$2.6bn AKK pipeline project: Reps query NNPC, contractors, summon BPP
On
…frown at use of Chinese coy over Nigerian firm
…as firm vows to petition Buhari
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
House of Representatives Tuesday queried the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC over the alleged exclusion of Bablinks Resource Ltd, a Nigerian firm in the construction contract of the 40’’× 318.6km BVS12 Kaduna-Kano section or Segment 2 of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano.
Acting on a petition by Local Content Advocacy and Management Group, alleging that contractors in the consortium the bid for the project had been changed by the authorities, the House Committee on Local Content which met with some contractors over the matter said it was interested in the implementation of the local contents in the project.
NNPC Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Yusuf Usman, said, the contract was awarded to the Brentex/CPP Consortium which brought in Bablink Resource Ltd.
Usman, who represented NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, said all the terms of the contract complied with the Local Content Act as required.
Executive Vice Chairman, Brentex Nigeria Ltd, Sani Abubakar, said over 10,000 skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers were engaged for the project which had a 40 percent Chinese content as agreed.
He said there were only five Chinese engineers currently working with a plan to bring the number to 50 who would work in a team headed by a Nigerian.
TODAY
February 24, 2021
The House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring yesterday met with the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Brentex/CPP Consortium and Bablink Resources Ltd over alleged breach of Local Content Act.
The trio were invited following a petition by a non-governmental organisation, “Local Content Advocacy & Monitoring Group”, alleging a breach of local content in the award/execution of the Kaduna-Kano section of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna gas pipeline project.
NNPC Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Yusuf Usman, said, the contract was awarded to the Brentex/CPP Consortium which brought in Bablink Resource Ltd.
Usman, who represented NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, said all the terms of the contract complied with the Local Content Act as required.
House of Representatives has begun investigation of the alleged breach of Nigeria’s laws on local content in the execution of the Federal Government project to construct a gas pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kano.
By Emmanuel Addeh and Adedayo Akinwale
The increase in the pump price of petrol has become imminent as Brent crude oil, against which Nigeria’s oil is benchmarked, was up $1.10, or 1.7 per cent, closing at $66.34 a barrel yesterday.
It had earlier hit a high of $66.79 mainly prompted by optimism over the COVID-19 vaccine rollouts and lower output.
The gains by the commodity, whose sales supply a large percentage of Nigeria’s foreign exchange has continued even as the country awaits the outcome of the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors over the pricing of petrol tomorrow.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the sole importer of the product, had last week assured the nation that there would be no increase in February until negotiations with labour were concluded.