What They Want

Fri, Jul 5, 2013

By publisher

4 MIN READ

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OIL producing communities in Rivers State are clamouring for direct payment of the 13 per cent derivation to their communities. In their letter to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, the communities requested for the setting up of a national derivation committee and a state management committee so that the funds be paid the national derivation committee to disburse to the states.

The letter signed by 14 leaders of the communities said in part: “The national derivation committee will not award contracts but will supervise and monitor the use of the 13 per cent derivation fund on a constant basis in all the state management committees will execute the projects and and services for the oil and gas producing committees.”

Besides, they want the chairman and members of the national derivation committee to be appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan on the advice of the leaders of the oil and gas producing communities of Nigeria including a member of RMAFC, while each state will select the chairman and members of the state management committee.

The group stated that the oil and gas producing communities have instituted sanctions to be meted out to any erring or defaulting member of any of the committees. They said: “There would be enough checks and balances in the administrative committee system.”

Trans Niger Pipeline Explosion

THE National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spills has called on the federal government to urgently review explosion of the Trans Niger Pipeline, belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company in Ogoniland. The group said that the call had become necessary in order to determine whether the pipeline supplying crude oil to Shell’s facilities at the Bonny terminal could still operate safely.

Inemo Samiama, coordinator of the group, said the recent fire outbreak and oil spill in Bodo community, Gokana local government area of Rivers State, had made the review of the Trans Niger Pipeline imperative. He said that two persons died, while several others were injured in the incident, which occurred on June 19.

Samiama estimated the quantity of oil spilled during the incident at 7,000 barrels, because the spill could not be stopped until 10 days later. “We are shocked at the level of this spill, its management, and the arrest of Shell contractors in the aftermath on suspicion of involvement in oil theft,” he said. Shell has since shut down the 50-year old-pipeline.

New Tanker Vessels For Rainoil

RAINOIL Limited, an indigenous petroleum product marketer, has acquired new tanker vessels to help the company to distribute fuel to the South-South, South-East, the Federal Capital Territory and northern states. The company, in a statement on July 3, said it had acquired multi-million dollar oil vessels, MT Adeline and MT Emmanuel, aimed at boosting petroleum products’ availability and distribution in the country.

Reginald Stanley, executive secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, who inaugurated the two vessels at the Rainoil jetty in Delta State, described the new investment as a significant milestone and a big boost to the nation’s economy in the areas of foreign exchange conservation and reduction in the cost of freight of petroleum products.

The new vessels, he said, would also provide employment opportunities and speed up products’ distribution across the country. “Although Rainoil is a big player in the Premium Motor Spirit to the nation, these vessels will provide an excellent logistic to other players in the downstream,” he said. According to him, the new vessels will boost ship-to-ship operations in the country. The MT Adeline is a 20,000-tonnage vessel and the carrying capacity of MT Emmanuel is 15,000-tonnage. Stanley said MT Adeline and MT Emmanuel met stringent vetting standard of multinational majors and qualified for Stork Technical Services, STS, operation.

Gabriel Ogbechie, managing director, Rainoil Limited, said the new vessels and other previous investments by the company including a jetty and a storage depot, were strategic moves to enhance speedy distribution of petroleum products to the South-South, South-East, the Federal Capital Territory and northern states. He also said the new investment further demonstrated his company’s commitment to leadership and foresight.

“This is a major milestone. These are modern vessels and they meet stringent international standards.  So, these vessels are acceptable anywhere in the world. Maritime is one area where this country bleeds a lot of foreign exchange. So, these vessels will save the country lots of foreign exchange apart from hundreds of employment that will be created,’’ he  stated.

Compiled by Chinwe Okafor 

— Jul. 15, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT