Nigeria's Ministers of Industry, Transport accused of subversion by Sweetcrude reports

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Finance

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Drums used for oil theft

Nigeria's 'deteriorating environment' impacts Shell, ExxonMobil profits

S super major ExxonMobil saw its thirdq u a r t e r earnings tumble by 18% on weaker refinery margins as it boosted capital expenditure while the Anglo-Dutch Shell also saw profits fall over rising upstream expenses and production fall.Shell attributed the production decline to the “deteriorated operating environment” in Nigeria which it said dragged output down by about 65,000 barrels of oil equivalent, boepd, compared to a year ago, while it said higher maintenance and asset replacement activities affected about 60,000 boepd of production. ExxonMobil reported net income of $7.87 billion, versus $9.57 billion a year earlier, as total revenue fell 2% year on year to $112.34 billion while capital and exploration expenditure increased 15% to $10.5 billion in line with spending plans.

However, the per-share earnings figure of $1.79 was still higher than analysts' estimate of $1.77 in a Reuters poll. Revenue was hit by increased refining capacity in the industry that cut margins, despite boosting earnings

The company’s downstream earnings were down by a hefty $2.6 billion on the previous year to $592 million, mainly due to weaker refinery margins that accounted for a drop of $2.4 billion

from its upstream business by $740 million to $6.7 billion on increased production and higher realisations for liquids and gas output. T h e c o m p a n y ’ s downstream earnings were

down by a hefty $2.6 billion on the previous year to $592 million, mainly due to weaker refinery margins that accounted for a drop of $2.4 billion. However, oil and natural gas output rose 1.5%from a year earlier to 4 million barrels oil equivalent per day, marking the first year-on-year production increase since

the second quarter of 2011. “Production of oil and natural gas increased from a year earlier as new projects were brought online and maintenance-related downtime decreased,” said chief executive officer Rex Tillerson. At Shell, third quarter profit was under $4.7 billion, down 35% on 2012's nearly $7.2 billion profit during the same quarter. The fall in profits came despite revenue rising 3.9% to $116.5 billion, compared to the $112.8 billion generated a year earlier. Hitting the company's bottom line however was a 29% fall in earnings from its upstream business segment to just under $3.3 billion. Exploration expenses for the quarter rose to more than $1.6 billion, compared to just $713 million in the third quarter of 2012, mainly related to exploration well write-offs. Shell also noted the upstream segment was hit with higher operating expenses, which included higher feasibility expenses for projects in the pre-final investment decision stage, higher decommissioning and restoration costs and increased maintenance costs. Output during the quarter was also down slightly, averaging about 2.9 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, compared to just under 3 million boepd a year ago. Excluding the affect of the deteriorating operating environment in Nigeria, divestments and production sharing contract price effects, Shell claimed underlying third quarter output was 1% higher than during the same period last year.

Oando set for final stage of ConocoPhillips acquisition —MD

h e C h i e f E x e c u t i v e Officer, Oando Energy Resources, Pade Durotoye, says the company is set for the final stage in the process of acquisition of ConocoPhillips, COPs', Nigerian asset portfolio. He stated this in the aftermaths of Oando's recent receipt of commitment letters for up $815 million of credit facilities from local and foreign banks to pay for the deal. According to Durotoye,

the receipt of the commitment letters represented an important step towards closing the COP acquisition and concludes the second stage in his company's financing plan, having initially paid a $435 million deposit to COP. "We have sought to optimally finance this acquisition to retain maximum value for our shareholders. We will now proceed to the final stage of concluding the financing required for completion of the COP acquisition," he said.

Total purchase price for the assets is about $2 billion. With the availability of $815 million in credit, and having paid $435 million to the US company already, Oando would have only $400 million to pay to conclude the transaction. The company said in a statement that the $815 million credit is being arranged by two Nigerian banking firms and three foreign banks, namely BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered Bank and Standard Bank.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Finance

Different strokes for Stanbic IBTC, Access Bank, Skye Bank

Banking hall

or Stanbic IBTC, Access Bank and Skye Bank, it is a case of different strokes. While Stanbic IBTC and Skye Bank recorded improved results in their operations for the first nine months of this year, Access Bank saw losses. Stanbic IBTC's results for the period showed that profit before tax climbed to N20.33 billion, a 126 per cent increase on the N8.740 billion it achieved in the same period last year. Gross earnings were N83 billion compared with last year's January to September figure of N64 billion. For Skye Bank, gross earnings were N102 billion, an N8 billion addition to N94 billion it earned in the same period in 2012. Profit before tax, however, dipped to N14.562 compared to N16.54 billion it achieved in the corresponding period of the previous year while profit after tax equally declined to N11.65 billion within the period under review. Access Bank's gross earnings stood at N154 billion at the end of September 2013, but profit before tax fell by 10.26 per cent to N35 billion as at the end of September this year, compared to N39 billion for

Already our customers are enjoying a step change in the quality of service delivery as a result of the introduction of 200 customer experience initiatives which will enhance our customer service to industry leading levels same period of 2012. Its operating income also witnessed a decline, falling by 7.96 per cent to N104 billion during the period, from N113 billion as at September 2012. The company's operating income, however witnessed a 4 per cent improvement from N34 billion in the second quarter, to N35 billion as at the end of September this year. Stanbic IBTC said its impressive performance was driven by efficient cost management and stable market share while the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede, not bemoaning his company's performance, said: “We have commenced the focused implementation of our 2013 – 2017 medium term strategy. Already our

customers are enjoying a step change in the quality of service delivery as a result of the introduction of 200 customer experience initiatives which will enhance our customer service to industry leading levels. “As planned, we have achieved strong loan growth with good quality names and the revenue benefits will begin to accrue from fourth quarter and beyond.” G r o u p M a n a g i n g Director/Chief Executive Officer, Skye Bank, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, said the results of true bank were indicative of its capacity to sustain continuous improvement in major performance indices. The moderate growth was commendable in the context of the several regulatory policies and tightened liquidity which had constrained profitability margins across the industry, he added.

Onne Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone generates $7.1bn

he Onne Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone has generated $7.1 billion revenue so far this year, according to President Goodluck Jonathan. President Jonathan said at a recent two-day oil and gas investment forum in Onne, Port Harcourt, Rivers State that besides the increase in revenue profile the number of companies operating in the zone has also risen while employment generation has also grown. According to him, government generated revenue in the zone increased from $5.4 billion to $7.1 billion in 2013 and Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, from $4 billion to $4.2 billion dollars in 2013. “Available statistics indicate that the companies operating in the free zone have increased from 150 in 2011 to 170 in 2013, employment regeneration has increased from 30,000 in 2011 to 34,000 in 2013. “Support to family livelihood has grown from 180,000 in 2011 to 200,000 in 2013. If these indices are not indicating an attractive environment for investors, I wonder what else they are,” the president, who was represented at the event by Senate President David Mark, said. He also announced at the event plans by the Federal Government to use electronic pipeline surveillance to track oil theft in the country. Describing the menace of oil theft as worrisome, the president, however, said: “Relevant regulatory agencies are working round the clock to combat the challenge, considering the strategic position of oil and gas in the economy.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Finance

bout N300 billion has so far accrued to the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, according to the Budget Office. Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogwu, who made this known, said the amount flew into the coffers of the intervention agency in the last 20 months, between February 2012 and September this year. Okogwu told the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on SUREP that the sum of N207 billion was disbursed within the same period, out of which N72.4 billion was disbursed in 2012 while N134.5 billion had so far been disbursed as at the end of September 2013. Okogwu said that the SURE-P intervention was making appreciable progress in the development of certain critical areas such as roads, mass transportation and maternal and child health, among others. “SURE-P is to harvest the monies that would have gone to subsidy and distribute among the three tiers of government to develop certain critical areas that would benefit the people. “The resuscitation of the railways, work on the AbujaKaduna Road, the East-West Road and other road networks across the country are demonstration of the contribution SURE-P development of key infrastructure,” he said. Okogwu also explained that maternal and child care

Account holders will have access to the bank’s online banking platform, UDirect which will enable them carry out a large proportion of their banking transactions online without physically visiting any branch of UBA

the SURE-P because there was “very little” on ground to show that people were getting value for their funds. “The level of skepticism among Nigerians is very high because up till today, they have not seen any value that SURE-P has added to their lives. “As representatives of the people it would be a shame on our part if our people cannot see tangible projects to prove you are working and this Committee will ensure that your intervention is working,” he said.

Dr. Bright Okogwu

N300bn accrues to SURE-P in 20 months services in the country had benefitted immensely from the SURE-P intervention. He said that the programme was essentially to utilise the resources to complete ongoing projects. The director general said

that under the current Programme, no contractor had complained about nonpayment of fees after due completion of projects they handled. Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc

Committee on SURE-P, Sen. Abdul Ningi said Nigerians were skeptical of the Programme due to the lack of adequate information on the work it was doing. Ningi said that Nigerians were yet to feel the impact of

The level of skepticism among Nigerians is very high because up till today, they have not seen any value that SURE-P has added to their lives

UBA's new account cuts COT on transactions *Bank introduces web payment solution

he United Bank for Africa Plc, UBA, has introduced a new account, open to businesses and individuals, and which offers free Commission on Turnover, COT, on transactions. The new account, known as 'Lion Prime', will enable customers engage in large volume transactions without being charged. It is, according to the bank, open to small business owners, self-employed professional and business executives, entrepreneurs, nongovernmental organisations, religious organisations, schools, as well as societies

and associations. “The Lion Prime Account comes in different variants which have been specifically structured to meet the needs of different members of the society in such a way that it m a t c h e s t h e i r expectations,” the bank said in a statement in Lagos. UBA's Head, Retail Products, Ms. Olumide Osunyomi, commented on the new account: “A significant advantage of UBA’s Lion Prime zero COT current account is that it enables account holders to earn an interest on the minimum balance on their accounts while enjoying zero

COT. “Customers who operate the Lion Prime current account will also have access to the array of e-banking products available to all UBA account holders. “Account holders will have access to the bank’s online banking platform, UDirect which will enable them carry out a large proportion of their banking transactions online without physically visiting any branch of UBA”. She said the new account had been designed to meet the peculiar needs and nature of operations of schools, non-governmental

organisations, religious organisations, societies and associations. UBA Plc also recently launched a web payment solution for U-Mall, a new e-commerce platform for small and medium scale enterprises, it introduced in conjunction with Netplus Advisory Limited. U-Mall is a revolutionary product in the e-commerce space and is designed to help SMEs set up own online stores in a bid to extend reach and ultimately drive growth of their businessesUBA

