Connect with us

News

Andoni LG Boss Impounds 100 Drums Of Illegally Refined Products

Published

on

The Chairman of Andoni Local Government Area in Rivers State, Barrister Erastus Awortu, has confiscated over 100 drums of illegally refined petroleum products in the area while lamenting their adverse effects on the environment.
Awortu made this known, last Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, while briefing newsmen on activities of the council’s Petroleum Task Force in the fight against oil bunkering.
He stressed the readiness of the task force to tackle the illegal crude oil trade in the creeks of Andoni, adding that the move by the council became imperative to save the fast-eroding fishing business of the people.
According to him, the fishing business of the people has been grossly affected, leaving a once economically-viable area with no distinct possibility for recovery.
He noted that on assumption of office, a Committee on Petroleum was constituted with a mandate to oversee oil companies and to ensure Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was adhered to.
The committee was to check infringements on the rights and livelihoods of communities.
The council boss said that a recent directive by Governor Nyesom Wike to the 23 local council chairmen to expose all illegal crude oil refineries in their areas was a morale boost to the existing Petroleum Committee of the council.
“In line with the governor’s directive, we immediately set up a task force to enable us track sites used for illegal refineries with a view of eliminating them. I went with the team through some of the creeks, and we discovered some bunkering sites.
“Andoni is very strategic in this illegal trade not in terms of numbers of illegal refineries but because so many crude oil pipeline connectivity traverses the creeks and our water bodies.
“Indeed, major distribution of crude oil source feeding illegal refineries which spike the trending challenge of soot within the state and beyond could be traced to oil theft activities in Andoni creeks,” he said.
Awortu commended the security operatives for their collaboration during the exercise where over 100 drums of illegally-refined fuel were impounded.
He also urged them to step up actions against perpetrators to curb the menace.
“Security agencies have a lot of work to do to protect the Federal Government pipelines.During the raid, we saw that some of the illegal refineries have already been destroyed by the security operatives but we urged them to do more.
“The areas we discovered the illegal refineries have, indeed, suffered monumental environmental damage as these refineries were constructed near fish settlements.
“In the past, fishes like the mood-skippers, different species of crabs and other seafood were visibly seen at creeks and river banks.Today, they are no more, even the mangroves are withered.
“This is the more reason why efforts by the governor against illegal refineries should be supported by all in the interest of our environment, health and livelihood,” he added.
The council boss warned against the illicit trade, promising to champion enlightenment and support for youth development through skills acquisition programme.
“We can no longer sit down and watch some lawless persons indulge in a business that is directly hazardous to our lives, environment and posing an unquantifiable deprivation on our local populace.
“We will continue to fight within the ambits of the law to ensure that oil theft seizes to thrive in Andoni LGA,” he promised.

By: Nelson Chukwudi

Continue Reading

News

FG Ends Passport Production At Multiple Centres After 62 Years

Published

on

The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.

He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.

“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.

He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.

“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.

 “We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.

“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.

He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.

Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.

He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.

Continue Reading

News

FAAC Disburses N2.225trn For August, Highest In Nigeria

Published

on

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.

This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.

The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.

The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.

From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.

From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.

Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.

From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.

Continue Reading

News

KenPoly Governing Council Decries Inadequate Power Supply, Poor Infrastructure On Campus

Published

on

The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.

The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.

The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the  Polytechnic, recently.

Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.

He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.

This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly,  Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.

The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.

Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.

He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.

The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.

Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.

 

Chinedu Wosu

Continue Reading

Trending