Nation
1% Oil Industry Contracts For Local Content Fund –Nwapa
Henceforth, one per cent of every contract awarded in the Nigerian oil and gas industry is to be paid into the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) in accordance with the Nigerian Content Act.
Mr Ernest Nwapa, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Monitoring Board (NCMB), made the disclosure in Onne, near Port Harcourt, on Thursday, after inspecting the pipe threading yard of a private firm.
The Tide’s source reports that NCMB is an off-shoot of the Nigerian Content Bill recently assented into law by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The NNPC quoted Nwapa in a statement in Abuja on Friday as explaining that the NCDF would be deployed specifically for developing the capacity of Nigerian service providers in the oil and gas sector.
He said the fund would be managed by the board of NCMB and was different from the $350 million Local Content Fund which was put together by NNPC in 2007 to serve as a working capital for Nigerian companies that got service contracts in the industry.
Nwapa said: “In this case, you need to demonstrate the bankability of an investment and the board will begin to talk to you”.
“You are going to show a business plan and prove that the investment will be able to repay the loan”.
“The fund will not be managed by engineers or officials of the board. It will be managed by a proper fund manager with international best practices”.
“So, there is no question of utilising the fund for what it is not meant for.”
Nwapa said the vision of the NCMB was to grow the funds and use it to attract other financial players who would leverage on it such that Nigerian service providers would do business knowing that the fund was available for them to use.
He said the Nigerian Content Act was very robust as it was put together by legislators who understand the oil sector with inputs from members of the industry.
The chief executive called on Nigerian investors to take advantage of the immense opportunities which the Nigerian Content Act had created for them.
”Even if you create these opportunities and Nigerians do not take them, the board would not become manufacturers”.
“The board would only protect the rights of manufacturers, so Nigerians should take advantage of the law,” Nwapa said.
He also commended the management of Botro Marine & Oil Services, who he said took a risk to invest in the pipe threading yard in Onne in 2007 because of their confidence in the Nigerian Content Policy.
”This is the model we want to see because from cutting these threads, it is no longer in his hands.
“The next step would be how to think of manufacturing the pipes themselves because the time has come for us to do anything that can be done in Nigeria.
”Those machines are not made in Nigeria. The law allows you to bring machines from anywhere to work here and retain capacity in the country.
“It is important to our government and our people that we create opportunities for Nigerians to work here,” Nwapa said.
He said about 100 companies were operatiing at the Onne Free Trade Zone a few years ago, but the number had swelled to 150.
Nwapa said the government had the challenge to ensure that service providers at the Onne zone got jobs.
He said that with the Nigeria Content Act now operational, it was no longer at the discretion of officials to decide whether to give jobs to one or two companies.
”It is now law and they have a right to challenge anybody who does not give them jobs and rather takes it elsewhere outside Nigeria.
“President Goodluck Jonathan is bent on ensuring the successful implementation of the Nigerian Content Act.
“He did not keep that bill for more than two weeks before signing it into law and set up this board immediately.
“And, he has given us marching orders and already we have hit the ground running,” Nwapa said.
The source also reports that Nwapa, until this recent appointment, was the Group General Manager, Nigerian Content Division in NNPC.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the Nigerian Military is committed to facilitating sustainable food security in the country through the establishment of farms.
Musa said this in Abuja yesterday during the unveiling of the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products Logo.
He noted that the agricultural sector played crucial role in guaranteeing food security which was requisite for sustainable national security.
He said that the adverse impact of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict across some parts of the country had continuously threatened food security with dire consequences on national security.
According to him, to address this, the Defence Headquarters in May 2023, conceptualised the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative.
“This is with the aim of keying into the federal government’s efforts at addressing food security challenges in the country.
“The initiative which aligns with the ‘People Centric’ policy thrust of my leadership concept is aimed at creating job opportunities and enhancing rural infrastructural development while significantly contributing to food security in the Country.
“Considering the extensive consultation, planning and preparation made by the committee thus far, I am optimistic that the Defence Farm and Agro-Allied Products initiative will have a positive transformative impact on host communities while enhancing national security.
“With similar initiatives replicated across the country, I envision a future characterised by modernised farming techniques in which the agricultural sector significantly contributes to economic growth and national development.”
The CDS enjoined all members of the Armed Forces and the general public to embrace the initiative and maximise its associated gains.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, for his sterling leadership and relentless pursuit of national peace, security and economic prosperity.
He also appreciated the efforts of members of the committee who worked assiduously to actualise the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman, Defence Farms Committee,