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Senate Warns IOCs Against Abuse Of Regulations

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The Senate Committee on Local Content, yesterday, warned the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the country of grave consequences of continued abuse and disregard to Nigeria’s diving regulations and disrespect to constituted authorities of government.
The committee equally vented its anger on the Ministry of Labour and Productivity as it walked out on the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Yerim Tarfa, who stood in for the minister, Dr. Chris Ngige.
Representatives of the Chief Executive Officers of IOCs, including those of Chevron Nigeria Limited, ExxonMobil and Total Nigeria Limited, among others, were also asked to leave the investigative hearing on the alleged abuse of extant regulations on the premise that it was disrespectful of the companies to send staff lower than the MDs’ rank to the Senate.
The Chairman of the Senate committee, Senator Teslim Folarin, who gave the marching orders at the hearing in the National Assembly complex, said the Federal Government could no longer tolerate such acts of sabotage in a sector, he said, was worth about $1billion annually.
According to him, the hearing was targeted at addressing the inherent shortcomings associated with the diving sector in the country following a motion titled: “Urgent need to ensure strict compliance with statutory regulations and provisions regarding the Nigerian diving sector and also to urge the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity to as a matter of urgency, inaugurate the Diving Advisory Board to ensure the regulation of its operation in the sector.”
The former Senate leader, therefore, declared that it was utterly condescending and a show of monumental disrespect for the institution of the National Assembly for the invited CEOs of the companies and the minister to delegate other officers to represent them at the hearing.
He lamented that while the Schedule to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, provided that in order to encourage local participation in all aspects of oil operations, 70 per cent of Diving or Submersible operations, must go to Nigerians, the reverse has been the case.
Folarin lamented that while the Federal Government spends huge funds in training divers annually, the IOCs have continued to deny Nigerian divers employment by engaging foreign divers for their operations.
According to Folarin, such actions of the IOCs in denying Nigerian divers jobs contributed to the growing unemployment in the labour market, part of which led to the recent #EndSARS protests and other forms of agitations across the country.
The lawmaker said the plight of local divers was further worsened by the minister, who hitherto neglected to inaugurate the Divers Advisory Board all these while only to hurriedly inaugurate the board few days ago after the summons.
He emphasised that the board was meant to regulate and oversee the activities of divers in the country.

 

By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja

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Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina

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The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.

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Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three

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The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association,  Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo  also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.

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AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition

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The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.

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