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Tag: Amb. Bashir Yuguda

‎Dasukigate: Ex-Finance Minister, Yuguda complains of ill-health

Former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda has complained ill-health and has applied to the High Court of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja for permission to seek treatment abroad.

Yuguda, also a former Nigerian Abassador to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) is standing trial with ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, ex-Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafara, his son, Sagir Dalhatu and two others before the court on money laundering charges.

Wednesday, his lawyer, O. Obeya informed the court about the application he filed for his client, seeking leave to travel to Dubai, UAE for a pre-scheduled medical appointment with his doctor, Georgie Thomas, Cardiologist with Burjeel Hospital, Dubia.

Yuguda is said to be suffering from diabetes, hypertension and cardiac malfunctions, which symptoms he developed while serving as the country’s ambassador in the UAE.

Although lawyers to other parties in the case, including prosecution lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe did not object to the application, Justice Peter Affen declined to grant it on the ground that it was incompetent.

The judge noted that although Obeya claimed Yuguda had a pre-scheduled medical appointment, he (Obeya) failed to produce evidence to that effect.

Justice Affen, who earlier noted that the first relief in the application, as couched by Obeya, was vague and allowed him to effect oral alteration to the prayer, however observed that it would be wrong for his court to exercise discretion in vacuum where an applicant failed to provide necessary materials.

Follwoing intervention from lawyers to Dasuki and Bafarawa, Ahmed Raji (SAN) and Hakeem Afolabi (SAN), the judge agreed to allow Obeya withdrew the defective application and refile on a later date.

Upon Obeya’s withdrawal of the application dated April 14, 2016, Justice Affen struck it out and ordered Obeya to file a fresh one, containing evidence that his client has a prior medical appointment with a foreign physician.

The judge adjourned to today to enable Obeya brings the application. He ordered that the defendants need not be produced in court for today’s proceedings.

‎The judge had earlier granted similar application to Bafarawa, who was allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia on medical ground.

April 20, 2016
$1b ECA cash unaccounted for

•VAT may go up

As $1 billion missing from the Excess Crude Account (ECA)?

This is the question Finance commissioners have been battling to resolve since yesterday when the Minister of State for Finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, disclosed that only $3.1 billion was left in the ECA.

Yuguda did not say when the $1 billion was withdrawn or what it was spent on.

Commissioners of Finance Forum Chairman Timothy Odaah said it was all news to them, adding that the matter would be discussed at next month’s FAAC meeting. “We were not in the know,” he said.

When the Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, first announced the government’s austerity measures a month ago, she stated that half of what was in the ECA would be withdrawn between then and January 2015, amounting to $2 billion.

What is not clear now is if the Federal Government has started making the withdrawal without the knowledge of the state governments and what the money is being spent on.

Before Yuguda made his announcement, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala had given a hint of the government’s next set of economic measures amid the excruciating fall in the price of crude oil, which has affected revenue.

One of such plans is the possible increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).

Addressing journalist after a brief visit with members of the Federal Account Allocation Committee in Abuja yesterday, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala hinted that “in the medium term we will also look at tax policy, issues like the VAT. You know governors already rose from their last National Economic Council to say that they will like the VAT to be looked at.”

The possible increase in VAT, she said, “is a matter which has to be taken to the National Assembly. But you know that if we are able to make a movement on the VAT, it will benefit the states more.” Under the existing law, a flat rate of five per cent is charged as VAT on non-essential goods and services.

According to her, “the Federal Government only gets 15 per cent of the VAT but the states gets the rest. And we are desirous to see that they have a better time of it. So these are some of the issues that we put on the table and discussed.”

Asked if the possible increase in VAT will not lead to further hardship on the masses, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala quick replied: “We are not increasing it yet. You know that the measures we already announced which would be announced in the budget tomorrow will have to do with some luxury surcharges that we are putting on and some of the longer or medium term measures that we put on the table we will look at because the National Assembly is also involved.”

“How we would go about it, you will know in the coming months,” she said. “Today was just for us to exchange views with the commissioners on what we should do at both federal and state levels to help manage the situation.”

Odaah said they discussed with the coordinating minister of finance was not necessarily increasing VAT but “creating a conducive environment for all to thrive”.

