JUNGLE !!! No maintenance on refineries for 42 years — NNPC boss

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, said that the country’s refineries had not undergone Turn Around Maintenance(TAM) for an aggregate of 42 years.

Baru disclosed this in his New Year message issued by the Corporation spokesman, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja, on Monday.

He said that in spite of the challenge, major rehabilitation works were carried out in all the three refineries.

He noted that the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, had its Distribution Control System (DCS) successfully upgraded while the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) had major interventions in Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit, (FCCU) and Power Plant Unit (PPU) fixed.

He added that Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) was undergoing major repairs of its FCCU, Catalytic Reforming Unit (CRU) and Crude Distillation Unit 2 (CDU2).

According to him, efforts are afoot to get the original builders of the refineries to carry out TAM on them after securing favourable private funding for the exercise.

On the downstream sector, he said that although 2018 was riddled with some supply shortages, he was delighted that the corporation rose to the occasion with the support of President Muhammadu Buhari and the resilience and hard work of NNPC staff members.

“As at today, there is fuel availability in the nooks and crannies of the country,’’ he said.

He further disclosed that the NNPC imported a total of 15.874, million metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol through the DSDP and the NFSF arrangement in 2018.

This, he said represented 62 per cent increase over the 2017 supplies of 9.807 metric tonnes.

“As at today, the NNPC has 2.98 billion litres, equivalent to over 59 days sufficiency at 50 million litres daily evacuation,” he said

He added that the corporation’s depots had been resuscitated and put to use through decanting of over 140 million litres of PMS nationwide, explaining that systems 2B and 2E pipelines supplying petroleum products to South West, South-South and South East Regions had been resuscitated.

On the Industry milestones in the outgone year, Baru disclosed that the Egina project had achieved First Oil at 11.20pm on Dec. 29, 2018 while he noted that the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading, FPSO, vessels was currently adding 200,000 barrels of oil per day to the country’s crude oil output.

He further stated that Nigeria’s crude oil daily production recorded an upward swing of about 2.09 million barrels in 2018, translating to a nine per cent increment, compared with the 2017 average daily production of 1.86 million barrels.

Compared against the low-level daily crude oil production in 2016 and what obtains now, Baru, said the nation had maintained a line of consistent year-on-year improvement.

He explained that the average production from NPDC’s operated assets alone grew from an average of 108,000 of oil per day (bod) in 2017 to 165,000bod in 2018.

He described the feat as the strongest production growth within the oil Industry in recent times, even as he added that it was worth being celebrated.

The GMD said NPDC’s equity production share which stands at 172,000bod, representing about eight per cent of national daily production, was no less impressive.

He added that the desired results were the outcomes of initiatives his Management team intended, among which, he noted, were the Asset Management Team (AMT) structure, Strategic Financing, Units Autonomy and security architecture framework.

Baru promised that NNPC would stick to the Repayment Agreement with the JV Partners while transiting to self-funding IJV modes with the corporations’ partners.

“Tiding up the Cash Call issues has led to increased commitment and enthusiasm to invest in Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry even as it has also boosted NNPC’s credit profile internationally,” he added

Baru highlighted the achievements of NNPC in the Upstream sector by listing other milestones achieved by his team to include: reduction in contracting cycle for Upstream Operations to nine months from an average of 24, even as the corporation targeted a six-month cycle.

Others include lowering of production cost from 27 dollar per barrel to 22 dollars per barrel; and improving on the security situation in the Niger Delta through constructive engagement and dialogue with relevant stakeholders.

Baru revealed that in the frontier basins, NNPC had intensified explorations activities in the Benue Trough, with the expected spudding of Kolmani River Well 2 on Jan. 19, 2019.

He explained that activities would resume in the Chad Basin as soon as there was a green light on the security situation in the enclave.

In the Midstream, the NNPC GMD stated that in 2018, Nigeria achieved an average national daily gas production of 7.90bscf, translating to three per cent above the 2017 average daily gas production of 7.67bscf.

He said out of the 7.90bscf produced in 2018, an average of 3.32bscfd (42%) was supplied to the Export market, 2.5bscfd (32%) for Reinjection/Fuel Gas, 1.3bscfd (16%) was supplied to the domestic market and about 783mmscfd (10%) was flared.

The GMD stated that out of the 1.3bscfd supplied to the domestic market, an average of 71mmscfd went to the Power Sector, while 470mmscfd was supplied to the Industries and the balance of 69mmscf delivered to the West African Market through the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP).

Baru said NNPC would bridge the medium-term domestic gas supply deficit by 2020 through the corporation’s Seven Critical Gas Development Projects (&CGDPS).

