Author: Eileen Peters

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, said the new Port Harcourt refinery is over 90 percent completed. The Port Harcourt Refining Company, PHRC, operates two refineries; the old plant with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) and a new facility with 150,000 bpsd, bringing the refinery’s combined crude processing capacity to 210,000 bpsd. The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mele Kyari, spoke, yesterday, when Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, labour leaders visited the facility in Rivers State. Kyari, who was represented by NNPC’s Executive Vice-President (Downstream), Isyaku Abdullahi said the…

THE President-General of Okuama Community of Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Pa James Oghorokor, has reportedly died from torture and alleged inhumane treatment in military detention. Oghoroko is one of the leaders arrested by the Nigerian military since August 2024. The President-General of Okuama community was arrested alongside Prof Arthur Ekpekpo, Chief Belvis Adogbo, Dennis Okugbaye, Pa Anthony Ahwemuria and Mrs Rita Akata between August 18 and 20, and had remained in detentions since. News of his death was disclosed in a statement on Thursday after leaders of Okuama had emergency meeting in the community. The leaders…

THE Akwa Ibom State Police Command says it has rescued five children stolen from the same mother. It was gathered that the children were stolen from their village in Ibiono Ibom by an unknown man and taken away on a motorcycle. Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday in Uyo, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Joseph Eribo, said the children had been reunited with their mother. “On 14/11/2024, at about 1510hrs, the Command received a distress call from one woman (name withheld), who reported that five of her children had been taken away by an unknown man on…

THE Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has received the necessary and complete documents required to verify the N2.7 trillion fuel subsidy claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited against the government. This is as the procurement department of the finance ministry obtained the terms of reference and the scope of work to guide the process of hiring the external firm to support the OAuGF. Recall that in April 2024, the Federal Government commenced a fresh audit of the N2.8tn fuel subsidy claim by the NNPCL. An audit firm, KPMG, had conducted an initial audit, reducing the claims…

THE Chief Executive Officer of AKD Digital Solutions, Daere Akobo has said that massive investment in data refinery will help Nigeria to harness the full potential of the oil and gas industry and other sectors of the economy. According to the oil and gas expert, data refinery would reposition the country’s economy from ‘grass to grace’. The CEO said these during his presentation titled,’ Building Africa’s First Data Refinery’ at the TED X MambillaStreet. The TED X event covered by this newspaper was with the theme: ‘Portals: A Conversation on Access’ sponsored by PANA Holdings among others. The event featured…

TROOPS of the Nigerian Army have recovered 1.2 million litres of stolen crude, destroyed 56 illegal refineries and arrested 17 suspected oil thieves in the Niger Delta. The Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Jonah Danjuma, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday. He said troops also destroyed 88 cooking drums and 20 boats used for the illicit activity in four states, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom, respectively. Danjuma disclosed that the operations which were conducted from November 25 to December 1, 2024, resulted in the deactivation of 56 illegal oil bunkering…

FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that though antagonism is a common experience faced by leaders, the political war staged against the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, would eventually make him emerge as a “general in politics.” This is even as Fubara accepted the chieftaincy title of the Dike Oha 1 of Etche land, bestowed on him by the Supreme Council of Etche Traditional Rulers, saying it is now public acknowledgement from the heart of Etche and Ikwerre nations that he enjoys strong support of the people. The duo spoke at the first Etche Festival of Food, Art and Culture…

THE Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor has been identified as one of the survivors of the boat accidents that claimed five lives in Delta State on Tuesday. A statement by Guwor’s Chief Press Secretary on Wednesday, Nkem Nwaeke said the speaker is yet to recover from the shock. The statement added that the speaker was returning to Asaba, en route Warri after engagement with constituents on the faithful Friday afternoon. Five persons were said to have lost their lives, six were injured and twenty persons still missing after the devastating boat accident in…

THE Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd in Rivers State has commenced crude oil processing. This is according to the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroluem Company Limited (NNPCL) Femi Soneye. “Today marks a monumental achievement for Nigeria as the Port Harcourt Refinery officially commences crude oil processing. This groundbreaking milestone signifies a new era of energy independence and economic growth for our nation,” Soneye said on Tuesday. “Hearty congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NNPC Board, and the exceptional leadership of GCEO Mele Kyari for their unwavering commitment to this transformative project. Together, we are…

FIVE people have died, six injured and twenty persons still missing after a devastating boat accident occurred in the Warri South Local Government Area of the state. The spokesman of the Delta State Police Command Edafe Bright confirmed the incident, disclosing the six injured persons are receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Warri. The tragic incident involved a collision between two speedboats conveying family members returning from a burial ceremony. The impact caused the boats to capsize, plunging passengers, who were mostly without life jackets, into the water. In October, scores of persons died in Niger State when…

