#EndSars: Mr Macaroni, others arrested

Popular Instagram Comedian, Mr Macaroni alongside other protesters arrested by the Lagos state police command on Saturday morning, have been subjected to inhumane conditions.

In footage shared online by actor, Yomi Fabiyi, Macaroni is seen without a shirt crammed with other arrested protesters in a small bus. Some of the protesters had their hands tied behind their backs.

The video has generated negative reactions from Nigerians, condemning the police for subjecting the protesters to such terrible conditions.

DPR promises to upgrade downstream operations to global standard

Mr Sarki Auwalu, Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has promised to upgrade downstream operations to global standards with improved technology in  its ongoing automation process. 

A statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos by Mr Paul Osu, Head, Public Affairs, DPR, said Mr Sarki Auwalu, the Director of the agency made the promise

at a virtual meeting with the members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria ( MOMAN).

Auwalu said the DPR was currently deploying appropriate technology to enhance value for operators and investors alike in the downstream sector.

According to him, DPR has concluded plans to inaugurate the Downstream Remote Monitoring Systems (DRMS) on Feb. 11  in Abuja.  

He said the DRMS was an inventory  and regulatory tool designed to track product levels across retail outlets and depots using  the short code-  *7117#.

Auwalu said  the introduction of DRMS would create value for the sector by providing access to data for efficient  management of their operations. 

He noted that DPR as partners in progress would continue to engage with MOMAN to ensure seamless communication and feedback on our regulatory activities. 

The director said that DPR had developed a framework around quality,  quantity,   integrity and safety (QQIS) for petroleum products in response to the current situation of price freedom in the downstream sector.

 

He lauded the support of MOMAN for the gas expansion programme of government and advised the association to ensure  their members compliance with the gas add-on directives for their stations as they are the energy bridge of the nation.  

The Chairman of MOMAN,  Mr Tunji Oyebanji, assured  the DPR of the readiness of the association to always partner with the department for the development and growth of the sector.

He lauded the technology deployment by DPR in its operations which had enhanced its approval processes and data collection drive. (NAN)

DPR licenses first floating LNG production plant

Director/CEO DPR,  Mr Sarki Auwalu (Right) presenting Licence to Establish (LTE)  the first floating LNG production Plant in Nigeria to Managing Director   UTM Offshore limited, Mr Julius Rone at DPR office Abuja

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has issued Licence to Establish (LTE), the first floating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production plant to UTM Offshore Ltd., an indigenous oil and gas company.

A statement issued on Monday in Lagos by Mr Paul Osu, Head Public Affairs, DPR, said the licence was presented to the company at the DPR headquarters in Abuja on Monday.

Mr Sarki Auwalu, Director, DPR who presented the licence said the company would be processing 176MMcfd natural gas and condensate.

Auwalu said the milestone was a reinforcement of the promise and commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians to promote indigenous participation in the oil and gas sector.

According to him, it is to ensure that companies come to Nigeria and do business in an equitable way to stimulate the economy and create jobs for Nigerians .

He added that the licence was a demonstration of government’s resolve to harness safe and reliable technology for the development of the oil and gas industry.

Auwalu said that the DPR would continue to create opportunities for companies by providing the regulatory tools of licences, permits and approvals for investors.

The Managing Director of UTM Offshore Ltd., Mr Julius Rone, while receiving the licence promised to abide with the terms of issuance within the 24 months validity period of the LTE from the date of issue. (NAN)

DPR targets $500m from signature bonuses of 57 marginal oilfields

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says Nigeria will earn about $500 million dollars from the signature bonuses to be awarded for 57 marginal oilfields in the country.

The agency said the bid round processes for the oilfields which began in June 2020 ,would be concluded by the end of the first quarteruarter of 2021.

Mr Sarki Auwalu, Director, DPR , made the disclosure while speaking on Friday during a television programme monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

NAN reports that a marginal field is any field that has reserves booked and reported annually to the DPR and has remained unproduced for a period of over 10 years.

Auwalu said the objective of the exercise was to deepen the participation of indigenous  companies in the upstream segment of the industry and provide opportunities for technical and financial partnerships for investors.

The director said out of the over 600 companies which applied for pre-qualification, 161 successful companies 

were shortlisted to advance to the next and final stage of the bid round

process.

"For the signature bonus, what we did internally is to look at the Competent Person Report and objectively estimate the average signature bonus on that field. 