Labour

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Dangote Refinery to create 25,000 jobs during construction ELUONYE KOYEGWUAEHI

he Dangote G r o u p o f companies has called for collaboration between Organised Private Sector, OPS, and Organised labour for the nation’s industrial sector to perform at optimal level. This came as the group declared that its planned $9 b i l l i o n refinery/petrochemical/fertil izer complex in Olokola Free Trade Zone, between Ogun and Ondo states, would create not less than 25,000 jobs during construction expected to last four years. President of the Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who spoke during the 3rd Quadrennial Delegates Conference (QDC) of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, in Port Harcourt Rivers State, also thumped up the the ongoing reforms in the petroleum sector especially the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB. Represented by his Chief of Staff, Engineer Joseph Makoju, Dangote said: "The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is a bold step that was initiated to correct perceived flaws in the industry as it is intended to address

It was agreed that payment of terminal benefits, including pensions, will be concluded on or before November 30. Please, be assured that no worker will exit until her or his severance benefit is fully paid

Refinery under construction structural, policy and managerial issues in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. "The bill is designed to enhance the value of the sector for the Nigerian people. It also seeks to plug identified loopholes in policies and management agreements and

by so doing improve transparency and efficiency of the sector.... "Our Dangote Group has also been attracted by these ongoing reforms in the sector with our recent decision to invest in a mega project in the downstream

sector. We are building a $9 b i l l i o n m e g a refinery/petrochemical/ferti lizer complex in Olokola Free Trade Zone. "The refinery will have the capacity to refine 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, while the petrochemical plant will produce

'No PHCN worker will be retrenched without full benefits’ ELUONYE KOYEGWUAEHI

h e F e d e r a l Government and organised labour in the power industry have agreed that payment of severance benefits to workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, will be concluded on or before November ending. Similarly, no worker will be retrenched without full payment of his or her terminal benefit. These formed part of the agreement between the government and unions in the sector on the eve of hand-over of the PHCN successor companies to new owners, to

avert a looming industrial unrest by the unions who were protesting against the handing over without first, resolving pending issues, especially payment of severance benefits. One of the labour leaders at the meeting told SweetcrudeReports: “Yes, we have reached an agreement with the Federal Government on the outstanding issues over the handover of PHCN assets to investors. It was agreed that payment of terminal benefits, including pensions, will be concluded on or before November 30. Please, be assured that no worker will exit until her or his severance benefit is fully

paid.” Two days to the November 1, 2013 handover, labour had directed workers to withdraw their services from any unit(s) in the event of further provocation by armed military personnel desperate to take over PHCN installations to avoid confrontations with armed soldiers. Labour, through the National Union of Electicity Employees, NUEE, had however pleaded with Nigerians and new investors in the sector for understanding in workers’ struggle to get their entitlements from the Federal Government.

600,000MT/year of Polypropylene and 625,000MT/year of Slurry/raw material for carbon black.” According to him, the fertiliser plants with a capacity for 2.75 MT/year of Ammonia and Urea, will meet entire domestic demand and have surplus for export. "Certain infrastructure and utilities will be shared, while infrastructure to supply feedstock such as natural gas will be shared as well. The Refinery and Petrochemical Complex as well as the Fertilizer Plants, shall be served by an Off-site Truck Parking Stop, built entirely to international standards with the linkage of all its a m e n i t i e s a n d communication to the Complex. The project will result in the largest Refinery/Petrochemical/Fert iliser complex in Africa,” he said. He stated that on completion of the project, Dangote Refinery will meet 100 percent of local demand for refined fuel products, while Polypropylene, which is used in the manufacture of agro-sacks, poly bags and other industrial products, will catalyse the birth of new and allied industries.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Labour

Workers on construction site

PIB'll ensure more jobs for Nigerians, among other benefits —NNPC GMD ELUONYE KOYEGWUAEHI

roup Managing Director, GMD, of the N i g e r i a n N a t i o n a l Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, has assured Nigeria's organised labour that the passage of Petroleum Industry, PIB, into law will, among others, enhance local participation in the oil and gas industry. It will ensure, to a

significant degree, the domiciliation of oil and gas jobs in the country, he also said. Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at an event organised by Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Workers, NUPENG, Yakubu, represented by Group Executive Director, GED, Corporate Services, Ahmed Sambo, noted that Nigeria is endowed with strategic proven reserves of 37.1 billion barrels of crude oil and

condensates and 180 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. According to him, “The country’s crude oil and condensate production was estimated at about 2.3 mbd and about 7 bcf/d of natural gas as at January 2012. This positioned Nigeria as the nineth and 12th in the global oil and gas reserves and production respectively. Producibility has expanded beyond 3 million barrels per day with more prospects especially in the deep water.

Disengaged workers confront PTDF, dismiss alleged records falsification claims ELUONYE KOYEGWUAEHI

he last may not have been heard of t h e disengagement of no fewer than ten management staff of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, including a former acting Executive Secretary, ES, Mr Jolomi Arenyeka, as the disengaged workers have rubbished the allegation of records falsification against them. At a briefing in Abuja,

the aggrieved ex-workers who are seeking for a review of their disengagement, insisted that their disengagement from the agency had nothing to do with the allegations of records falsification, including forgery and disparity in declaration of age. Speaking on behalf of others, Arenyeka argued that none of the affected workers had fake records or declaration of age, recalling that he ordered for the audit when he was acting ES and the exercise was conducted and concluded without anyone among the ten affected staff being indicted.

According to him, “there were no outstanding disciplinary issues pending against me or any of the d i s e n g a g e d management staff. As for me, I am an alumnus of UNILAG and a fellow of Institute of Charted Accountant of Nigeria, ICAN. Habiba Wakil is an Alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and NIPSS, Kuru, a former attorney g e n e r a l a n d Commissioner of Justice in Borno state.

The country’s crude oil and condensate production was estimated at about 2.3 mbd and about 7 bcf/d of natural gas as at January 2012. This positioned Nigeria as the nineth and 12th in global oil and gas reserves and production On the international scene, bullish oil market has sustained steady crude oil prices further enabling Nigeria to grow her external reserves. "But, global economic uncertainties, rising operating costs and increasing divestment of upstream assets are some of the factors impacting our industry both positively and otherwise. The oil industry is a major driver of Nigeria’s economy contributing about 13% of gross domestic production (GDP) while oil exports provide more than 90% of the country’s

revenue.” “The relentless pursuit for the transformation of the industry by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has put Nigeria back on track towards achievement of our country’s full economic potential. Federal Government aspires to transform the sector from oil based industry to an integrated oil and gas industry by maximising oil and gas sector value to the economy, revitalising downstream capacity to support domestic energy needs and repositioning gas for rapid domestic, regional and export penetration. These foremost oil and gas reforms are embedded in the current Nigeria Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and it contains the most fundamental legal requirements that will apply to the entire petroleum industry in Nigeria. "Government desires to remedy key policy, regulatory, fiscal and operational challenges by ensuring clear delineation of roles for the various institutions and establishment of robust transparency framework in line with international best practice.”

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Labour

NLC decries unabated crude oil theft …Declares war against unfair labour practices ELUONYE KOYEGWUAEHI

he Nigeria L a b o u r Congress, NLC, has expressed deep concern over the increasing rate of crude oil theft in the country, lamenting Federal Government's lack of political will to arrest the menace. This came as NLC declared war on unfair labour practices in the country especially in the financial sector, warning that “Congress shall henceforth lead its affiliate unions against any employer identified to be engaged in these unwholesome practices by employing all known trade union actions until such employer retraces its steps.” A communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Kaduna, signed by NLC’s President and Acting General Secretary, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and Chris Uyot, said leaders of NLC “hold the view that it is a national embarrassment that in spite of the assurances given by government and the deployment of security armada in the Niger Delta region, crude oil theft is on the increase. "The immediate effects are drastic reductions in production and oil receipts making it difficult for government to discharge its duties to the citizenry. NEC maintains the view that top government officials, military officers, businessmen, politicians with their local and foreign collaborators are responsible for the crude oil theft.” The communiqué showed that NLC leaders were not comfortable with the performance of the economy and said: “NEC states that even when the official performance indices looked upwardly, there was little to cheer about in terms of jobretention or growth. The indices at the moment are negative and gloomy, making it difficult for government to meet its obligations to the states. Oil receipts are low and reserve funds by whatever name are called, have dipped .In spite of relative effort in the agricultural sector, government has not sufficiently grown

Oil theft alternative sources of income to shore up a sliding economy.” It added: “Accordingly, NEC demands a return to effective planning. The private sector, which under the present neoliberal development strategy, is expected to drive the process of economic growth and re- engineering, is weak, choosy, focused on short-term profits and overwhelmed by infrastructural inadequacy.

Government therefore needs to re-examine its hasty surrender of the economy to neoliberal forces as expectations of economic expansion, job-led growth, improved operating environment, etc have not been met. "Instead, we have had serial and endless instances of economic over-heat, turmoil, conflicts and a frightening rate of

unemployment. Congress, by the day, is convinced that a return to national planning and the development of sectoral blueprints, in addition to the creation of an enabling environment appear to be the solution to jobless growth. A resort to this does not require a total abandonment of market reforms.” The communiqué stated

that on the alarming rate of casualisation and unfair labour practices, “NEC-insession observes that there is a resurgence of casualisation of workers in the public and private sectors across the country. This unholy practice induces slave labour, prostitution, psychological trauma and the violation of the rights of these workers and does not in any way stimulate productivity .

