Author: radmin

The House of Representatives has reassured that the long queues at filling stations in the country will soon fizzle out.

Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere, Chairman, Petroleum Downstream, said this at a joint news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

‘We hereby express our concerns over the temporary presence of fuel queues in petrol stations across the country.

‘However, we are convinced that this is temporary based on our investigation, and in a couple of days, we shall get over it,’ he said.

Flanked by Rep. Henry Okojie, the Chairman, Petroleum Midstream, Ugochinyere said that investigations had revealed that the scarcity was artificial.

‘We have discovered that there is availability of petrol products. We have it on good authority that we have in our storage facilities at least about 1.5 billion liters of petrol,’ he said.

He said that 1.5 billion liters can last for 30 days.

‘We have gotten assurances from the regulators in the distribution value chain that these bottlenecks have been cleared. In the course o
f this public holiday, more grounds will be covered.

‘From our findings, the issues that necessitated the disruptions that led to the appearance of fuel queues in petrol stations have been cleared.

‘They said that it will take a few more days for things to return to normalcy, while calling on Nigerians not to panic over this development.

‘We have gotten assurances from the regulators and the unions that these challenges will be cleared in a few days,’ he said.

Ugochinyere added: ‘It will require more time, like two to three days for products to be distributed to all stations nationwide.

‘As a committee that is charged with downstream and midstream oversight, we have been monitoring this development.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government has disbursed N2.75 billion for the first phase of the compensation payouts and unveiled the new design routes for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made the announcement at the commencement of payouts to property owners affected by the construction of the 700km highway project, on Wednesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the federal government had, on April 4, inuagurated a committee to review, evaluate and compensate land owners affected by the construction of the highway project.

According to Umahi, the goal of the committee is to ensure transparency in all undertakings.

He said, ‘It’s my pleasure to unveil the new design route, and I wish to flag off the compensation from chainage zero to chainage three in a total sum of N2.75 billion. That is very ambitious.

‘It’s my pleasure to invite the Director of Design and the Controller to call the people and give them the symbolic amount agreed and to assure tha
t before 1p.m. tomorrow, you will all get your alert as agreed.

‘It will be difficult to show you all that we have done here to protect the claimants so that you don’t go to their houses, this one is private to us.

‘But the smaller ones, we can do that symbolically, but no cash is paid.’

The Minister also announced that all tenants affected by the demolition at Landmark would receive compensation by the end of the day.

Umahi said, ‘ All tenants within the Landmark premises have been shortlisted for payments by 2 p.m. today. That closes the politics of Landmark.’

The Chairman, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway compensation committee, Mrs Korede Keisha, while presenting cheques to deserving beneficiaries, corroborated what Umahi said.

She said, ‘Just like the minister said that this will be done in phases, so, the first 10 recipients would be called today. If you were not called today, don’t be afraid, we are going to call you in the next few days.

‘The secretariat is open and we work 24/7 everyday. So, this
is just the opening one.’

She named the beneficiaries as Moist Beach, Checkmate, Kingfisher, G12 Beach, Xchange Lounge, Kingston, Landmark Kids Club by Maxtivity, FX lounge and Bar, and Best Rock.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through the coastal states of Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, before culminating in Cross River.

Construction of each kilometre of the 700 kilometre highway will cost N4 billion.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Offa/Oyun Electricity Consumers’ Forum in Kwara has demanded for the establishment of an Offa Business Hub and improved power supply from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).

The forum in a statement signed by its Secretary, Mr Tajudeen Iwalola, said this had become imperative because of the status of Offa town as the second largest in Kwara.

It also described Offa as the commercial hub of the state with over 15 industries as well as 13 public and private tertiary institutions.

The forum further requested the immediate replacement of the aluminum conductor in the Offa feeder with a 150mm conductor wire to enhance the reliability and capacity of the electricity distribution system.

‘We also need the upgrading of two obsolete 7.5MVA transformers installed since 1963 to improve efficiency and prevent frequent breakdowns.

‘We call for a revision of the electricity distribution schedule to guarantee a minimum of eight hours of uninterrupted power supply daily for all consumers.

‘We deman
d the immediate metering of at least 50 percent of the 26,000 customers in our area between April and December 2024, to promote transparency and accountability in billing,’ it added.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Eighty paramedics and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) patrol operatives from the North-East and North West are currently undergoing capacity building training on saving lives and reducing road crashes.

The FSRC Corps Marshal, Mr Dauda Biu, while declaring a three-day capacity- building training opened in Kano on Tuesday, said the objective was to retool knowledge and zeal of personnel in life-saving rescue operations.

Biu said the training would focus on strengthening the capacity of FRSC paramedics, operational personnel and officers to meet the goals of the United Nation’s Decade of Action for Road Safety, in saving the lives of crash victims on Nigerian roads.

The FRSC boss, represented by Assistant Corps Marshal, Corps Project Implementation, Clement Oladele, said the training would bridge the gaps in the Corps rescue operations.

‘This training is to enhance capabilities of FRSC personnel in two crucial areas – crash scene management and administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

‘Our main go
al is to save lives and prioritise how casualties and injured victims are professionally evacuated to hospitals for immediate medical attention.

‘The corps has long been at the forefront of efforts to rescue crash victims and create safer roads in Nigeria.

‘We have also partnered with Ford Foundation and this invaluable support has availed personnel the opportunity to receive world class training and acquire essential skills,’ he said.

Biu explained that the training covered a comprehensive curriculum reflecting commitment of corps to equip its personnel with knowledge, skills and confidence to excel in demanding field of road safety and crash response.