According to him, a reputable Project Management consulting firm is collaborating with an NNPC team to achieve accelerated implementation of the projects.

He assured that full implementation of the project would boost domestic gas supply from about 1.5bscf/d to 5bscf/d by 2020, with a corresponding 500 per cent increase in power generation and stimulation of gas-based industrialization.

Baru said all existing power plants in the country now had a permanent gas supply pipeline infrastructure, even as he stressed that the corporation would continue to expand and integrate its gas pipeline network system to meet increasing domestic gas demands.

- PM NEWS

Shehu Sani: Demand a written agreement if your zone is promised power in 2023

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, says those geo-politcal zones that have been promised power in 2023 should demand a written agreement to that effect.

The senator said this via a tweet on Tuesday.

Sani said the agreement should be signed by the presidential candidates and chieftains of the political parties offering the promise and witnessed by respected traditional and religious leaders.

The lawmaker said gentleman agreement is a “hoax and a mirage.”

“If they promise your geopolitical zone political power in 2023, demand for a written irreversible and irrevocable agreement,signed by their presidential candidates and party chieftains and witnessed by respected traditional and religious leaders,” he said.

“Gentleman agreement is a hoax & a mirage.”

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, had said the south-west has more to gain by re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari.

The minister said the re-election of Buhari would guarantee that power would come to the south-west in 2023.

But he is not the only one that has made such statement.

In November, Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), asked the south-east to endorse Buhari re-election bid in order to secure the presidency in 2023.

“I urge the south-east to look at this matter seriously that every time we have a presidency in Nigeria, it is negotiated in several ways,” Mustapha said.

“Either negotiated by votes or what you bring to the table and you must negotiate from the position of strength.”

- THECABLE

Cross River mob roast 32-year-old lady in place of her boyfriend who allegedly stole motorcycle

A 32-year-old woman had been roasted to death over an alleged stealing of motorcycle by her boyfriend in Obudu local government area of Cross River State.

The victim, Miss Vivian, a graduate of Federal College of Education (FCE) Obudu was said to have harboured the suspect who was alleged to have murdered a commercial motorcycle operator with a view to collecting his motorcycle.

An eyewitness, who declined identifying himself, said the victim was set ablaze as her boyfriend that was alleged to have absconded after stealing a motorcycle in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.

He said that the Vivian, popularly known as China in Obudu, was roasted on Saturday on allegation that her boyfriend was involved in the murder of Peter Akikieye, a commercial motorcyclist from Obudu.

Akikieye was allegedly murdered when some persons attempted to forcibly collected his motorcycle on the 23rd of December 2018, along Bishiri road, Obudu.

“I came out of my house this morning and saw some boys beating up China and asking her of her boyfriend. I identified some of the boys to be cultists belonging to the KKs.

“They told the girl to call her friend. She took her phone, tried to reach her friend but it was not successful. So they told her that if her friend does not come out, they will burn her and just like play, they did it.

“They dragged her and kept beating her from her house till they got to the cyclists’ park and a big crowd of more than 500 persons gathered and watched her being burnt alive.”

The witnessed alleged that the Police were on ground but couldn’t save Vivian. “I was there live and saw it all. Two well-known police officers were standing beside me watching the whole scenario.

“Most of us from the opposing view; our opinion didn’t count because we were so little compared to those who were chanting the burning anthem.

“It took up to an hour before she was finally burnt,” a source said.

But the Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Irene Ugbo lamented the mob attack and roasting to death of the victim.

Speaking to DAILY POST on phone, Ugbo said the victim harboured the suspect in her house and when the angry mob made up of Obudu youths invaded the compound, they pounced on the victim while the suspect absconded.

“The woman was roasted to death by the youths of the community, they couldn’t get to the suspect and they pounced on the lady that harboured him in her house. The suspect was her friend”.

She said that the youths alleged that the suspect (absconded) involved in various heinous crimes in the area including cultism, “he absconded when the angry youths went to her friend’s house where he took refuge.

“The angry mob attacked the woman, gave her thorough beating, and roasted her to death. Some suspects have been arrested and they would be prosecuted in law court soon,” she stated.

She recalled that the Police Command had severally warned mobs not to take the law into their hands but they ignored it, “Sadly, by the time the Police got to the place, the harm had been done,” the PPRO said.

- DAILY POST

2019 UTME: JAMB issues warning to candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has called on prospective candidates to disregard advertisements in the social media, announcing sales of registration documents with some illegal centres and subject combinations.

The board’s Head, Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

He said: “It has come to the notice of the board that some fraudsters have listed out centres for the examination and in the process, inserted some illegal ones.

