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Explosion: Community Wants Firm Punished …NNPC, Aiteo React
The community leadership in Nembe, Bayelsa State, yesterday urged the oil and gas industry regulators to wield the big stick against Aiteo Exploration Ltd over alleged poor handling of an explosion within OML 29.
Our correspondent reports that an explosion occurred last Friday along the 97 kilometre Nembe Creek Trunk line, discharging unascertained volume of crude and gas into the environment.
Although Aiteo officials confirmed the incident on Saturday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) insisted that there was no record of explosion in Nembe.
Spokesman of Nembe Chiefs Council ,Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, said that the NNPC was misled because Aiteo did not report the incident to Joint Venture partners as required by law.
James-Eriworio said that Nembe communities were shocked at the statement from NNPC and urged the corporation to sanction Aiteo for concealing the incident.
He said that the failure to report the incident had caused the entire oil industry an avoidable embarrassment.
“Nembe Chiefs Council calls on NNPC to sanction Aiteo Company for concealing a high level of leakage and a gas explosion at their facility at Nembe Creek.
“It is an offence by law for an Oil Producing Company not to report such incident to NOSDRA and other relevant agencies for verification and necessary action.
“As a Community (Kingdom), we will not take it kindly for exposing our indigenes to environmental and health danger.
“We will not hesitate to call for the revocation of Aiteolicence.
“What happened at Nembe Creek near Well Seven is unacceptable and seen as a gross abuse of environmental rules and regulations.
“We urge the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and others to visit the site of the incident for confirmation and for the record,” James-Eriworio said.
Aiteo officials said that the resulting fire from the explosion which burned till Saturday, had been put out and no loss of life was recorded.
The incident on NCTL, with a capacity of conveying 150,000 barrels of crude daily to the Bonny oil export terminal, will adversely affect crude export, having been put out of use.
The Public Relations Manager of Aiteo, MrNdiana-Abasi Mathew, had confirmed the incident to the newsmen on Saturday.
“There is no official statement at the moment but I can gladly inform you that the fire has been contained and no lives were lost,” Mathew said.
Our correspondent reports that the oil export line was shut for emergency repairs, following a leak when the incident occurred and discharged residual crude and gas trapped in the pipeline.
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in 2015, divested its equity in OML 29 and transferred its interest in NCTL for $1.7 billion to Aiteo, an indigenous Oil and Gas Exploration and Production firm.
Community sources at Nembe have bemoaned negative impact of the explosion, saying that the incident led to both gas leakage and oil spill compelling them to flee.
An official of NOSDRA, Mr Francis Ume, said that that the agency was yet to be notified of the incident by the operator of the oilfield where the incident occurred.
Ume, who heads the Bayelsa Office of NOSDRA, said that plans had reached advanced stage to visit the site for assessment.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it has no record of pipeline explosion in Nembe, Bayelsa, as being reported in some quarters.
Mr Ndu Ughamadu, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, on Saturday.
No fewer than 50 people were reported to be missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused stampede in Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa, according to the spokesperson of the community’s council of chiefs, MrNengi James-Eriworii.
He said the blast which happened in the early hours last Friday caused massive oil spillage in the community.
“ It is not our pipeline, it is Aiteo that was mentioned, which ordinarily they are supposed to be on joint venture with NNPC.
“I have cross-checked with our downstream unit that manages our pipeline and they said that they didn’t have such records,” he said.
But, Aiteo Exploration Ltd, operator of the 97 kilometres Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL), confirmed that there was an explosion at the creek which burned till Saturday.
Public Relations Manager of Aiteo, Mr Ndiana-Abasi Mathew, confirmed the incident to newsmen in a phone message on Saturday.
“There is no official statement at the moment but I can gladly inform you that the fire has been contained and no lives were lost,” Mathew said.
Spokesperson of the Nembe Chiefs Council, Chief Nengi James–Eriworio, also confirming the incident, said the explosion caused massive destruction of the area with air and water heavily polluted.
“People have deserted the area and the company has refused to respond in spite of series of emergency calls to report the incident to them
“As at early morning of Saturday, the fire is still raging. And with gas and crude leak flowing freely, you can then imagine the fate of our people.
“The poor response of Aiteo to this incident is not acceptable and questionable. The people are traumatised and their health put at risk,” James-Eriworio said.
According to him, oil leak from the line has covered the surface of the nearby river, making it unsafe for navigation and artisanal fishing vocation of the people.
James-Eriworio also appealed to the Federal Government and oil industry regulatory agencies to intervene and investigate and respond to salvage the people.
“We are concerned that Aiteo, despite the clandestine acquisition of the asset from SPDC without due consultation with the people, has continued to undermine the economic rights of the people.
“We are worried about the poor response and attitude of the company towards the host communities in Nembe.
“They have abused the rights of the people. We are ready to drag the company before the National Assembly and the Presidency,” James-Eriworio said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.