Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, will likely unveil the names of the ministerial nominees at plenary this week.
Plenaries at both chambers of the National Assembly are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
There has been serious agitation over the delay of President Bola Tinubu in constituting his cabinet two months after his inauguration.
According to a new amendment to the 1999 Constitution, the President and governors must submit the names of persons nominated as ministers or commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or the respective state Houses of Assembly.
This implies that Tinubu and 28 governors must submit the lists of nominees for ministers and commissioners before the end of this month.
This week is the last before the deadline for the President to name his minister-nominees.
Sources at the National Assembly stated that the letter containing the names of the nominees got to the Senate President last week.
The sources, however, noted that some last-minute adjustments were made to the list, hence the reason for the delay in reading out the names.
One of the sources said, “The Senate President got the ministerial list last week, but it was not yet time for him to unveil it, hence the reason it was kept.
“Most importantly, there were some last-minute adjustments. The Senate President had a meeting with President Tinubu over the list last week.”
Another source noted that the administration had been trying its best to avoid backlash hence, the reason why the list could not be delayed.
The lawmaker noted that the names would be read out this week, but could not tell when exactly.
The source said, “The names of the ministerial nominees will be out this week.
“The Asiwaju-led administration has been trying its best to avoid a backlash even though it is unavoidable. The names will be unveiled this week; that is all I can say.”
Another source noted that the names would be unveiled this week and many people would be shocked.
The source noted that the delay was deliberate because of intense lobbying, but the details of the list would shock a lot of Nigerians.
The source added, “The list of the nominees will be unveiled this week and I can tell you that the details will shock a lot of Nigerians. I mean a lot of big politicians will be thrown aback.
“This will be the real Asiwaju Tsunami.”
Concerning how the screening of the nominees will go, a ranking senator noted that there was not too much to the screening of ministers as it could be done within three days or one week.
The source stated, “There is no big deal about the screening of ministers. The ministers can be screened in three days or one week.
“Even if we have to call special or emergency sessions after the plenary has closed for this session, we will.
“But I know the list will be read out this week.”
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has commended the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for his commitment to the promotion of technical education in the State.
The Director of Academic Programmes, NBTE, Architect Nkede Ogoh gave the commendation during the accreditation visit by the Board to D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the State.
Ogoh stated that quality technical education would result in improved service delivery, particularly in the manufacturing sector of the economy.
He said, "on behalf of the Board, I would like to appreciate the Ogun State Governor for paying deserved attention to technical education. Just yesterday, I signed some papers giving approval for an institution in this State to become a Polytechnic. This is a good step in the right direction as technical education is indeed the future of improved productivity".
Speaking, the Institution's Governing Council Chairman, Ambassador Toye Okanlawon said "Governor Abiodun is truly a listening governor who is committed to the provision of quality and affordable education for our teeming youths".
The Chairman noted further that "unlike the previous government in the State, this administration is actually putting up a giant stride in the educational sector".
While acknowledging that there were various challenges confronting the institution, Amb. Okanlawon assured the Board that both the staff and students of the Polytechnic would intensify efforts towards justifying the mission for its establishment.
L-R:- Chairman, Governing Council, D.S Adegbenro ICT Polytechnic, Itori-Ewekoro, Amb. Toye Okanlawon (left) receiving accreditation documents from the Director of Academic Programmes, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Arch Nkede Ogoh during accreditation visit to the school.
...Salute His Sterling Contributions
...Say He Was Committed to Harmonious Relationship
The pan socio-cultural and non partisan movement, Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI), has showered encomiums on the late Esogban of Benin, Chief David U. Edebiri OON, who passed on recently at 94, saluting not only his forthright stance as an elder statesman who spoke truth to power but also commended his immense contributions to the struggle for the birth of both the defunct Midwest Region and Edo State created in 1963 and 1991 respectively.
Also recalling his amiable mien and firm disposition to the agitation for the next Governor of Edo State to be of Esan extraction, Esan Okpa says, “We have lost a visionary elder statesman who was committed to a harmonious relationship amongst all groups in Edo State” which trace their origin to the same roots.