“Let me state here that all the processes concerning the board can only be done by approved Computer Based Centres (CBT).”
According to Benjamin, over 700 centres have so far been accredited for the conduct of the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scheduled to commence on March 16.

He said JAMB would soon publish the list of all approved centres in all its state offices nationwide to guide prospective candidates in choosing centres nearest to them.
He announced that the sales of registration documents for the examination would commence on Jan. 10.

“Already the list of over 700 accredited centres for this examination has been uploaded on our website.
“But we have not published any advert concerning all the processes, we are hoping to do so soon.

“Precisely before the commencement of the sales of the forms just as we will paste the list of all the accredited CBT centres at all our state offices nationwide.

“This is to guide the candidates towards the examination processes in order not to fall prey to these fraudsters who are bent on finding ways of causing pains to innocent Nigerians,” Benjamin said.
He added that candidates can also go to the “playstore app” on their mobile phones and download “jambibass” to get authentic information especially as regards subject and course combinations among others.

DAILY POST

2019 election: Bishop Onaiyekan tells Nigerians leaders to elect

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has advised Nigerians to elect leaders that will carry everybody along to make the country a better place in the next month’s election.

The cleric also advised the Federal Government to ensure proper use of security agents during the election.

Onaiyakan spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during his New Year mass at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Nyanya.

He said Nigerians should pray for President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise of free and fair election to come true.

The cleric said, “It is the government that is responsible for free and fair election in any country, the government has all the necessary things to make it free and fair.

“The use of security agents should be handled properly to ensure that voters are not intimidated during election.”

He prayed that Nigerians would elect good leaders who would address the issues of corruption, unemployment and poor infrastructure.

“Nigeria need leaders that will carry everybody along to make the country a better place,” he said.

He noted that other African countries have moved ahead leaving the giant “Nigeria” behind.

The Cardinal said that “most countries suffer from national disaster while Nigeria is faced with human disasters” urging Nigerians to serve God more than ever before.

“We should do all we can to realise that we are all children of the same God irrespective of our difference in religion, language or ethnic background,” he said.

Commenting on the Pope’s new year message, he said that it should be practice in Nigeria during the election.

“Political office and political responsibility thus constantly challenge those called to the service of their country to make every effort to protect those who live there and to create the conditions for a worthy and just future.

“If exercised with basic respect for the life, freedom and dignity of persons, political life can indeed become an outstanding form of charity,” he quoted the Pope.

He further admonished politicians not to practice “do or die” politics.

- DAILY POST

One killed as cultists strike on New Year’s Day in Lagos

A bloody clash between suspected rival cult groups left one person dead on New Year’s Day in Badagry, Lagos State.

Sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the deceased, simply identified as Shefiu, was shot dead around Senior Boys Joint along Soglo Way at about 1 a.m on New Year’s Day.

NAN gathered that the deceased, who allegedly belonged to Eiye Confraternity, was shot dead during a scuffle between rival suspected cultists.

According to the source, members of the groups ran away from the scene immediately after the shooting, leaving behind the lifeless body of the victim.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Badagry, Mr Samson Akhiromen, told NAN that one suspect had been arrested over the killing.

The DPO said that investigation was underway to establish the motive behind the killing, adding that efforts were on to apprehend other suspected hoodlums involved in the incident.

- PM NEWS

Pass new National Minimum Wage to lawmakers now, NLC tells Buhari

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged commitment to workers welfare while appealing to the Federal Government to urgently transmit the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, made the appealed in a New Year Message on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, 2018 remains one of the most traumatic for workers especially given the failure of government to enact and implement the new national minimum wage of N30,000.

“This is in spite of the unimpeachable tripartite process leading to the agreement by the social partners on the new national minimum wage.

“It is unfortunate that the Federal Government is yet to transmit to the National Assembly an executive bill for the enactment of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

“Government’s dilly-dallying on the issue has strained Government-Labour relations with a potential for a major national strike which could just be days away.

“Accordingly, we would use this opportunity to appeal to the Government to do the needful by urgently transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.

“We also would like to use this same opportunity to urge workers to fully mobilise for a prolonged national strike and enforce their right,” he said.

The NLC president said the strike became the inevitable last option for labour, while calling on all Nigerians and businesses to understand and support it.

He, however, assured workers that their labour, patience and diligence would not be in vain.

Wabba said the NLC leadership remained committed to giving all that it takes to ensure that workers get just and fair wages in a decent work environment appropriate to their well-being.

He added that the leadership was similarly committed to ensuring there is social protection for workers.

“The new year presents great opportunities for workers, pensioners, civil society allies and their friends and families to put their numbers to good use.

“This is by voting out, not on the basis of tribe or religion but purely policy, any candidate that cannot serve their interest.

