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Tag: commission

  • Commission unveils website

    Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, Mrs Tanwa Koya, has said that street taps is no longer an ideal means of providing water for the people.

    “Returning to street taps will be a sad development. It was okay in the 60s because of the level of our development in the country,” she said.

    She spoke at the unveiling of the commission’s signage, website, toll-free lines and complaints box at Ikeja.

    Mrs Koya assured that the commission would ensure that water providers are regulated at the point of production and in line with national drinkable water policy and the standard set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    A member of the commission’s board, Prof Lanre Fagbohun said the key responsibilities of the commission are effectiveness of service, appropriate pricing of water and quality of water supplied to Lagos residents by the providers.

    He said the commission was discussing with the corporation how to reactivate the water works.

    Chairman of the commission’s board, Mr. Taiwo Sebioba, unveiled the signage, while Sina Badaru unveiled the website.

    The toll-free lines and complaints box were unveiled by Mrs Sola Salako and Hon Funmi Philips respectively.

  • ‘We want development commission’

    Inhabitants of Abuja, under the aegis of Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) have urged the Federal Government to create a development commission aimed at taking care of the needs of members of indigenous communities in Abuja who were displaced as a result of development of Abuja as the nation’s capital.

    The association noted that the commission should be fashioned after the likes of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or the Hydro-Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC).

    The President of OIDA, Pastor Danladi Jeji made the call during the second FCT Heritage Day celebration which held in Gwagwalada.

    He said displaced communities in Abuja have not been compensated for their confiscated lands, even as he said they are finding it difficult to make a living due to loss of their communities, houses and farmlands to government and private developers.

    He said: “The proposed Abuja Original Inhabitants Development Commission (AOIDC) should be statutory and should derive its funding from the 30 per cent of all sales accruing from all lands allocated within the FCT. When established, AOIDC would deal with the lingering issues of relocation, resettlement and compensation for all projects, affected communities and persons.”

    Continuing, he disclosed the association’s plan to sue the Federal Government if it continuous to confiscate their lands without regard for their rights.

    Presenting a paper entitled “Annihilation of Abuja Original Inhabitants and Imperatives of Democratisation of the Federal Capital Territory,” the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences Nasarawa State University and Guest Speaker at the occasion, Prof. Andrew Zamani urged the Federal Government to appreciate the need for an all-inclusive policy to tackle the problems of the indigenous people of the FCT.

    Prof. Zamani said: “There are no special privileges for the inhabitants in this regard as is the case for the people of Niger Delta through the Niger Delta Development Commission. Original inhabitants of Abuja need structures for self-governance. The second-tier will provide the basis for a local government system that is people-oriented. More senatorial seats and federal constituencies should be created to increase representation in the National Assembly.

    “Our resilience, however, should not be misjudged for weakness or indolence. Government should pay attention to the entreaties of OIDA for attention and dialogue, given that it has utilised legal means of contributing to national discourse and engagement with government and non-state actors of governance. A lot can be achieved through dialogue.”

    The event which acted as showcase for the rich cultural heritage of the nine indigenous ethnic groups in the FCT had had cultural troupes and masquerades from different ethnic groups that thrilled spectators to colourful display, dances, fireworks and durbar.

    The association also used the occasion to launch N200 million education endowment funds which aims at paying the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) fees for 1,000 Abuja indigenous senior secondary school students.

    The funds, according to the association, would assist several communities that still lack schools or access to proper education. They decried a situation in which only a few lucky ones have access to basic education, adding that many peasant families hardly cope with the responsibility of sending their children or wards to secondary schools in Abuja city centre that are very far away from their communities.

    The association pleaded with the Minister of the FCT Senator Bala Mohammed to make basic and secondary education in the satellite towns and rural communities accessible to the inhabitants so as to reduce the huge gap in terms of quality education by the FCT natives.

     

  • Commission to settle Lagos, displaced persons

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has offered to broker peace between the Lagos State government and inhabitants of the demolished waterfront communities.

    Speaking yesterday at the Public Inquiry into Cases of Demolitions and Evictions in Nigeria at the Federal High Court in Lagos, NHRC Chairman Prof. Chidi Odinkalu said the commission would finance a “mighty neutral” that will mediate and work out how to settle those displaced.

    The affected communities include Otumara Communities, Badia East, and Makoko/ Iwaya Waterfront in Lagos, among others.

    “Can we work together to get something out of this case for this people?” Odinkalu asked.

    Lagos, represented by Mr Olanrewaju Akinsola, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), said the state was not opposed to negotiating with the communities.

    “We’re not averse to sitting together and mediating,” he said, adding: “We are open to a settlement.”

