The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the regulatory body governing the practice of engineering, has said that Nigeria recorded 22 building collapses between January and July 2024.

The President of COREN, Sadiq Abubakar, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

The news conference is themed, “The Incessant Spate of Building Collapse in Nigeria in Recent Times – A Call for Sustainable Collaboration by All Stakeholders.”

Mr Abubakar said that from January to 14 July, at least 22 cases of building collapse were reported in Nigeria with Lagos accounting for 27.27 per cent, Abuja and Anambra 18.18 per cent each.

He added that Ekiti and Plateau followed with 9.09 per cent each and Kano, Taraba and Niger states accounted for 4.55 per cent each.

“Records also showed that Lagos takes the lead in the incidences of building collapse.

“As a matter of fact, over 91 buildings have collapsed resulting in the death of over 354 persons in Lagos from 2012 to date.

“Similarly, in Abuja, about 30 buildings have collapsed from 1993 till date resulting in the death of more than 64 persons and injury of many.

“The most recent occurrences of building collapse close to DMGS Onitsha, Anambra State on 12 June and that of a school (Saint Academy) in Plateau on July 13 where 22 students died and 134 injured as well as the building collapse in Kubwa, Abuja.”

He said that the incidents were worrisome.

According to him, the incidents call for deep reflection and collaboration of all stakeholders in stemming the tide.

’’While we commiserate with all victims and families, we want to commend the efforts of all emergency and security services for their prompt response at the time.’’

According to Mr Abubakar, the leading causes of building collapse vary from one location to the other.

He said some buildings collapse as a result of aging, and based on investigations and research conducted over time, the use of substandard construction materials and structural failure were also responsible.

He said that other factors included illegal change of use of buildings, illegal addition of floors, quackery, and inadequate or lack of supervision and oversight.

He added that other factors included faulty foundations, a lack of soil/geotechnical investigation, and sharp and corrupt practices.

Mr Abubakar also commended the respective affected state governments for constituting a panel of inquiry to investigate the various cases, finding the immediate and remote causes, and preventing future occurrences.

’’This is not the time for apportioning blame or contest of superiority within the built environment but a time for all stakeholders to unite and proffer workable and lasting solutions, particularly in the prevention of building collapses.

’’All professionals within the built environment have a role to play in this.

’’In this regard, we have identified and categorised many stakeholders that we will be engaging shortly,’’ he said

The president said that the proliferation of illegal miners even within residential areas, as reported in some quarters, was a danger to the structural stability of buildings.

He added that the council had, therefore, urged affected states to take urgent steps to reverse the trend, adding that it was also time to enforce the compulsory insurance of some buildings under construction.

He said that COREN had taken some steps in monitoring and preventing building collapses by training and licensing Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) inspectors.

Mr Abubakar added that COREN had reconstituted its Council Committee on Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) and added an additional role of enforcement to its responsibility in line with the amended COREN Act.

He said that COREN had constituted an ERM&E Task Force at regional levels, including Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano, FCT, Gombe, and Lagos, among other steps to tackle building collapse.

(NAN)

…Says N32b available for disbursement

The National Education Loan Fund, NELFund formerly took off on Wednesday, with the disbursement of the first tranche of funds to successful applicants, by President Bola Tinubu, amidst high level skepticisms, especially amongst states from southern part of Nigeria.

Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director of the NELFund, speaking with State House Journalists, after the Presidential disbursement, said paucity of data for determining credit search, is hampering its ability to determine who is an indigent applicant

He revealed that the NELfund portal has a total number of 164,000 students registered for the loan while 103,000 of them applied.

According to him, ” a total sum of N32 billion is currently available for disbursement to kick start the program.

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday decried the delay in new minimum wage negotiations.

They, however, urged the federal government and the leadership of Organised Labour to ensure that any agreement reached must be backed up by stakeholders’ ability to pay.

The governors also backed the recent Supreme Court judgement granting financial autonomy to the local government system and pledged continuous support to the third tier of government.

At a meeting of the Forum held at the Enugu State Government House, the chairman of the Forum and governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, said the Forum was in consultation with the National Working Committee (NWC) and various organs of the party to resolve issues bedevilling the party and the country.

In a communique issued at the end of a four-hour meeting of the Forum, the governors called on the federal government and Organised Labour to expedite action on negotiations on the new minimum wage in view of the unprecedented hardship faced by Nigerians caused by the dismal performance of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.