“In the year that is ahead of us, the NLC remains unequivocally committed to the national and workers’ goals which include the campaign for industrialisation, against selective enforcement of “No Work..No Pay policy of government, among others.

“We will work assiduously to promote and advocate for the removal of all barriers to industrialisation, growth and productivity. We should be able to build a country where we produce what we consume.

“We cannot continue to export precious jobs away to other countries through successive poor policy choices of government and expect to change our unfortunate status as the poverty capital of the world,” he said.

The labour leader also described the use of the “No Work… No Pay” policy by government as aimed at hounding and victimising workers.

Wabba said the NLC would continue to resist such unjust, draconian and insensitive policy and insist that workers’ salaries, pension and gratuity be paid.

“In furtherance to this, the Nigeria Labour Congress will intensify the struggle for regular, predictable and appropriate payment of salaries, pension and gratuity.

“We will continue to insist on accountability. The NLC will continue to promote worker-education and mobilisation through Congress education programmes and other union training programmes.

“These activities will be religiously held with the objective of positive impact on workers.

“Therefore, we urge government at all levels to consider workers as assets and partners in development rather than liabilities,” he said.

He stressed that the NLC would continue to insist that the elections are clean and that the congress focus was particularly trained on the 2019 general election.

Wabba also said the NLC would continue to demand that both the election umpire and political actors play by the rules of the game.

“This is by shunning violence, election malpractices, vote buying, and manipulation of election rules and politics of bitterness.

“We will also deepen our campaign for good governance and fight against corruption in the same manner that we sustained the campaign for tax justice and illicit financial flows.

“We also demand that the recovered loot be invested transparently for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“We say no to the wanton killings under any guise in our country. It also shows a dearth of social justice and the reign of abject poverty. This is a serious setback to the fight against terrorism in our dear country.

“We wish to remind our political leaders that the security and welfare of the people must be the chief priority of any government’s policy and programmes,” Wabba said.

He however, reiterated NLC resolve to continue to push for the prioritization of the welfare, security and wellbeing of all Nigerians especially workers of all categories.

He added that ”we wish to assure Nigerians, workers that our resolve and commitment to the noble goals and aspirations of justice, equity, decent wages and accelerated national development remains unshakable and inviolable”.

- PM NEWS

Nigeria to expect 25,685 new babies on New Year day – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday disclosed that an estimated 25,685 babies will be born in Nigeria on New Year Day.

A statement issued by UNICEF Nigeria Communications Specialist, Eva Hinds, said Nigerian babies made up 6.5 per cent of the estimated 395,072 babies born on New Year Day globally.

“Within Africa, Nigerian babies will account for almost 40 per cent of all those born in West and Central Africa, and more than 23 per cent of those born in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, over half of the world’s births are estimated to take place in just eight countries, including Nigeria.

“At current life expectancy rates, a child born in Nigeria today is likely to live only to the year 2074, which is 55 years of age. A child born today in Denmark is likely to live until the 22nd century.

“Only children born in three countries today have a lower life expectancy than that of Nigerian children including Central African Republic, Chad and Sierra Leone, “ it said.

The statement said that globally in 2017, about one million babies died the day they were born, and 2.5 million in just their first month of life.

It said that in Nigeria, about 262,000 babies die at birth each year, the world’s second highest national total, while 257 babies die within their first month of life.

“Among these children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis and pneumonia, a violation of their basic right to survival, “ it stated.

UNICEF Nigeria’s Acting Representative, Pernille Ironside, said in the statement that more could be done to ensure children born in Nigeria survived their first day of life.

Ironside added that such children should be able to survive and thrive for many months and years to come.

“In Nigeria today, only one out of every three babies is delivered in a health centre, decreasing a newborn baby’s chance of survival.

“This is just one of the issues that need to be addressed in order to improve the chances of survival of those babies born today and every day.

“This New Year Day, let us all make a resolution to fulfil every right of every child, starting with the right to survive.

“We can save millions of babies if we invest in training and equipping local health workers so that every newborn is born into a safe pair of hands, “ he said.

The statement also noted that 2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child which UNICEF would be commemorating with worldwide events throughout the year.

According to the statement, under the convention, governments committed to, among other things, taking measures to save every child by providing good quality health care.

“Over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half.

“But there has been slower progress for newborns; babies dying in the first month account for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five.

“UNICEF’s Every Child Alive campaign calls for immediate investment to deliver affordable, quality health care solutions for every mother and newborn.

“These include a steady supply of clean water and electricity at health facilities and the presence of a skilled health attendant during birth,’’ it stated.

It further called for ample supplies and medicines to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth as well as empowerment for adolescent girls and women who could demand quality health services.

- PM NEWS