The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Osinbajo: we must scale up intervention in MSMEs sector

    Osinbajo: we must scale up intervention in MSMEs sector

    Our Reporter

     

    In partnership with the private sector, the Federal Government would continue to support innovation and interventions to boost the growth of small businesses across the country, so as to improve the economy and create more employment opportunities for Nigerians, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has said.

    Osinbajo stated this Monday at the first meeting of MSMEs stakeholders for the year 2021.

    The Vice President urged stakeholders in the public and private sectors at the virtual meeting to be innovative in the interventions planned for small businesses across the country, so as to consolidate on the gains recorded in the MSMEs space in the past few years

    Emphasizing on the scale and scope of interventions for the MSME sector, the Vice President noted that, “we must continue to be innovative in the interventions that we plan for MSMEs, because small businesses are the engines of growth of any economy, in the areas of wealth creation and employment opportunities, MSMEs are very important.”

    Continuing, Osinbajo said, “we really have to think out of the box in our engagements going forward. We need to change the way we do many things, we need to look for ways of multiplying our efforts, because the challenges in this space are greater than what we have been able to achieve so far.

    “Of course, we have done a lot, but looking at the numbers in need, you will find out that there is a lot more to be done.”

    Speaking about the implementation of the MSMEs Survival Fund and the impact on the economy, the Vice President said, “the implementation of the Survival Fund by the Federal Government has sent the right signals that MSMEs are an important component of the economy.”

    The Federal Government’s MSMEs Survival Fund grant scheme, which includes Payroll Support, Artisans and Transport support tracks, is a component under the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan, NESP.

    The Survival Fund scheme, designed to cushion the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic especially on the most vulnerable small businesses, is a conditional grant to support vulnerable MSMEs in meeting their payroll obligations and safeguard jobs in the MSMEs sector. The scheme is estimated to save not less than 1.3 million jobs across the country.

    Commending stakeholders for their cooperation and commitment in the implementation of schemes and initiatives in the MSMEs sector, the Vice President said, “working together, we can achieve more in the MSMEs space. I am glad to hear that there is more collaboration among partners and among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.”

    Earlier in her remarks, the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum said the implementation of the Survival Fund across different areas lessened the burden of the pandemic on businesses.

    According to the Minister, “Having impacted over 300,000 beneficiaries under the Payroll Support scheme, paying them N30,000 and N50,000 as at December 2020; and successfully completing the enumeration and disbursement to 166,000 Artisans as at December 2020, the Federal Government, through the Survival Fund, has filled the gap created as a result of the pandemic.”

    She noted that the support provided through the Survival Fund will go a long way in cushioning the impact of the pandemic as observed in comments captured in the testimonies of beneficiaries of the various tracks under the scheme.

    On his part, the Special Adviser on Economic Matters to the President, Ambassador Adeyemi Dipeolu, emphasized the need for stakeholders to seriously consider the possibility of expanding the scope of the MSMEs Clinics to cover more beneficiaries and consolidate past efforts.

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    He noted that having been limited to Nasarawa and Ebonyi States alone in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the secretariat, in line with the directive of the Vice President, intends to take the Clinics to the remaining States of Benue, Imo, Lagos, Gombe, Adamawa and Jigawa, in order to ensure total coverage of the country and prepare the ground for a possible nationwide second round of the Clinics.

    Ambassador Dipeolu said that other initiatives that require improvement in collaboration and scope of implementation include the Shared Facility Scheme which was launched in Benue and Lagos states respectively in 2020, with Anambra and Kaduna waiting in line to be inaugurated. He noted that the scheme has proven to be one of the key products of the MSMEs Clinics that needs to be sustained and expanded.

    In his remark, the Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Mr Kayode Pitan, said partnership with stakeholders grew even stronger in 2020 despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the Bank, working with other stakeholders, will adopt strategies that will grow the MSMEs space in 2021 and beyond through the provision of facilities and other guarantees.

    The Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, who represented the private sector at the meeting, reiterated the commitment of the sector in supporting the Buhari administration’s vision for MSMEs through the various initiatives implemented in the Clinics and Shared Facility Scheme.

    In the same vein, the Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Segun Awolowo, spoke about the collaboration among agencies in the MSMEs space in actualizing the objectives of the Federal Government.

    He said the NEPC would leverage existing and renewed cooperation among agencies to actualize its new project aimed at supporting businesses in overcoming the COVID-19 disruptions, tagged “from pandemic to prosperity”.

    Also, in a brief remark, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said though the COVID-19 pandemic limited the operations of the agency in 2020, some innovations introduced in the wake of the pandemic went a long way in improving its operations and the overall certification of products.

