Takes Off Q4, To Get Crude At Concessionary Rates

The Federal Government, on Thursday night said plans are afoot to replace illegal refineries in the region with modular ones, with each of the nine states of the Niger-Delta given approval to host two, as part of a broad plan to involve the oil bearing communities in the ownership of such ventures.
In a presentation at meeting between the Buhari Presidency and a group- the Pan Niger-Delta Forum (PANDEF) at the Presidential Villa on on-going government interventions in the region, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said the modular refineries expected to come on stream the fourth quarter of this year would get crude oil “at reasonably considered price.”
This is expected to serve “as an incentive to stop the current practice whereby illegal refiners vandalise and steal the crude,” according to a statement by Laolu Akande, spokesman to the Acting President titled: “fact sheets on update and progress made in the Federal Governments new vision for the Niger Delta.”
On the initial fund of $1bn set aside for the clean-up and environmental remediation of Ogoniland, he said the sum of $200m will be disbursed yearly for the first five years and work on the project will be conducted in line with international best practices.
Preparatory to this, he said soil and water tests have been done and 15 technical assistants hired to be part of the work from Ogoniland.
On plans to fix other critical infrastructure in the area, he assured that “the FG has released funds for the continuation of various sections of the East-West Road. As at March 2017, the overall project completion is substantial ( Section I – 99.98%, Section II – I – 78.33%, Section II -II – 67.95%, Section III – 99.22%, Section IV – 97.7%) with Sections I and III completed and due for commissioning. The FG plans to construct health centres in the states and communities of the region. On completion, they will be fully equipped to address some of the health needs of rural dwellers.
“This project will place the region as one of the most advanced places in Africa for high speed internet access and reliable communication systems,” he assured, just as he noted plans by Abuja through the Petroleum Ministry to work out, in collaboration with the International Oil Companies operating in the Delta region, the process of relocating their operational headquarters to their states of operations as different from administrative headquarters which often has only about 5% of the staff.
This, Osinbajo said, is in addition to the administration’s commencement of the process for the opening of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta state with “a five-man inter-agency committee headed by the Minister of Education is in the final stages for the official opening of the university in the 2017/2018 academic session.”
“FG has released additional N35bn to step up the Amnesty Programme in the Delta region, which is a specific and significant raise to the 2016 budgetary allocation to the office. This significant increase is already reflected in the 2017 budget with N70bn allocation.
“The Amnesty Office has since paid up all ex-militants backlog of their stipends up to April 2017. School fees for ex-militants studying abroad have been paid up to 80% this July. School fees in Nigeria paid up to 90% this July.
“Under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Presidential Amnesty Programme has deployed 1294 beneficiaries in different programmes in different universities across the world. 1230 have graduated; 196 are maritime engineers, 59 pilots, and 120 automobile engineers. It has established partnership with the PRESCOM (Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons), UNDP, EU and UNREC to curb the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the hands of unauthorized persons and groups,” Akande also quoted the Acting President as telling his guests.
Added to this is the speedy development and restoration of peace in the region with the FG revamping the Niger Delta Development Commission to drive the creation of development and infrastructure projects in the region.
The meeting was attended by leaders and representatives from the Niger Delta and relevant ministers and heads of Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).