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Tag: Dan Nwanyanwu

  • Confab delegates set three year moratorium for fuel subsidy removal

    Confab delegates set three year moratorium for fuel subsidy removal

    Delegates to the ongoing National Conference yesterday resolved to set a three year moratorium within which to abolish the payment of fuel subsidy.

    This is a compromise position of the delegates who disagreed sharply on whether or not to abolish fuel subsidy regime in the country.

    The conference committee on Public Finance and Revenue had recommended total removal of fuel subsidy due to the massive corruption associated with it.

    While some delegates agreed with the recommendation others opposed it and urged the conference to reject it.

    Yesterday Deputy Chairman of the conference, Chief Bolaji Akinyemi read out a compromise motion on the issue which he subjected to a voice vote.

    The motion was presented by Labour delegate, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu and seconded by Dr. Joe Nwogu.

    In the end delegates agreed on a three year moratorium to remove fuel subsidy on the condition that the Federal Government should fix old refineries and establish new ones before implementing withdrawal of fuel subsidy.

    Delegates noted that the establishment of refineries would mitigate the negative effects of withdrawal of subsidy on fuel.

    Delegates adopted the recommendation that the budget of Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission shall be on first line charge but rejected the recommendation that amendment be made to ensure that salaries of elected officers shall be in line with that of the civil servants.

    They also rejected that recommendation that the Fiscal Responsibility Act be enshrined in the constitution.

    The recommendation that designated departments and agencies must comply with the constitutional provision which required that they should remit a percentage of they revenues generated to the federation and to withhold 20 per cent was also rejected.

    Also rejected was the proposal for the establishment of Revenue Courts to expedite prosecution of offenders.

    The proposal that a solid mineral development agency be created was not approved while the recommendation that solid mineral development fund be increased from 1.65% to 5% was accepted.

    Delegates rejected the proposal that the fund should be operated as a venture capital while they accepted that the fund be deducted from the total revenue and not from the federation account.

    Delegates accepted that solid minerals and mines should be included in the Concurrent Legislative List of the Federation.

    The proposal that the Sovereign Wealth Fund be funded from the Federation Account and not from the excess crude account was a rejected.

    They accepted the proposal that indiscriminate approval of waivers should be stopped.

    They rejected that recommendation that government should devise a safety valve for Ministries Departments and Agencies to retain a percentage of their obvious budgets until a new budget.

    They agreed that debt ceiling should be placed on government borrowing which shall be by way of bonds.

    In other words, government borrowing should only be by bonds.

    Delegates accepted the proposal that the Federal Government should source for funds to revamp  steel companies through Public Private Partnership (PPP).

    They accepted that government should enact an ill-gotten Gains Act that will place the burden of proof of innocence on the accused.

    Delegates accepted the recommendation that the retinue of public office holders at all levels should be reduced drastically.

    They rejected proposal that port development and ownership should be on the Concurrent List and also rejected the recommendation that the legislature should strengthen and perfect its oversight function

    Delegates rejected that proposal that a minimum of 30 per cent in the Excess Crude Account should be transferred to Sovereign Wealth Fund.

    The implication is that the recommendation that 50 per cent of ECA be transferred SWF remained.

    The proposal that debt monitoring offices should be established in each state to monitor the utilization of projects of borrowed funds was accepted while the recommendation that 10 per cent of ECA should be devoted to Agricultural Fund accepted

    Delegates rejected the proposal that tax waivers should only be limited to military hardware while they also rejected the recommendation that VAT revenue should  not be sent into the distributable pool but should be retained in the states where they are generated.

  • ‘Jonathan, most troubled President’

    ‘Jonathan, most troubled President’

    TO the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Dan Nwanyanwu, President Goodluck Jonathan is the most troubled leader the nation has ever had.

    He pleaded with Nigerians to pray for Jonathan, saying “he has lost so much weight over Nigeria lately.”

    Nwanyanwu, who spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said the President never “had peace” since he was elected in 2011.

    He lamented that he is shedding “much weight over security” challenges plaguing the nation.

    He noted that while past leaders with all their respective shortcomings enjoyed relative peace while in office, the experience of Jonathan has been quite different.

    Nwanyanwu said: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. I really want you to pray for our President.

    “Take a look at him on the television; he has lost so much weight due to the insecurity challenge confronting the country.

    “Alhaji Shehu Shagari had peace; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo with all his troubles had peace; Umaru Yar’Adua had peace though he was ill.

    “But President Jonathan has had no peace from inception. He has lost weight thinking about Nigeria. I urge you  to pray for him.”

    Nwanyanwu spoke during the inauguration of the LP State Secretariat on Onikolobo road, Abeokuta, which was attended by former Governor Gbenga Daniel; Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko; Chief Sule Onabiyi and thousands of party faithful.

    He said the Labour Party will work for the President in respect of the 2015 election and urged all party members to support Jonathan.

    Also, the National Leader of the party, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, pledged to rally LP to work for Jonathan.

    Mimiko, who noted that he was in Ogun State to reassure all LP loyalists that the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party has been resolved. He described the state governor, Senator Amosun’s infrastructural development projects as an elitist urban renewal project aimed at inflicting pains on the poor masses.

    Mimiko said, “Urban renewal is good because when the cities are renewed, it attracts businesses. But the whole essence of attracting businesses is to improve on the socio-economic lives of the people of the state.