    Other stakeholders, including heads of government agencies, expressed their commitment to work together to impact more businesses in the MSMEs space in 2021.

    Participants at the meeting include the Managing Director of NEXIM Bank, Mr. Abbas Bello; Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Inuwa Abdullahi; the Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Mr Dikko Radda; a representative from  the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Kudu Adamu; Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr Joseph Ari; and Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr Farouk Salim, among others.

     

  • COVID-19: Don fears restricted exports access

    COVID-19: Don fears restricted exports access

    By Daniel Essiet

    A former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof Abiodun Adeloye,  has  expressed concerns of possible exports restriction amid the new wave of COVID-19.

    Speaking with The Nation, Adeloye sees agricultural issues among the major sticking points to  keep  domestic economies safe.

    He expected the coronavirus outbreak to spark a rise in global protectionism as countries seek to secure local supplies.

    Adeloye noted that there was the possibility of countries imposing export restrictions.

    He maintained that there was the need for Nigeria to increase local reserve  of  food  to prepare again any  restrictions  following  protectionism to stimulate domestic industry.

    Last November, COVID-19 new wave shut European Union (EU) market for flower exporters.

  • FG begins activation of non-functional oxygen plants

    FG begins activation of non-functional oxygen plants

    Moses Emorinken, Abuja

     

    The Federal Government has begun the process of repairs and reactivation of non-functional oxygen plants across the country.

    This was in resppnse to increase in demand for oxygen in isolation centres treating and managing severe cases of covid-19 patients.

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, made this known during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Monday.

    He said: “With the increased number of confirmed cases, the number of active cases has increased.

    “As of today, we have 18,699 active cases on treatment both in facility and in the community using the treatment protocols. Many of the active cases may require care in one of the treatment or isolation centres thus imposing enormous burden on our facilities.

    “The report that many of those who died, reported late for treatment at the approved centres because they were referred late from private facilities is alarming.”

    “The plan of the Federal Government regarding activation of oxygen availability in the States is on course with a view to effecting immediate repairs of non-functional oxygen plants.

    “Permit me at this juncture to specifically emphasise on the need to avoid crowding as we see in people under the guise of National Identity Number Enrollment. There is absolutely no cause for this, if only people would voluntarily comply with advisories and guidelines as issued by the Ministry of Communications and its relevant Agency. The Executive Director/CEO of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, explained the government is yet to zero in on the exact cost of the COVID-19 vaccines.

    Stating the cost of the vaccines vary according to manufacturers and are relatively expensive, Shuaib expressed hopes that overtime, the cost of the vaccines would come down.

    He said: “Concerning how we plan to raise the funds for the vaccines, we are trying to cover 70 percent of Nigeria’s population.

    “Because of the collaboration with the COVAX facility, 20 percent out of the 70 percent of the vaccines will be given free of charge to Nigerians. So the balance of 50 percent is what Nigeria will be paying for. We expect to raise the funds from domestic resources.

    “There is no doubt about the fact that these vaccines are expensive. For example the Pfizer vaccine in the open market costs about $35 per dose.

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    “The Moderna vaccine is about $20 per dose. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is about $4 per dose. These are quite expensive vaccines. This is why we are using the opportunity of the COVAX that is giving us up to 20 percent of these vaccines free.

    “From economics, we know that as the demand increases the cost of things also increases. And as demand reduces the cost trickles down. So we are hoping that the cost of these vaccines come down.”

    He added: “In the course of the next few weeks, we believe that there will be more production of the Oxford-AstraZeneca which is cheaper.

    “And by the end of 2021 and 2022, we expect that there will be a ramping up of production and a lot of pharmaceutical companies will have more than it is required because of our need for vaccines.

    “The cost is definitely going to evolve over a period of time. The cost is something that is going to be dynamic.

    “Right now, we have not zeroed in on the total cost, but there are potential estimates of what this might cost.

    “We have not zeroed in on how much it is going to cost. We know that for sure when the vaccines become available those costs are likely going to drop.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ronaldo equals Bican’s record as joint topscorer in history

    Ronaldo equals Bican’s record as joint topscorer in history

    Our Reporter

     

    Cristiano Ronaldo scored the third goal in Juventus’ 3-1 win over Sassuolo on Sunday and with that he became the joint-highest scorer for club and country in the history of the game.

    With 759 career goals, Ronaldo equalled Josef Bican, the Austrian-Czech striker who played between 1931 and 1955.

    In the first week of the year, the Portuguese icon edged past former Brazilian great Pele’s record of 757 official goals. Ronaldo’s long-time rival Lionel Messi is at the fifth spot.

    The 34-year-old is now on the brink of arguably his proudest achievement to date. He needs just one more goal to become the highest-scoring player ever.

