The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja

  • UNDP pledges support for Peace Commission Bill passage

    UNDP pledges support for Peace Commission Bill passage

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged its support to the passage of the National Commission for Peace Reconciliation and Mediation Bill currently before the National Assembly.

    A statement by Dr. Godwin Ichimi, Program Officer to Sen. Shehu Sani, sponsor of the Bill, in Abuja on Wednesday said Senate Committee of Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters would organize a workshop with UNDP on the bill.

    The bill has passed second reading and has been slated for public hearing.

    According to statement, the workshop will be organised to ensure that the bill enjoyed the confidence and support of citizens through useful inputs by way of position papers, memoranda and presentations.

    It said that workshop had been slated for Monday and Tuesday and was intended to strengthen civic participation.

    It also stated that the workshop would provide opportunity for deepening the scope for conflict prevention, peace building and post-conflict reconstruction and provide framework for a more coordinated approach for promoting peace.

    “The specific objectives of the workshop are to galvanize the perspectives of various key stakeholders in Nigeria on what should be in the contents of the draft bill.

    “This will be done through position papers, memoranda and presentations at the workshop and public hearing.

    “The workshop will also help to collate and analyse the position papers and memoranda presented by key stakeholders in Nigeria.

    “It will also help to organise a forum to share experience on best practice, benefits, and challenges of similar commissions in Africa.

    “It will equally provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to interact with the members of Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and aggregate key issues, concerns, challenges about the Bill.

    “It will further elucidate the benefits of establishing a National Commission for Peace, Reconciliation and Mediation in Nigeria and make useful recommendations to improve on the draft bill.

    “The workshop will include presentations, plenary sessions and syndicate sessions where participants will consider sections of the bill vis-a-vis related Acts of Parliament in other countries particularly Ghana, Kenya and South Africa,” it stated.

    The statement noted that the bill, when passed, would be a bold and pragmatic step towards proffering sustainable and predictable responses to issues that result into conflict and violence in Nigeria.

    It further stated that participants would be drawn from socio-political groups, experts on Peace and Conflict Resolutions, civil society organizations, traditional rulers as well as federal and state governments.

  • Osinbajo receives Togolese President in Aso Rock

    Osinbajo receives Togolese President in Aso Rock

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday evening received the President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo in his office at the State House, Abuja.

    The meeting was shortly after Osinbajo received a message from the President of the Republic of Niger, Issoufou Mahamadou.

    The message was delivered by the Minister of Petroleum of the Republic Niger, Foumakoye Gado.

    Details of the meetings were still unknown at the time of filing this report.

    No official statement concerning the two meetings have been issued as at press time.

     

  • Immigration recalls dismissed officer

    Immigration recalls dismissed officer

     

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), on Wednesday, submitted a Memorandum of Settlement to the National Industrial Court, Abuja, on agreement reached to reinstate Mr Sule Abdul, dismissed in 2015.
    Counsel to the NIS, Mr Usman Awachi, told the court that it had reached this agreement with the claimant, and would like the court to adopt same as judgment.
    It would be recalled that Abdul, an Immigration Assistant, dragged his employer to court, contesting his illegal dismissal over alleged misconduct in 2015.
    Both parties, however, had urged the court to grant them leave to explore settlement in the matter.
    Counsel to the claimant, Mr Iheanyichukwu Maraizu, confirmed the settlement and urged the court to enter it as judgment.
    The judge, Justice Ebeye Isele, adopted the Memorandum of Settlement as judgment and entered it accordingly.

  • Boko Haram: Court rules on Ndume’s no- case submission July 4

    Boko Haram: Court rules on Ndume’s no- case submission July 4

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed July 4, to rule on a no-case-submission filed by Sen. Ali Ndume (APC-Borno),who is standing trial for allegedly sponsoring terrorism.

    The Federal Government arraigned Ndume in 2011 and re-arraigned him in 2013 on a four-count charge of allegedly sponsoring the Boko Haram sect.

    The offence according to the Federal Government, contravened Sections 3, 4 and 7 of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011.

    Ndume , however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    When the matter was called on Tuesday for counsel to adopt their addresses, Mr Ricky Tarfa (SAN), counsel to Ndume , told Justice Gabriel Kolawole that the Federal Government had not established a prima facie case against his client.

    He also stated that the government was unable to link Ndume to the said crime.

    Tarfa maintained that the prosecution had failed to proof beyond reasonable doubt, the charges brought against him since Nov. 30,2011.

    He admitted that he had contact with the Boko Haram sect but that the contact was established when he was appointed into the Presidential Committee on Security Matters to negotiate for peace with the terrorist group.

    He said that the charges against him were unjust and unfair since he gave the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo and the then Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), all the information he got from the sect.

    He also told the court that the charge of failure to disclose information on the workings of Boko Haram could not be sustained against him.

    “Clearly, from the totality of the evidence adduced by the prosecution, the ingredients of the charges have not been proved as required by law.

    “The analysis of the mobile phones seized from the defendant and subjected to forensic examination by the prosecution did not reveal any offence committed,” Tarfa said.

    He asked the court to strike out the charges against Ndume on the grounds that no prima facie case had been established against him to warrant him defending himself.

    On her part, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Geraldine Okafor, urged the court to compel Ndume to open his defence on the grounds that government’s witnesses had effectively linked him to the crime.

    Okafor said that the charges against the senator had to do with the failure to disclose material information to security agents on Boko Haram and rendering support to the terrorist group.

    She said that Ndume, in his own statement tendered and admitted in court, confirmed that he had enormous information on Boko Haram, but refused to disclose the information to the government.

    According to her, credible evidences adduced by the prosecution witnesses have been corroborated by the defendant himself in the three statements he made to security agents.

    “His admission that he was a member of the Presidential Committee on Security Matters also corroborates the evidence of the prosecution that he had volumes of information on the terrorist group which he refused to give to the government.

    “The volume of information found on him was revealing and warranted his being charged to court.

    “The prosecution is not fishing for information but in law, the defendant has to offer information being a member of the Presidential Committee on Security Matters.

    “Let the point be made here that witnesses of the government have by one way or the other linked the charge against the defendant to him and this court, as an impartial court, should order the defendant to open his defence.

    “It is even in the interest of the defendant and justice that this case be heard on its merit, instead of upholding the no-case submission.”

    The judge fixed July 4 for ruling on the matter.

     

  • Fuel consumers relive experience at NNPC mega station

    Fuel consumers relive experience at NNPC mega station

    Customers of the NNPC Mega Station located in the Central Business District, Abuja, had a stressful evening on Monday getting served because the station was dispensing petrol from only two pumps.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that she spent almost one hour from 6.08 p.m. at the station before buying the commodity.

    However, the situation was different at others stations within the city centre in the nation’s capital.

    At the Forte Petrol Station adjacent to the Mega Station, motorists drove in and out freely within a few minutes.

    On the reason for the development, two attendants at the Mega Station told NAN that the other pumps numbering about 18 had run dry.

    They said that the station did not sell petrol to its numerous customers in the afternoon as the white product was not available then.

    “We are selling from only two pumps because there is no petrol in the other pumps; we did not even sell in the afternoon; it is only now that they are discharging petrol for us.

    “But now that they are discharging petrol, we will sell all through the night” one of the attendants said.

    Efforts to find out the reason for the situation through a phone call to one of the three telephone numbers displayed at the station were unsuccessful as the number was said to be switched off.

    The station manager was also not available to speak with NAN.

    Most of the customers expressed their dissatisfaction at having to spend so much time at the station after a hard day’s job, especially as other stations had no fuel scarcity.

    Several phone calls to the spokesman for the Department of Petroleum Resources, the regulator, went unanswered.

    The situation might be panic buying on the part of consumers and this may not be unconnected to the recommendation by the Senate last week that N5 be added to every litre of petrol imported.

    The addition, which Senate President Bukola Saraki had said would not cause an increase in the pump price, was to be ploughed back to the system for road maintenance.

  • NASS will help to improve business environment – Dogara

    NASS will help to improve business environment – Dogara

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, has assured that the National Assembly will act on legislations that will improve Nigeria’s business environment.

    Dogara gave the assurance on Monday in his remarks at the one year anniversary of National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable (NASSBER) in Abuja.

    He commended NASSBER for the successes it had achieved over the last one year, saying that the group’s efforts would lead to robust and responsive private sector.

    “Looking back the last 12 months, NASSBER is but a success story of novel synergy, dialogue and engagement between the legislature, development partner, the private sector, the bench and citizens.

    “The National Assembly will continue to play a central role not only in governance but also ensuring that we deliberate and act on frameworks that will improve Nigeria’s business environment.

    “This we will do through the review of relevant legislations and provisions of the constitution.

    “A little over a year ago when NASSBER was inaugurated, we were very confident it was the right step to take if we were indeed committed to bringing our economy out of recession, and stimulating long term economic growth.”

    Dogara urged members of the NASSBER Committees to provide the strategic guidance needed to move the roundtable initiative forward.

    He added that they were on course to having the law as a proactive instrument to promote development and, therefore, influence and change present realities.

    The speaker congratulated DFID ENABLE project, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), and the Nigerian Bar Association – Session on Business Law (NBA-SBL) for their service to the nation through the project.

    He said that the outcome of their efforts will lead to an agile private sector that could respond to global opportunities.

    “As a result of this effort, I am more confident that our economy would attract ‘agile private sector that can innovate and respond to global opportunities’ as contemplated in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of this government,” he said.

    The speaker also commended the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, for demonstrating leadership and an unwavering commitment to the NASSBER process.

  • NNPC promises to support gas flare out law

    NNPC promises to support gas flare out law

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that it has put in place measures and facilities to curb gas flaring preparatory to the 2020 flare out deadline by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

    NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Mr. Yusuf Matashi, made this submission during a one-day public hearing on Gas Flaring Prohibition Bill 2017, at the National Assembly in Abuja.

    It Group Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Commission, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

    According to the statement, Baru expressed NNPC’s strong support for the legislation to reduce gas flaring, adding that the Corporation considered the legislation from the financial benefits it promises to capture rather than seeing it from the point of view of penalty.

    “NNPC supports the legislative intervention to prohibit gas flaring in line with global best practices, considering its negative impacts on the environment and the communities where the gas is flared.

    PDC, the Exploration and Production arm of the Corporation, is going ahead to see that the monetization of flared gas is realised despite the challenges of the past,” Baru stated.

    He informed that NPDC was the highest gas supplier to Nigerian domestic market and was therefore committed to the reduction and elimination of gas flaring to generate more revenue for the country.

    Earlier, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who was represented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Nallah, while declaring open the public hearing said the issue of gas flaring was a national embarrassment adding that the 8th Senate was committed to enacting a legislation that would end gas flaring in the country.

    “Gas flaring is as old as crude oil exploration in the country. We are, therefore, committed to this legislation which seeks to put an end to gas flaring which has deprived the nation of huge revenue, impacted the lives of oil producing areas negatively and depleted the ozone layers,” Dr. Saraki averred.

    On his part, the Senate Committee Chairman on Gas, Senator Albert Bassey, stated that the Gas Flaring Prohibition Bill 2017 served as a legislative panacea to end gas flaring in the country.

    He said the public hearing was to collate views of relevant stakeholders that would enrich the bill and find a lasting solution to the challenge of gas flaring in line with the Paris Agreement on a clean environment and World Bank 2030 flare out deadline.

  • MTN holds customer forum in Abuja

    MTN Nigeria has restated its commitment to providing world class service to its over 60 million subscribers nationwide.

    At a special customer engagement forum at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, tagged “An Evening to Connect”, the Chief Operating Officer, Muhammad Zia Siddiqui, said: “Beyond our various customer touch points, we cherish moments such as this, when we have one-on-one interactions with our customers. One of the things MTN is doing more this year, is listening, celebrating and delighting customers.

    “We take customer feedback very seriously and in fact, we are only happy when our customers are happy. Our customers’ needs are paramount”

    The evening was part of ongoing efforts to appreciate customers’ loyalty.

    Siddiqui described the forum as an opportunity for MTN customers to engage in frank and open discussions with the brand, saying the forum will enable MTN’s senior management to feel the pulse of its customers, as well as address and resolve critical issues and complaints.

    Some customers who attended the forum were the Director-General, National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Aziz and Executive Director Progammes, NTA Eugenia Abu, and others.

    Guests were serenaded with light music by a saxophonist, Perpetual Atife, who is an alumnus of the MTN Foundation Music Scholars Initiative.

