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Tag: Fed Govt

  • Fed Govt wades in Oshiomhole’s, Ngige’s rift

    THE Federal Government said yesterday that the ongoing rift between the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and Minister of Labour Chris Ngige will be resolved soon.

    Minister of Information Lai Mohammed gave this indication after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Oshiomhole had threatened to expel Ngige from the party and cabinet if he fails to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

    Speaking on the rift, Mohammed said: “What happened between the minister and chairman will be resolved.”

    He said two weeks ago, the government launched a campaign against fake news, saying it’s one of the most dangerous phenomenon facing the country today.

    Mohammed said: “We don’t know who said what and until we know and the minister confirmed this statement credited to him, it’s difficult really to comment.

    “I can assure you, if there is any problem between the party chairman and any of our ministers, it will be resolved.”

    On his part, Minister of Transportation Rotimi Ameachi denied report credit to him that he disparaged the party chairman.

    He said: “How do you know it’s true? I saw in social media this afternoon where they said I said the chairman is a bad luck. I never said so. I have never said such a thing. They quoted me that I was attacking the chairman.”

    Speaking with reporters yesterday, Ngige said he was not afraid of suspension in a party in which he is a founding member.

    He was responding to the threat issued by Oshiomhole that if he failed to inaugurate the board members of Federal agencies and parastatal under his ministry in line with the President’s directives, he would be suspended or expelled by the party.

    When asked if he was going to comply and if he was not afraid of suspension from the party, Ngige said: “How? In a party that we formed and brought them in? The man is talking out of ignorance. I’m not afraid of suspension.”

    Ngige had in his written response earlier, explained why the Board of NSITF was yet to be inaugurated.

    The minister said he had reconstituted three boards out of the four agencies and parastatals under his ministry, but has not been able to constitute the board of NSITF because of cases of financial malfeasance, which have put the agency under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

  • Fed Govt unveils ICT roadmap

    The Minister of Communication, Dr.  Adebayo Shittu, yesterday unveiled the Nigeria Communication Technology (ICT)  roadmap 2017 – 2018, in Lagos.

    With: The Role of the Private Sector in the Implementation of the Nigeria ICT Roadmap, Shittu said the implementation of the  roadmap could not have come at a better time than now that government is working assiduously toward sustaining economic recovery and growth in the private sector as a key player.

    He said:  “The roadmap  being unveiled today is conceived as a implementation framework focusing on five pillar,   namely: ICT industry and infrastructure development,  governance, policy,  legal and regulatory environment, capacity building and cross cutting issue such as information security and innovation.

    “This event is important as it provides opportunity for us to share our collective vision regarding the developmental trajectory of the ICT sector in the medium term.  As the engine of growth of economy,  the private sector was pivotal to the consultation that culminated in the development of the Nigeria ICT roadmap.

    “It is even more critical now that we are at the stage of implementation.  So this event therefore a milestone in our desire to reposition and harness the inherent potentials and benefit of the information and communication sector for national growth and development.”

  • Fed Govt to increase budget allocation to health sector, says Buhari

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja said the Federal Government is considering an upward review of budgetary allocation to the health sector with the aim of improving the quality and access to medical facilities across the country.

    Buhari, who received the new executive of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the State House, said the review of the budgetary allocation would reflect the government’s priority of ensuring that Nigerians get better healthcare, especially in specialised areas.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “We place quality healthcare on our priority list, and we are already marching on with the Primary Health Care services and some state governors have bought into it. We are committed to universal health care.”

    The President assured the leaders of the NMA that the White Paper from the Ahmed Yayale-led panel report on Inter-professional Harmony in the Healthcare Sector was already being considered by the government to ensure more organised and harmonised working relationships among medical practitioners.

    Buhari, however, urged the medical practitioners to always consider their profession as  “divine call”, especially in taking decisions that directly impact on the lives of Nigerians. He added that other means of negotiation for better working conditions should be explored instead of strikes.

    “The medical profession is regarded as a divine call because of the strategic role you play in the lives of human beings,” he said.

    The President hailed the NMA and its members on some of the medical feats being achieved in Nigeria like the separation of conjoined twins, organ transplants, heart surgeries and treatment of cancer patients.

    He noted that the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council would soon be constituted to further enhance service delivery and regulation of the sector.

    Minister of State for Health Osagie Ehinare said a newly released basic health care provision would further focus on improving service delivery to Nigerians through the Primary Health Care.

    NMA President Dr. Francis Adedayo hailed President Buhari for including members of the NMA in the Federal Executive Council and signing of the Medical Residency Training Act into law.

    Adedayo urged the Federal Government to improve on the budgetary allocation to the health sector as required by the Abuja Declaration, which sets a benchmark of 15 per cent.

