Column

Mbu’s Removal, Any Implication?

Published

12 years ago

February 24, 2014

Prior to the redeployment of former Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu, some civil society activists and interest groups had ceaselessly demanded his removal over accusation of partisanship and culpability in the state’s political crisis. Yet a few others insisted that he was unbiased and truly professional in the discharge of his duties, and therefore should be retained.
Our Chief Correspondent, Calista Ezeaku and photographer, Dele Obinna sought the views of some residents on the implication of Mbu’s removal on the political situation in the state and expectations from the new police commissioner, Johnson Tunde Ogunsakin.
Excerpts:

Dr Emmanuel Awoala Francis (Network Analyst)
I believe the former Riv
ers State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu was a man of integrity and humanity. And I will advise whoever is taking over from him to take his steps, because considering the political situation in this state, Rivers State is one of those critical states that needs iron hand, otherwise the state will turn to another thing. Take for instance, the issue of APC and PDP, there are different kinds of political manipulations but if you have a formidable security agencies I believe things will become normal.
If you observe some couple of years back, you will find out that the former police commissioners we had, did not work like Mbu. He was formerly in Bayelsa before they transferred him to another place before he came to Rivers State. So they only send him to critical states that have serious challenges in terms of politics, violence and other things and I believe his transfer to Abuja is in readiness for 2015 when many things will be happening in Abuja.
As I said earlier, I expect the new police commissioner, Johnson Ogunsakin to emulate the former police boss in the state. And I believe he will perform well if only he is not carried away with political issues. There is a difference between you coming as a security intelligence and you coming as a personnel. So he has to be in the security intelligence whereby he can utilize his brain to analyse what is going on in the state and find solution to the problems. I want to advise the new commissioner not to allow himself to be used by anybody because if he is a man who loves money, they can influence him with money. But if you are a man of integrity you cannot be bought over with money. He came here for a particular purpose, he should not allow anything to influence him in the discharge of his duties. He should work diligently to protect the image of the Nigerian Police Force.

Mr Zianeh Sylvanus (Teacher)
I don’t think Joseph Mbu’s transfer has any implications on the state. I believe that one being moved from one area of job to another is a normal thing. We know that the state had been on fire because of what the governor thinks the former Commissioner for Police, Mr Mbu, could have been doing. Maybe the man has not been in full agreement with him, the man has not been taking up security issues the way the governor expects. But to me, I think that man has been doing his job. And now that it has come to his being transferred, the new person coming in, I think the other day he said something and the governor also said that he should not be partisan. He should let the police do their duties properly, the police should carry out law and order as it should be. They shouldn’t join APC, they shouldn’t join PDP and all that. So, to me, there is not much about his transfer. It’s normal transfer of person from one duty post to another. Mbu has been transferred, new person has come, so we are also going to watch out to see how he performs his duties.
Most of the problems we’ve been having in the state can be called a misnomer, I don’t believe all the allegations against Mbu are true. But now that Mbu is out, I am thinking that even the governor himself and the others would begin to have trust in the present person that has been brought. Since this person is neutral, this person is not Mbu. And we also believe that he is not going to work as Mbu was working if there has been any area Mbu has been trying to be partisan at all, I cannot testify that. But Mbu has been removed, if he was the cause of the problems, I think the bringing in of the new person will restore some level of peace.
I want the new commissioner to be neutral even as the governor said. Let him not have any political partisanship. Let him not be one sided either for PDP or whatever. It is expected that any political group that wants to hold a rally should obtain police permission. If they should do it, let them be allowed to go on with their rally. But if any group should come up without doing that, let the police also take their stand and say no, these ones are not following the law.
So the agenda for the new police commissioner is simple, let the police look at the law and order position of the state and follow it as such. Let them not begin to consider who is who before they handle their matters.
As I said before, I don’t believe Mbu was responsible for the alleged increase of crime rate in the state or anything. I’m believing that Mbu was trying his best to control the crime rate. And if he was the cause, then let’s expect that as this new man has come in, crime rate will come down. But I’m thinking that the problem with our state is from politicians. The politicians know why they are causing some of these problems. As a matter of fact, if the politicians begin to do their things the way it should be done properly, if they begin to respect themselves and not fight each other, I don’t think there will be any breakdown of law and order.