The forum in the communique read by Governor Bala Mohammed said: “The minimum wage negotiations are becoming unduly protracted in the face of the attendant unprecedented hardship and impoverishment of the majority of the people.

“The governors, therefore, resolved that Labour’s demand for a substantial salary raise is eminently justified and, therefore, commands the support of this Forum.

“While the Forum fully supports Labour’s demand, the agreement must consider the ability of the sub-nationals, the federal government, and the third tier of government to pay.

“While negotiations are ongoing, we appeal for restraint against actions that could lead to the breakdown of law and order and ultimately the collapse of the economy.”

On the Supreme Court ruling on local government allocations, the PDP governors expressed faith in the local government system as the closest tier of government to the people.

They pledged to continue supporting the autonomy of the local governments as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Forum regrets that the 16 years of tremendous development under the PDP- led federal government during which the country witnessed single-digit inflation, the establishment of the existing anti-corruption institutions and higher standard of living by every Nigerian has been eroded under the lifespan of the lacklustre APC- led federal government.

“The Forum identifies with the Nigerian public in these troubling times and promises to bring back the good old days of the low inflation rate, affordable food, fuel and transportation, and steady Foreign Direct Investment inflows, resulting in high Naira value and greater quality of human lives as recorded.

“The Forum also notes, with dismay and grave concern, the mismanagement of the economy by the APC-led federal government.”

“The Forum commended the governors of the PDP-controlled states for their innovative approaches to governance in many fields, especially infrastructure, education, health, youth initiatives and the timely delivery of developmental projects across the country.”

In the upcoming congresses of the party, the forum called for the adoption of internal pro-democracy measures that must be all-inclusive, transparent, fair, and in strict compliance with the party’s constitution.

On the off-season elections in Edo and Ondo states, the Forum admonished all political parties involved to ensure that all campaigns are issued-based, violence- free and in strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The Forum also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure a level playing field that guarantees transparent, fair and unimpeachable elections as any act of bias would be strongly resisted.

The PDP governors also urge President Bola Tinubu to show leadership and desist from making any political statement that depicts interference in the electoral process.

On the crisis in the Rivers State chapter of the party, the Forum expressed commitment to supporting Governor Siminalaye Fubara and also said that the issue could be resolved through the political solution

The Forum equally urged Nigerians to eschew any form of anarchy as “we all march towards returning the PDP to power in 2027”.

The Forum thanked the host and governor of Enugu State, Governor Peter Mbah, for hosting the meeting successfully and for keeping the party together not only in Enugu but in the entire South East geopolitical zone.

In attendance were the 12 state governors of the PDP: Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Umoh Eno (Akwa-Ibom), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), the host Governor, Peter Mbah (Enugu), and Osun State Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi.

The party’s chairman, its BOT, the former chairman of former PDP governors, the chairman of the Senate Caucus, the chairman of the former Ministers’ Forum, and the chairman of the party’s 36 state chapters were also in attendance.

Court Bars PDP From Conducting Congress In Rivers

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued a preliminary injunction barring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its top officials from holding its congress which is scheduled to take place on July 27, 2024, in Rivers State.

This followed a suit PHC/2282/2024 filled by Hon. David Omereji, Prince Solomon Eke and nine others asking the court, presided over by Justice Sobere Biambo, to stop the holding of the nationwide exercise in the state.

The national chairman, national financial secretary, national organising secretary, and other party representatives are parties to the suit.

The order reads in part: “It is ordered that an order of interim injunction be and is hereby issued restraining the defendants and each of them, either by themselves or servants, agents assign or otherwise, howsoever, from holding or carrying out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress in Rivers State, scheduled to hold in Rivers State on the 27th day of July 2024 or be rescheduled to be held on any other date or any other location pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.”

The Court adjourned the matter to July 19, 2024 for hearing.

[Leadership]

Ghana’s Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred its ruling on a request to restrain parliament from transmitting a highly contested anti-LGBTQ bill to President Nana Akufo-Addo for his final approval.

The ruling means debate around the bill, which has dominated Ghana’s political discourse since parliament passed it in February, will be sidelined from the campaign for December’s presidential election race.

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, chairing the five-member Supreme Court panel, said the court will expedite the case. But the case has been adjourned indefinitely, with no date set for further rulings.

Ghana’s Attorney-General Godfred Dame welcomed the court’s decision, telling the media: “I think the court is fair in coming by that approach.”

