News
NLNG, NCDMB enthuse over E-market place agreement *As $5billion Train-7 project hits 52 per cent, employs 8,300
The ongoing construction of the $5billion Train-7 project being undertaken by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) at Finima, Bonny Island, Rivers State has reached 52 per cent and currently engages 8,300 Nigerians of diverse skill sets.
These facts emerged on Friday as the Management of the outfit with that of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), at the gas company’s operational base at Finima, Bonny Island.
At the high-level engagement, part of the three-day Nigerian Content Stakeholders Retreat, which brought the NLNG Managing Director, Philip Mshelbila and Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of NCDMB on the same table, the two oil and gas industry leaders also signed an agreement on the Oil and Gas E-Market Place.
The agreement will see the roll out of tender opportunities from the Nigeria LNG Ltd on the E-Market electronic platform, thereby implementing a key provision of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, a statement, said after the parley.
Section 106 of the NOGICD Act defines the “Oil and Gas E-Market Place” as a virtual platform for buyers and sellers of goods and services in the oil and gas industry that allows for speedy and transparent transactions.”
Mshelbila, who commented that the relationship between his organisation and the NCDMB had always been conscientiously nurtured over the years, with both parties striving ceaselessly to fulfil statutory obligations, was quoted by the statement as saying: “We recognise the role of the regulator and are happy you recognise that of the operator and the need for regular engagement.”
Acknowledging the crucial role played by the Board in the take-offof the Train-7project and assured of the company’s resolve to stretch its local content practice beyond mere compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, he said the company was committed to engaging ininitiatives that would boost in-country productivity and economic diversification.
His words: “We cannot have a better Nigeria unless we develop the capacities of Nigerians. The vision of NLNG is to be a globally competitive LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria.”
Bemoaning the difficulties the company is facing in getting adequate gas supply and the resultant under-production by its six plants to below 50 percent of their total installed capacity, he stressed that supply of feed-gas to the NLNG plants, which came mainly from some its joint ventures (JV)partners, including, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited, Total Energies and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), suffered due to attacks on supply pipelines by vandals, coupled with facility failure and low production from aging wells, resulting in serious disruptions.
He said the Nigeria LNG, was exploring several options to mitigate the challenge, including partnering with critical security agencies to curtail vandalism on the pipelines and working with their JV partners to increase their gas production, adding that the Nigeria LNG Board of Directors had also approved for the company to procure gas from other international and indigenous gas producers in the country, with the goalof enhancing the performance of Trains 1-6.
Mshelbila, expressed deep concerns that deepwater gas projects that would provide feed-gas for the upcoming Train-7 and other future expansions had not been commenced by the international oil and gas companies (IOCs), despite the significant progress made in the construction of the Train-7 plant a situation, he said, could lead to the completion of the plant without gas being available for it to liquify.
He solicited the Board’s support for the development of the deepwater gas projects, which are critical to keep Trains 1-6 full and provide gas for Train 7 and future expansion plans.
Wabote, while affirming that the E-Marketplace would be a game-changer, which would enhance the Service Level Agreement (SLA) guiding the relationship between two organisations, noted that the Board decided to start with NLNG because the company’s record of excellence. He added that the intention of the E-Marketplace is to increase transparency in the tender process, “remove human interference in business processes, move things electronically and achieve better results,” while describing the Final Investment Decision (FID) and other critical steps that were taken for the Train-7 project taken at the height of COVID-19 as a proof of stakeholders’ enthusiasm for the project.
The NCDMB boss, who expressed concern over the challenges of inadequacy of gas supply and promised to support the company along the lines of approving third party gas injectors and sanctioning new deepwater gas projects, added that “most of the marginal operators have also found gas but part of their challenge is where to send the gas.”
Lauding the NLNG for its remarkable success, he recalled that at the initial phases of the company’s take-off “the Management level had 90 per cent expatriates and 10 per cent Nigerians,” a situation, which he said had now changed to where the entire Management now consisted of Nigerians.
On milestones achieved by the foremost gas company since inception, its General Manager, Production, Engr. Nnamdi Anowi, said NLNG has as its core areas of operation – Liquefaction, Transmission, Transportation, Marketing and sales. He disclosed that over 5,770 LNG cargoes have been delivered as of September 2023 and over 500,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) produced and sold to markets overseas and in Nigeria.
Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, seems to find merit in the damning verdict of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), accusing security agencies in Nigeria of complicity in the deluge of terrorist attacks in the country.
Jare Ajayi, National Secretary of the group, in agreeing with the position, posited on Wednesday: “This is because of the strong belief that the nature of terrorism bedeviling Nigeria would not be festering for this long without complicity from some powerful quarters.”
Though he acknowledged the determination of some patriotic operatives and government to stem the tide, he posited how difficult it was to believe that the activities of the terrorists would continue to thrive without active connivance.
Hear him: “With the vows by the President and top security officers, one has the feeling that the government is determined to end terrorism in Nigeria. When President Bola Tinubu appointed General Christopher Musa, (retd), as Minister of Defence, we had a lot of hope that within months, a total stop would be put to terrorism and banditry in the country.