    He said the speedy processing of the Ahmed Yayale report on harmony among practitioners in the medical sector would go a long way in enhancing service delivery and better working relationships.

    The NMA president said the association had already reached out to the National Emergency Management Agency for stronger partnership in providing care for victims of disasters.

     

     

  • Six more states join Fed Govt’s Conditional Cash Transfer scheme

    SIX additional states have joined the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme of the Federal Government to increase the total number of beneficiary states to 26, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) said yesterday.

    The CCT is one of the social investment programmes of the Federal Government targeted at lifting poor and vulnerable Nigerians from poverty. Beneficiaries receive N5,000 monthly to be productive and engage in economic activities, form cooperative groups and manage their lives.

    Speaking at the just concluded sensitisation workshop for focal persons, permanent secretaries and heads of units in Abuja, National Programme Coordinator of the NCTO, Dr. Temitope Sinkaiye, said more states will join the poverty alleviation scheme once they fulfil all necessary requirements.

    Dr. Sinkaiye, who expressed happiness at the increased number of states participating in the programme, assured that the highest standard of transparency and accountability are adhered to in choosing beneficiaries.

    She enjoined the 10 remaining states yet to join to expedite action on their enrolment process so that the poor and vulnerable in their states would also benefit.

    Dr. Sinkaiye, who reiterated that the scheme does not have stringent operational procedures, explained: “It is for the state to establish state and local government offices. Then the federal would start by training the different levels in order for them to be able to understand the implementation and operational procedure of the programme and commence.  Except these states put these structures in place, we cannot do anything.”

    On ensuring transparency and accountability in the scheme, Dr. Sinkaiye said it is participatory and is being monitored across the board.

    She said: “It is being implemented in a participatory manner where community members are involved, same with local, state and Federal Government.

    “There are monitoring organizations including the CSOs, the World Bank and the Swiss government. The monitoring movement has an electronic audit trail, trailing the money as it moves from the CBN to the beneficiaries, so you can trace and trail it from where it was cashed out and where it went to.”

     

     

     

  • Fed Govt’s plane to evacuate stranded Nigerians from Russia

    THE Federal Government will send a plane to repatriate the 200 defrauded Nigerian citizens presently stranded in Russia.

    Nigerian ambassador to Russia Steve Ugbah, who made this known while addressing a news conference yesterday, said: “My foreign minister and I spoke yesterday.

    “The foreign minister spoke to President Muhammadu Buhari. He approved that these Nigerians [would] be evacuated back to Nigeria.

    “So, the Federal Government of Nigeria is sending a plane very soon to evacuate these Nigerians back home. That is the ultimate goal.”

    There are hundreds of Nigerian citizens in Russia, who paid money to fraudsters for fake Fan IDs – FIFA-issued identification cards for the World Cup – to get to the country and were promised jobs but now remain without employment, money or tickets home.

    There are also no official reasons for their deportation, since visa-free travel for Fan ID holders was prolonged by Russia until the end of the year.

    The diplomat noted that 200 defrauded Nigerians remained in the accommodation provided by the embassy in Moscow.

    “All I can tell you is that we have about 200 Nigerians that we have been able to relocate to shelters, I call them shelters – to hostels, to dormitories, so as to take them off the street so we can provide food for them.

    “These are Nigerian citizens and the embassy’s responsibility is to make sure that we protect them and we provide for their basic needs as we prepare to take them back home,” Ugbah said.

     

     

  • Ondo seeks Fed Govt’s help to tackle ocean surge

    The Ondo State government yesterday urged the Federal Government to help it tackle incessant surge from the Atlantic Ocean.

    The occurrence has damaged property in Ayetoro community in Ilaje Local Government Area where over 25 buildings, including the only secondary school in the oil producing community, have been submerged.

    Also, over 200 persons have become homeless.

    Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi, who represented Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, called for Federal Government’s urgent assistance to tackle the ocean surge after inspecting the damage it caused in the community.

    Ajayi, who was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ifedayo Abegunde; Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Funso Esan and the Chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Gbenga Edema, sympathised with the residents, particularly those directly affected by the sea incursion.

    The deputy governor regretted the loss of home and other property to the disaster.

    He urged the Federal Government to increase its protection of the oil producing community.

    Ajayi, a former member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said only modern technology can end the crisis.

    He said: “I remember when I was at the House of Representatives. I led members of the NDDC to this community. I also travelled to The Netherlands to look at the modern technology we felt would solve the problem.”

    “As I am here now, you should know that Ondo State is here: the SSG is here, the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area is also here. We are all here.

    “As a matter of fact, the governor would have been here personally but he is away with Mr. President in The Netherland. He directed us to be here today to express our feelings, to assess the level of damage and look for best way to prevent future occurrence.”

    “Certainly, you can see this has gone beyond the Ondo State government. We will make noise and let the world know that Ayetoro is in danger, Ondo State is in danger. The Federal Government should rescue this oil producing community.