Mr Elvis Samuel Iboroma (Civil Servant)
I don’t think Mbu’s removal has any implication, although there was demand for his removal. Personally, I knew he would be removed one day. But then, I don’t see Mbu as a bad man Mbu did a very nice job in the state. Now we have a new Police Commissioner, I don’t know his antecedent, but I will expect that he should do a good work and not involve himself in partisan politics. He should remain who he is and give us all the necessary security measures that we need as individuals and a state. The new commissioner should do pure police work. He should not give much of himself to the governor or whoever. Adequate execution of police duties is what we expect from him. He should take all necessary measures to check crime in the state, especially in this present political period.

Mr Ini Hason (Transporter)
I don’t think there is any big deal about Mbu’s transfer. And I will expect and advise the new police commissioner to work hand-in-hand with the governor of the state without any Kata kata. He should do the police work and don’t favour PDP or APC. He should just do his police work. Now I can see many police check points in Mile One. I can see policemen stationed every- where to check crime in this area. Now I can see there is no too much of wahala here. That is very good and should continue.

Mr Zaromen Leicon (Lawyer)
No, not at all, there is no implication of his removal on the state. The thing is that there has been several calls concerning the removal of Mbu because of the political crisis in Rivers State. Some saying he is not acting fairly, some are saying he is acting in accordance with the provisions of the law that is by saying that his duties are okay. So if his removal can bring about peace in Rivers State, there’s no course for alarm. And I want to tell all those people saying that Mbu’s transfer was maybe because he was not favourable to one faction or the other that it’s not like that. As a public servant, there is every tendency that you must be transferred at the appropriate time. So nothing is wrong about his removal.
Some people alleged that Mbu’s presence here was contributing to the political tension in the state. Well I never looked at it that way. But if that was the situation, then another man has come, let us see how he works. And I will encourage everybody to cooperate with him and work with him.
I want to advise the new commissioner to ensure that there is lasting peace in Rivers State. We need peace and nothing more than peace. We don’t need any form or any act of criminality around Port Harcourt and even outside Port Harcourt. Let there be peace everywhere. The governor is the Chief Security Officer of this state and we expect the Commissioner of Police to work in hand with him. The governor should also understand that the commissioner of police is a symbol of police and he should also work with him accordingly. The police commissioner should be neutral in his dealing with various political groups in the state. You know when there is crisis like this, people are bound to talk. You can say anything you like to say. But to the best of my knowledge, the commissioner of police is not a politician, he has nothing to do with politics, so his action is neutral.

Princess Barieeba (Student)
I think the former Commissioner of Police, Mr Mbu, was not doing well in Rivers State because he was being biased. He was favouring one side. But I think the new police commissioner will do well. I will advise the new commissioner to do his work the way that will please Rivers people. He should work cordially with the state governor and carry out his police duties effectively, to protect Rivers State.
He should try not to favour any political group and do his work as a police man. I believe Mbu was the cause of the problem in Rivers State because he was bought over to do what he was doing. Let’s hope there will be peace in the state again as a new man takes over.

Column

Are the Bears Wrong About the Looming Glut in Oil?

Published

1 week ago

September 8, 2025

The Tide

The oil market is oversupplied while demand growth is slowing down. This has become the dominant assumption among oil traders over the past two years, repeatedly reinforced by analyst outlets. Assumptions, however, are often wrong, especially when not based on physical data.

The International Energy Agency’s latest monthly report, for instance, said that the world is facing a record overhang of crude oil, set to unfold in the final quarter of this year and extend into the first months of 2026.

The expected glut was attributed to lower-than-expected oil consumption in several large developing world markets, combined with rising production in both OPEC+ and elsewhere, notably in the United States, Canada, Guyana, and Brazil.

The investment banks also see a glut, as they tend to do unless there is a war breaking out somewhere.

Goldman Sachs recently forecast Brent crude would drop below $55 per barrel next year, citing a supply overhang of 1.8 million barrels daily at the end of this year, very much in tune with the IEA.

Morgan Stanley is more guarded in its forecasts but still assumes abundant supply, as does ING in most of its regular commodity market notes. But there are some exceptions.

One of these has recently been Standard Chartered, which has bucked the trend of doomsaying among oil price forecasters, noting bullish factors that other forecasters either ignore or overlook.

The other is Oxford Energy, which this week released a report taking a close look at the physical oil market. Surprisingly, for many, the physical market does not show evidence of a glut forming anytime soon.

Crude oil inventories are always a good place to start, and that is exactly where Oxford Energy starts, noting that inventories in the OECD have only gained a rather modest 4 million barrels over the first six months of the year.

