Tag: approves

Aviation Minister Ms Stella Oduah yesterday confirmed President Goodluck Jonathan’s approval for the commencement of direct flights between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital and Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State.

The flights will start from August 24.

The minister, who spoke in an interview in Lagos, said the inaugural flight would be the first flight by an African carrier into Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the only airport designated in the Southeast by the Federal Government.

The General Manager, Corporate Communication, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, said the Jonathan administration has fulfilled its promise of giving every part of the country equal opportunity to develop and realise its dreams, adding that a few months ago, the President unveiled the domestic terminal at the airport and also laid foundation for the building of an international terminal.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has advised the authorities of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) to allow students pay their school fees in installments.

Fayemi gave the advice after series of meetings with representatives of the students, the Parents’ Forum and the authorities of the institution.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, the governor said the payment format would be worked out by the authorities and communicated to the students.

He urged the students to complying with the arrangement.

The Federal Government yesterday approved N2,117,500,000.00 for the printing of 33.5 million permanent voter cards.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku said the approval was given after consideration of a memo by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chair, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

According to him, printing of the 33.5 million cards is the second phase of the project.

The printing of 40 million cards in the first phase has begun , it would be ready by June, Maku said.

The minister, who was accompanied to the briefing by the Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa’i and Women Affairs and Social Development counterpart, Hajiya Zainab Maina, said the permanent voter cards would only be used for about 10 years after which it will be replaced by the national identity cards.

He said: “Council deliberated on a number of issues today and one of it is the disclosure by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega that INEC is gradually moving towards the adoption of the expected National ID card which will be used as document for voting in future elections.”

“Prof. Jega disclosed this today while answering questions on the memo for the printing of 33.5 million voter cards. According to Jega, the nation must be prepared towards adopting the National ID card for future elections.”

“The idea of having a national identity card and a separate voter cards will simply be duplication and waste of resources. To this end, INEC has adopted a new card that will last only for about 10 years. The presumption is that the present permanent voter cards that is going to be issued by INEC might be used for 2015 and possibly 2019 general elections.”

Maku went on: “As the nation is preparing that every Nigerian has a national identity card, INEC is preparing that at the expiration of the issued voter cards, the national identity card that is in process will now be the document that every Nigerian will use to vote in all elections in the country.”

“So, today Council considered the memo brought by INEC to print 33.5 million additional cards and we look at the proposal. These cards unlike the previous ones will have the biodata of the holder.”

“Following the successful conduct of the nationwide voters registration in 2011, the commission proposed to print 73,500,000 permanent voter cards to replace the temporary cards issued during the voters registration exercise. There is need to print and issue the remaining 33,500,000 permanent voter cards in this second phase.”

“After deliberations, Council approved the contract for the second phase of the printing of 33,500,000 per voter cards at the rate of N65 per card in favour of Messrs ACT Technologies Limited in the sum of 2,117,500,000.00 only with a completion period of six months,” he added.

At the briefing, Prof. Rufa’i said she was not aware of any Federal Government’s plan to scrap the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

According to her, the Council yesterday approved Institutionalisation of six-level National Vocational Qualifications Framework in Nigeria and the placement of the National Vocational Qualifications in the scheme of service.

She stressed that Nigeria cannot underplay the place of skilled and competent workforce as she aspires to become a major player in the world economy.

“The phenomenon of Vocational skills framework has been embraced by many countries as a vital scheme to enhance development of competent workforce and ensure that qualifications for occupations are flexible, transparent and accountable,” she said.

Hajiya Maina, who presented the Women Affairs’ Ministry’s performance and challenges in 2012 to the Council, said many achievements were recorded last year.

Apart from achieving 35 per cent affirmative action for women, she said that 31 per cent of judges, 26 per cent of permanent secretaries in the country and 11 Nigerian ambassadors serving abroad are women.

The National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday approved the sharing of $2 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) among the three tiers of government.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the 49th NEC meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio said the Council received an update on the status of the Excess Crude Account from the Minister of State for Finance, Alhaji Yerima Ngama.

He attended the briefing along with Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema.

Akpabio said the Minister told the Council that $7.82b was left in the account after the sharing of $1b by the three tiers of government earlier in the year and payment of fuel subsidy commitments.

He said the Council was told how “the plan to share between $1b and $2 billion next month to facilitate various development projects being executed by the different tiers of government across the country”.

NEC, which comprises the 36 governors and chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo, put pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan last December 2012, to approve sharing of $1 billion to pay contractors by the state governments. The $1 billion was released and shared in January.

Dankwambo said the Council also approved collaboration between the federal and state governments on broadband infrastructure.

He said: “NEC gave its blessing to the recommendations of the Gombe Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo-led Sub Committee, which reviewed a recent presentation by the Minister of Information Technology, Mrs. Mobolaji Johnson, on a proposed improved broadband roadmap for the country.

“To the effect that telecoms service providers should partner with the Federal Government and state governments, to ensure proper harmonisation and integration of development projects with ICT infrastructure in the country.”

He added: “The following are the key recommendations meant to provide the requisite stimulus for accelerated ICT infrastructure roll out across the country:

•All identified impediments such as multiple levies, charges, illegal taxes should be addressed to allow accelerated growth and development of ICT infrastructure;

•Harmonisation of all right-of-way processes and administration between the States and the Federal Ministry of Works guidelines for the granting of Federal Highway Right of Way, with agreed prescription by the ICT Ministry;

•The operators to make additional commitment to the host communities/States with respect to Right-of-way Grant”;

•“Implementation of standardised fees payable in respect of agreed list of levies/charges, *A proper template for the implementation of the recommendations to be designed by the National Planning Commission in conjunction with the relevant agencies.”

The Council also considered a report on multiple taxation and its effects on the Nigerian economy presented by Dankwambo as Chairman of a Technical Committee on review of multiple taxation.

The key recommendations of the report included: “Review and amendment of the taxes and levies; outlawing of the use of unorthodox means to collect taxes and levies; automation of tax operations by relevant tax authorities to eliminate leakages and ensure ease of collection.”

Other are that “tax authorities are to respect the provisions of the law on the use of consultants for tax assessment and collection; and to publish the approved list of taxes and levies within the states and local governments to educate the public and facilitate compliance.”

The Council adopted the recommendations and mandated the National Planning Commission to work with the proposed committee to work out a blueprint for implementation.

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Mr James Olotu, also briefed the Council on the power projects.

The Council then endorsed the recommendation for more investment in the sector to address transmission capacity needed for effective evacuation of generated power and harness the 20,000MW hydro power capacity, which remains largely untapped.

It also set up a committee headed by Cross River Governor Mr. Liyel Imoke, which is saddled with the final recommendations to be presented at the next NEC meeting.

Other members of the committee included the Governors of Gombe, Katsina, Kaduna, Ekiti, Benue, Anambra and Ministers of Finance, Power, Water Resources, National Planning and the Chief Executive of NDPHC.