The Nation Newspaper

Tag: approves

  • Jubilation as Ajimobi approves payment of pensions

    Hundreds of pensioners in Oyo State at the weekend stormed the Governor’s Office to thank Governor Abiola Ajimobi for approving the payment of their allowances.

    The pensioners, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), sued the former administration of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala for the non-payment of the arrears of 142 per cent pension increase, non-payment of 10 per cent compensation allowance to those forcefully retired in 2002 and not implementing the six per cent and 15 per cent pension increase.

    Ajimobi approved the payment of the 142 per cent pension increase in September, 2011, four months after he assumed office.

    The state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the pensioners on January 9 to begin the payment of the 10 per cent compensation allowance to those forcefully retired in 2002.

    The governor also approved the placement of pensioners on six per cent and 15 per cent pension increase, with effect from next month and payment of arrears of six per cent pension increase from October, 2003 till date.

    Part of the agreement was the payment of the arrears of 15 per cent pension increase from January, 2007 till date.

    The pensioners sang and danced in appreciation. They thanked Ajimobi for “coming to their rescue when all hope seemed lost” and offered special prayers for him.

    NUP Chairman Alhaji Ganiyu Azeez said his members would continue to be grateful to the governor for intervening.

    Ajimobi said: “I thank you all for appreciating what my administration has done for you. I am merely fulfilling the promise I made to you at the inception of my administration.

    “The promise was based on my concern for your plight, as I do not want any of you to suffer after serving the government with the better part of your productive years. In fact, it would be a sin not to attend to you.”

    The governor urged the pensioners to continue to support and pray for his administration.

  • Plateau approves three months’ salary for striking workers

    The Plateau State Government has approved three months’ salary for its striking local government workers to end their ongoing eight months’ strike.

    In a statement in Jos, the state capital, by its Director of Press Affairs, Mr James Mannok, the government said Governor Jonah Jang decided to tamper with the “No work, no pay” policy on compassionate grounds.

    “The issue is already before the National Industrial Court for interpretation. But the government has approved the payment of salaries to resuming workers with effect from October to December 2012,” the statement said.

    The statement urged the workers to join their colleagues who resumed in October and have been paid.

    It promised that the government would respect the outcome and decision of the court on the matter, whenever it was issued.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the local government workers have been on strike since May, demanding the payment of the N18,000 national minimum wage.

    Last month, Labour and the government settled for 55 per cent of the minimum wage. But the workers rejected the insistence by the government that it would only pay for the period the workers were at work.

    Jang had claimed that he was relying on a United Nations (UN) resolution which stipulates that no worker should be paid for a period he deliberately stayed out of office.

    Labour leaders have, however, argued that the law could not be applicable in Nigeria since it has not been domesticated in the nation’s statute books.

    The workers yesterday called off their eight months’ strike following the intervention of the Labour and Productivity Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu.

    In a statement by the Assistant Director (Press), Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr Samuel Olowookere, the government said the strike was called off after “exhaustive deliberations by both members of the Organised Labour and the representatives of the Government of Plateau State on the ongoing industrial action by workers over the implementation of the N18,000 national minimum wage mediated by the Minister of Labour and Productivity”.

    A four-point communiqué by Obong Ikpe Obong, Emma Ugboaja, and Plateau State’s Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman Jibrin Kamga Bancir; Secretary to the Plateau State Government, Prof Shedrack Best; and Association of Local Governments (ALGON) Chairman, Dr Emmanuel D. Loman, said the state government should pay the salaries of workers with 55 per cent implementation of the minimum wage from June.

  • Senate approves N161.6b fuel subsidy with mixed feelings

    Senate approves N161.6b fuel subsidy with mixed feelings

    Senators yesterday approved a N161.6 billion supplementary budget for fuel subsidy payment – 17 days to the end of the year.

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday asked the Senate to approve the cash to keep fuel pumps flowing, particularly during the Yuletide.

    Over N880.3 billion was set aside for payment of fuel subsidy in the 2012 budget.

    Jonathan said the N7.7 billion left of the N880.3 billion will not be enough for subsidy payment for the remaining days of the year.

    The lawmakers said that the approval is with mixed feelings because they have no choice than to grant the request in order not to be accused of insensitivity by Nigerians.

    But, member of the House referred the matter to some committees, following their disagreement with the foresonic audit on which the request is based.

    While some Senators saw the presidential request as a “blackmail” others tagged it a “set-up” meant to create friction between the National Assembly and Nigerians.

