NERC fines Port Harcourt Disco N37.5m

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has imposed a fine of N37.52m on the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company over its failure to submit audited financial reports since 2013 when a new management came on board.
NERC in its Directive 158 that was signed by its acting Chairman, Dr. Anthony Akah; and General Manager, Legal Licensing and Enforcement, Mrs. Olufunke Dinneh, said the PHED had consistently flouted its licensing conditions, which require it to submit yearly audited financial reports, and that subsequent reminders were unheeded.
The commission said the PHED had flouted at least four of its licensing conditions by failing to submit two years financial reports, adding that each of the four grounds of infringement attracted a fine of per day beginning, from April 1, 2014 when the offences were first brought to the Disco’s attention.
The power sector regulator stated, “For failing to comply with the licence terms and conditions, and other regulatory instruments, which is a breach of Section 63 (1) of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005, the PHED is hereby fined N10,000 per day from April 1, 2014.
“For failing to comply with Condition 6 (7) of the Electricity Distribution Licence terms and conditions granted the PHED by the commission, the PHED is hereby fined N10,000 from April 1, 2014 till the date of this directive. For failing to comply with Conditions 23 (1) of the Distribution Licence Terms and Conditions granted the PHED by the commission, the PHED is hereby fined N10,000 per day from April 1, 2014.”

(PUNCH)

Three refineries produced 44m litres of petrol in July

Despite the efforts to increase local refining capacity to conserve foreign exchange Nigeria’s three refineries could only produce 43,743,273 million litres of petrol in July.
This means, the country’s forex request for imports of petroleum products, which currently stands at 35 percent will further increase in the coming months, unless something drastic was done about the state of the refineries
The refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, has a combined daily refining capacity of 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day
The latest production statistics contained in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), monthly report for July 2016, released at the weekend show that the approximatly only 44 million litres of petrol was produced in July is was far below the 211,562,865 million litres of petrol produced by the three refineries in June this year and slightly above the country’s daily consumption figure of 40 million litres.
The negative trend recorded for petrol production amongst the three refineries was equally replicated for kerosene with July production standing at 22,953,014 as against 119,582,848 produced in June this year.
The petroleum products-petrol and kerosene production by the domestic refineries in July 2016 amounted to 66.70 million litres compared to 331.15 million litres in June 2016. But, the NNPC said the the adverse performance was due to crude pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region coupled with on-going refineries revamp; it however, adding that the three refineries continued to operate at minimal capacity.
On capacity utilization of the refineries, NNPC disclosed that total crude processed by the three local refineries for the month of July 2016 was 126,756 metric tones(MT),translating to   929,275 barrels and intermediate of 40,640 metric tones about 297,972 barrels which translates to a combined yield efficiency of 77.82 percent compared to 225,770 metric tones of crude processed in June 2016 with a combined yield efficiency of 80.39 percent.
The report stated further that the three refineries produced  139,284 metric tones of finished petroleum products for the month of July 2016, out of 126,756 metric tones of crude processed and intermediate of 40,640 metric tones at a combined capacity utilization of 6.74 percent compared to 12.40 percent combined capacity utilization achieved in the month of June 2016.
It noted that the nation’s crude oil grades, including Bonny Light, Forcados, Brass and Qua Iboe, had been under periods of force majeure, which had negatively impacted on the targeted oil production of 2.2 million bpd in the 2016 national budget.
“The activities of pipeline vandals and oil thieves are taking a heavy toll on operations of the oil and gas industry, with over 500,000bopd lost as of May 2016. In June 2016, there was additional shut-in of about 50,000bopd as a result of sabotage/attack on the delivery pipelines to the Escravos Terminal.
“At the Forcados Terminal, about 300,000bopd remained shut-in and cargoes were deferred until repairs are completed. The force majeure declared on May 10, 2016 for repair works on the Nembe Creek Trunk Line and the resultant shut-in of about 275,000bopd subsists.”

Photos: Female robbery suspect stripped after she and partners in crime took N2m from a man in Port Harcourt

According to Blest Umoren who shared the photos on Facebook, the robbery suspects were nabbed after they collected N2 million from a man along Cottage Hospital, Roumubiakani, Port Harcourt.

My husband stripped and beat me to pulp – Wife tells court

A trader, Margaret Agwu, on Wednesday told an Igando Customary Court, Lagos, that her husband, Onu, strips and beats her to a pulp sometimes.

Margret, who made this known when she testified in a divorce proceedings against Onu, told the court that her husband had turned her into a punching bag.

“He once punched me in my stomach and I lost my first pregnancy after a fight. I have lived every minute of my life in fear but I cannot go back to my parents because of the bride price,” she said.

Margaret, 45, had urged the court to annul her 33-year-old marriage citing husband’s duplicity.

She said, “When I was 12 years old, my husband came to my village to ask for my hand in marriage with a promise to my parents that he would send me to school.

“He also lied to my parents that he is a businessman that he owned a provision store and that he lived in a flat.

“My parents told him that they cannot release me for marriage because I was too young and besides I was still schooling.

“Onu told my parents that he will send me to school after the marriage, my parent agreed and he paid the bride price.”

Margaret regretted that on getting to the city, she discovered that her husband was not what he made her and her parents believe he was.

“When I got to his house, I discovered that he was staying in a one-room apartment, selling popcorn at the roadside.

“He also refused to fulfill his promise of sending me to school,” she said.

The petitioner said that she would not have reminded herself of the husband’s deceit but because he had turned out to be a brute, who beats her at the slightest provocation.

Margret also accused her husband of absconding with all their five children 16 years ago.

“When I called him after he packed out, he just told me that he was no longer interested in the marriage and since then he refused to pick my calls.

“His relations told me he relocated with the children to Port Harcourt. It is 16 years now that I have not seen nor heard from them.

“I heard that my husband gave our first daughter’s hand in marriage without my knowledge and that she had given birth to a son,” she said.

Margaret urged the court to help her to return the N600 bride price paid by her husband and dissolve the marriage, saying “I am no longer in love and I want to move on with my life.”

When an official of the court called Onu on the telephone, he said that the petitioner was no longer his wife.

In his judgment, the President of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola, said that it was obvious that the marriage had hit the rocks.

“Throughout the duration of this case, the respondent refused to honour court summons, therefore, the court has no other choice than to dissolve the union.

“The marriage between Margaret Agwu and Onu Agwu is hereby dissolved from today, both parties are no longer husband and wife.

“Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrances and molestation,” he said.