He added that the training also included the female personnel, who as part of the consideration for selection, were nominated to enable them to attend more professionally, to children and women victims of crashes on the road.

‘We put into consideration woman’s dignity that needs to be more protected when our female personnel attend to female crash victims
.

‘The impact of this training on participants will undoubtedly be profound in enhancing their ability to administer life saving measures promptly and effectively, ‘ he said.

The FRSC boss advised participants to key into the training and use same knowledge practically in their various commands and units in the zones.

‘We are charging the participants to take the training seriously and put to practice all they have learnt as the corps expects to see renewed zeal to attend to rescue and doing it professionally.

‘The corps is grateful to Ford Foundation for supporting FRSC in this important training, which will involve all the units and commands within the zones in the country,’ he said.

The Regional Director, Ford Foundation, West Afica, Dr. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye, said the Foundation valued the works of the FRSC and recognised that the work coul not be done by government agencies alone.

He said it required support like the capacity building initiative to improve quality of first responses in emergencies.

One of the paramedics and patrol operatives undergoing the training, Dalhatu Hussaini, from Taraba Command, thanked FRSC and Ford Foundation for the exercise and promised to make use of the skills being taught, when he returned to his command.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A cadet constable in the Namibian Police Force was arrested for fraud, forgery and uttering on Monday in the Oshana region.

This was confirmed by Oshana Head of Community Policing, Chief Inspector Thomas Aiyambo, on Wednesday.

Aiyambo indicated that the suspect, identified as Yule Thomas Nashidhiga, is a 28-year-old man, whose arrest comes a few days before he was set to graduate alongside over a thousand other cadets at the Oshakati Independence Stadium on Monday.

According to Aiyambo, Nashidhiga was arrested at the Ruben Danger Ashipala Police Training Centre in Ondangwa and has already appeared in the Magistrate’s court, where his case was postponed to the 29 August 2024.

He was granted bail of N.dollars 1 500.

‘It is alleged that Nashidhiga submitted a forged Grade 12 certificate when he successfully applied for a job in the Namibia Police Force in the Oshana Region between March and June 2023,’ he said.

He added that the job interview took place in June at Oshakati, after which Nashidhiga was appo
inted as a Cadet Constable.

He attended Basic Police Training at the Pius Joseph Kaundu Police Training Centre in the Omaheke Region.

Aiyambo noted that during the screening and verification process of the qualifications for all the recruits by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, it was discovered that the suspect forged his Grade 12 certificate.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Depot Chairmen Forum has exonerated its members from the current fuel scarcity in the country.

According to IPMAN, the scarcity is caused by its inability to source petroleum products.

The IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum also threatened to withdraw its services over non-payment of N200 billion bridging claims by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to its members, since 2022.

Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan, the Chairman, of the Forum said this while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

Alhassan said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) was the sole importer of the produc but the marketers could not source products from NNPC Ltd. deport, rather from the private depots at high rate.

‘We cannot buy fuel from the private depots at N950 and transport the product from Lagos to the North and other parts of the country with N2 million and still sell it at N900 or N1, 000.

‘It is expedient for
us to state that we are more pained by the non-availability of petroleum products in the country, which has given rise to another round of untold hardship for Nigerians.

‘Contrary to claims that IPMAN members are hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel, we will like to categorically state that PMS scarcity is wholly triggered by inability to get fuel from NNPC and not IPMAN,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the NNPC Ltd. Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye said the disruption was due to logistical issues which had since been resolved.

‘We currently have an availability of products exceeding 1.5 billion litres, which can last for at least 30 days. Unfortunately, we experienced a three-day disruption in distribution due to logistical issues, which has since been resolved.

‘However, as you know, overcoming such disruptions typically requires double the amount of time to return to normal operations.

‘Some folks are taking advantage of this situation to maximise profits. Thankfully, product s
carcity has been minimal lately, but these folks might be exploiting the situation for unwarranted gain,’ Soneye said.

He however, said the lines would clear out soon.

On the non-payment of bridging claims, the IPMAN forum said it was distressed and depressed by the laidback attitude of the NMDPRA towards the survival its member’s businesses, arising from its refusal in paying the claims.

‘It is with deep frustration that we have assembled here today as the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum. It is also disheartening to note that some of our members have completely shut down businesses and retrenched employees.

‘As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running on a daily basis across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria in order to serve the teeming population of Nigerians,’ Alhassan said.

He recalled that Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), at a stakeholders meeting in February mandated the NMDPRA management to clear the entire de
bt in 40 days.

‘However, today, we have crossed the 40 days’ time lapse given to the NMDPRA to clear the debt, and it is shameful to state that only the paltry sum of N13 billion has been paid, ignoring minister’s directive.

‘We are not happy with the indiscriminate increment in the issuance and renewal of Sales and Storage Licence, by the NMDPRA, and the subsequent delays in acquiring the licence, which our members are recently subjected to.

‘We are also calling on President Bola Tinubu to look into this unwholesome figure which is highly detrimental to our business and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses.

‘We are poised to take far reaching decisions that may cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time.

‘We are collectively prepared to withdraw our services, shut down every single outlet, and suspend lifting of products forthwith till our demands are fully met, and the consequences wi
ll be terrible.

‘We call on our members to however remain resolute and law abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for our demands to be met by the NMDPRA,’ the chairman said.

Reacting to the IPMAN’s claims, the Acting Head, Corporate Communications, NMDPRA, Seiyefa Osanebi said the bridging claims payment was ongoing.

‘The bridging claims payment is always an ongoing process,’ she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria