President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday presided over the meeting of Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the Presidential Villa, Abuja
The meeting which was shifted from Wednesday, Oct. 25 to Oct. 26, started at about 11 a.m.
It is being attended by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Habiba Lawal, and cabinet ministers.
Gathered that the 2018 budget might be the sole agenda to be deliberated upon at the meeting.
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The Federal Government( FG ) on has terminated payment of Outline Business Case (OBC) and Full Business Case (FBC) Compliance Certification fees with effect from Oct. 19.
Mr Chidi Izuwah, the Acting Director, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission ( ICRC ) announced this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
Izuwah, the Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, directed that all Public Private Partnership (PPP) stakeholders in Ministries, Departments and Agencies ( MDAs ) of the government should immediately discontinue payment of the fees.
According to him, removal of the OBC and FBC fees will ease doing business on PPP procurement by MDAs in line with the change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“It is hoped that this will provide the needed impetus to MDAs and other key stakeholders in the development and deployment of an avalanche of PPP projects,’’ he said.
Izuwah explained that the decision by the government was in accordance with the high cost of PPP project preparation in the country.
He said “this follows a feedback from stakeholders and potential investors with respect to the cost and procedure of Public Private Partnership (PPP) project preparation.
“It is in a bid to give additional push to the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, policy of the current administration that the ICRC initiated steps aimed at mitigating the bottlenecks that impede the successful conclusion of PPP projects’’.
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Munachi Ernest-Eze is back in contention for his second Cowbellpedia title.
The SS2 pupil of Loyola Jesuit College, Gidan-Mangoro, Abuja, won the junior category of the 2015 Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show run by Promasidor Nigeria Ltd.
Ernest-Eze will be competing against Tomiwa Olatunbosun of Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State and four others in the finals holding November 4.
He hopes to win the crown again, saying he has worked and prayed for it.
“I thank God for the journey so far. I am here to tell Nigerians that I am a champion and I will be champion again this year. I have worked, prayed and I am waiting for the crown,” he said.
In the junior category, Ezekiel Ekanem of Advanced Breed Comprehensive College, Sagamu, Ogun State has booked a space in the final along with Oluwafemi Adeyanju of Jesuit Memorial College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
They staved off stiff contest from Henry Famuyiwa of Model Secondary School, Alagbaka, Akure, Ondo State and Deborah Oyekunle of Deeper Life School, Ibadan; Ayomiposi Adeleye of Federal Government Academy, Suleja; and Godwin Terzulum of Government Science and Technical College, Garagboghol, Benue State.
Adeyanju thanked God for surviving the tough encounter and promised to work more on his speed and accuracy at the final battle. “I cannot thank God enough. My mind is now settled and I can focus and concentrate all my energy to winning the final stage and wear the crown. My parents will be very happy,” he remarked.
Winners of both categories will get N1 million each and an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country; while the first and second runners-up get N750,000 and N500,000.
Teachers of the top three winners in each category will get N400,000, N300,000 and N200,000 each while their schools will be rewarded with Mathematics textbooks, desktop computers and printers.
Human Intelligence has indicated that the wife of Boko Haram leader, Malama Fitdasi Shekau, appeared to have been killed in recent successful airstrikes on Durwawa settlement on the outskirts of Urga, near Konduga.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to Adesanya, Fitdasi was reported to have been representing her husband in a coordinating meeting with other insurgents at the location of the airstrikes.
He said NAF had carried out aerial attacks on large number of insurgents at Durwawa on Oct. 19.
“Battle Damage Assessment had indeed revealed that the aerial attack set off a fire, causing damage to the insurgents’ structures within the settlement.
“The airstrike also succeeded in neutralising most of the insurgents with a few of them fleeing the location,” he said.
Adesanya said further that efforts were ongoing to confirm the reported killing of Shekau’s wife, alongside other insurgents.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday again fixed Oct.31 for former President Goodluck Jonathan to appear before it as a defendant witness in the N400 million criminal suit filed against Olisa Metuh.
