UK suspends student, work visa applications in Nigeria By Samuel Oamen

The United Kingdom Embassy in Nigeria has announced the temporary suspension of study, work and family visa applications. It explained this was because the priority has been placed on applications made under the Ukraine Family Scheme. In a statement posted on the official Twitter page of the United Kingdom Embassy in Nigeria on Tuesday, the embassy announced that Ukraine Family Scheme was launched in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine. The statement titled: ‘Temporary suspension of priority visas for student, work and family applications’, clarified that Nigerians, whose passports were ready for collection, would be contacted by the Visa Application Centre. The statement reads: “UK Visas and Immigration is currently prioritising applications made under the Ukraine Family Scheme, following its launch and in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine.

Nigeria serves Apple, Google order as FCCPC, ICPC, NITDA probe money lenders By Wale Odunsi

The Federal Government of Nigeria has commenced an “advanced investigation” of digital money lenders. Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) chief, Babatunde Irukera, made the announcement Monday. He issued a statement on behalf of the Joint Regulatory and Enforcement Task Force (JRETF) comprising the FCCPC, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). Irukera noted that pursuant to an order of the Federal High Court, the JRETF executed a search and seizure order on certain lenders. The team extracted valuable evidence and in some circumstances prohibited or restricted continuing operations. He said the FCCPC has served the order on banks, suspending operations of accounts which some of the companies used to conduct transactions under probe. “Further, the Commission also entered and served wide-ranging orders on Google LLC (Play Store) and Apple Inc. (App Store) to enforce the withdrawal of certain applications”, Irukera noted. ”Those affected were found to have engaged in inappropriate conduct or the use of their application to violate the rights of consumers. ”The court order prohibits the acceptance and presentation of new applications for the same purpose without regulatory assessment and approval. “The investigation is still active and ongoing. The JRETF expects further and similar action as it continues to gather additional intelligence to that effect.” ”The businesses raided on Friday, March 11 were directed to desist the interest compounding and loan repayment/collection practices under investigation. ”Violators will be subjected to the full extent of the law including prosecution (without an option of administrative regulatory resolution), the statement warned. The FCCPC said its orders are without prejudice to existing borrowers repaying legitimate loans or modifications to previous terms and conditions. The Task Force urged citizens to provide useful information and evidence that may assist the ongoing inquiry.

The gradual Lagosianisation of Abuja By Prof. Emeka Aniagolu

The whole reason Nigeria moved its national capital from Lagos to a vast piece of land, smack in the middle of the Federal Republic Nigeria, was to get away from the monumental congestion of Lagos. The result was Nigeria’s new capital city: Abuja. The congestion in Lagos was/is the result of several factors: the sheer press of its humongous human population — estimated now at about 21 million people; the largely unplanned, sprawling megalopolis it became, from its modest beginnings as the command-post of British colonial administration in Nigeria; which simultaneously gave the British easy access to the sea for purposes of commerce and warfare, should the natives become overly restive; and the economic powerhouse Lagos became, as a result of its being the administrative nerve-center of colonial and postcolonial Nigeria, its huge workforce, consumer market and tax-base. Lagos was Nigeria’s capital from 1914 — the year the British colonial administration amalgamated the Southern and Northern “protectorates” into one colonial state — until 1991; when Abuja became Nigeria’s new Federal Capital Territory (FCT). From 1914 to 1960 — the year Nigeria became independent of Britain, a period of 46 years — Lagos was the beautiful, prosperous, proud capital of Nigeria; albeit, saturated with the hubbub of politics, commerce and the episodic ethnocentrism of the Yoruba, who did all they could to remind everyone that Lagos was still in their neck of the woods, and therefore, owned by them, although playing host to the Federal Republic of Nigeria as its capital. Two pivotal events changed the dynamics as well as trajectory of Lagos in the history of Nigeria. The first was the two military coups that took place in 1966: The January 15, 1966 Coup and the July 29, 1966 Coup. The first coup toppled the civilian government of Nigeria, leading to the first military regime Nigeria had, under Major-General Aguiyi Ironsi. The second military coup led to the overthrow of the Ironsi regime and the installation of the first Northern-dominated military regime Nigeria had; headed by General Yakubu Gowon. As a result of a concatenation of factors too numerous and too complicated to get into in an article of this nature, Nigeria was plunged into a three-year