"Some fields are high while some fields are low. We estimate to have not less than $500 million which is very much on the conservative side," he said.

The director noted that this was aside the monies already generated by the agency through the applications and data leasing for the marginal oilfields applicants.

He said the DPR had also gotten approval for the signature bonuses to be paid in either dollars or Naira to simplify the process for Nigerian companies and reduce strain on the nation’s foreign exchange reserve.

"Immediately after the payment of the signature bonuses and compliance with the farm out agreement, farm out demarcation area, then we will issue the award and bring the companies together for them to arrange how to enter the fields.

”We hope to finish the entire programme before the end of Quarter 1 this year.

"Going forward, we will give about 90 days in which the Oil Mining License holders will have discussions because no two fields are the same so that we allow these assets to be developed.

”We believe it will increase the reserves of this country as well as providing a lot of stimulant to the economy," Auwalu said.

He explained that the DPR had learnt from the mistakes made in previous marginal oilfield bid rounds, adding that the 2020 exercise would be devoid of such issues leading to lingering litigations and unproductivity.

Auwalu said the agency had put measures in place to ensure that the

awardees would be credible investors with technical and financial capability.

He said the DPR carried out due diligence on all the applications with the assistance of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Department of State Security and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Explaining the rationale behind the non-publishing of the names of the 161 successful applicants selected for the final stage of the exercise, Auwalu said such an action was premature.

"All of them will not be successful. When we are finished,I can assure Nigerians that all the names of the successful companies who will be awarded will be known by Nigerians,"he said. (NAN)

LAPO advocates cancer treatment support for poor Nigerians

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) has called on both the Federal and State Governments to provide cancer treatment support for indigent individuals due to the high cost of managing and treating the ailment.

Mr Honestus Obadiora, Executive Director, LAPO NGO, made the call on Thursday during a sensitisation and awarenesses rally organised by LAPO in Igando area of Lagos State.

Obadiora, represented by Mrs Sandra Asowata, Head, LAPO NGO, Western Region, said the awareness, which was centered on Cervical, Breast and Prostrate Cancer was part of activities to mark the 2021 World Cancer Day.

Obadiora noted that LAPO was committed to the empowerment of poor and vulnerable people in Nigeria through the implementation of innovative financial and non-financial development programmes.

According to him, the organisation believes that poverty is further reinforced by diseases and vice versa and has therefore been involved in community health improvement across the country.

"As a development organisation, LAPO is concerned that cancer is now a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria with over 100,000 persons diagnosed every year of which about 80% die due to late detection. 

”Globally, 9.6 million people die from cancer every year even though over 80 per cent of cancer cases are preventable with early detection while 40 per cent of the disease can be eradicated by lifestyle changes.

"In 2016, the LAPO Community Campaign for Cancer Control (LAPO-C4) project was initiated by the Founder towards preventing and mitigating cancer-related deaths in Nigeria. 

”The main focus of the project is mass awareness creation, basic screening services for detection of pre-malignant conditions and building referral linkages for uptake of medical services," he said.

Obadiora said the project was being implemented in collaboration with six Community-Based Organisations across Lagos, Edo, Imo, Abuja and Rivers State.  

He said  between November 2016 and December 2020, LAPO created mass awareness about cancer in target communities across the country under the LAPO-C4 project.

The executive director said the organisation sensitised 83,405,597 community members against cancer, screened 38,595 persons and referred 26,215 for further screening and treatment in government-approved health facilities. 

He said: ”World Cancer Day aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer, and pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action against the disease. 

"The need for improved access to basic cancer screening services across the country cannot be overemphasised. 

"The best approach is the integration of cancer control services, including the inclusion of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the routine immunisation schedule at Primary Health Care Centres in accordance with the 2018 - 2020 Nigeria National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP). 

”We are also advocating for a government policy on cancer treatment support for indigent individuals considering the enormous financial burden of managing the ailment in Nigeria. 

”We appeal to well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to support LAPO in the implementation of cancer prevention and Maternal and Child Health projects in the country. We need your commitment to create a cancer-free world. ” (NAN)

DPR clarifies crude accounting process

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has clarified the process it uses for accounting for crude production in the country.

The agency disclosed that most incidents relating to oil theft occurs from the land terminals.

A statement issued on Thursday in Lagos by Mr Paul Osu, Head, Public Affairs, DPR, said Mr Sarki Auwalu, Director, DPR made the clarification while speaking before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Oil Theft in Abuja.

