The Nation Newspaper

Tag: DELAY

  • Delay and deterioration

    Delay and deterioration

    Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road is in a worse state than it was in October last year when the Federal Government finally gave the Ogun State government permission to fix the road, which was categorised as a federal road. For years, the road had been in very bad shape, and overdue for reconstruction.

    An investigative report published in The Guardian on February 4 said: “It is sad to note that between October last year and now, the road has further degenerated.”

    This was unexpected. Indeed, it was disappointing. Minister of Works David Umahi, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on October 16 last year, said the state government had requested to be allowed to “do the road on their own.”  He announced that the state government had been permitted to “do it and toll it,” and there would be “no refunds” for the road reconstruction.

     At the time, the Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya, said the state government “has been rehabilitating the road since 2019,” adding that “With the transfer done now, we are happy and ready to immediately take over the project and turn around the fortunes of the road.”

    Just before the announcement that the road had changed hands, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun had lamented its terrible condition. 

    Read Also: NFF clears air on delayed Eagles’ moneys at CBN

    Akpabio noted the extremely bad condition of the road when he visited the state to attend the grand finale of the Yewa Cultural Festival, and receive a traditional title, Aare Fiwagboye of Yewa land. According to him, he decided to pass through the Lagos-Abeokuta, Papalanto-Ilaro road where he spent about two hours in traffic on Papalanto-Ilaro road “because two tankers fell on the road.” He told the people at the event: “I really sympathise with you. I went through what you people are going through on a daily basis.” 

    When the governor spoke, he also told a sad story, telling Akpabio that “it took me three hours to get here from Abeokuta. I am sure it took you just as much to get here from Lagos because of the deplorable state of Lagos-Abeokuta Road.”

    He pleaded for Akpabio’s intervention, saying, “Please help us with the Federal Government to transfer this road to us. This road is very key to our socio-economic economic development.”

    It was bad enough that the road was abandoned for so long by the Federal Government, which worsened its condition.  It is worse that more than three months after the federal authorities allowed the state government to fix the road, the condition of the road was reported to have worsened. 

    Why the delay in fixing the road? The Ogun State government has a lot of explaining to do.

  • No further delay

    No further delay

    For years, the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road has been in very bad shape, and overdue for reconstruction. It is good news that the Federal Government has finally given the Ogun State government permission to fix the road, which was categorised as a federal road.

    Minister of Works David Umahi announced the new arrangement after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on October 16, saying the state government had requested to be allowed to “do the road on their own.”  He said: “No refunds for that but they will do it and toll it.”

    Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Ade Akinsanya said the state government “has been rehabilitating the road since 2019,” adding that “With the transfer done now, we are happy and ready to immediately take over the project and turn around the fortunes of the road.” 

    Notably, last weekend, just before the announcement that the road had changed hands, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun had lamented the terrible condition of the road.

    Read Also: Ashiru replaces Umahi as Senate Deputy Leader

    Akpabio noted the extremely bad condition of the road when he visited the state to attend the grand finale of the Yewa Cultural Festival, and receive a traditional title, Aare Fiwagboye of Yewa land. According to him, he decided to pass through the Lagos-Abeokuta, Papalanto-Ilaro road where he spent about two hours in traffic on Papalanto-Ilaro road “because two tankers fell on the road.” He told the people at the event: “I really sympathise with you. I went through what you people are going through on a daily basis.”  

    When the governor spoke, he also told a sad story, telling Akpabio that “it took me three hours to get here from Abeokuta. I am sure it took you just as much to get here from Lagos because of the deplorable state of Lagos-Abeokuta Road.”

    He pleaded for Akpabio’s intervention, saying, “Please help us with the Federal Government to transfer this road to us. This road is very key to our socio-economic economic development.” 

    Given the widely acknowledged importance of the road, it is lamentable that it was abandoned for so long by the Federal Government, which worsened its condition. Also, it is puzzling that the federal authorities refused to permit the state to fix the road before now.  

    The Ogun State government should urgently focus on fixing the road, and do it well. There is no room for any further delay.

  • Court frowns at delay in senator’s trial over illegal varsity

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has frowned at the delay by the conduct of the defence’s case in the ongoing trial of Senator David Iornem, accused of operating an illegal university.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed said yesterday that the defence had used four adjournments in cross-examining the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, (a key prosecution witness), without concluding.