bloody civil war that claimed the lives of nearly three million people. The second major factor that changed the dynamics and trajectory of Lagos in the history of Nigeria, was the so-called “Oil-Boom” which some people facetiously refer to as Nigeria’s “Oil Doom.” It began in 1970, virtually at the close of Nigeria’s fratricidal war. The following year, 1971, Nigeria joined the Organization of Oil Producing & Exporting Countries (OPEC). A 2005 estimate put Nigeria’s daily production of crude oil at 2.413 million barrels; making Nigeria the world’s sixth largest producer. It is further estimated that since 1960, Nigeria has reaped US$600 billion in oil revenues. Huge oil-based inflows of revenue continued for Nigeria into the decade of the 1980s, only beginning to reduce in the early-to-mid-1990s. It was that kind of revenue flow that made Nigeria confident enough to embark on a number of major projects, not least of which was FESTAC ’77, the construction of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, an “Africa-centric” foreign policy that was financially generous to many African countries and Afrocentric causes, as well as fueled domestic graft on a stupendous scale. It was also the confidence the unprecedented revenue flows crude oil sales afforded Nigeria, that made it possible for the military government of Murtala Muhammed to embark on the bold, albeit, needed step of moving Nigeria’s federal capital from Lagos, and building a brand new capital city from scratch in Abuja. Read Also: Insecurity: Bandits don’t repent until they die, says El-Rufai As a planned city,[1] Abuja was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria’s capital on December 12, 1991. The fundamental idea of moving Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to a virgin land in the middle of the Federation and to build it up from scratch, was to get away from the lack of planning, congestion, unbelievable traffic snarl ups, heat, humidity, disorderliness, poor quality of life, filth, etc., that was/is part and parcel of the Lagos experience. True, the rich and famous as well as those who managed to get-rich-quick through fair and foul means; carved out for themselves verdant, luxurious enclaves in a few pricey parts of Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Banana Island and/or Mainland Lagos; but for the teeming masses, Lagos remained/remains a grueling cesspool with no respite from its torment in sight. Abuja was meant to get away from all that. To not only make life safe and sound, but to provide a high quality of life for its Nigerian residents, as well as to make them proud of their capital city internationally. To be sure, some of that was achieved. However, once again, the vast majority of the residents of Abuja have become sequestered in barely livable virtual ghettos, as chaotic as anything in good old Lagos. If you are in any doubt, visit Pape, Nyanya, Karu, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Anagada, Lugbe, Idu/Karimo, Gwagwa, Jiwa, Jikwoyi, Tungamaje, Kuchingoro, Karamajiji or Gosa; and then, decide for yourself. The problems with and in Abuja are multiplying slowly but surely by the day. Here are a few glaring ones: Mounting traffic jams in and around major suburbs within the City of Abuja: Gwarimpa, Life Camp, Jabi, etc; Mounting traffic jams on all the feeder roads to and from the City of Abuja and its surrounding suburbs, including the six-lane highway that leads from the City of Abuja to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport; Numerous “dark zones” lacking street lights. They do not make for either security nor effective luminescence outside the headlights of cars; Numerous out-of-service traffic lights at major intersections within the City of Abuja and in its surrounding suburbs, if they are installed at all; Reckless driving for which the Police and Road Safety seem unable to control or punish. People run the red lights of traffic lights at will, with no consequence; and they gratuitously weave in and out of marked lanes of roads, climb unto and drive on the sidewalks and shoulders of streets and roads, turning them into part of the lanes of those streets and roads, totally unmindful of other motorists or the danger they pose to pedestrians; Many of the surrounding suburbs of the City of Abuja are literally menaced by hundreds, if not thousands of unruly Okada and Keke riders and drivers; the consequence of a total absence of a mass transit system — either on wheels in the form of city buses or in the form of light rail; The City of Abuja and its surrounding suburbs, except for a few of its older districts and neighborhoods (such as Asokoro, Maitama, etc), lack sidewalks for pedestrians. How a city planned from scratch can miss such a feature on its streets, beats my imagination. Was it not in the master plan or was it ignored for reason(s) mere mortals like me cannot fathom? Unaffordable housing in or near the City of Abuja. This forces people, Youth Corpers and other lower-to-middle-income earners, to search out expensive subpar housing in the suburbs of the FCT, compounding their commuting experience to and from the City of Abuja. For a few years, the former Minister for the FCT, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, the current Governor of Kaduna State; tried to hold the line on standards for