In a condolence letter signed by the EOI President, Rt Hon Mathew Egbadon and General Secretary, Dr Celey Okogun, on behalf of the Executive Council and Board of Trustees, the organization says it “commiserates with His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Ogidigan, the Oba of Benin, Benin Traditional Council and the entire family of the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Late Chief (Dr.) David U. Edebiri, OON on his recent transition to glory at the age of 94, making him the oldest Palace Chief.
“Though saddened, we however feel privileged to have interacted with the Esogban, on June 9, 2023, in what is, arguably, one of his last official public engagement/outing during our consultation visit to his palace on Esan’s quest to produce the next elected Governor of Edo State in 2024. He was full of life, hearty and joked with the delegation.
“The Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Late Chief (Dr.) David U. Edebiri, OON will be remembered as the only Nigerian, who worked assiduously for the creation of two (2) states – Midwest Region and Edo State within a generation.
“Until his transition, he remained passionate about good governance in Edo State and our dear country Nigeria.
Adieu, Esogban of Benin Kingdom! He will be sorely missed!!”, the letter concluded.
As part of its series of consultations with personalities in Edo State on the issue of ensuring that an Esan son succeeds incumbent Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki when his tenure expires on November 11th, 2024, the delegation led by Esan Okpa had a fruitful meeting with the Esogban on the 9th of June. While he contended that it was within Esan’s rights to demand the governorship ticket, it was his view that the Central Senatorial Zone needed to offer a strong candidate that would be acceptable to the North and southern zones.
Apart from visiting the Oba of Benin along with Esan traditional rulers, the Esan Okpa led delegation has also met with the first civilian Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, former Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, and former Senator representing Edo South, Mathew Urhoghide. Others include All Progressive Congress (APC) Candidate in the 2020 Edo Governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu and Hon Charles Idahosa, a former Political Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole amongst many others.
While some preferred to be silent, the Esogban, a Journalist and former Chairman, Benin Forum, never minced words on the issue of governance in Edo State and the country. He was never shy of telling Governor Obaseki that he needed to be more responsive to the yearnings of Edo people. He also counseled Obaseki about building bridges rather than sustaining a not too chummy relationship with his mentors. He held the strong view that Nigeria missed its way to enviable development when it abandoned the Parliamentary System and embraced the American Presidential System.
On the occasion of his 93rd birthday celebration and the unveiling of his three books- “Tripod of Life: Essence of Benin Tradition and Culture”; “The life and Times of Iyase N’Ohenmwen” and “Immortalizing our Heros Past: Nigerian Nationalists in Focus” in Benin City last September, Chief Edebiri popularly called ‘The Oracle’ because of his accurate analysis and predictions of political events, disclosed that his mentor, Chief Anthony Enahoro, while alive, always invited him to ask whether “this the Nigeria we fought for”, pointing out that those who fought for the country’s independence did not fight for what they would gain from the system, but rather for the love of the country.
“My mentor, Late Chief Anthony Enahoro would invite me to his house and will ask, “is this what we fought for?This is part of the questions he will ask before we start any discussion. This is not the concept of the nationalist who fought for the independence of this country, we derailed long ago, when we suddenly threw away the parliamentary system of government and embraced the American Presidential System, but it was embraced haphazardly, because what we are doing today is neither American system, British system, nor Russian system.
“Some of us have been agitating for a return to the parliamentary system of government. If you want to adopt a country’s system of government, you adopt it wholesomely and not haphazardly. Today, our judiciary is British and we are operating an American system. What we have is people going into politics for what you are to gain, that is not how it used to be. We fought for this country so that we can be free not because we want to be senators”, Chief Edebiri stressed.
Immidiate past governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has debunked allegations by his successor, Dr. Alex Otti, that the state government was owing commercial banks under his (Ikpeazu) watch.
He said the N2 billion loan claim only “exists in the imaginations of the peddlers of the wicked and warped narrative.”
Ikpeazu in a statement issued by his spokesman and Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka, claimed that the said N2billion loan reportedly taken by the his administration was a scheme by the incumbent administration in the state to “surreptitiously inform key agencies and arms of government that their reason for not meeting their obligations to them is because there is an outstanding loan of a whooping N2 billion taken by the Ikpeazu administration from Zenith Bank and UBA.”
