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Troops Foil Agip Pipeline Bombing

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Though the major militant
group who has been ravaging Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Avengers, has sustained its seemingly mysterious attacks on oil facilities in the oil-rich region, its latest attempt to blow up a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) located in Okpoama Community, Bayelsa State has been thwarted by troops of the military joint force.
Disclosing this on Friday, through a statement, the Co-ordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Operation Pulo Shield, Col. Ado Isa, said the vandals had laid dynamites beneath pipelines in the area, ready for detonation, but that unfortunately to them, vigilant troops of the joint force discovered the land mine in the swamp and swiftly detonated them, thereby foiling what could have resulted in another major pipeline destruction.
According to the statement, two dynamite detonators, cable wire and battery were also discovered from the scene.
Isa said, the maritime squad of the Joint Force and the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Delta) on June 14 also arrested three suspected masterminds of several pipeline bombings across the Niger Delta.
He revealed that one of the three suspects whose name in John Oboka, also known as Jamaica, confessed to being in the group that bombed the Nigerian Petroleum Developing Company (NPDC) crude oil pipeline at Escravos, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Joint Media Co-ordinator noted that many bombing equipment were recovered from the bombers, adding that the force was determined to rid the activities of the hoodlums in the region.
Assuring the natives of safety, he said the Joint Force would continue to clamp down on fleeing criminals, including vandals, adding that the troop would intensify efforts to dismantle all camps belonging to the militants in the region and advised those behind bombing of oil installations in the region to have a rethink.
He said, they should rather toe the line of peace by adopting legitimate means in their grievances and agitation instead of taking the law into their hands.
Commenting on other exploits of the troops, Isa explained that it also recently in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, conducted anti-illegal oil bunkering patrol and cordon and search operation along Ebelebiri and Agba communities.
He said, six suspected pipeline vandals were arrested with eight Cotonou boats loaded with illegally acquired crude oil.
Isa stated that both the site and the recovered items were destroyed while the suspects were handed over to the civil defence for prosecution.
On same day, he said, the troops in furtherance of its raid on pipeline vandal’s camps, carried out cordon-and-search operation in the Oporoma Community of Delta State.
“One pistol, 195 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 14 handheld radio sets, diving equipment, 30 detonating codes, computer, several cell phones, SIM cards amongst others were recovered from the ten suspect pipeline vandals arrested”, he said.

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Oil & Energy

NERC, OYSERC  Partner To Strengthen Regulation

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THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has stressed the need for strict adherence to due process in operationalizing state electricity regulatory bodies.
It, however, pledged institutional and technical support to the Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (OYSERC).
The Chairman, NERC, Dr Musiliu Oseni, who made the position known while receiving the OYSERC delegation, emphasised that the establishment and take-off of state commissions must align fully with the law setting them up.
Oseni said that the NERC remains committed to partnering with State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC) to guarantee their institutional stability, operational effectiveness and long-term success.
He insisted that regulatory coordination between federal and state institutions is critical in the evolving electricity market framework, noting that collaboration would help to build strong institutions capable of delivering sustainable outcomes for the sector.
Also speaking, the Acting Chairman, OYSERC and leader of the delegation, Prof. Dahud Kehinde Shangodoyin, said that the visit was aimed at formally introducing the commission’s acting leadership to the NERC and laying the groundwork for a productive working relationship.
Shangodoyin said , the acting members were appointed to provide direction and lay a solid foundation for the commission during its transitional period, pending the appointment of substantive members.
“We are here to formally introduce the acting leadership of OYSERC and to establish a working relationship with NERC as we commence our regulatory responsibilities,” he said.
He acknowledged NERC’s readiness to provide technical and regulatory support, particularly in the area of capacity development, describing the backing as essential for strengthening the commission’s operations at this formative stage.
“We appreciate NERC’s willingness to support us technically and regulatorily, especially in building our capacity during this transition,” he added.
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NLC Faults FG’s 3trn Dept Payment To GenCos