At the end of the FAAC meeting, N628.775 billion was shared among the three tiers of government, with N427.654 going to statutory allocations, N60 billion VAT and N6.130 as exchange gain.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) brought an additional N55.601 billion and N36.873 billion was taken from the ECA to increase the money shared for November. SURE-P contributed N35.549 billion. The rest was completed with the usual N6.330 billion refund from NNPC to the federal government.

December 17, 2014
Unemployment: FG seeks collaboration of all tiers of government

The Federal Government over the weekend reiterated the need for collaboration among all tiers of government to tackle unemployment in the country.

Amb. Bashir Yuguda, Minister of Works and Supervising Minister of National Planning, made the call at the 12th National Council on Development Planning (NCDP) meeting in Bauchi.

Yuguda stressed the need for all tiers of government to jointly initiate policies towards creating employment opportunities for Nigeria’s large population of youths.

According to him, to drive sustainable economic growth, Nigeria must focus on ways to expand job opportunities for young people.

He said that addressing unemployment required multiple strategies such as substantial investment in national education system and technical and vocational training to improve business environment.

“There is, therefore, a need for cooperation among all tiers of government to achieve our desired vision.

“The Federal Government cannot do it alone; neither can the states and local governments.

“We all need to work together to achieve our common goals and aspirations.

“The experiences of countries like Australia, Malaysia and Brazil have shown that their tiers of government have complemented each other in attaining their current status,” he said.

Yuguda said that to prevent unemployment generating severe social tension, no government in a democratic setting could afford to ignore large sections of non-working population.

“As such we, must work together to reduce the high rate of unemployment among our youths; tackle income inequality.”

He explained that the NCDP was one of the key statutory bodies constituted to facilitate and coordinate the economic development process at the federal and sub-national levels.

According to him, members of the council included the Minister of National Planning, as Deputy Chairman, the National Planning Commission, and commissioners responsible for economic planning.

He said that the Council meets annually to discuss and agree on strategies for deepening economic governance at sub-national levels.

He added that the meeting provided opportunity to brainstorm on the optimal approach towards effective implementation of states’ strategic plans for Vision 20:2020.

The minister said that the theme of the 2014 meeting was: “National Strategic Planning for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development: Fostering Job Creation and Equity”.

He said that the theme aptly reflected a collective aspiration to significantly improve the standard of living of the Nigerian populace.

In his speech, Gov. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, noted that the theme reflected the fact that development planning provides a veritable platform for transformation of a nation.

The governor who was represented by his deputy, Malam Sagir Saleh, said the rate of unemployment was top on the agenda in national and global debate on development.

He added that the magnitude of these challenges had made collaboration at all levels central to evolve new strategies of dealing with them.

Earlier, Mr Ntufam Ugbo, Secretary, National Planning Commission, said the meeting would come up with a workable synergy to reposition Nigeria as a top 20 economy in the world by year 2020.

“The synergy would enable stakeholders fashion out ways to move not only our country forward, but all the states of the federation in our match towards making a better society,” he said.

April 27, 2014
2015:Minister moves to re-unite Zamfara PDP members

The Minister of State for Works, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, has called on PDP members in Zamfara to set aside their differences and work toward the electoral victory of the party in 2015.

Yuguda made the call on Thursday, while addressing a crowd of PDP supporters at the state party secretariat in Gusau.

He noted that intra-party wrangling had deeply divided the party and urged the members to set aside their differences to ensure victory in the 2015 elections.

The minister said in spite of the campaign of calumny by the opposition, the PDP remained committed to the provision of social services to Nigerians.

Yuguda urged the party supporters not to be deterred by their status as members of the opposition party in the state, saying victory would be certain if they close ranks.

The minister further called on them to ensure loyalty to the party leadership.

He pledged to explore employment opportunities for the youth and ways to reduce poverty among the people.

Yuguda said that the federal government would expand its people-oriented programmes to cover every part of the country in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Earlier, the PDP Chairman in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Mallaha, commended the minister for his consistent support to the party.

Mallaha said such support had translated into the establihment of the Federal University, Gusau and the Police Secondary School among others. (NAN)

April 18, 2013