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Nigeria’s Oil Production Hits 2.6million BPD
Goodluck Jonathan, says Nigeria now produces 2.6 million barrels of oil per day due to ongoing economic reforms embarked upon by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government.
Jonathan stated this at the 2012 PDP National Convention held in Abuja last Saturday.
He said that in the last 13 years, PDP governments had also carried out far-reaching reforms in the various sectors of the economy to serve as building blocks for sustainable development and to grow the capacity in local production and improve the quality of service delivery.
The President who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said the government was at various levels in the implementation of reform policies in key sectors of the economy.
“I assure you that very soon, tangible results will begin to come in, for Nigerians to appreciate some of the tough decisions we have had to take in the last two years to improve the quality of life of our citizens.
“In recent times, the economic reforms implemented by the PDP administration led to increase in our oil production, up to 2.6 million barrels per day.
According to him, the implementation of the local content policy in the oil and gas sector is also helping to grow indigenous capacity.
He further maintained that investments were being encouraged in the power sector, and a comprehensive roadmap for the power sector was being implemented to stabilise power supply in the country.
“We are rehabilitating all our hydro-power plants for optimal capacity utilisation, alongside the construction of 10 power plants of which three will be commissioned this year.
“This is in addition to renewing our transmission and distribution capacity to ensure adequate power supply to all parts of the country.”
The President said the government had resolved to make Nigeria a major player in the international gas market through the implementation of the Nigerian Gas Master-Plan.
He said already the country had designed a framework for the expansion of gas infrastructure within the domestic market to boost commercial exploitation of gas for domestic consumption and export.
He said the master plan was a roadmap to fully harness the nation’s gas potentials and meet the challenges of gas supply to power plants nationwide.
“The diversification of the economy is progressing steadily with sustained increase in non-oil GDP growth, particularly through agricultural production.
“Our country has continued to record favourable ratings from international credit agencies due to the success of our economic reform programmes.”
Jonathan noted with delight that “Nigeria’s exit from the Paris Club, a feat achieved under a PDP-led administration, has freed more resources that now go into investment in human capital and economic development annually”.
He, therefore, assured that the PDP led government would continue to expand the frontiers of reforms to consolidate on the successes recorded by previous regimes.
On political reforms, the President assured that government would continue to ensure that the votes of Nigerians counted in every election.
“Our administration is consolidating democracy through strict observance of the rule of law and creating a favourable environment for freedom of political association and the freedom of expression particularly with the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act.”
He announced that his administration was in the process of encouraging the National Assembly to amend aspects of the Constitution in line with the expressed desire of the people, to have a document that would address issues on national development.
“The administration has since set up a Committee, whose mandate is no more than to take a stock of all the issues at stake, arising from previous political reform conferences and inputs by various stakeholders.
“This is about building a new Nigeria, a better and stronger Nigeria, secure and united at home and respected abroad.
“This is the vision that we have encapsulated in the Transformation Agenda. The vigorous and relentless pursuit of the well-thought out objectives of the Agenda is the impetus for our every action.”
On 2012 budget, the President said it provided a solid macro economic framework upon which necessary investment could be made in key sectors of the economy as contained in the Agenda.
While acknowledging that the nation had been having some challenges with threats to national security, due to the activities of “some misguided and criminal elements in the society”, Jonathan said the security agencies had done a lot to contain the threat.
“We are determined to overcome. The war against terror is a global challenge, we are resolved to play our part in tackling this scourge squarely in order to continue to guarantee the sanctity of human life.”
He, however, stressed the need for collaboration and support of all Nigerians, including the media, saying that “whenever a country is challenged, the people have an obligation to bond together.”
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
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.