The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fed Govt

  • Wike: Fed Govt plans to frame me

    •SARS men arrested for crime

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday accused the Federal Government of plotting to frame him up.

    Wike spoke at a thanksgiving service in honour of the Chairman of Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, Chief Azubuike Nmerukini, yesterday at the St Thomas Anglican Church, Diobu.

    He added that two Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) men were arrested for robbery and kidnapping.

    Wike said the incident confirmed his protracted allegation that the Commander of SARS in the state,  Akin Fakorode, and his men were responsible for almost all the crimes in the state.

    Sergeant Ndubuisi Okoro,(Fakorode’s  orderly) was arrested for armed robbery,  while his counterpart, Sergeant Christopher Abakpa, is being held for kidnapping.

    Rivers police spokesman  Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Suprindentent of Police(DSP), confirmed the incident yesterday however declined making the identity of the duo public immediately, according to him,  for security reasons.

    Omoni said:  “I can confirm the arrest of two officers of SARS for finding their contact numbers in the phone contact list of two criminal suspects arrested by the command for kidnapping.

    “This is indeed unfortunate and condemnable, that a serving Police Officers are linked to criminals.  However investigations have already commenced to ascertain the kind if relationship they share with these criminal suspects.

    “The officers have already been arrested and I can assure you that us at the end of the investigation, they are found culpable to the crime, the course of law will certainly take due effect on them,  their suspected accomplice are helping the police to get to the root of the matter. “

    Wike said: “I am alerting Nigerians now  because the I know the police high command will sweep the matter under the carpet.”

    Wike said the Federal Government has contacted a Lebanese who has been directed to claim that he received money from him (Wike)  to procure arms  for the 2019 elections.

    He noted that initially Nigerians thought he was playing politics until former President Olusegun Obasanjo accused the Federal Government of planning to frame him up.

    “The Federal Government has arranged with a Lebanese to say that I told him to buy arms for the purpose of the forthcoming elections.

    “I am not close to any Lebanese, let alone give money to anyone to buy arms for elections. We have dutifully served our people and we don’t need to purchase arms for elections.

    “If elections are held 20, 000 times, we will win because our projects have positively impacted the lives of our people “.

    The governor stated that the APC Federal Government is also planning to sponsor crisis in Rivers State ahead of the 2019 elections, for the state’s election to be postponed. He said the target is to use security agencies for rigging purposes.

    “They plan to cause so much crisis in the state so that Rivers election is held on a separate date. Their plot will fail. Rivers election will hold same day with that of other states.

     

     

  • Falana cautions Fed Govt against signing deal with Morocco

    LAGOS lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has advised the Federal Government against signing any bilateral agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco for the exploitation of the resources in the occupied Western Sahara.

    President Muhammadu Buhari arrived in the Kingdom of Morocco yesterday on a two-day working visit.

    He warned that should government make the mistake of doing it, “such agreement will be annulled and set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction”.

    Falana gave the advice in a statement issued in Lagos titled: “Matters arising from President Buhari’s trip to Morocco”.

    The activist lawyer drew the attention of the Federal Government to the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the High Court in South Africa, which have ruled that the Kingdom of Morocco is not competent to exploit any of the vast natural resources in Western Sahara as they belong to the Saharawi people.

    Falana advised the Federal Government to take advantage of Buhari’s trip to press for immediate end to the colonisation of the territory.

    According to him, “Article 20 (1) of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights provides that the peoples of Africa shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination and shall freely determine their political status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have freely chosen”.

    He contended that Nigeria is under a legal duty to support the struggle of the colonised people of Western Sahara for political independence from the Kingdom of Morocco.

    The erudite lawyer noted in 1984, the defunct federal military government headed by General Muhammadu Buhari supported the legitimate demand of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination by ensuring that the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic was admitted to the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union).

    In protest against the admission, the senior lawyer explained that the Kingdom of Morocco, which continued to occupy the territory of Western Sahara, withdrew from the continental body.

    The decision of Nigeria to champion the legitimate cause of the Saharawi people, Falana said, was informed by several resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the 1975 ruling of the International Court of Justice, which held that the Kingdom of Morocco does not encompass Western Sahara.

    However, notwithstanding that the Kingdom of Morocco has not ended the illegal colonisation of Western Sahara, the African Union created a dangerous precedent last year when it admitted the coloniser as a member state of the body.

    The Kingdom of Morocco has been disrupting meetings of some African Union (AU) committees by insisting that the accredited representatives of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic  be prevented to participate in such meetings.

     

     

     

  • Fed Govt: excise duty hike not targeted at local manufacturers

    THE Federal Ministry of Finance said the new excise duty rates on alcohol and cigarettes, which came into effect on June 4, was not targeted at destroying local manufacturers.

    Its Director of Information, Mr. Hassan Dodo, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    According to him, the purpose of introducing the new duty is to increase government’s revenue.

    “Contrary to claims that the rates are selectively imposed on local manufacturers, there is currently a 60 per cent duty rate imposed on imported alcoholic beverages and tobacco.

    “This is part of measures by the government to encourage local production and protect local manufacturers.