FORMER Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, is on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, this newspaper gathered. This is just as our correspondent gathered that the anti-graft agency had commenced an investigation into transactions, including contracts awarded during his tenure as the governor of Edo State. Obaseki, who bowed out of office on November 12 after an eight-year tenure, had said the EFCC planned to arrest him soon after stepping out of office. His successor, Monday Okpebholo, has just established a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate his tenure. Similarly, the EFCC had on…

FEAR has gripped the hitherto peaceful town of Eket, headquarters of Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State, following the return of insecurity and breach of peace by armed hoodlums in the oil community at the weekend. It was gathered that the criminals stormed the oil city, trailed and kidnapped a prominent businessman, Samuel Ekerenam, owner of Hephzibah Mall. After shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away, this newspaper gathered that the body of the driver of the abducted Ekerenam was discovered lifeless in the pool of his blood, while his Police Orderly was severely wounded in the gun…

A FORMER police officer in Edo State, Inspector Edith Uduma, has threatened to kill herself and her children following her dismissal from the police force after she exposed an alleged rape incident involving a colleague. She accused the state police command of unjustly dismissing her, saying the public had not also heard her side of the story. Uduma’s dismissal came after a viral video that she captured in October showed one Sergeant Abraham, another officer, in a compromising position with a 17-year-old girl at the police station in the South Ibie area of Edo State. The officer was seen hurriedly…

A LONG list of oil industry leaders, ministers of the federal republic, national assembly members, as well as oil and gas stakeholders are confirmed to attend the 2024 edition of thePractical Nigerian Content Conference and Exhibition slated for the first week of December at the magnificent Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The theme of the event is “Deepening the Next Frontier for Nigerian Content Implementation” and it will be the 13th edition of the annual conference and exhibition, a signature event hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in partnership with DMG Events. According to the…

EDO State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki. The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. He said the committee, which will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 26 November 2024, at Government House in Benin City, will be chaired by Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe. “In furtherance of the governor’s initiative to set the state on the path of development and accountable leadership, the establishment of a State Assets Verification Committee has become imperative,” the statement…

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos has granted an interlocutory injunction seeking to commence the process of winding down the operations of Prime Exploration and Production Limited. The order is sequel to a petition brought by Well Fluids Limited over  issues believed to be related to a long outstanding unpaid debts. In a positive response to the prayers of the petitioner, Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa ordered, amongst other things that the respondent, Prime Exploration and Production Limited) and 19 other institutions,  including 16 commercial banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NISS), as well as…

THE Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation says it will adhere to court orders regarding the disbursement of federal allocations to Rivers State, following recent legal controversies surrounding the state’s financial entitlements. Speaking to this newspaper Saturday morning, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said, “We are going to obey court order and released the money now. “Since there is a notice of appeal, the notice of appeal has overridden the earlier court judgment. So far, it is a court order that we will obey; if there is a notice of appeal, Rivers…

SOME Nigerians in Finland and other foreign countries are in panic following the arrest and detention of separatist leader, Simon Ekpa. Ekpa is one of the leaders of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra. According to sources, Nigerians in the European country are afraid of commenting on the arrest of the suspect over fear of being attacked. A Nigerian community leader, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, noted that the Igbo community was “gravely affected” by the violent acts of the secessionist group. He said, “Everyone is afraid to speak about…

A NEW militant group which tagged itself the Niger Delta Liberation Movement otherwise known as Movement, has claimed responsibility for bursting several pipelines along the Olero-Dibi-Abiteye Fields/Flow stations at about 2am on Friday. The group described the damage as “the launch of ‘Operation Chevron Dragnet”. This was contained in a press statement signed by the Secretary of NDLM, Mr. Emmanuel Tagbanaraewumi, which was made available to journalists in Warri on Friday. The statement partly reads, “Movement begins ‘Chevron Dragnet’: bursts pipelines along Olero-Dibi-Abiteye Fields in Delta. “The blast pipelines, which are six inches, eight inches, and 10 inches in diameter,…

THE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says its Ahoada-Yenagoa 132kV line, which is currently under repair due to previous vandalism, was again targeted by vandals on Tuesday. In a statement released by its spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, on Friday, the TCN said the attack, which affected towers 29 to 31, resulted in the theft of approximately one-third of the conductor. The statement said that a team of TCN engineers, led by Engr. Emmanuel Akpa, General Manager of the Port Harcourt Region, has conducted an inspection of the site. “Preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred at night. In an attempt to…