     

  • A special festival of carols, nine lessons

    A special festival of carols, nine lessons

    Every year, Christmas is an occasion for sharing love, exchange of gifts, merriments and reconnection. At Nkpologwu, Aguata local government area of Anambra State, the colourful season offered the people an opportunity to do much more, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF

     

    IT’S late December, that special time of the year that often torments with excessive cold, dry winds, haziness and a lot of dust. But in Nkpologwu, Aguata local government area of Anambra State, there was no harmattan to pester the people or rupture their season of revelry. In what some locals termed as an unusual season, the last Christmas Eve sprang into full sunny vivacity earlier than the usual, revving up the festivities already swirling in the air in the ancient kingdom.

    But weather inclemency issues seemed not to matter to celebrants who were already absorbed in ecstasy inherent in a special season characterised by greetings. By 2pm on that joyous Thursday December 24, all paths and roads had led to the expansive playground of the Community Primary School in Nkpologwu, where the locals had converged for the first edition of a special festival of carols and nine lessons. Dressed in resplendent attires to reflect the joyful season, celebrants – men, women, old and young – had come from far and wide, including sons and daughters of Nkpologwu in the diasporas, to witness the special event.

    The festival of carols was advertised to be a memorable event and, as massive turnout suggested, it indeed lived up to people’s expectations. It was facilitated by Acharaugo Foundation to provide an opportunity for reunion and a rallying point for the people of the kingdom to enjoy probably their most colourful Christmas together. In order not to leave anything to chances, Obi Ogonna and other officials of Acharaugo Foundation had joined hands with church leaders and choir members in the three major churches in the peaceful town, working all day to put finishing touches to preparations so as to make the event truly a memorable one. And the turnout was massive as expected, as the playground in the primary school was filled to capacity – with the people outside the expansive tents and canopies almost doubling those under the tents.

    By the time the convoy of Nze Chidi Duru, former two-time member of the House of Representatives, who is the founder of Acharaugo Foundation, stormed the dusty playground where his kith and kin had gathered, the Community Primary School in Nkpologwu erupted into action.  In the midst of ecstatic as crowd were dignitaries such as Reverend Canon Clinton Osinachi Ogbonna, parish priest of Immanuel Church; Reverend Paul Dimude, parish priest of St Michael Church; His Royal Highness Moses Obijikwa Okpalankwa, Obi of Nkpologwu; Ichie Emma Okenyeka, Onowu of Nkpologwu; Prof Romanus Ezeokonkwo, president general of Nkpologwu Progressive Union (NPU); Dr. Ferdinand Ezeiruaku, vice president of NPU; Bhon Enneth Igweneme and Ogonna, chairman and secretary, respectively, Acharaugo Foundation intervention committee.

    Declaring the special festival of carols open, Reverend Ogbonna preached fervently about the necessity for peace, love and unity in the church and in the state as a whole. In his intercessory prayers, Ogbonna, who also presided over the various sessions, beseeched God for prosperity and protection of all indigenes of the kingdom as they moved into the New Year, urging the people to always use the life of Jesus Christ as a compass to guide them in how they run their affairs.

    “Beloved in Christ, at this Christmas-tide, let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels and in heart and mind, to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass and the Baby lying in a manger. Therefore, let us read and mark, in Holy Scripture, the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious redemption brought us by the Holy child. Let us pray for the needy in the whole world; for peace on earth and goodwill among all his people, for unity and brotherhood within the church he came to build, and especially in his this our country Nigeria and, particularly our state Anambra.

    “Let us remember, in His name, the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those that mourn, the lonely and the unloved, the aged and the little children, all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love not or who by sin, have grieved His heart of love. Lastly, let us remember before God, all those who rejoice with us especially those in other parts of the world, whose hope is in the Word made flesh and with whom in the Lord Jesus we are one forever more,” Reverend Ogbonna said in his bidding prayers.

    What followed immediately were carols sung in turn by all the congregants, select individuals, and choirs from the three dominant churches who mounted musical instruments in strategic locations at the venue. And in-between the carols, nine lessons (excerpts from the Bible) were read. Like the carols, each of the nine lessons was also assigned to different individuals to read, all sessions interspersed with prayers. The day’s celebrations culminated in sharing of palliative items, as hundreds of people went home with gifts and other cash donations facilitated by Acharaugo Foundation. Duru, who promised that the special festival would be made permanent as a yearly event, drew a deafening applause when he made cash donation to the three choirs to augment their musical instruments.