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government in the state while challenging Governor Otti to make public his claims that Ikpeazu borrowed the said amount from the commercial banks said “in what has become a clear case of obsession and paranoia, no day passes without the present administration in Abia State looking for some reason to blame the preceding administration for everything under the sun, no matter how unreasonable.
“Their latest strategy is to surreptitiously inform key agencies and arms of government that their reason for not meeting their obligations to them is because there is an outstanding loan of a whopping N2billion taken by the Ikpeazu administration from Zenith Bank and UBA.
“Nothing could be farther from the truth. The N2 billion loan exists in the imaginations of the peddlers of the wicked and warped narrative.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to make it abundantly clear that as at 28th day of May 2023 when the administration of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu ended by effluxion of time, the government of Abia State was not owing any commercial bank in the ordinary course of business.
“This is actually a no-brainer because no commercial bank in Nigeria will grant any facility to any state government, the repayment terms of which will run beyond their tenure of office.
“In the ordinary course of business, the Abia State Government, like every state government in Nigeria, had financial arrangements with banks by way of Temporary Overdraft facilities (TOD).
“We are, however, proud to state that all TODs were cleared before we left office. To be more specific, the only outstanding TOD with UBA which was in the region of 6 Billion Naira was fully repaid in the months of March and April 2023. It is public knowledge that the last allocation received by the Ikpeazu administration was for the month of April 2023.”
Nigerians Will Face More Hardship If CBN Raises Interest Rate - Uwaleke Warns Ahead Of MPC Meeting
AdminAny attempt by the Central Bank of Nigeria to increase the monetary policy rate (MPR) will push more people into chronic hardship, according to Professor Uche Uwaleke, the president of the Association of Capital Market Academics of Nigeria.
The CBN will on Tuesday debate whether to slow down inflation with more rate hikes or a potential reduction in the rates.
For years, Nigerians have not celebrated a win over inflation which has worsened to 22.7 per cent in June. The National Bureau of Statistics computed the rate without factoring in the impact of the fuel subsidy removal and naira depreciation.
At the last Monetary Policy Committee meeting under Godwin Emefiele, the rates were increased to 18.5 per cent from 18.0 per cent.
Uwaleke told THE WHISTLER, “The decision of the MPC in the July meeting will be influenced by the rising inflation expectations due largely to the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, the pressure on the naira and exchange rate volatility occasioned by the recent naira float. These considerations tend to recommend a further rates hike aimed at taming the stubborn inflation.
“The Ag CBN Governor who will be chairing the meeting has been part and parcel of the hawkish MPC stance for months now and so another rates hike will not come as a surprise.
“Be that as it may, the MPC should equally recognise that the removal of fuel subsidy has slowed down economic activities considerably with an attendant drop in productivity.
“So, economic growth and jobs are already negatively impacted such that a further monetary policy tightening would only worsen the situation through the credit channel as cost of capital is increased and access to credit by small businesses is made more difficult.”
Since the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, manufacturers have repriced their products while agricultural products have become expensive for consumers.
Transportation which has been a primary driver of Nigeria’s inflation has worsened as prices of logistics have almost doubled.
The subsidy removal and naira floating have affected many other sectors, including health and education as school fees are already on the rise while the cost of medication has jumped.
Uwaleke argued that an increase in the MPR may increase the risk of banks piling up non-performing loans.
Non-Performing Loans ratio as of May 2023 was at 4.4 per cent.
He said, “Also, a further increase in the Monetary Policy Rate is likely to endanger the asset quality of banks through an increase in non-performing loans as deposit money banks reprice their loans.
“In this regard, the balance of risks dictates that the MPC should pause the policy rate hikes, which has been on since May last year by maintaining a hold position on all policy parameters during the meeting.”
Uwaleke advised the MPC to recognise that much as its primary mandate is to maintain price stability, it equally has a responsibility to support output growth.
He added, “This is against the backdrop of the fact that many of the factors driving inflation in Nigeria, such as insecurity affecting food output and high energy costs are outside the control of the CBN.
“All said, the MPC should seize the opportunity of the meeting to signal readiness to support output growth through policies geared towards fostering a low-interest rates environment while keeping an eye on inflation using a mix of heterodox measures.”
Following the recent hike in tuition fees in tertiary institutions and government schools, the National Association of University Students has threatened to embark on a mass protest against the recent hike in tuition fees in the country.