Two lawsuits are challenging the passage of the so-called “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill”, which has faced widespread international criticism for curbing human rights.

Broadcaster Richard Dela Sky is contesting the constitutionality of the bill, arguing it violates several provisions of the 1992 Constitution.

Amanda Odoi, the other plaintiff, is seeking a restraining order to prevent the parliament speaker, the attorney-general, and the clerk of parliament from sending the bill to President Akufo-Addo for approval.

The bill, which stipulates jail terms of six months to three years for engaging in LGBTQ sex and sentences of three to five years for promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ activities, has drawn condemnation from rights activists but gained wide support in the conservative West African state.

It has significant support among MPs and is backed by a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders.

Ghana’s finance ministry has warned that the country, emerging from its worst economic crisis in decades and under a $3 billion loan programme from the International Monetary Fund, risks losing close to $3.8 billion in World Bank financing due to the bill.

[DailyTrust]

Former president, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick has revealed his preference for expatriate coaches.

Pinnick appointed Franco-German, Gernot Rohr to manage the Super Eagles for the majority of his reign in charge of the Super Eagles.

American tactician, Randy Waldrum also took charge of the country’s women’s national team, Super Falcons.

Pinnick, who is currently a FIFA council member, said his reason for being averse to indigenous coaches stemmed from lack of respect for them by the players.

“Yes, the Nigerian coaches have the requisite knowledge and the technical ability, but modern football is beyond that in managing players.

“Will the national team players respect the coach? The sad thing is that they don’t,” he said in an interview on Arise TV.

The NFF is still hunting for a foreign coach to tinker with the Super Eagles.

[DailyPost]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday called for a political solution to the protracted crisis rocking Rivers State.

Governors on the platform of the major opposition party also renewed PDP’s bid for power shift in 2027, urging other leaders to work for its return to power at the centre.

The governors who met in Enugu, capital of Enugu State, under the aegis of the PDP Governors’ Forum, reiterated their support for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who is locked in a lingering feud with his predecessor,  Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had proposed a political solution to the Rivers logjam. But the peace deal was not totally implemented as Fubara later pointed out that the proposals were not legal.

The battle of supremacy has shifted to the court where the three-member House of Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo,  and the 27 lawmakers, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, are making claims and counter-claims. 

The Fubara/Wike rift was on the agenda of the Enugu meeting, apart from other critical national issues, the crisis in the PDP and its proposed national Congress.

At the meeting hosted by Governor Peter Mbah were Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi State),  Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Umo Eno  Akwa-Ibom), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Agbu Kefas (Taraba) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara States), Ahmed Fintiri (Adamawa),  and Douye Diri (Bayelsa).

Mohammed, Chairman of the forum, who read thd resolutions at the Government House, Enugu, said the governors have resolved to resolve the Rivers logjam without further rancour.

He said: “The forum notes the crisis in Rivers State PDP  and commits to supporting the governor of Rivers State and also resolved that the issue be solved through political solution and other measures.

“All the leaders and organs of the party will be committed so that we can go together and resolve this issue with minimal pressure and without rancour”.

The governors expressed support for what they described as the efficacy of the local government system and the import of bringing governance closer to the people as provided in the constitution.

They vowed to support the local government autonomy as enshrined in the constitution.

The resolutions reads:”In the spirit of the founding fathers of our great party, who adopted internal democracy as fundamental principle, which our party was built, the congresses leading to the election of our leaders at the various tiers must be all inclusive, transparent and must confine with the constitution of our party.

“We must ensure the successful conduct of congresses across the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory.

“In the off season elections in Edo and Ondo, we admonish  all the parties to ensure that the elections and campaigns are issue- based, violence free and in strict compliance with the Electoral Act.

“The forum urges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  to provide a level playing field, transparent, fair elections as any act of bias will be totally rejected.

“The forum urges Mr President to show leadership as a true democrat by refraining or making any statement suggestive of political interference in the entire process.

“On the economy, the forum notes with dismay and great concern, the mismanagement of the economy by the APC led federal government.

“On minimum wage, the minimum wage negotiations are becoming unduly protracted. In view of the attendant hardship on the people, we have resolved that the labour demand on salary increase is justified and therefore commands the total support of the forum.

“While the forum fully support labour in their demand, agreement and consideration must be made in the ability to pay between the federal government, state government and third tier of government

“While negotiations are ongoing, we appeal for restrain in utterances and actions that could lead to the complete breakdown of the law and order and the collapse of the economy.

