News
Shell Shuts Floating Storage Facility …Alerts On Rising Pipeline Vandalism, Crude Theft, Illegal Refineries

A Shell Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, operating off the Bayelsa coastline, has been shut down due to water leakage.
The company’s spokesman, Mr. Michael Adande, disclosed this in a statement, yesterday.
This is even as the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has raised alarm over increase in the spate of pipeline vandalism, crude theft and illegal refineries operations in Nigeria.
According to Adande, the vessel has been safely anchored for repairs.
He explained that the offshore crew on board the vessel, christened, ‘Sea Eagle’, reported the water inflow into the hull of the facility on July 24.
“The water inflow did not affect the section of the FPSO where any crude is stored. An emergency response team has been successfully activated to respond to the incident and to contain the water inflow,” he said.
Adande said that the FPSO could store up to 1.4million barrels of processed crude, and had a production capacity of 170,000 barrels per day.
However, speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Port Harcourt, the Head Corporate Relations, Shell Nigeria, and Director, SPDC, Igo Weli, said that the high rate of pipeline vandalism, crude theft and illegal refineries was responsible to the hardship, high dollar exchange rate, poor infrastructure, among others, being experienced in Nigeria.
Weli reiterated that Shell has a future in Nigeria, and as such would not leave the country, but rather, would seriously implement strategic restructuring programme to meet its needs.
He maintained that the company was collaborating with governments and critical stakeholders to ensure the fight against illegal refineries, crude oil theft; pipeline vandalism was result-oriented, so that everyone can have a clean environment free from soot for all to live in.
Weli added that the problem of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and illegal refineries would have been solved earlier if everyone had played their role, rather than feeling unconcerned.
He noted that all that was needed now at this time was a fundamental shift by everyone to correct the wrongs with a view to moving the country forward.
“I think this problem has gone worst because everyone feels it’s not their problem. It’s a fundamental shift that we need to retrace our steps to things that keep us going. We should be asking: what is the cause of the spills impacting our land? If you don’t want to know what the cause is, and you are chasing the symptoms, you will never get result.
“There is link to high cost of dollars to what we are discussing today. Nigeria is owning plenty of debts, yet nothing to show. Oil price is over $100, yet Nigeria is still borrowing in the midst of plenty. The future of the generations yet unborn is at risk due to incessant strikes. Now, doctors are planning to also go on strike.
“All these are totally avoidable, if we pay attention to what we should attention to”, he said.
He commended Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for his leadership prowess displayed during the fight against illegal refineries and crude oil theft, noting that within the period, soot disappeared from the environment.
He stressed that the governor’s action shows the power of leadership by example.
Also speaking, Manager, Pipelines, Mr John Okojie, stated that crude theft was an organised crime, adding that it has major players in all strata of the society.
Okojie maintained that the crude thieves were people that were technically sound, noting that it was not rocket science for them to be able to do all they do.
“It takes us some months to plan to do a hot tap operation, but it is not difficult for these boys to do the operation overnight”, he said, adding that it was a high risk business they were engaging in because it could take one’s life.
On his part, Lead Encroachment Manager, Olarewaju Abiola, while talking on the Business Update from the session in Owerri, Imo State, stated that Shell had, in the past, saved so many lives that had built on high pressure pipelines by asking them to relocate and settling them just to maintain peace even when it was their fault.
Abiola noted that the meeting in Port Harcourt was to request the Media to relay Shell’s story on encroachment unedited to the understanding of the general public.
By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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