By Adedapo Adesanya

The House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to order the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, to ensure that all frozen accounts of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA) are unfrozen within 72 hours.

The lawmakers argued that unfreezing the accounts would enable the smooth recommencement of all the programmes of NSIPA.

The green chamber of the National Assembly is also urging the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to ensure all the administrative bottlenecks hindering the smooth operations of all programmes of NSIPA are immediately removed.

The resolutions were reached following the adoption of a motion sponsored by the deputy speaker and 20 other lawmakers.

The lower chamber of the parliament said despite the programmes of NSIPA being vital for poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, and economic inclusivity in Nigeria, the agency’s functionality has been hindered due to administrative bottlenecks, insufficient funding, and frozen accounts.

The programmes of NSIPA were truncated by alleged financial mismanagement by handlers of the programmes, leading to the suspension of programmes and freezing of the agency’s account and subsequent investigation by anti-corruption and security agencies.

Recall that President Tinubu suspended all administered programmes by NSIPA on January 12.

This came 10 days after he suspended Mrs Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the agency, over alleged financial malfeasance.

Six days later, the President also suspended Mrs Betta Edu as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Mrs Edu’s ministry supervises NSIPA and came under scrutiny after a memo surfaced wherein she asked the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein to transfer the sum of N585 million to a private account.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Lagos State government has said it does not plan to ban the sale of sachet water, otherwise known as pure water, in 2025 as it is being speculated.

There had been rumours that the state government will from next month ban the sale of sachet water and single-use plastic bottles in an effort to address flooding in the metropolis.

In the past few days, there have been videos making the round showing some persons destroying bags of sachet water in the state, sparking reactions from Nigerians.

Reacting to this development, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, dissociated the state government from the destruction, claiming the action was carried out by officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), an allegation the agency vehemently denied, describing the destruction as “unprofessional.”

“My attention has been drawn to a viral video showing some individuals bursting sachet water packs at factories and on buses.

“I wish to categorically state that these individuals are not enforcement officers from any Lagos State Government agency or the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

“Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the individuals in question are enforcement officers from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

“Their actions are part of an enforcement exercise targeting sachet water that does not comply with NAFDAC regulations, and in the interest of public health and safety. As outlined in the Ministry’s release following the Engagement Workshop held on October 3, 2024, we remain committed to addressing plastic waste through sustainable and inclusive measures.

“It is important to emphasize that Lagos State has not banned sachet water and does not have plans to do so.

“Our focus remains on effective plastic waste management. As part of our commitment, we are implementing mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for producers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), sachets, and carrier bags of no less than 40 microns.

“To further support this initiative, the Lagos State Government, in collaboration with Producers and Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), is establishing a Plastic Waste Management Fund. This fund will be financed by contributions from producers and major importers, and it will be jointly managed to address the growing challenges of plastic waste in the State.

“Members of the public should disregard any misinformation suggesting a ban on sachet water in Lagos State. The Ministry is fully committed to fostering dialogue and working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure sustainable waste management while supporting the economic interests of Lagosians,” Mr Wahab said.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Chief Security Officer of Alesa Kingdom in Rivers State, Mr Dibia Isaiah, has rebuffed rumours that the Port Harcourt Refinery is not operational.

Recall that last Tuesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited announced the commencement of crude oil processing at the facility.

This came after the federal government approved the sum of $1.5 billion for the repair of the refinery in 2021 as part of efforts to make the country a net exporter of petroleum products and stop the importation of premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, into the country.

But after the announcement over a week ago, there have been reports that the refinery was not working because the repairs were not completed.

Mr Isaiah, who doubles as NNPC Pipelines and Storage Company Loader, said the facility was working fine, with trucks lifting petroleum products.

“I am one of the loaders from the host community and NPSC. As you can see, the refinery is operational and running smoothly. This morning, I have already loaded four trucks.

“We are delighted that business has finally commenced after many years. The refinery has given us products, so now we are loading, and tomorrow we are loading. This time is a very busy period for us,” he said in a video.

Meanwhile, the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, last week commended the NNPC for reviving the Port Harcourt refinery.

“The refinery boasts an installed production capacity of 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Approximately 200 trucks are expected to load products daily from the refinery. Nigerians now await the corresponding impact and benefits on pump prices and the overall economy,” he stated in his reaction.

The former Governor of Anambra State said further the rehabilitation of the refinery would “boost productivity, improve transportation, and alleviate economic burdens across the country.”