Oil & Energy

Shell, Abe Blame FG For Ogoni Clean-Up Delay

Published

12 years ago

July 7, 2014

Shell Petroleum Develop
ment Company of Nigeria, (SPDC) has blamed the Federal Government for the delay in the release of funds for the implementation of the 2011 United Nations Report for the clean-up of Ogoni land in Rivers State.
The Ogoni restoration project manager for Shell, Mr Augustine Igbuku, stated this at the stakeholders’ meeting organized by House committee on environment at Abuja.
The Project Manager alleged that the Federal Government was frustrating the release of the fund inspite of the readiness of SPDC towards the release of its counterpart funding to the $1bn Ogoni restoration fund.
He said the Federal Government has failed to provide legal framework for the adhoc intervention agency (Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project) set up by the government.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources has failed to provide work plan that could facilitate the proposed clean-up and utilization of the funds.
Igbuku, who also blamed the take-off of the clean-up exercise on illegal oil bunkering and refineries noted that there were about 47 breaks in the pipeline.
“We did 50 clean-ups. People are still breaking the pipes inspite of the local contractors that we employed to safeguard them,” he stated.
The Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, also exonerated SPDC while accusing Federal Government of frustrating implementation of the UNEP Report.
At a dinner in Port Harcourt in honour of Ogoni Young Professionals, the Senator blamed President Goodluck Jonathan for non implementation of the report.
He said two years ago, SPDC said during its Annual General Meeting in London, that the one billion dollar for the clean-up of Ogoni environment was ready and was left for the government to move into action.
The Senator disclosed that he had severally met with the Petroleum Minister over the issue and that the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi had equally carried same to President Jonathan but regretted that till now, nothing has happened.
“Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who initiated the remediation move is not from the Niger Delta; late Yar’adua who signed a Federal Government resolve to implement whatever be the outcome of the investigation is not from the Niger Delta, but someone who is from the Niger Delta region has refused to implement the UNEP report”, Abe said.
He stated that the frustration of the implementation of the report was what made him leave the ruling PDP for APC.
In his own submission, Director-General of NOSDRA, Peter Idabor, confirmed that not much has been done in terms of the implementation, that the agency was not aware of the emergency measures t hat the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) claimed to have done.
However, in a swift reaction to the allegations, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Danladi Kifasi and the General-Manager, Health, Safety and Environment of DPR, Musa Zagi, said the Federal Government was working seriously on the UNEP Report implementation.
Kifasi said that the Federal Government has set up committees on the issue and that a delegation had liaised with the Ogoni communities and HYPREP has already started work in the communities.
The Pemsec explained that HYPREP governing council has been set up and that the gazette would be ready in two weeks time.

Chris Oluoh

Oil & Energy

NERC, OYSERC Partner To Strengthen Regulation

Published

11 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has stressed the need for strict adherence to due process in operationalizing state electricity regulatory bodies.

It, however, pledged institutional and technical support to the Oyo State Electricity Regulatory Commission (OYSERC).

The Chairman, NERC, Dr Musiliu Oseni, who made the position known while receiving the OYSERC delegation, emphasised that the establishment and take-off of state commissions must align fully with the law setting them up.

Oseni said that the NERC remains committed to partnering with State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC) to guarantee their institutional stability, operational effectiveness and long-term success.

He insisted that regulatory coordination between federal and state institutions is critical in the evolving electricity market framework, noting that collaboration would help to build strong institutions capable of delivering sustainable outcomes for the sector.

Also speaking, the Acting Chairman, OYSERC and leader of the delegation, Prof. Dahud Kehinde Shangodoyin, said that the visit was aimed at formally introducing the commission’s acting leadership to the NERC and laying the groundwork for a productive working relationship.

Shangodoyin said , the acting members were appointed to provide direction and lay a solid foundation for the commission during its transitional period, pending the appointment of substantive members.

“We are here to formally introduce the acting leadership of OYSERC and to establish a working relationship with NERC as we commence our regulatory responsibilities,” he said.

He acknowledged NERC’s readiness to provide technical and regulatory support, particularly in the area of capacity development, describing the backing as essential for strengthening the commission’s operations at this formative stage.