    Justice Mohammed said: “Taking into account his status in the society and his age, I am not comfortable that this witness is being called for the fourth time only for cross examination. I will not condone this delay.”

    The judge spoke at the resumption of proceedings yesterday, shortly after Oloyede entered the witness box and complained of ill health.

    Defence lawyer, Chris Alashi, tendered copies of some papers and lectures written by Oloyede after the witness identified the work as some of those he had done.

    Alashi later applied to tender the documents in evidence, an application the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) prosecutor Ebenezer Sogunle objected to on the grounds that the documents were computer generated and that the defence had not complied with the condition laid down in Section 84 of Evidence Act, 2011.

    Alashi, however, argued that the witness identified the documents, without stating that they were computer generated. But that he only made such insinuation in respect of one of the documents.

    He noted that the court had earlier admitted the documents, which it marked PL5, an observation Sogunle faulted and stated that while the documents were earlier admitted under Section 83 of the Electoral Act, his current objection was based on Section 84 of the Electoral Act.

    Justice Mohammed adjourned till December 12 for ruling.

    Senator Iornem (also a professor) is being tried by ICPC on a three-count charge in which he is accused of allegedly operating an illegal university and obtaining under false pretence.

    In his earlier testimony, Oloyede gave an account of how the defendant attempted to dupe him of $11,550 by proposing to award him a doctoral degree at $11,550 in 2012.

    Oloyede, a former vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said because he was conversant with the university system all over the world, he knew that the offer was not only fake, but also dubious.

    The witness said he was the vice chancellor of the university at the time the incident happened. He added that the steps he took thereafter led to the defendant’s arrest and ongoing prosecution.

    Oloyede said: “When I was the vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin and also, the chairman, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, I got a letter from Prof. David Iornem, offering me a professional and academic doctoral degree for the sum of $11,550.

    “I suspected that it was not proper for an academic and professional doctoral degree to be so awarded without any application.

    “I did not apply and therefore considered the offer unethical. I later wrote to the regulator of universities, the Executive Secretary, National University Commission (NUC). I attached the letter I received from the Commonwealth University.

    “My intention was to ensure that the NUC investigate to establish the propriety or impropriety of the action.

    “The degree he (Prof. Iornem) offered me was a professional and academic degree of Commonwealth University, Belize.

    “From exposure, I have about four decades of university life as a teacher and I am very familiar with university system all over the world.

    “I also suspected, given my position in the university globally, I suspected that that university was non-existent,” Oloyede said.

     

  • Enugu explains delay in road maintenance

    The Enugu State government has said the pavement and surfacing of excavated and stabilised potholes on urban and intercity roads were delayed because of the rains.

    A statement by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Greg Nnaji, said the persistent rains have made it impossible for the application of “hot rolled asphaltic wearing course for the pavement and surfacing”.

    Nnaji, who reassured the people of the government’s commitment to complete the road in time, said “we will take advantage of any available dry weather window to complete the maintenance work at the respective locations/clusters”.

    “Consequently, pavement and surfacing are ongoing at Ogui and Otigba junctions, down to Bissalla Road because of the favourable weather in Enugu city at the moment,” he added.

  • Judge angry over delay in Evans’ trial

    Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Ikeja High Court yesterday expressed displeasure over the slow pace of kidnap suspect Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans trial, warning that such delay will no longer be tolerated.

    He gave the warning during a 30-minute verbal exchange with Mr Chinonye Obiagwu, Evans’ new counsel, who prayed for an adjournment to study the case file.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obiagwu is one of the 31 shortlisted Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) who will be inducted at the Supreme Court on September 24.

    Justice Oshodi said: “I cannot come from home during vacation to be told that the matter will not go on for one excuse or the other.

    “Counsel should desist from filing applications targeting at stalling trial, parties must get their witnesses ready, so that justice will be served within a reasonable time frame.”

    Before now, Evans’ had hired two defence counsel; Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje and Mr Noel Brown to represent him.

    The changes in defence counsel delayed in the trial.

    Proceedings were adjourned on June 26 when Brown took over from Ogungbeje who was Evans’ first defence counsel.