    “Probably what they did in Lagos will solve this problem. Look at Eko Atlantic City. It was able to stop this type of sea incursion and people are able to drive freely; not only this, they are even building houses on top of the sea.

    “Like what the community said, they are about three kilometres away now. A lot of houses have been eroded; children cannot go to school. So, we are worried, but we are assuring our people that we will not relent in our efforts to stop this disaster.”

  • Executive Order 6 most potent weapon against corruption, says Fed Govt

    The Federal Government has described Presidential Executive Order Number 6 of 2018 as “the Administration’s most potent weapon against corruption to date.”

    The government said it was not surprised at the “pockets of opposition” to the Order, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 5.

    Information and Culture Minister Alhaji Lai Mohammaed told reporters in Lagos that “Those opposed to it (the Order) say it is unconstitutional, dictatorial and amounts to the usurpation of the powers of the legislature and the judiciary.

    “The truth is that, having realised the potency of the Order in giving muscle to the fight against corruption, the corrupt and their cohorts have become jittery.

    “They have every reason to be. Henceforth, it won’t be business as usual.

    He said the Executive Order Number 6 will have immediate effect on 155 high profile corruption cases involving over N595 billion.

    “This is a huge amount by any standard. It is higher than the N500 billion allotted to the Administration’s Social Investment Programme in the 2018 budget.

    “It is also higher than the N344 billion allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of roads nationwide in the 2018 budget,” he said.

    The minister reiterated that the Order is not unconstitutional, dictatorial and ultra vires as claimed by the opposition.

    “The President has the power, under Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.

    “This extends to the execution and maintenance of the Constitution, all Laws made by the National Assembly (including but not limited to Section 15(5) of the Constitution.

    “Executive Order Number 6 is constitutional. Anyone who feels otherwise can seek redress in court,” he said.

    Mohammed said Buhari was not the first democratically-elected President to issue Executive Order adding that former Presidents Shehu Shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo issued such Orders.

    “In 1980, then President Shagari issued an Executive Order to modify the Public Order Act. This was unsuccessfully challenged in court by then Governors of Ogun and Borno States.

    “In 1999, then President Obasanjo issued Executive Orders to abolish the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and to proclaim May 29 as Democracy Day.

    “It is also important to state that past and present Presidents of the United States, after which our presidential system of government was fashioned, have been issuing Executive Orders since the time of the country’s first President, George Washington.”

    He explained that the Order aimed to, among others, restrict dealings in suspicious assets subject to investigation or inquiry bordering on corruption.

    The minister said it would preserve such assets from dissipation, and to deprive alleged criminals of the proceeds of their illicit activities which can otherwise be employed to allure, pervert

    The minister reiterated the commitment of the Administration to winning the war against corruption and to ensuring that justice is not defeated or compromised by persons involved in a case or complaint of corruption.

    He appealed to all Nigerians to support the Administration’s efforts “to tackle the cankerworm of corruption to free national resources for national development”.

  • Stakeholders, Fed Govt fail to agree on signing of ACFTA

    SOME business stakeholders yesterday insisted that it was still too early for Nigeria to sign the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).

    They bared their minds during the Eighth Presidential Quarterly Business Forum at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had last week disclosed that he would soon sign the agreement on behalf of Nigeria.

    Accepting that the agreement will be good for Nigeria in the long-run, the stakeholders maintained that many things still need to be put in place in the country before Nigeria can sign the agreement.

    Among the infrastructures they want in place, include good interstate roads, power, access to ports, and efficient rail transportation.

    If care is not taken, they warned that Nigeria would eventually become a dumping ground.

    Speaking at the interactive session, the Chairman of NEPAD Business Group and former President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Mrs. Nike Akande, said Nigeria was not ready for the agreement and urged Nigeria’s goods and services to be competitive enough.

    She noted that the government cannot do it alone, otherwise the country would become a dumping ground.

    Good infrastructure, she said, was key to promoting trade and investment in the country.

    Also speaking at the interactive session, the Vice President of the North-West Zone of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ibrahim Usman, an engineer, said: “We are not against signing the agreement, but if we don’t get this right, we will be in trouble.

    “We agree that the agreement is for services and not goods. If things are still work in progress, why the hurry?”

    Director-General and Chief Negotiator of the National Office of Trade Negotiations (NOTN) Chiedu Osakwe notissues in the Nigerian economy that must be addressed first.

    On what was learnt from the three months of nationwide consultations and the plan for going forward, he said: “This is how we stand, 45 out of the 55 members of the African Union have signed it, six have ratified. In ECOWAS, out of the 15 members, 13 have signed, only two have not – Nigeria and Guinea Bissau…

    “There is a strong support for it, but at the same time, there is consensus by the private sector that there are issues to address on Nigeria’s business environment to address.”

    Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo noted that this is the time for Nigeria to act on the agreement.

    According to him, Nigeria cannot afford to take the backseat on the issue.

    Stressing that some of the fears expressed are not out of place, he said: “While the engine is running, we are not going to wait. I think this is the time to go ahead and do something about it.”

    The Vice President said the current administration has invested massively on infrastructures in the country.

    He said: “With respect to the ACFTA, there are clearly huge advantages for us; no question about it at all. The rest of Africa see the enormous advantage of Nigeria’s participation. Everybody is waiting for us naturally and that is because they see a huge market. But we must ensure to get the best possible terms for Nigerian trade and commerce.

    “Our experiences with dooming and other injurious practices make it obvious to us that our market could be a real target, our local manufacturing could become unprofitable and our agricultural advantage could be reversed.

    “Consequently, we have embarked on extensive consultations with trade groups, manufacturers and organised labour  in all the six geo-political zones in other to get a clear sense of concerns as we navigate the process of  signing the treaty.

    “I think the general resolve favours engagement but the concerns remains around improving the domestic environment for greater competitiveness, concerns of power supply and investment in infrastructure. I don’t think I will make a more eloquent case than the honorable Minister of Power, Works and Housing has just made.”

    Minister of Trade and Investment Okechukwu Enelamah said the agreement is a ticket to play.

    He added that there would be more engagements on the agreement with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other stakeholders.

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, who noted that the government started at the point of recession, said the government is focused and has momentum.

    The government, he said, is supporting business in Nigeria to do what it does best.

    Whether the agreement is signed or not, he noted that Nigeria is already doing international trade with so much goods and services already leaving the shores of Nigeria on a daily basis.

    According to him, the present administration is making headway in critical infrastructural developments in the country.

    Stressing that power in the country has been improved, he said the conversation has changed from lack of power to how to distribute the excess generation.

    Only 14 private sectors in Nigeria, he said, have indicated interest to take advantage of getting their power directly from the Gencos.

    On road projects, Fashola said: “There is no state in Nigeria where the government is not building at least one major road or the other.”

    The roads, he said, are leading to international borders around the country.

    He said: “I hear that we are not ready. I am not a businessman, I don’t know how to do business.  But if the decision on whether to sign or not were mine, I will look at the countries that have signed.”

  • Fed Govt to name owners of illegally acquired assets

    THE Federal Government yesterday promised to release the names of 200 individuals, who own property that was purchased with illegally-acquired funds.

    Chairman, Special Presidential Investigative Panel for the Recovery of Property, Okoi Obono-Obla, said this at the “Tackling corruption through improving transparency in property ownership” project, which was held by ANEEJ in Abuja yesterday.

    Obono-Obla, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, also launched ANEEJ’s new online platform ‘Properti Tracka’.

    It was learnt that the platform will aid in tracking down illegal properties.

    He described the platform as being one of the single most important contributions towards the fight against corruption.

    Obono-Obla said: “Anybody who has taken what doesn’t belong to him should return it back to Nigeria or else face being tracked down,” he said.

    “Properti Tracka will expose those who have taken what belongs to the entire Nigerian populace.

    “We will start by making available to the public the 200 names of those who own massive properties in Maitama, Abuja, most of whom are highly placed people in the country, some in the government, some in the past governments.

    “If they cannot explain where they got the money to build such massive properties, they should quietly return it back to the state.”

    Executive Director, ANEEJ, David Ugolor said the Properti Tracka would help to unveil the owners of these and more properties and find out whether they were actually paying appropriate taxes to the government.

    “The Properti Tracka is a citizen tool to identify these owners of illegally-acquired properties and also to push for clean property in Nigeria.

    “It will also serve to strengthen citizens’ knowledge about using technology to demand for transparency and accountability in the property market in Nigeria.

    “The source of building the property must be from a genuine source. We will be working with the Federal Government agencies, the tax office, and law enforcement agencies as well.”

     

     

  • Fed Govt reconstitutes Tax Appeal Tribunals

    The Federal Government has reconstituted the Tax Appeal Tribunals in the six geo-political zones as well as Lagos and Federal Capital Territory.

    A statement from the Federal Ministry of Finance said the “the reconstitution of the Tribunals is in accordance with Section 2(1) of the Fifth Schedule of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Establishment Act.”

    Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who announced this yesterday in Abuja, said “the Tribunals would adjudicate over disputes arising from the operation of Federal Tax Laws and Regulations in the country.”

    The Minister added that, “the reconstitution of the Tax Appeal Tribunals is an essential part of building tax payers trust and confidence in the fairness of the system and the Federal Ministry of Finance has undertaken a rigorous process to select competent persons on the basis of merit who will be expected to discharge their duties professionally.”