This modest increase means OECD oil stocks are still substantially below the five-year average, the research outlet noted, adding that the gap with that average was 122 million barrels.

The inventory situation is similar in the United States as well, even though the benchmarks slide every Wednesday when the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports a crude inventory draw.

Over a longer period, however, inventories have trended down, suggesting demand is pretty healthy and the threat of a massive glut may well be a bit exaggerated.

So, what about inventories outside of the OECD and outside of the United States? China, notably, has been building up its oil in storage, taking advantage of discounted sanctioned Russian crude.

Earlier this year, media reports said Chinese crude oil inventories had hit a three-year high, suggesting demand growth was lagging behind refinery processing rates.

There have also been repeated warnings about slowing oil demand in the world’s largest oil importer—even when imports increase and so do processing rates at Chinese refineries.

Oxford Energy notes, however, that since China does not report inventory information, it is difficult to get an accurate number on oil stocks and estimates produced by data trackers vary too widely to offer reliable information.

Another factor to take into account when studying oil price prospects is floating storage, according to the analysts. This boomed in 2020 when lockdowns decimated demand and supply turned excessive.

After the end of the pandemic, oil in floating storage declined before rising again amid Western sanctions on Russia. Still, Oxford Energy notes, the level of oil in floating storage remains below the levels reached in 2022.

Then there is the matter of oil products. If there is too much supply around, some of it would go into storage—including expensive floating storage—but the rest would be turned into fuels and other products.

Once again, all eyes are on China, where another surprise is waiting. Per Kpler data cited by Oxford Energy, oil product exports from China have not gone higher.

They have actually gone down by 10% and remain weak. One reason for this is, of course, government quota-setting. Another, however, may well be healthy demand for fuels at home.

As the oil market awaits OPEC’s next meeting to start exiting its positions in anticipation of that glut, it may be wise to keep the physical market in mind, along with the fact that the IEA has repeatedly had to revise its own forecasts as physical world data comes in and refutes them.

More interesting, however, is this quote from a recent note from ING analysts: “The scale of the surplus through next year means it’s unlikely the group [OPEC+] will bring additional supply onto the market.

“The bigger risk is OPEC+ deciding to reinstate supply cuts, given concerns about a surplus.”

If there is a massive surplus on the way, any new cuts from OPEC+ should have a limited effect on prices, just as they did over the past two years. But maybe that massive surplus is not so certain, after all.

Column

Renewable Energy Faces Looming Workforce Crisis

Published

1 month ago

August 18, 2025

The Tide

Despite a discouraging political climate and unprecedented uncertainty in the United States clean energy sector, low costs of wind and solar energy continue to drive growth of the domestic clean energy sector.

However, while market forces continue to support the expansion of renewable energy capacity, the sector faces critical challenges extending beyond the antagonism of the Trump administration.

The continued growth of solar and wind power risks being hampered by several mitigating factors, including (but not limited to) intensifying competition over increasingly scarce suitable land plots, stressed and volatile global supply chains, lengthy and unpredictable development processes, Complex and overlapping permitting processes, and a critical talent gap.

The renewable energy labor shortage has been years in the making, but is no less closer to resolution. The issue spans both white collar and blue collar positions, and threatens to kneecap progress in the booming sector.

Between the years of 2011 and 2030, it is expected that global levels of installed wind and solar capacity will quadruple. Analysis from McKinsey & Company concludes that “this huge surge in new wind and solar installations will be almost impossible to staff with qualified development and construction employees as well as operations and maintenance workers.

“It’s unclear where these employees will come from in the future,” the McKinsey report goes on to say.

He continued that “There are too few people with specialized and relevant expertise and experience, and too many of them are departing for other companies or other industries.”

The solar and wind industries are suffering from a lack of awareness of career paths and opportunities, despite their well-established presence in domestic markets.

Emergent clean energies face an even steeper uphill battle. Geothermal energy, for example, is poised for explosive growth as one of vanishingly few carbon-free energy solutions with broad bipartisan support, but faces a severe talent gap and punishingly low levels of awareness in potential talent pools.

But while the outlook is discouraging, industry insiders argue that it’s too soon to sound the alarms. In fact, a recent report from Utility Drive contends that “solutions to the energy talent gap are hiding in plain sight.”

The article breaks down those solutions into four concrete approaches: building partnerships with educators, formulating Registered Apprenticeship pathways, updating credential requirements to reflect real-world needs, and rethinking stale recruitment strategies.