This was exclusively disclosed to our correspondent in a statement titled “Warning Against Tuition Fee Increment”, on Saturday, signed by the NAUS Chairman and National Deputy President, Eruobami Ayobami and Babalola Daniel, respectively.
“It is with great displeasure as we Write to condemn the act of the Federal Government as well as higher institutions who have decided to increase the price of tuition in this current economic disintegration,” part of the statement read.
The PUNCH, on Friday, reports that the management of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State has reportedly increased fees for undergraduate students in the institution.
This was contained in a statement dated July 20, 2023, by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, UNILAG branch following a meeting with the top management staff.
The students of the institution previously paid N19,000 but the management has fixed new fees at N190,250 for students studying medicine while for courses that require laboratory and studio, students are to pay N140,250.
Also, this paper reports that the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Education has increased the school fees of new students into Federal Government Colleges otherwise known as Federal Unity Colleges to ₦100,000.
According to the circular entitled, “Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st Term) for new students“, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, new students are expected to part with ₦100,000 instead of the previous N45,000.
NAUS added that it is evident that The state of our university education is not encouraging and as such, implementations that will further negatively affect the educational system would not be encouraged.
“University is where every profession that runs the nation is trained and mentored, investing in the origin of every profession should never be a problem for any nation interested in development.
It warned that the student populace would not hesitate to stage a protest against any enactment on tuition increment.
“We want to reiterate that as students, we won’t hesitate to come out en-mass to protest against any form of implementation that poses a threat to the students’ community,” it added.
While assuring students of its commitment to protecting their interests at all times, the student’s body further urged various higher institutions that have made plans to hike their school fees to reconsider their plans as it will only do more bad than good to the academic system and as well adverse effect on the students.
African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional lending arm for the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, has approved $16 million for the creation of a Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank (YEIB) in Liberia.
A statement issued on the AfDB website said the fund was approved to unleash the business potential of young Liberians.
According to the AfDB Group Country Manager for Liberia, Benedict Kanu, approximately $16 million has been allocated to finance this strategic initiative.
Kanu said the initiative was meant to target youth-led micro, small, and medium enterprises in Liberia’s burgeoning agribusiness and allied sectors.
“The YEIB is anticipated to support over 30,000 youth-led businesses during the next 17 years. “The YEIB will be the initial catalyst for developing a financial ecosystem for youth entrepreneurship in Liberia, which is currently non-existent.
“By creating 120,000 direct and indirect jobs and unlocking approximately $500 million in additional lending, it can lay the groundwork for future, potentially more profitable investments.
“The YEIB is a long-term investment with a significant impact on job creation and financial inclusion,” he said.
According to Kanu, Liberia’s youthful population, accounting for over 60 per cent of its citizens, is experiencing high unemployment meaning many young people do not get the opportunities they deserve.
“With about 45 per cent of its youths not involved in employment, education, or training, Liberia is facing daunting youth employment challenges.
“With notable implications for social cohesion, fragility, and resilience,” Kanu added.
He said a primary cause of this was the absence of adequate financial literacy, education, and entrepreneurial skills.
“ The micro, small, and medium enterprises that are vital contributors to Liberia’s economic growth are particularly the hardest hit, with up to 90 per cent failing within the first year of operation.
“The bank project will help mitigate these issues by providing financial and non-financial services for young entrepreneurs, ensuring inclusion, reducing vulnerabilities, and preparing for long-term sustainability.
“The establishment of a YEIB in Liberia will enhance institutional stewardship and oversight of the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem, thus helping to drive economic growth and development,” he added.
Also, the AfDB’s Financial Sector Development Acting Director, Ahmed Attout, said the inauguration of the YEIB project in Liberia was a landmark moment.
“Fostering youth entrepreneurship is at the heart of our mission. The YEIB project is a testament to this commitment; an investment in our youths is an investment in Africa’s future.
“And beyond finances, the project is about capacity building, promoting innovation, and empowering our youths to drive economic transformation,” Attout said.
Liberia presents numerous opportunities for investment, especially in the agriculture sector which engages about 70 per cent of the population.
Also, sectors such ad Information Technology, renewable energy, and light industrial manufacturing offer promising avenues for investment.