the management of the FCT; but with his departure, the slide towards what I call the precipitous Lagosianization of Abuja, is moving at breakneck speed. Without a serious and determined rescue mission, I give Abuja five more years and it would have completed its transformation into the new “Lagos” in the middle of Nigeria; complete with pockets of opulence and aesthetic beauty, engulfed by huge swaths of proletarian ghettos and semi-ghettos, with streets and highways cluttered with old and aging cars, belching lung-choking carbon monoxide; driven by frantic, angry, frustrated, benumbed motorists, helplessly invoking the name of the God of their religious faith and swearing at the faceless institution called: Government! The current Minister of the FCT, Muhammadu Bello, has been an unmitigated disaster, a total waste pipe; lacking in imagination, innovation and pro-action. He has squandered nearly eight years doing virtually nothing for and with the City of Abuja and its suburbs. To this day, I and several other highly-placed people I have had the privilege of speaking with, cannot fathom why President Buhari reappointed him Minister of the FCT for a second term; after his utterly lackluster first term as Minister, other than, perhaps, two reasons: nepotism (they are both Fulani and Muslim, and some say, longtime family friends), and placing loyalty over and above competence. The City of Abuja and its suburbs need professionally trained City Managers, one for each of the suburbs that comprise the FCT, and one for the Abuja metropolis. Such professionally trained City Managers, will completely overhaul the administrative/bureaucratic nightmare known as AMMC; substituting in its place, an efficient machinery for solving problems in and of the City of Abuja and its suburbs; as well as turning Abuja into a world class city, that makes it onto the list of the great cities and tourist destinations of the Aniagolu is a professor of political science and history in the United States.

Constitution Review: President, Governors May Go To Jail For Rejecting Legislative Summons by Chris

Constitution Review: The president and state governors can face jail terms if they refuse to honor summons from federal and state lawmakers This is because there is a provision in 0ne of the sections of the constitution amendment bill passed by the Senate which empowers the National Assembly and State Assemblies to summon the president and state governors to answer questions bordering on security or other issues on which the national and state houses of assembly have powers to make laws, failing which they can be convicted. The bill seeks alteration to Section 67 of the Principal Act by inserting after subsection (3) a new subsection (4). The new subsection (4) provides: “Nothing in this section shall preclude the National Assembly from summoning the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend a joint session of the National Assembly to answer questions on national security or any issue whatsoever, over which the National Assembly has powers to make laws”. The bill further seeks to alter Section 108 of the Principal Act to insert a new subsection (4) to provide: “Nothing in this section shall preclude the House of Assembly of the State from summoning the Governor of the State to attend a sitting of the House of Assembly to answer questions on security or on any issue whatsoever, over which the House of Assembly has powers to make laws.” It also passed a bill to make it an offence, and to provide for the possible conviction of any person who refuses to honour the summons of the National Assembly or any of its committee. The bill seeks to alter Section 129 of the Principal Act to insert after subsection (2) a new subsection (3). The new section provides: “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Constitution, any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to do so and does not excuse such failure, refusal or neglect to the satisfaction of the House or the Committee in question, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to such punishment as shall be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. Out of a total of 93 registered senators, 77 voted in favour of the bill to summon the president and governors, 13 voted against and one lawmaker abstained, bringing total votes to 91. The chamber also approved a bill to include presiding officers on the membership of the National Security Council. The chamber, however, turned down a bill to provide for more seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly. Also rejected were bills to alter Part I of the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List; removal of Transitional Lawmaking Powers of the Executive; to provide for Diaspora voting; to grant mayoralty status for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and appointment of a minister from the FCT. The Senate has however approved financial autonomy for state legislatures, judiciaries and local governments in the country. The approval came yesterday during voting on the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bills, 2022. Senators during voting on the report rejected pension for presiding officers of the legislature. Out of a total number of 88 Senators registered to vote on the bill, 34 voted in support and 53 against the