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Pipeline vandalism: FG Devises New Means Of transporting crude oil

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Pipeline vandalism: FG may transport crude oil via trucks

Pipeline vandalism: FG Devises New Means Of transporting crude oil

 

The Federal Government has adopted a virtual means of evacuation of crude oil that involves the utilisation of barges and trucks for the transportation of crude from the point of production to injection/storage points for eventual transportation to export terminals.

It said the Alternative Crude Oil Evacuation Systems was implemented to avoid production deferment, losses and other undesirable consequences as a result of pipeline disruption and outages.

This is contained in a new presentation by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission on “Stability in the Nigerian Energy Sector: Integrated Strategies for Infrastructure, Transportation and Security,” obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday.

Nigeria loses trillions of naira to crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism annually, a development that made the government consider virtual means of transporting the commodity.

 

 

In October 2023, The PUNCH reported that the Senate ordered a comprehensive probe into the activities of security forces and organised groups employing sophisticated techniques to steal crude oil in the country.

The report stated that the decision was prompted by a motion put forth by Senator Ned Nwoko (PDP, Delta North), who reeled out data on what Nigeria loses to pipeline vandalism and oil bunkering.

Nwoko had pointed out that Nigeria lost N2.3tn to oil theft in 2023 alone.

 

“In March 2023, Nigeria incurred a substantial loss of 65.7 million barrels of crude oil, valued at $83 per barrel, translating to a staggering revenue loss of N2.3tn as a result of oil theft,” the senator stated.

To tackle this, the NUPRC said the government had to promote the Alternative Crude Oil Evacuation Systems by transporting the commodity through trucks and barges instead of pumping them through pipelines.

It stated that through collaboration with industry stakeholders, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission had sustained its commitment in implementing targeted initiatives and various measures to combat vandalism and crude oil theft.

It said, “Through increased surveillance and deployment of security forces, the upstream industry has in recent times increasingly enhanced the protection of oil and gas infrastructure from criminal syndicates who often target oil and gas installations to siphon off crude oil for illegal sale.

 

“The activities of the syndicates has led to revenue losses for the government, oil companies and other stakeholders, increased cost of production, as well as far-reaching environmental consequences and demarketing of the nation’s global competitiveness.

“The commission has therefore promoted the implementation of Alternative Crude Oil Evacuation Systems to avoid production deferment and losses and other undesirable consequences as a result of pipeline disruption and outages.

“This virtual means of evacuation mainly involves the utilisation of barges and trucks for the transportation of crude oil from the point of production to injection/storage points for eventual transportation to export terminals,” the commission stated in the document.

 

 

According to the NUPRC, the ACOES provides a flexible and cost-effective crude oil transportation system for new entrants into the industry, such as the new PPL (Petroleum Prospecting Licence) holders, during Extended Well Test and early production phases.

It said, “For the new entrants, the ACOES provides a temporary solution for crude oil evacuation before the establishment of permanent evacuation infrastructure, such as pipelines or export terminals.

“Through properly laid down regulatory requirements, permitting and approval processes, documentation, accounting of produced volumes, synergy with the Nigerian Navy and other relevant security agencies, the commission has ensured safe and secured barging and trucking operations in the upstream oil and gas industry.

“Indeed, a lot of gains have been achieved through the alternative evacuation systems. The most evident is the NCTL line which recorded as much as 90 per vent production loss last year due to crue theft. In Q1 2024 alone, over three million barrels of crude was evacuated and exported through NCTL as a direct impact of proper deployment of the virtual pipelines.”

The National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, commended the government for coming up with measures to tackle oil theft.

He noted that the revenue loss from oil theft was humongous, adding that any measure being adopted to halt this would go a long way in shoring up Nigeria’s earnings from crude oil.

“Nigeria earns a bulk of its foreign exchange from the sale of crude oil, so it is important for the government to continue to come up with ways to tackle the menace of oil theft and we encourage them in this,” he stated.

 

 

@PUNCH

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Ekiti Governor Honours Primate Ayodele’s Late Father, Names Street After Him

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Primate Ayodele Never Said Seyi Makinde Would Become President’’ – Media Aide Clarifies*

Ekiti Governor Honours Primate Ayodele’s Late Father, Names Street After Him

 

The governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Oyebanji has honoured the Primate Elijah Ayodele’s late father by naming a street after him in Ikere-Ekiti.

The street which used to be ‘Area One’ where the prophet’s church in Ekiti is located has now been registered as Ayomate Avenue.

According to reports, the renaming took the combined efforts of the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Alagbado, his chiefs, the local government chairmen, and ultimately, the governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Oyebanji.

According to the governor, the street was named in recognition of the good works done by the late father of Primate Ayodele and the continuation of the good works by the prophet. He also recognized the efforts of the prophet to drive economic growth in the community.

Primate Ayodele embraced the development while expressing appreciation to the governor for honouring God in such a manner. The prophet applauded the governor for his efforts towards bringing development to Ikere-Ekiti and promised that the presence of his church will in turn lead to more economic development in the local government.

Furthermore, Primate Ayodele promised that he would begin by sinking boreholes across the local government to support the government in solving the water crisis.

‘’I appreciate the governor for the magnanimous development of naming this vicinity after our church, it’s indeed marvellous in God’s sight. This is a testament to his love for God and the people of Ekiti state.”

“I also want to appreciate him for the development he started in Ikere-Ekiti local government, the people are happy with him and above all, God is happy with him for all he is doing”

“I want to promise His Excellency that our presence here will bring a new dawn to this vicinity, we will also assist the government. We will be sinking boreholes across the local government to solve the water crisis.’’

History has it that Primate Ayodele’s father was one of the most respected individuals in Ikere-Ekiti who brought good tidings to the community and provided succour for individuals who needed help.

