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Reps Summon Aiteo E&P, Agip Oil Over Oil Spillage In Bayelsa Community

Published

2 years ago

October 9, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives joint Committee on Environment and Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Petroleum (downstream ) has summoned the Managing Directors of Aiteo E & P Company, Victor Okoronkwo and Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Bolondi Fabrizio (now Oando Oil Ltd) to appear within 7 days over oil spillage at Olugboboro Community in Southern Ijaw area of Bayelsa State.

The Commitee also expressed its displeasure over the refusal by oil companies executives to appear before the it after three consecutive invitions.

Chairman of the Commitee, Rep. Pondi Gbabador in his address, on Tuesday at the commencement of the investigative hearing, he said the Commitee’s mandate, was to investigate the activities and operations of Aiteo E & P Company and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (now Oando Oil Ltd).

According to him, these companies’ allegedly portend deadly environmental consequences in their host communities and, by extension, the nation at large.

Rep. Gbabojor explained that the oil industry plays a critical role in the economic development of the country, and it’s contributes significantly to the national income, provides employment, and supports infrastructure development in various regions.

He however stated that contributions by oil companies should not be at the cost of the health, well-being, and livelihood of the people in the host communities, nor the expense of the environment.

He said: “You may recall that the House of Representatives, at its sitting of Tuesday, 12th March 2024, considered a motion titled Environmental Impact of Transporting Crude Oil by Mega Seagoing Vessels from Nembe Creek Trunk to Offshore Crude Oil Storage in the Atlantic Ocean by Aiteo E & P, and resolved to:Urge the Federal Ministry of Environment to compel the Management of Aiteo E & P to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the project, as dictated by the Environment Impact Assessment Act, 2004, and include the host communities, the State Government and stakeholders, in line with international global practice, subject to scrutiny of the public and environmental experts.

“Recall that the House in a motion mandated it’s committees on Environment and Petroleum Resources (Midstream) to:Investigate Environmental Impact of Transporting Crude Oil by Mega Seagoing Vessels from Nembe Creek Trunk to Offshore Crude Oil Storage in the Atlantic Ocean by Aiteo E & P, and Monitor compliance with the Ministry of Environment and the Management of Aiteo E & P with this requirement, and report within four (4) weeks.

“In the same vein, the House also on Tuesday, 23rd July 2024, considered a motion titled Oil Spillage at Olugboboro Community in Southern Ijaw from Nigerian Agip Oil Company Facility, and subsequently resolved to:Urge the Management of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company to urgently stop/contain the oil leakages from its Facilities at Ogboinbiri/Teibidaba affecting Olugboboro community in southern Ijaw Federal Constituency;

“Also urged the National Emergency Management Agency to urgently supply relief materials to ameliorate the suffering of the impacted communities who have lost sources of livelihood;Further urge the Nigeria Agip Oil Company to immediately pay compensation to the affected community for the economic trees and aquatic life damaged since April 2024, by the spillage; and Mandate the Committees on Environment and Petroleum Resources (Upstream) to carry out extensive investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the spillage, to ascertain and assess the extent of impact to Olugboboro community of Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency and report within four (4) weeks.

“In light of the above, we have invited the Managing Directors of both Aiteo E & P Company and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (now Oando Oil Ltd) to this Hearing, to provide us with detailed explanations regarding their activities, particularly in their areas of operations. We expect full cooperation and transparency from all stakeholders in this process.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the operations of oil companies in our country are carried out in a manner that is sustainable, environmentally responsible, and respectful of the rights and welfare of the communities they operate in and the Country at large.

“It is also noteworthy, to emphasize that the Committees are not here to vilify any corporate entity but to ensure accountability, transparency, and adherence to environmental laws and regulations that govern the oil sector in our country. We aim to find solutions, hold the responsible parties accountable where necessary, and recommend the appropriate remedial actions”.

According to the chairman, the outcome of the Hearing will not only affect the immediate communities involved but will also set a precedent on how Nigerians approach environmental issues related to industrial activities in the future.

“The environment is our common heritage, and we must protect it for ourselves and future generations.I trust that the deliberations today will be conducted with the highest level of professionalism, respect, and commitment to justice.Thank you all for your attention, and I look forward to a productive session”, he added.

Speaking at the meeting, Rofikat Odetoro who represented the ministry of Environment said the EIA approval issued by the ministry stipulated that the crude oil from Altio oil fields should be evacuated through pipelines and not through barges as being currently practiced by the company.

“In terms of children, they are not used to have cyanosis. They are not used to wear glasses. You see 8-month-old children are using glasses.Children are not used to have fatty liver. Now we see children having fatty liver. Even if it is a rare condition, it’s not supposed to be as young as that.You start touching the fingers. They put that in the system. That entire human being is responsible.So your action is timely. And it’s very well concentrated.