    Executive Director of the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC) Felix Morka, who represented four of the communities, relived botched attempts at settlement with the government.

    He accused the government of insensitivity to his clients’ plight, saying: “They deem the people as expendables. They demolish first and ask questions later.”

    Morka said his clients were asked to report at Alausa in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital after the demolitions without being specifically told which office.

    When the government eventually agreed to meet with the communities’ representatives, they were not allowed to bring their lawyer.

    Akinsola denied Morka’s allegations, saying: “The state is being demonised” by such claims.

    In his intervention, Odinkalu urged the parties to consider the plight of those who lost their homes, citing old men and women, many of whom filled the Lambo Hall of the Federal High Court venue of the hearing.

    He said from interactions so far, the government is willing to resolve the issues amicably.

    Testifying at the hearing, the Baale of Egun Community, Chief Francis Agonyon, claimed there was no meeting with the government before the demolitions, adding that 4,037 houses were destroyed.

    The government claimed that the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law (2010) empowers it to remove non-compliant structures in public interest.

    In a statement filed before the commission, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Ade Ipaye said: “The task of governing in a state like Lagos is by no means an easy one.

  • Commission seizes pirated goods

    Commission seizes pirated goods

    In a bid to strengthen the copyright law for stakeholders’ benefit, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has confiscated over N1billion worth of pirated materials between January and June 2013.

    The organisation’s Deputy Director, Public Affairs Department, Mr. Aderemi Adewusi disclosed this when he led his team on a courtesy visit to The Nation newspaper’s office in Abuja.

    Mr. Adewusi said: “We have seized over N1.1 billion worth of pirated goods between January and June 2013. We also have had 40 convictions and 109 pending cases on copyright offenders.

    “We use the pirated goods seized as evidences and later destroy them to avoid them gaining entrance into the market and also to serve as a lesson to other pirates.”

    He claimed that Nigerians condone piracy and see it as economic convenience which has, in turn, impacted negatively on the country’s economy.

    “Nigerians need to know that piracy is a serious public issue. At the moment, Nigerians condone it. They see piracy as economic convenience. They feel why they should pay higher price for what they can get at a cheaper rate? They don’t see piracy as a crime and they are not aware that it deprives some people of their right and livelihood. Rather, they see it as an economic issue where they can get something at a cheaper rate,” he said.

    On the presence of piracy in Abuja, he said: “Piracy is here in Abuja. We have had several raids in Abuja this year. We raided federal secretariat where they were selling pirated books. We raided the Industrial Court, hotels and schools and seized pirated materials.”

    He further explained that most hotels in Abuja are culprits of broadcast piracy.

    Explaining the term, he said: “Broadcast piracy is the use of DSTV and cable signals illegally. Hotels pay wrong rate and when I say wrong rate, I mean they pay for domestic licenses but they convert it for commercial purpose. Most of the hotels that hang big TVs and show live football matches are guilty of broadcast piracy.”

    To curtail the crime, he revealed that a levy will be introduced to curtail anyone caught in the act and the levy will, in turn, generate revenue for stakeholders, the commission and the government.

    Explaining how the levy will be implemented, he said: “Anybody who infringes on copyright law will be subjected to a levy. The levy will be shared among the stakeholders, the commission and the government at the ratio of 60 per cent to stakeholders and the remaining 40 per cent will be shared equally between the government and the commission.

    Seeking partnership with The Nation, the commission said “our mission is to suppress piracy and to get confidence of our people because despite all we do, the public is not aware. We cover books, films, computer software, videos, music, arts and crafts and issues that deal with cultural expressions. We have a very large mandate and that is why we need the press.

    “There is no achievement if the public is not aware of what we are doing. The more aware the public is, the more it will put them on notice that piracy is not business as usual.”

     

  • Museum Commission lists 100 new monuments, sites

    The Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Malam Yusuf Abdallah, in Dutse said the commission had listed 100 new monuments and sites across the country.

    Abdallah made the disclosure at a five-day stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the declaration of monuments and sites in the North-West geo-cultural zone.

    He said the 100 new monuments and sites would be declared open for use to commemorate the country’s centenary and anniversary of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates.

    “The commission has proposed 18 national monuments in the north-west geo-cultural zone.

    “Six of the monuments were proposed in Kano State, four in Kaduna State, three in Katsina State, two in Sokoto State and one in Jigawa, Kebbi and Zamfara respectively,’’ the director said.

    Abdallah said Nigeria has a total of 65 declared national monuments in 22 states at the moment.

    He urged all the states of the federation to expedite action on declaring cultural property as their state monuments.

    Also commenting, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, who represented the Emir of Dutse at the occasion, commended the commission for proposing one of the new monuments for the state.

     

  • How to fight terrorism, by commission’s chief

    You were recently elected chairman of the Network of Human Rights Institutions in West Africa. How has it been and what are the challenges of holding the office?

    Well, the election of Nigeria into this position came when the West African community needs a lot of interventions from the human rights institutions. As soon as I took over, I commenced a tour of some of the West African countries that were having problems with the status of their human rights institutions.

    Which countries did you tour?

    For instance, I went to countries such as Senegal to help its Human Rights Commission and to also advocate for them. I also had interactions with the government of Senegal and met with the highest authorities there and we were also able to convene a conference towards the strengthening of the Senegalese Human Rights Commission that was downgraded. And I am happy to say here that efforts are being made to re admit that Human Rights Commission into grade A status and I also commend the efforts of the government there that heeded to our appeals and has strengthened that Commission now. And again, given the emergence of terrorism in the West African Sub-Region, the Network, under my chairmanship, is convening a sub-regional conference on terrorism, an act or extremism. We have gotten in touch with the President of Cote’D Ivore who has accepted to host this conference and co incidentally, the President of Cote D’voir happens to be President of the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) at this time.

    When will this conference hold?

    We are expecting that it will hold between the end of this month and next month and we are in touch with other heads of government in the West African Sub-region. We are going to convene this conference to put in place the strategies that will combat terrorism within the West African Community because the activities of terrorists are trans-border; so it requires the co operation of the international community to put this dragon into its bottle. This is not a fight that can be fought and won by Nigeria or any other West African country alone, so today, international cooperation has become the best instrument for curbing terrorist activities.

    It was reported that Nigerian security agencies have not employed the best rules in dealing with the insurgents. What is your reaction to this?

    Well, these allegations are not on one side alone. We have a situation of allegations and counter allegations but one thing that we must note is that, whereas it is the responsibility of the security agencies to bring about peace and stability in any given country, one still doesn’t expect them to put up a red carpet for people who fight without rules, people who are unidentified, people who are not state actors who take up arms against civilians. Now the situation in the Northeast is such that whereas the security agencies are there to maintain peace and to protect the lives of civilians, they come against non identified persons who carry more powerful weapons more than the security agencies. In fact, sometimes, it becomes a situation whereby the security agencies still need to also protect themselves and also protect the lives of the civilians that they are there to protect. What is important here is to see how we find a situation of trying to find how we find a balance between security and the protection of human rights. So, one begins to understand with the security agencies when they have to apply the use of force to combat terrorism because terrorists are not just there waiting to be arrested, they fight back and fight against the security agencies so in a situation like this, it is not a one sided affair whereby you come out and begin to condemn the security agencies in, what is important is to find out how we get to a situation trying to find a balance, a balance between security and the protection of human rights.

    What is the role of civilians in the battle against terror?

    Civilians have a big role to play in this fight against terrorism because they have information. They know about the whereabout of some of these terrorists, so it is for them to give such information to the security agencies who are there to protect the civilians. At the same time, the security agencies need to conduct themselves in such a manner as to give confidence to the civilians for them to freely and willingly give such information to them. The security agencies should behave in such a manner that the civilians should see them as friends. I am just happy to note that in the Northeast part of the country, the civilians have now constituted themselves into a vigilante group, they have teamed up together with the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) to combat the suspected terrorists, once there is this type of synergy between civilians and the security agencies, it will become one effective measure of bringing to an end, the activities of terrorists.

    Your Commission recently released the reports of its prison audit. What is the next line of action? Have you taken actions?

    We have taken not just action, but we have taken actions. First of all, let me say here that apart from getting this report to the public who were also involved in the validation of this report, we have written to the various authorities bringing to their knowledge, the information and the facts that we found out. But most importantly, we have discovered that much of the problems associated with the violation of the rights of prisoners today, are problems that require immediate actions not only by the government, but also by private individuals and corporate bodies operating here in Nigeria.

    What are the actions?

    Most of the prisons that we have in Nigeria do not have vehicles to take prisoners to court. It may surprise you to know that we have a situation where one prison covers about 57 courts; in fact, some prisons cover up to 90 courts and such prisons have only one vehicle to convey prisoners to courts; so, most of the time you find, that the inability of these prisoners to attend to court is because of the lack of vehicles that will convey them to court. One major factor that constitute congestion in prisons, also constitute the slow pace of criminal trials that take place in the country

    So, what have you done?