The implementation of the YEIB will be carried out in close collaboration with a range of key stakeholders, including the government, commercial banks, and micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Delta Receives Highest Allocation Of N23b For June
Seven of the nine oil mineral producing states left Abuja yesterday with a combined cheque value of N70.408 billion being their allocation from the June 2023 revenue distributed by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Thursday.
Delta State topped the chart with N23,261,593,427.19, according to the breakdown of the allocations obtained.
Rivers State trailed with N13,192,309,721.26,followed by Akwa Ibom State with N12,745,539,724.44 and Bayelsa State with N12,394,003,050.48.
Edo State got N3,400,607,899.11; Ondo State N2,968,156,301.71 and Anambra State N2,386,453,498.68.
The remaining oil producing states of Abia and Imo received N1,577,804,645.31 and N1,386,364,304.46 respectively.
Amongst the non-oil producing states, Borno received a net allocation of N2,215,429,199.27 after N48,678,953.74 foreign loan outstanding against it, among other deductions, was taken from its gross allocation.
Kano, after all deductions had been made, went away with N2,064,843,128.93 and Benue, N2,032,809,639.68.
But it was bad news for Lagos State which returned empty handed and even still has an outstanding debt of N79,711,202.02 to pay.
It was gathered that the state has an outstanding foreign loan of N2,637,685,277.47 that was deducted from its gross allocation, leaving its account with the FAAC in the red.
Gombe State received a net allocation mandate for N423,957,430.32 after deductions, and Bauchi N454,931,200.03.
In respect of local governments’ gross allocations for the period, Kano with 44 local government areas received a N3,278,667,445.50; the 34 local governments in Katsina got N2,496,105,333.87; Oyo with 33 local government areas was credited with N2,214,857,377.95; and Kaduna with 23 local governments pocketed N2,059,353,609.99.
The eight local government areas of Bayelsa State received N697,768.037.05;Gombe with 11 local government received N891,129,511.36; the 13 local government areas in Ebonyi have N965,808,866.31 to share while the 16 in Ekiti have N1,016,396,834.97.
The six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory received N521,264,251.82.
The document also revealed that the last time the FAAC had any information regarding certified subsidy claim was on the 20th of June, 2018 when N4,026,369,698,361.67 was paid out for “certified subsidy claims by PPPRA from January 2010 to December 2015.
Besides, the document says the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) is withholding N12,841,029,760,113.20 from 17th May 2012 to 19th July, 2023.
During the Thursday meeting the FAAC agreed to share only N907 billion of the June 2023 distributable revenue of N1.9 trillion.
A sum of N790 billion was saved and the rest used for statutory deductions.
The savings, it said, “will complement the efforts of the Infrastructure Support Fund (ISF) and other existing and planned fiscal measures, all aimed at ensuring that the subsidy removal translates into tangible improvements in the lives and living standards of Nigerians.
The Nation learnt that the Federal Government had convinced the governors to save N1 trillion of the June revenue and get FAAC to share the remaining N900 billion in order not to saturate the economy with cash and further worsen inflation.
Sharing the whole N1.9 trillion, the Federal Government argued, would also put additional pressure on the naira and whittle down the desired impact of any palliative measures to cushion the effects of subsidy removal.
The legal team of the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic party, Atiku Abubakar, has replied President Bola Tinubu whose lawyers recently told the Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja that Atiku tendered an expired Guinean passport allegedly belonging to Tinubu to seek the latter’s disqualification as President.
Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche SAN, in his final written address dated July 20, accused INEC of misusing huge funds allocated for the 2023 elections.
According to Atiku, Tinubu’s alleged criminal conviction and his dual citizenship are public knowledge and should have been enough reasons for INEC to disqualify him.
Recall that Tinubu’s team led by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, did not concede or deny that the president has dual citizenship in their written address.
Nevertheless, Olanipekun argued that even if a Nigerian holds dual citizenship, the laws of the land do not stop such a person from vying for the office of President.
Recall that Chris Uche SAN had on June 25 presented Atiku’s 27th witness, Barrister Mike Enahoro Ebah (PW27), to prove that Tinubu is a dual citizen of Nigeria and Guinea prior to the polls, among other allegations.
