Kachikwu Recommissions 46km Escravos-Warri Crude Pipeline

Says refineries operating at 60% but need $700m to upgrade to 90%

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt, Chineme Okafor in Abuja, Adibe Emenyonu in Warri

Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, has said the lingering fuel shortages in major cities across the country would gradually ease off with coming on stream of refineries, which require about $700 million to upgrade and operate at 90 per cent capacity.

Kachikwu, who noted this when he re-commissioned the 46-km Escravos-Warri pipeline, however warned that the long-term solutions would take time.

According to him, “It is going to take time because we are addressing a long-term solution. There is a lot of policy issues coming in to ensure that we resolve this and we would not need to go back to the pipes over again.

Kachikwu, who also inaugurated the Bonny–Eleme Refinery crude pipeline to formally bring it on stream, added: “When the upgrade and repairs, led by the foreign investors, with our joint team, are concluded, our capacity will move from about 50 per cent to about 90 per cent, resulting in movement from 12 million litres to slightly in excess of 20 million litres production per day. The co-located refineries that we have also advertised, which will be private sector-led, by the time they are attained in about two years, there will be excess of 750,000 barrels refined petroleum production capacity per day.

“Our hope is that by 2018, fuel importation will be reduced by at least 60 per cent, because of the upgrade that would have taken place. By 2019, when the co-located refineries are in place, we will actually be exiting importation and begin to export refined petroleum products. That is the strategic way. That is what we are working on.”

He called on Nigerians to collectively tackle the issue of pipeline vandalism.

Kachikwu at the event, also disclosed both Warri and Kaduna refineries which had been cut out from supply of crude oil due to the vandalised pipeline are now receiving crude simultaneously for the first time in many years.

He said the Warri refinery had already started working while Kaduna will start production at the end of the month.

According to him, this means that for the first time in many years, the nation’s three refineries at Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, as well as major crude pipelines in the country will be working at the same time.

Kachikwu stated in a statement from the spokesman of the NNPC, Mallam Garuba Deen Muhammad, that the Escravos terminal was the heartbeat of the downstream sector of the country’s petroleum industry, adding that it was critical to local supply of finished petroleum product as both refineries in Warri and Kaduna are majorly fed from Escravos crude stock.

“The challenge of this country is the challenge of focus and stewardship. For the first time in many years the three refineries are going to be working and it will help in a great deal with the issue of fuel supply and distribution across the country and it will go a long way to manage the fuel crisis,” said Kachikwu.

The minister enjoined Nigerians to be more patient as the NNPC was working hard to end fuel shortage across the country.

On that, he stated: “I appreciate the patience of Nigerians and I am committed and focused to make petrol available to all nooks and crannies of Nigeria.”

It is equally understood that the pipeline which has some of its axis underwater especially at challenging terrains to make it quite difficult to vandalise, was built by Ocean Marine Solution.

Its chairman, Captain Hosa Okunbor, told journalists that the completion of the multi-billion naira project was made possible by President Muhammadu Buhari, who insisted on bringing total reform in the oil and gas sector.

He noted that this is first time in the last 10 years that crude will be delivered to the Warri refinery through pipelines.

Okunbor who disclosed that his firm was also undertaking similar project between Bonny and Port Hacourt refinery, expressed strong confidence that with three refineries Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna, refining petroleum, the scarcity of the petroleum industry products would soon be a thing of the past.

“Today, we are very glad that for the first time over 10 years we are able to deliver the crude line between Escravos and Warri and crude is now flowing through the pipeline which was impossible over the years…

“For me, am so glad because sometimes there are certain things you achieve that are more than money. We have created serious value for this country using our own resources.

He added: “The community are able to cooperate with us. We used carrot and stick approach and our security surveillance and also the contract of actually doing the job and replacing the contract. It was very tedious and sometime we almost got killed and threat to our lives which informs why you see all these security around us. We have put our lives on the line to deliver Escravos, we have also delivered Bonny to Port Harcourt and today there is crude in Port Harcourt that is flowing to the refinery and the same thing with Warri refinery.

“As a company it was a big gamble to do this. We spent billions without a penny from NNPC but today we have cured the problem. A lot of people did not understand, some wrote petitions that we were given contract, at a point my name was going to be soiled and I believe in my name. I am a role model to my family and the people on the street and that is what gave the will to deliver this.”

Kachikwu, who stated that the daily consumption of premium motor spirit (pms) currently stands at about 45 million litres, pointed out that the refineries now operating at 60 per cent capacity could only produce 12 million litres. He however added that there was need to upgrade the refineries to produce at 90 per cent minimum to produce about 20 million litres.

He said the corporation was already sourcing for foreign investors to raise the necessary funds.

He however said the foreign investors were not coming to run the refineries but only to provide the needed capital and technical assistance.

“We have signed the advertisements for investors to come in. There is no confusion about what they are coming to do; they are not coming to run the refinery. They are coming to provide funds to take our performance on these refineries to 90 per cent and to provide us with technical skills. So, the areas of intervention will be funding and technical support,” he said.

