Mr. Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), says steps will be taken towards developing bicycle tracks within the Abuja metropolis.

Adesola made the expression in a statement by the Director, Information and Communication FCT, Mr Muhammad Sule, in Abuja on Sunday.

According to the statement, Adesola spoke at the opening of the 2023 World Bicycle Day in Abuja.
He said that bicycle tracks were already captured in the master plan of Abuja city, saying, ”We need to develop them.

“This move will deepen the campaign to reduce the effect of climate change, emissions will be reduced if cycling is encouraged,” he said.

The permanent secretary described cycling as an enjoyable and physically beneficial sport which should be encouraged and promoted.

“As a people, we need to imbibe the culture of riding bicycles, both as sport, exercise and means of transportation.

“The benefits of cycling are enormous. It can improve heart health and strengthen the limbs,” he said.
Adesola commended the Indian High Commission in Nigeria for its consistent supports towards the celebration of World Bicycle Day in the FCT.

Speaking, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Shri Balasubramanian, urged Nigerians to embrace cycling in the interest of good health and healthier environment.

He said the Commission had, in the last five years, supported the celebration of the day in the FCT.
The theme of the event was: ”Cycling – A Better Way to Enjoy the City.”

The Judicial Staff Union(JUSUN) has mobilised its members to join the strike action declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress to protest fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.

In a circular addressed to the Deputy President, All Vice Presidents, All Branches and chapters of JUSUN” and dated June 3rd, 2023.

It reads “I bring you fraternal greetings from Nigeria (JUSUN) The leadership of the Judiciary Staff Union.

“This is to inform all Branches and chapters of our great union across Nigeria to begin mobilisation for a nationwide action and withdrawal of service which would commence on Wednesday 7th June 2023.

“This followed a decision of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at her meeting on 2nd June, 2023 over the increase in the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) by the Federal Government through NNPCL

All zonal vice presidents are to coordinate their zones by ensuring that Branch and chapters chairmen mobilise their members for a total compliance. Also note that the nationwide action commences on Wednesday 7th, June 2023.” The circular, signed for the NLC General Secretary by M.J. Akwashiki, instructed its addressees.

Hopes for an increase in crude oil production for Nigeria was rekindled on Sunday following approval by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to Nigeria, Congo and Angola to produce “maximally”

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday

Nigeria and other OPEC and non-OPEC members at the 35th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee Meeting of OPEC held in Vienna, Austria, on Sunday have agreed to cut production volumes in order to ensure global oil market stability just as it allowed Nigeria, Congo and Angola to continue to produce maximally to their OPEC quota of 2023.

In the statement, Nigeria, Congo and Angola have agreed that the highest production volumes of the last six months from November 2022 to April 2023 should be used as the basis for the determination of their 2024 production quota

Nigeria alongside other OPEC and Non-OPEC members at the JMMC meeting agreed to a cut production volumes in order to ensure global oil market stability.

Furthermore, the statement added that Nigeria, Congo and Angola have agreed that the highest production volumes of the last Six (6) months (November 2022 – April 2023) to be used as the basis for the determination of their 2024 production quota.

Nigeria’s highest production of crude oil only of 1.383 MBPD was achieved in February 2023.

The statement reads in part, “OPEC has also agreed to allow these countries to continue to produce maximally to their OPEC quota of 2023.

“This implies that Nigeria can ramp up its production up to its current quota of 1742KBD and subsequently be capped at 10pwr cent less as its quota for 2024 subject to verification by independent secondary sources.”

The statement stated that the Nigerian delegation is confident that the ongoing security intervention under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will enable the restoration of country’s production to the 1580KBD crude oil only.

This will be complimented by condensate of about 400KBD.

This will ultimately enable Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production of about Two (2) Million Barrels per day in 2024.

Nigeria’s daily crude oil production has surged to about 1.6 million barrels per day, and it’s expected to hit 1.8 million barrels per day according to the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, Bala Wunti.

