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We’ll Provide Favourable Business Environment, RSG Reassures Investors
The Rivers State Government has reiterated that it would continue to provide the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state.
The State Chief Executive, Chief Nyesom Wike stated this during the launch of the Nigerian Barite at Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, the governor said, “Rivers State is safe and secure as ever, it is developing, growing and expanding, we are creating roads and bridges to ensure that the means of transportation is perfect and without any stress”.
Wike, who noted that the launch of the Nigerian Barite was a very important point in the national agenda, as regards economic development, congratulated the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite for the reforms in the mining and metal sector, the industrial road map as well as the open market strategy under his watch.
The governor, who expressed the hope that funding would not be a challenge, said, “There is no point doing this launching if at the end of the day it will be short changed because of lack of funds, we really need to find the funds for things that are important for our development as a nation. For our economy, we are talking about jobs, we are talking about unemployment; this is what will take these things off our tables”.
In his address, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite said, “The bag of Barite we are presenting here today meets the American Petroleum Institute standard which was the global benchmark accepted by the oil industry, adding that Barite was among the seven strategic minerals designated for top priority development by his ministry.
According to him, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development was also commissioning an open market place portal, which would connect all stakeholders along the Barite value chain.
Launching the Nigerian Barite, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, expressed delight that there was an alignment on the objective of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in supporting the attainment of goals and aspirations of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
Wabote, who said the NCDMB fully supports the initiative of launching the Nigerian Barite, urged various ministries and parastatals to emulate the model while adding that the synergy between all ministries working toward the same goal would yield more results more than anything else.
The embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa has alleged that the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi and the party’s suspended National Chairman, Julius Abure, on Wednesday, sponsored thugs against him (Apapa) at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, venue of the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC.
Apapa was reportedly mobbed by some angry youths who were at the court to witness proceedings in the petition that Obi filed to challenge the outcome of the presidential election that held on February 25.
Speaking on the development, in an exclusive interview with The Tide source on Wednesday, the factional National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abayomi Arabambi, said he was surprised that this was how Obi, Abure and their supporters intended to come at them.
He said, “They attacked some police. They were fighting with press men. It was the security operatives that saved us. They came there to kill today (Wednesday) and we will definitely petition the police.”
When asked to provide evidence, Arabambi said, “We have the video now, the man that removed the cap of Apapa, we know him. We know them. We know all of them.
“We were together in the court when they started attacking us. Are they not Obidients, are they not shouting Obidients, shouting: Thief Thief on us!”
“It shows the character of who that man is. He can not even govern a local government,” he added.
The spokesperson of the Labour Party, has, however, insisted that they will petition the Inspector General of Police over the incident.
After an additional week in the United Kingdom, where he had gone to attend the coronation of King Charles III, President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria.
The President’s aircraft touched down at 4:45 pm yesterday, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja from where he was flown to the Presidential Villa in a chopper.
President Buhari left Nigeria on May 3 for the UK to participate in the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and his Queen Consort, Camilla, of the United Kingdom.
He was initially billed to return to Abuja within the week but had to extend his stay for an additional week to enable him to honour an appointment with his dentist.
Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, announced Buhari’s decision to stay another week in London in a statement.
“President Muhammadu Buhari will be in London, United Kingdom, for an additional week, at the behest of his dentist, who has started attending to him.
“The specialist requires to see the President in another five days for a procedure already commenced.
“President Buhari had joined other world leaders to attend the coronation of King Charles lll on May 6, 2023,” the statement said.
Buhari is expected to hand over the reins of power to his successor and political ally, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29th.
Already the Presidential Villa is taking a new shape as the maintenance officers are effecting necessary repairs of the seat of power.
Hyde Energy Limited, a global petroleum-trading company with a downstream network in Nigeria, has revealed plans to relaunch Luminor, one of the company’s automotive lubricants.
The Chief Executive and founder of Hyde Energy, Olademeji Edwards, disclosed this recently at a media parley held in Lagos.
Hyde Energy operates across the value chain of the energy industry, and deals with the importation of petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Gasoil, Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), Jet Fuel, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), automotive lubricants, and Naphtha.
Speaking with the press, Mr. Olademeji said in the next six months, Hyde Energy would be performing a relaunch of its Luminor brand and other products.
“The Hyde Luminor brand is a fantastic brand and has infiltrated the hearts of a few Nigerians.
“We launched that particular lubricant in 2017, and in our first year we sold five thousand litres in a quarter; today we are doing almost three thousand litres in a month, which is not a lot compared to other companies.
“But in the next six months, we are performing a relaunch of our products. We are going launching new labels, new bottles, and a new winning strategy coming into Lagos.
“We have not really been popular in Lagos; we have mostly been operating in the Southeast, Abuja, East and Calabar, which is where we get most of our volumes.
“But you will be hearing more and more of the Hyde Luminor brand going forward in weeks and months ahead, and we will enter into partnership with key people that would help us penetrate the market, and work with stockiest, so they can enjoy and know about us”, he said.