He explained that, “Port Harcourt is back in production, Warri is back in production. Kaduna today is receiving and will soon be back in production. It is something of joy. These are problems we set out to correct and we are correcting one by one.

“I thank Nigerians for their patience and I urge them to remain resilience, support what we are doing because this is the only way to change the system. We may see all kinds of publications, all kinds of attacks; I don’t focus on these, I focus on the results and the results are coming out.

“Total investment for that is up to $700 million and we don’t have that. Let us be honest about it. So, the best thing to do is to find a very creative way to bring in investors, who will come in, work with our team here, who have the skills, reactivate and upgrade facilities in this place and help us provide technical support and we will pay through the flow-out of the refined products over time.”

Coca-Cola unveils new global campaign

Coca-Cola’s new ‘Taste the Feeling’ campaign was unveiled in Nigeria recently, at a well-attended event which held at Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The launch party which has set a new benchmark for the audaciously innovative world of event activation, was attended by the crème de la crème of social influencers from the media, as well as Coca-Cola consumers, customers and employees.

 Coca-Cola’s new ‘Taste the Feeling’ campaign explores storytelling and everyday moments to connect with consumers and celebrate the simple pleasure and experience that makes every moment   of drinking Coca-Cola , any Coca-Cola,  special.

Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Patricia Jemibewon explained that ‘Taste the Feeling’ campaignwill bring to life the idea that drinking a Coca-Cola, whether classic or Coke Zero  is a simple pleasure that makes everyday moments more special.

According to Jemibewon,  while Coke’s award-winning “Open Happiness” campaign which ran from 2009 until now leaned heavily on the emotional values of ‘happiness’ and ‘optimism’ which the brand stands for, the new “Taste the Feeling” campaign will feature universal storytelling with the product at the heart to reflect both the functional and emotional aspects of the Coca-Cola brand experience.

 On the anthem for the campaign, Jemibewon said it highlights those emotional and functional moments that come with the taste of Coca-Cola. “Music has always played a key role in Coca-Cola communications and “Taste the Feeling” is not an exception. The Taste the feeling anthem includes a new audio signature inspired by the sounds of enjoying a Coca-Cola – the pop of the cap, the fizz and, ultimately, refreshment.”

Speaking on the campaign theme, Public Affairs and Communications Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Clem Ugorji explained that the ‘Taste the Feeling’ campaign is an offshoot of Coca-Cola’s new ‘One Brand Strategy’ which marks a significant shift in its marketing approach and for the first time unites all Coke Trademark brands in one global creative campaign.

PSQUARE, DAVIDO NOMINATED FOR NAMIBIAN ANNUAL MUSIC AWARDS

TWO of Nigeria’s biggest hip hop acts, Peter and Paul Okoye of the Psquare fame, as well as Davido, have been nominated alongside some of Africa’s most successful entertainers in the Namibian Annual Music Awards.

The artistes were nominated alongside South Africa’s AKA in the Pan African Artiste category. Also nominated in the same category are Roberto (Zambia), and Heavy K (South Africa).

Nominated in the Best Album of the Year category are Ann Singer (Bulletproof), Big Ben (Back to the Basics), Chikune (In With the New), Exit (Black is Boss) as well as Freeda (Chronicles)

In recent times, the duo of Peter and Paul has been enmeshed in controversies surrounding the direction their joint career should take. While Peter wants to pursue a solo career, his twin brother Paul wants them to maintain the status quo.

However, in a recent move, it was revealed that the brothers have come to a compromise. While the Psquare brand remains, the brothers have also decided to pursue solo careers. Peter now goes by the stage name, Mr P while his brother bears the moniker, Rudeboy.

Jafojo, former Lagos deputy governor, dies at 80

FORMER Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Rafiu Jafojo is dead. He died yesterday at 80 after a brief illness.
He is to be buried today at 2pm. He served as deputy to Alhaji Lateef Jakande on the return of the country to civil rule in 1979 to 83.
Jakande, his former boss who was one of the first callers at the deceased home described him as “a loyal deputy” and praised for the repose of his soul.