Wunti had said on Saturday at the 186th meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that with the technology deployed, Nigeria’s oil production will hit 1.8 million barrels by July or early August.

He said, “It is what we are harvesting already, and the result of the security collaboration is what actually reversed the trend of our declining production.

“That we are back to about 1.6 million barrels today is a result of the collaboration. Everybody is working, the security agencies are working in synergy with the industry, the regulators are working and the communities .

“What we have done is to bring everybody together the four players: the security agencies, the regulators, industry players, as well as the communities through the private community contractors.

“And then we brought in overlaying technology. That technology created a lit of platforms, one of which is the collaborating platform, whereby all security issues are now seen in real time.

“And it is the outcome of that that has brought about the confidence that we have to hit about 1.8 million barrels by the end of July or early August. “

He dismissed every doubt of reaching the new target, saying that, “as of today this morning, our instantaneous production number is about 1.59 million which is basically 1.6 million and this is because of some of our facilities that are basically going through a turn around maintenance.”

He said some of the facilities have 40,000 barrels capacity, which will be on stream by Sunday.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, has called on Federal Lawmakers from the zone in the 10th National Assembly to vote for its principal officers based on their inclination.

Chiedozie Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday.

Ogbonnia said that the group is not in agreement with the zoning of key offices of the 10th National Assembly as has been proposed by the ruling party.

He said that the apex Igbo group leadership, under Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, agreed to direct all Igbo lawmakers to vote according to their discretion.

Ogbonnia said that the Igbo Apex group rejects the principle of zoning of principal offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said the group, after due evaluations and considerations, described the allocation of the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East as highly disgusting and provocative to the Igbo race.

“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has watched with keen concern the zoning of principal offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We have also observed that the All Peoples Congress (APC) zoned the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East of Nigeria, and this we considered to be unacceptable,” he said.

Ogbonnia said that the lawmakers should have the best interest of the nation at heart in all their duties as national legislators to ensure that longings of the geo-political zones would be addressed.

He said that the federal lawmakers should be independent in their core decisions and work in a harmonious manner irrespective of their political parties, religion or ethnicity to bridge any gap of disunity.

A team set up by President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting, which is taking place in the conference room of the Chief of Staff to the president, started at 5 pm

It is expected to discuss the fallouts from the removal of fuel subsidy.

Dissatisfied with the President for declaring the subsidy gone, the Organised Labour, including the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and TUC, met with the same team last Wednesday but ended in a deadlock.

The Secretary is leading the federal government’s team to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

Others are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefie; former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

Also in the meeting are the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Zacch Adedeji; Executive Vice President, Downstream, of the NNPCL, Yemi Adetunji; former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake; Hon James Faleke, among others.

On the TUC side are seven members, led by their President, Mr Festus Osifo.

More details to come later…

[Tribune]

Daniel Bwala, a spokesman for Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has advised President Bola Tinubu ahead of the constitution of his cabinet.

Bwala listed five offices Tinubu should not appoint politicians to occupy.

Tweeting, Bwala wrote: “No 16th biggest test would the appointment of these;

1. National Security Adviser

2. Minister of the economy

3. Director General of SSS and NIA

4. Minister of Petroleum

5. Central Bank Governor

“He must not appoint a politician or quasi-politician for any of these roles, or else he will repeat history.”

Tinubu was inaugurated on May 29 in Abuja.

This was after he won the 2023 presidential election. He defeated Atiku, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

However, Atiku and Obi are contesting Tinubu’s victory in court because they claim the election was flawed.

[DailyPost]

THE President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has accepted his appointment by the United Nations in the fight against malnutrition.

On June 1, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres picked Adesina and 21 other leaders to spearhead the fight against malnutrition in all its forms as members of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Lead Group.

Appointed alongside the AfDB boss were two other Nigerians – Vice President of the Islamic Development Bank, Mansur Muhtar, and Executive Chair, Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition, Ndidi Nwuneli.

