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Belemaoil Constructs 50-Bed Space Hostel At UNIPORT
In a bid to address the problem of inadequate hostel accommodation in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and to reduce the danger associated with off-campus residential accommodation, indigenous oil giant Belemaoil Producing Limited has commenced the construction of 50-bed space hostel at the University of Port-Harcourt.
This is coming barely two months after the signing of the contract for the building of the three floor 50-Bed Space Hostel being executed in collaboration with the Jack-Rich Tein Aid Foundation and Belema Aid Foundation.
The Founder/President of Belemaoil, Mr. Tein T.S. Jack-Rich said the need to provide suitable accommodation for Nigerian students in tertiary institutions and to reduce the hazards facing students who reside off-campus necessitated the gesture.
Mr. Jack-Rich, represented by the Director, Production and Engineering, Belemaoil Producing Ltd, Engr. Mufaa Welsh, said the company is committed to ensuring that majority of Nigerian students in tertiary institutions reside on campus for enhance academic excellence.
He said this would address the problem of insecurity, social vices, poor academic performance, exorbitant off-campus accommodation, high cost of transportation amongst other challenges facing students who reside off-campus.
Engr. Welsh said “We have seen what students are going through and we say we need to lessen the burden on them by asking them to come into the university. Our interest is to ensure that in the next five years 90 percent of students of this university reside on campus, by so doing they will have more concentration, they will lean more and interact with themselves, interact with lectures and other people within the campus community and not to be involve in criminality or social vices. The wish of our Founder and President is that this is accomplished, it is in the course of this that we decided to start erecting buildings for students”
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Port-Harcourt, Professor Ndowa Lale said the project which comes barely three months to the end of his tenure is timely.
He expressed appreciation to the management of Belemaoil and assured that the Hostel would be well utilized when completed.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Education Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba who was represented at the occasion by his Special Assistant on Policy and Political Matters, Paul Odili decried the lack of hostel accommodation in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The Minister said “There is truly a crying need for hostel accommodation in Nigeria tertiary schools. Available data show that over 75 percent of the entire Nigerian students’ population live off-campus in sometimes insecure and inhospitable environment not conducive for learning. Unfortunately there are not many corporate outfits making a non-profit intervention in Hostel Accommodation in the country, this should change. Hopefully the great gesture by Belemaoil will be emulated by other corporate entities to make it a norm”.
The Minister while congratulating the management of the University of Port-Harcourt for attracting the project, commended Belemaoil for what he described as beautiful and exemplary gesture.
Also speaking, the Manager External Relations of Belemaoil, Samuel Abel-Jumbo identified accommodation as a critical need of every student in tertiary institution. He said the gesture would be extended by the company to other tertiary institutions in parts of the country.
Mr. Jumbo said, “Education is a priority to Belemaoil Corporate Social Responsibility. This is a demonstration of our inclination towards supporting Nigerian students. We identified the University of Port-Harcourt as one of the institutions that we are going to start with in terms of extending our Corporate Social Responsibility to, and that is why we are here today to carry out this Ground Breaking Ceremony. We identified the fact that accommodation is very critical to students need, we also identified the fact that in UNIPORT it is even more critical. Being an Indigenous oil producing company with our Head Office and Operational Office here in Rivers State, Port-Harcourt, University of Port-Harcourt falls within our primary host target in terms of such Corporate Social Responsibility, so that is why we are here. We will be doing this across the country as much as possible as we try to reach out to other parts of Nigeria”.
The project is expected to be completed in four months and would be dedicated to the graduate students of the university.
Spokesman to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Segun Sowunmi, has advised his principal, Atiku, to learn from President Bola Tinubu on how to form a coalition.
The Tide reports that in a bid to wrest power from President Tinubu in 2027, Atiku has been leading the movement by opposition politicians to form a coalition of political parties ahead of the next general election.
Last month, opposition politicians set up a team comprising former Minister of Transpiration, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, to decide whether to float a new party or fuse into an existing platform.
While the main opposition party, PDP, struggles with a perennial leadership crisis, the former Vice President is bent on establishing another political force to take power from the ruling party in 2027.
But Sowunmi, who has been Atiku’s ally for many years, disagrees with his move, saying instead of forming a coalition with another political platform, he should coalesce opposition politicians into the PDP.
Speaking during an interview on TVC on Tuesday, Sowunmi, who was Atiku’s campaign spokesperson in the last election, asked his principal to learn from President Tinubu on how to form a coalition.
Sowunmi believes Atiku, having benefitted from the PDP as a former Vice President and getting the party’s presidential ticket twice, should not seek to form a coalition that will not have the PDP as its base.