    Evans is standing trial with Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

    They were arraigned on August 30, 2017 on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, Donatus Dunu, from whose family they allegedly collected 223,000 Euro (N100m) as ransom.

    Evans and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Earlier during proceedings, a witness, Inspector Idowu Haruna of the Intelligence Response Team, had told the court how the accused were arrested.

    Haruna, led in evidence by Mr Adebayo Haroun, the prosecutor, said the defendants statements were not obtained under duress but rather in a conducive environment.

    The prosecutor urged the court to admit the statements as evidence but, Obiagwu objected, saying they were obtained under duress. Justice Oshodi ordered a trial-within-trial.

    During the trial-within-trial, Haruna said when Dunu, escaped from the kidnappers den, he was brought to the Anti-Kidnapping Department, Ikeja and subsequently taken to the then Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni.

    “Owoseni then ordered a team to move to the defendants hideout at Igando, a suburb of Lagos. On getting to the house, the abductors had fled the scene with their little possessions but the police team found some ammunition in the house which the defendants left behind,” he said.

    Haruna said under interrogation, Evans alleged that some army officers were working for him.

    “Whenever they were going on their operation, they put on army uniform to camouflage as army officers and disguise in order to deceive their prey.

    “Two army officers involved were later arrested and taken before their superiors at Abaiti Barracks for disciplinary action.

    “They were dismissed and taken back to the police for further disciplinary action,” Haruna said.

    The case continues on October 26.

  • ‘Delay in retirement benefits payments transitional’

    The delay in retirement benefits payments to retirees under the    new Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) is a fall out from the old pension scheme, the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), IEI Anchor Pension Managing Director, Glory Etaduovie has said.

    Speaking to insurance and pension reporters in Lagos, Etaduovie said the delay in retirement benefits payments under the CPS should also not be misunderstood to be a deficiency of the CPS.

    Rather, he said the non-payment should be seen as transitional owing to delays in funding past accrued pension liabilities into the CPS by the government.

    He noted that the delays would have been worse had the CPS not taken place.

    He stressed that the new scheme is reducing upfront government’s liability, adding that the Pension Reform Act 2004 is a marriage of all divergent factors.

    Success since then has seen the ‘elimination’ of the very corrupt syndicates stealing pension funds massively, as well as gradual decimation of unnecessary bureaucracy in accessing retirement benefits, he added.

    He said it also provided an efficient platform for establishing and creating a definition for private sector pension which several organisations evaded previously.

    He said: “The pension sector is a large labour employer. But there appears to be a dislike by some civil servants for the contributory pension scheme because, it is thought that it pays lower than the defined benefits scheme. This leads to attempts by some implementers to frustrate it in many states. This is not true as the individual contributors’ funds would grow as the number of years a person is working increases and the investment returns are applied on a compound interest basis. They forget quickly that government can no longer carry such weights directly as it did in the past. At present, it is difficult for many state governments to meet up salary payments. This is the new reality.

    “The fears of delayed retirement benefits payments also exist. This has been misunderstood to be a deficiency of the CPS. No, rather, it is transitional. It is the effects of delays in funding of the past accrued pension liabilities into the Contributory Pension fund by the Government. The delays would have been worse anyway, had the contributory pension scheme not taken place. The CPS is reducing upfront the government’s liability.

    “Quickly forgotten also was the tedious bureaucracy that bedeviled the pursuit of retirement benefits in the recent past. These are the same delays and uncertainties that CPS is bringing a stop to an end. Thus, the transition is like a difficult delivery of a baby into a new world. Those who have benefited or hope to benefit from the past scheme will be clog in the progress wheel. Only recently, the fund survived being cannibalised from various agitations from various quarters for own control of their pensions. It took the will of the CBN, FMF and other strong bodies to disintegrate the seeming ‘coalition’ to unbundle the success story so far.”

    He pointed out that the PRA pension model stimulates individual and national savings culture and helping the people to not only take their destinies in their hands but be responsible for it.

    “To illustrate, children are expected to rise to take their destinies in their hands after a certain level of training by their parents. The PRA model of contributory pension scheme harmonised the public and private sectors in pension’s management. The private sector pensions became harnessed and structured. This was also designed to grow itself through investments and provide liquidity, provide capital for investment and develop the economy, critical infrastructure and long-term investments.