Metuh, a former National Publicity of PDP is seeking the appearance of the ex-president to open his defence in the N400 million fraud suit brought against him by the EFCC.
Justice Okon Abang made the bench ruling when the ex-president was not in court to honour the subpoena of the trial court to testify.
“It is clear that His Excellency, the former President Goodluck Jonathan is not in court in compliance with the Oct.3 order of the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
“We have however, seen from the record that his absence could not have been his fault as the bailiff is unable to serve him with enrolment order to that effect.
“In the light of that, the matter is adjourned until Oct.31 to enable this service to be made. However, if serving personally fails again, he would be served by substituted means.
“After due diligence, the court would ensure that the law takes it course if the former president refuses to honour the subpoena,’’ he held.
Ruling on retired Col.Sambo Dasuki’s absence also, Abang held that the court was aware that Dasuki was in custody of the Federal Government.
He therefore, gave an order compelling the Director- General of the Department of State Service (DSS) to ensure Dasuki’s appearance in the court on the next adjourned date.
The judge held that the law frowned at subpoenaed persons who turned down the order to appear in court to testify in a matter for which such subpoena was issued.
Abang said a deliberate violation of subpoena carried jail term of not less than two months and a fine of N10, 000.
“Let me state here that this subpoena in question was not the contemplation of the court, rather the first defendant (Olisa Metuh) had applied for it. It was only issued by the court,’’ he said.
In a related development, Abang had struck out the application by the former National Security Adviser to be discharged as a defence witness in the trial.
The judge held that the application lacked merit and incompetent, adding that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain or review the pronouncement of the Appeal Court.
“From the argument of the applicant (Dasuki), it seems he is dissatisfied with the judgment of the Appeal Court, if this is so, he knows where to go, what to do, certainly not to come before this court.
“This is legal impossibility. This court has no such jurisdiction. I agreed with the prosecution counsel who said it will amount to judicial anarchy if the application was granted.
“I have no jurisdiction to entertain the application on its merit. There is no life in the application. It is incompetent and accordingly struck out’, Abang held.
Abang had in his bench ruling on Oct.24 held that both the former President Jonathan and the former NSA should appear before the court on Oct.25 as defendant witnesses to Metuh.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Oct.3 granted an application filed by Metuh, to compel the duo to testify in the N400 million fraud charge brought against the applicant.
The National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ) says the Gross Domestic Product( GDP ) in real terms dellined in the third and fourth quarters of 2016.
The NBS made this known in its “Nigerian Gross Domestic Product( GDP ) Report on Expenditure and Income Approach for the third and fourth quarter of 2016 released in Abuja.
According to the report, the decline followed the negative growth trend from the first half of 2016.
It explained that the household consumption and government consumption expenditures led to the decrease in GDP in both the third and fourth quarter of the year under review.
The bureau,however, stated that a strong recovery in growth in net exports, particularly in the fourth quarter helped to stem the decline.
According to the report, the National Disposable Income recorded a strong growth in comparison to the GDP in the second half of 2016 in real terms.
This it said was partly as a result of increases in other net transfers from the rest of the World .
The report stated that Year on Year growth in Domestic Compensation of Employees in real terms declined.
The bureau further said that the operating surplus declined in the third and fourth quarters but grew overall in real terms in 2016.
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The Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday called on government at all levels to give priority to education and empowerment of women and children.
Buhari made this call in Abuja at the International Sheroes Forum with the theme: “Advancing women’s roles in business leadership and governance.”
Buhari, who was represented by the Wife of the Nasarawa State Governor, Hajiya Salamatu Al-Makura, said that education is the foundation for empowerment of women and children to achieve gender equality.
“We need to come together by supporting and encouraging each other in creating positive impact by empowering women and girls.
“I believe education is the foundation for empowerment of women and children, especially the girl child.
“I wish to call on government at all level and Non Governmental Organisation to ensure that issues that has to do with the right of women and the less privileged empowerment is mainstreamed.