He said, “I’ve always said to people, people love with their hearts. I love atiku with my bones. But I can’t help him against himself. You can’t run vice presidency on PDP two times with Obasanjo, get presidential candidate on that same party two times. I don’t agree with him that the next best thing is to be shopping for…(a platform) If you want a coalition, why are you not coalescing them into your party?” he asked.
The former PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State advised the ex-VP to learn from Tinubu on how to build a coalition without dumping his political party.
“Look at your rival, your friend. You guys started together. At best, even if you want to say he’s building a coalition is he not coalescing opponents into his place”? Sowunmi asked again.
The PDP chieftain, who recently showered praises on Tinubu after he visited him, said the President has an “uncanny ability to make everybody individually feel special” regardless of political affiliations.
His words: “That guy (Tinubu) is something oh, he has this uncanny ability to make everybody individually feel special. It doesn’t matter whether you are a former foe or a president’s friend, every moment you share with him, I don’t know how he does it, though you’re going to leave the place feeling that you matter, feeling that he gets it, feeling that what you guys are talking about is important. And there’s something about him, when he gives you his word, he will say something like ‘ko le ye’, meaning that to the best of human ability, it will stand.”
Meanwhile, there have been conversations about Sowunmi’s political stance as many questioned his relationship with Atiku, with whom he shares a longstanding political relationship.
Asked about his relationship with Atiku following his meeting with Tinubu, Sowunmi said he doesn’t know if the former Vice President is upset.
“I don’t know whether Atiku is upset or not upset, but I know a lot of our followers are talking a lot of nonsense, and I’m wondering how I became attached to Atiku when I’ve been in PDP since 1999 never leaving,” he responded.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has introduced a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to fix inconsistencies in tax services across its over 300 offices nationwide.
The move aims to make tax processes clearer, more transparent, and easier for Nigerians.
In a statement, Special Adviser on Communications and Advocacy to the FIRS Executive Chairman, Mr. Collins Omokaro, said the updated SOP is a key part of the agency’s plan to improve taxpayer experience.
He explained that, in the past, different FIRS offices used different methods, which often confused taxpayers.
“This is about people, experience, and impact. It’s a step towards a tax system that supports voluntary compliance and national development,” Omokaro said.
The new SOP provides a single guide for key processes like registration, payment, audit, and enforcement. This will ensure all FIRS offices follow the same steps, making the system fairer and more predictable.
FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, described the SOP as more than just a set of rules.
“This SOP is not just a technical document; it is a declaration of who we are becoming as a service. It reflects our commitment to transparency and service to the Nigerian people,” he said.
The SOP also supports FIRS’s digital transformation, combining human and technological systems to deliver faster and more reliable services. It will also improve internal efficiency by providing clear guidance and better training for staff.
“With this rollout, every FIRS staff member has a clear mandate: study it, apply it, and embody it. That’s how we’ll earn the trust of Nigerians,” Omokaro added.
The reform is part of FIRS’s efforts to become a more service-driven organisation, focused on clarity, consistency, and national growth. The agency hopes the new SOP will make tax services better for Nigerians and increase public trust in the system.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, says the Federal Government is committed to building a world-class public service in Nigeria.
Walson-Jack made this known in Abuja, on Wednesday, at a World Press Conference ahead of the International Civil Service Conference and the African Public Service Week scheduled for June 25 to 26 in Abuja.
She said a recent study tour to Singapore was part of preparatory activities aimed at positioning Nigeria’s civil service for excellence and attracting global participation in the upcoming events.
“The study tour to Singapore was the first major activity we undertook under the collaboration between the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Heads of Service of the 36 states and the FCT,” she said.
According to her, the visit, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), involved 20 State Heads of Service and was designed to benchmark best global practices and enhance Nigeria’s public service delivery.
“The idea was born out of our ongoing collaboration, where we share ideas and knowledge across federal and state levels.
“Singapore was chosen because it is globally recognised for excellence in public service,” she explained.
Walson-Jack noted that the second phase of the tour will involve the remaining 17 heads of service later this year.
She said the tour provided participants with the opportunity to engage with both public and private sector institutions in Singapore, compare administrative practices, and gain insights into global standards.
“It was an eye-opener and a capacity-building opportunity.
“Since our return, several state civil services have begun implementing reforms in collaboration with the federal service, particularly in areas such as capability development and digital transformation,” she added.
Walson-Jack further disclosed that Nigeria would host a reciprocal study tour during the upcoming African Public Service Week, where foreign delegates will engage with various federal institutions.
“They will see firsthand our digitalisation efforts, performance management systems, and other reform initiatives aimed at transforming our civil service.
“We hope the experience will inspire similar actions in their home countries,” she said.