“The forum believes in the efficacy of the local government system which ensures that governance is brought to the people as provided in the constitution.  The forum will continue to support the autonomy of the local government as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

“The forum regrets that 16 years of growth and tremendous development of the country under the PDP led government, during which the country witnessed single digit inflation, the establishment of the existing anti-corruption institutions, and higher standard of living for every Nigerian, has been eroded during the lifespan of the lackluster APC led federal government.

“The forum identifies with the Nigerian populace in these troubling times and promises to bring back the old good days of low inflation rate, affordable food, fuel and transportation, steady FDI inflows, resulting in high naira value and create equality of human life as recorded.

“The forum commended the governors of the PDP controlled states for their innovative approaches to governance in many fields especially infrastructure, education, health, women and youth initiatives and timely delivery of developmental projects across the country.

“The forum notes the crisis in Rivers State of the party and commi8ts to supporting the governor of Rivers state and also resolved that the issue be solved through political solution and other measures. That all the leaders and organs of the party will be committed so that we can go together and resolve this issue with minimal pressure and without rancor.

“The forum called on all Nigerians to refrain from any anarchy as we march towards the return of the PDP to power in 2027”.

PDP will bounce back in 2027, say governors

The forum vowed to reclaim leadership positions occupied by other political parties in 2027.

Governor Mohammed said the Enugu meeting underscored the intention of the governors to showcase their perseverance.

He said: “Today, we are here to unify ourselves, discuss issues that affect the party and various matters within ourselves.

“Our agenda will go through governance across party administration, discuss inter-party affair, congress and other things we need to do in providing credible alternative to Nigerians.”

Mohammed said the assessment undertaken by the governors, the National Working Committee (NWC) and other party organs showed that Nigeria was drifting toward anarchy.

He said PDP would not allow the country to drift because it shared an aspiration for a better future.

Reiterating the party’s agenda for power shift, Mohammed said:“It is high time the party reclaimed its leadership position in all the states that are currently being occupied by other parties.”

[TheNation]

When information minister Mohammed Idris addressed the public on the Daily Trust’s recent controversial report, he took the worn path of adding moral panic to the existing one. Rather than address the matter at stake straightaway, he first went on self-justificatory explanations before whipping out the All Progressives Congress’s favourite allegations of ethnic bias and how everything else—except their poorly run government—can lead to potential social breakdown. While Daily Trust did not give a good account of themselves on that issue, we must keep in mind that they are a private media house that caters to an audience in a free market. They do not owe it to the current administration to be fair, just as the Bola Tinubu-owned media houses too were never nice to the past Peoples Democratic Party government.

For those whose memory of that controversy has receded, this is about the recent sensational report about the so-called Samoa Agreement the Federal Government signed. According to Daily Trust, the agreement contains clauses that compel underdeveloped and developing nations like Nigeria to support the advocacy by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community for legal recognition as a condition for getting financial and other support from western countries. Daily Trust’s report did not quite say how much we would be getting, but they hinted that some $150bn was involved. Merely implying a link between LGBT and money was enough for that story to be multiplied in the imagination of poor Nigerians. It got to a point that some people expressed their belief that Nigeria was getting $150bn for signing a LGBT agreement.

When you consider our society’s tendency to believe virtually anything, then you will understand why a Warri prophet is selling “miracle soap” and other magical items to his beguiled congregation. When a society’s moral ecosystem is already rigged with lies, there is no amount of absurdity people will not tolerate. Human gullibility is such a perpetually inelastic market that no matter how outrageous it gets, there are always people willing to buy falsehood.

The Federal Government vs Daily Trust debacle, at least while the sensation lasted, was perhaps the most amusing drama I have seen in our public space this year. Yes, it was most laughable to find out that there are actually Nigerians out there who believe that they—and their leaders—have moral values that can withstand a $150bn inducement. For the newspaper to have even drawn the associative line between the money and the agreement, they must know the peculiar disease of numerical a-literacy that afflicts their countrypeople and choose to exploit it.

Ours is a country where we mention “millions” and “billions” without corresponding association of value. There was a time in this country when corruption was measured in millions.  In the 1990s, the $12bn Gulf oil windfall seemed like the peak of financial corruption. Today, no self-respecting administrator goes that low. Even corruption to the tune of billions of dollars no longer scandalises.