  • Orphans pray for President Buhari

    Orphans from across the country on Thursday offered special prayers for the quick recovery and good health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The orphans, who were drawn from the 36 states and the FCT, prayed for God’s intervention for the quick recovery of the president in Abuja.

    The prayers, which were offered in the Muslim and Christian faiths, saw the children praying fervently for the quick recovery of Buhari and the nation.

    Chief Samuel Pukat, the initiator of the programme, said the programme was to pray for God’s mercies on the president and give him quick recovery.

    “Base on what the orphans stand for, in the Bible and Qur’an, they have special place in the heart of God, so we decided to bring them together to pray for the president.

    “The politicians have prayed; the rich and poor have also prayed.

    “Various people have prayed with different intentions in their heart but these noble ones, children, whose hope is in God and have nothing in their heart have also come to pray.

    “We decided that these ones that have a heart that is closed to God come and pray. We gather them from different states and today they are here to offer prayers.

    “We believe that as they called on God something very important will happen to our prayers and he (Buhari) will recover and returned `hale and hearty,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prayers were led by the Deputy Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Dr Kabiru Mohammed, and Bishop Musa Fomsin of Unlimited Masses Church, Jos.

  • Contributory Pension: NLC condemns bill exempting law enforcement agencies

    Contributory Pension: NLC condemns bill exempting law enforcement agencies

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday in Abuja condemned the pending bill to exempt military and law enforcement agencies from the National Contributory Pension Scheme.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, said this when he led a delegation to the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to know their achievements and challenges, in continuation of his “Meet the affiliate Tour”.

    According to him, we condemn in very strong terms the current bill to remove all our military and other law enforcement agencies from the contributory pension scheme.

    He added that this would lead to the entire collapse of the pension scheme, adding that because presently even with the core civil service, we have a liability of over N6 billion.

    “This was a figure that was harmonised between the Senate, House of Representative, Minister of Finance, organised Labour and then the Minister of Budget and Planning.

    “The liability as of today of earn allowance of workers and pensioners including deductions stood at over 600 billion, so it is wrong if this bill is allowed to pass through,” he said

    Wabba said that if the military and the law enforcement agencies were removed from the contributory pension it would allow the resources to come from the central coffers.

    He noted that if this was done, it was obvious that the entire contributory pension scheme would then collapse.

    The NLC President, however, said that people assume that over 73 per cent of the entire pension funds which stood at over 6 trillion was already being borrowed through Federal Government Bond and Treasury Bills.

    He said that with the new development if the pending bill was allowed to go through there would be a major shock to the economy, therefore, the entire pension contributory scheme would surely collapse.

    According to him, it will be in the interest of the entire workers if the House of Representatives take an honourable look at the issue.

    “I do not think that they know the implication, but we have studied it because presently the pension arrangement is that 60 percent of the contributions is from the private sector employees, only 40 percent are from the Federal Government or public employees.

    “Presently only 10 states had keyed into the contributory pension scheme that is actually funding, therefore, you can see the very precarious situation that is in place.

    “This bill certainly at this point in time is not desirable and organised labour has called for the withdrawal of this bill because it will collapse the entire contributory pension system,” he added.

    Wabba, however, commended the House of Representatives for the proposed bill for the regular review of the minimum wage at least every five years.

    He noted that the review of the minimum every five years was actually in the collective bargaining system when the minimum wage was signed into law in 2011.

    He added that it was mutually agreed that after every five years there should be a review but this was not captured in the law.

    “We want to commend the progressive stand of the house in making this provision in the law because this is also what applied in many economics,” he said.

    Wabba while commending NUGLE members for their support, called for greater synergy.

    He said that the NLC would put up strategies in handing the challenges faced by the Union.

    The Labour leader added that NLC would organised quarterly activities to strengthen its affiliates.

    Speaking, Mr Ibrahim Khaleed, NUGLE President said that the union was facing a lot of challenges, which includes the refusal of Akwa Ibom state government to pay check up dues.

    Khaleed noted that others are the non-payment of local government workers’ salaries, poor relationships with leaders, lack of capacity building, non-implementation of N18,000 minimum wage by Zamfara State Government.

    “I want to say that the Zamfara state government still pays N6,000 as the minimum wage for its workers, which does not suit the present day realities,” he said.