    We have written to the state controllers of prisons to furnish the commission with information about the number of courts that they cover and how many vehicles they have at their disposal to convey prisoners to courts daily. We are waiting for that information. Once we have that data, we will put the data together and will write to the president, and we are sure that if the president gets to know these facts, he will act immediately. We have also discovered that the Federal Government has been spending a lot of money in a bid to decongest the prisons; yearly huge sums of money are budgeted and efforts are made to decongest the prisons; particularly, one needs to commend the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Justice in this direction.

  • Amaechi rejects judgment restraining commission of inquiry

    The Rivers State Government is taking steps to appeal Friday’s judgment which restrains from further sitting, the members of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the July 9 and 10 crises in the Rivers House of Assembly.

    The Rotimi Amaechi’s administration also rejected the judgment outright, declaring that it was not well reasoned.

    The presiding judge, Justice Iyaye Lamikanra, of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt, described the Justice Biobele Georgewill-led commission as illegal and unconstitutional, ordering it to stop sitting forthwith.

    One of the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers, Victor Ihunwo, who represents Port Harcourt III Constituency, instituted the suit, stating that the executive had no right to dabble in the affairs of the legislature, under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Ihunwo described Amaechi as an interested party, with his presence in the hallowed chambers of the Rivers House of Assembly on July 9, and could not be a judge in his own case, while alleging that some members of the commission were the governor’s loyalists and relatives.

    Ihunwo’s counsel, Dike Udenna, also stated that by the doctrine of separation of powers, the legislative arm of government is different and distinct from the executive arm, while the executive could not set up any inquiry to investigate the internal workings of the legislature.

    The commission’s lawyer, Olusola Dare, on Friday, said his clients accepted the judgment “for now,” but would further consult his clients.

    The Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in an online statement yesterday, on behalf of the Rivers State Government, declared that the Lamikanra’s judgment would not stand.

  • Nigerians angry about unpaid pensions, says commission

    Nigerians angry about unpaid pensions, says commission

    Nigerians are unhappy with the country’s pension management system. Sixty per cent of complaints received last year are on pension-related issues, the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has said.

    It received over 2,000 complaints from a northern state alone.

    The commission’s departments on public and private sectors, banking/finance and insurance also received several complaints.

    It said its ability to deal with the complaints was hampered by poor funding and lack of commissioners.

    It was not until May last year that President Goodluck Jonathan appointed new commissioners.

    PCC’s Publicity Committee, led by Prof. Razaq ‘Derem Abubakar, a commissioner, visited the head office of Vintage Press Ltd, publishers of The Nation, on Monday.

    Other commissioners in the team included Saba Jimoh (Kwara State), Chelly Okoko (Akwa Ibom), Information Officer, Mr Tunji Olaoye and Head of Public Relations Unit, Chukwumeka Nwosu.

    They were received by senior editors, led by Online Editor Lekan Otufodunrin.

    Abubakar said most complaints come from retirees.

    “It is unfortunate that there are those who have spent the useful part of their lives serving this country, but in the end, you deny them of what they are supposed to enjoy in their old age,” he said.

    According to him, funding remains a challenge, as salaries are owed.

    But this may soon be corrected. PCC’s statutory funding is to be placed on the first line charge.

    “That is the only way an Ombudsman like our organisation can truly be independent, restructured and informed.

    “We are not supposed to be under the MDAs because it affects our budget. But if you look at the constitution, we are supposed to be on first line charge,” he said.

    Okoko identified lack of capacity building, public poor awareness and lack of infrastructure as some of the challenges facing PCC.

    “The main responsibility of this commission is to carry out proactive investigations against systemic corruption in the system, and this is why the issue of capacity building and infrastructure comes in.

    “A few people come (to the commission) because most do not really have faith in the system.

    “If we are really positioned to carry out investigations, which a commissioner can initiate, you will discover that we will be tackling many problems in just one fell swoop. This is going to enthrone good governance ultimately,” he said.

    Abubakar praised The Nation for its uprightness, national spread and good editorial package.

    The PCC was first established by a military decree in in 1975.

     

  • Controversy trails Fiscal Responsibility Commission

    Controversy trails Fiscal Responsibility Commission

    For some, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), which was established by Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007, is a sleeping watchdog, whose functions could be merged with those of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). However, other analysts insist that that the mandate of RMAFC is clearly defined, reports Ifeanyi Nwoko, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

    Some analysts describe the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), which was established by Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007, as a “sleeping watchdog’’.

    They also argue that the agency’s creation is somewhat unnecessary, as its functions could be merged with those of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

    However, other analysts insist that that the mandate of RMAFC is distinct and clearly defined in the constitution.

    Dr Sylvester Mordi, the Commissioner (Policy and Standards) in the FRC, said RMAFC was purely an advisory body.

