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Petroleum and Gas Workers Embark of MAss Protest In Lagos and Portharcourt….. + How General Electric Owes Arco Workers Millions…

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Workers in the petroleum and gas sector have threatened to embark on an industrial action to protest the abuse of court order and the Nigerian local content law by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company.

 

The workers, under the auspices of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, made this known in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

 

In a statement jointly signed by the Port Harcourt Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Godwin Eruba, and his PENGASSAN counterpart, Azubuike Azubuike, the unions also called for immediate payment of the overhaul allowance of Arco workers, which accumulated between 2007 and 2012 at OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale gas plants.

 

“NUPENG and PENGASSAN strongly condemn the quit order given to Arco Petroleum (Nigeria) Plc by NAOC to vacate their plants at OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale with immediate effect to give way for Plantgeria (Nigeria) Limited, to take over the plant,” the statement reads.

 

“The unions hereby make reference to a subsisting Federal High Court injunction barring NAOC from taking any action till October 26, 2015 when the case is to come up for hearing.

 

“The unions hereby draw the attention of both Federal and Rivers State Governments on the plight of Arco workers, whose entitlements of over nine years are at stake, if NAOC management carries out this inhuman order.

 

“Both Unions hereby call on General Electric (GE) to immediately pay the Arco workers their overhaul allowance which was accumulated between 2007 to 2012, at OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale Gas plants.”

 

The unions noted that during a meeting held at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in Abuja, Agip had agreed to pay the accumulated allowances.

 

They also called on Arco to immediately put all machineries in motion to pay their members their accrued nine years terminal entitlements, saying that the workers would not vacate the gas plants until they are paid.

 

“Both unions hereby resolve that if NAOC is not called to order to rescind its decision and follow due process as required by law, which include demobilization, if and when Arco is to leave the contract, the unions will have no option than to embark on a zonal industrial action to address the injustice meted out to our members,” the groups vowed.

 

The two unions also expressed anger over the ordered issued by Agip for Arco to vacate the OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale plants to pave way for a new contractor, Plantgeria, to take over the maintenance of the facilities.

 

They vowed to take every lawful measure to ensure that the Italian oil firm does not rubbish the Nigerian judiciary and the country’s local content law.

 

The unions called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nyesom Wike to intervene and ensure that Agip respects the Nigerian law.

 

While they would not be willing to ground the nation’s economy, the unions said they would not hesitate to order their members to down tools if Agip violates the injunction of the court.

 

The Italian oil giant Agip and Arco, a foremost Nigerian oil and gas firm, have been locked in prolonged dispute over the maintenance contract for OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale gas plants.

 

Arco had dragged Agip, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Conoco Philips Petroleum Nigeria Limited, and the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) to court early in the year, stating that under the Nigeria Content Act, Agip was under obligation to it, in the award maintenance contract of OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale gas plants.

 

Having successfully maintained the OB/OB, Ebocha and Kwale gas facilities for many years, Arco had averred that it had the prescribed equipment, machines and skilled manpower to execute the contract and further prayed the court to grant it several other declarative and injunctive reliefs.

 

But Justice Akanbi had expressly directed parties to the case to maintain the status quo in the maintenance contract dispute for which he had previously ordered Agip to stay action until motion on notice was determined.

 

He also adjourned the case to October 26, for determination of jurisdiction.

 

But on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASAN, Arco Chapter, Clinton Amadike, said his colleagues were ordered out of the gas plant in Omoku, Rivers State.

 

Mr. Amadike said Agip, through a Joint Venture Partner, General Electric, gave the order after staff of the indigenous oil company reported for work.

 

“Agip has violated the court order. They have asked our staff to surrender operations to Plantgeria,” the union leader said.

 

“GE is the company that is supervising the contract. Once GE gives orders, Arco obeys. But we are asked to stay out of the process.  We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We don’t know whether they will allow us into the plant.

 

“Our staff are currently in confinement. We have locked ourselves inside the workshop to prevent any form of harassment either by NAOIC and security operatives at the plant.”

 

But reacting to the development, Mr. Sagay said strongly argued that nobody has the right to disobey the order the court.

 

“Nobody or entity or organisation has the right to disobey the order of a court in Nigeria. A court order is binding until it is vacated by that court that granted it or a superior court,” said the legal luminary.

 

“Unless that happens, the court order is binding and must be respected. Anyone who refuses to carry out that order is guilty of contempt of court.

