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OPEC’ll Maintain Steady Flow Of Energy Supplies-Barkindo
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) says it would remain fully focused on maintaining a steady flow of energy supplies to consumers.The OPEC Secretary-General, Dr Mohammad Barkindo, said this, yesterday, at the ongoing Nigeria Energy Forum (CERA Week 2022 Agenda) in Houston, Texas.
The forum is tagged: “Oil and Gas Investments: The Future of Fossil Fuels Amid the Quest for Decarbonisation”.
Barkindo, in a keynote address, which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, said that OPEC would remain focused on energy supplies in spite of Russia-Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 pandemic which had adverse effects on the energy markets globally.
“Over the past ten days or so, we have seen escalating geopolitical tensions, which are still unfolding and having adverse effects on energy markets across the world, resulting in heightened levels of volatility.
“The tensions have spooked investors and rattled commodity markets. We recognise this and are following developments very closely.
“Our hope in this crisis is that all parties involved can reach positive outcomes that will be acceptable to all,” he said.
Barkindo noted that the COVID-19 pandemic taught OPEC the value of taking a prudent approach to oil supply and demand developments.
According to him, this should be done with the flexibility to adapt strategies as and when needed, ultimately for well-being of global community.
In terms of the market outlook for 2022, the secretary-general said there was evidently some optimism, but it was also cognisant that uncertainties remained and was further complicated by geopolitical developments and exceptional market volatility.
According to him, optimism is being driven by the vaccine rollout, although this needs to filter through to more developing countries, improving mobility, and the continuing economic recovery.
“Uncertainties relate to COVID-19 developments, although at present we see the impact of the Omicron variant on the oil market to be relatively mild and short-lived.“Additionally, the geopolitical challenges already mentioned global supply chain issues, potential effects of rising inflation, consequent rise in interest rates, and knock on-impacts from challenges in gas, coal, electricity sectors, need to be closely monitored,” he said.
Speaking on the theme of the session, he said the unpredictability and volatility brought on by the pandemic had intensified discussions related to climate change and the energy transition.
This, Barkindo said, was clear at 2021 COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.
He listed a number of positive outcomes such as the U.S. returning to the head of the multilateral table, all parties commitment to the implementation and full operationalisation of the Paris Agreement, and the announcement of the Glasgow Climate Pact.
This, he said was all encouraging, given the pressing need to reduce global emissions, alleviate energy poverty, counter the impacts of the pandemic, and find a sustainable way forward leaving no country, industry, or peoples behind.
Additionally, he said that it was witnessing investors, environmental lobbyists and some corporate boards pressuring oil and gas companies and governments to pursue increasingly radical policies and initiatives that could be more disruptive, than productive for global energy industry.
“There have recently been calls for investments in new oil and gas projects to be discontinued, particularly in the context of discussions around net-zero targets. This is again wrong.
“We understand the move of many developed nations to set net-zero emissions targets. A number of developing nations have too. In fact, some OPEC Member Countries, including Nigeria, have made political pledges on net zero.
“However, it is important to appreciate the massive challenges for developing countries to reach net zero emissions, many of which are acutely focused on priorities such as energy access, living wages, and supplying basic necessities.
“We need to continually keep in mind that access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, is a right for all, not a privilege of the few, and is enshrined by the UN in Sustainable Development Goal Seven,” he noted.
According to him, the unfortunate reality for developing countries is that a staggering 759million people worldwide did not have access to electricity in 2019, with about 79per cent of them located in Africa.
Moreover, he said there were roughly 2.6billion people or 34per cent of the global population who did not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies.
This, he said included a massive 70per cent of Africans, exposing them to high levels of household air pollution.
He further disclosed that from the perspective of Nigeria alone, in 2019, only 55per cent of the population had access to electricity and only 13per cent had access to clean cooking.
He recalled that in the energy poverty debate that Africa was still relatively unexplored in terms of oil and gas.
According to him, this is in spite being bestowed with approximately 125billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 16trillion standard cubic metres of natural gas.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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