    “The CPS (Contributory Pension Scheme) is maturing. It is responsive to the environment. The peculiarities of Nigeria, its history, its culture leads to various other concerns both for the contributors directly and the nation as a whole. The scheme has exceeded a decade of practice. The industry, despite its success in accumulating such a massive fund (without being stolen or decimated), which is a great feat that no other industry except may be the oil industry is doing, is grossly misunderstood”, he added.

  • Rep frowns at delay in clearing pension arrears

    The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Pensions, Hon. Hassan Adamu Shekarau has said part of the loan approved for President Muhammadu Buhari by the National Assembly was meant for the payment of pensions, saying the delay in clearing outstanding pension liabilities was unfortunate.

    Shekarau who spoke at the commissioning of the national secretariat complex of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Abuja said he has directed the Acting Director-General, National Pension Commission (PenCom) and the Executive Secretary of PTAD to engage the Ministers of Finance and National Planning as well as the Accountant-General of the Federation within two weeks to find out what is causing the delay in releasing the required money to pay the pension arrears.

    He said when the president sent a letter to the National Assembly seeking approval for a loan, he stated in the letter that part of the money was to be used to pay pension arrears, pointing out that the loan was approved for the government and therefore, there was no reason why the pension arrears should still be hanging.

    He said if after two weeks’ nothing is done, he was ready to move a motion on the floor of the House summoning the two ministers to appear before the House with explanation.

    He said the National Assembly was committed to the welfare of pensioners and has therefore constantly engage stakeholders in the industry to ensure that the needful is done.

    Also speaking, Executive Secretary of PTAD,  Sharon Ikeazor said the agency is working hard to clear the balance of the 33 percent pension arrears before the end of the year, while computing the data of pensioners who have so far been verified for inclusion into the pension data base.

    She said plans are under way to establish an office in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital to take care of the need of pensioners  in the Northeast in line with the current administration’s determine to ensure the welfare of pensioners across the country.

    She said PTAD was currently discussing with the National Health Insurance Scheme with a view to enrolling pensioners on the scheme.

  • Financial experts lament 2018 Budget delay

    Some financial experts yesterday in Lagos frowned at the failure of the National Assembly to pass the 2018 Budget and confirm nominees of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

    In separate interviews with the NFinancial ews Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the stakeholders said the continued delay arising from the lingering impasse between the executive and legislature was affecting the nation’s development.

    Sheriffdeen Tella, Professor of Economics, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, said that fiscal and monetary policies were important in driving major economic activities.

    Tella said that the blame game between the executive and the legislature in budget passage and MPC members’ confirmation were not in the nation’s interest.

    “The fiscal policy side is held to ransom, the monetary side is also in limbo by not approving members that should consider and approve the CBN monetary policy proposals.

    “These are the two major economic policies that drive economic activities,” Tella said.

    He observed that further delay in the passage of the 2018 budget, and by implication delay in implementation, would have negative effects on the country’s economic growth.

    He said the nation’s interest should be of paramount interest to elected public office holders.

    “There is the need for a change of attitude for the economy to move forward, and in the right direction,” he said.

    The don lamented that it was disheartening that the budget had not been approved since November 2017, because of budget defence by ministers and directors.

    He said that the nation should not be held to ransom because of budget defence, noting that the Minister of Budget and Planning, Udoma Udo-Udoma, and his officials be invited for clarification if the need arises.

    Mallam Garba Kurfi, the Managing Director, APT Securities and Funds Ltd., noted that the nation’s recovery from recession would have been accelerated if the 2018 budget was released on time.

    Kurfi said that budget approval and implementation were critical to investment decisions and enhanced economic activities.

    He said the first quarter would soon end without budget approval, noting that it was not good for the country’s quest for both local and foreign investors.

    Kurfi called for urgent political solution to the looming crisis, saying the economy was suffering with the muscle-flexing between the executive and the legislature.

    NAN reports that the MPC meeting earlier scheduled for Jan. 22 and 23 was cancelled due to the non-confirmation of the MPC nominees by the Senate.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, in October 2017, nominated Mrs Aisha Ahmad as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    He also sought the confirmation of Mr Adeola Adenikinju, Mr Aliyu Sanusi, Mr Robert Asogwa and Mrs Asheikh Maidugu as members of the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee, but the Senate has yet to confirm the nominees.

