Nation
We Generated N2trn For Nigeria In 2020,DPR DG Confirms
The Director-General of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Engr. Sarki Auwalu has disclosed that the department generated N2trillion for the country in 2020, despite the downturn in the oil and gas industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Auwalu, who made this disclosure in Abuja, yesterday at the 2021 Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Oloibiri Lecture Series, said the DPR has grown to become a business enabler for the industry in Nigeria.
This year’s edition of the OLEF, the 30th in the series, had the theme: Operational Excellence and Portfolio Optimization, a way forward for the oil and gas industry post-Covid-19.
Auwalu, who noted that the business environment in the industry remained fragile, charged operators to eliminate inefficiencies by reducing cost, building partnerships and entrenching collaboration in the industry.
He said the department currently runs a progressive regulatory regime that incentives compliance and reward performance rather than place emphasis on infractions and penalties.
“Like I usually say to my colleagues, we want more royalties, not penalties; we want to see compliance kudos rather than non-compliance notices; we want to catch our duty holders doing something right not something wrong. In fact, our aim is to ensure that regulations and industry guidelines are issued and applied in a manner that reflects good oil field practise, internationally acceptable standards and are responsive to challenging and changing industry dynamics and global realities”, he added.
Auwalu stated that DPR has consistently exceeded the government’s revenue target by embracing systems and processes that ensure transparency and accountability in oil and gas revenue generation, computation, collection and reconciliation, as well as legacy debts recovery.
“Last year alone”, he stated, “We have generated over N2trillion for this country and we intend to exceed this value for this year”.
In his state of the industry address, the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva reiterated the Federal Government commitment to fully deregulate the downstream sector of the petroleum industry with a market-driven price of premium motor spirit, petrol.
Sylva whose address was presented by his Chief of Staff, Engr. Moses Olamide urged the SPE members to brace up to play a crucial role in the industry with the expected passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), this year.
Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari said the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has led the oil and gas industry into cost-cutting and survival strategies.
Represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, Engr. Adokiye Tombomieye, Mallam Kyari observed that “the industry was forced to curtail spending as it grappled with the challenges of sustaining current production levels, drilling operations, funding future growth and maintaining positive cash flow.
“There have also been declining investments in oil and gas explorations which will further affect the growth in the market”, he added.
He pointed out that in Nigeria, “the focus has been on increasing oil production, growing domestic gas utilization and maturing hydrocarbon reserves to generate revenue for the nation.
“We are also determined to increase downstream market share to guarantee energy security, investment in petrochemicals and fertilizer plants, promote the use of CNG and LPG as auto-fuels and increase domestic refining capacity”.
Nation
JAMB Decries Use Of Fake Results For Admission
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has decried the high level of forgery of A Level certificates used for the registration.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who raised the alarm, recalled that the Board had commenced the 2023 Direct Entry registration on Monday, 20th February but immediately suspended it following the discovery of the plethora of devices and machinations to circumvent and compromise the standard of A ‘level qualifications required from DE candidates.
He disclosed that out of 148 candidates verified by Bayero University Kano (BUK), only 6 were found to be genuine.
“By implication 142 of the results were forged. Oloyede said. Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has also consistently brought to the fore the high rate of forgery of A’Level qualifications for DE.
“It was discovered that in previous years, some candidates used unacceptable and forged A’ level certificates/ qualifications to register for Direct Entry and eventually got admitted. For example out of 148 candidates verified by BUK, only 6 were found to be genuine. By implication 142 of the results were forged.
“The Board, concerned stakeholders and institutions are working assiduously to detect such and the ones already found are being dealt with according to the provisions of the law.
“In order to further checkmate the anomaly and to also prevent recurrence of such irregularity, the Board has decided that the 2023 DE registrations will not only be restricted to JAMB (Professional Test Centres (PTCs) but will also be done under strict supervision,” Oloyode said.
