secretary stated that the success story of NEDOGAS at Kwale, Delta State, could be replicated in other oil and gas producing communities to minimise gas flaring, saying that Ogbe also declared the Board’s readiness to continue collaborating with the company.
“Their model should be extended to other parts of the country where gas flaring is continuing.They have shown that with the modular system, we can quickly remove flaring from our operations in Nigeria.
“The NCDMB had continued to receive briefings from its investment partners. We’re still waiting for them to come back with success stories. Some of them are near completion and have not started operations yet”, the NCDMB’s Executive Secretary said.
In his remarks, Chairman of NEDOGAS, Mr. Emeka Ene, conveyed the company’s excitement in returning part of the credit and profit, adding that it was a proof that the NCDMB’s investment was a success and they are getting back that investment, adding that the firm looks forward to further collaboration with the NCDMB to expand its scope.
Responding, the NCDMB boss said the Board was now doing effectively and practically and tangibly what it was set up for, saying its mandate was to impact the economy by direct interventions.
“That’s the way the economy can grow, improve the gas infrastructure in such a way that’s sustainable despite the tight economic conditions”, he said.
He added that, “the value propositions of the Nedogas project include total eradication of flared gas and conversation of environmental pollutants into products of value and creation of a strategic gas gathering hub and injection node for quick access to market for gas owners to monetize gas”.
Other benefits, according to Ogbe, include the provision of alternative gas supply to western flank of the OB3 line to add to the volumes of economic sustainability and increase in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The partnership with NEDOGAS is one of NCDMB’s 15 strategic investments geared towards actualizing the Federal Government’s aspirations in key areas of the oil and gas industry.
“Most of the projects were targeted at actualizing the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas programme.
“Some of NCDMB’s notable third-party investments include Waltermith’s 5000 barrels per day (bpd) modular refinery in Imo State, Azikel Group12,000 bpd hydro-skimming modular refinery in Gbarain, Bayelsa State, and Duport Midstream’s 2,500bpd modular refinery in Edo State.
“Other investments of the Board include Better Gas Energy for LPG terminal and gas distribution, partnership with Rungas Prime Industries Limited to establish a cooking gas cylinders manufacturing plant in Polaku, Bayelsa State, and Alaro City in Lagos and the partnership with Butane Energy to deepen LPG utilization in the North”, he stated.
The Executive Secretary also noted that there was the partnership with BUNORR Integrated Energy Limited in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to produce 48,000 litres of base oil per day and partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company Limited, and DSV Engineering to establish a 10,000 Ton Methanol Production Plant, Odioama, in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.