Author: The Nation

The Federal Government has said the political will demonstrated in the execution of the N-Power programme insulated it from corruption and other forms of sharp practices that marred similar youth empowerments in the past.

The Communications Manager, National Social Investment Office (NSIO), Justice Bibiye, explained this in a statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The communication manager said the transparency in running the programme was also responsible for its huge impact on its beneficiaries and the economy.

He added that reports highlighting minority views expressed by a few critics, who made bogus allegations bordering on corrupt practices in the implementation of N-Power did not reflect the true picture on the ground.

Bibiye said N-Power, one of the social intervention programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, remained the most successful government-driven youth empowerment schemes in history.

He said: “It is either those critics have lost touch with existential realities as they concern this government’s strict approach in implementing its policies and programmes or that the resounding successes recorded, as evidenced in the outpouring of sincere and honest testimonies by the beneficiaries, are lost on them.

“We are aware that some persons have assumed the role of perpetual pessimists of the SIPs, following the institution of processes and procedures that frown at selfish tendencies and corrupt practices at the NSIO.

“We, however, owe it a duty to Nigerians to continue to set the records straight whenever naysayers come up with falsehoods to mislead the public.

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“We wish to state categorically that there are no N-Power ghost beneficiaries neither is the programme embroiled in corruption as alleged by those who have decided to see nothing good in the scheme.

“From application, selection, deployment and payment of volunteers, the process is transparent, being technology driven.”

According to him, at inception, the Bank Verification Number (BVN) of successful candidates are sent to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) for verification.

Bibiye said NIBSS, being the custodian of the BVN data, authenticated the identity of each and every name, number and account number submitted by the NSIO, and anyone not verified was dropped from the list of successful beneficiaries.

“For the first set of 200,000 beneficiaries submitted for verification, NIBSS verified 93 per cent, after which only those verified were submitted to the various States, which entities are saddled with the responsibility of physically verifying the beneficiaries and deploying them to their Primary Places of Assignment (PPA).

“Upon confirmation of the deployments to the PPAs, the NSIO then signs off to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, which makes payment directly to the accounts of beneficiaries through the NIBBS.

“This process also applies to other components of the social intervention programmes except for the National Conditional Cash Transfer programme, where due to logistics challenges, mobile money agents (MMAs) are engaged to reach out to beneficiaries in the rural areas.

“The successful MMAs are selected through an open process in compliance with the BPP Act, and even though they pay beneficiaries in remote locations where there is a dearth of banking infrastructure, they each have a backend technology that enables visibility and timely reconciliation of payments, as a pre-condition to engagement,” he said.

Bibiye said the Federal Government remained favourably disposed to constructive criticisms and the feedback that would aid ongoing efforts to strengthen the execution strategies of the SIPs for greater service delivery to Nigerians.

The NSIO manager said critics were also encouraged to follow up closely and interrogate the processes of the programme to avoid making remarks that were not evidence-based.

He added that Nigerians, particularly beneficiaries of the programme and their dependents, should rest assured that the SIPs were not crumbling or coming to an end any time soon as predicted by naysayers.

The communications manager said that the Federal Government, through the NSIO, would continue to redouble efforts to ensure that the intended objectives of the Social Intervention Programmes were achieved in line with public expectations.

President Muhammadu Buhari has his administration’s investment in infrastructure, such as rails, roads, bridges and waterways, has started yielding positive results with tangible evidence for all to see.

The President spoke yesterday at the inauguration of the rebuilt Shinkafi-Yandaki-Gafiya—Abdallawa-Dankaba road in Katsina, as part of activities marking his visit to the state.

He said the special attention his administration gave infrastructure would be intensified, since the investments had been justified with more people benefiting from them.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President said: “Infrastructure is vital to economic development. As you are aware, this administration has given special attention to infrastructural transformation of our country.

“This is in consonance with the Change philosophy of the administration. Such projects and programmes form part of our contribution to national development, which are tangible for all to see.”

President Buhari lauded the strategy Governor Aminu Bello Masari’s administration adopted to make roads smooth throughout the year for citizens.

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He added: “We all know that the economy of Katsina State is agrarian. Our wealth is farming and livestock rearing. Hence, there is need to open it up through and across all communities to maximally tap the abundant agricultural and livestock resources the state is endowed with.”

Masari said the government “had all along been mindful of the need for infrastructural development across the nooks and crannies of the state”.

The governor said the decision had “efficiently and effectively facilitated smooth movement of people, goods and services on trade and commerce, not only within Katsina State but across other neighbouring states”.

He added that the economy of the state and wellbeing of the people had improved with the focus on infrastructure.

