Federal Government Establishes Committee to Address Gas Supply Challenges for Thermal Power Plants

0

The federal government has established a committee to investigate recurring complaints about insufficient gas supply to power Nigeria’s thermal electricity generation plants and to propose solutions. This move is part of the government’s efforts to address these challenges, according to a statement by Chris Ugwuegbulam, the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations.

Despite Nigeria’s abundant natural gas reserves of over 206 trillion cubic feet (TCF), the country has struggled to harness this resource due to a lack of investment in the sector and inadequate gas transportation infrastructure, which is frequently vandalized.

The committee was set up jointly by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, during a meeting in Abuja. Its mandate is to propose strategies for ensuring a consistent and sustainable supply of gas to power plants, meeting both domestic and industrial demands.

The committee comprises members from the ministries of petroleum resources and power, regulatory agencies, operators, and key stakeholders in the gas and power sectors. The meeting was attended by directors from the ministries of petroleum resources and power.

During the meeting, Ekpo highlighted the challenges contributing to the low gas supply to thermal power plants, including decade-old gas legacy debts and vandalism of gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta region. He also mentioned the domestic pricing of gas in dollars as another challenge and expressed his readiness to collaborate with individuals, organizations, and agencies to address these issues.

Minister Adelabu emphasized the need for the two ministries to work together to resolve the problem of low gas supply to thermal power plants, aiming to achieve uninterrupted power supply in the country. He emphasized the critical role of stable power in Nigeria’s development, stating that nothing significant can be achieved without it.

In a separate development, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has reassured the public that there are no immediate plans to increase the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, in the country. The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, advised against panic buying, stating that there is currently sufficient availability of PMS nationwide.

BF Borgers, an accounting firm owned by former US President Donald Trump, has been accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of engaging in widespread fraud and operating a “sham audit mill.” The SEC alleges that BF Borgers committed “deliberate and systemic failures,” including the fabrication of audit papers and false assurances to clients regarding compliance with accounting standards.

This fraudulent activity, described as “massive,” occurred between January 2021 and June 2023, impacting over 1,500 SEC filings and more than 500 public companies. As a consequence, the SEC has permanently barred BF Borgers from practicing as accountants before the agency and imposed a severe penalty, including a collective fine of $14 million against the firm and its owner, Benjamin Borgers.

In a statement, Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s enforcement division, declared that Borgers and his “sham audit mill” have been permanently shut down. The SEC has notified public companies that engaged BF Borgers to seek new accounting firms.

Trump Media & Technology Group, chaired and majority-owned by Donald Trump, was among BF Borgers’ clients. While Trump Media may be the most high-profile client, BF Borgers served around 350 clients subject to SEC rules during the mentioned period. However, the SEC review only examined BF Borgers’ work for public companies, excluding its services to Trump Media when it was private.

Trump Media, despite its significant valuation on Wall Street exceeding $9 billion, generates limited revenue. Its social media platform, Truth Social, faces challenges, with a notable decline in average daily active US users on iOS and Android in April. Despite this, Donald Trump remains a prominent user on Truth Social.

In response to the SEC’s actions, a spokesperson for Trump Media expressed readiness to collaborate with new auditing partners in compliance with the SEC’s order. BF Borgers did not provide a comment on the allegations.

In summary, BF Borgers, owned by Donald Trump, faces severe consequences following accusations of fraud by the SEC. The firm’s practices, characterized as a “sham audit mill,” have led to permanent suspension and hefty fines. Trump Media, among BF Borgers’ clients, is navigating challenges despite its substantial valuation, particularly with its Truth Social platform experiencing a decline in user engagement.

Leave a Reply

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

You may have missed

BF Borgers, an accounting firm owned by former US President Donald Trump, has been accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of engaging in widespread fraud and operating a “sham audit mill.” The SEC alleges that BF Borgers committed “deliberate and systemic failures,” including the fabrication of audit papers and false assurances to clients regarding compliance with accounting standards.

This fraudulent activity, described as “massive,” occurred between January 2021 and June 2023, impacting over 1,500 SEC filings and more than 500 public companies. As a consequence, the SEC has permanently barred BF Borgers from practicing as accountants before the agency and imposed a severe penalty, including a collective fine of $14 million against the firm and its owner, Benjamin Borgers.

In a statement, Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s enforcement division, declared that Borgers and his “sham audit mill” have been permanently shut down. The SEC has notified public companies that engaged BF Borgers to seek new accounting firms.

Trump Media & Technology Group, chaired and majority-owned by Donald Trump, was among BF Borgers’ clients. While Trump Media may be the most high-profile client, BF Borgers served around 350 clients subject to SEC rules during the mentioned period. However, the SEC review only examined BF Borgers’ work for public companies, excluding its services to Trump Media when it was private.

Trump Media, despite its significant valuation on Wall Street exceeding $9 billion, generates limited revenue. Its social media platform, Truth Social, faces challenges, with a notable decline in average daily active US users on iOS and Android in April. Despite this, Donald Trump remains a prominent user on Truth Social.

In response to the SEC’s actions, a spokesperson for Trump Media expressed readiness to collaborate with new auditing partners in compliance with the SEC’s order. BF Borgers did not provide a comment on the allegations.

In summary, BF Borgers, owned by Donald Trump, faces severe consequences following accusations of fraud by the SEC. The firm’s practices, characterized as a “sham audit mill,” have led to permanent suspension and hefty fines. Trump Media, among BF Borgers’ clients, is navigating challenges despite its substantial valuation, particularly with its Truth Social platform experiencing a decline in user engagement.

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial