By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has confirmed a fresh oil spill at the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) loading terminal in Bonny, Rivers State.

The agency in a statement said the incident resulted from a ruptured pipeline but did not disclose if it was due to the activities of vandals.

SPDC has promptly shut down the affected pipeline and deployed containment booms to protect the neighbouring communities.

“On Saturday, December 14, 2024, an oil spill occurred at the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) loading terminal, SMI, in Bonny, Rivers State.

“The incident resulted from a ruptured pipeline. SPDC has promptly shut down the affected pipeline and deployed containment booms to protect the neighbouring communities.

“Although the spill has reached the shoreline, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is actively monitoring the situation from an emergency operations centre. The agency is collaborating with SPDC and other relevant stakeholders to assess the extent of the spill and determine necessary follow-up actions.

“Members of the public are advised to remain calm as NIMASA is committed to mitigating the impact of the spill and restoring affected areas,” the statement read.

Oil spills have been a common feature over the last decades, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta region caused by a multitude of reasons including pipeline vandalism, weak infrastructure, operational failures, natural triggers, and illegal refining.

This has led to challenges for Niger Deltans particularly those engaged in farming and fishing as spills leave long-term effects that affect aquatic life, potable water, and soil fertility.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu for not probing allegations of N57 billion of public funds said to be missing, diverted or stolen from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.

The allegations were documented in the 2021 audited report released last month by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

Joined in the suit as respondent is the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

In the suit number FHC/L/MISC/876/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Fagbemi to work with appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe allegations that over N57 billion of public funds are missing, diverted or stolen from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.”

It also asked the court “to compel President Tinubu to direct Mr Fagbemi to work with appropriate anticorruption agencies to prosecute anyone suspected to be responsible for the missing N57 billion, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to recover any missing public funds.”

In the suit, the group argued that, “Investigating the allegations and prosecuting those suspected to be responsible for the missing N57 billion and recovering the missing funds would end the impunity of perpetrators.”

“The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations.

“Poor Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviations and other ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs].”

“The consequences of corruption are felt by citizens on a daily basis. Corruption exposes them to additional costs to pay for health, education and administrative services.”

“The allegations also suggest a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anticorruption legislation and international anticorruption obligations,” the statement said in parts.

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Oluwakemi Agunbiade, noted that, “Granting the reliefs sought would go a long way in addressing corruption in ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs] and the country’s budget deficit and debt problems.”

“According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, [the Ministry] in 2021 failed to account for over N54 billion [N54,630,000,000.00] meant to pay monthly stipends to Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and non-graduate trainees between August and December 2021,” the organisation said.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) is collaborating with Rolling Energy to convert 100,000 vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in 18 months as part of efforts to support small businesses struggling to navigate the tough operating environment.

The Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, disclosed this at the unveiling of a CNG Conversion and Training Centre in Abuja, noting that another partner is Pi-CNG.

“This new centre is designed to convert vehicles to run on CNG, an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fuels.

“With its capacity to convert nine vehicles daily and a dedicated team of 20 technicians, the centre will help SMEs reduce transportation costs and adapt to changing energy needs.

“It will also train young Nigerians in CNG conversion, maintenance, and repair, equipping them with practical skills and opening up new business opportunities,” he stated.

According to Mr Odii, the mandate of the Pi-CNG initiative is to roll out about one million converted cars in the next 18 months.

“We at SMEDAN are committing to taking 10 per cent of those cars to be converted at our centres,’’ he said.

He added that the project aligned with SMEDAN’s GROW Nigerian strategy, which focuses on providing SMEs with Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Support.

“By adopting CNG, we are helping SMEs cut costs while promoting sustainable energy practices. This effort is particularly timely as businesses face rising fuel costs following subsidy removal.

“SMEDAN is also committed to improving access to critical infrastructure for SMEs. We are upgrading Industrial Development Centres across the country to provide affordable tools and power tailored to the needs of small businesses,” Mr Odii said.

On his part, the Californian Secretary of Transportation, Mr Toks Omishakin, praised Nigeria’s efforts in adopting cleaner energy alternatives, such as CNG, but urged stakeholders to look beyond CNG and invest in long-term renewable solutions.

“I see a tremendous opportunity for collaboration between California and Nigeria in exploring renewable energy solutions like solar, wind, and hydrogen,” he said.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Presidential CNG Initiative, Mr Toyin Zubair, commended SMEDAN and other stakeholders for their contributions, emphasising the need to harness Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources to drive the economy.

“Nigeria has one of the largest gas reserves in the world. By using this resource locally to power vehicles and industries, we can reduce costs and create a cleaner environment,” Mr Zubair said.

The chief executive of Rolling Energy, Mr Mubarak Danbatta, explained that the conversion process prioritised safety and affordability, making it accessible to SMEs.

“With less than N4,000, a vehicle can be fully fueled with CNG, compared to over N60,000 for petrol. This is a significant relief for businesses.

“CNG is not a business for the rich. It is a business for everyone. And the good thing is that this partnership is being done with SMEDAN and Pi-CNG for the benefit of SMEs,” Mr Danbatta said.