bill. Also rejected were bills to override presidential veto in constitution alteration, and to override presidential veto in respect of ordinary money bills. The rejected bills require the mandatory four-fifth (votes of 88 Senators) and two-thirds majority (votes of 73 senators) to pass, respectively. The bill on Procedure for Overriding Presidential Veto in Constitutional Alteration seeks to provide for the procedure for the passing of a constitution alteration bill where the president withholds assent. On the other hand, the bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution to provide the procedure for overriding executive veto in respect of money bills seeks to provide for mode of exercising federal legislative power on money bills before the National Assembly. While 94 senators registered to vote on the bill to override presidential veto in constitutional alteration, 79 lawmakers of the chamber voted in support and 15 against it. The bill fell short of the needed 88 votes (four-fifth requirement) to pass. On the bill to override presidential veto in respect of money bills, out of a total of 84 registered senators, 44 voted in support, and 39 against the bill. The bill also fell short of the required two-thirds requirement (73 senators) to pass. In addition, the Senate also rejected bills to provide for the removal of presiding officers of the legislature, and to change the name of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State to Gwol Local Government Area. Meanwhile, the Senate passed a total of 49 bills out of the 68 considered bills during voting yesterday. The bills were contained in a report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. A total of 19 alteration bills were rejected during the voting exercise which lasted almost five hours during plenary. President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, while setting the stage for voting on the bills, explained that only bills which enjoyed passage in both chambers would be transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly for concurrence. According to him, any bill which fails to pass in the Senate or House of Representatives during voting automatically stands rejected by the National Assembly. Reps Approve LG Autonomy, Independent Candidacy Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday voted in support of financial and administrative autonomy for local government areas in the country in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The lawmakers, at plenary, passed the bill seeking the abrogation of the state/local government joint account, as well as a bill proposing to establish the local government area as a third tier of government in the country. The bill for the abrogation of states/ local governments joint account was passed by 286 votes, while the bill for administrative autonomy for the council areas was supported by 258 members, while 15 members voted against. Also, the House approved bills seeking to move electricity generation and distribution, airports, railways and prisons from the exclusive to concurrent list. However, the House rejected the bills seeking to extend immunity from criminal prosecution to the heads of the legislature and judiciary and life pension for the Senate president, deputy Senate president, Speaker of the House and deputy speaker. The bill for pension for presiding officers was rejected by 193 votes against 162. A total of 240 votes was required to pass the bill. On the other hand, 185 voted for immunity for the heads of the legislature and judiciary while 111 voted against. Also, the Green chamber rejected a bill proposing the creation of 147 special legislative seats for women in the national and state legislatures. While 81 members voted in support of the bill, 208 members voted against the proposed legislation. After the defeat of the women-oriented bills, the deputy minority leader, Toby Okechukwu, appealed to the lawmakers to support a bill proposing a minimum of 20 percent of ministerial and commissioner positions for women. Okechukwu said: “I made this observation mindful of the duty we owe ourselves. It does not hurt, injure or do any harm to the country if we bring the women up to speed.” However, when the bill was subjected to the vote, only 224 members voted in favour. When the proposed legislation failed to garner 240 required votes, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila called for a voice vote after which he ruled in favour of those in support of the bill. Also, the House rejected a bill seeking to make the removal of a presiding officer of the national or state assembly more strident by 201 votes against 71. However, Gbajabiamila, apparently dissatisfied with the voting, subject the bill to a second vote. In the second balloting, 185 members voted for the bill, while 99 voted against. In all, the House passed 56 out of the 68 constitution alteration bills and rejected 12 after a tension-soaked session, which lasted for over five hours. Apart from the local government autonomy bill, other constitution alteration bills passed by the House include the proposed legislation seeking to provide for independent candidacy for elections in presidential, governorship, legislative and local government council elections, which was passed. However, the bill for Diaspora voting was rejected by 