Senate to SURE-P: Produce list of 3,000 graduates employed in states ELUONYE KOYEGWUAEHI

he Senate has directed the management of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, to provide it with the comprehensive list of the 3,000 graduates it claimed to have engaged in each state and was paying N10,000 each monthly. The directive by the Senate Committee on SURE-P came in the heat of the controversy over the N18 billion budget for the programme, which the National Assembly earlier diverted but later restored through 2013 budget amendment. “We asked SURE-P to provide the list of 3,000 youths receiving N10,000 monthly. It is up to two months now, we have not received anything. We are not aware that the programme is on and we cannot go further until we are given documentation of

people who are collecting money from SURE-P per month,” Senator Abdul Ningi, chairman, Senate Committee on SURE-P, lamented. He insisted that the list of all beneficiaries of the programme across the country must be produced before any further action would be taken on SURE-P's funding. “We are very concerned about the claims of engaging 3,000 graduates in the states. No senator has seen any beneficiary in his state,”

Ningi added as he directed the SURE-P Committee to intensify enlightenment of Nigerians on the actual level of projects performance to stem their reservations over the programme. There was confusion last month on the N18 billion budget for the Subsidy R e i n v e s t m e n t E m p o w e r m e n t Programme with Director General of Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogwu, who is also SURE-P’s accounting officer, alleging that the money was not available till now.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Labour

Low-cost Housing Estate

Labour makes u-turn on Housing Fund, asks workers to resume contributions ELUONYE KOYEGWUAEHI

fter over ten y e a r s o f stoppage and battle for refund of workers' contributions into the National Housing Fund, NHF, that was nick-named “National Housing Fraud”, organised labour in Nigeria has made a dramatic u-turn and asked workers to resume contributions into the fund. Leaders of the two central labour organisations, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, at a separate National Executive Council, NEC, meetings in Kaduna, took the decision to encourage members to resume contributions into the fund. It was gathered that the leadership of NLC and TUC had been romancing with the managing director and other members of the board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, managers of the fund for a long time.

It was gathered that the leadership of NLC and TUC had been romancing with the managing director and other members of the board of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, managers of the fund for a long time Those in the know revealed that they were not surprised that the FMBN Managing Director, Mr Gimba Ya'u Kumo, led his management team to address members of NEC of both NLC and TUC at their meetings in Kaduna almost the same time. NLC in its communiqué signed by its President and Acting General Secretary, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and Chris Uyot, said: “NECin-session after an elaborate deliberation resolves to lift the suspension it placed on contributions to the National Housing Fund and

accordingly directs its members to resume contributions and remittance to the National Housing Fund. The decision is made in appreciation of positive changes in the bank led by its new Managing Director, Mr Gimba Ya'u Kumo.” “These changes include improved housing delivery to workers across the country and the readiness oAf the bank to collaborate with the Nigeria Labour Congress to provide more affordable, livable and durable houses to workers;

restructuring of the bank to accommodate interest of major stakeholders such as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress; amendment of the Act establishing the bank to increase its capital base as well as remove restrictions that make access to houses by workers difficult.” On its part, TUC in a communiqué by its President and Secretary General, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal, said: “After extensive deliberations with the Board of FMBN, the Congress resolved as follows: To support, partner and work with FMBN on the National Housing Fund for the provision of minimum of 3.5 million housing units of various ranges for Nigerian workers within the next 15 years, in collaboration with our sister labour centre, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). "The housing scheme is to be complete with necessary infractructural facilities. To

give the FMBN a trial period of one year to show substantial commitment to and credible performance in the execution of the housing project, failing which the Congress will withdraw its support. The TUC and NLC must be fully carried along from start to finish of the project, i.e. from conceptualization to planning, costing, building supervision and allocation of the houses. "To this end, the TUC insists that the labour centres must be duly represented in the boards of the FMBN, NHF and other relevant bodies involved in housing projects for workers.” “The FMBN must render monthly progress reports on the project to the two labour centres and ensure that all pre-existing, present and future records of NHF contributions made by workers are duly updated and made readily and easily accessible to the contributors.

Solid Mineral

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

LEAD POISONING: Why 29 Zamfara communities remain contaminated Lead poisoning treatment

espite Federal Government's c l a i m o f success of its intervention in the Zamfara State lead poisoning incident and successful cleaning of the affected areas, about 29 of the 37 affected communities are yet to be decontaminated. Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Linus Awute, had claimed success of the government intervention in the areas of environmental remediation, sensitisation on safer mining practice and treatment of the affected victims. But as at the end of October, only eight of the 37 communities affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara have been remediated, with 29 villages still awaiting decontamination. According to Alhaji Shehu Anka, the Zamfara State Director for Environmental Protection Control, who disclosed this, the remediation process entailed the removal of the

Anka blamed the non-remediation of the 29 villages on the retrieval of the decontamination equipment, including soil test machines and vehicles by the Federal Ministry of Environment after the exercise was concluded in Bagega town contaminated soil and its replacement with fresh unpolluted one. Anka blamed the nonremediation of the 29 villages on the retrieval of the decontamination equipment, including soil test machines and vehicles by the Federal Ministry of Environment after the exercise was concluded in Bagega town. He wondered why the equipment needed in the remediation sites was taken away by the Federal Ministry of Environment. Also speaking in Gusau, the

capital of Zamfara state, at a one-day stakeholders meeting on Bagega’s remediation, Mrs Nicole Langer, the Project Coordinator, Medicins Sans Frontieres, MSF, otherwise known as Doctors without Borders, said the mortality rate had reduced from 43 per cent as of 2010 to 3.2 per cent up to September 2013. Langer stated that 4,484 children had been registered by MSF since the beginning of the programme. She said 1,596 patients were treated and discharged successfully while about 1,905 patients were receiving treatment and follow-up procedure. The coordinator further said that, the MSF was now giving medical attention to cases like measles, malaria and malnutrition. Also speaking, the Senior Programme Officer of the Global Rights, Mr Adebayo Okeowo said the meeting was organised in order to discuss with stakeholders on the impact of remediation, after the exercise was completed at Bagega.

High cost, public misconception stifling local steel firms —Operators

he huge cost involved in r u n n i n g operations and public misconception are major problems stifling local steel companies, according to an industry operator. Mr. Ajit Amtey, Chief Executive Officer, Pheonix Steel Mills Limited, made the disclosure, as he recounted before a team of t h e S t a n d a r d s Organisation of Nigeria, SON, officials, the challenges facing the nation's steel companies. The SON team visited his company in Lagos as part of their verification exercise of the steel sector in the country. Amtey, who called on the federal and state governments to patronise local steel manufacturing firms to help keep them

afloat, listed irregular electric supply and bad roads as other major problems affecting the operations of the steel companies. “Any country’s progress is measured by its per capita consumption of steel and there is need for the government to address the challenges facing the steel industry,” he said as he lamented public misconception on the quality of locally produced iron rods. Besides Pheonix Steel, other companies visited by the SON team in Lagos and Ogun States include Universal Steel Company, Sankyo Steel Mills Company Limited, African Foundries Limited, Monarch Steel Mills, Metal Africa Steel Production Limited and Real Infrastructure Nigeria Limited.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Solid Mineral

500m m/t of Nigeria’s iron ore quoted on Australian Exchange

bout 500 million metric tonnes of the Nigeria’s iron ore is quoted on the Australian Stock Exchange, ASE, according to Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Musa Sada. The minister, who made the disclosure at the inauguration of the Interministerial Committee on the KCM Mining Company, scoping studies on rail and waterways infrastructure for the Agbaja mining site, Kogi State, said the information is based on a recent data. According to him, the information was made available to the Federal Government by KCM Mining Company following a maiden Joint Ore Reserve Committee, JORC, resource announced at the Australian Stock Exchange. “Messrs. KCM Mining Limited is an Australian firm that has extensively carried out exploration activities in its Exploration License No. EL1212, in Agbaja, Kogi State. “The firm has drilled over 600 boreholes and processed over 1,700 samples. It has recently announced a maiden Joint Ore Reserve Committee, JOCR, resource of about 500 million metric tonnes of iron ore at the Australian Stock exchange. “The quantity is obtained from only 18 per cent of the Agbaja Plateau Project area. The firm is now proceeding to prepare the necessary studies for final project development. It is expected that the mine will last for 20 years at a production rate of 20 metric tonnes per annum,” the minister stated. He said the inauguration of the 9-man Inter-ministerial Committee, chaired by Mr. Abdullahi and co-chairman, Mr. Barau Gafai, was to place the mining sector in its proper place in the economic development of the country, as government was doing everything to diversify the economy. He revealed that his ministry was collaborating with the Ministry of Transport in line with the government plan to initiate a master plan that will transform the sector. He said: “I had said earlier that we will collaborate with Ministry of Transport, and

Iron ore mining site also discuss with operators in the industry in line with the current effort by Federal Government to evolve a National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP). “I chair one of the Technical Working Committees on Mines, Agriculture and Water Resources, being done with a view to align all the natural

resources for effective transport infrastructure. This is therefore is the first step in achieving this type of collaborative efforts. “The success of this project will no doubt provide the much needed catalytic effect in attracting other investors into the mining sector of Nigeria. It is therefore imperative for the

government to assist this firm in whatever way possible in the early take off of the project. “The objective of this committee therefore, is to offer assistance to Messers. KCM Mining Limited in the provision of information and access to necessary infrastructure facilities during the company scoping

study towards achieving one of the objectives of the mineral development policy of the Federal Government. “I therefore urge the committee to work assiduously in order to achieve the objective of setting it up and accomplish its terms of reference within the time frame allocated to it”.

Govt tasked on rehabilitation of Ajaokuta Steel, NIOMCO

overnor Idris Wada of Kogi State has called on the Federal Government to resuscitate the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company in the state. Wada made the appeal, saying the measure was necessary to enable the state to reap maximally from the new 11,434-megawatts Geregu power plant in the statew. He also appealed that the National Iron Ore Mining Company, NIOMCO, at Itakpe, also in Kogi State, should be resuscitated to revitalise economic growth and development in the country. Describing the completion of the Geregu power plant as a way forward in the nation’s quest for stable power supply, Wada said it was an excellent investment.

T he g ov ernor la ud ed President Goodluck Jonathan for putting the issue of power generation, transmission and distribution in the front burner and thanked him for his support and concern during the 2012 flood disaster that ravaged parts of the state. The governor appealed that the request by the state for the establishment of a free enterprise zone in Ajaokuta be given speedy consideration.

Mr Michael Lakota, the Managing Director of Siemens Ltd., the contractor that handled the Geregu project, stated that the plant would play a critical role in the efforts to ensure stable power in the country. He commended the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, the owner of the project, for the confidence reposed in Siemens throughout the entire project.

