News
NNPC Restores 400,000bpd To Crude Output …As Stakeholders Indict HYPREP Over Ogoni Clean-Up
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday said a daily production of 400,000 barrels per day had been restored to the crude oil output available for export in the country.
The corporation’s Acting General Manager (Public Affairs), Miss Tumini Green, stated this in a statement she issued in Abuja yesterday.
“The restoration of the 400,000 barrels to the daily production output was made possible by the re-opening of the three major trunk lines, which were shut down due to the activities of pipeline vandals.
“The affected trunk lines are the Trans Niger Pipeline, the Nembe Creek Pipeline and the Tebidaba-Brass Pipeline,’’ the statement said.
It said efforts by the Federal Government resulted in the restoration of the three lines.
“One of such is the setting up of a Security Strategy Committee headed by Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta,’’ the statement said.
It said further that the restoration of the pipelines will enhance increased production and shore up the revenue accruing to the country.
The statement commended what it described as the renewed proactive measures by the federal government to curb pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in the country.
It said efforts by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, have also started yielding positive results in the fight against vandals.
The statement recalled that pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft had resulted in the shutdown of three major trunk lines, accounting for the shut-in of 400,000 barrels per day.
It said the rise in crude oil production in the country to 2.4 million barrels per day was as a result of the recent intervention by the federal government.
It assured that the recent approval of N15 billion by the National Economic Council (NEC) would go a long way in curbing the menace.
Our correspondent reports that the fund had been approved for an adequate policing of oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta.
The statement said the major achievements of the petroleum resources minister in recent times include the sustained petroleum products’ supply and distribution across the country.
Meanwhile, Stakeholders in the environment sector have questioned contracts being awarded by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP), for the clean-up of oil-ruined Ogoniland in the Niger Delta, saying that many of such contracts were spurious and unverifiable.
Leading renowned experts in interrogating the Federal Government’s agency is the Environmental Rights Action (ERA), a foremost environmental rights advocacy group based in the Niger Delta.
Executive Director of the group, Godwin Ojo, who made this known in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, pointed out that on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the release of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment on Ogoniland, the Federal Government hurriedly announced the formation of HYPREP.
According to him, “HYPREP has been awarding so-called clean up contracts that cannot be verified. HYPREP seems to usurp the responsibility of NOSDRA, causing inter-agency wrangling and conflict that undermines environmental protection.”
ERA’s position corroborates that of many Ogonis, including the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), leading politicians, traditional rulers, and other leaders, who have repeatedly called on the Federal Government to kick-start the genuine, transparent and verifiable implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme recommendations on the massive pollution and devastation of Ogoniland following over 50 years of unmitigated oil and gas exploitation in the area.
The ERA boss was speaking during the second training on investigative journalism organised for Nigerian journalists by his group, and partner, VIKES, the Finnish Foundation for Media Communication and Development.
The training, first held in Port Harcourt last October, however, ran between September 17 and 18, and was designed to share knowledge about local, national and global environmental issues, examine challenges facing investigative environmental reporting while exploring strategies for improving the practice.
Participants were drawn from print and electronic media organizations from Rivers and Bayelsa states, while the facilitators included three journalists (two from Nigeria and one from Finland).
ERA’s Head of Media, Philip Jakpor, in his opening remarks, said the idea of the media training on investigative environmental reporting conceived in 2011 was to coach Nigerian journalists on basic steps in investigation, while buoying efforts to bring to the front burner of national discourse, the environmental issues that confront Nigeria as a nation and the globe.
In his presentation titled: “Overcoming Nigeria’s Environmental Reportage Gaps,” Ojo, focused on identifying existing gaps in environmental reporting among Nigerian journalists.
He explained that the objective of the training was to build the capacity of Nigerian journalists to go beyond merely reporting the state of the environment; to actually improving the knowledge base of journalists to have a better grasp of the various components of the environment and possible threats, and techniques in investigation.
He added that in relation to investigation on the state of the environment, the journalist has to be aware that there are various environmental problems which directly threaten livelihood sources and quality of life.
The ERA media chief noted that most of the investigative reports were of low quality in terms of knowledge about core environmental issues and their political, economic and socio-cultural contests, adding that it was this observed gap that triggered the need for the training to improve journalists’ research skills and information gathering techniques.
Some of the issues ERA identified that are under-investigated or unreported are: the impending water stress and scarcity, lowering farm yields, hunger and poverty, weak resilience due to inadequate infrastructure, coping mechanisms and adaptation measures associated with climate change.
Participants on parade at the 2013 Port Harcourt International Fashion Week at Aztech Acrum in Port Harcourt, last Friday
Nigerians were among more than 140 residents injured after Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles at the United Arab Emirates, at the weekend.