Auwalu told the committee chaired by Hon. Peter Akpatason, that the DPR was the agency of government saddled with the responsibility of monitoring crude oil production and lifting.

He said: I will like to use this opportunity to give a brief on how we account for hydrocarbon in this nation.

”I think that will provide a better view for this committee as well as Nigerians. The process starts from the well because every crude oil comes from well, and you cannot drill a well without knowing the capacity of that well to produce.

“So, the hydrocarbon accounting in the DPR starts from well. Once you drill a well, you will need to have what we call a maximum efficiency rate to know the capacity that well will produce. The volume accounting starts from that point.”

According to him, the methodology used in hydrocarbon accounting are static measurement and dynamic measurement.

The director said: “The static is the volume that went into tank that you can dip and know the volume, while the dynamic is the volume that goes across the meter.

”We have two kinds of meters: we have production meter that you measure the volume of oil produced and we have custody transfer meter where you measure the volume of oil that exchanged hands.

“What we do is to take inventory of all wells producing in every field based on the volume we give, within which that well cannot produce more than that.

“If you under produce, you can kill the reservoir. If you over produce, you can kill the reservoir. All these volume measurements, whether static or dynamic, we take record of them.”

He disclosed that Nigeria has over 30 terminals with five of them being land terminals.

Auwalu said: “Most of the thefts, they are coming from land terminals because the land producers have to use pipelines to transport the crude into the terminals for export.

” In the process, you have a lot of third party interference which results in volumes that are being taken and are stolen.

“So, most of the discrepancies in production and export, you can easily calculate the theft volume.

“And the theft volume, if not all, come from the land terminals. But the offshore terminals, it is actually practically impossible to steal crude from offshore terminals, since it is from the bottom of the sea.”

Earlier in his remarks, Akpatason said the effects of crude oil theft could not be overemphasised, adding that it was the responsibility of all patriotic Nigerians to put an end to the menace.

He said the DPR was identified as the agency playing a key role in the monitoring of crude oil production and lifting in the country hence its invitation to the agency. (NAN)

Group urges FG to reverse power sector privatisation

An electricity consumer group, ‘Where’s the Light Movement,’ has called on the Federal Government to reverse the power sector privatisation policy for failing to achieve its set goals.

The group said the sector should be returned to public ownership under democratic control and management of workers and electricity consumers.

Mr Sina Odugbemi, the convener of the group, who briefed newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos, urged the government to take a bold step to reverse the privatisation and take charge of the sector.

Odugbemi said Nigerians had not experienced the desired objectives of available, accessible and affordable electricity supply for the past seven years of privatising the sector.

“The only way forward is for government to reverse the privatisation policy and bring back the power sector under exclusive public ownership.

“We are advocating for democratic control and management of workers and consumers in a more transparent manner.

“The reversal will help to check looting of public funds, mismanagement, nepotism, inefficiency among others to sustain the growth and development of the sector including guaranteeing uninterrupted and affordable electricity supply to all Nigerians,’’ he said.

Odugbemi noted that the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), the Generation Companies (GenCos) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria had to demonstrate sufficient technical and financial capacity to solve the sector’s challenges.

“The social welfare and right of all Nigerians must be guaranteed at all times in accordance with Section 14 (1) (b) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).

“Section 14 (1b) states that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government.’

“Provision of Light enhances comfort, wellbeing, productivity and security of lives and property of citizens; absence or inadequacy of electricity to the citizens negates the purpose and the spirit of Article 14 (1) (b) of 1999 constitution,” said Odugbemi.

He noted that in spite of the billions of naira sunk into the sector by the government since it was privatised in November 2013, 46 per cent of Nigerians were yet to be connected to the national grid.

“Those connected to the national grid cannot boast of enjoying quality supply. Electricity is life, it is extremely instrumental to production, services, education, healthcare, well being among others,” Odugbemi said.

According to him, apart from reversing the privatisation policy, the tariff should be reviewed downward to N21 per kilowatt with no further increment due to the current economic realities in the country.

He called for metering of all electricity consumers, adding that estimated billing should be stopped and all debts accumulated by consumers as a result of the “crazy bills” should be cancelled.

He also called for life insurance policies for electricity workers as well as massive public investment in the power sector to guarantee uninterrupted power supply to all Nigerians. (NAN)