General
NUPENG Prepares for Strike Action Over N621bn Road Fund
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) workers has declared its support for the imminent industrial action by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of NUPENG, stating that it has started mobilising members of the union for the sudden strike.
This was disclosed in a statement jointly signed on Sunday by the President, Mr Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Mr Olawale Afolabi, adding that agreements reached on the matter with the government and other stakeholders in two separate meetings were not upheld.
NUPENG also claimed that its investigations revealed that officials of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing were currently diverting the N621 billion provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited for the rehabilitation of 21 critical highways.
“ln as much as we understand the unfortunate situation the Transporters have found themselves, NUPENG, as a responsible and responsive Trade Union Organisation cannot afford to sit idle and watch her able-bodied members continued to be wasted away as sacrificial items as well as the wanton destruction of millions of public lives and properties, so as to manage the operational costs by transporters due to inadequate freight rates being paid to them.
“ln similar vein, you will all recall that at the end of the quarterly Branch Executive Council meeting of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, held at PTD House, Emene, Enugu on the 25th of September, 2O2l, the Union issued a firm and decisive ultimatum on the deplorable state of the federal highways and the painful experiences of our members while carrying out their duties across the country.
“The management team of NNPC under Mallam Mele Kyari immediately apprehended the situation then, to avert the situation of industrial action of the Union, by calling the leadership of the Union to two separate meetings on the 10th of October, 2O21 in Ibadan and 12th October, 2021 in Abuja.
“ln attendance at the 12th October were critical stakeholders such as the FIRS, FRSC, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners and NUPENG.
“These two meetings resulted in the signing of communique indicating the readiness and willingness of NNPC to finance the rehabilitation of identified 21 critical roads at an estimated sum of N621 billion through road infrastructure tax credit scheme.
“On the basis of this communique, the union suspended the intended industrial action, but we were very clear in our statement, that should the spirit and letter of the agreement not fully implemented with a focus on those jointly identified critical roads or attempt is made to divert the funds, the Union will not give further warning to resume the intended actions,” the statement read in part.
NUPENG added that “The officials of the Ministry of Works and Housing are going around showing pictures of roads done in June and August 2021 to justify payment made from the N621bn which was approved in October 2021 for the identified 21 critical roads.
“We have our facts and figures, and we shall not be cowed into allowing the N621bn to go the same way other budgeted funds have gone.”
The union demanded the immediate halt to the further release of the fund until a competent monitoring and validation team comprising all stakeholders that signed the communique was formed.
Although the works ministry in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Boade Akinola, stated that the FMWH was committed to making sure that all the roads financed under the NNPC scheme were completed and delivered as scheduled, NUPENG demanded that the pre-award pictures of the 21 identified roads be taken, which would be compared with pictures of post repairs/reconstruction.
“The N621bn was approved because of our demand and struggle, therefore, we owe our members and the general public the responsibility to ensure that every kobo of the approved fund is accounted for,” NUPENG stated.
It added, “Taxpayers’ money must be accounted for. We demand an immediate review of transport freight rates to reflect the operational realities of the petroleum distribution value chain.
“For these critical issues, we have the mandate of the National Executive Council of the union to commence immediate mobilisation of all our members for resumption of our earlier suspended action.”
By Dipo Olowookere
A $15 million debt facility has been obtained by Watt Renewable Corporation from the AfriGreen Debt Impact Fund to finance hybrid solar power plants to be built and operated by the former, especially in Nigeria.
WATT intends to use the projects to serve commercial and industrial clients in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunication and financial services sectors.
By integrating solar hybrid solutions, the firm aims to significantly reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling its clients to achieve substantial energy cost savings while promoting environmental sustainability.
As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, WATT continues to drive innovation in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The company’s robust roll-out plan includes deploying hundreds of hybrid solar power sites nationwide to meet the growing energy demands of commercial & industrial clients.
This strategic expansion aligns with WATT’s vision to revolutionize energy access across Africa, enabling sustainable development and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The funds from AfriGreen provide the critical capital needed to accelerate WATT’s ambitious projects, strengthening its market position and empowering businesses with reliable and affordable energy solutions.
Business Post gathered that to mitigate the currency risk for WATT in the event of devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, AfriGreen is offering a local currency facility that matches the payment structure of the power purchase agreements.
“We are thrilled to partner with AFRIGREEN on this transformative journey to expand reliable and sustainable energy solutions across Africa.
“With this support, it enables us to accelerate our shared mission of providing hybrid solar power to businesses, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting economic growth while enhancing energy security for our clients,” the Managing Director of WATT, Mr Oluwole Eweje, said.
“We are delighted to support WATT in rolling out hundreds of hybrid sites across the country.
“This represents another key transaction for AFRIGREEN in Nigeria. The combination of high energy prices, good solar irradiation, and strong demand from industrial and commercial energy users makes this market particularly attractive for companies like WATT.
“By leveraging these favourable market conditions alongside WATT’s exceptional operational performance and a well-structured financing solution, we are setting the stage for a strong and lasting business partnership,” the Managing Director of AfriGreen, Mr Alexandre Gilles, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has denied issuing a directive that gas supply to power generating companies (GenCos) be halted.
In a statement on Wednesday, the authority also denied instructing wholesale gas suppliers to stop further supply of gas to companies due to failure in payment obligations.
The NMDPRA described reports stating that it has directed the stoppage of gas supply to GenCos over N2 trillion debt as “false and completely unfounded”.
“It has absolutely no bearing on the information shared at a recent stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos between the Authority, the OPTS, IPPG and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry,” the NMDPRA said.
“The purpose of the engagement was to sensitise stakeholders on the requirements, opportunities and benefits associated with the implementation of the wholesale supply license as provided by sections 142 and 197 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“It was a follow-up to an earlier stakeholder engagement held at the NMDPRA corporate headquarters in Abuja on November 27, 2024.
“The Authority wishes to reassure all our stakeholders and indeed the general public that at no time was the false statement made at that event and anywhere else, and are advised to completely disregard the publication as every effort is being made to ensure that the supply and distribution of natural gas and petroleum products to end users is seamless and unabated as we head into the festive season and indeed all through the coming year 2025.”
Recall that Nigeria’s national grid experienced another collapse on Wednesday, the 11th time in 2024 as Gencos couldn’t generate enough power, compounding issues facing the Nigerian power sector.
This was the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shutdown in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria is currently experience a cut in power supply after the national grid collapsed for the 11th time in 2024.
This is the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shut down in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
However, just when Nigerians were thinking they will not witnessed another national grid collapse in the year, it issue reared its ugly head again.
On Wednesday afternoon, most of the energy distribution companies suffered power outage, prompting them to inform their customers of the situation.
One of the DisCos, Ikeja Electric Plc, in a message to electricity consumers under its franchise area, said, “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, December 11, 2024, at about 13:32 hours affecting supply within our network.
“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us.”
Recall that on Tuesday, in a report, Google listed national grid as one of the top trending searches by Nigerians this year.
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