    Senate President David Mark captured the mood of the lawmakers.

    He said: “Whether it is from the opposition or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, all the contributions are extremely valid and nobody went out of track.

    “There is no gainsaying and it is not a secret anymore to say that there is so much corruption in fuel subsidy management.

    “Whatever system they adopt and I think the nation must take a decision now whether to continue this (corruption) or to stop it.

    “If they cannot eliminate corruption in the industry, then, the other alternative will be to stop the whole exercised of subsidy and we will take the one that is easier and the one that will bring less pain to Nigerians.

    “I thank all of you for taking into consideration the fact that if this is not approved, Nigerians are the ones who are going to suffer.

    “The reason we are in the chambers here is to work for the welfare of the people and anything we can do to alleviate the suffering of our people would be done and we will continue to do so in the interest of those who have elected us.

    “The nation, in my candid opinion, must make that decision sooner than later because we cannot carry on like this way.

    “Obviously, they should have anticipated that there was going to be shortfall when they first made this budget at the beginning of the year but that did not happen, we are now shouldered with the responsibility of this additional approval and we have done so in the best interest of this nation.

  • Court approves probe of Presidency, Jega, others

    Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted Bedding Holdings Limited to proceed with a suit seeking the go-ahead to compel the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies to investigate allegations of fraud in the award of contracts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The plaintiff said under former INEC Chairman Prof Maurice Iwu, billions of public funds were allegedly stolen through a scheme involving officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and INEC .

    It alleged that phony companies, purportedly acting with the connivance of INEC, bidded for contracts they were not qualified for.

    The plaintiff claimed that the scheme, under which the President and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were allegedly misled into approving such contracts, was sustained under the era of Prof Attahiru Jega.

    It stated that the scheme was used to award contracts for the purchase of transparent ballot boxes for the 2007 and 2011 elections.

    The firm gave the names of the companies as Emchai Limited, Tambco United Nigeria Limited, Anowat Projects & Resources Limited, Cass Engineering Nigeria Limited and Stusal Engineering Nigeria Limited.

    Justice Mohammed granted an order of substituted service of processes by way of publication in a newspaper.

    Also sued are some National Commissioners, Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF), the Registrar of Patents, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, former Registrar of Patents & Designs, Mrs. J. K. Ahmadu-Suka, Tony Chukwu, the Inspector-General of Police, EFCC, Code of Conduct Bureau, Cass Engineering and Casmir Anyanwu.

    The plaintiff is seeking four declaratory reliefs and an order of mandamus, compelling the listed agencies to investigate its complaints.

    Bedding stated that the suit was informed by the fact that the anti-graft agencies have refused to investigate its allegations.

  • Govt approves N6.3b for ID cards scheme

    Govt approves N6.3b for ID cards scheme

    A NEW identity card scheme, which will take off with N6.3billion, has been approved.

    The cash is for the importation of 13 million smartcards to be used in registering Nigerians under the National Identity Management scheme.

    The scheme, according to the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, is expected to begin next month.

    Mrs. Johnson, who spoke to State House correspondents yesterday, said the first phase of the identity card scheme, on which N34. 2 billion had already been spent by a previous administration, would cost N30.1 billion in the next three years.

    She said the first category of the contract, intended to jump-start issuance of the identity card under the accelerated implementation of the National Identity Management System (NIMS) project, is the contract for the supply of smart card awarded to Messrs Auspoint Ltd, Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company and Telnet at N5.3 billion.

    The second category is a contract for card personalisation to be executed by Messrs Chams Consortium Limited and Messrs One Scorecard Ltd for over N1 billion.

    The initial smart cards will be imported; subsequent ones will be manufactured in the country in compliance with the local content initiative.

    Mrs. Johnson said 30,000 Nigerians had already been registered in a pilot project embarked upon by the NIMS.

    More smartcards will be procured next year but they will have to be produced in Nigeria. Already, 30,000 applicants have been registered with Direct Data Capture machines that have been distributed to all states.

    Johnson said: “The cards will contain both the National Identity number of every Nigerian citizen that enrolls; it will also contain the biometric data for each citizen as well. The card will also host 13 applications and the reason for this is the beginning of the harmonisation and the integration of government agency databases for agencies that require the authentication and the validation of the citizen’s identity. And this will include things like the National Health Insurance Scheme, passport, pensions, drivers Licence, tax, voting data and, of course, payment systems as well.

