City Crime
FG Launches Locally Made Barite To Enhance Oil & Gas Drilling
The Federal Government of Nigeria, as part of efforts to boost the nation’s economic growth, has launched made-in-Nigeria Barite, as a way to enhancing oil and gas drilling in the country, last Thursday.
Performing the launching in Port Harcourt, the Minister of Mines and Steel, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite, said barite was one of the seven strategic minerals designated for top priority development by the ministry, adding that the initiative is poised to save the country millions of dollars spent importing barite.
Adegbite said the ministry would commission an open market place portal that will connect all stakeholders along the Barite value chain to a hub that allows for easy coordination, stocking, effective costing and seamless sale of Barite.
The minister also said President Muhammadu Buhari has been unwavering in the support to the development of solid minerals sector.
“We have facilitated the development of an industrial mineral roadmap to optimize Nigeria’s industrial minerals to meet the standards of the manufacturing, industrial and construction industry so as to reduce import dependency. The desire to facilitate local production of these minerals was geared towards conserving foreign exchange and creating jobs and wealth for the citizenry. Some of these minerals include calcium carbonate, kaolin, barite, gypsum, mica etc.
“With improved funding, spurred by the visionary leadership of Mr. President, we have recorded remarkable results and progress with the roadmap objectives, which is evident in the launch of the Nigerian barite today.
“A major component of this initiative is the promotion of local content in the production, quality assurance and sale of Barite. I am aware that the bags of barite we are presenting today meets the American Petroleum Institute standard, which is the global bench mark accepted by the oil industry.”
Also speaking, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, commended the Ministry for putting the country among barite producing nations.
Emefiele, represented by his Special Adviser, Anthony Ifechukwu, affirmed that the era of sourcing for foreign exchange for importation of barite was over, while pledging the support of CBN to the development of solid mineral sector.
“I am particularly excited by the fact that the product we are launching today is called the “Nigerian Barite”, a brand I am optimistic will soon develop to be a dominant force in the barite space in Africa and even beyond. The benefits of this exercise cannot be overemphasized as Nigeria will now be a barite-producing country thereby bolstering our capacity to meet the needs of oil and gas fims in the supply chain.
“This activity will not only create jobs but will alleviate poverty, create new specialized skills and ultimately grow our economy’s GDP. The multiplier effect on incomes and indirect jobs also makes this programme a game changer for the economy especially as we enter the post covid-19 era.
“My presence here today is an affirmation ot our support for the development of the solid strategic mineral sector. This historic launch is not only important to us at the CBN but quite timely because we have on our part been engaging with stakeholders in the mining industry,” he said
Continue Reading
Workers in the nation’s telecommunication-s industry, under the aegis of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association, PTECSSAN, will today begin an indefinite nationwide strike over sack, and poor working conditions, among others.
Among the employees going on strike include field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff.
There are fears that the strike could disrupt telecommunications services nationwide if not resolved quickly.
The Tide’s source gathered that PTECSSAN, has pending issues with no fewer than 39 telecoms servicing companies including the sack of three of its members by Specific Tools & Technology Limited.
The 39 companies provide critical support services to the telecommunications operators in the country.
The Tide’s source was informed that the union had earlier given a seven-day strike notice to the affected companies to address its demands or risk indefinite strike.
Among PTECSSAN’s demands include immediate recognition of the fundamental right of the employees to freely associate with the union, immediate recognition of the union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare and immediate remittance of membership dues into the union’s account as earlier provided.
The demands equally are immediate recognition of the years of service of these workers, immediate commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, immediate approval of the National Health Insurance Scheme that covers the employees, their spouses and four of their dependents, immediate enrolment of Union members in the Group Life Insurance as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act 2004, Section 9(3).
The union is also demanding immediate implementation of leave and leave allowance in accordance with the international best practices, immediate negotiation on review of salaries of the workers to meet the economic reality in the country today, and immediate provision Operational Vehicles or in the alternative immediate negotiation on review of the Self Drive/Self Rental to meet the economic reality in the country today.
Also in the union’s demands are immediate stoppage of 24-hour job and introduction of work hours in line with the international best practices, immediate stoppage of work overload (combining passive tasks to theirs) on the workers, and immediate adherence to occupational health and safety for the workers in line with international best practices.
Announcing the commencement of strike, General Secretary of PTECSSAN Abdullahi Okonu said “We have made every effort to engage with employers, but our legitimate demands have been disregarded.
“This strike is a last resort to protect our members’ rights and well-being. We urge the public to understand our position and support our struggle for fair treatment.”
While pleading with Nigerians to bear with the Union throughout the period of the strike, PTECSSAN “assures that it will engage with employers and the government to resolve the issues, but the strike will continue until their demands are met.”