240 votes against 58. Similarly, the House rejected a bill seeking to include Value Added Tax (VAT) in the exclusive-legislative list by 209 votes against 91. Also, the House approved the financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary with 286 votes against one, while 305 members supported an alteration of the constitution to empower the national and state houses of assembly to summon the president or a governor on any issue they have power to legislate on. Similarly, 304 members voted for the creation of a state security council for the various states in the country, while 290 members voted for the inclusion of the presiding officers of the National Assembly in the National Security Council. Also, the 259 members voted for the alteration of the constitution to provide for the president, vice president, governor and deputy governor to vacate office if they defect from the party on whose platform they were elected into office, except there is a division in their political party. Earlier, the speaker, while addressing the wife of the vice president, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, who was in the chamber to observe the proceeding, promised that the House would look dispassionately at the bills relating to women. NLC mobilises states for LG autonomy approval The persistent demands by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for autonomy for local government and for the judiciary has yielded results as the federal lawmakers yesterday voted overwhelmingly in favour of their autonomy. Though both chambers of the National Assembly approved local government administrative autonomy as a critical component of democracy, some lawmakers voted against the move. The labour congress had on Monday during the protest promised to shame lawmakers who would refuse to vote in favour of autonomy. In several protests held Monday and Tuesday at the National Assembly, NLC urged lawmakers to give 100 percent of their votes for autonomy when they commence clause-by-clause vote on the ongoing constitution amendment. At the meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly yesterday, both the NLC and lawmakers agreed to mobilise Nigerian workers for state and local government rallies in furtherance of the demands to push state legislators to vote along the same lines. Comrade Wabba also presented before the leadership of the National Assembly the request to retain labour on the exclusive list. He insisted that legislators approve 35 percent affirmative action for women and decide the indigeneship between her local government of origin and that of her husband. He said, “We are here to appreciate what the National Assembly has done about the autonomy and the issue of women. Progressively we are trying to allocate 101 seats for women. Third is the issue of citizenship and indigeneship of women; is it to become the indigene of the husband or their fathers? We want that to be sorted out. We also have the issue of 35 percent reservation for women and more representative seats allocated to women. We urge the National Assembly members to vote in favour of this; every senator and member will answer his name on how the voting goes,” Wabba said. The chairman, Senate committee on labour, Senator Godiya Akwashiki who spoke on behalf of the Senate leadership, expressed support for the mobilisation of NLC members across states to press on state legislators to vote in support of the autonomy for the judiciary and local government.

Nigeria needs more rebels to move forward – Obasanjo By Ernest Nwokolo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that Nigeria requires honest people as rebels to move her forward. Obasanjo said people who live life of honesty and integrity have to also be rebels, explaining that life of honesty and integrity embolden one to speak truth to power, not caring a hoot whose ox is gored. The elder statesman spoke yesterday in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, at the unveiling of the autobiography of the Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, as part of the celebration of his(Sowunmi) 80th birthday. The autobiography titled “Footprints Of A Rebel,” was reviewed by Hafsat Abiola – Costello, daughter of the late politician, MKO Abiola, and founder of Kudirat Initiative for Democracy. According to Obasanjo, having honest people as rebels remained one of the greatest assets for rebuilding a nation. He lauded the octogenarian and former activist for living an exemplary life worthy of emulation by the younger generation. “Looking at the title of the book, I ask myself, why would someone call himself a rebel? But it is good. “But the truth is that if you have to leave a life of honesty and integrity, you have to become a rebel. There would be some time you would be asked to do something, but you would say no, this is not right. And when you say that, you will become a rebel. You may even become a persona non grata. “There is no country that we can call our own except Nigeria. Our country, Nigeria, needs more rebels. Those who would look at things straight in the face and say ‘this is not good for Nigeria,” Obasanjo said. Speaking earlier, Pastor Tunde Bakare of Citadel Global Community Church, seeks inter-generational reintegration between older and younger ones as part of efforts to regenerate the country.