Taking to his Twitter handle today, Adesina said he is greatly honoured by the appointment in the quest to end malnutrition globally.

“I am greatly honored by United Nations Secretary-General @antonioguterres appointing me among Global Leaders to tackle global malnutrition. Thank you, SG. I look forward to helping to deliver on this agenda,” he twitted.

Initiated in 2010 by the former Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, the SUN Movement continues its drive to improve nutrition for all people, everywhere, with the stewardship of 22 appointed global leaders who are committed to fighting malnutrition in all its forms as members of the SUN Movement Lead Group.

With the latest appointment, these prominent figures are committed to championing nutrition and steering the SUN Movement and its mission to eradicate malnutrition in all its forms by 2030.
Some three billion people, almost half of all humanity, cannot afford a healthy diet. And two-thirds of children lack the diverse diets they need to thrive.

[NaijaTimes]

...whittles down powers of agency’s chair

The Senate has passed a bill to amend the law establishing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which steeply cuts down on the power of the commission’s chairperson.

If it gets concurrent approval of the House of Representatives and the assent of Nigeria’s president, it may cripple the prime anti-corruption agency’s capacity to fight corruption, a review of the proposed legislation has revealed.

The upper chamber passed the legislation on Thursday seeking profound changes to the administration of the anti-corruption agency by devolving powers and responsibilities which the commission’s chairman wields for the day-to-day running of the agency to its board, which ordinarily meets periodically.

Responsibilities to board members

The bill seeks to create Commissioner (Investigative Matters), Commissioner (Legal Matters), Commissioner (Prevention, Systems Review and Financial Intelligence), Commissioner (Asset Recovery and Management), Commissioner (Anti-Corruption Education and Mobilization), and Commissioner, (Forensics and Emerging Technologies)—also, six other zonal commissioners representing the six geo-political zones.

The section added that “provided always that in assigning responsibilities to the commissioners, the president shall have regard to their geo-political zones and respective disciplines.”

By assigning responsibilities and functions to the board members, the lawmakers are elevating them from their mere supervisory roles to being involved in the daily running of the commission, which many fear would create a bureaucratic snag in the commission’s functioning.

Chairman’s administrative order

Aside from assigning responsibilities to board members, whom the bill seeks to rechristen as commissioners, the bill also tries to strip the chairman of the power over “administrative order”.

For instance, Section 7 of the Principal Act gives the power to issue administrative orders to the chairman, but the amendment seeks to provide the power of administrative order to the board.

“The Chairman may issue administrative orders to be called “standing Orders”, which shall conform with the provisions of the general control, training, duties and responsibilities of officers of the Commission, and for such other matters as may be necessary or expedient for the good administration of the Commission and to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the Commission,” section 7 of the existing Act reads.

The new provision replaces Section 4(2) of the ICPC Act, which deals with the number of commissioners that constitute the quorum for board meetings.

Meeting without chairman

One of the amendments with the most far-reaching implications, the provision makes a meeting of the commission to be duly constituted with or without the chairman. It provides that “any five board members,” replacing “Chairman and any four (4) members of the Commission” in the principal Act in attendance, shall appoint a chairman to preside over the meetings.

The bill also seeks to substitute “chairman” for the word “commission”, a hazy description that may allow far-reaching decisions of the commission to be taken with little or no participation of the chairman.

It also means that, even when the commission’s chairman is fully involved, he has to subject some expedient administrative functions to the bureaucratic decision of the board.

Political influence and other concerns

Furthermore, the bill seeks to amend section 70 of the existing Act by transferring the power to make rules from the chairman to the Commission.

“The chairman of the commission may make rules for giving effect to the provisions of this Act and without prejudice to the generality of these provisions may make rules,” section 70 states.

However, by replacing the “commission” to take the place of the “chairman” in the principal Act, the Senate is seeking to give the board the responsibility of developing rules governing the operation of the commission.