  • Agonising delay

    Agonising delay

    •Ex-Nigeria Airways’ pensioners as metaphor for Nigeria’s Senior Citizens 

    Sadly, three deaths within a week this month increased the number of Nigeria Airways’ pensioners who have died while waiting for payment of their terminal entitlements. The deaths reportedly occurred on February 2 and 6.

    Chairman of Nigeria Airways’ branch of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Mr Sam Ezene, lamented: “Over 900 of our members have, unfortunately, died since the battle started. In fact, one person died in Lagos in the morning before we started the protest. The 900 we are talking about are those that were reported to us. There were reports of two deaths on February 2. We are not talking about those in the villages that we do not have report on. So, it has been so bad. Most of them died for lack of money to take care of their health and other necessities.”

    When the pensioners protested on February 6, reportedly blocking the Lagos Airport road for hours, it was a pathetic picture. Ezene was quoted as saying: ”The Federal Executive Council in September 2017 approved the payment of N45 billion which was part of pension entitlements of the defunct Nigeria Airways workers. In spite of our peaceful protests at the Ministry of Finance and the National Assembly in December, our entitlements have not been paid. Hopelessness and depression are killing our members and this is why we want the public to know that we are going through a lot of pains and anger.”

    Chairman of the Nigeria Airways Elders Forum, Mr Godwin Jibodu, gave further details of tragic deaths of ex-Nigeria Airways’ workers, saying that seven persons died within a week because they could not afford the cost of treatment for their ailments. He told reporters: “This is very sad because the government has approved N45 billion since June for payment of our pensions and gratuities.” The dead include: Capt. Asuquo, Capt. Akintaju, M. K. Amah, Bose Oladumiye, Onyebuchi Anunobi, Adebayo Awoyinka, T. Bellgam and Ebenezer Akinbode.  Charles Ntanyi was said to have been missing since August last year after boarding a commercial bus at night in Ogba, Lagos.

    It is over a decade since the then President Olusegun Obasanjo liquidated the national carrier in 2004. The affected workers were not expected to wait interminably for payment of their entitlements. It is inexcusable that they are still waiting for payment, even after the Muhammadu Buhari administration had given the green light for payment.

    The pensioners blame the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, for the agonising delay.  A report said: “They chanted solidarity songs and demanded explanation from the minister on the cause of the delay in the payment. According to them, the N45 billion is out of the N78 billion pensions owed them by government.”

    Curiously, the story was further complicated by comments credited to the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, when he spoke at the annual retreat of the Joint Union Negotiating Council in Abuja, on February 13.   Sirika, who was represented by the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, Mr Akin Olateru, said:  ”When Nigeria Airways was declared comatose, the people in the United Kingdom got full payment, those in Ghana got full payment, but why is it that we in Nigeria did not get same? It is because we don’t have a very strong enabling Act that supports staff after the liquidation of their firms.”

    If employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways who worked in the United Kingdom and Ghana got their full entitlements when the airline was liquidated but their Nigerian counterparts were not paid, it reinforces the local protests. The Nigerian authorities must take action and pay the pensioners’ entitlements without further delay.

  • Delay in the issuance of drivers’ licence

    Delay in the issuance of drivers’ licence

    One of the Officials came to explain that they actually have heaps of driver licence which are not easy for them to sort out quickly.  Hence the delay in the issuance.

    I hereby use this opportunity to advice the State Governments and FCT to engage more hands in the sorting and issuance of driver licence and stop subjecting innocent driver licence Applicants to avoidable hardships. The Officers should get more committed to the capturing, sorting and issuance and stop going around touting for driver licence Applicants whom they will collect money from contrary to their code of practice.

    Anybody who has been captured and has waited for 60 days should go to their Driver Licence Centres to demand for their licences whether they receive text messages or not. According to FRSC Authority,  your licence is ready in less than the 60 days and I strongly plead with the State Governments and FCT to pay more attention to the happenings at the various Driver Licence Centres to drastically reduce the wrongdoings and promote quality service delivery.

    I give another big Kudos to the FRSC COMACE  for his visionary leadership and for commendably overcoming the challenges of driver licence production.  The State Government Agencies should also take proactive steps to hasten up on the sorting and issuance of the licences for the benefit of all.