Business
FG Attracts New Fertilizer, Petrochemical Plant To Brass
The Federal Government has attracted a multi-billion dollar, private sector-driven fertilizer and petrochemical plant to Brass, Bayelsa State.
The Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, said this when he led the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, Commodore Alfred Diete-Spiff (rtd), and a team of private investors on a thank you visit to acting President Yemi Osinbajo, recently.
Dickson told State House Correspondents after the visit that the project would create enormous jobs and transform the economy of the state and country and assured the investor of adequate security of the investment.
“We came to discuss issues on the Brass Fertilizer Project billed to take off in Bayelsa. That is a big ticket investment running into billions of dollars.
“The government team is here, the traditional ruler is here because the project is taking place in his domain.
“We are here to assure the Federal Government that Bayelsa is safe.
“We are here to assure all the investors that Bayelsa as they all know is one of the safest states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have worked hard in the last five years I have been governor to bring that about.
“And we have assured them that the state is safe enough for investors to come in to execute this very important project for our country.’’
According to Dickson, the investment runs into billions of dollars from the investors while the state will take 10 per cent equity to boost confidence to the transaction.
The governor also thanked the federal government for its new approach to pursuing integrated development in the country based on partnership and collaboration evidenced by the fertilizer plant.
Dickson acknowledged the acting President’s dialogue, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, with the Niger Delta stakeholders, saying that a new understanding was emerging for stability, security and development in the area.
“It is when we bring big ticket investments, create jobs and we affect the economy and create other legitimate options through which young people can survive that some of the crises that we see here will be addressed.
“And this is a good way to begin to address that and that is why I am here to assure the federal government and the investors and also thank the federal government for the steps that it has taken,’’ he stated.
Dickson mentioned two policies which the federal government had announced which had excited Bayelsa.
He said that Oil producing companies that did not have offices in Bayelsa were asked to locate offices in the state.
He recalled that the story of Nigeria and oil production started in Bayelsa but that it was shocking that no oil company had an office in the state.
According to him by that act the state and people were denied the economic benefits of oil production.
“There are no jobs, no employment, they don’t even pay as much tax, a number of them don’t even pay tax at all.
“The federal government has said that they should go back.
“So we expect to work with the federal government and engage with all the oil producing companies to see how they can begin to have respectable presence.
“This is to address the perception of neglect of the people, which is legitimate,’’ the governor stated.
Dickson also thanked the federal government for the policy of promoting modular refineries in the Niger Delta region.
He added that the state was talking with both the federal government and investors to ensure that all those avenues were used to create jobs.
The governor likened the fertilizer plant to other private sector-driven investments such as the NLNG investment in Bonny.
He said the NLNG was yielding a lot of revenue for the country as one of the most profitable partnerships the federal government had gone into.
“You have other big ones like the Gbarain/Obie gas plant project in Bayelsa owned by Shell; there are other ones.
“But this one is a fertilizer petrochemical company.
“And they will do a lot of skills development and skills transfer, a lot of jobs created and there will be a boon in the local economy, state economy and ultimately affect the national economy positively,’’ he added.
Dickson said the Bayelsa government would engage the oil companies to ensure that they did their businesses without inhibitions.
“The federal government has already come up with the policy and Bayelsa is very safe.
“Don’t listen to anybody who tells you that any state is unsafe.
“If there is one state that is safe, if there is one state that is politically stable, one state that all the security agencies will tell you the government and community leaders, everybody is working to ensure stability and security, it is Bayelsa.
“And we have built offices, we have been working hard quietly for the past five years.
“You may not know what is going on; there is a silent revolution going on in Bayelsa.
“You have the best public schools in Bayelsa now.’’
According to the governor the public schools in Bayelsa run free education and free feeding adding that the state has wonderful health facilities.
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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