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Dangote set for Zambia! *We’ve solved Nigeria’s import need *N600 billion PMS now in stock
If Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), bites at the bait, Zambia could become the next destination to set up another refinery, as the country, on Sunday, threw its doors wide open for his participation in what it says is its own thriving investment opportunities in the oil industry.
Makozo Chikote, Zambia’s Minister of Energy, who led a delegation of the country’s government to the DIL complex, harbouring the prestigious Dangote Refineries Limited (DRL), was emphatic that the Africa’s Richest Man (ARM), and world’s number 86th would add immensely to the country’s quest to grow its mining and refining capacity, through the private sector.
He spoke on the same Sunday, DIL the conglomerate that gave birth to the first private refinery in Africa and the world’s largest single train facility, told his visitors that Nigeria needed not import a single drop of petrol into the country anymore with the current production capacity of his refinery.
Hear him: “We have more than half a billion litres of petroleum and over N600 billion worth of products our tanks. As we speak right now, we have more than half a billion litres. The Refinery is producing enough refined products, like gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, to meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s requirements.
“This refinery is not only for Nigeria, it is for Africa. We must sustain the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) deal. We are trying to see how we trade with other African countries.”
A palpably-elated Chikote, while enthusing over his experience during the tour, noted that part of his findings was that the Nigerian business magnate was truly focused on the bigger picture for Africa, expressing not only his satisfaction but his readiness to work with him in achieving the economic emancipation of the continent.
During the tour which took the Minister through the Single Point Mooring to the Dangote Jetty, the biggest fertiliser plant in Africa and the refinery itself, all within the Dangote complex at the Free Trade Zone, Ibeju Lekki, Chikote, said he was particularly fascinated by the presentation made by Edwin Devakumar, Vice President, Oil and Gas of DIL, which he said spoke to the challenges of his country, Zambia.
Hear him: “In Zambia, we created an environment for the private sector to participate in the growth and development of our country. Currently, 100 per cent of our petroleum is done by the private sector.
“We are targeting increased productivity in mining, agriculture, and other sectors. Your presentation is an immediate solution to our energy needs. We are trying to promote competition among our private players
“We are looking at Dangote coming on board, which would lead to efficient, reliable, quality, and competitive products, and we want these done like yesterday.
“Coming to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, we have learned so many advantages of bringing many players for competition, which has improved the lives of the citizens. From what we have seen, we need to promote trade within Africa to promote each other. We need these countries together to make Africa efficient, and a reliable trade hub.
“We have seen here that we can learn from what Dangote has done, and this would lead Africa and Africans to stand on their feet and not depend on overseas support in terms of trade. I believe going forward that people have learned a few lessons. The one lesson I have learned from this visit is that Dangote looks at the bigger picture for Africa.”
Samuel Maimbo, his colleague in the delegation, who was equally elated at the experience pointed the way for the economic growth of Africa, stating that Dangote was already on that path and other players in the continent ought to key in as well.
Maimbo, Vice President of Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning at the World Bank Group, presently campaigning for the presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB), while regretting the inadequate development aid to develop Africa, said: “The only way we can finance Africa’s growth at a pace and scale that solves our problem is by working through the private sector, which is why we are here today, to learn and to see what an ambitious programme looks like.
Devakumar, while briefing the visitors during the tour, assured that the Refinery produced the best quality products as its core business strategy, adding: “The project concept was to process the crude from Nigeria and add value. But we also wanted to provide some flexibility to process most of the African crudes and some of the Middle Eastern crudes.
“In another concept, what we did was maximum value extraction. That is a process where every barrel of crude which goes in, the value addition should be the best. The Refinery can meet all our requirements, 44 per cent, can meet the entire requirements of Nigeria, and 56 per cent of the production would be exported. Every day, we produce lighter products of 104 million litres; 57 million litres of petrol every day; 20 million litres of jet fuel; and 27 million litres of diesel production. The local consumption is just around 46 million litres, and the remaining 58 million litres will be exported daily.”
Obioma Obikeze, an internationally-acclaimed medical doctor will on April 1, assume duties as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive officer (MD-CEO) of Healthnomics HMO Plc, in a move the organisation, said is to tap his huge experience in healthcare policy and financing as well as strategic leadership and expertise in health insurance and managed care operations.
A statement by the organisation, announcing the appointment, cited Obikeze’s background including his transformative roles at the Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa, where he led significant operational enhancements in health insurance and managed care programmes, saying his commitment to excellence in healthcare leadership remained evident from his recent tenure as Acting Head of Clinical Services and Training at his institution.
The statement, signed by Kenneth N. Ozoilo, a Professor and Chairman, Board of Directors, said further relished the quality of the new organisation’s boss, saying with a medical degree from the University of Nigeria, a fellowship of the West African College of Physicians, and a master’s degree in epidemiology and medical statistics from the University of Ibadan, fitted perfectly into the company’s desires and mandate.
“Obikeze was also a World Bank Exchange Scholar at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA, graduating with a master of science (MS) in International Health Policy and Management. He also holds certifications in Health Care Financing for Universal Health Coverage from prestigious institutions like the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, and Heidelberg University, Germany.
