Business
NNPC Pipeline Blow Out: NYCOP Absolves Ogoni Youths …Blames Obsolete Shell Facilities
The apex youth body in Ogoni, the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), has debunked claims that the recent blow out of some pipelines belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was an act of sabotage by Ogoni youths.
President of NYCOP, Dr Young Nkpah, said the incident was as a result of wornout facilities.
Speaking with The Tide in an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt at the weekend, the NYCOP president pointed out that the affected pipeline was layed as far back as 1958. He noted that the facilities were already obsolete which led to the blow out.
He said blaming the blow out on alledged sabotage by Ogoni youth was “a monumental distraction on the part of NNPC” and urged the federal government to critically address the Ogoni issues on its merits, without resorting to distractions and the blame game.
On the current laying of pipes by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Ogoni, the NYCOP president described the process as a “misnomer”.
He said, “it beats human imagination that a company that has long divested from Ogoni land, stopped on-shore oil exploration and is assumed that there is no oil production in Ogoni from 1993 till date, will be laying new pipes in the area, the question is, what is the relevance of laying pipes in Ogoni now, with huge military presence? NYCOP feels they are testing the waters”.
He decried the hypocritical approach and lip service being paid to addressing the Ogoni issue, noting that NYCOP will mobilise its rank and file to resist any move by SPDC or the Federal Government to commence oil production in Ogoni , without addressing the issues at stake, which border on social injustice perpetrated against Ogoni people.
He accused the Federal Government of playing politics with the restoration and total remediation of Ogoni land and stated that, “the accelerated passage of the North East Development Commission Bill before the National Assembly was a clear indication of disservice to the Ogoni issue, which has lingered on for decades”.
Nkpah faulted the operations of HYPREP in Ogoni land, stating that the operations of the federal agency was lacking in consultation and clear cut criteria. “HYPREP said it was presently embarking on training of personels and building of internal processes, what are the criteria used for selecting the people to be trained? Who is involved in the training, and what are the internal processes being put in peace.
The NYCOP president further stated that “any prospecting oil company in Ogoni must adhere strictly to international best practices, you cannot sit in Abuja and allocated OML II to anybody without due consultation with critical stakeholders”.
On the way forward, he said the Ogoni Development Fund (ODF) was premised on the impetration of justice, noting that, “the good development of sustainable economic growth in Ogoni and Rivers State are both desirable, realistic and achievable, gives the proper understanding of the undercurrent which we have problematized in the Ogoni Bill of Rights”.
It could be recalled that the authorities of NNPC had alleged sabotage on the part of Ogoni youth in the recent blowout of its pipeline faciltieis in Ogoni laud.
Taneh Beemene
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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