Business

N200m Loan: Minister Tasks Beneficiaries On Repayment

Published

5 years ago

November 26, 2018

Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, last Saturday tasked beneficiaries of the Kaduna State Women Empowerment Funds (KADWEF Loan) on prompt repayment of the loan to enable others benefit.
Ahmed gave the advice at the launch of the scheme for Zone I, held at the Federal College of Education (FCE), Zaria.
She commended Gov. Nasiru el-Rufa’i for introducing the scheme, saying that it was in line with the programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
She said the Federal Government’s Social Investment Scheme included N-Power Programme where about 18,000 youths from Kaduna State were presently engaged adding that about 585 youths were trained on various skills.
The minister said on N-Power Programme the federal government had spent over N4 billion in Kaduna State, adding that over one million purples of the state were also benefiting from Primary School Feeding Programme.
She said about 12,000 women were engaged in the primary school feeding programme “who on daily bases cook food for the pupils”, adding that the federal government had so far spent N8 billion in Kaduna State.
Ahmed said the third scheme was Government Enterprise Programme (GEP), adding that it was a programme similar to what is being launched today.
“This is a scheme where small loans are disburse to women, youths and men, today in Kaduna we have disbursed N1 billion to 20,000 beneficiaries.
“The fourth scheme is N5,000 assistance being given to less privileged and aged persons every month. So far N13.5 billion is spent on 10,482 people of Kaduna State.”
She reiterated that the Buhari led administration was holistically committed to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians through frantic efforts to change their lives for the better.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Hafsat Mohammed-Baba had said that the planning of the scheme started in 2017 by capturing it in 2018 budget last year.
She said the programme is to assist women, vulnerable persons and physically challenged people with loans to enable them get something doing to become self reliant.
“The notable initiative is designed by Kaduna State Government to improve social welfare of of its people by reducing economic and social vulnerability of the poor, vulnerable and marginalised groups, women and person with disability.
“By the grace of Almighty we are collaborating with Central Bank of Nigeria to disburse a similar gesture specifically to our brothers and sisters who are physically challenged by December this year.
“We want the programme to be all-inclusive so that we can collectively enjoy the dividends of democracy,” Mohammed-Baba noted.
She assured that Gov. El-Rufa’i promised to double the total amount disbursed this year from N200 to N400 million by next year “but only if the beneficiaries pay back the loan as at and when due.”
The commissioner also added that the governor would double it from N400 to N800 million by 2020, adding that by 2021 it would be increased to N1 billion.
The running mate of El-Rufa’i in 2019 general election, Dr Hadiza Abubakar-Balarabe appreciated women for their support to present administration in the state and urged them to sustain the tempo.
“This government is for women, therefore I want to encourage you to give it the necessary support to succeed, I also want to call on all of you to accord special priority to girl-child education.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise beneficiaries were drawn from all the eight Local Government Areas of Northern Kaduna Senatorial District.

Business

Fuel Scarcity: IPMAN threatens shutdown over bridging claims

Published

12 hours ago

May 3, 2024

The Tide

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Depot Chairmen Forum, has exonerated its members from the current fuel scarcity in the country.

According to IPMAN, this is caused by its inability to source petroleum products.

The IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum also threatened to withdraw its services over non-payment of N200 billion bridging claims by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to its members, since 2022.

Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan, the Chairman, of the Forum said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.

Alhassan said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) was the sole importer of the product, but the marketers could not source products from NNPC Ltd. deport, rather from the private depots at high rate.

“We cannot buy fuel from the private depots at N950 and transport the product from Lagos to the North and other parts of the country with N2 million and still sell it at N900 or N1, 000.

“It is expedient for us to state that we are more pained by the non-availability of petroleum products in the country, which has given rise to another round of untold hardship for Nigerians.

“Contrary to claims that IPMAN members are hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel, we would like to categorically state that PMS scarcity is wholly triggered by inability to get fuel from NNPC and not IPMAN,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the NNPC Ltd. Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye said the disruption was due to logistical issues which had since been resolved.

“We currently have an availability of products exceeding 1.5 billion litres, which can last for at least 30 days. Unfortunately, we experienced a three-day disruption in distribution due to logistical issues, which has since been resolved.

“However, as you know, overcoming such disruptions typically requires double the amount of time to return to normal operations.

“Some folks are taking advantage of this situation to maximise profits. Thankfully, product scarcity has been minimal lately, but these folks might be exploiting the situation for unwarranted gain,’’ Soneye said.

He however, said the lines would clear out soon.

On the non-payment of bridging claims, the IPMAN forum said it was distressed and depressed by the laidback attitude of the NMDPRA towards the survival its member’s businesses, arising from its refusal in paying the claims.

“It is with deep frustration that we have assembled here today as the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum. It is also disheartening to note that some of our members have completely shut down businesses and retrenched employees.

“As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running on a daily basis across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria in order to serve the teeming population of Nigerians,’’ Alhassan said.

He recalled that Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), at a stakeholders meeting in February mandated the NMDPRA management to clear the entire debt in 40 days.

“However, today, we have crossed the 40 days’ time lapse given to the NMDPRA to clear the debt, and it is shameful to state that only the paltry sum of N13 billion has been paid, ignoring minister’s directive.

“We are not happy with the indiscriminate increment in the issuance and renewal of Sales and Storage Licence, by the NMDPRA, and the subsequent delays in acquiring the licence, which our members are recently subjected to.

“We are also calling on President Bola Tinubu to look into this unwholesome figure which is highly detrimental to our business and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses.

“We are poised to take far reaching decisions that may cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time.

“We are collectively prepared to withdraw our services, shut down every single outlet, and suspend lifting of products forthwith till our demands are fully met, and the consequences will be terrible.

“We call on our members to however remain resolute and law abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for our demands to be met by the NMDPRA,’’ the chairman said.

Reacting to the IPMAN’s claims, the Acting Head, Corporate Communications, NMDPRA, Seiyefa Osanebi said the bridging claims payment was ongoing.

“The bridging claims payment is always an ongoing process,” she said.

Maritime

Shippers’ Council Registers 160 Port Operators

Published

4 days ago

April 29, 2024

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.

Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.

By: Chinedu Wosu