    “But if the concept of urban renewal is to destroy the means of the livelihood of the people, you destroy their generational heritage, then that renewal is not worth it. Urban renewal must not be at the expense of the masses. It is very good to renew our cities.”

    Daniel, who is the state leader of LP, pledged that if the party wins the governorship election in the Gateway State, all workers sacked by Amosun would be reinstated.

  • Conference delegates urge Jonathan to end terrorism

    Conference delegates urge Jonathan to end terrorism

    Delegates to the ongoing National Conference have expressed concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the country.

    Reacting to the bomb blast that killed several people yesterday morning in Nyanyan, Abuja, the delegates urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take drastic steps to arrest the perpetrators and end the insurgency.

    They also urged the President to implement the recommendations of two panels which examined the security challenges confronting the country.

    The panels recommended the prosecution of some politicians indicted as masterminds and sponsors of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

    Condemning the suicide bombing in Nyanyan, the delegates, who observed a minute silence in honour of the dead, called for the rehabilitation, reconsideration and reconstruction of all areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

    The decision of the delegates followed the adoption of the prayers of a motion moved by Dan Nwanyanwu, Labour Party (LP) leader, and Ishaq Kawu, a media representative.

    Nwanyanwu said: “I think there is conspiracy against Nigeria and Nigerians. But there must be an enemy within. I want this conference to call on security agencies to take more immediate and urgent steps to deal with these insurgents forthwith so that Nigerians will not be dying like chickens.”

     

    he said. On his part, Kawu regretted that security situation in the country has been plummeted in the last five years, adding that  violence has escalated in the Northeast despite the state of emergency that was imposed almost a year ago. He therefore tasked the government to embark on reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the affected areas.

  • Ondo PDP faults Nwanyanwu on Ilaje bye election

    Ondo PDP faults Nwanyanwu on Ilaje bye election

    The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised a statement credited to the national chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, that the LP candidate in the April 5 by-election into the House of Representatives, Mr. Kolade Akinjo, was the winner of the election.

    The party therefore called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the PDP candidate as the lawmaker-elect.

    The PDP through its State publicity secretary, Wale Ozogoro, said, “Indeed, the desperation of the LP chairman is pardonable, as his in-depth knowledge of the Electoral Act is questionable.

    “His vituperation and uncultured allegations that INEC in connivance with the PDP want to get victory through the back door is uncalled for, unfounded and the deceptive tendencies the party is known for.”

    The party pointed out that INEC reserves the right to declare an election inconclusive or cancel such out rightly, adding that any party that is not satisfied with the decision is free to seek redress at the electoral tribunal or the law court.

    The statement said, “The LP chairman should have sought legal advice from senior members of the Bar before going bare to the press with his ignorance. The explanation offered by the returning officer was explicit, straightforward and concise enough for a deciphering mind to understand that the election is inconclusive and, therefore, no winner has emerged.”

    The PDP urged the LP to desist from blackmailing INEC to declare Akinjo as the winner of the bye-election.

     

  • ‘If you want to sleep, walk out’

    Delegate to the National Conference and Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Dan Nwanyanwu, yesterday advised his colleagues: “If you want to sleep, walk out.” This advice came up during a debate on a rule to gag the press through Order 15 rule 7.

    Nwanyanwu said: “Anyone who wants to sleep can climb this aisle and walk out. Once you are here, your two eyes must be opened. If you decide to help yourself by sleeping,nobody will help you to gag the press.

    “The press must report what they have seen and they are not lying by what was reported. It was the truth. If you are here for the true purpose of nation building, we must be serious.

    “With due respect to our elder statesmen, I see them, they are awake, but I say if there is any reason for anyone to take a nap for reason of health challenges, such person must not do it here, else the media will get you.”

    Nwanyanwu was one of several delegates who killed an attempt to gag the press. Former Senate President Ken Nnamani supported free press.

    Festus Okoye said the clause was offensive to freedom of expression and that the conditions attached to the clause should be expunged.

    According to him, the media has a responsibility to report the conference accurately and should not be intimated.

    His proposal that the conditions attached to the clause be removed was unanimously adopted.

    The clause now reads: “The Conference may grant approval to the representative of any media to attend the sitting of the Conference.”

    The draft procedure rules Order 15 Miscellaneous rule 7 stipulates that “The Conference may grant approval to the representative of any media to attend the sitting of the Conference provided that if the media publishes a report of the proceedings which the conference considers unfair, offensive and not a true reflection of what translator end, such permission may be revoked.”

    ThisDay publisher Nduka Obiagbuna and activist Yinka Odumakin found the clause repressive and against the rights of Nigerians to be informed of the true situation of things at the conference.

    Odumakin said: “We have not been sent here to come and sleep and if the media observed that some of us are sleeping, they are duty bound to publish those photographs.”

    Nwanyanwu, Odumakin and Obaigbena’s intervention were in response to a statement by a delegate, Mahmud Aminu shortly after the beginning of proceedings.

    Aminu, a representative of Civil Society Organisations (CSO), complained about some reports in some national dailies about some individuals that were caught sleeping at the plenary the previous day.

    “Some of us have followed the reports of the press since last week and we have observed slanted and negative reports about this conference. While it is not our responsibility to circumscribe the role of the Nigerian press,we call on the press to be responsible in its reportage.”

    He said a member asked the leadership of the conference if he was entitled to aides and assistants.

    “When the Nigerian press reported it, they said delegates to the conference were asking for assistants and aides.”