President Buhari will inaugurate more projects in the state today.

Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has assured that the Ninth National Assembly will provide an enabling environment for the implementation of All Progressives Congress (APC) administration’s Next Level agenda for the benefit of all Nigerians.

The senator spoke in Daura, Katsina State, where he joined APC governors and other government officials to pay homage to President Muhammadu Buhari for the Eid-el-Kabir holiday.

Urging Nigerians to continue to work for the peace, unity and progress of the country, Omo-Agege said he was in Daura to represent the Senate, as its President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, was away in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.

In a statement by his Media Adviser Yomi Odunuga, the Deputy Senate President said: “You know it has not been very easy for us as a country in terms of the challenges we face. But this, notwithstanding, Mr. President has managed to steer the ship of state very successfully. So, we decided on visiting him at home to felicitate with him and congratulate him.

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“It is also to reassure him that going forward, the National Assembly is ready to provide the enabling environment for the contents of the Next Level agenda to be implemented.”

Omo-Agege expressed confidence in the capacity of the ministers-designate to deliver the Next Level agenda to Nigerians.

The Deputy Senate President noted that President Buhari’s compliance with relevant rules in choosing the nominees made them to scale the screening.

“No doubt, they (ministers-designate) were carefully selected before their nominations by Mr President. We had faith and confidence in Mr President’s judgment in the selection process.

“Our job at the Senate is to ensure that all of the nominees meet the constitutional requirements for membership of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which, as you know, is very simple. All that is required is qualification for membership of the House of Representatives.

“So, to a lot of us, it was a check list: the moment we found out that you are a Nigerian citizen, you are a member of the APC – because you must belong to a party before you can be a member of the House of Representatives – you meet the educational qualification, which is education up to School Certificate level, and you shouldn’t have been convicted of a crime within the last 10 years.

“We went through that; we relied on the confidence and capacity of Mr President to do the right thing, which he has done.”

Protesters yesterday in Wednesday, at the nation’s capital, demanded the release of former presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in the last general elections and Convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omowole Sowore.

But truckloads of security operatives at the Unity Fountain, venue of the protest, prevented them from entering the area.

The Unity Fountain was a semblance of a war zone with heavy presence of soldiers, policemen, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and officers of Nigerian Prison Service.

Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, was arrested by DSS operatives last week after he vowed to mobilise Nigerians to the streets for the #RevolutionNow protest.

The Federal Government has also used the DSS to secure a Federal High Court ex parte order to detain him for 45 days.

Despite the barrage of security operatives at the Unity Fountain, activists demanded the immediate release of Sowore and other “prisoners of conscience”.

The protesters, led by Deji Adeyanju, the Convener of Concerned Nigerians (CN), said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had  continued to imprison Nigerians who dared to criticise his “maladministration” and had no deference for divergent opinion.

Adeyanju, who said proponents of #FreeSowore protest would not be cowed by government’s battalion of security operatives, added that the President pretended that he was a repentant democrat to get the confidence and votes of Nigerians.

He said Sowore, Dadi Yata, Jones Abiri, Steven Kefas and other social and media critics held by the present administration as prisoners of conscience, represent uncountable numbers of other Nigerians he called victims of Buhari’s government.

According to him, even if the President withdraws all the security operatives deployed to fight insurgency in the Northeast and other parts of the country to stop the #FreeSowore activists, the protest will not stop.

Another activist Rapheal Adebayo said even if President Buhari arrests more protesters, one million others would fight his policies.

Adebayo added that the protest was not just for the freedom of Sowore and other “prisoners of conscience” but for the soul of Nigeria.

Also, Middle Belt Forum’s Deputy President Ndi Kato said the protest would be sustained until the government learns to respect the will of the people.

She said: “It is high time we let go the shackles of our military dictatorship. We cannot have 20 years of military dictatorship and still allow the shackles to remain with us. The modus operandi of criminal and government’s abduction has remained the same. When someone is taken, we do not know where the person is taken to.”

The decision of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to split the pension union into three has pitched the government against organised labour and pensioners, it has been learnt.

Acting on a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari against the decision taken in the last days of the immediate past Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, The Nation learnt that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) wrote the ministry, demanding explanation on why the union should be split into three.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba also wrote the SGF, informing him that the decision to create two new unions out of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) was a violation of the laws of the land which stipulate that no new union shall be registered to represent workers where a union already exists.

Responding to the letter from the SGF, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, William Alo, said Ngige’s action was based on the powers conferred on him by the Trade Union Act.

Alo said the ministry had received applications from different interest groups seeking to register other trade unions of retirees who fall under the jurisdictional scope of the NUP.

The permanent secretary conceded that “Part B of the Third Schedule of the Trade Unions Act CAP T.14 (LFN) stipulates the jurisdictional scope of the NUP covers all pensioners from me civil service of the Federation, including local government salutary corporations, government-owned companies, educational institutions for which the government of the Federation is responsible; all such similar establishments, also private sector pensioners”.

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He said: “The reasons adduced for the agitation that other unions should be carved out of the NUP included, amongst others, alleged structural defects with particular focus on the state and local government pensioners, lop-sidedness in the appointment of national leaders, aged/dysfunctional leadership, lack of accountability, general inefficiency and failure to effectively represent the interest of its teeming members.

“Sequel to the above, it became evident to the ministry that the NUP, as the only existing trade union for pensioners, had become too big and could no longer cope with the burden of catering for all retirees in the country.

“The then Minister of Labour and Employment, pursuant to the powers vested on him by the provisions of Section 3(2) of the Trade Unions Act, CAP. T14 (LFN) 2004, which states that the minister on his being satisfied that it is expedient to register the union either by regrouping existing trade unions …decided to regroup the NUP and create other unions for retirees with a view to making the unions more effective, considering the myriad of complaints from members against the size and the leadership style of the NUP.

“Arising from the need of the ministry to holistically look at the extant labour laws with the objective of enhancing continued stability, viability, including adequate coverage of the vulnerable groups of retirees as part of constitutional requirements, Dr. Ngige constituted a six-man Technical Working Committee (TWC) to look into the possibility of regrouping the NUP with a view to addressing the issues raised by the different groups.”

Alo explained that with the new registration, the NUP, Federal Civil Service defined, state and local government pensioners, Federal tertiary institutions and state tertiary institution pensioners, Association of Retired Public Servants of Nigeria, Federal corporations, state corporations pensioners, Electricity sector pensioners and other private sector pensioners and contributory pensioners, Federal contributory pensioners, state contributory pensioners, local government contributory pensioners are redefined.

But in his letter to the SGF in response to the letter from the Ministry, Wabba said the Permanent Secretary was being economical with the truth when he said that Ngige’s action was to create a union that would be more effective.

He said: “Section 3(2) of the Trade Unions Act states that ‘…no trade union shall be registered to represent workers or employers in a place where there already exists a trade union’. The former Minister of Labour and Employment, yielding to other interests lesser than noble, violated this section of the law by registering other unions where there already existed the NUP.

“Similarly, pursuant to/enforcement of the provisions of S. 3(2) of the Trade Unions Act, the Supreme Court held in the cases of registered trustees of National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria and Two Others v. Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria [2008) 2 NWLR [Pt. 1072) 575, and Osawe v. Registrar of Trade Unions (I985) l NWLR (Pt. 4) 755, that new unions cannot be registered where there is an existing union.

“Resort is often had to S.40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I999 (as amended) (as is the case in annexure ‘A‘ Page 3 of 4 para 7 (i) to the Permanent Secretary’s letter) as a basis for wanting to create new unions.

“However, we find it necessary to point out that S.40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [as amended) is not absolute but subject to the provisions of S.41 and S.45 of the Constitution. In other words, the right to freedom of association is only exercisable subject to the fulfilment of the conditions spelt out in Ss. 41 and 45.

“And although a sub-section of S. 3(2) of the Trade Unions Act does state that the Honourable Minister ‘on his being satisfied that it is expedient to register the union either by regrouping existing trade unions…’ This power is not without some conditions as per S. 4(4) TUA, which states inter alia: ‘The Registrar shall not register the trade union if it appears to him that any existing trade union is sufficiently representative of the interest of the class of persons whose interest the union is intended to represent.

“The jurisdictional scope of NUP in Part B of the Third Schedule of the Trade Unions Act CAP T.l4 (LFN covers ‘all pensioners from the civil service of the Federation, including local governments, statutory corporations, government-owned companies, educational institutions for which the Government of the Federation is responsible; all such similar establishments, also private sector pensioners’.

“Clearly, the jurisdictional scope of NUP has never been in doubt, and over the years, it has diligently serviced this constituency, in spite of the challenges in the Pension sector.

“We, therefore, do believe it is inappropriate and unlawful to regroup or register new unions in a sector where a union already existed on the basis of a minor dispute arising from an election issue. This will be tantamount to validating vaulting ambition of a select few, driven not by passion for service but filthy lucre and inordinate ambition.

“For instance, one of the promoters of these unions, Temple Ubani, is a former unit chairman at NUP…”