Targeting strategic alliances with educational institutions is a crucial strategy for creating a skilled workforce, particularly in emerging sectors like geothermal energy.

Businesses can, for example, partner with and sponsor programs at community colleges, creating a pipeline for the next generation of skilled workers. Apprenticeships serve a similar purpose, encouraging hands-on learning outside of the classroom. Such apprenticeships can apply to white collar positions as well as blue collar roles.

“If we can figure out a way to educate the younger generation that you can actually have a career that you can be proud of and help solve a problem the world is facing, but also work in the extractive industry, I think that could go a long way,” said Jeanine Vany, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Canadian geothermal firm Eavor, speaking about the geothermal energy talent gap.

These approaches won’t solve the talent gap overnight – especially as political developments may discourage would-be jobseekers from placing their bets on a career in the renewables sector. But they will go a long way toward mitigating the issue.

“The clean energy transition depends on a workforce that can sustain it,” reports Utility Drive. “To meet the hiring challenges, employers will benefit from looking beyond the next position to fill and working toward a strategic, industry-wide vision for attracting talent.”

By: Haley Zaremba

Column

Is It End For Lithium’s Reign As Battery King?

Published

2 months ago

August 1, 2025

The Tide

Lithium-ion batteries power the world around us. Their prevalence in our daily life is growing steadily, to the extent that lithium-ion batteries now power a whopping 70 percent of all rechargeable devices.

From electric vehicles to smartphones to utility-scale energy storage, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly forming the building blocks of innumerable sectors.

But despite its dominance in battery technologies, there are some serious issues with lithium supply chains that make it a less-than-ideal model upon which to base our world.

Not only is extracting lithium often extremely environmentally damaging, it’s deeply intertwined with geopolitical pressure points. China controls a huge portion of global lithium supply chains, rendering markets highly vulnerable to shocks and the political will of Beijing.

China’s control is particularly strong in the case of electric vehicle batteries, thanks to a decade-long strategy to outcompete the globe.

“For over a decade, China has meticulously orchestrated a strategic ascent in the global electric vehicle (EV) batteries market, culminating in a dominance that now presents a formidable challenge to Western manufacturers,” reports EE Times.

The effect functions as “almost a moat” around Chinese battery production, buffering the sector against international competition.

The multiple downsides and risks associated with lithium and lithium-ion battery sourcing is pushing EV companies to research alternative battery models to power the electric cars of the future.

There are a litany of lithium alternatives in research and development phases, including – but not limited to – lead, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, sodium nickel chloride, lithium metal polymer, sodium-ion, lithium-sulfur, and solid state batteries.

Solid state batteries seem to be the biggest industry darling. Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte as a barrier and conductor between the cathode and anode.

These batteries don’t necessarily do away with lithium, but they can eliminate the need for graphite – another critical mineral under heavy Chinese control. Plus, solid state batteries are purported to be safer, have higher energy density, and recharge faster than lithium-ion batteries.

While solid-state batteries are still in development, they’re already being tested in some applications by car companies. Mercedes and BMW claim that they are already road-testing vehicles powered by solid-state batteries, but it will likely be years before we see them in any commercial context.

Subaru is on the verge of testing solid-state batteries within its vehicles, but is already employing a smaller form of the technology to power robots within its facilities.

However, while solid-state batteries are being hailed as a sort of holy grail for battery tech, some think that the promise – and progress – of solid-state batteries is overblown.

“I think there’s a lot of noise in solid state around commercial readiness that’s maybe an exaggeration of reality”, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said during an interview on this week’s Plugged-In Podcast.

Sodium ion batteries are also a promising contender to overtake lithium-ion batteries in the EV sector. Sodium is 1,000 times more abundant than lithium.

“It’s widely available around the world, meaning it’s cheaper to source, and less water-intensive to extract”, stated James Quinn, the CEO of U.K.-based Faradion. “It takes 682 times more water to extract one tonne of lithium versus one tonne of sodium.That is a significant amount.”

Bloomberg projections indicate that sodium-ion could displace 272,000 tons of lithium demand as soon as 2035.

But even this does not signal the death of lithium. Lithium is simply too useful in battery-making. It’s energy-dense and performs well in cold weather, making it “indispensable for high-performance applications” according to EV World.

“The future isn’t lithium or sodium—it’s both, deployed strategically across sectors…the result is a diversified, resilient battery economy.”

By: Haley Zaremba