Consequently, Primate Ayodele has been engaging in humanitarian activities on a large scale across the country. Since he opened a branch in Ikere-Ekiti, Primate Ayodele has organized charitable programmes thrice which involved selling a bag of rice for N20,000, scholarships for youths, empowerment for widows, to mention but a few.

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APC Youth Loyal To Defence Minister Allegedly Vandalize President Tinubu Billboards Amidst Defection Rumor In Jigawa

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APC Youth Loyal To Defence Minister Allegedly Vandalize President Tinubu Billboards Amidst Defection Rumor In Jigawa

 

 

 

 

Bulus Aminu, Dutse

In a surprising turn, a few supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC), allegedly loyal to the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru were been observed vandalizing billboards bearing images of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Governor Umar Namadi and Jigawa state APC Chairman, Aminu Gumel in Dutse, Jigawa state.

The incidents have sparked concerns, particularly in light of growing speculation that the Defence Minister, Badaru may be preparing to switch political allegiance by defecting to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 elections.

The billboards, located in key areas of the city, were seen slashed, defaced and in some cases, completely destroyed by youths allegedly acting on the signalled Defection notice of their boss or a script to portray the Governor bad.

Speaking to our correspondent, one of the aggrieved youths who gave his name as Bala Sule Babura, voiced his disappointment in the government, citing that Governor Umar Namadi has being running the state the way he likes without recourse to Badaru.

“The Governor here has refused to follow the instructions of the former Governor. Those of us loyal to the Badaru can hardly access government house because of the sharp divide between the Governor and his predecessor. The promises made to us haven’t materialized and it feels like we’re worse off now”, Babura expressed.

Political analysts have noted that Governor Namadi has taken full charge of the entire leadership structure in the state against the wishes of the former Governor and now Minister who fought tirelessly against the emergence of Namadi as Governor of Jigawa state, thereby rendering Minister Badaru almost politically impotent in the state as key stakeholders earlier loyal to Badaru have all switched their full loyalty to the governor, a practice Badaru is not finding funny at all.

It is worthy of note that the people of the state voted massively for Umar Namadi as their governor against the directives of Former Governor Abubakar Badaru who didn’t want his deputy to succeed him.

An indigine of Dutse, Baba Mohammad who granted an interview noted that paying a few group of boys money to destroy the President’s billboards will not change the love and trust the people of Jigawa state have on Umar Namadi.

“Badaru may have thought that to align with the PDP will help him regain political relevance in the state, but truth be told, it will further signal a total collapse of his already weak political structure in Jigawa state which is evident to even the blind particularly as the country moves closer to another general election. I was Badaru’s Coordinator for the Artisans here but I had to leave him like others did before the election when he ordered us to vote against Umar Namadi”, Mohammad stated.

The actions of his alleged supporters have further fueled these rumours of defection.

More suspicion is abound as Badaru is yet to release any official statement on his indictment of trying to force the current Governor to release a certain percentage of the state’s monthly allocation sums to him which the Governor refused vehemently.

Some party members have expressed concern over Badaru’s move to cause breakdown of law and order in the state noting that the Governor is the leader of the Party in the state and should be allowed to rebuild the party from the total mess Badaru left it.

Governor Namadi has countless times stated that the monthly allocations are mainly for the development of the state and not for political hijackers.

Meanwhile, opposition members have taken note of the events as a potential indication of rising dissatisfaction among APC loyalists, possibly providing the PDP with new alliances as they strategize for the upcoming elections.

The public too remains watchful. The remaining few around the Minister are already feeling the impact of their principal’s loss of the people’s trust as they are now left with questioning the political future of Badaru which seems to be in its diminishing phase.

This incident marks yet another chapter in Nigeria’s dynamic political landscape, illustrating the challenges of leadership and the complexities of political loyalty and home base political redundancy which Badaru is being faced with

Some opinion moulders have noted that Badaru is holding a position he doesn’t deserve following the low number of votes he was able to ganear for President Tinubu in the last Presidential election.

“In Jigawa state today, Badaru has no significant influence even as Minister of Defence as no one cares to take him serious, so his defection to PDP will be of no negative consequence to APC Jigawa state”, Mohammad concluded.

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Celebrating a Visionary: Dr. Lola Dare and the Global Impact of CHESTRAD

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Celebrating a Visionary: Dr. Lola Dare and the Global Impact of CHESTRAD

 

 

Today, we honour a woman whose work has shaped global humanitarian and development efforts for over three decades: Dr. Lola Dare, President of Chestrad Global. What began as a Nigerian research initiative, CHESTRAD has transformed under her leadership into a worldwide networked social enterprise, influencing policies and driving change in every corner of the globe. Through her commitment, CHESTRAD Global has become a respected thought leader in public health, using research and advocacy to impact policy at international, regional, national, and local levels.

Dr. Dare’s pioneering approach has centered on dialogue and evidence-based learning, contributing to significant shifts in policy that prioritize affordable, accessible healthcare as a foundation for inclusive development. Her work is rooted in the belief that health is the bedrock of equity, enabling societies to thrive through inclusive policies that meet the needs of all citizens. CHESTRAD’s reach today stands as a testament to her vision, spanning countries and regions where her efforts have brought meaningful, lasting impact.

In recognition of her exceptional influence, November 4th has now been marked as Chestrad Global Day—a celebration of Dr. Dare’s lifelong dedication and a call to continue the work she has championed. Her journey is an inspiring reminder of the power of one person’s vision to drive global change, and we celebrate the legacy she has created through CHESTRAD’s transformative work.

Happy birthday to the founder of Chestrad Global, Dr. Lola Dare!

Happy Chestrad Global Day

 

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