Nigeria Tam Tam: NNPC and PHCN the only negligent of the contry?

Why graft persists in fuel importation, by govt officials 

A FRESH vista was yesterday opened at the House of Representatives’ investigation of alleged corruption in the oil industry as the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) said there were  abuses of due process by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in petrol importation.
       
In the same vein, while the Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, did not pointedly admit that there was a petrol subsidy “cabal,” she said  that  there were manipulations in the oil sector.

The Deputy Comptroller in charge of Accounts and Tariffs, Julius Ndubuisi Nwaogu, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko, disclosed that Customs had no access to the vessels that bring in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol to the country.

According to him, these big vessels do not get to the shores but discharge from the high sea where smaller vessels would go to trans-load.

He said the Customs could not determine the quantity of refined products imported.

The problem of Customs was further compounded by the fact that PMS is imported into the country duty free because of a 2002 waiver by the Federal Government.

Nwaogu also revealed that the NNPC was owing Customs N46 billion being the debt from duty prior to the debtwaiver.

He said the NNPC had always said that the vessels could not come to Nigerian ports because they could not accommodate them....Read More...        

 

Reps move to break PHCN’s monopoly 

Receives report of FG/Labour interface panel

THE House of Representatives has begun moves to further unbundle the electricity sector as well as eradicate the monopoly of electricity generation, transmission and distribution hitherto enjoyed by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

To this effect, a Bill for an Act to amend the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, CAP. E7, Laws of the Federation, 2004 and other matters connected therewith yesterday scaled second reading on the floor of the House.

But a spirited attempt made by Khadijat Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, urging the House to adopt a motion seeking to condemn the deployment of troops to Lagos State following the suspension of the strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the civil society groups protesting  the subsidy removal was declined by members in a voice vote.

The Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, referred the proposed  legislation  on electricity to the House Committees on Constitution Amendment, Power and Justice for further legislative input.

The sponsor of the Bill, Patrick Ikhariale had during the lead debate argued that electricity problems had been the bane of development in the country, resulting in the reduction of socio-economic activities and other sundry sectors in Nigeria....Read More...