Day: August 4, 2023

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Thursday dismissed allegations of misappropriation of funds levelled against the leadership of the commission by its union members.

NUPRC management made this known in a statement issued in Abuja while reacting to the protest and allegations by the local branch of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

The union, while protesting what they termed among others, the escalating critical concerns affecting staff welfare in the commission, made several allegations against Mr Gbenga Komolafe, the Commission Chief Officer (CCE).

Responding, the NUPRC management said that the allegations were deliberately aimed at seeking cheap attention and disparaging the integrity of the commission’s chief executive for purely sinister motives.

On the matter of purported illegal recruitment, it stated that the exercise carried out by the board was done in compliance with all procedures, and compliance certificate issued by the relevant organ.

It described the accusation of ‘appalling’ workers welfare as baseless, adding that staff were granted all entitlements and were adequately paid in line with the terms and conditions of service which had been greatly enhanced over the period.

NUPRC said the issue of sundry claims and travel expenses raised during the protest were paid from time to time depending on the availability of funds.

It stated that the imputation that the management misappropriated N10 billion virement and donated billions to political parties was libellous and entirely unsubstantiated.

“The purveyors of the falsehood are challenged to publish details of the account of the commission from where the donations originated and the accounts of the political parties involved where the N4 billion and N10 billion were deposited.

“Equally, the financial source documents (invoices) utilised to make the donations ought to be published.

“There is no way N14 billion can leave the coffers of the commission without trace, especially given how funds are allocated to the commission,” it said.

It stated that there was no truth in the accusation of inflation of contracts at the NUPRC, adding that the commission approved a sustainable template for the engagement and payment of external solicitors engaged by the commission.

According to the NUPRC management, the legal fees paid by the commission comply with the limit set by the Attorney General of the Federation who has the constitutional powers to issue such fiat.

“The framework has ensured that the very best lawyers are engaged by the commission and the legal fees expended are a reflection of the complexity and high financial exposure of the cases involved.”

The NUPRC management further stated that the allegation that it wasted N900 million on “dubious” sensitisation workshops, was without basis.

It added that adequate sensitisation of key provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 were necessary to ensure effective implementation.

“Specifically, justification for sensitisation on the provisions of Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) across the Niger Delta region is apparent due to the high level of crude oil theft and vandalism of petroleum infrastructure with its devastating impact on Federation revenue.

“The sensitisation workshops were approved by the appropriate authority in line with due process and duly executed by the Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC) department in line with the scope of duties and responsibilities.

“It is important to note that 13 slots of sensitisation campaigns were earmarked upon in 13 strategic locations within the oil producing zones and the campaigns are still ongoing.

“All documentary evidence including publications and video footage of the campaigns can be sought and obtained from the executive commissioner HSEC,” it said.

On the claim that it allegedly spent N500 million on renovations, it said it inherited offices used by the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which was only a subsidiary of the defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“The appointment of executive commissioners and recruitment of 140 extra staff given the new and added responsibilities of the NUPRC necessitated reorganisation and renovation of the commission’s offices across the country to accommodate its operations.

“Therefore, some of the offices, including those in the zones and fields, had to be restructured, refurbished and furnished to accommodate additional personnel and replace old and damaged furniture and equipment inherited at inception.”

The NUPRC said it didn’t spend N1.5 billion on luxury transportation, including flying private jets and first class, insisting that there was no time that the commission chartered private jets for the commission’s chief executive.

“The purveyors are challenged to publish the account details and invoices supporting the transactions in their nefarious claims.

“The terms and conditions of service as approved by the governing board in accordance with the provisions of the PIA clearly stipulate the classes of tickets for the purpose of international travel for all categories of staff including the commission chief executive.

“It is worth indicating here that the CCE is not a sole administrator, but operates under the guidance of supervisory structures emplaced by the PIA 2021 and the federal government.”

They union had on Tuesday and Wednesday held protests and barricaded the office entrance, alleging poor welfare, non-payment of outsourced personnel and 2023 staff medicals as well as outstanding upfront allowances.