“It will subject the ICPC to external political influence,” Olanrewaju Suraj, the chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), said while reacting to the designation of the members as commissioners.

He added that his organisation and several other civil service organisations recommended improving the commission, but not by giving operational control to political appointees, whose influence may be tainted by political considerations.

In addition, the bill also seeks to remove the power of the chairman of the ICPC to issue oral commands to the commission officers. The amendment to section 4(8) means that the ICPC chair can only give written directives to officers.

Lukman Adefolahan, an anti-corruption expert, while speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, said even though the ICPC has an SOP, however, for prosecution’s sake, the Chairman of the commission should issue a written directive

“If the ICPC gives oral directive to officers that someone should be investigated—can you tender that in court? everything you want to do as far as investigation is concerned must be written.

Technical capacity

The new portfolios the amendment bill seeks to create require technical ability and qualification that the existing act did not capture, and the bill failed to provide clear requirements for qualification.

Section 3(3) of the Act provides that the board of ICPC must include; a retired police officer not below the rank of commissioner of police; a legal practitioner with at least ten years post-call experience; a retired judge of a superior court of record; a retired public servant not below the rank of a Director; a woman; a youth not being less than 21 or more than 30 years of age at the time of his or her appointment and a chartered accountant.

While the existing Act is clear regarding the technical skill required, the amendment did not clarify.

Limit of the powers of governing board

Although establishment Acts of various parastatals of government may have some peculiar provisions, governing boards are generally set up to provide guidelines and liaise with the supervisory ministries for effective monitoring.

But the day-to-day administration of the agency is handled by a chief executive who doubles as the accounting officer.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had in 2018, during the induction of governing boards of parastatals, warned against the interference of the board in the day-to-day operations of agencies.

“A board shall not be involved directly in the day-to-day management of a parastatal or agency,” he said in his speech. Adding that “a board must only operate on a part-time basis.”

Despite the clear guideline, Section 3 (11) of the new amendment seeks to change “members of the commission” to commissioners who will be involved in the day-to-day running of the commission’s activities, and the legislation seeks to give board members control administration of the agency.

.
Constituency projects

Many have said the new amendment bill was a way of the National Assembly getting at the current chairman of the ICPC, Bolaji Owasanoye, who has focused on exposing fraud and mismanagement of funds meant for constituency projects by federal lawmakers.

Mr Owasanoye, a professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was appointed as ICPC chair in 2018.

On his watch, the commission has tracked over 4,000 constituency projects valued at over N200 billion through its Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTi).

The in-depth tracking of government-funded projects is a novel initiative by an agency that has existed since September 2000, about 23 years ago.

The tracking initiative, which is in its fifth stage, is said to have forced about 450 contractors to return to sites to complete abandoned projects. The projects are valued at over N45 billion.

As of 2019, an estimated N2 trillion had been budgeted for ZIPs since 2000, according to ICPC. Despite the enormous releases, citizens continue complaining about “shoddy completion, non-completion or outright non-existence of these projects in their locale”.

The commission also revealed how some lawmakers’ conduct in handling some projects denied “the public due and legitimate service of the projects.”

The first phase of the constituency project tracking by the ICPC focused on the 2109 projects.

About 490 Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP), also known as constituency projects, each costing at least N100 million, were tracked in the second phase of CEPTi in 2020.

The CEPTi report on 2020 projects revealed how three senators from Kebbi, Taraba, and Jigawa states allegedly abused their office and converted the public property to personal use in executing some multi-million-naira worth of constituency projects.

In its earlier report focusing on 2019 projects, the ICPC revealed that lack of adherence to the provisions of the public procurement law and regulations is a major reason for the persistent infractions in the execution of constituency projects.

It noted that although the roles of lawmakers in project execution were limited, “in practice, MDAs are not involved in the conception of ZIPs” and that “sponsors (federal lawmakers) nominate contractors and take physical custody of items procured by MDAs under the pretext that they would distribute to beneficiaries”.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) on Sunday directed its members to withdraw their services nationwide over the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by the Nigerian government.

