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S’Africa Union Rejects Eskom Pay Offer

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South Africa’s biggest union said on Tuesday it had rejected the latest wage offer by state-owned power utility Eskom.

It said it would pursue talks for now before considering a strike that could disrupt the World Cup.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents about half of the 32,000 workers at the utility, toned down its strike threats this week on the advice of a mediator.

The NUM said it would give Eskom until Thursday to come up with a better deal than the eight per cent pay increase offered.

“We are negotiating in good faith, but we have totally rejected that offer,” said Lesiba Seshoka, spokesman of the NUM, which last week warned that its members could down tools.

“We are giving Eskom up to Thursday to come up with a good offer; we have not reached a stage of strike action yet,” he said.

A strike is unlikely to hamper electricity supply to stadiums which have standby diesel generators, but there is a concern that the action may interrupt electricity supplies and anger millions watching matches on television.

The biggest worry is the effect a stoppage may have on the economy, especially manufacturers and mining companies in the world’s top platinum and fourth largest gold producer.

A prolonged strike could halt mining operations, and this may affect metal production and prices.

The NUM and two other unions, which in total represent more than two-thirds of the utility’s staff, want a pay rise of more than three times the inflation rate of 4.8 per cent.

Should the strike go ahead, the other unions have said they may join in.

Economists have accused unions of trying to hold state entities to ransom by using the World Cup to squeeze pay increases far above inflation, possibly damaging the economy as it emerges from its first recession in 17 years.

Eskom has said any work stoppage would be illegal because the utility is classified by the state as an essential service, but should a strike go ahead, it will implement contingency measures to minimise the impact.

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CFAO Hits Nigerian Automobile Market With New Land Cruiser Prado

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CFAO has added to its fleet of cars in the  motoring industry with the recent launch of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, one of Toyota’s flagship models, alongside a range of others for the Nigeria market.
Unveiling the product in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the General Manager, CFAO Mobility, Port Harcourt, Julius Fasetire, said the model is exceptional tailored for Nigeria’s market.
According to him, the unveiling was an exclusive opportunity for Nigerians to explore the latest in automotive excellence, discover new vehicle options , and benefit from Toyota by CFAO’s end of year bonus.
He further explained that CFAO is an authorised distributor of Toyota vehicles in Nigeria, committed to providing high quality vehicles and services to meet the needs of customers across the country.
“With an extensive network of service centres, Toyota by CFAO offers top-notch sales, service and support to ensure a seamless ownership experience”, he declared.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

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Marketers Threaten Boycott Of PH Refinery 

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There are indications that oil marketers may boycot patronising the newly opened Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC), which commmenced crude oil production last Tuesday.
This follows their request that PHRC, under the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), must dispense its refined petroleum products below the prices of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Meanwhile, contrary to NNPCL’s claims, while reactiing to claims that its petrol price was about N1,045/litre, said the refinery had not released its prices, as products from the plant were currently dispensed to only NNPCL stations.
NNPCL’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, revealed that the company was still reviewing its prices and had yet to commence bulk sales, saying that its purchasing portal is still closed.
In the midst of this, The Tide’s source also gathered that oil marketers imported 105.67 million litres of petrol into the country five days ago.
The marketers confirmed that NNPC was selling petrol at N1,045/litre, saying that they may be compelled to opt for petrol importation as a means of meeting local demands.
The source exclusively gathered that a total sum of 78,800 metric tonnes representing 105.67 million litres of petrol was imported into the country in the last five days, specifically identified November 23 and November 28.
The NNPC said the 60,000-capacity newly rehabilitated complex of the old Port Harcourt Refinery, which had been revamped and upgraded with modern equipment, is operating at a refining capacity of 70 per cent of its installed capacity.
The company added that NNPC added that diesel and Pour Fuel Oil would be the highest output from the refinery, with a daily capacity of 1.5 million litres and 2.1 million litres, respectively.
There’s also a daily output of Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphtha) blended into 1.4 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), 900,000 litres of kerosene, and low-pour fuel oil of 2.1 million litres.
It was stated that about 200 trucks of petrol would be released into the Nigerian market daily.
However, claims that the national oil firm’s PMS price was higher than that of Dangote triggered diverse reactions from marketers.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Ukadike, stated that though NNPC had yet to release any price for the products from the refurbished Port Harcourt refinery, a high price would discourage marketers, because Dangote currently sells his petrol at N970/litre, while imported petrol is around that price.
He, however, noted that there was the possibility that the NNPC would review its prices downward when the Port Harcourt refinery comes fully on stream.

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NCDMB, ICPC Set To Mark Anti-Corruption Day

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Following its unequivocal and successive ranking as Nigeria’s top performing organisation in efficiency and transparency from 2022-date, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has unveiled plans to mark the 2024 World Anti-corruption Day on Thursday, 5th December at its headquarters, the Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The theme of this year’s celebration, according to a statement from the Board’s Department of Corporate Communications is “Effective Whistleblowers Protection Mechanism: A Critical Tool in the Fight against Corruption”.
The statement added that the celebration at the NCDMB is organised by the agency’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACTU) led by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu.
The event, according to the Board, will be marked with a workshop that will feature paper presentations by representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and key officials of the Board.
Another highlight of the day will include the grand finale of the debate competition among six federal government colleges from the six zones of the country, plus a representative from Bayelsa State, which is selected automatically as the host state of NCDMB.
The selected schools are Federal Government College, Odi, Bayelsa State; Federal Government College, Okigwe, Imo State; Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State; and Federal Government Girls College, Kazaure, Jigawa State.
Others are, Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos State; Federal Government College, Maiduguri, Borno State; and Federal Government College, Rubochi, Abuja.
Two students, accompanied by an adult from each of the schools will be camped in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, by the NCDMB for four days during which preliminary debates will be held to determine the best two teams.
The debate, whose grand finale is to be held at the magnificent 17-storey Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), Yenagoa, is being organised to instill the ethics of transparency and public interest in Nigerian students to promote critical thinking, research, and public speaking skills among that segment of the population.
This segment, according to the Board, are generally viewed as potential future leaders of thought and industry in the country, and encourage students to engage with complex issues that underline good governance and democracy in Nigeria, just as prizes will also be awarded to winners.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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