 

“And from the facts of the matter, if there is no contrary court order from a higher court then obviously Agip is guilty of contempt of court and what it is doing is illegal.’

 

On the recurrent case of disobedience to court orders by some multinationals operating in the country, Mr. Sagay advised interested parties to commit the leaders of the offending companies to jail.

 

He insisted that the managing director of the Italian oil firm should be committed to prison to serve as a deterrent to others.

 

On his part, Mr. Hon said, urged the court to commit the leadership of Agip to prison for disobeying a legitimate order of the court.

 

“If any action has been after the court had issued an injunction, it means Agip is in contempt of court and its leadership should be held responsible. The judicial powers of the Federation are vested in the courts and the rule of law has also been established in the prosecution,” Mr. Hon said.

 

“Nobody is above the law and no organisation should operate in such a way as to be seen to be above the law.

 

“If indeed Agip has flouted the court order, the affected party should urgently take steps to reverse it through restorative injunction. The court has the powers to restore what Agip has caused to be done wrongly.

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Newly Sworn-In Edo Governor, Monday Okpebholo Appoints Adams Oshiomhole’s Son Into Cabinet……

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Newly sworn-in governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has appointed Barrister Musa Ikhilor as the Secretary to the State Government (SGG).

 

The appointment, alongside others, was the first to be made by the governor hours after assumption of office on Tuesday.

 

 

Also, a former federal lawmaker, Dr Samson Osagie, has been nominated as the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, while Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole was nominated as Health Commissioner.

 

 

Dr. Cyril is the son of the former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who is the incumbent Senator representing Edo North senatorial district of the State in the National Assembly.

 

The appointments were contained in a press statement endorsed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Fred Itua, which said the nomination of Osagie and Oshiomhole will be confirmed by the Edo State House of Assembly when their names are forwarded by Governor Okpebholo.

 

Dr. Samson Osagie, the nominee for the office of Attorney-General, is a private legal practitioner having been called to the Nigerian Bar on March 22, 1995

 

 

He is also the current vice president of the African Bar Association (West African Region).

 

Born on November 11, 1967, Dr. Osagie hails from Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State.

 

He was a two-term member of the Edo State House of Assembly and also the House of Representatives where he rose to the position of the Minority Whip.

 

 

He has been involved in intensive legal practice across Nigeria and the African continent.

 

He holds a First degree in Law from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, a qualifying Certificate for Law practice from the Nigerian Law School, a triple Master’s degrees in Law, Public Administration and International Relations. He also bagged a Doctorate Degree in Political Economy and Development Studies.

 

 

He has been Legal Adviser, Solicitor, and Consultant to many corporate Organisations and development partners.

 

For his part, Dr Cyril Adams Oshiomhole’s academic journey began at St. Anne’s Primary School, followed by Command Secondary School, where. He later pursued higher education at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS).

 

 

Oshiomole enrolled at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA. where he obtained a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH, majoring in Environmental Health, Toxicology, and Disaster Management).

 

 

 

His academic pursuits continued at Harvard University, Boston ,where he underwent postgraduate training in Clinical Research and at Queen Mary University, London, where he studied Gastroenterology.

 

 

Barr. Ikhilor was born on August 6, 1980 at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State. Barr. Ikhilor attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained an LL.B in 2008 (Second class Upper Division). In 2009, he obtained a B.L. (Second class Upper Division) at the Nigerian Law School and was enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In 2017, Barr. Ikhilor proceeded to acquire his Masters degree in Telecommunications Law (LL.M) from same Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

 

 

Barr. Ikhilor has over 11 years of experience in Legislative Drafting, Parliamentary Administration, Lawmaking procedure and processes, Constitutional drafting and amendment, and general Legislative Governance issues working in various capacities at the National Assembly.

 

 

 

In 2019, he was appointed as a Consultant to the Federal House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where he has been closely analysing and reviewing matters on Gender Equity, Human Rights, and strengthening Institutions of Government and creating efficient and transparent processes and systems to deliver Good Governance.

 

 

Also in 2019, he was appointed as Senior Special Assistant and later Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who also doubled as the 1st Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

 

 

 

In May 2022, he was assigned to act as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when the substantive Chief of Staff resigned to contest in the 2023 parliamentary elections.

 

 

 

In June 2022, Barr. Ikhilor was appointed by the Supreme of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a Notary Public.