“We are pleased to have Dr. Obioma Obikeze lead our team. His exceptional expertise, track record, and uncommon commitment make him the perfect candidate to guide our organization towards impactful healthcare solutions for our clients,” Ozoilo, said.
On his part, the new MD-CEO, was quoted as saying: “I am thrilled to lead Healthnomics HMO Plc on our mission to redefine healthcare quality through responsible and accountable purchasing arrangements. Our dedicated team is focused on enhancing health outcomes, elevating the patient experience, and fostering positive collaborations and accountability with our stakeholders.”
Ozoilo, who described the company as described as a visionary Health Maintenance Organisation driven by its mission to enhance access to quality and affordable healthcare services to individuals, families, and corporate organisations at affordable costs. We work to improve health outcomes, enhance responsible patient experience, and make a positive impact on our communities.
Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, at the National Assembly, is still talking tough hours after raining expletives on Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, calling her a thug, an old woman with smelly mouth among others during an engagement in the Senate, on Tuesday.
The ugly encounter took place at the sitting of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions during the commencement of hearing on the petition of sexual harassment brought by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central against Godswill Akpabio, Senate President.
Contrary to the belief in some quarters that he spoke in the heat of the moment and on reflection would be regret the words he used at the former Minister, before then Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, Nwebonyi, palpably still burning with anger, told his host on Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television on Tuesday evening, that he had no such regrets.
Justifying his obstinate position, he accused the former Minister of bringing the insults on herself deservedly for ordering him to shut up, even when she knew she was speaking to a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding that such insult to his person would never be allowed.
Hear him: “It started when she was asked to be an oath because she said she was a witness. She said, ‘no she can’t be on oath, she can’t oath.’ As a person, I said I am willing to be sworn on oath so that I can give my own evidence. I was addressing the presiding office. She turned to me and said, ‘Will you shut up your mouth, you are a hooligan.”
Absolving himself of blame at the choice of his word in which he thundered: “How can I regret the scenario? I gave it to her. Is it fair for her to address me that way? As a former minister of the federal republic and a grandmother, ask her first.”
Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, on Tuesday, gave further details on the altercation between her and Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, Senator representing Ebonyi North, at the National Assembly, during the commencement of hearing of the sexual harassment case filed against Godswill Akpabio, Senate President by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senator representing Kogi West.
At the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, the two had engaged each other in a shouting match, using unprintable names, with the Senator virtually going overboard to as much as calling the former Vice President of the World Bank, a whore.
A guest at Prime Time, a public affairs programme of ARISE NEWS Network, hours after the incident, the former Minister admitted telling the Senator to shut-up, but explained that it was because the team of Akpoti-Uduaghan, was overly stressing Senate rules over the constitution and giving undue preference to the Akpabio camp.
Giving a detailed account of the encounter, she said: “I was there as the Chair of the global body known as the Women Political Leaders. It is based in Brussels, but it is a global body for all women who have been Presidents or former Presidents, Prime Ministers, parliamentarians and members of cabinet of countries.
“So, it is a global flagship for women political leadership. And so, I was there as a witness on her side on the basis of the expert knowledge that we have over this issue around the world. It is based on data that this is a problem. One out of every three women, has faced one form of sexual-based violence or the other. And so, a lot of countries are paying serious attentions to it, because it is inimical to the society.”
The former Minister who was present at the hearing alongside Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, lawyer to Zubairu Yakubu, who raised the petition on behalf of the Kogi Senator, one in the four females in the 10th Senate, narrated how the petitioners raised the issue of bias against the committee, said she became more displeased, when the committee tried to dismiss the Natasha team as unserious.
“In fact the words they used was that ‘we do serious things here, we don’t have time for unserious things.’ At that time, I had my hand up and I said, ‘I actually think that was a wrong use of words, we are not unserious people, this is a serious matter.’ Many conversations went on. Eventually, the Senate Ethics Committee, decided that based on the fact that the petitioner was saying that he wasn’t going to go into his main petition until they assured him that on the two objections that he had, they said, it meant we were not ready to engage on the matter.
“Then, suddenly, they also said, by the way, this matter is sub-judice because there are two cases in court and they mentioned the case of the wife of the Senate President and that on the basis of that they actually really shouldn’t… it was at that point that Dr. Abiola said, what’s the point, why are we here?
“When all that was going on, then, this Senator, who I would not acknowledge by mentioning his name, he then said if they are not ready about giving any testimony, I am here representing the Senate President as a respondent. I’m prepared to speak because we can’t continue with this. Then I said to him, ‘can you please shut up?’ Because we were just told that we couldn’t speak. And you have been speaking without any form of an equivalent treatment.
“You said we couldn’t speak because we were not ready to go into any conversation without our objections being addressed. Yes I said that. But he was already provoked, by the fact that he felt that we were not serious. Part of what inflamed it was that the petitioner said, by the way, it is this Senator that made a lot of statements about my Senator in words that were not complimentary.”
Obikeze, globally-acclaimed medical doctor, becomes Healthnomics’ MD-CEO
I don’t regret my insult on Oby Ezekwesili, she deserved it – Nwaebonyi
Why I asked Nwaebonyi to shut up – Oby Ezekwesili
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