The blame game over toxic petrol import continues By MUYIWA LUCAS

The controversy rages on over the importation of toxic petrol. In what has suddenly turned into blame game, a revelation of past atrocities committed by the supplier, Litasco, exposes the level of due diligence that the sole importer of petrol conducts on its suppliers and vendors. As authorities and stakeholders are trying to get to the root of this crisis, it has been a blame trading episode across board. But what really are the issues? MUYIWA LUCAS asks. ONE week after, the country has continued to groan from the effects of the “Off Spec” premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol that found its way into the market. However, the controversy has continued to trail the entire saga, with accusations and counter accusations enveloping the air. The more the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited tries to exonerate itself from the scandal, the more it keeps sinking deeper. For instance, it took an advertorial in national newspapers by MRS, a major oil marketer, before the NNPC could offer any tangible explanation, and in the process, exposing other culprits involved. For instance, the “Off Spec” fuel was shipped into the country from Antwerp, Belgium, by Litasco, a Geneva, Switzerland-based oil firm. A quick check on Litasco’s website paints an impressive image of this Geneva-based firm with over 450 workforce. Litasco, a firm founded in 2000 in Switzerland, is the exclusive international marketing and trading company of Lukoil Oil Company, a Russian firm. Litasco describes itself as one of the world’s major traders of crude oil and refined petroleum products. However, beyond these glorifying eulogies of this Swiss commodities trader, a deeper check unearths the “dirty” side of the firm. The company may not be new to sending substandard petroleum products to West Africa, if a report of the Dutch entitled: “Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate” (ILT) is anything to go by. This is because a 2016 report indicted Litasco as one of the European companies that “deliberately and systematically” use toxic blend stocks in mixing fuels. ILT, according to a report dated July 10, 2018, presented a report to parliament about the composition and hazardousness of fuels exported to West Africa from Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The investigation highlighted the decisive role played by commodities trading firms that maximise profits by taking advantage of lax West African fuel standards. In contrast to Holland, neither the Swiss firms named in the report – Vitol, Gunvor and Litasco –  nor the Swiss authorities recognise their responsibility for this scandal that harms the health of millions of people. Stakeholders said if this report is anything to go by, then it raised further questions on the extent of due diligence done by business owners or even the NNPC in their choice of partners for engagements. The report, entitled: Dirty Diesel: Dutch Environment Inspectors Confirm Dodgy Business of Swiss Commodities Traders, was published on July 10, 2018. In September 2016, Public Eye’s Dirty Diesel investigation uncovered the business model of sending low-quality and harmful fuels to Africa. The Dutch government was forced to promise the legislature a report in which the environment inspectors confirmed the role played by Swiss commodities trading firms: Vitol, Gunvor, Litasco as well as other companies, deliberately and systematically use toxic “blend stocks” in the mixing of fuels. Starting in 2017, ILT researched the loading of 44 tankers destined for West Africa. It found diesel with 300 times more sulfur and twice as many cancer-causing hydrocarbons as are allowed in Europe. Gasoline contained elements high in sulfur as well as cancer-causing substances like manganese, in concentrations up to 30 times over the European limit. The report concluded that the concerned companies either ignored or were unaware of the European regulation for chemical substances (REACH) and the Dutch law. The environment inspector also investigated fuel oil for sea-going vessels and found products from two commodities trading firms that are categorised as illegal waste. These results show that West African countries like Nigeria, where the implementation of stricter gasoline standards has been blocked for months, must urgently enact the standards, to protect their people from such toxic cocktails. The United Nations Environment Director Erik Solheim, in his response to the report, called out the corporations profiting from this political indecisiveness: “Substandard products should not be sold even if they meet national standards,” he said. With this investigation, the Netherlands has taken responsibility as a location for the production and export of hazardous fuels. A further investigation is in progress to determine if “Dirty Diesel” companies are violating the OECD guidelines for multinational corporations. