The global financial crunch has forced countries, including Nigeria, to look for alternative sources of funds for their projects.

The Federal government has hailed the completion of the bid process for the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria which, after about five years of rigorous bidding process, was won by Manitoba Hydro International of Canada at a negotiable fee of $23.7 million for three years.

In an effort to ensure a detailed and precise account for Nigeria’s gas production the Senate Committee on Gas Resources, headed by Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, had a meeting a last week with the International Oil Companies in Abuja.

Total has been in Nigeria since 1962, and we shall be Celebrating our 50 years presence in the country next year. We commenced in 1962 as SAFRAP, then Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, now Total E&P Nigeria Ltd, which is the NNPC/TEPNG JV (fully based in Port Harcourt); as well as a purely Deepwater arm, managed from our Deepwater District, based in Lagos through TUPNI, (Total Upstream Nigeria Ltd) & TEPNG.

SPEECHES are guaranteed. Workers will march, if there is security. Everything else about May 1, Labour Day, is uncertain, a reflection of the hard times that abound and the unfortunate disinterest of the authorities in the well-being of the people.

Eight days into the strike called by doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guild, no end appears to be in sight to the dispute between the doctors and the Lagos State governments as the disputing parties remain averse towards shifting ground on negotiations.

DUE to lack of live coverage by a designated television station, House of Representatives ad-hoc committee overseeing the probe of the near collapse of the capital market, yesterday, postponed sitting till Wednesday, after May Day celebrations.

Yenagoa – Oil palm and cassava production rather than crude oil, experts said holds the key to the future survival of the Nigerian economy. Interestingly, Bayelsa State falls within the tropical mangrove ecological zone which is noted for huge reserve of fossil products and is also a good source of agricultural supplies.

The National Engineering and Technical Company Limited, (NETCO) has announced the completion of the Soku non-associated gas (NAG) plant modification project.

THE Theme of today’s May Day celebration in Nigeria, “Right to work, Food and Education: Panacea to Insecurity”, would not have come at a better time. But beyond speeches and rallies, there is growing frustration among workers that labour leaders in the country are fast abandoning them to their fate in abuses and victimisation by employers.

National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO) has announced the successful completion of the Escravos Produced Water Disposal project within a space of 6 months.

In its continued bid to ensure that the volume of Gas produced in Nigeria is accurately accounted for, the Senate Committee on Gas Resources, headed by Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, had a meeting a last week with the International Oil Companies in Abuja.

Soaring like an eagle in the Nigerian oil and gas sector is Vandrezzer Energy Services Limited. A first encounter with the name seems to speak of a German root but, VANDREZZER is a Nigerian company which has passionately embraced the local content initiative which has imbued it with the vision to excel.

BENIN – Edo State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denied the allegation by the state government that it was responsible for weekend’s accident involving the governor’s convoy in which three journalists lost their lives.

A gun battle between the police and suspected kidnappers in two different locations in Anambra State on Sunday left three of the suspects dead, the police said yesterday.