Freight

igeria is losing about $3 billion annually to f o r e i g n seafarers, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, has revealed. This, according to him if added to the remuneration of other foreigners in the maritime sector would mean that the nation was losing as much as $6 million annually to foreigners in the area. "It has been argued that Nigeria loses an estimated $3 billion annually to foreign seafarers. If you add the remuneration of other foreigners in the shipping and logistics chain, we would probably be talking of losing about double this amount", he observed, stressing the need of retaining the $6 billion in the country. Akpobolokemi disclosed this as he also revealed that at least $6 billion is expected to be raked in as foreign exchange from the National Seafarers Development Programme, NSDP, a NIMASA initiative. The aim of the programme is to bridge the gap in the training of seafarers, who are at moment reportedly inadequate worldwide. The NIMASA boss, who spoke in Oron, Akwa Ibom State said the focus of the Nigerian Maritime Academy located in Oron was to use the NSDP to earn foreign exchange for the country. He promised to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigeria produces no fewer than 5,000 competent seafarers, who would be able to work on foreign vessels, and earn the desired hard currencies. According to him, "the standard of living will improve considerably with the attendant vices o c c a s i o n e d w i t h unemployment minimised. This can only happen if we have the right professionals to do the job. "Besides, a lot of foreign income can be earned from seafarers working on foreign flagged vessels. The Asian tigers are a good case in point. Reports have it that out of the over $16 billion remittance into the Philippines by the Overseas Filipino Workers, over $7 billion is generated by Filipino seafarers. "If the Nigerian seafarers working overseas can attract this much into Nigeria, it will

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Nigeria losing $6bn annually to foreign seafarers â&#x20AC;&#x201D;NIMASA boss

Navy ship

He promised to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigeria produces no fewer than 5,000 competent seafarers, who would be able to work on foreign vessels, and earn the desired hard currencies

have a positive impact on the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real GDP". Speaking on the exploits of the Filipinos in seafaring, he said: "The Philippines have an educational infrastructure of about 90 maritime schools graduating an estimated number of 40,000 seafarers annually. This explains why 20 per cent of global seafarers are from Philippines, translating to about one in every five seafarers aboard a vessel being a Filipino. "Clearly, the Philippines

do not own the most ships but they work aboard the most vessels. This can be replicated in Nigeria as well. If we have all the vessels and do not have the requisite capacity to man them, the sector will still suffer. It is therefore instructive to have the people who will manage our fleet and the sector professionally for the benefit of the country as a first step". Akpobolokemi maintained that Nigeria had every reason to aim higher than it was presently doing,

especially as a nation with a coastline of over 800 kilometres, higher potential for employment generation and wealth creation, and a maritime sector which embodies vibrant shipping activities capable of providing the desired push towards .meeting national aspirations. He said NIMASA had made the issue of developing shipping activities in the country a cardinal objective and that NIMASA would fully exploit the nation's maritime potentials.

Maritime workers appeal for payment of N700m salary arrears

aritime workers under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, have appealed to the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority, for immediate payment of their outstanding salaries totalling about N700 million President General of the union, Anthony Nted,

made the appeal in Lagos as he also invited President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene on the matter. Affected by the ninemonth salary arrears are about 1,400 tally clerks and on-board security personnel. According to Nted, the union had earlier agreed with the NPA management on the full payment of the

salary arrears before the end of October. The union leader, who lamented that the payment was yet to be effected as at the end of that month, revealed that the union may be forced to call out workers on an industrial action, which could paralyse activities at the ports. Maintaining that there was no justification for the

non-payment of the salary arrears, he noted that both the tally clerks and on-board security were carrying out their responsibilities most diligently, in the process, generating millions of naira daily for the NPA and the Federal Government.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Freight

Apapa port

Port users call for scrapping of duty waiver TOJU VINCENT

aiver of import duty o n t h e controversi al bullet proof BMW cars allegedly purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, for the use of the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, has resulted in port operators weighing the

relevance of import duty waiver on the economy. Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Dikko Abdullahi, last week alleged that the Ministry of Finance granted waiver worth N10.1 million on the two contentious BMW cars imported by Coscharis Nigeria Limited. The allegation that the controversial bullet-proof cars were among the vehicles

Ndee further said that "customs duty waiver speaks volume of profligacy in our nation" even as he noted that the Nigeria Customs Service is "well positioned to check this fraud to enhance its revenue target.â&#x20AC;?

Freight forwarders hail move to establish inland depots

he president of the N a t i o n a l Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Chief Eugene Nweke, has hailed plans by the Nigerian Shippers Council to establish inland container depots, ICDs, and truck parks across the country, maintaining that these were laudable given the congestion at the Lagos

ports and the traffic gridlock around the ports. Nweke, who pledged on behalf of the union to work with the council to ensure the realisation of the projects, said the projects would also arrest trade obstacles currently facing importers. He stated that the ICD project was aimed at facilitating trade by ensuring the decongestion of the ports, adding: "It is to decentralise

clearing and boost the economies of other zones, and also open up the hinterland. It is a wonderful concept". But, he warned that for the project to be successful, the mode of transporting the cargoes from the seaports to the inland ports must be efficient. "It is another challenge. For example, if you want to move cargo from here

(Lagos) to Kano, the rail track is not in order, at this time, they are still test-running it. And if you want to use the road, the roads are dead, because they have been over-stretched. So, if you must think about ICD, you must think about inter-modalism. "There should be efficient networking system for the ICDs to work effectively. The rail tracks must work and well too.

imported duty-free on the approval of the federal government has not gone well with operators in the maritime industry. Some of them have expressed angst over what they termed as the abuse of import duty waiver and have called for its abrogation. Factional Secretary of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Ben Ndee, said that import duty waiver in Nigeria only serves as a tool to enrich politicians and should therefore be scrapped. He said: "The import duty waiver, given from 1999 to date, is nothing but monumental fraud. Apart from military hardwares, hospital equipment, educational materials and projects that will create jobs for the teeming unemployed restive youths, no other import under whatever guise deserves duty waiver." Ndee further said that "customs duty waiver speaks volume of profligacy in our nation" even as he noted that the Nigeria Customs Service is "well positioned to check this fraud to enhance its revenue target." Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Ikorodu Chapter, Chief Tomi Aloba, said that since duty free imports are sold in the Nigerian market at the same expensive prices as those with payable duty, the concept of import duty waiver is lost and therefore needless. "A manufacturer importing raw material that was given duty waiver sells his products at the same price as the same commodity imported without waiver, both the waivered and the unwaivered are sold at the same price at the market so what is the need? There is no need for it," he said. Another clearing agent and a chieftain of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Ugochukwu Nnadi, also said that the import duty waiver has been abused and should be scrapped by government. A member of the Ports Consultative Council, PCC, Ajanowu Vincent, however, said that there are certain categories of imports that waiver should be granted on. He said: "There are reasons for it because before government comes to a decision it must have understudied the whole thing and come to the conclusion that there is need for it.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Freight

NCDMB positions local marine firms for oil, gas opportunities Oil rig

he Nigerian C o n t e n t Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, is preparing indigenous marine companies to take advantage of opportunities in the oil and gas sector. To this effect, the board recently concluded an audit of the local firms to assess their readiness for contract

The marine vessels categorisation provides the opportunity for service vendor to attain higher categorisation upon progression in ownership plan and service providers that fail to maintain their current ownership profile or commitments to acquire a vessel would be downgraded to a lower category

awards in the sector. It also conducted a categorisation of the companies in readiness for their being considered first in the award of oil and gas contracts In a marine vessel categorisation procedure, the Board categorised indigenous marine firms into about five categories, ‘A ‘ to ‘E’, just as it has concluded plans to publish

the report of the categorisation exercise on a quarterly basis. The marine vessels categorisation provides the opportunity for service vendor to attain higher categorisation upon progression in ownership plan and service providers that fail to maintain their current ownership profile or commitments to acquire a

vessel would be downgraded to a lower category. The Board also warned that any marine firm that provides false information to win a bid will be dropped from the tender process and sanctioned in accordance with the extant laws of Nigeria. In the report, vendors in category ‘A’ are prequalified to proceed to the technical

Baro River Port ready in 2014 –Transport Minister

he Minister of Transport, Malam Idris Umar says the Baro River Port in Niger State would be completed and inaugurated in the first quarter of 2014. Umar made the statement at the inauguration of the boards of National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, NITT. The NITT board, chaired

by Mr Olusola Akanmode, has 11 members, while NIWA has 18 members with Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu as Chairman. According to him, the construction of river ports at Onitsha (Anambra), Oguta (Imo), Baro and Jamata (Kogi) are at various stages of completion. He said the Federal Government had completed the dredging of the Lower River Niger from Warri in Delta to Baro, a distance of

572km, to facilitate all year navigation through the channel. The minister said that the channel ran through major towns, such as Warri, Onitsha, Agenebode in Edo, Idah, Jamata and Baro. Umar said with the dredging of the river, goods would be transported over long distances at relatively low rate along the channels.

stage of the contracting process and must be given first consideration in all tenders for all types of vessels. Some of the criteria the Board used in its categorisation process include corporate status of vessel owner, place of manufacture, built of vessel or component of vessel. Other factors considered by the Board were evidence of Customs duty payment, provisions of insurance and a letter from a Nigerian bank confirming the company’s receivables from marine vessel transaction and vessel ownership record (NIMASA’s vessel registration certificate. From the report of the categorisation, category ‘A’ are Nigerian companies having marine asses ownership status as defined in vessel ownership requirement while category ‘B’ are Nigerian firms that are into long term bare boat lease of foreign owned vessel wherein the company provides man-power for the leased vessel. For category ‘C’ and ‘D’ are for new entrants and foreign company operating in Nigeria respectively.

