News
SNEPCo Harps On Safety Ahead Of Bonga TAM
Nigeria’s premier deep-water oil and gas exploration and production company, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), has said that the scheduled turnaround maintenance (TAM) of its offshore Bonga asset would be defined by safety as top priority.
SNEPCo’s Managing Director, Elohor Aiboni, gave this charge at a session with the chief executive officers of contractor companies participating in the Bonga TAM scheduled for October.
“The Bonga TAM is important to revitalise this important critical national asset. But more important is carrying out the turnaround safely. That is what keeps me awake at night. It is our top priority as a company, and we promote this by encouraging our staff and contractors to speak up and work only if it is safe,” Aiboni said.
She challenged the CEOs to embrace the culture of encouraging their staff to speak up and stop work if safety is being compromised.
“It is the only way your organisations can thrive as they work to ensure the safe delivery of services for Bonga’s rebirth.”
SNEPCo’s Senior Asset Management Integration Lead, Jonathan Amakiri, described the session with the senior executives of the industry service companies as a deliberate strategy to ensure alignment on safety, speed of execution, compliance, and excellence.
“It is important that we share learnings and demonstrate commitment to addressing the relevant health, safety and environment issues to keep our people safe and motivated,” Amakiri said.
Responding to the SNEPCo charge, District Service Manager, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Marcus Flynn, pledged the support and commitment of the CEOs to safe delivery of the TAM, noting that the contractors would make safety a habit.
“We will continue to make safety a way of life. That is the least we owe SNEPCo and ourselves.”
SNEPCo pioneered Nigeria’s deep-water oil and gas production at Bonga, a project that increased Nigeria’s oil capacity by 10percent when it began producing in 2005.
Bonga is located 120km offshore and lies in water more than 1,000 metres deep across an area of 60 square kilometres.
It has the capacity to produce more than 200,000 barrels of oil a day, and 150million standard cubic feet of gas a day.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 2,000 people benefitted from the just-concluded one-week Vision First Initiative held in Lagos by SNEPCo in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The initiative is a focused eye care programme aimed at providing free medical eye care to underprivileged people to help eliminate preventable and treatable blindness among Nigerians.
Speaking about the event, SNEPCo Managing Director, Elohor Aiboni, said “This is just one of the ways to show care to people and help advance medical care among vulnerable Nigerians with little or no means to access quality medical eyecare”.
Aiboni, who was represented at the opening and closing events for the medical outreach by SNEPCo’s Business Opportunity Manager, Ibiyemi Asaolu, described the large turnout of people for the free eye care as a pointer to the huge number of Nigerians battling with preventable blindness, and who, with little help from public-spirited individuals and corporations, could regain their vision.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who was represented at the outreach by the Director for Administrative Training, Ministry of Health, Dr Olufunmilayo Shokunbi, described the programme as critical intervention, asking other corporate organisations to follow in the footstep of NNPCL and SNEPCo to support the health ambition of the state.
The Vision First Initiative, according the SNEPCo’s Regional Community Health Manager, Dr Akin Fajola, was launched in 2019, and has since taken medical eye care to various parts of the country as part of the social investment portfolio of SNEPCo and its partners.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.