    In the past, tales had it that choirs from the three leading churches in Nkpologwu used to visit people’s compounds one by one to sing the carols and savour the merriments, which became more difficult and unsustainable as the once bucolic town has grown in leaps and bounds as a result of developments that have boosted its urbanisation pace. Then, it was practically impossible for any household to play host to the visiting choir members and church leaders for more than five minutes, thus denying them the ample time to sing the carols together on Christmas Eve.

    On December 23, members of Acharaugo Foundation in Aguata local government area had converged on Duru’s country home to share merriments and party together. Thanks to organisational ability of Acharaugo forum’s 27-man leadership structure that spans entire 20 wards in Aguata local government area, many indigenes also smiled home with cash and other empowerment cum palliative items. This, the foundation’s intervention committee said, is another way to give vent to the late Duru’s pastime: impacting his people’s lives in positive ways.

    A day before Acharaugo Foundation delighted the locals with gift and cash items, it was also the turn of the maidens – many of them in their seventies and eighties – to converge in Duru’s family house to felicitate with one another as it was the wont when the late patriarch was alive. And for many that attended the two meetings, it was also a moment of great reunions, especially for some who had not seen one another since the restriction occasioned by advent of Covid-19 and those that used the opportunity of the yuletide to travel down to their roots.

    While explaining the rationale behind distribution of palliative items during yuletide season, Duru said it was in response to the feelers from Acharaugo caregivers in the local government area, which showed that the severe disruptions brought about by the raging Covid-19 pandemic affected his people’s businesses and other means of livelihood. According to the lawyer and entrepreneur, Acharaugo Foundation was founded when his late father, an astute businessman, philanthropist and respected community leader who demised in 2005, was still alive to serve as a canopy for addressing issues verging on community development and people’s welfare. It was birthed in 2001 to provide itself as an empowerment instrument in Nkpologwu and beyond – as a platform for continuing the selfless services of the industrialist long after his demise. Over the years, it is to the credit of the foundation’s scholarships and other generous grants that many people in Aguata local government area and environs are able to actualise their talents, learn skills, establish businesses, and realise their ambition to go to school, find jobs, and solve lingering problems.

    “Growing up, my father ensured we understood why he was doing it (philanthropy). My father, a community leader and entrepreneur in his time, would always say that the wealth that he had and the resources that were available to him were not because he was the smartest or the most hardworking or the fittest. He believed that it was because God, in His wisdom, had chosen to bless him. He therefore made himself an instrument to extend the blessings not just to people in Nkpologwu community but also neighbouring towns and Aba (Abia State) where he formerly resided.”

    But it was not all festivities and merriments alone, as activities climaxed with a tinge of politics. During the festivities, the former federal lawmaker, who was chaired the Privatisation and Commercialisation committee during his time in the House of Representatives, was dragged into the Anambra South All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting, which held in Ekwulobia, Aguata local government area. The meeting, which was called to mend internal wrangling and have zonal cohesion as the state glides into governorship elections later in 2021, resolved to form a formidable front across interest groups in the party towards restoring the party’s fortunes in the zone and to also interface with both Anambra North and South senatorial districts in pursuit of the Anambra South interest towards achieving the turn of Anambra South to produce the next Governor of the state.

    The meeting had in attendance Chief Engr Bart Nwibe (Ugo Igbo), High Chief Engr Johnbosco Onunkwo (Akaekpuchionwa), Hon Sir Azuka Okwuosa (Chinyelugo), Duru, Dr. George Moghalu (Ohamdike), Dr. Chisozie Nwankwo, Chief Paul Orajiaka (Kpakpando), Chief Ben Etiaba, Hon Nestor Okoro, Hon Mrs. Nkechi Nnoli, Hon Theo Nnorom, Chief Hygers Igwebuike, Chief Innocent Obi (Chairman, APC Elders Forum), Chief Zokas Aniazoka, Hon Mrs. Constance Iloh, Prof Orajiaka, Hon Barr Okonkwo Okom, Chief Onyi Uzochukwu (Avenger), Chief Uwaejina Igbokwe (Agbalanze Umuchu), Chief Amobi Nwafor, seven local government chairmen from the zone, state officers from the zone and many other stakeholders from the zone.

    And in what seemed to be an endorsement of Duru’s leadership credentials, the zonal meeting chose him to lead a high-powered committee to interface with the various groups within the party and the state towards forming a united front against the divisive positions that ruined the party’s chances at the polls in the past elections. “I feel honoured to have been deemed fit by elders and leaders of my party, the APC, to chair the committee to reach out to the two senatorial districts to remind them of the commitment to allow Anambra South senatorial district to produce the next governor of the state. This is to make the whole process less acrimonious. We will bring out a candidate that can win the gubernatorial election so that APC can form the next government in Anambra State,” he said.