Motoring

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

The hottest new cars for 2014

ith the debilitating effects of the economic crisis firmly in the nation’s rearview mirror and new-car sales firing on all cylinders, the 2014 model year is serving up an engaging array of new and fully redesigned models, ranging from family sedans and plush luxury cars to hot sport coupes and utilitarian pickup trucks. We’re featuring 15 of the most noteworthy new models in the accompanying slide show and in the text below. While all are significant, two new breakthrough autos will likely dominate the discussion for several months to come, namely the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Long known as “America’s sports car,” the iconic Chevrolet Corvette is a big story if for no other reason because new versions are so few and far between. It’s entering only the seventh generation in its storied 60-year history with a major 2014 redesign. Said to share only two components with the outgoing model, the re-imagined ‘Vette brings back a revered name from the car’s Golden Age: Stingray. Coming in both coupe and convertible versions, the 2014 Stingray’s exterior is radically recast with composite and carbon fiber body panels, yet it bears a certain familiarity that makes it instantly recognizable as a Corvette. Low slung and with the requisite curves and creases it looks like a Hot Wheels toy car come to life, but with performance that should give some exotic sports cars a workout for far less money, starting at just $51,000. A revamped 6.2-liter V8 engine puts an estimated 450 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque to the pavement through the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission. When equipped with the available Z51 Performance Package, Chevy says the Stingray is good for a 060 mph run in just 3.8 seconds, and that’s only a few tenths slower than the Corvette’s previous ZR1 version that was priced at well over $100,000. Otherwise, the 2014 Corvette Stingray is lighter in weight but is more structurally rigid than before, with an ideal 50/50 front-to-rear weight ratio that, combined with updated steering and suspension systems and the latest chassis control systems, promise truly tenacious handling. A new Drive Mode Selector allows the driver to tune 12 separate performance attributes according to five different driving situations, including one for use on wet roads and another that enables the engine to run on only four cylinders to garner maximum fuel economy. Shoring up one traditional weakness from the previous generation, the 2014 Corvette Stingray’s revamped interior is driver focused and makes extensive use of high quality materials for a far richer look and feel. While the new Corvette Stingray solidifies Chevrolet’s presence in the world’s sports car market, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class virtually redefines the luxury sedan. With the automaker having shuttered its ultraopulent Maybach line last year Mercedes moves its flagship model considerably farther upscale to fill the gap. Coming wrapped in styling that is both bold and sufficiently stately, the new S Class debuts with a 455horsepower twin-turbo V8-equipped S550 version and a higher-performance S63 AMG 4MATIC with a 5.5-liter twin-turbo 577-horsepower V8. Perhaps more noteworthy is that Mercedes engineers have managed to pack so many bleeding edge features into the latest S-Class that it’s impossible to list and explain them all in just a handful of sentences. For starters, the 2014 S-Class is the first production vehicle that can nearly drive itself under certain circumstances. Equipped with a stereoscopic video camera at the front of the vehicle, the car can literally “see” the road ahead and react accordingly to help avoid collisions, adjust the suspension in anticipation of bumps and pavement imperfections in its path and automatically keep the car centered between highway lane markers. The car’s Distronic Plus cruise control affords the closest thing yet to autonomous driving, particularly in slow stop-and-go traffic situations. The car’s gorgeous interior coddles its occupants with an insane list of available over-the-top amenities that include rear seats that mimic a hot stone massage, heated armrests and an ionizing and perfuming feature for the climate control system. In Pictures: 15 Hottest New Cars For 2014. While much of the new-model-year chatter will be focused on the Corvette and S-Class, there’s no shortage of drama unfolding elsewhere in the auto business for 2014. For example, Acura recently rolled out its own new flagship luxury sedan, the RLX, which replaced the largely overlooked RL. Though it’s a nice enough car in its own right, we’re doubtful buyers will find the new model to be up to the standards of similar models from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In a good news/bad news situation, Acura sold just 499 RLX units in June (outpacing only the dismal ZDX in the lineup), though that translates into an encouraging 1,459 percent increase over RL transactions in the same period a year earlier. Similarly, Kia is reaching farther upscale for 2014 with its new top-of-theline Cadenza sedan. Based on the Hyundai Azera, this is the costliest Kia to date, starting at just over $35,000. Though it comes with a more luxurious interior and offers a few opulent options its showroom sibling lacks, the Cadenza may not make a compelling case for itself as a major upgrade over

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Mercezes-Benz S-Class

Jaguar F-Type

Jeep Cherokee

Mercedes Benz CLA-Class

the less-expensive and similarly sized Optima sedan. Albeit just being introduced to consumers, Kia sold only 1,001 Cadenzas in June, which made it the brand’s slowest selling model (by comparison, buyers snapped up 14,599 Optimas last month). Jeep brings back the Cherokee for 2014 as a replacement for the former Liberty SUV; perhaps unfortunately it comes wrapped in a dynamically cast exterior that seems to be polarizing among Jeep loyalists who might otherwise expect a somewhat boxier look. Under its power-domed hood the new Cherokee offers a choice of a Fiatsupplied four-cylinder engine or a new 271-horsepower 3.2-liter V6, an advanced nine-speed automatic transmission; no less than three separate four-wheel-drive systems are optional that promise exceptional offroad abilities. Likewise, Toyota redesigns its popular Corolla compact sedan for 2014 with uncharacteristically fluid exterior styling to help silence critics who have long found the car’s appearance to be too bland. Buyers, however never seemed to mind, as the outgoing-version Corolla continues to outsell all other compact cars during the first half of 2013, and that’s despite lingering in its current form since the 2009 model year. In Pictures: 15 Hottest New Cars For 2014. Other questions that remain unanswered regarding the freshman new-car class of 2014 include: Is the U.S. market is ready for a compact front-drive Mercedes-Benz, namely the coupe-like CLA sedan? Are the styling and engineering changes made to the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups sufficient to surpass their rivals at Ford and Ram? Should the rear-drive full-size Chevrolet SS sedan – coming courtesy of GM’s Australian Holden division – have been the 2014 replacement for the Impala instead of the current front-drive Buick LaCrosse-derived model? Will Jaguar’s seductive new F-Type sports coupe (with a convertible to follow) only serve to make buyers forget about the larger and costlier XK series? Will the new crossover-like four-door Fiat 500L steal the sales thunder away from the similarly cast MINI Countryman? Will Cadillac lose a chunk of sales volume with the steep price increase imposed on its 2014 CTS makeover? Will Infiniti only serve to confuse shoppers by renaming virtually its entire model line, beginning with the new Q50 sedan, or is it a sign of desperation? And finally, how long will it take automotive journalists to stop mindlessly typing “3 Series” when referring to BMW’s renamed 4 Series

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generates either 340 or 380 horsepower, depending on the version. A 5.0liter 495-horsepower supercharged V8 is also available and should be the ride of choice among well-heeled enthusiasts; it’s estimated to enable the F-Type to hit the 60 mph mark in just over four seconds. All engines come mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission that includes a manual gear-select mode with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Its lightweight, yet-rigid aluminum structure, rear-drive configuration and sophisticated suspension promise sporty handling abilities in the British sports car tradition. A closed-roof coupe version will follow within a year.

coupes and convertibles?

1. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Arguably the most significant newcar introduction for 2014 (at least from an enthusiast’s standpoint) brings a hallowed name back to an iconic American sports car. Coming in coupe and convertible versions, the Corvette Stingray is completely redesigned with an all-new chassis and mechanicals residing beneath seductively sleek bodywork. A technologically advanced 6.2-liter V8 engine channels an estimated 450 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque through the rear wheels that enables a launch from 0 to 60 mph in a sizzling 3.8 seconds. Lighter in weight, though more structurally rigid than before, an ideal 50/50 front-to-rear weight ratio, reengineered steering and suspension systems and an array of sophisticated chassis-control hardware promise tenacious handling. A new Drive Mode Selector allows the driver to tune 12 separate performance attributes according to five different driving situations, including one for use on wet roads and another that enables the engine to run on only four cylinders to garner maximum fuel economy. Addressing one of the past model’s nagging weaknesses, the Stingray’s two-seat interior features a new driver-focused dashboard and extensive use of high-quality materials.

4. Jeep Cherokee

Cadillac ELR

5. Mercedes Benz CLA-Class

Chevrolet SS

Chevrolet Silverado GMC Sierra

The midsize Cadillac ELR coupe is essentially a luxury-minded twodoor version of the Chevrolet Volt extended range electric car. The ELR features distinctive styling that borrows cues from other Cadillac models, with a posh high-tech-looking interior and assorted amenities, though its electric powertrain and engineering largely carries over from the Volt. It’s powered by an electric motor and a plug-in chargeable battery pack, but once the battery runs low (it should run in full electric mode for about 35 miles on a charge), a small gasoline engine engages to run a generator that, in turn, powers the motor. Those with a modest commute may rarely have to visit a gas station. If the Volt is any indication, the ELR should be quick off the line and deliver reasonably sporty ride and handling attributes, though back seat space and cargo room look to be tight.

7. Chevrolet SS

Toyota Corolla

The new top sedan at Chevy is a sporty aggressively styled rear-drive model that comes by way of General Motors’ Holden subsidiary in Australia (a lesser-equipped version is sold to law enforcement departments as the Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle). In homage to classic SS-designated models from the 1960’s, it burns rubber with the 2013 Corvette’s 6.2-liter 415-horsepower small-block V8 engine, and can sprint from 0-60 mph in around five seconds. The SS rides on a sport-tuned suspension for grippy handling, with beefy Brembo-supplied brakes on hand for sure stopping abilities. A long list of standard and optional features include an Automatic Parking Assist function that steers the car into a parallel or reverse right-angle parking space with the driver only modulating the brake pedal. Those looking for a more passive driving experience might want to instead check out the redesigned-for-2014 frontdrive Chevrolet Impala.

8. Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Fully redesigned for 2014, General Motors’ full-size pickup trucks come with myriad structural and engineering revisions to enhance their already decent ride and handling characteristics. We have to admit being disappointed with the Silverado and Sierra’s only modestly revised exterior designs that seem dated from day one. The trucks’ trio of “EcoTec3” engines include a new 4.3-liter V6 with 285 horsepower, a revised 5.3-liter V8 with a beefier 355 horsepower and a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horses for heavier-duty use; all incorporate direct fuel injection for

3. Jaguar F-Type Coming wrapped in comely curvaceous styling, this new two-seat rear-drive convertible is positioned in size and price below Jaguar’s XK sports car line. It packs a lively 3.0liter supercharged V6 engine that

The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is the German automaker’s first-ever front-drive compact luxury sedan. The vehicle borrows its so-called “fourdoor coupe” styling from the larger CLS-Class, and is likewise distinguished by a swoopy roofline. Mercedes says it will be among the most-aerodynamic car designs among production cars, with a coefficient of drag at just 0.23. A 208-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine comes with the base CLA250, while the high-performance CLA45 AMG variant packs a specially tweaked hand-built 355-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four. The only available transmission will be a seven-speed dualclutch automated manual, with Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive optional on the CLA250 and standard with the CLA45 AMG. Myriad available high-tech amenities include Mercedes’ Parktronic system with Advance Parking Assist that enables autonomous parking in both parallel and perpendicular parking spaces.