 

 

Barr. Ikhilor is active in Business, Corporate Legal Practice and social works where he serves as the Managing Partner of Springfield Legal Consult and as the Executive Director & Board of Trustees member of Amana Legacy Foundation. In addition to these roles, he also provides consultancy services to several private and public sector entities. He is married with children.

 

 

 

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Lagos  State govt to concession Red and Blue Line rails for sustainability, loan repayment…. 

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The Lagos State Government has revealed plans to concession the operations of the Red and Blue Line rail systems to the private sector to ensure their sustainability and repay loans taken for the rail projects.

 

The disclosure came from the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a recent TVC News interview, where he discussed measures being put in place to sustain the rail systems in the state.

 

Osiyemi explained that concessioning would involve transferring the operations of the rail systems to private sector players for a specified period, a strategy designed to guarantee continuity and effective management of the rail projects.

 

 

The ultimate game is for all our rail systems we’ve done—that is, the Red Line and Blue Line—there is going to be some concessionairing with the private sector for a period of time to ensure sustainability and continuity,” he stated.

 

He added, “The concessioning would help pay back the loans taken for the rail projects.”

 

 

The commissioner highlighted that the concessioning strategy aims to ensure efficient operations and financial sustainability, aligning with the state’s vision for a world-class transportation network.

 

More insight

 

Osiyemi further emphasized the significant financial and technical demands involved in operating rail systems, describing them as capital-intensive projects that require substantial resources and specialized expertise.

 

 

To address these challenges and build local capacity, he explained that the Lagos State Government has engaged foreign partners to temporarily manage the operations of the trains.

 

These partners are expected to not only ensure efficient operations during their tenure but also transfer essential skills to Nigerian personnel. The plan includes a structured training program lasting one to two years, after which management of the rail systems will be fully handed over to local operators.

 

“What we have done is we have consulted foreign partners who, of course, would run these trains for a particular period of time and train our people—that is, transfer of skills.

 

They will train our people for one to two years, then hand over for our own management,” Osiyemi stated.

 

 

What you should know

 

The Lagos State Government, under its Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan, has outlined an ambitious vision to develop multiple rail systems across the state.

 

Currently, only the first phases of the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems have been completed, with passenger operations already commenced.

 

The Blue Line is a 27km electric rail line designed for sustainable operations. Its first phase, covering 13km from Lagos Marina to Mile 2, was completed in 2023 and commenced commercial operations in September, transporting over 2 million passengers to date.

 

 

The Red Line, spanning 37km from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, operates on diesel. Its first phase, a 27km stretch, includes eight strategically located stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.

 

 

The construction of the second phases of both the Red Line and Blue Line rail systems is being handled by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which also oversees the operation of the trains.

 

 

Beyond the Red and Blue Lines, the state has plans for additional rail systems, including the 68km Green Line (Lekki Free Trade Zone to Marina), the 85.7km Purple Line (Redemption Camp to Ojo), the 48km Orange Line (Ikeja CBD to Agbowa), and the Yellow Line, to further enhance the state’s transportation network.

 

 

 

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Finance Ministry Allegedly Spent N55million On Sendforth  Of Perm Sec, Udo Okonkwo Ekanem, Pays Money Into Personal Account…

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A  review of public payments portal, Govspend, has shown that a sum of over N55 million, was paid into the account of one Unoh Omolara, for the sendforth party of Udo Okonkwo Ekanem.

 

The payment was made by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

 

Okonkwo served as the permanent secretary, special duties of the ministry.

 

The payment for the party was made on September 13th, 2024.

According to the payment description, the event was scheduled to hold at Transcorp Hilton hotels on September 6th, 2024.

 

 

Further checks revealed that the event was confirmed by the ministry of finance on its website.

 

The ministry had noted that it celebrated the Ekanem in appreciation of his oustanding commitment.

 

 

This is despite the provision of Chapter Seven, Section 713 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009 states that “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.”

 

The money spent on the sendforth was twice the amount spent to set up 28 boreholes in Jigawa State.

 

According to details on the Govspend website, N28.3 million was spent on drilling twenty-three solar powered borehole and five numbers hand pump boreholes in Jigawa State.

 

 

This would mean that this money spent on sendforth, half of it would have provided same number of solar powered boreholes and hand pumps in other locations of the country.

 

There have been concerns over prudence in management of government resources by different ministries’ department and agencies.

 

Although, the government has expressed its commitment to accountability, experts say there are loopholes exploited by different government parastatals.

 

 

 

Source: Sahara Reporters.

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