  • 47 armed Fulanis arrested in Oyo

    47 armed Fulanis arrested in Oyo

    Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan

     

    The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 47 armed Fulani’s in Igangan area of the state.

    The 47 armed men were arrested by men of the State Joint Anti-Crime Security Patrol team codenamed Operation Burst.

    The suspected hoodlums who were caught with guns and other dangerous weapons are allegedly on a reprisal mission in the area.

    They were said to be arrested in a convoy of buses.

    But the Police through the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olugbenga Fadeyi, a Chief Superintendent said the arrested hoodlums claimed that they were trailing some kidnappers who were about to collect ransom from relations of a kidnapped victim.

    He added that investigation has been intensified on the arrest, adding that the suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, Ibadan.

    Fadeyi said “Yes, the arrested Fulani men have been transferred to SCID Iyaganku, Ibadan for discreet investigation.

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    “Though, it was alleged that the Fulani men claimed they were trailing some kidnappers who were about to collect ransom from relations of a kidnapped victim.

    “Investigation intensified on the arrest, please.”

    Sources privy to the situation said the men were arrested in the early hours of Sunday at Ofiki River along Tapa/Igangan road in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state.

    According to unconfirmed sources, the armed Fulani were allegedly invited by their kinsmen to strike in the area following the raid carried out by the men of the Oyo State Security Network Agency known as Operation Amotekun in the axis on Saturday.

    But Amotekun had said it raided the hideouts of kidnappers in the area on Saturday in an operation that lead to the death of three persons while one of officer of the Vigilante Group who also participated in the operation was injured.

    The security outfit said the raid was carried out in collaboration with members of the Miyetti Allah, Vigilante Group, hunters, and others.

    Effort to confirm the report from the Information Officer of Operation Burst also proved abortive as calls wasn’t going through on the line.

    But, the Coordinator of Odua People’s Congress in Oyo State, Rotimi Olumo, confirmed the incident.

    Also the OPC coordinator in Ibarapa Zone, Olanrewaju Ogedengbe, confirmed the story explaining that the armed men were loaded in three buses.

    He said, “Fourty seven of them were arrested at Ofiki River. They were caught with dane guns and after their buses were searched; sophisticated guns, bows, and arrows, charms, catapults, and bullets were also found.

    “Those arrested said they were brought from Ilorin, Iseyin and other places.”

     

     

     

     

  • How to grow economy in 2021

    How to grow economy in 2021

    The Organised Private Sector (OPS) wants the government to fix the nation’s infrastructure, address the education segmant and reduce the electricity tariff regime to make Nigeria’s products competitive, writes Group Business Editor, SIMEON EBULU

    The devastating impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, above everything else, has clearly demonstrated how a resolution of the pandemic will shape the direction of what to expect economically in 2021. How quickly, therefore, the coronnavirus is tamed and prevented from spreading, is sine qua non to projecting the fortunes of the economy and how it will perform every quarter of this year, going forward.

    This is even more so now that the threat of a second wave of the COVID-19 is already in the air. That COVID-19 poses a threat to the economy, in a manner and scale yet to be fathomed, or ascertained is a stark reality. The impacts of the first phase of the virus that resulted in the March-April 2020 lockdown are yet to abate. It is estimated that during the lockdown periods, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) suffered a 34.1 per cent loss, equivalent to USD16 billion. That is why the government had stopped-short of imposing another lockdown, the dread  of the second wave of COVID-19 notwithstanding.

    This is why every talk and projection about the direction of the economy and its growth profile will remain in the realm of conjecture, or ceteris paribus, or other things being equal. As a country however,  with the biggest economy in the African sub-Continent according to International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) certification, and not being a stand-alone entity (since this is a global challenge), we can take solace in the fact that with the production of vaccines to time the COVID-19 mantra, amongst which is the Pfizer variant from the United States in which a Nigerian-trained medical doctor, Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases Specialist, Yale School of Medicine, is reported to have collaborated in developing, and others from China, Russia, and as well from Europe already being shipped and circulated to fight the pandemic, there’s assurance, that all things being equal (they hadly are), there’s hope that something might turn given that the Federal Government on its part, will do the needful.

    LCCI’s agenda for govt

    Nigeria’s foremost private sector trade sector group, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce Industry (LCCI), has called on the government to take stock and take decisive action in specific areas so as to steer the nation’s economy away from recession in which it is already enmeshed. It’s Director-General, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said the government should direct its attention to fixing the nation’s parlous infrastructure and security, amongst others.

