Tag: Lai mohammed

Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, has insisted that the Federal Government of Nigeria has no plan to inflict a second lockdown on Nigeria as the country fights to curtail the second wave of COVID-19.

Mohammed also urged Nigerians to adhere to all guidelines issued by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

The minister said this at a press conference in Lagos State on Monday.

Recall that the Federal Government had in March 2020 locked down FCT, as well as Lagos and Ogun States for over a month during the first wave of the pandemic.

Mohammed said, “On the issue of lockdown, I do not think there is any time when the Federal Government has said it’s going to have a second lockdown.

“However, the Federal Government is very unhappy that Nigerians aren’t adhering to the basic COVID-19 protocols of wearing face masks or practicing social distancing, of washing hands, of ensuring that they do gather in large numbers.

“If we don’t do these, the surge will continue, and with the new strain of COVID-19 which is becoming much more difficult to handle than the old strain, the Federal Government will continue to insist and encourage Nigerians to please obey the COVID-19 protocols.

“The Federal Government is aware of the economic and social implications of a second lockdown, but we want to call on Nigerians to help us, help themselves and help the economy, by adhering strictly to the COVID-19 protocols,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday night reported 917 new COVID-19 infections in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the coming into being of modular refineries in the country as the result of the enabling environment created by the
Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister stated this in Ibigwe in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State on Tuesday during a media tour of the Waltersmith Modular Refinery and Petro-Chemical Company Limited, which is due for commissioning next month.

“We can show Nigerians that while every government has been talking about modular refineries, no government has succeeded in turning the dream into reality until now,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said with the coming on board of medium scale refineries like Waltersmith, Nigerians will soon experience cheaper petroleum products.

“With this kind of refinery, all issues of subsidy become completely irrelevant because we would be able to get fuel at a cheaper price, especially because everything that is being produced will be for loal consumption,” he said.

The Minister lauded the partnership between the Waltersmith Refinery and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board that holds a 30% stake in the refinery, which will start with 5,000bpd, and 25,000bpd in the second stage and then another 20,000bpd to bring the capacity to 50,000bpd in the third and final phase.

He said the Administration will continue to showcase its monumental achievements because it has performed well in the execution of projects across the country.

“I am glad we are here today blowing our trumpet because we have created an enabling environment for this project,” he said, after he and his entourage, as well as Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and some members of the National Assembly, were taken on a tour of the refinery, one of many of its type that are in different stages of completion in the country.

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Mr. Simbi Wabote, in his remarks said the Board believes that at least 10% of Nigeria’s oil production should be refined through the modular refineries, because of its capacity to generate employment.

“With an average of ten direct jobs created for every 1,000 barrels per day capacity of a modular refinery, we believe that about 2,500 direct jobs and over 25,000 indirect jobs can be created if 10% of Nigeria’s production is refined using modular refineries,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Waltersmith Modular Refinery and Petro-Chemical Company Limited, Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa, said from 14 October, 2020, 23 trucks will commence the loading of products such as Diesel, Kerosene, Heavy Fuel Oil and Naphtha from the refinery.

“What we are doing is in support of government initiative and this is coming at the right time as the government is deregulating the market,” he said. ”We really support the government policy on
deregulation and removal of subsidies because it creates a market for what we are doing.”

The Minister and Governor Uzodinma, as well as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Communication, Senator Danladi Sankara; Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Value, Mr. Olusegun Odebunmi, and over 30 journalists were conducted round the production facilities of the refinery by the Chairman, Mr. Isa.