Business
Ogoni Clean-Up, Not Political Jamboree – HYPREP
The Project Coordinator of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Dr Marvin Dekil, says the ongoing clean-up of oil spill impacted sites in Ogoniland in Rivers State has nothing to do with politics, contending that the commencement of the exercise at a time when the general elections are fast approaching is a mere coincidence.
Dekil, who gave this clarification while giving an update of HYPREP’s activities to newsmen in Port Harcourt last Saturday said the clean-up exercise was never a political jamboree as insinuated in certain quarters but a genuine commitment to clean-up the heavily polluted Ogoniland in accordance with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report.
According to him, the commencement of remediation work at some impacted sites in the four Ogoini-speaking local government areas of Rivers State marked the beginning of the clean-up of impacted sites in the entire Niger Delta region.
He disclosed that 16 contractors who passed through a rigorous procurement process had so far been introduced and handed over 16 slots and sites out of the 21 contractors and companies which successfully won the contracts for the clean-up exercise, adding that the agency had divided the impacted sites into three broad categories, namely, category A, complex, category B-less complex and category C- sites that require further investigations.
“The work of remediation in less complex sites does not require utilisation of Integrated Contaminated Social Management Centre (ICSMC). We have since commenced feasibility studies for both (ICSMC ) and Centre of Excellence. We are adopting international bidding process to get the best of expertise and technology for the construction of both facilities,” he said.
Dekil further hinted that the handover of sites for clean-up to contractors was generally successful as work was currently going on at those sites but regretted what he described as an isolated criminal case in K-Dere Community in Gokana Local Government Area last Tuesday where the agency’s bus was set ablaze through a petrol bomb, insisting that the police were on the trail of the perpetrators of the act.
“The HYPREP team was never attacked and neither were they prevented from carrying out their duties,” he said, assuring that security measures had been put in place to forestall future occurrence.
He said HYPREP was not shutting out indigenous contractors from the clean-up exercise, stressing that some of them would soon be part of the exercise, even as he stated that the agency was building the capacity of the local people to benefit maximally from the project.
Dekil said the body was interfacing with Ogoni leaders and youths under the aegis of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) to ensure that the clean-up project was successfully delivered without much hiccups.
Donatus Ebi
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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