    “The constitution says that revenue mobilisation commission is an advisory body; it is to advise the President on the formula of sharing revenue among the three tiers of government and it should do this every five years. Ours is to monitor and enforce the Fiscal Responsibility Act, carry out financial and fiscal studies on the economy and publish the result for the public.

    “We look at budget preparations, budget approval, budget implementation, and budget evaluation; we also look at the objectives — whether the government is achieving them or not,’’ he said.

    Mordi said the commission had facilitated the return of N114 billion to the Federal Government’s treasury from the operating surpluses of government agencies within three years, while only N2.45 billion was allocated to commission within the period.

    He, however, blamed the inability of the FRC to prosecute erring parties on the Act establishing the commission, adding that relevant provisions of the Act should be amended.

    Mordi said a situation where the commission could only ask questions and present reports to the Attorney-General of the Federation left much to be desired.

    “We are suggesting that the law should be amended; instead of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission being the police, sent to quell riots without guns, we should be given enough power to sanction people; the power to prosecute,’’ he said.

    The former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, described the FRC as a ‘sleeping watchdog’’ because of the commission’s inability to prosecute offenders.

    In a recent publication, el-Rufai, quoting Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said that part of the financial problems facing the country was occasioned by the inability of relevant agencies to check government expenditure.

    With particular reference to the FRC, he said: “Many of them are asleep, and if anything, they have become part of the problem. The Fiscal Responsibility Act in itself is a laudable legislation if it is implemented as conceived by the economic team. The commission was established over five years ago. But are there any achievements to show for it or is it just another drain-pipe on the nation’s resources?’’ el-Rufai asked.

    Rejecting such viewpoints, Mordi stressed that the FRC had recorded some achievements.

    He said apart from the N114 billion which the commission had saved for the Federal Government, it was currently investigating some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    He said the agencies included the Bureau for Public Enterprises, Presidential Committee on the Sales of Government Property and the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency.

    Others are the National Sugar Development Council, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Communications Commission and Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, among others

    “We will soon get our reports and where necessary, report the MDAs to the Attorney General of the Federation for possible prosecution,’’ he said.

    Mordi, nonetheless, bemoaned the delay in submitting budget monitoring reports to the commission by the Budget Office of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

    He also recommended that the Fiscal Responsibility Act should apply to the states as well.

    “In Nigeria, the Federal Government’s share of federally-allocated revenue is not more than 52 per cent. The rest goes to the state and local governments. So, if the Fiscal Responsibility Act applies to only 52 per cent, its impact on the economy will be reduced. Therefore, we want the states to come onboard,’’ he said.

    Observers said the FRC would certainly be an indispensable tool for ensuring accountability in the management of government resources if it is properly repositioned to function effectively.

    Chairman of the FRC, Alhaji Aliyu Yelwa, underscored the need for Nigerians to show considerable interest in monitoring public expenditure.

    He said such approach would aid efforts to check violence, poverty, corruption and under-development which, he added, were all symptoms of bad governance.

    “In the fight against corruption and financial profligacy, all hands must be on deck. We must all become whistle-blowers.

    “Nigerians must take advantage of Section 51 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which grants individuals unhindered access and locus standi to enforce compliance.

    “It states inter alia: a person shall have the legal capacity to enforce the provisions of this Act by obtaining prerogative orders or other remedies at the Federal High Court without having to show any special and particular interest,’’ he said.

    Yelwa said African countries needed strong institutions such as the FRC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to promote accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.

    Observers note that the FRC’s service delivery, within the short period of its existence, is quite commendable.

    They, however, call for the empowerment of the commission to enable it to prosecute the violators of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

     

  • Character Commission to sanction erring govt agencies

    The Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Prof. Shuaibu Oba AbdulRahaman, has said erring government agencies that violate the commission’s directives on the submission of workers’ nominal rolls would be sanctioned.

    Prof AbdulRahman spoke at a two-day sensitisation workshop for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) on the submission of nominal rolls in Abuja.

    The commission chief explained that the MDAs need to ensure that information sent out is not only accurate but also complies with the guidelines provided by the commission.

    He said: “Let me warn that henceforth the commission will not hesitate to sanction any agency of government which is found violating the commission’s directives on the submission of staff nominal rolls required by law.

    “This workshop is to charge MDAs with the responsibility of collation and submission of staff nominal rolls to the commission. By law, all MDAs are required to remit returns of staff nominal rolls annually and periodically for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the commission’s guidelines on principles.

    “The commission recently integrated its website with a robust and dynamic portal to facilitate real time, online data collection for the processing of manpower statistics.”