    In his words: “The government’s economic focus and priority should be on infrastructure development, health and security, the reason being that Covid-19 pandemic exposed not only the dearth of the nation’s infrastructure but also gaps in our health and security architecture.” Yusuf didn’t just stop there, he also called for the implementation of measures in other critical sectors begging for urgent attention, including job creation.

    Hear him: ” The government should create jobs for our youth, we need competitive infrastructure, steady electricity supply and soft loans to help the entrepreneurs among them to thrive,” pointing out that there’s need to take a second look at our educational sector, so as to encourage entrepreneurial studies and vocational education. Citing India as an example, Yusuf said: “Developing countries such as lndia have instruments that encourage young entrepreneurs, known as ‘hand holding’, where businesses are encouraged with funding and training to ensure they do not go under before they mature and strong enough to stand on their own.

    The LCCI boss, who responded to a set of inquisitions from The Nation, said the government could be held accountable to their promises by always putting their electioneering promises and polices in the front burner through the mass media, social media and the NGO’s and challenging them with verifiable evidence of how they stand with the public To help the economy move forward, Yusuf advocated a drastic cut in what he termed “the huge cost of governance by instilling and ensuring accountability in governance.

    “I believe the Presidential type of government we are operating is expensive, why don’t we try the Parliamentary system? he asked, adding: “We may also limit the number of Advisers and Assistants appointed by public office holders.”

    Yusuf also called for the implementation of part of the Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye report which recommended the reduction of government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), saying adopting the report along that trajectory will be helpful in reducing government expenditures, most especially the recurrent segment, while at the same time freeing substantial financial resources to build infrastructure.

    He faulted the governments’ failure in not heeding the salient recommendations contained in the report. As he put it, “unfortunately, what you find is the creation of more MDAs that are more of money guzzlers than development focused.”

    MAN: spare us from high tariff

    Other sectors have also lent their voices as to what is expected of the government if the economy must rebound and be saved from a lingering recession. The electricity tariff hike and the spate of uncoordinated taxes across the nation’s productive spectrum have also come under criticism with calls on the authority to tread with caution.

    The leadership of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other segment of the Organised Private Sector (OPS), have said increasing electricity tariff at this time would have negative effect on production cost, thus putting Nigerian products at a disadvantage in the export and pricing of finished goods, more so when companies are strategising  to play a role in the just-ratified African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCTFA).

    The Director-General, MAN, Ajayi-Kadir,  expressed fears that the tariff increase will escalate production cost for manufacturers and erode whatever gains that may have been achieved. He argued that the cost reflective tariff being implemented is negatively skewed against MAN members which companies are classified in the ‘D’ category (D1, D2 and D3) where tariff is the highest. The manufacturing sub-sectoral groups with higher energy consumption which include Basic Metal, Iron and Steel and Fabricated Metal Products; Domestic & Industrial, Rubber and Foam; Non-Metallic Mineral Product; and Chemical & Pharmaceuticals sectoral groups would be worse-off,” Ajayi-Kadir said, stressing that the sector should be saved further hardship, as it was yet to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown of last year.

  • Auditor-General queries Ministry of Health over N4.6bn Ebola fund

    Auditor-General queries Ministry of Health over N4.6bn Ebola fund

     Sanni Onogu, Abuja

    The Senate has sustained a query against the Ministry of Health over alleged mismanagement of N4.6 billion meant to fight the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria in 2014.

    The query is contained in the 2015 Auditor General’s report being considered by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts.

    The committee chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide said it had no choice but to sustain the query against the Ministry after it failed to respond to series of invitation meant to give it and opportunity to state its own side about how the money was spent.

    According to Urhoghide: “We have written letters to them, but till now they have refused to appear before the committee thus giving credence to the observation of the Auditor General of the Federation.”

    The query reads: “Following the sudden outbreak of the Ebola scourge/disease in Nigeria and the determination of the Federal Government to contain and control the spread of the disease, a total sum of N4,887,079,750.00 was released to control the Ebola disease.

    “The sum of N1,992,548,500.00 was released on 11th August 2014 while the balance of N2,894,531,250.00 was released on 4th November 2014. The funds were said to be kept in a commercial bank Account Number 0122391169.

    “Information extracted from the Cash Book and copies of Bank Mandates made available to my officers showed that amounts totaling N954,680,339.86 were spent between 20th August and 21st December 2014, on various activities including contract awards for supplies of assorted items, thereby indicating a balance of N3,605,242,575.70 in the account as at 31st December, 2014.

    “Regrettably, these figures could not be authenticated/verified owing to the refusal of the Federal Ministry of Health to release the Wema Bank statement of account, the Bank Reconciliation Statements, relevant payment vouchers and other related documents for my examination, despite several written and verbal requests made for them at various times.

