The report by petroleum marketers that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited is yet to evacuate adulterated petroleum from fuel stations as motorists jostle to purchase premium motor spirit is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Monday.
The Guardian reports that petroleum marketers, yesterday, said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited is yet to evacuate adulterated petroleum from fuel stations as motorists jostle to purchase premium motor spirit. It is feared the situation may take a bad turn if it lingers.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), whose members retail over 90 per cent of the products used in the country, told The Guardian that petrol marketers are running at a loss, while consultants are working to determine the volume of the dirty fuels still in tanks.
For filling stations dispensing products, there are deliberate attempts to frustrate consumers by creating artificial scarcity through long queues and, in many cases, products are only sold in the evening, creating brisk business for the black market.
Already, in many parts of Lagos, the product is being dispensed at N200 a litre and N400 in Abuja. Vice President of IPMAN, Abubakar Shettima, told The Guardian yesterday that most tankers have now diverted to Nipco depot to load the right speculation of premium products, adding that the current scarcity would abate before mid-week.
NNPC Limited had admitted that four PMS cargoes imported by four consortia of its direct sale, direct purchase (DSDP) had imported adulterated fuel into the country, leading to petrol scarcity across the country.
The newspaper says that it was two full days of meeting: two days of ‘to strike’ or ‘not to strike’ and at the end, many Nigerians had to go to bed hopeful that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would not call out lecturers for another round of strike.
The meeting, which is holding at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has been extended to the early hours of today. A source, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian: “You know the matter at hand is very sensitive and ASUU has been very careful. It is a serious thing. But the final decision will be taken early, Monday morning.
“But it was clear that majority of NEC members opted for declaration of strike, citing government’s failure to implement the agreement reached with the union and accede to its demands over the years.”
As Nigerians await the decision, however, stakeholders have appealed to the Federal Government to fulfill its side of the bargain with the union to avert another disruption to academic calendar.
ASUU National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, had earlier lamented that the union’s demands on revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) promotion arrears, renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement and inconsistencies in Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS) payments have remained unheeded, in spite of meetings with Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.
The union had also earlier issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government, nudging it to address all pending issues to avert another round of strike.
The Punch reports that the Transmission Company of Nigeria on Sunday announced that it had taken delivery of 15 power transformers from the Apapa Port, Lagos, which would increase the country’s electricity transmission capacity by 1,487 megawatts.
It said the power equipment comprised 10 different 60MVA 132/33kV and five 150MVA 330/132kV capacity transformers delivered to TCN central store in Lagos, for onward delivery to various project sites nationwide.
The company’s Acting Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz, said the contract for the supply of the transformers under the Nigerian Electricity Transmission Project was funded by the World Bank.
He, however, noted in a statement issued by TCN in Abuja, that the transmission company would decide on the project site where the transformers would be installed.
The statement read in part, “He (Abdulaziz) informed that on installation and connection to the grid, the 10 number 60MVA 132/33kV power transformers and the five 150MVA 330/132kV transformers will add 637MW and 850MW respectively to the transmission network.
“This consequently will increase the total capacity of the transmission system by 1,487MW while ensuring N-1 reliability criteria in the substations, which is strategic in enhancing grid stability.”
The newspaper says that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers on Sunday declared its support for the imminent industrial action by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of NUPENG and announced that it had started mobilising members of the union for the sudden strike.
NUPENG also insisted that its investigations showed that officials of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing were currently diverting the N621bn provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for the rehabilitation of 21 critical highways.
Although the works ministry denied the allegation, the union argued that roads’ rehabilitation pictures being brandished by the FMWH were photographs that were taken before the N621bn was approved.
They disclosed this in a statement jointly signed by the union’s President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Olawale Afolabi, adding that agreements reached on the matter with the government and other stakeholders in two separate meetings were not upheld.
The statement read in part, “These two meetings resulted into the signing of a communique indicating the readiness and willingness of NNPC to finance the rehabilitation of identified 21 critical roads at an estimated sum of N621bn through road infrastructure tax credit scheme.
The Sun reports that the joint Committees of Aviation in the Senate and the House of Representatives, have rebuked domestic airlines for incessant flight delays and cancellations, saying the National Assembly will soon come up with legislation that will empower the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to grant permits to any willing foreign airline to carry out domestic operations.
During an oversight visit to the NCAA headquarters in Lagos, Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Smart Adeyemi, said domestic operators don’t care about the effects of protracted flight delays and cancellations on passengers, hence, the joint committee have decided to put in place measures that would empower the NCAA to grant an operating licence to any of the foreign airlines that would be willing and able to deliver on prompt and safe air lifting of Nigerians to all their domestic destinations.
He also said that airlines’ performances records with the NCAA would be released to the public and a caveat on which one is healthy or not would accompany such public information. He said these measures are necessary so that Nigerian travelers would be treated with dignity.
ThisDay says that the federal government is ramping up the disbursement of the N140 billion solar intervention fund, a facility by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to close the huge energy gap, especially in Nigeria’s rural communities.
In the last quarter of 2020, the CBN had introduced the fund that would offer obligors access to a credit facility that would not exceed a maximum of N500 million, with the aim of providing affordable mini-grid solutions to rural dwellers.
The apex bank posited that the pathways to energy access, financial inclusion and poverty reduction were closely linked and required rapid scale of pay-as-you-go off-grid technologies that would create a $2 billion annual market opportunity.
To support the economic recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBN said the federal government launched the initiative as part of the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) to achieve the rollout of 5 million new solar-based connections.
According to the CBN, the solar connection scheme aims to expand energy access to 25 million individuals (five million new connections) through the provision of solar home systems or connection to a mini-grid.
GIK/APA