6. Cadillac ELR

2. Mercedes-Benz SClass It’s become tough to define “luxury” in the new-car business when even mainstream models offer amenities like heated/ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel. Mercedes solves the quandary with a decidedly outrageous approach in the elegantly redesigned version of its flagship S Class sedan. Featuring bold and elegant new styling, it comes powered in the S550 version by a 455horsepower twin-turbo V8 or a 5.5-liter twin-turbo 577-horsepower V8 in the higher-performance S63 AMG 4MATIC model. The 2014 S-Class redefines state-of-the-art with an extreme list of high-tech chassis control options including a low-speed autonomous driving mode, steering that automatically keeps the car centered between lane markers on the highway and the ability to anticipate road imperfections in its path and adjust the suspension accordingly to maintain a butter-smooth ride. Overthe-top-shelf options include rear seats that simulate a hot stone massage, heated armrests and an ionizing and perfuming feature for the climate control system.

Replacing the former Liberty model in Jeep’s lineup, the new midsize Cherokee SUV features a dramatically sculpted exterior that’s capped by a swept-back treatment of Jeep’s signature seven-slot front grille that might be too extreme for some brand loyalists. It packs either a Fiatsupplied 184 horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or a new 271horsepower 3.2-liter V6, with an advanced nine-speed automatic transmission standard. The Cherokee rides on a four-wheel independent suspension that should deliver excellent ride and handling manners around town, with Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction control system and no less than three separate four-wheel-drive systems optional that promise exceptional off-road abilities. The Cherokee offers many high-tech safety features, along with niceties like a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats and a wireless charging pad for portable devices.

BMW 4 series

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Motoring

The hottest new cars for 2014 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40

improved performance and selective cylinder shutdown for better fuel economy. Both the Silverado and Sierra feature roomy and nicely styled interiors with newly added features including the optional MyLink infotainment system that allows users to place calls, operate the navigation system and control other functions via natural language voice-commands. The GMC comes in an opulent leather-clad Denali trim level that should bust the budget at over $50,000 fully loaded.

9. Toyota Corolla The popular Toyota Corolla compact sedan gets its most radical reinvention in a decade for 2014 to help the car shed its stodgy image. Growing a bit in most dimensions, it’s more athletic looking overall, with aggressive styling elements at the front and rear ends of the vehicle. The new Corolla rides on a longer wheelbase, which helps contribute to additional interior room. A freshly cast interior features extensive use of higher-quality materials to help infuse the vehicle with a more upscale look and feel. Though the current 132-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine will continue, a revised 1.8 four included with the new LE Eco variant features variable valve timing and a slightly quicker 140 horsepower, with a Toyotaestimated five percent increase in fuel economy. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with most versions offering a new gearless CVT automatic that includes both manual “shift” and selectable driving modes. Available amenities include push-button entry/start, heated front seats, a navigation system and Toyota’s Entune multimedia array with smartphone data connectivity.

Cadillac CTS

14. Acura RLX

10. BMW 4 Series For 2014, the former BMW 3 Series coupes and convertibles get a major redesign and are reclassified as 4 Series models. Fresh exterior designs borrow front styling cues from the sedans, but they otherwise resemble smaller versions of BMW’s 6 Series models. There’s a choice of a 240 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the 428i, and a faster 300-horsepower 3.0-liter turbo-six in the 435i, ad both can be mated to either a standard eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission; BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system will be optional with the coupes. A near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution should deliver impressive handling abilities. As with the 3 Series, three separate trim lines – Luxury, Sport and M Sport – are available, with the latter affording the sharpest handling. A long list of high-tech features includes an adaptive cruise control system that works in stop and go traffic, a forward collision warning system that can warn of a potential collision with a pedestrian, and the latest version of BMW’s iDrive multimedia control system with Bluetooth smartphone integration and a dictation function with full speech recognition.

Fiat 500L

11. Cadillac CTS A third-generation CTS sedan debuts for 2014 that’s longer, lower and lighter in weight than before, with more athletic-looking exterior styling that’s highlighted by an striking new front end treatment that announces its arrival with authority. Three separate engines are available, including a base 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a just adequate 272 horsepower and a 3.6-liter V6 with a livelier 321-horsepower. Meanwhile, a new Vsport version features Caddy’s first ever twin-turbo V6 that delivers an eager 420 horses, along with other performance-minded steering, braking and suspension upgrades. A more spacious drive-focused interior offers no less than eight available “environments” that come trimmed with assorted genuine wood, aluminum or carbon fiber trim. All-wheel-drive is optional for added traction on wet or snowy roads, along with Cadillac’s adjustable Magnetic Ride Control suspension that enhances the car’s cornering abilities while soaking up potholes and pavement imperfections. A long list of features includes the CUE (for Cadillac User Experience) touchscreenbased operating system, a self-parking feature and a motorized cupholder lid in the center console. Cadillac’s Safety Alert Seat giving feedback to the driver from a full complement of crash avoidance systems via a vibrating seat cushion. Unfortunately, starting at $45,100 it’s priced more than $6,000 higher than the 2013 model.

Infiniti Q50

Acura RLX

More than just a four-door hatchback version of the Italian automaker’s perky two-door 500 subcompact, the 2014 Fiat 500L is an entirely different – and much more practical – vehicle. Featuring specific exterior styling cues with a distinctively cast five-passenger cabin, it’s considerably longer and wider and taller than the 500 coupe, with 42 percent more interior room and 13.6 added cubic feet of cargo space. It bears a strong resemblance to the similarly sized MINI Cooper Countryman. Power comes from a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that’s estimated to generate 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque for sufficient acceleration and highway passing prowess. This is the second separate model line to grace Fiat showrooms, and it will subsequently spawn a more SUV-like version with all-wheel-drive and perhaps even a sporty Abarth model with added muscle.

Infiniti begins reinventing its entire line of vehicles with the handsome

Acura’s new flagship sedan remains conservatively styled, but offers a roomier interior and added overall sophistication than the RL it replaces. Already in dealers’ showrooms, the RLX comes powered by an economical 3.5-liter V6 engine that generates 310 horsepower, with an all-wheel-drive version coming later in the model year that will deliver added muscle with a 370-horsepower V6. Unlike much of the competition neither a turbo-six nor a V8 engine are offered. A standard Performance All-Wheel Steering system adjusts the angle of the rear wheels slightly while cornering to quicken the car’s handling. Also new is an Automatic Brake Hold function that keeps the brakes engaged for up to ten minutes without the driver having to keep a foot on the pedal (though for that long a period one could just shift the transmission into “park”). While the RLX is indeed improved, it’s a costly item, and Acura may still find it tough diverting attention away from the usual suspects in the luxury segment.

15. Kia Cadenza

12. Fiat 500L

13. Infiniti Q50

new Q50 sedan, which takes over from the previous G37. More of a deep cosmetic makeover than a full redesign, the car’s 3.7-liter 328 horsepower V6 engine carries over and the line adds a fuel-saving 3.5-liter V6 hybrid version; all-wheel-drive is available with either powertrain. New leading-edge options include an Active Lane Control system that automatically makes minor steering adjustments to help keep the Q50 centered between highway lane markers (along with active cruise control and automatic forward braking, this brings it a step closer to being a car that drives itself). A new iKey system allows up to four motorists to customize a wide range of operating parameters, automatically recognizing the user and adjusting everything from seat, mirror, and climate control settings to radio presets and stored navigation destinations.

Kia Cadenza

Kia, a brand known more for its budget-minded models, takes a step deep into luxury-car territory with its new Cadenza sedan. While it sits about five inches longer than Kia’s popular Optima, it affords only equivalent interior room. Power comes from a 3.3-liter direct-injected 293horsepower V6 engine that would seem to be only about as quick – though perhaps smoother and quieter – and somewhat less fuel efficient than the Optima’s excellent 2.0-liter turbofour engine. In its favor the Cadenza comes with a modestly more luxurious interior, piles on the amenities and offers a few top-shelf options its showroom sibling lacks, including a power retractable rear sunshade and a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel. In showrooms now, we fear shoppers might find the Cadenza really doesn’t make a compelling case for itself as a major upgrade over the less-expensive Optima.

Technology

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Autonomous deep-sea explorer

Deep-sea technologies proposed for shale drilling What makes absolute sense in the expensive offshore environment, where a single well will run you between $100 million and $200 million, doesn't make sense when you want to shave every cent from your well so that it costs $6 million to $8 million

k e y technology frontier for the shale gas industry will be found in an unlikely place -- 10,000 feet down at the bottom of the sea -- according to a leading global equipment supplier to the drilling industry. Johan Pfeiffer, vice president of surface technologies of Houstonbased FMC Technologies, says the tough, compact

equipment required to handle remote deep sea-bottom operations will become increasingly important to shale gas drillers. "We believe we're going from an industry that is very fragmented, involving smaller players and not a lot of technology, to an industry where technology is going to be introduced," Pfeiffer told a Utica Shale conference last month in Youngstown, Ohio. It is a strategic concept that remains to be proven, said Tad Patzek, chairman of the

Department of Petroleum a n d G e o s y s t e m s Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin. Patzek was not at the Ohio conference and did not hear Pfeiffer's presentation, so he said he is withholding judgment on the specifics of the strategy. But Patzek said he is skeptical in principle about the economics of transferring subsea processes to shale production on land. "What makes absolute sense in the expensive offshore environment, where a single well will run you between $100 million and $200 million, doesn't make sense when you want to shave every cent from your well so that it costs $6 million to $8 million," Patzek said in an interview. Pfeiffer made the pitch for a group of technologies developed by his company for drillers in the North Sea, off the coasts of Brazil and

western Africa, and in the Gulf of Mexico, as operations there continue to recover from the 2010 Macondo deep-sea oil spill. They include tall "tree" structures of pumps and valves installed above wells to control high-pressure injections and separation systems that treat flow-back fluids from wells. Typical seafloor installations include clusters of wells, processing and pumping installations. One application is a "desander" unit that separates the corrosive sand content from flowback liquids by spinning the mixtures at a very high speed. This has an obvious and valuable application for shale gas operators who must recover as much as a million gallons or more from the fracking fluid mix forced into the shale wells, Pfeiffer said. "The problem we have today [in shale sites] is with very, very high returns of

proppant and sands from the well, you are basically eating up equipment downstream. The one thing the operators don't want to have once they've completed their wells is a big repair bill," Pfeiffer said. "If you can separate out the sand in the proppant early in the return phase, you dramatically improve the life of the equipment that is downstream," he said. Compact drilling for crowded rigs Pfeiffer said the extreme requirements for deep-sea drilling equipment have a connection to shale gas operations that may not be obvious. "If you are going to put something at the bottom of the ocean, it's going to stay down there for 25 years, and you're going to have very limited access to it," he said. It must be compact and robust. Shale operations have the same requirements, he said. "The pads are very crowded CONTINUES ON PAGE 43

