Connect with us

Economy

228 More Dolphins Slaughtered in Danish Faroe Islands

Published

on

  • As HOSTCOM says FG knows cabals stealing Nigeria’s crude oil

Some 219 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were killed at Skálabotnur on the Faroese island of Eysturoy, and nine more pilot whales were killed at Hvalba, on September 25, marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd said.

That brings the 2017 statistics up to 1,605 small cetaceans slaughtered in  23 grindadrap hunts so far this year.

Sea Shepherd has set as its mission to stop the slaughter of dolphins, including Atlantic white-sided dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales, in the Faroe Islands grindadrap hunts.

“Although part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands claim to be independent of European Union rules and regulation that prohibit the killing of cetaceans. The Danish navy and Danish police have directly interfered with Sea Shepherd’s ability to stop the slaughter, both participating in and facilitating the grindadrap. Operation Bloody Fjords is a campaign to hold the Danish government accountable for their actions that result directly in the deaths of hundreds of dolphins every year,” the conservation society said.

The organization’s legal representatives have sent a formal response to the European Commission condemning its reply to Sea Shepherd ‘s research-based legal arguments for infringement proceedings against Denmark.

“Compiled over a two-year period, the evidence presented to the Commission in May 2017 shows that Denmark has broken EU laws by facilitating and participating in the slaughter of dolphins in the Faroe Islands. The Commission’s deficient reply dismissing the case indicates they failed to properly consider the dossier and its legal arguments,” the society said.

Sea Shepherd is demanding that the Commission gives specific responses – with legal justifications – for each of the main points addressed in the request for infringement proceedings within 15 working days.

“The Commission invited the submission of comments regarding its decision and requested ‘any information that might show evidence of an infringement.’ While we appreciate this opportunity to supplement the record, we respectfully point out that the Commission has failed to fully consider (or potentially consider at all) the extensive legal arguments and voluminous evidence already submitted in support of an infringement action against Denmark. There is no need for Sea Shepherd to submit additional ‘evidence of an infringement.’ The Commission already has sufficient evidence before it now,” Sea Shepherd said in a letter.

In the meantime, National Chairman, Host Communities of Nigeria Producing oil Gas, HOSTCOM, Dr. Mike Enuh, yesterday, disclosed that the Federal Government has full knowledge of cabals involved in stealing crude oil in the Niger Delta region.

Oil Enuh, who made the disclosure while inaugurating HOSTCOM National Youth Wing in Abuja, said that vessels used for oil theft and bunkering in the region were not invisible, pointing out that the officials of Nigerian Navy and other security agencies protecting oil installations across the country were aware of the illicit transactions.

Enuh noted that there was no way Naval personnel monitoring oil situation will not detect when empty vessels  sail into in the country and the same vessels sail out filled with oil products without the knowledge of the Federal Government.

He lamented that the issue of oil theft and bunkering was business for cabals and cartel, hence the difficulties in curtailing the menace.

The retired military officer reassured Nigerians that the end has come for oil thieves and their collaborators with the recent engagement of the youths of the oil producing communities in pipeline surveillance and security services.

According to him, “With the engagement of our youths in the surveillance and security services, the issues of the pipeline vandalism and oil theft will be resolved because we know the cabals that steal the crude oil from our land,” adding the youths will fully be involved to checkmate the development.
World Maritime News with additional report from Vanguard

Continue Reading
Advertisement Simply Easy Learning
4 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Economy

PETROL: ‘Be Wary Of Substandard Product Dumping’, Dangote Refinery Tells Nigerians

Published

on

PETROL: 'Be Wary Of Substandard Product Dumping', Dangote Refinery Tells Nigerians

…Says citizens’ health and vehicle longevity are seriously at risk!

The Dangote Refinery on Sunday warned that Nigerians may soon begin to buy substandard petrol, without much concern for either the citizen’s health or the longevity of their vehicles, except care is taken to prevent low products dumping by those open to connive with certain international traders.

The Group’s image maker and spokesman, Anthony Chiejina gave the warning, saying the group was constrained to raise the alarm, despite its desire to refrain from engaging in any media fights.

“We have lately refrained from engaging in media fights but we are constrained to respond to the recent misinformation being circulated by IPMAN, PETROAN, and other associations. 

“Both organisations claim that they can import PMS at lower prices than what is being sold by the Dangote Refinery. We benchmark our prices against international prices and we believe our prices are competitive relative to the price of imports”, Chiejina stated, stressing that the issue on ground was not about being able to land relatively cheaper petrol on ground, but the quality of such products.

“If anyone claims they can land PMS at a price cheaper than what we are selling, then they are importing substandard products and conniving with international traders to dump low-quality products into the country, without concern for the health of Nigerians or the longevity of their vehicles. Unfortunately, the regulator (NMDPRA) does not even have laboratory facilities which can be used to detect substandard products when imported into the country.

“Post deregulation, NNPC set the pace by selling PNS to domestic marketers at N971 per litre for sale into ships and at N990 for sale into trucks. This set the benchmark for our pricing and we have even gone lower to sell at N960 per litre for sale into ships while maintaining N990 per litre for sale into trucks.

“In good faith, and the interest of the country, we commenced sales at these prices without clarity on the exchange rate that we will use to pay for the crude purchased.

“At the same time, an international trading company has recently hired a depot facility next to the Dangote Refinery, intending to use it to blend substandard products that will be dumped into the market to compete with Dangote Refinery’s higher quality production.

“This is detrimental to the growth of domestic refining in Nigeria. We should point out that it is not unusual for countries to protect their domestic industries to provide jobs and grow the economy. For example, the US and Europe have had to impose high tariffs on EVs and microchips to protect their domestic industries.

“While we continue with our determination to provide affordable, good quality, domestically refined petroleum products in Nigeria, we call on the public to disregard the deliberate disinformation being circulated by agents of people who prefer for us to continue to export jobs and import poverty”, the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer further said.

Continue Reading

Economy

YULETIDE Decorations: LASG To Divert Traffic At Ajose Adeogun

Published

on

YULETIDE Decorations,: LASG To Divert Traffic At Ajose Adeogun

The Lagos State Government will divert Traffic, away from a section of Ajose Adeogun Street in Victoria Island, for the mounting of end-of-the-year decoration, for a duration of three weekends starting from Saturday 19th October 2024.

The aforementioned exercise, according to Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi,  will be carried out in three phases with each phase focusing on different sections of the street. 

To this end, the following alternative routes have been mapped out for motorists during the cause of the mounting; 

 During the First Phase which will cover Jubril Martins to Chicken Republic – (Saturday, 19th and Sunday, 20th October 2024)

Traffic inward Eko-Hotel Roundabout will be diverted to the other half (existing section) of Ajose Adeogun Street by VCP Hotel to form contra-flow traffic and exit at Eko-Hotel Roundabout to continue journeys.

Alternatively, Traffic inward to Eko-Hotel Roundabout from VCP Hotel will be diverted through Jubril Martins into Muri Okunola to link Patience Coker and access Ajose Adeogun Street to connect destinations.

During the Second Phase which will cover Molade Okoya Thomas to Mounis Bashorun section – (Saturday, 26th and Sunday, 27th October 2024). 

Traffic inward Ajose Adeogun Street from Eko-Hotel Roundabout will be diverted to a right turn into Molade Okoya Thomas to link Younis Bashorun to access Ajose Adeogun Street to continue journeys. 

During the Third phase of the project spanning 10 meters inward Ajose Adeogun (Saturday, 2nd November, 2024).

Motorists from Adetokunbo Ademola Street will maintain a lane movement for about 10 metres into Ajose Adeogun Street to connect their destinations, while Motorists inward Eko-Hotel Roundabout on Ajose Adeogun Street will maintain a lane movement for about 10 metres into Eko-Hotel Roundabout.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi while imploring Motorists to note the ease of movement plan assured that the State’s Traffic Management Authority will be on ground to manage vehicular activities along the corridor to minimise inconveniences.

The Commissioner therefore advised Motorists to be patient, as the Partial closure is part of the traffic management plans for the commencement of End of Year Decoration of Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, by Zenith Bank PLC.

Continue Reading

Economy

NLC Kicks, Says Petrol Hike Will Further Deepen Poverty, Job Loss

Published

on

NLC kicks, Says Petrol Hike Will Further Deepen Poverty, Jobs Lost

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has kicked against the current petrol price hike, stressing that the latest increase in the pump price of petrol will further deepen poverty as production capacities dip.

The Congress added that the increase would lead to more job loss with multidimensional negative effects, and therefore, demanded its immediate reversal.

NLC’s position is contained in a statement signed by its President, Mr Joe Ajaero on Wednesday in Abuja, titled, “What next after increase in pump price?”.

The labour leader said the previous increases had not produced any good results, rather, people only got poorer.

He said the Congress was dismayed by the latest increase in the pump price of petrol without commensurate capacity of Nigerians or mitigatory measures.

“Even following the logic of market forces, we find it an aberration that a private company (NNPCL) is the one fixing prices and projecting itself as a hegemonic monopoly.

“We challenge the government to go to the drawing board and present us with a blueprint for inclusive economic growth and national development instead of this spasmodic ad hocism and palliative policy.

“It needs no stating the fact that the latest wave of increase has grossly altered the calculations of Nigerians once again at a time they were reluctantly coming to terms with their new realities,” he said.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had raised the pump price of petrol by 14.8 per cent to N1,030 per litre from N897 across its retail outlets in the FCT.

Earlier in September, the NNPCL had increased the price of the product from N615 to N897.

Continue Reading

Editor’s Pick

Politics