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The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Association of Power Generation Companies have engaged in a showdown over federal government legacy debt.
NLC president Joe Ajaero has faulted the federal government’s move to give GenCos N3 trillion from the Federation account as repayment for a power sector legacy debt, which amounts to N6.5 trillion.
In a statement on Thursday, Ajaero said the Federal Government proposed the N3 trillion payment and the N6 trillion debt as a heist and grand deception to shortchange the Nigerian people.
“Nigerians cannot and should not continue to pay for darkness,” Ajaero stated.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, APGC, Dr. Joy Ogaji, said Ajaero may be ignorant of the true state of things, insisting that the federal government is indebted to GenCos to the tune of N6.5 trillion.
She feared the longstanding conflict could result in the eventual collapse of the country’s power.
According to her, the federal government’s N501 billion issuance of power sector bonds is inadequate to address its accumulated debt.
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PENGASSAN Rejects Presidential EO On Oil, Gas Revenue Remittance  ……… Seeks PIA Review 

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The Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(PENGASSAN) Festus Osifo, has faulted the public explanation surrounding the Federal Government’s recent oil revenue Executive Order(EO).
President of the association, Festus Osifo, argued that claims about a 30 per cent deduction from petroleum sharing contract revenue are misleading.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last Wednesday, February 18, signed the executive order directing that royalty oil, tax oil, profit oil, profit gas, and other revenues due to the Federation under production sharing, profit sharing, and risk service contracts be paid directly into the Federation Account.
The order also scrapped the 30 per cent Frontier Exploration Fund under the PIA and stopped the 30 per cent management fee on profit oil and profit gas retained by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
In his reaction, Osifo, while addressing journalists, in Lagos, Thursday, said the figure being referenced does not represent gross revenue accruing to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
He explained that revenues from production sharing contracts are subject to several deductions before arriving at what is classified as profit oil or profit gas.
Osifo also urged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw his recently signed Presidential Executive Order to Safeguard Federation Oil and Gas Revenues and Provide Regulatory Clarity, 2026.
He warned that the directive undermines the Petroleum Industry Act and could create uncertainty in the oil and gas industry, insisting that any amendment to the existing legal framework must pass through the National Assembly.
Osifo argued that an executive order cannot override a law enacted by the National Assembly, describing the move as setting a troubling precedent.
“Yes, that is what should be done from the beginning. You can review the laws of a land. There is no law that is perfect,” he said.
He added that the President should constitute a team to review the PIA, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and forward proposed amendments to lawmakers.
“When you get revenue from PSC, you have to make some deductibles. You deduct royalties. You deduct tax. You also deduct the cost of cost recovery. Once you have done that, you will now have what we call profit oil or profit gas. Then that is where you now deduct the 30 per cent,” he stated..
According to him, when the deductions are properly accounted for, the 30 per cent being referenced translates to about two per cent of total revenue from the production sharing contracts.
“In effect, that deduction is about two per cent of the revenue of the PLCs,” he added, maintaining that the explanation presented in the public domain did not accurately reflect the structure of the deductions.
Osifo warned that removing the affected portion of the revenue could have operational implications for NNPC Ltd, noting that the funds are used to meet salary obligations and other internal expenses.
“That two per cent is what NNPC uses to pay salaries and meet some of its obligations.The one you are also removing from the midstream and downstream, it is part of what they use in meeting their internal obligations. So as you are removing this, how are they going to pay salaries?” he queried.
Beyond the immediate impact on the company’s workforce, he cautioned that regulatory uncertainty could affect investor confidence in the sector.
“If the international community and investors lose confidence in Nigeria, it has a way of affecting investment. That should be the direction. You don’t put a cow before the horse,” he added.
According to him, stakeholders, including labour unions and industry operators, should be given the opportunity to make inputs at the National Assembly as part of the amendment process saying “That is how laws are refined,”
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