“We have to come together as partners to confront gender inequality.
“We need to work with government, Civil Society and private sector to address the underlying bias and social norms that permit women and girls to be treated as lesser breed than men and boys.
“We still have a long way to go in terms of enjoying a gender equal world; we also need to be vigilant against sliding back on progress already made,” she said.
She said that there can be a change through legislation by working on the design progressive laws and ensuring that the laws are effectively implemented in other to be truly successful in the goals of equality.
However, Ms. Comfort Lamptey United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, said that the conference needs relevant stakeholders to get the desired equality.
Lamptey, who was represented by Adji Ndiaye, Deputy Country Representative, said that women in Africa were grossly marginalised, stating that Nigeria has the lowest level of representation in Africa.
She said that the main objective of UN women was to close the gap of marginalisation, saying that in 2019 election women should invest in political participation.
Sen. Jewel Taylor, Vice Presidential Candidate, Liberia, said that women in Africa should create a national fund to assist in increasing women participation in politics.
“We can begin to raise funding to get women in national governance because that is the button line, we have to put our money where our mouths are.”
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The National Council on Privatization (NCP) on Tuesday opened bids of nine firms that were jostling for technical consultancy for power sector monitoring.
Besides, eight firms, including the University of Jos competed for investing in five subsidiaries of the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC).
During the bidding, University of Jos, offered N30million for Naraguta Bricks & Clay Company Jos- Core Investor Sale, although it was said to be below the reserved price.
PWC offered N34,216,000 for lot six comprising Geregu Generation Company Limited –Thermal, Ughelli Generation Company Limited – Thermal, Sapele Generation Company Limited – Thermal, Afam Generation Company Limited – Thermal and Egbin Power Plant, Ikorodu, Lagos.
The NCP Technical Committee chairman, Mr M.K. Ahmed moderated the bidding proceedings in Abuja.
At the end of the proceedings, according to the Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Alex Okoh, at least four to six firms would emerge after the equalisation of the technical and financial results.
He added that “Thereafter, results will be recommended to the NCP for approval. The Bureau will then commence negotiation of the contract terms with the firms that subsequently emerge from this process.”
Ahmed had said that the bids were submitted by prospective investors for Maiduguri Bricks, Naraguta Bricks, NIMCO Terrazo, Gano Quarry and Kujama Quarry and technical consultants for power sector monitoring.
The Technical Committee chairman noted that “There are eight companies bidding for the five subsidiaries of NMC. We are also opening of the financial proposals of the nine firms that have been pre-qualified to move to this stage of the procurement process to engage technical consultancy service for the monitoring of the privatised Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Successor Companies (SCs).”
He was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Restructuring, Mrs. Ime Okon, who told journalists that the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) would compute the bids results and send them to the NCP for approval.
Asked to state the conclusion of the bids, he said that “What I understand from what we have just done now is that all the results will be computed and sent to the National Council on Privatization (NCP) for final approval.”
During the exercise, some of the firms bided in foreign currency which the moderator said would be converted with the current exchange rates.
The five subsidiaries of the NMC companies for which financial bids will be opened yesterday were : *Naraguta Bricks & Clay Company Ltd, Jos Plateau State
*Maiduguri Bricks & Clay Products Ltd, Maiduguri *Terrazzo Company Limited (NTL), Gurum, Jos, Plateau State *Kujama Quarry, Kaduna *Gano Quarry, Kano State.
The power companies that were offered for bidding were Lot one that included Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc.
Lot two included: Benin Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc.
Lot three that comprised Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company Plc. Lot four included Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company Plc’ Kano Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Yola Electricity Distribution Company Plc. Lot five consisted of
Kainji Hydro Electric Power Plc and Shiroro Hydro Electric Power Plc. Meanwhile, other six comprised Geregu Generation Company Limited –Thermal, Ughelli Generation Company Limited – Thermal, Sapele Generation Company Limited – Thermal, Afam Generation Company Limited – Thermal and Egbin Power Plant, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Ahmed said that at the deadline for the submission of technical and financial proposals, BPE received seventeen proposals from the under-listed firms.