The NUEE in a notice signed by its acting general secretary, Dominic Igwebike, urged its members to comply with the directive and stop work from the early hours of Wednesday.

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, in his inaugural address at Eagle Square, Abuja, declared that there would no longer be a petroleum subsidy regime as it was not sustainable.

Following the announcement, the NNPCL on Wednesday directed its outlets nationwide to sell fuel between N480 and N570 per litre, an almost 200 per cent increase from the initial price below N200.

In its reaction Friday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced it would embark on a nationwide protest next Wednesday if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) refuses to reverse the new price regime in the oil sector. The Nigerian Union of Journalists also threatened to join the strike action on Wednesday.

Reacting in a letter to its member on Sunday, the NUEE said its decision was a sequel to the NLC emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting held on 2 June at the Labour House Abuja over the sudden removal of fuel Subsidy, which it said brought untold hardship to Nigerians as well as increased inflation in the economy.

“To this effect, all National, State and Chapter executives are requested to start the mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive,” the statement said.

“Please note that withdrawal of Services nationwide commences from 0.00 hours of Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

“You are encouraged to work with the leadership of State Executive Councils (SEC) of the Congress in your various states with a view to having a successful action,” the letter said.

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Ahmed Ammani, has ordered the deployment of officials across the state to ensure public safety on Mondays and all days in the state.

This follows the 1 June order by the new Enugu governor, Peter Mbah, cancelling the weekly sit-at-home order by the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).

Mondays are observed as sit-at-home days by many residents of Enugu and the other four South-east states in compliance with the IPOB directive which the separatists group uses force to enforce. Many people have been killed or injured and businesses destroyed for daring to disobey the directive.

To deter residents from continuing to obey the IPOB directive, Governor Mbah, on Saturday, declared that schools, markets, retail outlets, hospitals, transporters, and malls that continue to obey the sit-at-home order would be shut.

Mr Mbah also set up a task force to monitor compliance with his new directive from Monday, 5 June.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Daniel Ndukwe, police spokesman in Enugu State, the police commissioner said he had ordered strategic units to deploy personnel and operational resources to actualise the governor’s declaration.

The police commissioner said he gave his order to strategic personnel and units such as area commanders, divisional police officers, commanders of Police Mobile Force Squadron Bases, and tactical and operational units.

He said they would ensure maximum public security and safety of residents and property in the state on all days, including Mondays.

“I have ordered them to ensure that the strategies already devised to reverse the ugly trend are implemented to the letter and equally warned them that lapses on their part would not be tolerated.

“I have directed the supervisory officers and personnel under them to live up to expectations by ensuring that every part of the state is visibly patrolled.

“The personnel should also ensure that necessary policing actions are taken to forestall possible adverse activities of the undesirable criminal elements

“Innocent and law-abiding residents deserve to go about their lawful businesses without fear of harassment or physical threats by unscrupulous and subversive criminal elements, enforcing the illegal sit-at-home order,’’ Mr Ammani said in the statement.

He said the military and other security agencies would join police operatives in the enforcement of the governor’s cancellation of IPOB’s sit-at-home order.

He warned unrepentant criminal elements, known to have murdered fellow citizens, and destroyed their property and socio-economic well-being in the name of enforcing the illegal sit-at-home order to retrace their steps.

“Unrepentant criminal elements that take pleasure in wanton destruction should turn a new leaf as security forces shall not spare any person or individuals found wanting,’’ he said.

Mr Ammani enjoined citizens to cooperate with security operatives while remaining law-abiding and vigilant as they fully begin to go about their lawful businesses on Mondays, like every other work day.

He urged residents to promptly report criminals and their activities to the nearest police station or call the police emergency hotlines on 08032003702, 08075380883, 08086671202 or 08098880172 for necessary policing actions.