The desensitisation also impacts how we understand and relate to figures. Ask a Nigerian what the population of their country twice in a day, and you might hear them say “200 million” in the morning and “250 million” in the evening. They will easily add zeroes to arrive at whatever they feel it should be without being struck by the absurdity. It is the same way we report casualty figures and hype the numbers. One death is not enough disaster in our part of the world; we must exaggerate just so the incident can register.

To the numerical a-literate, figures are just a bunch of zeroes written one after the other. Since they cannot conceptualise the inherent value, those numbers mean nothing. Because the figures have been de-anchored from reality, we can easily lie with figures.

Here is a quick example: In December 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced it would spend N117bn (about one third of its budget) on technologies that prevent hacking and other electoral issues. When the election took place three months later, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami claimed they managed to prevent 12.9m cyberattacks on the INEC server. That was an election in which 26 million people (likely inflated too) were recorded to have voted. How does it make sense that for every two votes cast, there was a cyberattack? That figure had to have been a statistical contraption by people who not only needed to justify their inflated budget, but also lay a firm ground for another future electoral corruption. Come 2027 election, you will see how much they will budget for anti-hacking technologies.

Whether willful mischief or just illiteracy on the part of the media, Daily Trust took advantage of our mathematically-challenged climate. The first proof that the story was bunkum was the amount they insinuated was involved. How much is the budget of Nigeria—or even the entire West Africa—that anyone would give us that much to decriminalise sexuality? According to the BBC, the said money (€150bn, not dollars) was not even dedicated to Nigeria but provided to Africa through a scheme known as Global Gateway to boost “smart, clean and secure links in the digital, transport, energy and climate-relevant sectors.”

But if truly we were being given the money for LGBT reasons, who says we would have resisted it? We have sold our souls for far less sums and not even for noble reasons. Nigerian—nay, African—leaders have acceded to far more terrible deals that will enslave people across generations for mere millions.

There must be a huge cognitive dissonance between reality and Nigerians’ processing of it for anyone to assume they can put up any resistance if truly western countries want us to change LGBT laws in exchange for money. Think of the World Bank loan of $2.25bn recently approved for Nigeria. Despite how much of our blood repaying that loan will draw, finance minister Wale Edun still described it as “the closest you can get to free money.” You think if the situation ever arises for that one to exchange Nigeria’s LGBT laws for actual free-no-strings-whatsoever-attached money, he will resist? And if that day comes, what can any of those raving and ranting against “LGBT and western agenda” do? Nothing.

Here is a counter-intuitive truth about western power and LGBT in Africa: they simply do not care enough to compel it. If that day ever comes that western powers decide that they need African leaders to decriminalise homosexuality, it will happen. A country like Uganda made one of the world’s most repressive LGBT laws to loudly signal its virtues of defying western nations. Yet, the same country lives off western charity. If their sponsors truly want them to reverse their anti-LGBT laws, do they not have the leverage? Think about it, if a Nigerian president sends a bill to decriminalise sexuality to the National Assembly, is it the Senate led by a morally lapsed fellow like Godswill Akpabio that will stand against it in the name of fighting for African values?

The best you will get from him and his fellow ideologically uninclined lawmakers in their hollowed chambers will be a tepid debate rapidly mouthed by people whose only conviction is money. They will pass the bill, and with even far more efficiency than they did with the national anthem. It will become a law, and there will be nothing any one of us can do about it. Even the religious leaders currently whipping up moral panic over nothing will sing a new song.

In Africa today, there is a lot of decay, disease, and decay because our leaders betrayed us for a mess of pottage. To think those who could do that will somehow develop the will to resist any more money—especially in billions—is just hilarious.

The Management of Dangote Industries Limited has insisted that the international oil companies are still frustrating crude supply to its 650,000-capacity refinery.

The management said this even as it commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission for its various interventions in the oil company’s crude supply requests from IOCs, and for publishing the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation guidelines to enshrine transparency in the oil industry.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Dangote Group alleged that the IOCs insisted on selling crude oil to its refinery through their foreign agents, saying the local price of crude would continue to increase because the trading arms offer cargoes at $2 to $4 per barrel, above NUPRC official price.

The group also alleged that the foreign oil producers seemed to be prioritising Asian countries in selling the crude they produced in Nigeria.