Others according to them include non-remittance of pension deductions from staff salaries, poor working environment, insufficient working tools and outstanding salaries payment, among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The IREDE Foundation (TIF), an NGO focused on supporting children living with limb loss, has called for inclusive budgeting and implementation of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) policies for children with disabilities

Mrs Crystal Chigbu, the Executive Director TIF, said this at a Town hall Meeting on Mainstreaming Disability-Inclusive Budgeting for Children with Disabilities in Abuja.

Chigbu said the call became imperative because in spite of the numerous policies and laws on PWDs in Nigeria, fiscal provisions like budgetary allocation to operationalise these laws at all level of government have not been as expected.

She said PWDs still suffer the same challenges of discrimination, and marginalisation among others even in the budget process.

“We carried out a baseline line survey about two years ago and realised that there was no budget set aside for education for children with disabilities and as a result, they are not mainstreamed into education.

“So, you find out that a lot of children with disabilities stay back home because they are not able to go to school, even those that want to go to the inclusive schools their houses are probably very far away from the schools.

“The teachers are not well equipped to deliver effectively and as a result, the children are left behin .The whole essence of this project is for us to bring the attention of the government to this.

“This is so that going forward, we can start to have the education of children with disabilities being budgeted for because we know if its been budgeted for then we have the likelihood to have it implemented.’’

According to Chigbu, it is critical for us that this happens, that is the whole essence of this project.

She said the foundation inspires actions so that child amputees and their families would live an independent and limitless life and advocate for the full implementation of inclusive education legal frameworks at all levels.

“Inclusive education is not just a mere concept but a core of the foundation, it is our belief that children with disabilities should have equal access to quality education within mainstream schools, alongside their peers without disability.

“An inclusive environment fosters empathy, compassion, and understanding among children, which ultimately creates a more inclusive society.

“Inclusive education does not only improve academic outcomes, but also enhances social skills, self-esteem, and overall well-being of that child.

“ When we embrace inclusive education, we are paving the way for a future where children with disabilities can lead independent and self-sufficient lives,’’she said

Chigbu said that the town hall meeting brought together different stakeholders from the organisations of persons with disabilities, parents, policy makers, people who can in one way or the other affect decisions at the national and state levels.

This, she said was to ensure quality access to education for children with disabilities.

Mrs Angela Ajala ,TIF, Board Member and Education Expert ,said that inclusive education was not just about providing equal access, it was about fostering inclusive minds that celebrate diversity and embrace collaboration.

Ajala said that prioritising disability-inclusive budgeting would empower schools and educators to provide tailored support and resources to children with disabilities, ensuring that no one was left behind.

She said that the town hall meeting provided an excellent opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences and reflect on how best to design and implement effective and sustainable collaborative practices toward inclusive education for children with disabilities.

“Together, we have made substantial progress in mainstreaming disability-inclusive budgeting for children with disabilities. However, our journey is far from over.

“Let us reawaken our collaborative spirit, for it is through our collective efforts that we can truly make inclusive education a reality for every child. But we cannot stop here

“Let us reawaken our determination to make inclusive education a budgetary priority.’’

Mr Theophilus Odaudu, the Programme Manager, West Africa, Disability Rights Fund (DRF), said DRF provides support to organisations of PWDs across the group look to advance disability rights .

Odaudu said the support to the project by Irede Foundation for children with disabilities was hinged upon the principle of `leaving no one behind and not in for us without us’.

“As an organisation, we support persons with disabilities or provide even more support to those who are marginalised among the community like children with disability, whose voices are hardly heard.

“So, this project is meant to project the needs of children with disabilities, to advance their rights and to call for more budgetary allocation to ensure that issues that has to do with children with disabilities are not left behind.’’

Odaudu said that Nigeria has a lot of policies and laws on paper but the challenge lied with implementation.

He, therefore, called on ogranisations to continue the advocacy to ensure that policies where not just on paper but implemented.

He also called for increased budgetary allocation, accountability and monitoring to see how it could bt well channeled to ensure that children with disabilities benefited from it.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A non-governmental organisation has urged the Federal High Court, Abuja to nullify all certificates of no objection issued by Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) since 2007 over alleged breach of the agency’s law.