This raised fresh fears for thousands of Nigerians living and working in the Gulf nation.
The UAE Ministry of Defence disclosed last Saturday that its air defence systems intercepted several missiles and drones fired from Iran, describing the attack as a major escalation in the ongoing regional tensions.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the ministry said its air defence units engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones during the latest assault on March 14.
It added that the attacks left six people dead and 141 others injured, including foreign nationals.
“The UAE air defence systems on March 14 engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 UAVs launched from Iran,” the ministry stated.
“Since the onset of this blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,600 UAVs launched from Iran,” UAE added.
According to the ministry, those killed in the attacks included citizens of the UAE as well as foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
“Although the authorities did not specify the exact locations where the casualties occurred, the ministry said the injured victims were from several countries, including Nigeria.
Others affected include residents from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The list also included Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.
The Tide reports that this development has sparked concern among Nigerian communities in the UAE, where thousands of citizens live and work in sectors such as construction, hospitality, logistics and trade.
Data from Nigeria’s diaspora commission shows that the UAE remains one of the largest destinations for Nigerian migrants in the Middle East, particularly in the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
The Nigerian government had in recent years raised concerns over the safety and welfare of its citizens in the country following diplomatic tensions and visa restrictions affecting Nigerians.
Saturday’s attacks have now heightened anxieties within the diaspora community, especially as the Gulf region faces growing military confrontations.
In its statement, the UAE Ministry of Defence said the country remained fully prepared to confront any threats to its security.
“The Ministry of Defence remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine state security in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguards its national interests and capabilities,” the ministry said.
In a separate update, the ministry noted that its defence systems were still actively intercepting missiles and drones.
“UAE air defences are dealing with Iranian ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” it said.
Regional media reports indicate that the attacks form part of a wider escalation of hostilities between Iran and Western-backed forces in the Middle East.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran has continued sustained missile and drone strikes across the Gulf despite protests from neighbouring states.
The strikes were said to be in retaliation for military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iranian positions in the region.
Tehran targeted several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, late on Friday and into Saturday.
The attacks also caused infrastructural damage in parts of the UAE.
Meanwhile, Iran’s elite military wing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that US interests in the UAE would remain legitimate targets.
Iranian state media reported that the group issued the warning after US forces attacked Iranian-controlled islands.
The IRGC specifically mentioned ports, docks and military installations linked to the United States as potential targets.
It also urged residents in the UAE to evacuate areas around ports and military facilities to avoid civilian casualties.
Security analysts say the growing exchange of threats and strike across the Gulf could destabilise the region’s economic and aviation activities if the conflict escalates further.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the five new commissioners sworn-in last Wednesday to put in their best for the development of the State.
Fubara gave the charge during the swearing-in of the commissioners at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
This followed the successful screening of the five commissioners by the Rivers State House of Assembly, last Tuesday.
The five commissioners are Tonye Bellgam, Prof. Temple Nwofor, Dr. Peters Nwagor, Mr. Lekue Kenneth, and Sir Amairigha Edward Hart.
The Tide reports that the governor had sent nine commissioner-nominees to the Assembly for screening, but the Assembly confirmed only five nominees and rejected the nomination of four over various allegations.
Those rejected by the Assembly are Prof. Dantonye Alasia, Mrs. Charity Demua, Mr. Tamuno Williams, and Otonye Amachree.
The governor congratulated the new commissioners on their appointment, noting that their thorough screening by the Rivers State House of Assembly was a proof of their capabilities.
He urged them to deploy their wealth of experience in various fields and put the State on a fast lane of development.
“Ordinarily, I am supposed to charge you on your responsibilities and how to operate. But that has been taken care of by the screening at the Assembly.
“I believe that going through one of the most rigorous screenings, it is enough to say that for those of you who succeeded, you are fit and ready to deliver to our dear State.
“So there is no further charge. The screening was the charge, so I wish you the best as I don’t expect anything less than the best from you,” Fubara said.
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar, Cross River State.
The Director of Naval Information, Capt Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement released in Abuja, yesterday.
Folorunsho said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He said the action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
According to him, an Anti–Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he said.
Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining, was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, in another operation, intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority area in Calabar, Cross River State.
He said the interception was based on credible intelligence on suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team, according to him, swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.
“On sighting the naval patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, after which the area was cordoned off and the illegally siphoned products secured,” he said.
Folorunsho said further inspection led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which had been evacuated to the naval base for further necessary action in line with extant regulations.
He noted that the successes aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Folorunsho reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through intensified surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.
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