The technical proposals were evaluated in the presence of the Department of State Security Service and the BPE Anti-Corruption Unit officials.
He said that PWC scored 91.7, Halcrow Infrastructure Ltd scored 85.3, Indra/Sigrum Africa Ltd scored,
82, Fluentgrid Ltd (formerly known as Phoneix Powering Utilities)
81.88, Emtech Energy Services Ltd s scored 81.8, Alsdur Ltd scored 80.32, Feedback Infra Private Ltd., India & Derekson Ltd. Nigeria scored 78.12, Energy People/Nextier Consulting scored 77.77 and Pakistan Engineering Services (PVT) Ltd. & OskanJo & Partners Ltd scored 75.28.
From the expression of interest for the GENCO the bidders were ranked as follows:
PWC 92.42, Halcrow Infrastructure Ltd 84.27, Fluentgrid Ltd (formerly known as Phoneix Powering Utilities) 82, Indra/Sigrum Africa Ltd, 80.44 and Energy People/Nextier Consulting 77.14.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, said Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) lost over N500 million to activities of vandals in Abuja, Nasarawa, Kogi and Niger from January to date.
Idris made this known while inaugurating the Anti-Electricity Vandalism Response Squad (AEVRS) on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that 233 cases of vandalism were recorded in the area during the period.
He, however, said that over the years, the police did a lot to prevent vandals from destroying electricity installations across the country.
“With the worsening state of the situation, it has become expedient to urgently develop an improved strategy to better protect the nation`s critical electricity infrastructure,” the police boss said.
He added that the creation of AEVRS became necessary because the traditional methods deployed were not enough to adequately guarantee their safety.
He explained that the unit was specifically dedicated to the protection of electrical installations among others.
Idris said that to ensure that no part of the country was left out of the strategy, commissioners of police in all the states had been directed to liaise with electricity distribution companies in their states.
He said that policemen deployed to the unit would undergo specialised training to update their skills.
“In addition, the unit is subject to routine monitoring and evaluation to ensure they remain focused,“ he said.
Earlier, the Managing Director of AEDC, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, had said that the company recorded 89 cases of vandalism in 2016, adding that the figure doubled in 2017.
“Between January and September, 233 cases of vandalism have been reported within our franchise area,” he added.
He also said that the company spent N195 million to replace vandalised items during the period.
Mupwaya said that the implication of the “unfortunate situation is that money which ought to be used for acquiring new assets will be channelled to replacing vandalised equipment’’.
He restated the company`s preparedness to ensure that all bottlenecks impeding supply of electricity to customers were removed.
The Chairman, Board of Directors, AEDC, Mr Shehu Malami, said that the rising cases of vandalism of power equipment was a major threat to efficient electricity generation and distribution in the country.
He said that the company was committed to work with all stakeholders to improve power supply to customers within its franchise areas.
“I am also using this opportunity to call on members of the public to join hands with us in this partnership with the police to tackle this menace,“ he said.
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The Nigeria Police Force, says it has sanctioned 20 personnel involved in corruption between Jan. 2016 and Jun. 2017 in four states.
A report obtained from the Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit indicated that those sanctioned served in Enugu, Abuja, Ogun and Lagos commands.
It indicated that 10 policemen were dismissed during the period, one given severe reprimand, one demoted, and eight given other forms of punishment.
The report showed that 4, 342 complaints were received by the unit during the period under review, out of which 3,602 were amicably resolved and 318 pending.
It added that 422 complaints received by the unit were discovered to be false.
Read also: Police to conduct autopsy on Kogi’s Soje
According to the report, the 106 distress calls received by the unit during the period under review were not part of the complaints captured in the report.
The unit was established in November 2015 to receive and resolve cases of professional misconduct brought against police personnel.
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