Business
Modular Refineries: Minister Lists Benefits To N’ Delta
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has said replacing illegal refineries with modular refineries was part of government’s wider plan to develop the Niger delta region.
Kachikwu said this at the 10th edition of the annual Nigerian Association of Energy Economics (NAEE)/International Association of Energy Economics (IAEE) conference in Abuja.
According to him, the Federal Government and operators of illicit oil refinery outfits in the region have held their first tranche of meetings to review and adopt an implementation template.
Kachikwu, who was represented by Dr Bello Gusau, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), said the initiative would be carefully implemented with greater considerations to the environment of the region.
“In the past few weeks, we have had open and prospective discussions with some of the refiners and government is assiduously working to ensure that this initiative is carefully implemented without destruction to the environment.
“This will not only provide a legal job and source of income for the populace, but also contribute to our national productivity,’’ he said.
The Federal Government had disclosed plans to restructure activities of illegal oil miners in the Niger Delta into consortia.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had also said if well coordinated, the refineries could produce up to 1000 barrels of crude oil daily.
The immediate past President of the IAEE, Mr Gurkan Kumbaroglu, lauded the activities of the NAEE in Nigeria, saying the “association is well-disposed to helping development efforts in Africa’’.
The President of the NAEE, Prof. Wunmi Iledare, speaking to newsmen on the sideline of the event, said the legislature should have passed the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) by now.
Part of the Bill seeks to promote transparency and accountability in the petroleum industry and create a conducive business environment for operators in the petroleum industry.
Iledare said Nigeria could have avoided the troubles of cutting an exit deal to pay off its Joint Venture (JV) cash-call debts to its International Oil Companies (IOCs) if it had passed the PIGB.
The government, in Dec. 2016, had agreed on a deal with IOCs to pay off discounted cash-call debts to them on the condition of incremental oil production.
Iledare said: “let me resolutely speculate that if the industry reform has been vigorously pursued by the Federal Government, the need to cut the cash-call exit deal to ameliorate the cash-call toxin in the Nigerian economy and oil and gas industry performance over the years would have been circumvented”.
“Thus, the need to pass the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill cannot be over-emphasised.
“It is the key, in my opinion, to addressing the apparent lapses and weaknesses of the Nigeria oil and gas industry governance within the context of global best practices.
“That the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill has undergone the third reading in the Senate is certainly a welcome development’’.
In his goodwill message, Mr Victor Shidok, the Immediate Past Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), assured indigenous Nigerians who have ideas for alternative energy of government’s support.
In another goodwill message, the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, lauded the NAEE for its contribution to the economy and urged it to “provide workable solutions’’ to government’s heavy dependence on oil.
For officers and men of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the battle is not over until smuggling is over.
In the wake of Wednesday May, 8, 2024, the ever vigilant officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted 177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 litres containing petroleum products, valued at about N8.750,000million.
The items were intercepted along Isalu Creek, Badagry Waterway en-route Benin Republic.
While briefing newsmen, the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said: “This seizure is most economically significant to the Command at this period of scarcity of Petroleum Products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in our cities, and shows the anticipatory posture in our response to economic saboteurs.
“At about 2:330hrs on Wednesday 8th May 2024, while on joint patrol by teams in the Command, credible intelligence was received of the movement of 2 boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu creeks, Badagry waterway.
“On sighting the approach of the Officers, the smugglers took to their heels through the shore of the Creek. The loaded boats were then towed to the station at Badagry where preliminary examination was conducted and transferred to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos.
“Careful examination at the Command Headquarters revealed that the arrest was found to contain One Hundred and Seventy Seven (177) Sacks and Sixty One (61) Kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500) Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N8,750,000) only”.
Bamisaiye noted that the action of the smugglers is a contravention of Section 245 & 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which the service, through Western Marine Command, is responsible for enforcing.
“The Command, under the leadership of Compt. PK Bamisaiye, is poised more than ever to rid the waterways of all acts of smuggling and economy sabotage for the benefit of the growth of economy of Nigeria”, he said
Bamisaiye said so far, no suspect was arrested in the Command’s anti-smuggling operations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Petroleum products being sought by motorists have disappeared from virtually all filling stations within Lagos and its environs, but are now booming in business in retail outlets.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that while the product could not be got at some of the petrol service stations, activities are in top gear in the local retail outlets where the price has gone beyond the reach of users.
It was also gathered that in some filling stations supplied with the products, preference are often given to retail outlet operators by petrol attendants against the consuming public.
A source, directly involved in the business, said some petrol dealers are cashing on the irregular supply to divert the products to retail outlets where they could easily make their gains.
It was also gathered that some sales representatives in the service of major oil marketing firms indulged in the diversion exercise because of their personal interest.
At the retail outlets a liter goes for N950,00 against the normal N760,to N800 at some stations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of Customs during its 59th regular meeting.
The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, was held at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, gave details of the confirmed appointments as: O.O. Peters (DCG /Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (rtd); B.M. Jibo (DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation); and B.U. Nwanfor (DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives).
Others are: S.A. Bomia (DCG, Commander Training and Doctrine Command); and C.K. Niagwan (DCG, Tariff & Trade).
The Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) are: B. Imam (ACG Board); A.A.S. Oloyede (ACG, Trade & Tariff); S.K. Dangaldima (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’); A. Abdul Azeez (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘D’); S.A. Yusuf (ACG, Human Resource Development); N.P. Umoh (ACG, Training and Doctrine Command); C.O. Obih (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’); and S. Chiroma (ACG, Strategic Research and Policy).
The new appointments, according to the statement, were made to fill the vacancies created by some senior officers who recently retired from the Service, noting that the principles of federal character, seniority and merit guided the appointments approved by the board.
“These appointments are a testament to the officers’ exemplary services and dedication to the Nigeria Customs Service. The NCSB remains committed to providing strategic leadership to ensure effective and efficient service delivery for optimum performance”, he said.
While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious services, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly confirmed officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the service attains greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation amongst others.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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