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Technology

Deep Ocean exploration

Deep-sea technologies In one common technique, drillers employ steerable drilling heads with motors that turn the drill bit's cutting face in a desired direction by pumping mud through the motor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42

and the pads are going to become more and more complex with more and more wells and more and more equipment," he said, as operators try to control costs by running multiple wells from a single platform. Drilling trees and other units are used over and over and so must hold up, he added. "When you are moving equipment from pad to pad, you can't have it falling apart. "We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing this technology," said Pfeiffer, whose company, one of the industry's largest, reported a $6.7 billion order backlog this summer. "Let's try to apply it" to shale, he

said. Directional drilling bits are an example of a technology that has been crucial to both subsea and shale development. In shale plays, directional drilling is required as the drilling path moves from vertical to horizontal to penetrate the shale rock formation. In one common technique, drillers employ steerable drilling heads with motors that turn the drill bit's cutting face in a desired direction by pumping mud through the motor. Drilling must be paused when the bit's direction is changed. Newer methods use flexible drill bits whose direction is controlled by pressure pads that turn with the bit so drilling can

continue as the bit changes course. This process cuts drilling time dramatically and lessens the risks of drill bits becoming stuck, equipment producers say. "It's a great technology, and yes, it should be used in shale wells. But in practice, for cost reasons, it won't be applied widely because it's too costly," Patzek said, speaking of the advanced steerable drilling systems. "You can see how in the long run, if you did it correctly and you actually followed the formation and fractured into your formation, it would probably make a better well than otherwise," he said. "But in the short term, the way you make decisions in drilling, you are not going to think about this." Cost pressures In his presentation, Pfeiffer said the cost issues have to be effectively answered. "When we talk to our customers, we say, 'We understand your challenge on costs. We understand that you need to be able to develop wells with very attractive economics,'" he said. One of FMC Technologies'

target markets is the handling of the high volumes of water used in fracturing. The company's strategy anticipates that, in time, shale gas developers will have to recycle most of the drilling fluids using automated closed processing systems -- the kind it places at ocean floors for deep-sea operations. But these systems will have to pay for themselves, he said. "Recycling more water reduces the logistic challenge of moving water back and forth to the well site," he said. "The price on the pad may be slightly higher, but the overall cost for the operator goes down. ... The total has to be a cost decrease, not a cost increase. You're just switching costs around." On water treatment, "the soft spot, we believe, is to be able to treat water for under $2 a barrel," Pfeiffer said. "Today, you can source water maybe for under that, but in some areas, the ... disposal can go up to $10. If you can treat water for under $2 [a barrel], we believe this will be a widely accepted technology.

"Water is clearly a challenge. We need as an industry to move to an area where we are going to be 100 percent recycled water. That has to be our goal. In some areas of the Marcellus, that is already the case. But in other areas of the country, it's not at all the case. We believe that this industry, if we don't address the water issue, we will eventually lose." Rules are likely to be a more powerful driver for change than industryadopted best practices, he suggested. "The only time an operator would accept higher cost if it is due to regulation," Pfeiffer said, and that, too, is an expectation built into its long-term strategy. "One area where we believe regulation will become more stringent is in reducing gas released into the atmosphere and flaring," he said. "There is still flaring going on. We believe that we are going to move to an area of green completions, which basically says no gases will be released to the atmosphere. "All the gas will be reused in sales pipeline and brought to market," he said. *Peter Behr, E&E reporter, EnergyWire:

Community

A man weighs cassava to measure starch content for PIND's intervention linking small-scale cassava farmers to commercial millers of cassava flour Thai Farms

Some of the 80 farmers taking part in the United Ufuoma Fish Farmers Association (UUFFA) demonstration fish pond listen as fish farming expert shares best practices in fish farming.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Palm oil farmers from Imo State’s Eziorsu Oguta Palm Oil Farmers and Processors Association during an excursion to the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) facilitated by PIND to show them more efficient ways to boost palm oil production.

A man weighing of cassava to measure starch content for PIND's intervention linking small-scale cassava farmers to commercial millers of cassava flour Thai Farms

Workers helping to prepare the pond for use in PIND's aquaculture demonstration pond pilot project in United Ufuoma Fish Farmers Association (UUFFA) in Ekpan, Warri, Delta State

These sub-sectors were selected based on their growth potentials and the involvement of large numbers of the poor

CHEVRON FOUNDATION FOR PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE

Using agriculture as tool for peace building and development YEMIE ADEOYE

n support of the F e d e r a l Government peace process in the Niger Delta, Chevron Nigeria Limited decided to set up the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND, in 2010. The Foundation was established as a non-profit organisation to serve as an operational entity funded by the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative, NDPI, Foundation, which is supported by Chevron Corporation. Specifically, PIND was established to help alleviate poverty and promote peace in the Niger Delta region by building dynamic, innovative programmes and multi-stakeholder partnerships that provide

broad stakeholder support for projects in four main areas: economic development, capacity building, peace building and analysis and advocacy. In May 2012, PIND opened the Economic Development Centre, EDC, in Egbokodo, Warri, Delta State to serve as a coordinating hub for development activities in the Niger Delta. In the short time since commencement of operations, the EDC has been serving as the physical and intellectual hub for PIND’s economic development programmes. It is instructive that PIND has chosen to use agriculture as one of the arrowheads of its programmes. Within the EDC’s economic development programme are three value chain projects currently in their pilot phase, aimed at creating jobs and increasing income for Niger

Within the EDC’s economic development programme are three value chain projects currently in their pilot phase, aimed at creating jobs and increasing income for Niger Delta residents through improved growth, productivity, and efficiency within the aquaculture, cassava and palm oil agricultural sub-sectors Delta residents through improved growth, productivity, and efficiency within the aquaculture, cassava and palm oil agricultural sub-sectors. These sub-sectors were selected based on their growth potentials and the involvement of large numbers of the poor. In a nation seeking ways to diversify its oil-based economy, PIND has been

providing a very viable alternative to oil and gas by exploring how to effectively harness and deploy project funds for the development of the region’s agricultural industry. The programmes are not just concerned with producers, but also processors and improving access to appropriate technologies, trainings on o r g a n i s a t i o n a l

strengthening, and partnerships with financial institutions to provide access to finance, ensuring that Niger Delta businesses grow in as sustainable a way as possible. Within a three-year period, PIND has worked on some exemplary projects that have driven development discourse in the Niger Delta region. Within the past one year, PIND has embarked on the following projects: Aquaculture Project: Worked with a 550 member fish farmers’ association in Warri, Delta State, on a demonstration pond project to help instill best practices in the lucrative and popular venture of catfish farming, while partnering with the United States Agency for CONTINUES ON PAGE 45

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Community SAM IKEOTUONYE

xxonMobil and i t s h o s t communities in t h e E k e t F e d e r a l Constituency of Akwa Ibom State are no longer at ease with themselves. The communities are insisting on N26 billion compensation from Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, the local arm of the oil giant ExxonMobil, for the November 9, 2012 oil spill incident that resulted in the discharge of up to 200,000 barrels of oil on the Atlantic coast. ExxonMobil had offered the communities a N2.5 billion compensation for the spill, an amount they rejected, alleging insensitivity on the part of the leading oil company to their plight. During a protest march at Mobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal in Ibeno, some prominent youth leaders under the aegis of Eket Federal Constituency Vanguard led by Mr. Isaiah Abia and Mr. William Mkpa, strongly condemned ExxonMobil for, what they termed, the hazardous effect of its operations, for not providing the people with enough employment and for not uplifting the deplorable state of social infrastructure in the host communities. Abia was particularly irked by suggestions that ExxonMobil wanted to use the oil spill compensation fund to execute projects in the communities, maintaining that such a

Community tackles ExxonMobil over oil spill compensation

Community farm land affected by the oil spilage notion was an attestation to the nonchalant attitude of the company. The demonstrators demanded the immediate redeployment of the Managing Director of

ExxonMobil, Mr. Mark Ward, over his alleged failure to address the grievances of the host communities. They also demanded immediate employment of

100 graduates by the company from the host communities of Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna. According to Abia, the protest march came at the expiration of a seven-day

ultimatum by his people to the ExxonMobil authorities. Days later, the youths were to shut down Mobil operations.

Using agriculture as tool for peace CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44 I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development, USAID, to s trengthen t heir fish farming businesses using the National Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum, NAEC. Ninety percent (90%) of fish farmers in the country grow catfish and improved capacity would help small-scale producers increase their market share in this industry that made around US$1 billion in Nigeria’s GDP in 2009. PIND also embarked on a fish feed market study on behalf of the Delta State government to help it formulate evidence-based policies on interventions in the fish feed industry in the State. Market Development for Cassava Sector: Among the issues PIND’s scoping

study of the cassava sector revealed are weak linkages between small and commercial-scale farmers that cause wastage of farmers’ harvest, lack of access to lines of credit and inadequate business orientation on the part of the farmers. PIND’s programmes so far have helped to address these issues by establishing linkages between small-scale cassava farmers in the Edo State Cooperatives Farmers Agency to a large scale cassava processing firm (Thai Farms) and banking institutions, to ensure a guaranteed market for cassava farmers to boost income and increase incountry demand for cassava. PIND is also working with Lentus Farms to select and deploy appropriate technologies in the establishment of micro

processing centres for processing cassava at or near the farm gate. Pilot training programme with the National Institute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR: Palm trees grow in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including all the nine states in the Niger-Delta, which account for 57% of the nation’s palm oil production and has enormous market potential with over 80% of production coming from small-scale farmers. Using the right type of technology, oil palm processors can increase their productivity and income by upwards of five per cent. To make this happen, PIND has just concluded a pilot training programme with NIFOR to help train fabricators from Imo State in the manufacturing of

processing equipment that can extract more palm oil t h a n t he t e chnolog ies locally available. This means that palm oil farmers can better maximise their produce and increase their income. Additionally, PIND has introduced a motorised adjustable harvester to help improve harvesting of palm fruits. This machine widely used in major palm oil producing countries like Malaysia allows farmers to harvest palm fruits efficiently and safely by limiting the need for farmers to risk injury by climbing the palm trees to harvest the palm fruits. Central to all of PIND’s programmes is the understanding that research, economic growth, peace-building and capacity building efforts are

interlocking aspects that are necessary to ensure a systematic approach to creating an enabling environment for broadbased economic growth in the Niger Delta. Speaking on the development, Executive Director - PIND, Sam Daibo says; “At PIND we believe that the best development approaches are tailor-made to the environment, rooted in a sound understanding of the underlying market systems and are open to the idea of partnership.” Partnership is key to the success of the PIND Foundation. He also expressed gratitude to all the organisations that have partnered with the Foundation for the achievements of the programmes up till date.”

