Business

Street Traders Hail RSG For Extension Of Quit Notice

Published

5 years ago

April 13, 2018

Some street traders in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital have commended the state government for extending the April 11, 2018 deadline given them to vacate the streets and major roads in the city.
A mobile street trader, Magnus Abak thanked the governor for heeding their pleas, describing Governor Nyesom Wike as a kind man and prayed God to preserve his life.
Another trader on Aggrey Road, who claims to be the Public Relations Officer of the Union of Traders along that axis of town, Roseline Obeta, in her response also hailed the move by the governor to extend the deadline to vacate the roads.
Obeta, however, stated that it was not enough to extend deadline when no alternatives have been provided.
According to her, “seven days are not enough, where can we get market stalls or shops within seven days even when we do find the shops, what about the money to pay for such shops and stalls?”
She appealed to the government to give them until the completion of the second phase of the ongoing construction of the Rumuwoji, Mile I market.
Chairperson of the Mile 3 Market Women Association, Ndidi Orlu, however, frowned against the extension, saying that it would not make any difference to the street traders.
Orlu noted that there are many vacant stalls in the major markets in Port Harcourt, but these street traders preferred to display their wares in the open streets to avoid paying taxes and other levies accruable to the state.
Additionally, she said most of the street traders are non-indigenes who would not want to contribute to the development of the state stressing, “they do not want to pay levies like sanitation levies to the state, yet they contribute hugely to the environmental degradation and huge refuse littering the street of Port Harcourt.”
The state government had through the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barr Emma Okah announced after the state Executive Council Meeting, Wednesday, that the council had approved the extension of the vacate-the-streets deadline which elapsed on Wednesday.
Okah, while briefing newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting, noted that the extension was as a result of pleas from the traders to give them more time.
The commissioner informed however, that approval has also been given for the recruitment of 2,000 young men that would work with the state government to stop illegal street trading in Port Harcourt and its environs.

Tonye Nria-Dappa

Business

Aviation Workers Issue Strike Notice To NiMET

Published

1 day ago

February 6, 2023

The Tide

Aviation workers unions have given a 14-day notice of strike to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) for failure to implement consequencial adjustment wage for its workers.
This, consequently, means another round of disruption in the aviation industry as three workers’ unions have threatened to ground operations at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency over the wages, and failure to implement the minimum consequential adjustment wage.
The unions, which include the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees.
The unions in a letter of notice of strike, which was made available to aviation correspondents, gave the agency’s management a 14-day ultimatum to implement the minimum wage adjustment or they would embark in strike action.
This is also coming barely a week after the workers of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC( NAHCO) downed their tools over wages.
The strike notice to NiMET is also coming up in the sector, irrespective of the recent order given by the ministry of aviation, prohibiting any form of strike in the sector, as aviation industry is viewed as essential service.
The unions have accused the NIMET’s management of ‘wickedness’ over its failure to implement the minimum wage consequential adjustment despite its implementation in other five aviation agencies in the sector, since February 2022.

The letter dated January 26, 2023, was jointly signed by the General Secretary, NUATE, Ocheme Aba; the General Secretary AUPCTRE, Sikiru Waheed; and the General Secretary of ANAP, Abdul Rasaq Saidu, and was addressed to the Director-General of NiMET.

By: Corlins Walter

Business

New Seme Customs Controller Vows To Sustain Tempo

Published

1 day ago

February 6, 2023

The Tide

The newly deployed Area Controller, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Border Command, Compt. Dera Nnadi, has assumed duty with a pledge to sustain and improve tempo of trade facilitation at Nigeria’s busiest land frontier.
Speaking at a brief handover ceremony, Nnadi, who described Nigeria as a strategic economic player in Africa, said schemes like ongoing ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and soon to take off African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would be explored for common good.
According to the new CAC, Nigeria’s economy is central to the West African sub-region with a population of over 200 million, with the country having potentials to contribute to the over 1billion African population through the AfCFTA regime
He urged his operatives, other government agencies, members of the border community and travellers to embrace challenges of trans border trade and comply with the law guiding trans border trade all the time.
Nnadi, who noted that border communities have challenges that are not insurmountable, added that there is need to cover infrastructural gaps that will improve their standards of living and promote lawful sources of livelihood.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, he advised his officers to be polite to travellers and traders using the Seme corridor and be firm in curbing any form of lawlessness.
He said his experience and knowledge from previous assignments across the border and his academic exposures will be deployed to border administration
While promising to interact closely with traditional rulers and other members of the border area, he solicited closer stakeholder interactions at strategic and operational levels.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Kaduna Refinery Rehabilitation: NNPCL, Daewoo Sign N342bn Deal

Published

1 day ago

February 6, 2023

The Tide

A contract sum of $740.67million has been signed between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited for the rehabilitation of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC).
A release from the NNPCL revealed that the signed contract of $740.67million (N341.48billion as at Friday’s official exchange rate of N461.04/$) was signed at the Abuja headquarters of NNPC, and will last for 21 months.
According to the release, the quick-fix strategy would see to the repairs and re-streaming of KRPC, as well as ensure its operation on a sustainable basis at a minimum capacity utilisation of 60 per cent.
In the released statement, the Executive Vice President of the downstream of the national firm, Adeyemi Adetunji, was quoted as saying that the contract is marked a milestone in the history of KRPC, considering the fact that the last Turn Around Maintenance on the refinery occurred about 15 years ago, and that the project was framed after extensive engagement with Daewoo.
“This project shall be executed in three work packages as a maintenance services contract by Daewoo E&C Nigeria Limited at an estimated maximum cost ceiling of $740,669,600, with a duration of 21 months.
”The quick-fix strategy guarantees the fastest route to re-streaming Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and KRPC for in-country production of refined petroleum products.
“Restoring WRPC and KRPC back to operation will guarantee energy security for the country, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products in view of near total dependence on supply of imported petroleum products and the impact the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is having on global supply”.
“The proposed quick-fix initiative on KRPC is expected to restore it to a minimum of 60 per cent of its nameplate capacity by fourth quarter of 2024. NNPC Limited is using a combination of Internally Generated Revenue and third party financing to execute the repairs of the refineries”, he stated.
Also in the release, Adetunji noted that the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company had progressed considerably.
”The old refinery is currently at 64 per cent completed and the plant is expected be back in operation in second quarter of 2023, while the entre PHRC rehabilitation project currently stands at about 59 per cent.
“On the other hand, WRPC quick-fix project has achieved 28 per cent completion and is expected to be re-streamed by the end of this year”, it stated.
The statement further maintained that Nigeria should be self sufficient this year with respect to the domestic production of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.

By: Corlins Walter