The Vice President, Oil & Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr DVG Edwin, said, “If the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation guidelines are diligently implemented, this will ensure that we deal directly with the companies producing the crude oil in Nigeria as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act.”

Edwin insisted that IOCs operating in Nigeria had consistently frustrated the company’s requests for locally-produced crude as feedstock for its refining process.

IOCs trading arms

He stated that when cargoes were offered to the oil company by the trading arms, it was sometimes at a $2 to $4 (per barrel) premium above the official price set by the NUPRC.

“As an example, we paid $96.23 per barrel for a cargo of Bonga crude grade in April (excluding transport). The price consisted of a $90.15 dated Brent price plus a $5.08 NNPC premium plus a $1 trader premium. In the same month, we were able to buy WTI at a dated Brent price of $90.15 + $0.93 trader premium including transport. When the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited subsequently lowered its premium based on market feedback that it was too high, some traders then started asking us for a premium of up to $4m over and above the NSP for a cargo of Bonny Light.

“Data on platforms like Platts and Argus shows that the price offered to us is way higher than the market prices tracked by these platforms. We recently had to escalate this to NUPRC,” Edwin said, urging the commission to take a second look at the issue of pricing.

Edwin was reacting to a statement by the Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, who in an interview on national television said, “It is ‘erroneous’ for one to say that the International Oil Companies are refusing to make crude oil available to domestic refiners, as the Petroleum Industry Act has a stipulation that calls for a willing-buyer, willing-seller relationship.”

While noting that the commission had been very supportive of the Dangote refinery as it had intervened several times to help secure crude supply, Edwin, however, insisted that the NUPRC boss might have been misquoted by some people hence his statement that IOCs did not refuse to sell to us.

“To set the records straight, we would like to recap the facts below. Aside from the NNPCL, to date, we have only purchased crude directly from only one local producer, Sapetro. All other producers refer us to their international trading arms. These international trading arms are non-value-adding middlemen who sit abroad and earn a margin from crude being produced and consumed in Nigeria. They are not bound by Nigerian laws and do not pay taxes in Nigeria on the unjustifiable margin they earn.

“The trading arm of one of the IOCs refused to sell to us directly and asked us to find a middleman who would buy from them and then sell to us at a margin. We dialogued with them for nine months and in the end, we had to escalate to NUPRC who helped resolve the situation,” Edwin stated.

He spoke further, “When we entered the market to purchase our crude requirement for August, the international trading arms told us that they had entered their Nigerian cargoes into a Pertamina (the Indonesia National Oil Company) tender, and we had to wait for the tender to conclude to see what is still available. This is not the first time. In many cases, particular crude grades we wish to buy are sold to Indian or other Asian refiners even before the cargoes are formally allocated in the curtailment meeting chaired by NUPRC.”

He urged the NUPRC to take a second look at the issue of pricing, having severally asserted that transactions should be on a willing-seller, willing-buyer basis.

For this to work, he said that there must be market liquidity (many sellers/many buyers in the market at the same time) unlike where a refinery needs a particular crude grade loading at a particular time then there is typically only one participant on either side of the market.

“It is to avoid the problem of price gouging in an illiquid market that the domestic gas supply obligation specifies volume obligation per producer and a formula for transparently determining pricing. The fact that the domestic crude supply obligation as defined in the PIA has gaps is no reason for wisdom not to prevail,” Edwin stated.

The PUNCH reported earlier that the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, told editors during a tour of the refinery that the refinery was set to roll out its petrol in August 2024, having resolved its crude oil supply issues through the help of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and the Federal Government.

Dangote’s comment came a few days after the NUPRC said crude oil producers in Nigeria had committed to working towards a sustainable supply of crude oil to Dangote and other local refineries under a market-determined pricing system.

Both parties had said the commitment aimed to ensure that while the operators (crude oil producers) do business optimally, the refineries are not starved of feedstock. 

Accordingly, the industry regulator, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has directed oil refiners to provide monthly price quotes on crude supply.

Refiners accuse IOCs

Meanwhile, the Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria has also alleged that IOCs in the country have been selling crude to CORAN members through their trading agents in Europe instead of engaging in direct sales to local refineries.

CORAN, while expressing optimism that the recent intervention of the Federal Government would help in stopping the practice, described it as an illegal act that requires immediate government attention.

In an interview, CORAN Publicity Secretary, Eche Idoko, told The PUNCH that the oil companies engaged in the act despite the regulations of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission on the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation.