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

Community

Oil spill

Senate Committee alleges another oil spill in Ogoniland

he Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology has alleged another oil spill in the Ogoni farming community. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Bukola Saraki, revealed this in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Bamikole Omishore, saying the development “strongly questions the sincerity of the oil companies to the environment and the general wellbeing of our people”. He revealed that the spill occurred from a Shell facility close to the Shonghai farm in Rivers Sate and has plunged the community into serious famine and economic loss as the volume of oil spilled is yet to be quantified. The statement announcing the spillage read in part: “It is disheartening that this spillage is coming on the heels of the yet to be implemented resolutions proposed to combat this menace in the form of the NOSDRA Amendment Bill. “This recent oil spill in Ogoni fishing community of Bunu in Tai Local Government Area is one spill too many and again, the time is high to revisit the United Nations Environment Programmme (UNEP) report, especially the independent assessment

report conducted on the environment and public health impacts of oil contamination in the Niger Delta region. “Our committee strongly feels that the issue before us need not be handled with kid gloves, the report findings must be implemented in record time to salvage what is left of the farmland and the general health of the community”. Saraki noted in the statement that in the wake of previous spillages, his

committee had demanded from NOSDRA, the Ministry of Environment and oil companies to, as a matter of urgency, furnish it with upto-date information about their activities and incidents of spillages as well as the steps they were taking to combat the incessant oil spills. The Senate Committee on Environment is yet to receive a brief on spill incident, Saraki stated as he maintained that it was “imperative to get the

NOSDRA Bill passed urgently”. He pledged the commitment of his committee to push for the passage of the Bill into his until the bill becomes law. “The frequency of these spills and increasing oil theft is becoming worrisome, and the halfhearted approach of the agency, Ministry of Environment and the oil companies makes it difficult to carry out a thorough

oversight function in the effective discharge of our duty,” the Senate Committee chairman lamented. He urged NOSDRA to take proactive steps by furnishing the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology with the necessary details about their preliminary findings on the cause of the latest spill, the volume of spill, planned clean up efforts and action plan to assess impact on the areas affected and impact on the livelihood of the community.

Oil firms award scholarship to 211 Akwa Ibom students

hree oil firms o p e r a t i n g marginal oil fields offshore Akwa Ibom State have awarded scholarship to 211 students from two local government areas of the state studying in various universities across the country. The oil companies are Oriental Energy Resources Ltd, Afren Services Ltd and Amni International while the beneficiary students are from Eastern Obolo and Mbo local government areas. The three oil companies maintain operations in the two local government councils.

Speaking at the presentation of the scholarship grants by the companies to the students, the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Chief Eno-Obong Uwah, urged the companies to endeavour to sign m e m o r a n d u m o f understanding with the host communities over sustainable development and peace in the areas. The commissioner, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Mr. Samuel Akpan, hailed the oil compnies for the scholarship awards. Calling on the oil companies to spread the scholarship awards to other

parts of the state to ensure their presence is felt across the state, he urged the benefiting students to work hard as the scheme was aimed at boosting capacity development in the areas.

Earlier, the oil firms had said the scholarship scheme was initiated as part of efforts by oil companies to improve human capacity development of their host communities.

Students in class

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports

E-mail: johniyene@yahoo.com

COMPROMISE & THE DYING EMBERS OF JUSTICE “How can you justify cutting off a hungry stranger’s arm for stealing apples?” the African scholar shot at the Arabian Prince who was inclined in a relaxer. The Arabian Prince looked into the coal black eyes of the scholar. A tremor started to travel up his spine. He sat up straight in his relaxer, ashamed of his weakness. “Very easily, my friend. You see, crime, criminality, good evil and fairness are concepts that were originally sketched into the human personality by Providence. And if you can discount the simplistic philosophy that is wound around the concept of the tabularasa which at best defines man’s conscience in relation to his knowledge acquired through a particular environment, you shall find that every man who has mental capacity also has ideas of the full spectrum of morality. It is the management of good and evil that has become subject to religion, environment and previous human experience.” - A passage in the Journal of the African Scholar, an unfinished work by John Owubokiri

Workshop

Niger Delta skills acquisition centres near completion

ome of the Ministry of Niger De l t a A f f a i rs’ skills acquisition centres in the nine oil producing states of the Niger Delta are near completion. Completion of the centres will see Niger Delta youths being trained in oil and gas, maritime, information communications technology, ICT, as well as iPad and telephone assembly. One of the centres located in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, is at the final stages of completion and is to be commissioned this month by President Goodluck Jonathan. The centre is expected to take in equal number of trainees from the nine Niger Delta states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, who spoke while inspecting the Otuoke centre alongside members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Niger Delta, said with the centre almost completed, the recruitment of 500 trainees would c o m m e nce t hi s m o nt h, adding that they would be drawn from each of the nine states on equal basis. According to him, the centres would be run on public-private partnership arrangement so as to ensure best practices and sustainability. Orubebe, who expressed delight at the level of work done at the Otuoke centre,

said international oil companies were already partnering the ministry and had promised to provide oil rigs and simulators to help in acquiring practical training the youths in oil gas operations. The minister also disclosed that some of the would-be trainees would be involved in the assembling of iPads and telephones, stating that on completion, they would be offered automatic employment by the Canadian company training them.

He stated that two other centres at advanced stages of completion were expected to commence training before the end of this year, adding the centre in Akwa Ibom and Delta States would also concentrate on oil and gas, ICT and maritime studies. The centres in Abia and Imo will train youths in commerce, the one in Cross River is on entertainment and tourism while the Ondo skills acquisition centre will focus on agriculture.

NDDC to distribute 40 fire trucks to 9 states

he Niger Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission, NDDC, has announced the purchased of 40 trucks targeted at combating fire outbreaks in the nine Niger Delta states. A statement issued in Port Harcourt by the Commission’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Iditoye Abosede, quoted the NDDC acting Managing Director, Dr Christy Atako, as saying this in Port Harcourt. Atako said the commission was committed to partnering with the nine states in the Niger Delta region and other agencies to address the development challenges facing the region. “NDDC has set a standard, and as such will make sure that all of its facilities, projects and programmes are done according to specifications. “The trucks, which will be

handed over to the state governments soon, should be utilised and maintained properly for the benefit of the citizenry.” The NDDC boss said the trucks comprised water tankers of 30,000 litre capacity, and Turn Table fire trucks with a combination of water, dry chemicals and carbondioxiode.

Fire truck

ithout any doubts the people of Nigeria all knew that the appropriation of the rights of the oil producing states for the benefit of the republic was a theft; the removal of the people’s ability to determine the manner and extent of the exploitation of their land and the resources found in it negated the pre-nuptials that founded the Nigerian Federation. And neither the totalitarian practices of the communist regimes nor the pretences of the “benevolent” governments of “homogeneous peoples” can justify the breach of sacred agreements entered into before the formation of the Nigerian Republic. Isaac Adaka Boro’s seven day war, the activism of Kenule Beeson Saro _ Wiwa and the unrest in the Niger Delta that occurred in this last decade are all eloquent indications that the denial of the Niger Delta peoples to their environmental peace, social stability and predictability, self determination and rights to manage their own resources and space was a monstrous breach of the laws they had negotiated and subscribed to. For the records, the agitation in the Niger Delta for resource control was not a simple drive for the selfish enjoyment of one’s own resources alone. It was reasoned by the intellectuals in the movement at the time that any party who had the gumption to deny another the ownership of his own resources and destroy the peace of his environment could retain rights to dictate the religion and future of the party he had so easily denied. Not up to six years after the guns of the Niger Delta were muffled by the heavy din of security, surveillance and monitoring contracts awarded to the boy-soldiers who were prepared to publish their identities as against the intellectual strategists who preferred to be anonymous, content with writing cheques, communication releases and operational manuals from the lush and plush offices, boardrooms and homes, fellow pilgrims in this federalist sojourn have started to redefine the future character of Nigerian’s presidency to exclude non _ Muslims and non _ Northerners! Next, it would be another issue of no less importance until our lives have been totally eclipsed by a stranger who makes no distinction between his own party and an invitation to one but sees everything and everyone in his path as the promised booty of his religious tradition. The amnesty proffered to the militant youths was to achieve a truce in order to create the environment for constructive engagement with the people who had been denied for decades by the Nigerian state but some ingenious civil servant thought up the idea of divvying up the ranks of the Niger Delta population by creating multi _ millionaires of the field commanders, young and materialistic desperados, whose loyalties being shallow and wound around the immediate imperatives of bread and butter, disavowed the cause and thereby adjourned the final resolution of the Niger Delta question sine die! Injustice is like an infected body of cells in the body. One can remove the infection by cauterising the affected cells or by applying a known remedy of antibiotics. Appeasing or removing the smallest unit of cells in the infected mass is a wasteful exercise since the infection would still spread and reclaim its territory. The federal government policy of appeasing Ateke Tom, Asari Dokubo, Tom Pullo, etc is an exercise in the momentary dousing off the embers of justice. Someday, even when the oil and gas resources of the people of the Niger Delta no longer count in matters of National development, the people will rise again and demand their place and their heritage within the commonwealth of Nigeria.

2013 November, SweetcrudeReports