The NGO, under the auspices of the Registered Trustees of Network for the Actualization Of Social Growth and Viable Development (NAFGAD), told the court in a fresh suit filed by its lawyer, Timilehin Odunwo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that certificate of no objection is a document which authenticates that due process was followed in the course of contract procurement, especially at a national or subnational scale.

The group, in its originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1056/2023, had sued the president, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the BPP and its director-general as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

In the suit dated Aug. 1 and filed Aug. 2, NAFGAD alleged that since the BPP was established in 2007, its National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP) had never been constituted contrary to relevant laws.

The group accused the BPP of taking decisions on its own volition, without supervision and in accordance with the establishment act.

It maintained that a non-constitution of the NCPP would breed corruption in the system to the detriment of the society.

It said despite its letters to the AGF and the BPP on the alleged unlawful act, the letters were ignored and the agency continued to issue certificate of no objection to procuring entities without recourse to the National Council’s regulations in line with its mandate.

The group, therefore, sought six reliefs which include “a declaration that the non-constitution of the National Council on Public Procurement by the President of Nigeria amounts to a breach of Section 1 (1&4) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

“A declaration that all the certificates of no objection issued over time by the Bureau of Public Procurement since 2007 till date, having not been supervised by a legally constituted National Council on Public Procurement in line with Sections 2 &6(1) of the Procurement Act, 2007 is void.

“A declaration that the appointment of the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without the recommendation of a constituted National Council on Public Procurement is a complete breach and total disregard to Section 7(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and therefore illegal.

“An order of the Honourable Court mandating the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to constitute the National Council on Public Procurement for the purpose of the appointment of the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement.

“An order of this Honourable Court prohibiting the Bureau of Public Procurement from further issuing certificate of no-objection to any government agency, parastatals or person until the National Council on Public Procurement is constituted,” among others.

The case is yet to be assigned to a judge for determination.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Transmashholding (TMH), Russia’s leading manufacturer of railway rolling stock, says Africa is in dire need of modern railway infrastructure to propel the continent to rapid development.

The Chief Executive Officer of TMH, Mr Kiril Lipa, told newsmen in Moscow Russia, that absence of railway infrastructure in some major cities in Africa was a setback to the transportation sector on the continent.

While expressing the company’s willingness to expand the international footprint in the region, Lipa emphasised the need for African countries to invest more in railways.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TMH is a leading manufacturer of passenger trains, locomotives, metro cars, trams, coaches, wagons, snow clearing equipment and engines for locomotives.

The company, which supplies railway operators in more than 30 countries, offers comprehensive maintenance and repair of rolling stock, manufacture of parts and components for the rail industry, among others.

According to Lipa, Africa has great potential for the rail industry since most of its produce are bulky such as minerals, oil and gas.

“In this regard, TMH is geared towards the needs of most African economies whose main focus is the export market with access to sea ports via rail and pipelines.

“Imports also come through the sea ports and are couriered to their final destinations by train.

“The African population is growing very fast and the cities are developing at a tremendous pace. For us we are looking into transporting minerals, oil and gas.

“There is therefore a need for cargo trains. We can also leverage on our technology to develop the rail infrastructure of most African countries.

“We are capable of providing this technology,” he said.

The Transmashholding boss further said that Africa is strategic not only to Russia but to the main financial and industrial institutions across the world.

He, however, said that basic trends must be met to actualise the dream.

“There are certain trends which are very basic and what we see in Africa are basic for the common world.

“We understand that the population is growing very fast, the cities are developing and the development of resources is quite intensive.

“And these resources are developed far in terms of distance from the seaports.

“So, these trends make the market very attractive in terms of rolling stock, specifically because the most effective way to transport mineral resources to the seaport is the railway excluding pipelines,” Lipa said.

He said that having the spread and the railway network would enable easy transportation of resources on the continent.

“There is a huge need for the development of Africa. The continent needs all kinds of rolling stock.

“That is why I believe that the continent will be developed; there is a huge need in the railway system network for all kinds of rolling stock for the population.

“And my belief is that Russia is quite capable of providing some critical components in terms of technology,” Lipa said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria