Illegal Bunkering: Taskforce impounds tankers with 90,000 liters of diesel in Aba.

Aba  Jan. 14, 2022

By Ijendu Iheaka 

An Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Joint Taskforce (JTF) on Pipeline Vandalism, illegal bunkering and Product Adulteration, Aba Unit, Abia on Friday impounded two tankers bearing adulterated diesel.

The JTF operatives seized the tankers bearing 45, 000 liters each of adulterated diesel along Enugu - Port Harcourt Expressway in Aba in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area being conveyed to an undisclosed location.

The the drivers and occupants of the tankers escaped arrests when JTF were seeking to move them to their office abandoning the products near Tonimas Junction.

Mr Godfrey Chukwunyere, the JTF Chairman told newsmen at the scene that illegal oil bunkerers were closing their members businesses as they could not compete with the price at which the bunkerers sell their products.

He also said that the products which come from vandalized pipelines had cut them off from getting products from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot in Aba.

"We plead with the government of Abia State to come to our aid. We are trying our best to checkmate the activities of these illegal bunkers. 

"We are doing our best but we need government support because these people are criminals who are bent on sabotaging the Nigerian economy and taking genuine oil marketers out of business. 

"These vandals have filled the market with adulterated products that are very harmful to our people. 

“We formed this task force to checkmate the nefarious activities of illegal bunkers and make sure that none of our marketers is involved in this. 

"We also want to ensure that any of our members found to be collaborating with these vandals is delisted and reported to the relevant authorities. 

"We are happy that so far none of our members is involved in this. These people are criminals and must be stopped. We cannot fold our hands to allow them to take us out of business”, he said.

Chukwunyere said their union want the stoppage of the bunkering on Port Harcourt -Aba pipelines which deprives them of supplies from Aba NNPC depot so that they can do their businesses and pay the necessary taxes.

Chief Nwandu Anyawu, Chairman, Oil and Gas Suppliers (OGS) branch of NUPENG Aba unit, said they believed the suspects got the products around the boundary of Rivers and Abia.

He suggested that they were entering Aba to distribute them before they were caught. 

“We are calling on the governor to kindly assist us to fight and win this battle with these people because their activities are affecting everybody.

"We can't load in the Depot again. Their activities in the pipeline are killing businesses. These people sell cheaper than the NNPC price in the Depot. They break pipelines and take refined products to sell illegally”, he said.

Mr Chidiadi Achibiri, the Public Relations Officer of the OGS branch of NUPENG, Aba unit said that the issue on the ground involved marketing illegally gotten  and adulterated petroleum products.

"They have faked documents forged to enable them to move these products as if they were gotten from the Depot. 

"They are bringing these products from Rivers State but we have our people here checking them because the Depot here in Aba is no longer functioning”, he said. 

Aba will henceforth experience timely disposal of its refuse - Commissioner

Aba. Dec. 24, 2021 

By Ijendu Iheaka 

Chief Sam Nwogu, Abia Commissioner for Environment has promised that Aba residents would henceforth experience timely disposal of refuse from refuse buckets in the city.

He said that the era of having refuse buckets in the city filled to overflowing and causing traffic jams would no longer be allowed in Aba.

Nwogu made the promise during an interview with Our Correspondent in Aba on Friday.

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu had sacked the Deputy General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), in charge of Aba, Chief Rowland Nwakamma, his in-law for incompetence.

Ikpeazu, however gave Nwogu, the Environment Commissioner charge over ASEPA operations in managing refuse in Aba which charge had resulted in the cleaning up of the city within 48 hours.

Nwogu said that the team Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu asked him to lead has cleaned Aba up noting that the residents would celebrate their Christmas and New Year in have a clean city.

“We have cleaned up the city apart from Faulks Road area which we started work on last night but will complete this night alongside Tonimas area.

“We could not finish these areas last night because of the heavy traffic of people leaving the city but we will go back this night to finish the clearance.

“The governor asked us to take over from the former team managing Aba refuse disposal and we have been able to tidy up most parts of the city now.

“We are going back to the drawing board to come out with a more concrete plan of how we will be collecting the refuse from individual homes and shops and desilting of gutters and handling of the dumps.

“These are the areas we would want to critically look at. II want to promise you that you will not see refuse heaps left over for two or three days in Aba again”, Nwogu said

OPM opens free school in Aba for indigent pupils – General Overseer

Aba Dec. 21, 2021 

By Ijendu Iheaka

Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, the General Overseer, Omega Power Ministries (OPM), with headquarters in Port Harcourt, has announced the opening of a free school in Aba, Abia, to cater for indigent children in the city.

Chinyere said that the school is the second one in Abia and the 18th OPM free school in Nigeria with the rest located in Rivers, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa and Plateau states.

Chinyere told Our Correspondent in Aba on Tuesday, that he built the first free school 10 years ago in his village, Ohanku, Ndoki, in Ukwa East Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia to ensure that indigent children have access to free education and a better life.

He noted that he also rebuilt a government secondary school in Ohanku, and turned it to a free school by paying all the students’ fees and providing for their needs.

Chinyere said that the Aba free school will take off fully in January 2022 and has provision for about 60 students who would have access to a library and computers for studies.

He said that the lucky students will also enjoy access to free books, school uniforms and sandals.

The general overseer said that the school located at No 30, Compost Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba, with double large two story buildings, will be expanded to accommodate more students as the need arises.

He also said that students who were unfortunate to have lost a parent or guardian and dropped out of school as a result, have the opportunity to join the school and complete their education.

He said that the school will host a nursery section from classes one to three and a primary section from classes one to six.

The cleric who said he has passion for the education of young people had acquired N110 million property in Port Harcourt and built a free school for children with Autism and Down Syndrome with a bus to convey them.

“We hereby invite all orphans, children of poor widows and parents that their children have stopped going to school because of lack of money, to go to the address for free admission and school uniforms.

“Our free schools are funded through the tithes and offerings of members of the church and all tribes and religions are welcomed into our free schools as usual,” he said