“However, we also have this to say, that the Ministry was neither notified or advised or even sought for permitting sake – they are guardians of the Ministry in respect of the deviation or change in scope. In line with best global practices, if you are given a medication and you want to change to a similar effect, the best thing to do is to go back to the doctor. So if you are going to change the scope of the EIA approval, the best practice is to come back to seek the guidance of the Ministry.

“This they acknowledged that is a mistake on their part, but it was as a result of a sister agency putting pressure on them to produce more in order to have more revenue. So the issue of synergy also comes to fore.

“At our meeting, we reached the following resolutions.Altio should urgently register for the EIA of the project or in the alternative conduct a post-embargo assessment since they have been operating for two years. Let’s see what has been done, what has been the effect of that particular activity that has been going on for the last two years.

“Altio should submit to the Ministry within two weeks the technical details, the video clips and other relevant documents in the project process that will enable us to take an informed decision that will be in the overall interest of Nigerians.

“We also noted Altio’s concerns of its existing pipeline’s integrity and the need not to disturb it so that we don’t have more leakage in or spill into the environment. We also saw the need and advised Altio appropriately for an inclusive stakeholders engagement in order to be able to define the project as better persons, those communities, and so on and so forth.

“To reduce the distance of crude oil transportation through the pipelines. Because the integrity of the pipelines were no longer what it was supposed to be.There were leakages along the line. It’s a swampy environment. Some are on the seabed.They couldn’t ascertain where the leaks were coming from.

“If they now decide to disturb it, it will create more havoc. More leakage and so on.As a result of that, and also with the activities of pipeline vandalization, they decided to construct an oil sand farm at the Nambe Creek flow station. Where crude oil is transported via the St. John-Rio Beto River through Nambe Grass, Okoma and Benema to the offshore crude oil storage facility in the Antarctic Ocean. That’s seven kilometers off the shoreline of the Grass Island.

“Accordingly, after receiving your letter, the ministry forwarded a letter to the company requesting the company to update the ministry on the status of the project and intimate us of any associated developments that were not covered by the previous EIA approval.

“We also had a meeting with the representative of the company and it was noted, not to waste your time, let me go straight to the point, that the EIA approval issued by the ministry stipulated that the crude oil from Altio oil fields should be evacuated through pipelines and not through barges as being currently practiced by the company.

“I am not an expert on barges transportation.We have relevant agencies that could give more advice on the merits and demerits of that. But be it as me, they have been doing that for the past three years. So if they have actually wanted to comply with the provisions of the law, that could have been done much earlier.Let me digress a little bit, sir.

“The proceeds of the joint venture is for Nigerians, including myself. And being an indigenous company, they are also Nigerians.So we are all answerable to governments and the entire Nigerian populace. We also noted that Altio has completed the installation of the FSO, that is Floating Storage Offshore Storage Facilities, the 54-kilometer pipeline that was also permitted by Nigerian upstream, has been finalized, but construction is yet to commence. I will reiterate my earlier suggestion.

“If there were more synergy and perhaps joint monitoring exercises, maybe we would have had better compliance. When you make a law and you compartmentalize the law, it gives into duplication and less efficiency, and you spend more.

“So that needs to be looked into.Also, Altio adopted and commenced temporary budgeting of crude oil about two years ago. We requested that they should furnish us with the details, visuals, audio-visuals of the budgeting exercise, and if there has been any incident of spillage or accident or incident, and we equally informed them of this investigative panel, and we advised that it would be good we have such before this panel today. I regret to inform this honorable committee that the Ministry, the Department, is yet to receive any submission from Altio.

“On behalf of my Director, Dr. Abbas Suleiman, I regret to inform this Honorable Committee that the House is yet to receive the EIA registration documents from Altio and other documents that would have enabled us to give appropriate advice or suggestions to this Honorable Committee”, she stated.

While responding to inquiries from the lawmakers, Mr. Yahaya who earlier disclosed that NUPRC granted the first permit of six months to Aiteo to badge to avoid loss of about 90 percent of the 50,000 barrels per day oil production, however affirmed that two years permit was given to Aiteo to badge considering the criticality of oil production.

According to him, any attempt to ask Aiteo to shut down will have huge cost implications on the oil production target.

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Fuel Under-Dispensing: PETROAN Orders Members To ‘Check’ Meters Nationwide

Published

2 hours ago

September 23, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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PETROAN said it summoned an emergency meeting with its National Executive Council after the NMDPRA raised the fuel under-dispensing issue.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has directed its members nationwide to immediately inspect their dispensing meters following concerns raised by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) over under-dispensing of petroleum products at retail outlets.

PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme.
He said the association summoned an emergency meeting with its National Executive Council on Tuesday after the NMDPRA raised the issue, with the meeting lasting until about 10 pm.
“PETRON circulated a message around the country, calling our members to check their meters as quickly as possible,” Gillis-Harry said.

He added that several members had already begun inspecting their equipment, stressing that faulty meters could result in either under-dispensing or over-dispensing.