    “The items purportedly procured could not be verified. As such, I cannot confirm that the items were actually supplied, that they conformed with the contract quality specifications and that the elements of economy, efficiency and effectiveness were observed in awarding the contracts.

    “Aside the contracts, there were other expenditures such as Duty Tour Allowances and Trainings, the details of which were equally not made available.

    “Consequently, the Permanent Secretary was requested to kindly release all the documents and records relating to the Ebola Virus Disease Fund (Wema Bank) for my scrutiny, to enable me satisfy myself that the funds were properly spent in accordance with extant regulations and that government actually derived commensurate value for the monies expended.

    “Similarly, the preliminary examination of the Cash Book and the Bank Statement relating to the First Bank Account No. 20238265786 maintained for the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) by the Federal Ministry of Health revealed that amounts totaling N1,193,235,150.77 were paid out to various individuals and corporate entities between January 2014 and June 2015.

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    “However, relevant transaction documents such as payment vouchers relating to these expenditures were not made available to my officers for audit.

    “The Cashbook produced was not properly maintained as specified in the Financial Regulations. The ‘Bank Reconciliation Statement’ presented for audit was also not prepared in accordance with the format in the Financial Regulations.

    “The purported Bank Reconciliation Statement was merely a list of receipts and payments extracted from the Bank Statement.

    “Relevant transaction documents such as payment vouchers, invoices, award letters, Stores Receipt Vouchers, etc, relating to the expenditures were not produced for audit.

    “Therefore, I am unable to certify that these transactions were properly conducted in the interest of the Federal Government.

    “The Permanent Secretary has been requested to produce all the Payment Vouchers and other documents relating to this account for the period January 2014 – December 2015 for my examination, in line with Section 85(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Financial Regulation 110.

    “All the issues were brought to the attention of the Permanent Secretary through my Audit Inspection Report referenced OAuGF/HAAD/FMOA/16/011 and dated 7th September 2016. His response is still being awaited.”

  • Tale of three bishops

    Tale of three bishops

    By Emeka Omeihe

    The last week of December 2020 appears one the Catholic Church in Nigeria will not easily forget for a long time to come. A number of disparate events ranging from the good, the bad and the ugly involving three of its Bishops in parts of the country seemed to have combined to carve out a special place for that year in the annals of the Catholic Church in this country.

    First was the Christmas message of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassam Kukah in which he dealt extensively with the challenges bedevilling the country. The very elaborate and all-embracing message touched on virtually all issues of concern currently vitiating attempts by the current leadership to find the right mix of solutions to the debilitating challenges that have cast a pall of insecurity across the country and left our citizens hewers of wood and fetchers of water in spite of vast natural endowments.

    Kukah in that message said among others that the “prospects of a failed state stare us in the face: endless bloodletting, a collapsing economy, social anomie, domestic and community violence, kidnapping and armed robbery etc. Beyond the pall of politics, very prominent northerners with a conscience have raised the red flag pointing out the consequences of President Buhari’s nepotism on national cohesion and trust”.

    Of all the issues Bishop Kukah raised, none appeared to have stirred much controversy as his position on the nepotic disposition of the Buhari administration. Hear him: “Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way any non-Northern Muslim President could have done a fraction of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten away with it. There would been a military coup a long time ago or we would have been at war”.

    Expectedly, the statement was given varying colourations depending on the side it was coming from. While government apologists are quick to assign a dubious motive of regime change, albeit unconstitutionally to the statement, others view it beyond such narrow confines. Some of the views saw the statement as outright partisan politics querying the propriety of mixing religion with politics. Others went to the very extreme of suggesting that the Bishop should drop his robe and venture into politics for failing to adhere to the distinction St Augustine made on his allegory of the two cities- the city of God and the city of man.

    But then, even with attempts by early philosophers to make a distinction between the corporeal and the ecclesiastical realms, the reality in contemporary world is that there is a thin line between the two. They complement each other. Both the government and the Church exist to promote the good of the society and there is a point where these interests converge. At any rate, what is left of the church if it fails to speak truth to power when it matters most?

    The language may seem controversial especially with such terms as ‘Non-northern Muslim President’ and ‘coup’. But there is no better way of capturing the futuristic message it is meant to serve. The problem those who called out attack dogs against Kukah have with that aspect of the message lies in their inability to decipher its metaphoric content. Theirs is just an ordinary interpretation of the statement apparently from the mind-set of regime protection. But that is not all there is to it.

    The value of the comparison lies more on its heuristics for the future than the present. Therefore those who are quick to impute a motive to overthrow the government to that statement lost the message. Kukah is projecting into the future that someday, a non- northern Muslim would emerge as the president of this country. He is pricking our collective consciences to the possibility of a southern Christian president emerging in the Nigerian political scene. It has happened before and there is no reason why it will not happen again.