“Unfortunately, there seems to be a spike, rather than reduction. The reason for this could be rooted in sabotage and complicity from within and from without. This tends to buttress the alarm raised by the US Commission.”
Stressing how the organisation been consistently calling the attention of authorities to areas that needed be looked into he maintained that these included politicians, who could be complicit in promoting the urgly situation.
Citing the recent comments by Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, who pointed in the same direction, Ajayi stated that no matter how unpalatable the position of the US body could be: “It is very important not to dismiss it but to use it a beacon with which to comb all areas.”
“Many people doubted us. Some dismissed us. Others predicted confusion, division, and even outright collapse. But you stood firm. You kept faith with the ADC. And today, because of your commitment, our party stands taller, stronger, and more united.”
With these words, David Mark, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday’s night showered praises on members for conducting what he considered a flawless presidential primary election to choose its candidate for the 2027 election.
Mark, Senate President from 2007 to 2015, his audience at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, that by the outcome, the party had demonstrated that democracy and political competition could still thrive in Nigeria without crisis or division.
Regardless of the rejection of the result of the exercise by Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), who contested in the exercise, the former Chairman of the National Assembly, was still upbeat about its outcome.
Atiku Abubakar, Vice President between 1999 and 2007, had emerged winner of the process that took place across Nigeria from Monday till Wednesday, when the result was eventually announced.
The declared result showed that the former VP who would be running for the nation’s number one job for a record seven times came tops with Atiku 1,846,370, to Amaechi’s 504,117 and Hayat-Deen’s 177,120. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457 in the 3,113,599 tally.
Mark, who officially presented the ADC flag to Atiku as the party’s presidential standard-bearer, was emphatic that the exercise was not merely about producing a presidential candidate but about proving that internal democracy could still function effectively in the country.
Hear him: “Today is not just about announcing a presidential candidate. Today is also about proving a point to Nigeria and to Nigerians. It is about proving that democracy can still work.
“Proving that political competition does not have to become political warfare. That a party can organise itself around principles instead of personalities. This event has shown that in a season of deep national anxiety, a bright future is still possible.”
Stressing that had doubted the party’s ability to conduct a peaceful and credible primary, with some predicting division and collapse within the ADC, he praised members of the Presidential Screening Committee and Presidential Primary Election Committee for what he described as their professionalism and commitment to fairness despite pressure surrounding the exercise.
“In the face of enormous pressure, logistical complexity, and intense national attention, they carried out their responsibilities with courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency. The conduct of the primary has strengthened confidence in the party and its democratic process.
“Their work has strengthened the credibility of this exercise and reinforced the confidence of our members and the Nigerian people in the integrity of the African Democratic Congress.
“It is important to mention that we are the only political party to have three strong aspirants contest for the presidential ticket. This alone makes the ADC unique in its deep commitment to democracy and democratic practices.
“By subjecting themselves to this process, they did not merely contest an election. They strengthened democracy. And despite efforts in some quarters to create uncertainty and tension, they remained committed to this process and to the ideals of this party,” he added.
For Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the first female Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), it was another day of glory, as Alex Otti, Governor of Abia laid out another red carpet for her in lieu of her starling performance in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The university don, was the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was nationally recognised for standing her ground against forces that reportedly tried to skew the process, leading to the emergence of Otti as governor.
Since then, she had received several recognitions including from the governor and other bodies, including her own students at FUTO, who gave her a heroic welcome upon the conclusion of her INEC task – the first and only one to be so accorded in Nigeria.
Wednesday’s recognition came through the naming of the newly inaugurated Umuahia Central Bus Terminal, a multimodal transport facility in the state capital after her, by the governor, who said it was in recognition of her role in that exercise.
Otti, who stressed that the decision was informed by her act of courage, integrity and commitment to truth, said: “This terminal has been named after Professor Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the courageous INEC returning officer who demonstrated unflinching integrity in the discharge of her duties during a high-stakes election assignment here in Abia.”
The governor, while stating that the honour was not limited to don alone but symbolised all individuals who resisted electoral manipulation added: “In 2023, through her courageous disposition of standing firmly by the truth… she reminded us that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results by simply saying no.
“So she’s just a representative of all of you—INEC staff who never bent, party officials who didn’t give in, security agencies… people who said no to intimidation.”
Stressing that the state had moved beyond basic infrastructure delivery to building an integrated transport system, he said: “The days of playing small is over. We shall no longer confine ourselves to the margins.”
He explained that the terminal was designed to accommodate over 340 buses and would improve accessibility, safety and efficiency in urban transport operations, adding that it would be supported by electric bus services, with 20 already in operation, while additional units are expected in phases.
“Services will keep improving as more buses are delivered… and you can tell with accuracy when a particular bus will arrive and depart,” he said.
He urged residents to protect the facility and support government efforts by maintaining order and paying taxes, warning against vandalism, waste disposal violations and other practices that could undermine the project, stressing that offenders would face sanctions.
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
News2 weeks agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News1 week agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
Features4 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
Columns1 week agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News2 weeks agoWhy we pegged presidential ticket forms at N60million – NDC
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING! Coast brightens for Obi, as NDC zones presidency to South
-
News2 weeks agoGowon on civil war: My book is to put records straight, remove falsehood