“To be fair to the Federal Government, the NUPRC has set up the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation that is meant to mandate the crude producers to supply to the Nigerian market.

“But as I speak to you, the IOCs are still kicking to see how they can whittle down the effect of the DCSO guideline, which said they should sell crude to Nigeria on a willing-buyer, willing-seller basis, but under a favourable term to Nigerians.

“What the IOCs are pushing for is that the agreement is signed between the refineries and their trading agencies instead of themselves, but the Petroleum Industry Act says it should be with them. Why they want us to sign with their trading agencies or partners is that most of their trading agencies are in Europe,” Idoko stated.

The oil refiners’ spokesperson added, “So, it means we are buying crude from a European country while the producer is in Nigeria. This is the same thing the Dangote refinery was complaining about. We will be buying our crude oil like it is from an international market. Those are the issues we’ve been grappling with.”

Idoko added that the IOCs want to be paid through the A-rated banks, meaning the cost could only be paid in dollars.

“Another issue is that the IOCs want us to pay with an A-rated bank and no Nigerian bank is A-rated, so we have to buy with dollars. The clauses they are trying to smuggle into this trade agreement will make it more difficult for us to buy from them under a domestic trade term. This technically places us at a disadvantage,” he said.

NUPRC recently announced that it had resolved the controversies between oil producers and local refineries, a development that was re-echoed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery at the time it said the plant would release petrol to the market in August.

However, CORAN called for concerted efforts to prevent a situation whereby the Dangote refinery would resort to the importation of its crude due to an unfavourable Nigerian market.

Idoko told our correspondent that Dangote and other local refiners were in the oil business to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians, especially in having access to cheaper fuel and ending years of recurring fuel scarcity.

“Most refiners in Nigeria went into the business out of passion. We really want to see the sufferings of Nigerians ameliorated. But what I can say is that Dangote will definitely sell his product to make profits. He has done a lot to have sighted the refinery in Nigeria.

“The Federal Government also has to do the needful to ensure he also gets the crude at a cheap rate. If the crude is not sold to him cheaper, we will not get the anticipated price reduction the refinery should bring to PMS. But it will be less cumbersome for the Federal Government to buy from him,” Idoko stated.

CORAN expressed concern that the Federal Government was finding it difficult to enforce its regulations, saying the IOCs want to retain Africa as their market for imported petroleum products.

“If local refineries sell their products outside Nigeria, it will bring an inflow of foreign exchange and it will reduce the pressure on the naira. But our question is, why is it so difficult for the Nigerian government to see through the gimmicks of these oil merchants who continue to hold us to ransom? They want to guarantee supply to their refineries outside Nigeria.

“If Nigerian refineries continue to get crude supply, it means they can only get crude after the Nigerian refineries are satisfied; they might go out of market. The second reason is that they want a continuous market in Africa for their products, and Nigeria is the largest consumer of refined products in Africa. The Nigerian government should wake up.

“The refining industry in Nigeria has the propensity to create 20 million direct and indirect jobs. It can solve 60 per cent of the current forex issue with a direct impact on inflation. We have been pleading with the Coordinating Minister of the Economy to sit with us to see how we can partner together, but the trade merchants have presented themselves as the saviour and we as the enemy,” he claimed.

Idoko charged the Federal Government to implement its policies and guarantee the supply of crude to local refineries.

Meanwhile, repeated efforts to speak with the IOCs individually and as a group proved abortive. While some of them acknowledged the emails sent to them by our correspondent seeking their reactions to the various allegations against them, they refused to comment.

IOCs keep mum

An official of the Oil Producers Trade Section, a sub-group within the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, promised to revert but he has yet to provide a detailed response up till when this report was filed.

Rather the official, who did not want his name in print, said many of the allegations were not true.

Contacted, the NUPRC spokesperson, Olaide Shonola, said the commission was not aware of claims that the IOCs sold crude to local refiners through their foreign trading agents, promising to find out.

Our correspondent recalls that Dangote’s Edwin had last week accused international oil companies in the country of plotting to frustrate the survival of the $20bn refinery.

He said the IOCs were deliberately and willfully frustrating the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by hiking the cost above the market price by $6, thereby forcing the refinery to import crude from countries as far as the US, with its attendant high costs.

Edwin stated, “The IOCs are deliberately and willfully frustrating our efforts to buy the local crude.