    “The first tranch of cards of 13 million that were approved by FEC today will be imported, but the personalisation will be done here in Nigeria. The expectation is that come 2013 when we order the next tranch of cards, they will be produced and personalised in Nigeria, in furtherance of the local content agenda and job creation agenda of the Ministry of Communication Technology and of course President Jonathan’s administration.”

    Mrs. Johnson added: “Anyone in the 36 states that enroll to get a social identity number will get the chip. It is on first come first served basis.

    We are immediately going to the 774 local governments with connectivity. At the point of enrollment, you will be asked to show some form of identity that shows you are a Nigerian.”

    Other approvals are the contract for the engagement of consultants for Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) fiscal allocation and statutory disbursement audit 2007-2011, construction of the Jos-Kafanchan 132 KV, rehabilitation of Umana-Agba-Ebenebe-Amansi Akwa road and the construction of Ogrute-Umuida-Unadu-Akpanya-Oduru road.

  • IMF approves $1.1b for low-income countries

    THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the distribution of SDR 700 million (about US$1.1 billion) in reserves attributed to windfall gold sales profits to its members in order to boost its concessional lending capacity for low-income countries during the global crisis.

    The distribution according to a statement from the Fund, is a key element of a 2009 plan to boost concessional lending capacity to US$17 billion over the five years to 2014. The decision authorising the distribution was taken by the Executive Board in February 2012. It will however, become effective only after IMF members have provided satisfactory assurances that new amounts equivalent to at least 90 per cent of the amount distributed—i.e. SDR 630 million—would be transferred or otherwise provided to the IMF’s concessional lending vehicle, the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). The 90 per cent threshold has been reached with assurances received from the countries listed below, meaning the distribution can now take place.

    The IMF will continue to seek contributions from remaining members in order to maximise concessional lending capacity. In addition, as agreed on September 28, the Fund is starting a process for seeking assurances on a separate distribution of the remaining gold sales windfall profits of US$2.7 billion.

    “This is a wonderful achievement that demonstrates our members’ determination to ensure the IMF has the wherewithal to support its low-income members through this crisis,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde stated. “For many countries this process has involved complex legal or legislative steps, and it is a tribute to our membership that we have arrived at the required level in just a few months.”

    Because gold sales profits are part of the IMF’s general resources available for the benefit of the entire membership, they cannot be placed directly in the PRGT, which is available only to low-income member countries. Accordingly, using these resources for PRGT financing required a distribution of the resources to all IMF member countries in proportion to their quota shares, on the expectation that members would direct the Fund to transfer these resources (or would provide broadly equivalent amounts) to the PRGT as subsidy contributions. The resources raised through the operation will count towards the 2009 package’s target of raising an additional SDR 1.5 billion (US$2.3 billion) in PRGT subsidies. The balance is being raised from other sources, including additional bilateral contributions which the IMF continues to seek from member countries.

    The IMF sold 403.3 metric tons of gold in 2009-10 as part of a plan to ensure the long-term financing of the IMF’s day-to-day operations through the creation of an endowment using anticipated gold sales profits of some SDR 4.4 billion (US$6.8 billion). High world gold prices during the sales period, over and above the US$850 an ounce envisaged when the sales were originally planned, generated “windfall” profits of some SDR 2.45 billion (about US$3.8 billion). The first SDR 700 million of those windfall profits will be now distributed to the membership in proportion to their IMF quota shares.

  • Brazil 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP: FIFA approves kick-off times

    Brazil 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP: FIFA approves kick-off times

    The FIFA Executive Committee convened on Thursday 27 September, at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, and approved the kick-off times for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

    The Opening Match will take place on 12 June in Sao Paulo, with a kick-off time of 17.00.

    Group-stage games will be played at 13.00, 16.00, 17.00, 18:00, 19.00 and 21:00 local time, with knockout stage matches at 13.00 and 17.00 local time. The semi-finals will be played at 17.00 local time and the Final, on 13 July 2014 at the iconic Maracana stadium, at 16.00 local time.

    All kick-offs are local time, with Cuiaba and Manaus being CET-6, all other venues CET -5. After USA 1994, it’s the first time that FIFA World Cup matches will be played in different time zones, with Manaus and Cuiaba one hour behind Brasilia Time.

    Finally, it has been decided that the release date of players will be the 19 May 2014, with a mandatory rest period from 19-25 May 2014, to ensure that all players (with the exception of those playing the UEFA Champions League Final) will have one week of rest before joining their national teams.

    The Final Draw for Brazil 2014 is confirmed to be Friday 6 December 2013 at the Costa do Sauipe in Bahia.