Some of the documents he tendered include Tinubu’s certificate of service from Mobil Nigeria Plc, alleged extract of his Guinean passport as well as particulars submitted to INEC when he ran as Lagos state governor.
But giving a final response to the tendered passport (extract), Olanipekun argued that the Guinean passport which the PDP witness claimed to have downloaded from the internet shows that the passport expired in 2020.
Olanipekun told the court that Atiku planned to embarrass his client with an expired document.
“It is all a guesswork, aimed at embarrassing the respondent (Tinubu).
“Assuming without conceding that the respondent was ever issued that passport, it is our further submission that facts relating to citizenship of a foreign country are rooted in the laws of that country, which have to be proved in Nigeria.
“It is submitted further, that even if the respondent has a dual citizenship, which is not conceded, the Constitution does not preclude him from contesting the office of President of Nigeria,” Olanipekun stated.
Replying Olanipekun on that , Uche insisted that with respect to the acquisition of citizenship of Guinea, it remains the case of the petitioners that President Tinubu is not constitutionally permitted to acquire the citizenship of Guinea.
Uche maintained that Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution does not allow a person aspiring to be Nigeria President to acquire citizen of another country.
“The provision of section 137(1) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is very specific a President of the Country, as a symbol and embodiment of the Country, cannot be allowed to declare allegiance to another Country which is the implication of acquiring such a country’s citizenship,” Uche stated, urging the PEPC to disqualify Tinubu on that ground.
On INEC’s claim that it failed to transmit presidential election results in real time due to technical glitches, Uche drew the attention of the court to the testimony of the electoral umpire’s witness, Lawrence Bayode, who said in open court that INEC did not report the glitches to the Amazon Web Services AWS.
AWS is the cloud platform INEC admitted to have engaged to secure the votes cast and uploaded on its portal.
Uche maintained that even though he disagrees that there was a technical glitch on electoral, INEC’s admission that it did not report the issue to either Amazon Web Service or to manufacturers of the technological device, is clear proof that the so-called “technical glitch” was a ruse, unreal, if not self-induced.
“For a project that the Nation committed the sum of over N355 billion, it is unreasonable to expect that the Commission would refuse to report or complain to the suppliers of the devices or providers of the services or hold anyone accountable,” Uche added, faulting INEC Chairman, Yakubu Mahmood for going ahead to announce a winner of the polls when BVAS and IREV were central to the 2023 presidential election in light of the Electoral Act 2022.
He urged the court to cancel Tinubu’s election for substantial non-compliance to the Electoral Act.
A group under the aegis of Forum for Transparency and Accountability in Governance has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to succumb to pressures by any politician with pending allegation of fraud related cases in court or at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to be appointed into his cabinet in guise of party loyal member.
The call on the President was at the backdrop of the much expected list of Ministerial nominees by the 10th Senate which President Tinubu has a statutory period of 60 days to make the list available to the upper legislative Chamber for screening.
The transparency group in a statement jointly signed by its Convener, Dr Bala Musa Mustapha, Secretary General, Mr Nouel Malama and Director of Publicity, Nafisa Hamid Jika respectively, maintained that President Tinubu should tread with caution and not appoint politicians with questionable character into his cabinet.
The group emphasized that the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai should be kept at arm’s length and be isolated from the corridor of power if the present administration should be taken seriously, given that he is standing trial for allegedly embezzling N32 billion revenue from sales of Federal Government Houses between 2005 and 2007 when he was the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The group recalled that Justice Binta Nyako-led Federal High Court ruled on 19th November, 2019, that Malam Nasir El-Rufai lacked powers to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating and prosecuting him over fraud allegations.
Justice Nyako in her judgement in a suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/60/09 which was filed by El-Rufai where he listed 13 respondents including the EFCC, FG and others, seeking to stop his prosecution, the Court in the celebrated judgement insisted that El-Rufai must account for the whereabout of N32 billion.
The forum maintained that the prosecution of El-Rufai was progressing at the Federal High Court until he became governor of Kaduna State in May 2015 when immunity of office halted it, insisting that now that he is out of office, the anti-graft agency ought to have resumed his prosecution, rather than contemplating offering him a Minister.