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, where the concerned corporations have their headquarters, there has so far been no political response to the scandal, not to mention an investigation. This inaction by the authorities on a flagrant violation of the right to health of people in Africa is another example why the Swiss Responsible Business Initiative is necessary. The spirited efforts of the NNPC to absolve itself of complacency in the importation saga also seems not to be holding waters given that some firms fingered by the company in the deal have come out with proof to absolve themselves of any involvement in the importation of the 50, 000 metric tons or 100 million litres of petrol. NNPC, for some years, has being the sole importer of PMS. This, the company, does by awarding contracts to its vendors for the shipment of the commodity. The vendors in turn, depending on their partnership with several oil merchants, subcontracts them for shipment of the commodity into the country.But for those with a discerning and critical mind, the question is: at what point was there a slip in the supply chain for this product to get into the market? This is because a look at the importation process of fuel shows that for every country, there are specifications for their PMS requirements. Usually, before a fuel laden vessel leaves its port of embarkation, tests are carried out on the contents to be sure it meets the correct specification. Further tests are carried out on the high sea on the content and upon the arrival of the consignment in Atlas Cove jetty- which is off the coast of Lagos, the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) moves in to the vessel to test the conformity of the product with the Nigerian standard before it is released into the market. The highest methanol level for Nigeria is just about two per cent. The controversial fuel has a 20 per cent methanol level. Once the product meets the required standard, it is then sent to the depots for onward discharge to marketers through the various means of transportation available, including through the pipelines. But the question on stakeholders’ mind is: At what point could the product have been contaminated? For some, what happened might not have been contamination of the product in the real sense of it. This is because the vendor contracted to import the fuel already knows the standard requirement of the country. Therefore, bringing in something contrary from means it is an “off Spec”. Yet, others believe that there could have been a compromise in the supply chain. Reason: Inspectors from the NMDPRA are expected to check the quality of the fuel upon landing at Atlas Cove before it is released into the various markets. Insiders in the oil sector posit the following as specifications for standard petrol for the market: The erstwhile DPR (now NMDPRA) and SON specifications state that petrol must be clear and bright; whereas the appearance of the controversial petrol was clearly hazy; SON/NMDPRA specifications states clearly that petrol range must be between 0.7200and 0.7800g/ml; whereas the imported product has a density of 0.7865g/ml; SON/NMDPRA specification for petrol’s Full Boiling point (FBP) is 210 degC; whereas that of the controversial fuel 211 degC; The imported petrol’s solvent washed Gum content is 6.5mg/100ml; whereas SON specifies parameters of 4.0mg/100ml; The controversial petrol oxidation stability is 329 minutes, compared to the SON/NMDPRA specification of minimum 360 minutes levels. Another question is: Why did the NNPC appoint few petroleum products marketing companies (some of them portfolio companies) to import petrol leaving out other more competent marketing firms? Also, why did the NNPC cancel the PMS import intervention scheme that involved the NNPC, CBN, prequalified petroleum marketers and independent auditors, which a former NNPC GMD put in place? This process was adjudged to have been very transparent. Going by the sample of the fuel as seen in a viral video, it is evident that the fuel could not have met the parameters for the market. A reliable source in the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) said since the organisation has been chased out of the ports, all sorts of substandard products enter into the country. And until an investigation is done, there will remain more questions than answers. Providing a graphic chronicle of the unfortunate incident, the NNPC CEO, Mallam Mele Kyari, said on January 20, 2022, that the company received a report from its quality inspector on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium. He explained that NNPC investigation revealed the presence of methanol in four PMS cargoes imported by the following Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase (DSDP) suppliers as listed in the table below. He noted that cargoes quality certificates issued at loadport (Antwerp-Belgium) by AmSpec Belgium indicated that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification. “The NNPC quality inspectors, including GMO, SGS, GeoChem and G&G conducted tests before discharge also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specification,’’ he said. Kyari noted that as a standard practice for PMS import to Nigeria, the said cargoes were certified by inspectors appointed by the NMDRA. “It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for per cent methanol content and, therefore, the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors,’’ he stated. However, to prevent the distribution of the petrol, the NNPC CEO said the company promptly ordered the quarantine of un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of the affected products in transit (truck & marine).