“It seems that the IOCs’ objective is to ensure that our petroleum refinery fails. It is either they are deliberately asking for a ridiculous and humongous premium or they simply state that crude is not available.

“At some point, we paid $6 over and above the market price. This has forced us to reduce our output as well as import crude from countries as far as the US, increasing our cost of production.

“It appears that the objective of the IOCs is to ensure that Nigeria remains a country, which exports crude oil and imports refined petroleum products. They are keen on exporting the raw materials to their home countries, creating employment and wealth for their countries, adding to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and dumping the expensive refined products into Nigeria, thus making us dependent on imported products.”

It was expected that the directive of the NUPRC Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, that oil producers and refiners should henceforth provide the regulator with cargo price quotes on crude supply and delivery to monitor and regulate transactions among parties would help resolve the crude controversy.

Komolafe recently warned that the pricing model from the oil producers should not be seen to be strangulating the domestic refineries.

However, the fresh lamentations from Dangote and other local refineries are an indication that the crude crisis is not yet over.

[Punch]

The unsafe working environment in Nigeria has become alarming, with a surge in industrial accidents resulting in death, maiming, and incapacitation. The inaction of regulatory authorities to address this situation is a tragedy.

Recently, Adeyemi Aderounmu, Patrick Ikenwe, Augustine Nwamba, Tukur Mohammed Kabiru Labaran, Adebanjo Adeyemi, and Yusuf Akeem lost their lives in the Maritime industry. The sector has also recorded numerous cases of maiming and incapacitation of workers. The Textile sector has also been affected, with workplace tragedies including:

- Mr. Shola Odunleye, who suffered burns on January 24, 1999, at ITI Process House, Lagos.
- Mr. Ayodele Amusan, who lost his left palm on March 9, 2000, at ITI Process House, Lagos.
- Mr. John Onyemah, who suffered a severe vertebral column injury on September 15, 2000, at ITI Process House, Lagos.
- Mr. Emmanuel Olutsosoye, who lost a finger on February 6, 2002, at First Spinners PLC.
- Mr. Ali Oloche, who suffered abrasions on two left fingers on September 12, 2000, at First Spinners PLC.
- Mr. Kareem Aderemi, who suffered abrasions on two right fingers on June 26, 2002, at First Spinners PLC.
- Mr. Rasheed Quadris, who suffered abrasions on his right fingers on March 3, 2000, at First Spinners PLC.
- Mr. Oke Olakunle, who suffered minor abrasions on his right fingers on March 3, 2000, at First Spinners PLC.

Sadly, Mr. Ekuma Sunday died on September 7, 2010, after collapsing at work at United Nigeria Textile LTD. More recently, Mr. Richard Gbadebo died on July 28, 2020, while operating a machine at Henkel Nigeria Limited, and Mr. Temidayo Kayode suffered a hand injury on April 26, 2022, at Yanou Industry Nigeria Limited, which led to amputation.

NLC President Joe Ajaero highlighted the issue of unsafe working environments in his remarks at the national retreat on Labour reforms and the quest for a living wage in Nigeria, organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies on July 8, 2024. Ajaero emphasized the need for legislative interventions to address the challenges faced by Nigerian workers, including inadequate wages, rising inflation, and an increasing cost of living.

He also mentioned the recent death of Yahaya Ibrahim, a 27-year-old worker at KAM Steel Integrated Company, who was crushed by a Roller machine on July 7, 2024. Ajaero stressed the importance of legislative oversight and the enactment of policies that protect workers' rights and welfare. He urged lawmakers to discharge their duties effectively to create a decent work environment that supports a decent standard of living for Nigerian workers.

THE Lagos State government, yesterday, has given a three months extension for owners and developers of existing buildings without Planning Approvals in the state. 

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, who disclosed this in Alausa, Ikeja, said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had approved the extension of the programme by another three months, starting from August 1 to October 2024, to allow more people to benefit from the programme.

Recall that in April, the Lagos State government had announced the provision of an amnesty period of 90 days, from May 2 to July 30, 2024 to enable owners and developers of existing developments obtain Planning Permits without  payment of statutory penal fees, which erecting buildings without approvals would have attracted.

Olumide said: “The Sanwo-Olu administration instituted the amnesty programme to cushion the effect of the current economic hardship on the built environment sector and equally enhance compliance to Physical Planning regulations to guarantee a livable, organised, orderly and sustainable built environment.”

[Vanguard]