“We appreciate NERC’s willingness to support us technically and regulatorily, especially in building our capacity during this transition,” he added.

Oil & Energy

NLC Faults FG’s 3trn Dept Payment To GenCos

Published

11 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Association of Power Generation Companies have engaged in a showdown over federal government legacy debt.

NLC president Joe Ajaero has faulted the federal government’s move to give GenCos N3 trillion from the Federation account as repayment for a power sector legacy debt, which amounts to N6.5 trillion.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajaero said the Federal Government proposed the N3 trillion payment and the N6 trillion debt as a heist and grand deception to shortchange the Nigerian people.

“Nigerians cannot and should not continue to pay for darkness,” Ajaero stated.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, APGC, Dr. Joy Ogaji, said Ajaero may be ignorant of the true state of things, insisting that the federal government is indebted to GenCos to the tune of N6.5 trillion.

She feared the longstanding conflict could result in the eventual collapse of the country’s power.

According to her, the federal government’s N501 billion issuance of power sector bonds is inadequate to address its accumulated debt.

Oil & Energy

PENGASSAN Rejects Presidential EO On Oil, Gas Revenue Remittance ……… Seeks PIA Review

Published

11 hours ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(PENGASSAN) Festus Osifo, has faulted the public explanation surrounding the Federal Government’s recent oil revenue Executive Order(EO).

President of the association, Festus Osifo, argued that claims about a 30 per cent deduction from petroleum sharing contract revenue are misleading.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last Wednesday, February 18, signed the executive order directing that royalty oil, tax oil, profit oil, profit gas, and other revenues due to the Federation under production sharing, profit sharing, and risk service contracts be paid directly into the Federation Account.

The order also scrapped the 30 per cent Frontier Exploration Fund under the PIA and stopped the 30 per cent management fee on profit oil and profit gas retained by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

In his reaction, Osifo, while addressing journalists, in Lagos, Thursday, said the figure being referenced does not represent gross revenue accruing to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

He explained that revenues from production sharing contracts are subject to several deductions before arriving at what is classified as profit oil or profit gas.

Osifo also urged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw his recently signed Presidential Executive Order to Safeguard Federation Oil and Gas Revenues and Provide Regulatory Clarity, 2026.

He warned that the directive undermines the Petroleum Industry Act and could create uncertainty in the oil and gas industry, insisting that any amendment to the existing legal framework must pass through the National Assembly.

Osifo argued that an executive order cannot override a law enacted by the National Assembly, describing the move as setting a troubling precedent.

“Yes, that is what should be done from the beginning. You can review the laws of a land. There is no law that is perfect,” he said.

He added that the President should constitute a team to review the PIA, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and forward proposed amendments to lawmakers.

“When you get revenue from PSC, you have to make some deductibles. You deduct royalties. You deduct tax. You also deduct the cost of cost recovery. Once you have done that, you will now have what we call profit oil or profit gas. Then that is where you now deduct the 30 per cent,” he stated..

According to him, when the deductions are properly accounted for, the 30 per cent being referenced translates to about two per cent of total revenue from the production sharing contracts.

“In effect, that deduction is about two per cent of the revenue of the PLCs,” he added, maintaining that the explanation presented in the public domain did not accurately reflect the structure of the deductions.

Osifo warned that removing the affected portion of the revenue could have operational implications for NNPC Ltd, noting that the funds are used to meet salary obligations and other internal expenses.

“That two per cent is what NNPC uses to pay salaries and meet some of its obligations.The one you are also removing from the midstream and downstream, it is part of what they use in meeting their internal obligations. So as you are removing this, how are they going to pay salaries?” he queried.

Beyond the immediate impact on the company’s workforce, he cautioned that regulatory uncertainty could affect investor confidence in the sector.

“If the international community and investors lose confidence in Nigeria, it has a way of affecting investment. That should be the direction. You don’t put a cow before the horse,” he added.

According to him, stakeholders, including labour unions and industry operators, should be given the opportunity to make inputs at the National Assembly as part of the amendment process saying “That is how laws are refined,”