Artisanal Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria has appealed to the Federal Government to establish modular refineries in Niger Delta region to boost the nation’s economy.
The National Chairman of the Association, Mr Godwin Sunday, made the appeal at an interactive session with Sen. Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs on Friday in Abuja.
Sunday said that the government should at least establish 10 units of One thousand barrels daily per Niger Delta state to enhance the economy.
He said that the Federal Government should as well provide guarantee for the refiners to the tune of 15 million dollars per refinery.
Sunday said that the group was ready to be integrated in order to add value to the petroleum sector of the nation’s economy; hence we sought for the needed facility to establish the project.
According to him, the group agreed to stop illegal oil bunkering, and collaborate with the government to enhance the economy, considering the devastating effect on the environment such as degradation and even negative effect on the ecosystem.
The chairman also on behalf of the group commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the removal of fuel subsidy, describing it as one of the government’s greatest achievements.
He said that Nigerians were yet to align with the benefits of the subsidy removal in terms of economic stability.
“Let me officially appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for integrating Artisanal Gold Mining activities in the country’s legal, economic and institutional framework.
“This is a significant milestone and it will change the trajectory of our nation’s economy,” he said.
The chairman, however, used the session to plead with the Federal Government to open up the oil and gas industry to avoid certain individual setting up monopoly at the detriment of Nigerians.
“As a body well rooted in oil and gas industry, we will continue to give the government maximum support for this purpose,” he added.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government through the Office of the presidential aide and other relevant agencies of government to set up Presidential Committee to look into the activities and demands of the Artisanal Oil Refiners in the Niger Delta region.
In his response, Enang said that the office was engaging with stakeholders on the integration of Artisanal Refinery Operators into the mainstream petroleum refining in the country.
He noted that Nigeria had the capacity to produce the required petroleum products required in the country, if the Artisanal Refinery Operators were given the necessary support.
According to him, harnessing the potentials in artisanal oil refinery operators and integrating locally refine products into the petroleum market will crash the price of petroleum products in the country.
Artisanal oil refiners is a group with ideology, whose primary aim is building, empowering and adding value to the petroleum sector with technological power to refine crude.
Okonjo-Iweala, 4 others move close to clinching WTO DG job
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s candidate aspiring to the position of Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has won the first run of elections and has along with four others advanced to the second phase.
The other contestants, who are from Kenya, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, on Friday advanced to the next round of voting after six days of confidential consultation with members.
Amb. David Walker, Chair of the WTO General Council in a briefing on the outcome of the election told the Head of Delegation meeting that the entire organisation’s membership was committed and fully engaged in the consultation process.
“Throughout the six days of consultations it was clear to us that the entire membership is both committed to and fully engaged in this process. Members consider all the candidates highly qualified and respected individuals.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the dignified manner in which they, their delegations, and their governments have conducted themselves in this process.
Their willingness to engage, especially at these challenging times, has been greatly appreciated, and the organisation is in their debt,” Walker said.
It was learnt that during the consultations, Walker alongside his co-facilitators in the election process, posed to each delegation one question: “What are your preferences?” Members then submitted four preferences to the “troika” of ambassadors.
The facilitators are Amb. Dacio Castillo, Chair of the Dispute Settlement Body, and Amb. Harald Aspelund, chair of the Trade Policy Review Body. The consultation process taken by facilitators has been set by guidelines established by the General Council in a 2002 decision.
Based on the guidelines, the key consideration in determining which candidate is best poised to achieve consensus is the “breadth of support” each candidate receives from the members. Walker said that the second phase of the consultations would begin on Sept. 24 and end on Oct. 6.“During this time, members will be asked in the confidential consultations to express two preferences.”