The group also added that the prosecution of El-Rufai followed a damning audit report by a World class audit firms; Akintola Williams Deloitte and Aminu Ibrahim & Co, where it was revealed that the sum of N32 billion proceeds of sales of Federal Government Houses is missing.
The statement read: “Any government that pride itself on probity and accountability should not be seen to patronize the likes of the former governor of Kaduna State. It’s in the public domain that Malam Nasir El-Rufai is facing prosecution of N32 billion in Court.
“Also, the former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is facing rejection over his dirty past involving dollar bribe and what is good for Ganduje should be good for El-Rufai. We hope that President Tinubu will come out clean on El-Rufai issue, while we hope that he should not allow Nigerians to hit the streets before doing the right thing.
The group further called on the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies to rise to the occasion of prosecuting former and incumbent public officers who have pending cases, so that their actions would not be misinterpreted as selected prosecution of corrupt officials of government.
The former governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai had in 2019 approached the Federal High Court seeking the court’s determination whether, as the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, he had complied with the guidelines approved by the Federal Executive Council for the sale of Federal Government houses between May 2005 and May 2007.
Meanwhile, Justice Binta Nyako while delivering justice, in a suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/60/09 ruled that Nasir El-Rufai, cannot stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from investigating him.
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In line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has commenced the payment of dividend into the federation account.
The NNPC Limited on Thursday begun the payment of interim dividend and PSC profit oil as part of the N907bn shared by the Federation Account Allocation Committee to the three tiers of government.
The remittance is coming barely two months after the NNPC exited the fuel subsidy shackle following the removal by President Bola Tinubu.
During the FAAC distribution,which was chaired by the Accountant General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, the NNPCL remitted N123bn into the coffers of government.
A breakdown of the N123bn showed that the National Oil Company paid N81bn as monthly interim dividend and N42bn as 40 per cent PSC profit oil.
This is in addition to compliance on payment of royalties and taxes.
The payment of dividend by the NNPC Limited clearly shows that the company under the leadership of the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari is moving in a positive trajectory as enshrined in the PIA.
Since he assumed office, Kyari has pursued his Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) agenda, a five-step strategic roadmap for NNPC’s attainment of efficiency and global excellence.
Kyari, during the inauguration, had said pursuing TAPE was the only way to turn around the corporation and make it competitive.
Under the roadmap, the Transparency component of the agenda was aimed at maintaining positive image, share values of integrity and transparency to all stakeholders, while the Accountability segment of the campaign is to assure compliance with business ethics, policies, regulations and accountability to all stakeholders.
In terms of the two-prong item of Performance Excellence, Kyari had said the idea was to entrench a high level of efficiency anchored on efficient implementation of business processes which would also emplace an appropriate reward system for exceptional performance among the workforce.
During the FAAC meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, N907.054bn total distributable revenue was shared to the three tiers of government
This comprised distributable statutory revenue of N301.501bn, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N273.225bn, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N11.436bn and Exchange Difference revenue of N320.892bn.
In June 2023, the total deductions for cost of collection was N73.235bn and total deductions for savings, transfers and refunds was N979.078bn.
The balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) was $473,754.57
The communiqué stated that from the total distributable revenue of N907.054bn; the Federal Government received N345.564bn, the State Governments received N295.948bn and the Local Government Councils received N218.064bn. A total sum of N47.478bn was shared to the relevant States as 13% derivation revenue.
It stated that gross statutory revenue of N1.152trn was received for the month of June 2023. This was higher than the sum of N701.787bn received in the previous month by N451.134bn.
From the N301.501bn distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N146.710bn, the State Governments received N74.413bn and the Local Government Councils received N57.370bn. The sum of N23.008bn was shared to the relevant States as 13 per cent derivation revenue.
For the month of June 2023, the gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) was N293.411bn. This was higher than the N270.197bn available in the month of May 2023 by N23.214 billion.
The Federal Government received N40.984bn, the State Governments received N136.613bn and the Local Government Councils received N95.629bn from the N273.225bn distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue.
The N11.436bn Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) was shared as follows: the Federal Government received N1.715bn, the State Governments received N5.718bn and the Local Government Councils received N4.003bn.
