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Wednesday, November 13, 2024

WAPCo, WAGPA update Nigeria on amendment Act, regulations

The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) and the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA) on Friday met Nigeria’s Minister of State, Petroleum (Gas) Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, to update him on the amendment of the WAGP Act and WAGP Regulations in the four WAGP States, Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana.

The meeting which was held in his Abuja office was attended by WAPCo top officials, represented by its General Counsel, Mr. Odey Adamade, and the General Manager, Operations, Mr. Auwal Ibrahim.

WAGPA was represented by its Director General, Chafari Kanya Hanawa, and the Director Technical, Mr. Alain Sedjro Houha.

The WAPCo General Counsel thanked the Minister for his support in securing the Federal Executive Council’s approval for the WAGP Act Amendment Bill whose approval has been sent to the Federal Ministry of Justice for consideration and transmission.

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He reminded the Minister that the Republic of Benin had passed the bill into law.

In Togo, the WAGPA Director General, Chafari Kanya Hanawa, told the minister that the process was held back due to the election that was held in the country recently, adding that the Parliaments were inaugurated following the election.

Concerning the Republic of Ghana, the General Counsel briefed the minister on the reservation raised by Ghana on one of the items for amendment, which is an extension of Tax Holiday to WAPCo.

He stated that both WAPCo and WAGPA have engaged Ghana to pass the amendment in whole so as to maintain fiscal harmony by all WAGP States as envisaged under the WAGP Treaty.

He noted that reasons proffered by Ghana for omitting the tax exemption were not in tandem with both the WAGP Act.

Chafari Hanawa also stated that for the sustainability of the WAGP Project, it was important for the State Parties to maintain fiscal harmony as promoted, adopted and signed into law by the founding fathers.

“Therefore, the WAGP Act applies in all the four States and where there is a need to amend any aspect of the Act, it rests on each State Party to do so, except where the amendment will be inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution of the state,” she stated.

The team finally requested the intervention of the minister, with his counterpart in Ghana to help solve the matter in the best interest of the WAGP Project.

The Minister, however, promised to confer with his counterpart in Ghana on the matter for a way forward.

He also advised the team to share the same information and concerns with the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers (CoM); the Minister of Energy and Mines, Togo, as well as the Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Benin.

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