    Kukah was just on a voyage on scenario building. He is worried whether the country will accept to live with the crass and unbridled nepotic acts for which the Buhari regime has become notorious if they manifest when a non-Muslim southern president is on the saddle?  There are two future challenges arising from this. The first is that an incoming president would definitely move to dilute these skewed appointments and other vestiges of nepotism to make for fairness and balance. The other scenario is that since Buhari has set the precedent and it went well with the section of the country he comes from, a southern Christian president will have no qualms repeating the same. He will be at liberty to select most of his service chiefs, the leadership of paramilitary organizations and his personal staff from one part of the country and all will be well with it. Kukah foresees a danger in that scenario playing out. He was therefore doing a great deal of favour by pointing out the foreboding danger.

    And unless we are prepared to tolerate such crass mismanagement of our diversities in the future, unless we are prepared to sacrifice nation building, all right thinking people should appreciate the good the Bishop has done to the corporate fate of this country by pointing out the perilous path to our nationhood that awaits us. All he said in that message are already within the public domain. Those calling for his head do not love this country that is buffeted in all angles by all manner of debilitating challenges.

    But as agents of the government were busy attacking Kukah for drawing attention to the degenerate security situation, the Catholic Church was assailed from another quarter when the Auxiliary Bishop of Owerri Diocese, Most Rev. Moses Chikwe was abducted in the most callous manner by kidnappers. Though Catholic priests have severally been victims of serial kidnapping in parts of the country with some of them paying the supreme sacrifice, that was the first time a Catholic clergy of that rank was being kidnapped since the ‘kidnapping crime’ crept into the list our national misdeeds

    The news shook the Catholic faithful to the marrows especially given that the Bishop was fully dressed in his religious regalia thus ruling out the issue of mistaken identity. That singular kidnap ruffled public sensibilities a great deal especially given the sentiments that go with anything that is bound to inflict mortal harm on such revered church leaders.

    Soon, conspiracy theories began to have a field day. But a lethal poison was injected into such speculations when an online social media platform claimed that the Bishop’s body had been found with his head decapitated. This generated serious fury and another round of speculations given what we know in this country of that manner of killings.

    The Catholic ArchBishop of Owerri, Most Rev. A.J.V. Obinna was swift in saving the day with a press statement denying the report and asking for fervent prayers for the release of Chikwe and his drivers by their abductors. As luck would have it, the duo regained their freedom barely two days after the dangerous fake news. This put paid to all the theories that hitherto competed for acceptance as to the motive behind the abduction of the Bishop.

    Even as the Bishop has been released, it is important that the said online medium be made to account for the source of that fake story. The story was definitely crafted to cause public disorder given the sentiments that are bound to be ruffled by that manner of killing in a predominantly Christian setting. We thank God nothing of such happened.

    But it takes demented people to kidnap a Catholic Bishop or even any clergy man given their special call of duty. It is even worse that such a senseless and dehumanizing treatment could be given to a Bishop in a milieu that is predominantly of Christians.

    As the kidnapped Bishop was still in the dungeon of the criminals, the sad news filtered of the demise on December 29, 2020 of Bishop Emeritus and pioneer Catholic Bishop of Orlu Diocese, Most Rev. Gregory Obinna Ochiagha at the age of 88 years. He was ordained a priest in 1960 and served as the Catholic Bishop of Orlu from 1981 till 2008. As the pioneer bishop of the Orlu Diocese, his name is almost synonymous with the Diocese. May his soul rest in peace! Such was the tale of the three Catholic Bishops in the last week of last year.

  • Sokoto to tackle environmental challenges

    Sokoto to tackle environmental challenges

     Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

     

    TO ensure erosion and land degradation-free environment, Sokoto State government has embarked on tree planting, drainage and proper town planning programmes and projects under the NEWMAP strategic partnership programme.

    Emphasising its commitment at the inauguration of Mabera Area Storm Water Project in Sokoto, the Commissioner for Environment Sagir Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa said it was the duty of the state government to fashion out ways of protecting the environment from devastation, public lives and livelihood.

    The Commissioner said: “We want to tackle soil erosion, floods and other environmental challenges affecting infrastructure.”

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    He said the Mabera Storm Water management works project being jointly supported by the state government and the World Bank consisted of 18.5km drainage of various capacities across six major locations that include Mabera Jelani, Mabera Iddi, Nakasarin Barebari, Nakasarin Magaji, Salame and Trade Fair areas.

    “All these are geared towards tackling flood problems of the environment, especially land degradation.” he said.