We’ll stop killer Fulani herdsmen, says Arase

The Police say they will not allow the Fulani herdsmen menace fester like Boko Haram.
They plan to keep monitoring the herdsmen and check their activities.
Police Inspector General Solomon Arase told reporters yesterday in Abuja that the police would “continue to monitor them, degrade them and continue to amputate them whenever they come up.”
He linked the indiscriminate killing by some herdsmen to the influx of arms and ammunition from such countries as Mali, Chad and Libya.
“I have repeatedly said that what is happening has to be placed against the background of what is happening in African sub-region. When you look at the period when these things started happening and the crisis with migrants and then the flow of arms across our borders, then you will understand what is happening,” he said.
“We have been living with our own indigenous herdsmen for many years, so why is it now that there are crisis in Mali, Libya, Chad and the proliferation of firearms that the herdsmen are  becoming more prevalent in the system.
“We have to look at it against that background and maybe they have indigenous collaborators but we will not allow them and it will not degenerate into Boko Haram. We will continue to monitor them, degrade them and continue to amputate them whenever they come up”.
On the ongoing recruitment into the police, IGP Arase said the new intakes will be trained with stun guns to check the rate at which innocent Nigerian get killed by policemen.
A stun gun momentarily disables either a beast or a person with an electric shock.
He said: “We want to migrate from the use of firearms in patrols in main cities and we have ordered for stun guns. The people that will be recruited will be trained mostly with stun guns because that is what is prevalent internationally and stun guns are very effective because they can incapacitate temporarily without killing.”
But he could not say how much the project would cost.
“I cannot put a cost to it because they (guns) are not manufactured in Nigeria and you cannot pick them up on the shelves. So, it takes time and it is also susceptible to fluctuation in foreign currency.”
Speaking on the training facilities and the recruitment process, he said: “The 10,000 police officers will not be trained in one place. We have training schools scattered around and we are going to group them into the six geo-political zones.
“The training schools in a particular zone will  cater for the people in that zone and by doing that, I think we have been able to intervene as it concerns training and the intervention is still ongoing but I think the facilities there are good enough to welcome them into school.
“The 10,000 that will be recruited are segmented. Some are going to be officers and it is clear that officers cannot train with recruits. “
We should also know that some are going to be medical doctors, some are going to be engineers while some are going to be pilots. So, there are different categories of officers and so, they will not be   plunged together but the bulk of them are going to be constables because we have not recruited for the past five years.
On the criteria and ensuring a transparent process, he said: “their age, educational qualification, height will be used and we also have to be sure that where they claimed they are from is true.
He said: “some of those people uploading their credentials on the website now are 30 to 34 and they are too old. We will not take all those ones. They must adhere to the criteria given.
“Do not be bothered with over 700,000 that have applied, a lot of them will be knocked out when the system starts the sorting process and there will also be exams which will be done at state level.”

VP Osinbajo says FG to begin payment of N5k to the poor once the budget is signed

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal government will begin payment of the N5000 to the poor in Nigeria once the 2016 budget is signed by President Buhari. Osinbajo also disclosed that the government is also planning to train a minimum of 100, 000 young Nigerians in technology.

Osinbajo disclosed this while speaking at the United Action for Change Town Hall Meeting at Ikeja Airport Hotel Lagos today April 23rd. What he said at the townhall meeting were tweeted by his Senior Special Assistant-Media&Publicity, Laolu Akande.

Dogara visits Adamawa IDPs, says: “Our priority is to return all IDPs home”, thanks military for stepping up fight against Boko Haram

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has again called on the International community to increase its contribution towards the rebuilding of the North East region of Nigeria.
Dogara made the call on Saturday at Bajabure Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp Adamawa State in continuation of his tour of IDP camps across the country, according to a statement issued in Yola by his spokesman, Mr. Turaki Hassan.

The Speaker, who donated relief materials to the four IDP camps in Adamawa state, reiterated his call to the international community to help in rebuilding the region that has been ravaged by almost seven years of violence and destruction by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Dogara condoled with the people affected by the insurgency and assured them that the current government would not rest until they return home. He also commended the Nigerian security forces for decimating Boko Haram terrorists and recovering territories and communities which were previously under their control. He urged them to push on until all terrorists are routed and displaced persons return to their communities.

The Speaker maintained that although the region is in dire need of development, peace must first be restored in order to provide the atmosphere for construction to commence. While assuring that as the voices of the people at the national level, the House would continue to draw the attention of the global community to their plight, the Speaker also disclosed that he would soon visit IDP camps in Maiduguri.

"Our decision was that we visit IDPs that are outside the theatre of conflict first and we have visited camps that are outside the North East. This is the first time we are visiting an IDP camp within the North East and hopefully, soon, we will cap this exercise with a visit to IDPs in Maiduguri and close the formal outreach; the rest, we will do in an informal way."

“We recognise the efforts of the military and we thank them for the sacrifice and reclaiming the seven local governments that were captured by Boko Haram. The reason we are here is not just to bring you these relief materials; as a responsible government, we know that the security of lives and properties is our primary purpose and so your security is of more importance than the things we are presenting," the Speaker said.

"Even if we were to keep you here and feed you with the best of food, you will never be satisfied until you return home. That is our priority and we will do everything legally and politically possible to ensure that you get back to your homes very soon."

"As your representatives, we will ensure that we tell your story to the world and we promise – as your voice in the national stage – to tell the world about you. In this era of dwindling resources, it will be difficult for the government to rebuild the region alone. We need the support of the international community. We who wear the shoes know where it pinches most and we are in a better position to tell these stories."

Speaking earlier, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Commission (NEMA), Sani Sidi, disclosed that the camp has 2,903 people, out of whom 1, 338 are children below the age of 13 years, 179 are lactating mothers, with 54 pregnant women and 51 unaccompanied children.

Receiving the relief materials on behalf of the IDPS, the chairman of the camp, Malam Madu Gana Goni, commended the Speaker for his gesture towards them. He said that as the Speaker rightfully noted, they were eager to return home.