“Equipment can be faulty over time because of usage,” he said, recalling that he had previously lost money in his own retail business because a faulty meter was dispensing more fuel than customers paid for.

Gillis-Harry assured motorists that PETROAN members would continue to ensure that customers receive the quantity of fuel displayed on the pump.

“But I can tell you that PETRON members will, at all times, insist on making sure that they sell their products one litre for one litre,” he said.

The PETROAN President also urged motorists to pay attention to the quantity displayed on dispensing meters while buying fuel and to request receipts for their purchases.
He explained that customers should know the capacity of their vehicle’s fuel tank and compare it with the quantity displayed on the dispenser.
“Oftentimes, we educate our staff to call the attention of the patron to check the meter while it is being dispensed. And also to get the customer to check after the product has been dispensed,” he said.

According to him, PETROAN also works with the Weights and Measures Division of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the NMDPRA to ensure that dispensing meters remain functional and accurate.
“PETRON consistently works with the Weights and Measures Division of the Ministry of Trade and Investment, and also the NMDPRA. These are the two regulatory authorities that ensure that our meters are functional. And they are up to date and accurate,” he said.

The NMDPRA has warned filling station operators against under-dispensing petroleum products, with outlets found short-changing consumers liable to sanctions, including the revocation of their operating licences.
Gillis-Harry said PETROAN had taken the regulator’s concerns seriously and had begun working with its members to address any possible faults.

“But we took what the NMDPRA called our attention to yesterday very seriously. And we already started working on that,” he said.

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Iranian Children Return to School After Months of War Disruption as New Academic Year Begins

Published

2 hours ago

September 23, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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TEHRAN — Millions of Iranian children returned to classrooms on Wednesday as schools across the country reopened after months of disruption linked to the war and security situation in the region.

Parents accompanied their children to school, with girls arriving in uniforms and mandatory headscarves, as the new academic year began in Tehran and other parts of Iran.

The reopening follows months of uncertainty after classes were suspended following the outbreak of the conflict on February 28. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in the southern city of Minab, where a school was struck during the conflict, killing dozens of people, including children.

Iranian officials said the tragedy had cast a shadow over preparations for the new school year, with authorities taking steps to mark the return of students while remembering those killed.

In Minab on Wednesday, Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology, Hossein Afshin, rang the school bell at a primary school to officially signal the start of the new academic term.

The traditional bell-ringing ceremony is normally associated with the president and forms part of nationwide celebrations welcoming approximately 16.5 million Iranian children back to school.

A separate ceremony featuring President Masoud Pezeshkian was held two days earlier this year, before the Iranian leader travelled to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The reopening represents a return to normal educational activities after months in which the conflict disrupted daily life and forced schools to close in affected areas.

For many families, however, the first day back to school carries mixed emotions, coming after a period marked by military attacks, deaths and widespread disruption.

The government has sought to maintain the annual school-opening tradition despite the difficult circumstances, while officials have continued to commemorate victims of the conflict.

The new academic year will now see millions of Iranian students resume lessons as authorities attempt to restore regular schooling following the prolonged disruption.

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Photos: Tinubu has redefined infrastructure delivery in FCT – Wike

Published

2 hours ago

September 23, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu, has fundamentally redefined infrastructure development across the nation’s capital.

Wike made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja, while addressing newsmen after he inspected some ongoing road projects designed to de-congest traffic and unlock development across the territory.

The minister inspected the ongoing construction of Arterial Road SI, from Ring Road II to Arterial Road S20 (Oladipo Diya Way) in Kaura District and Collector Road C2 in Life Camp to Arterial Road N5 (Obafemi Awolowo Way).

He also inspected the ongoing construction of Arterial Road N16 from Ring Road II to Ring Road III and the Jereton Mariere Street by the Apo Legislative Quarters in Gudu District, as well as the ongoing remodeling and renovation of the IBB Golf Course.

“We are happy because we can see that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has redefined infrastructure as far as the FCT is concern,” Wike said.

Expressing satisfaction with the pace of work and quality of execution, the minister said that the administration remained on track to deliver the projects ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He particularly expressed optimism that the Arterial Road N16 would be completed as scheduled, in spite of the complex terrain and heavy bridge construction on the road corridor.

He noted that in spite of the difficult geography, the firm guaranteed delivery by the first week of January.

“If that N16 job is completed, obviously, the entire area will be a different thing altogether. That is a very huge infrastructure landmark,” he said.

Speaking on the renovation of the IBB Golf Course, the minister reaffirmed that the club would be fully operational and ready to host major tournaments by November.

Addressing financial backings for the ongoing projects, Wike said that the 2026 capital budget had hit 60 per cent performance.

He added that in spite of initial delays in budget release that briefly affected contractor payments, funding flow had stabilised, enabling contractors to work at full capacity.

He dismissed political rhetoric ahead of the upcoming election cycle, while advising political office seekers to focus on presenting their records to voters rather than engaging in distractions.