From the N320.892 billion Exchange Difference revenue, the Federal Government received N156.155bn, the State Governments received N79.204bn, the Local Government Councils received N61.063bn and the sum of N24.470bn was shared to the relevant States as 13 percent mineral revenue.
According to the communiqué, in the month of June 2023, Companies Income Tax (CIT) recorded tremendous increase.
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, wife of the governor of Ondo, has shared the photograph of her husband in a medical facility amid death rumours.
Betty posted the picture on Friday across her social media handles.
The picture shows the ailing governor sitting on a motorable chair while his wife posed beside him. The background of the picture shows the picture may have been taken in a medical facility.
“Aketi dey kampe!. Victory for us!” Betty captioned the picture.
Coincidentally, today is the 67th birthday of the Ondo governor, who was born on July 21, 1956.
Earlier, Akeredolu posted a picture on his Twitter handle to celebrate his 67th birthday.
“Which of the Favour of the Lord can I deny? Chapter 67. To God be the Laud, Honour and Glory!!!” the Ondo governor tweeted.
Over the past few weeks, the health status of Akeredolu has been making the headlines.
Akeredolu had embarked on a 21-day leave on June 7 and was expected to return on July 6.
The governor had directed Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, to act in his stead. However, Akeredolu wrote to the state house of assembly, extending his medical leave when he did not resume work at the initial date of resumption.
Meanwhile, Abdullahi Adamu, the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stirred another controversy when he said Akeredolu was hospitalised and in a state of “extreme incapacity”.
The Ondo government had countered Adamu and assured residents of the state that the governor will resume duties soon.
[NationalDaily]
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State disagrees with those who argue that the proposed N8,000 palliative by the Federal Government will not effectively alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on poor Nigerians.
During his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, he emphasized that the N8,000 assistance is a significant amount for many impoverished families in the country, who typically do not receive such financial support within a month.
Governor Sule recalled that in the past, they were distributing only N5,000 as palliatives, and even that amount had a considerable impact on the lives of numerous people who relied on it each month. In some communities, residents pooled their contributions, leading to substantial improvements within their localities.
He said, “We were sharing only N5,000 and believe me there were so many people that were waiting for that N5,000 every month. Indeed, there were some communities that were able to do some kind of contributions and they were able to do a lot in their various communities.
“So, N8,000 may not be so much money to some people, but it is a lot to so many other people who are from very poor families that don’t see N8,000 every month. So, the only thing is that let us identify those families.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed concern about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration policies that are “inflicting hardship” on Nigerians, calling for immediate relief measures.
Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of CAN, issued a statement on Friday praising the President for some of his policies, including national appointments meant to foster national unity.
Against the backdrop of the recent unprecedented hikes in fuel prices and alarming inflation, the national leadership of the CAN wishes to express its deepest concerns over the prevailing hardships faced by Nigerians, and calls for immediate steps to mitigate the situation.
While Nigerians were trying to adjust to the initial increase in fuel price to N540 and its consequential effect on cost of transportation, food, goods and services, and general cost of living, another hike alluded to market forces took the price to N617. The situation is just unbearable for millions of Nigerians who were already suffering poverty.
It is therefore imperative that economic policies are formulated and implemented with utmost care and consideration for the prevailing hardships experienced by Nigerians, Okoh said.
On appointments, the CAN leader noted that the trajectory which the present administration had set from the onset to provide all-inclusive governance is worthy of commendation.
He said;
The national balance seen in the recent appointment of Service Chiefs is heart-warming and re-assuring that every segment of the Nigerian society is critical and important in the Nigerian project. The CAN therefore commends the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for showing commitment towards building a united, peaceful and progressive Nigeria.
He also urged the government to engage in meaningful dialogue with key stakeholders to explore long-term solutions to the current situation, such as developing comprehensive economic policies that promote inclusive growth, job creation, and social well-being.
Government should take measures to reduce the price of fuel. Such measures should include removal of unnecessary levies and taxes on imported petroleum products, the stabilization of the foreign exchange market and putting back our local refineries to functional and effective use.
We appeal to Nigerians for more patience while urging government to take urgent steps to ameliorate their sufferings. Let us work together to build an economy that is inclusive, resilient, and offers opportunities for every Nigerian to thrive, Okoh said.