Toxic fuel: More questions than answers By Muyiwa Lucas

By last Thursday, the silence that enveloped the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, over the importation of “Off Spec” petrol into the country, had given way. The spirited effort of the NNPC to absolve itself of complicity in the importation saga also seemed not to be holding water given that some of the firms fingered by the company have come out to absolve themselves of any involvement in the importation of the 50,000 metric tons or 100 million liters of petrol. NNPC, for some years now, has been the sole importer of PMS into the country. This the company does by awarding contracts to its vendors for shipment of the commodity. The vendors in turn depending on their partnership with several oil merchants, contract them for shipment of the commodity into the country. But for those with a discerning and critical mind the question is at what point was there a slip in the supply chain for this product to get into the Nigerian market? This is because a look at the importation process of fuel shows that for every country, there are specifications for their PMS requirements. Usually, before a fuel-laden vessel leaves its port of embarkation, tests are carried out on the contents to be sure it meets the correct specification. Further tests are carried out on the high sea on the content and upon the arrival of the consignment in Atlas Cove jetty- which is off the coast of Lagos, the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), moves in to the vessel to test the conformity of the product with the Nigerian standard before it is released into the market. The highest methanol level for Nigeria is just about two percent. The controversial fuel has a 20 percent methanol level. Once the product meets the required standard, it is then sent to the depots for onward discharge to marketers through the various means of transportation available, including through the pipelines. But the question on stakeholders mind is at what point could the product have been contaminated? For some, what happened may not be contamination of the product in the real sense. This is because the vendor contracted to import the fuel already knows the standard requirement of the country. Therefore, bringing in something contrary from the requirement means it is “Off Spec”. Yet, others believe that there could have been compromise in the supply chain. Reason? Inspectors from the NMDPRA are expected to check the quality of the fuel upon landing in Atlas Cove before it is released into the various market. Insiders in the oil sector list the following as specifications for standard petrol for the Nigerian market: The erstwhile DPR now NMDPRA and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) specifications state that petrol must be clear and bright; whereas the appearance of the controversial petrol was clearly hazy. SON/NMDPRA specifications state that petrol range must be between 0.7200-0.7800g/ml; whereas the imported product has a density of 0.7865g/ml. SON/NMDPRA specifications for petrol’s Full Boiling Point (FBP) is210 degC; whereas that of the controversial fuel is 211 degC. The imported petrol’s solvent washed gum content is 6.5mg/100ml; whereas SON specifies parameters of 4.0mg/100ml. The controversial petrol oxidation stability is 329 minutes, compared to the SON/NMDPRA specification of minimum 360 minutes levels. Another food for thought is why NNPC had to appoint few petroleum products marketing companies (some of them portfolio companies) to import petrol leaving out other more competent marketing firms? Also, why did NNPC cancel the PMS import intervention scheme process that involved NNPC, CBN, prequalified petroleum marketers and independent auditors, which former NNPC GMD, Dr. KachikwuIbe, put in place? This process was adjudged to have been very transparent. Going by the sample of the fuel as seen in a viral video, it is evident that the fuel could not have met all the parameters for the Nigerian market. A reliable source in SON said since the organisation has been chased out of the ports, all sorts of substandard products now enter into the country. Until an open investigation is done, there will remain more questions than answers.