“The Board has provided additional guidelines to all DE registration outlets (JAMB-owned centres), Officers of the Board and candidates on the 2023 Direct Entry registration exercise:
“At the point of registration, all candidates must fill in Registration/Matriculation Number of the previous school attended where the qualification was obtained; Subject(s) of qualification; Awarding Institution; Institution actually attended”, he said.
Nation
‘Nigerians Have Lost Confidence, Trust In INEC’
As post-election crisis gathers momentum, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Nigeria’s 2023 general elections has declared that Nigerians have lost confidence and trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) owing to lack of transparency and operational failures.
The EU EOM Chief Observer, Barry Andrews, made the assertion at a Media Briefing to present the Mission’s second preliminary reports, in Abuja, Monday.
Andrews noted that although Nigerians had great appetite for democracy and keen to engage in various civic activities, their expectations were dashed.
According to him, the apathy recorded at the governorship and states House of Assembly elections conducted last Saturday was a clear consequence of failures by political elites and “unfortunately, INEC.”
Andrews said: “Obstruction and organised violence limited the free expression of the will of the voters, despite efforts by civil society to promote democratic standards.
“Throughout the Mission, we saw that Nigerians have a great appetite for democracy and are keen to engage in various civic activities. However, in many parts of the country, their expectations were not met.
“Many were disappointed and we witnessed voter apathy that is in part, a clear consequence of failures by political elites, and unfortunately, also by INEC.
“Positively, INEC introduced some corrective measures ahead of Saturday’s polls, allowing a timely delivery of sensitive materials and improved use of election technologies, yet, the institution continued to lack transparency.”
The Mission also observed that voting started early with INEC ad-hoc officials present and ready to serve voters, but the exercise was unfortunately, disrupted by “multiple incidents of thuggery and intimidation of voters, polling officials, observers, and journalists”.
The Mission noted that Lagos, Kano, and other States in the Southern, Northern and Central parts of the country were mostly affected, adding that the election was equally characterised by casualties, fatalities, as well as vote-buying, which according to the observers, further detracted from an appropriate conduct of elections.
“EU EOM observers also saw misuse of administrative resources, including through various financial and in-kind inducements to voters, giving an undue advantage to the party in power.
“Furthermore, the protracted deadlines for candidacy disputes created uncertainty for voters and electoral contestants alike, while clear underrepresentation of women as candidates demonstrated a stark lack of internal party policies to support constitutionally prescribed inclusion
Nation
‘Youths To Benefit From Climate Change Innovation Hub’
The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Sani Tambuwal, has expressed optimism that the recently established National Climate Change Innovation Hub would help in harnessing the potential among Nigerian youths towards addressing climate issues.
The CNA stated this during the commemoration of the 2023 Commonwealth Day with the theme ‘Forging A Sustainable And Peaceful Common Future’ held at the instance of National Assembly management, in Abuja, Monday.
Represented by the Deputy Clerk, National Assembly (DCNA), Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, Tambuwal observed that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and other climate issues in the world if not properly managed, would posed great danger to world peace and a sustainable future.
He assured that Federal Government had put measures in place to address some issues on climate change through the establishment of youth climate change hub to harness their ideas and include them in decision-making process as well as develop long-term vision for zero gas emissions.
In her presentation, Mrs. Rabi Audu stressed the need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders towards forging a sustainable and peaceful environment.
Audu also urged the youths to engage in activities and programmes that would promoter innovations and inclusivity for all.
According to her, governments and parliaments have to increase opportunities for schools across the Commonwealth countries, adopt higher education partnerships and development programmes that would lead to economic growth, social inclusion and environmental conservation.
While noting that the establishment of more programmes like the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) would aid the attainment of these, Audu further stressed the need for Commonwealth member countries to establish technical and vocational education that would help in gainfully equipping the youths with skills to further tackle high rate of youth unemployment.
Some of the students who participated in the programme tasked parliaments across Commonwealth member States on the need to hold their governments to account particularly on the areas of public spending, international crisis, investment sustainability and promotion of the benefits of inclusive and diverse representation in truly open societies.
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