    “It should also be noted that beer and stout are currently under import prohibition to protect the industry from unfair competition from foreign brands.

    “In addition, other locally excisable products such as non-alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, perfumes, corrugated papers or paper boards and cartons have no excise duties, ” he said.

    Dodo stated that the approved excise duty rates followed all-encompassing engagements with key industry stakeholders by the Tariff Technical Committee (TTC), of which Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is a member.

    Dodo also reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving its industrialisation agenda.

    He said the government would continue to put in place fiscal policy measures to protect local manufacturers and stimulate the growth of the economy.

    President Muhammadu Buhari in March approved the increment of excise duties on alcohol and tobacco.

     

     

     

  • Economic development: Fed Govt, LCCI to deepen partnership

    The Federal Government said it would deepen its relationship with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) to boost the national economy.

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, made this known in Abuja when he received the Chamber’s representatives in his office.

    According to him, the aim of such collaboration was to strengthen Private-Public Partnership (PPP) towards national development.

    “Ministry of Science and Technology is at the centre of all economic activities and partnering  the Chamber of Commerce is a right step the country is taking.

    “The ministry is not only looking for foreign investors, but also local investors and partners that will lead the way for the foreign investors as the country is looking into various areas of technologies.

    “We want the Chamber to come in and take advantage of the work that we have done, to complete our research activities and come up with a product that we can develop further to put in the market. We are willing to give this to you as we want Nigerian firms to take advantage of this,” Onu said.

    The minster said LCCI was notnew to science and technology, adding that it had been in existing for 130 years and had been a part of every technology in the country.

    Chairman of Construction and Engineering Group of the LCCI, Mr. Leye Kupoluyi, who led the team, said the chamber had been at the forefront of technologies in Nigeria.

    He, therefore, appealed to the minister to further work with the chamber to advance technology growth.

  • Fed Govt advises employment council on sustainable jobs

    For the economy to get stronger, the Federal Government has urged the National Employment Council to fashion  more sustainable ways of creating more jobs.

    It affirmed that Nigeria can no longer depend on proceeds from crude oil as the mainstay of the economy, but rather as a catalyst for other employment-generating sectors.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, who addressed the council’s meeting in Abuja, said though Nigeria is out of recession, it must not go back to depending on crude oil.

    ”I am asking members of the National Employment Council to put on their thinking caps so that they can fashion out ways of job creation to give us something new,” he said.

    The minister emphasised that the job creation efforts of the Federal Government, such as the N-Power and Anchor Borrowers Programme, have yielded the much-anticipated results and taken many youths out of unemployment.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation/Youth Employment, Mr. Afolabi Imoukuhede, also said the job creation efforts of the President have yielded positive results.

    “The results are out there for all to see and experience; the impacts are out there and the lives that have been touched are speaking out continuously.

    “We will keep improving; it is part of the responsibilities of the employment council to see to it that all employment creation initiatives of the present administration are institutionalised and sustained,” Afolabi said.

  • Fed Govt rakes in N30b from VAIDS

    The Federal Government has raked in nearly N30 billion through the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), the Chairman, Federal inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Mr. Tunde Fowler, said yesterday.

    Speaking in Abuja during the official presentation of VAIDS certificate of declaration to chairmen of states’ tax revenue authority, he said the VAIDS windfall was championed by FIRS which was “responsible for the collection of 90 per cent of the amount, while the states were responsible for the 10 per cent collection balance”.

    According to him, the N30 billion so far mopped up from the tax scheme is N3  billion higher than the previous N27 billion recovered a few months ago.

    He reminded members of Joint Tax Board (JTB) that the beauty of VAIDS went beyond financial gains but, rather its potential of expanding the tax net. To this end, he said the programme has also boosted the nation’s tax data base from 14 million to 19 million.

    Fowler said the N30billion recovered so far VAIDS which is expected to terminate in three weeks time, was from both individuals and corporate bodies.

    “Looking beyond the financial returns of the scheme, the impact it has had in promoting voluntary compliance is unquantifiable. One of the outcomes of the scheme, whether directly or indirectly is the growth of the national tax payer database from under 14 million pre 2016 number to over 19 million in 2018, and we are confident that these numbers will translate into a positive growth in the country tax revenue to GDP ratio when the official percentage for 2017 have been released,” he said.

    He expressed delight that some states have achieved significant progress in the  scheme’s compliance. He said this explained why Executive Chairmen of revenue services of such states were invited to share their experiences.

    He admonished State Revenue Chairmen to constantly engage in enlightening tax payers about voluntary tax compliance as a way of building a friendlier tax environment.

    Fowler said VAIDS tax certificate presented to states  is not the same with tax clearance certificate, saying one can’t replace the other.

    Aside from VAIDS, Fowler said in recent times, the incidence of illicit financial flows, aggressive tax avoidance and outright tax evasion have come into the front burner. “The international community recognised the need to present a united front against this trend, which is a limiting factor in the quest towards exploiting the inherent potentials of tax as a viable alternative to sustainable revenue generation, especially for developing and emerging economies, have designed and is implementing a number of initiatives that will leave no hiding place for the tax evader,” Fowler said.

    As part of activities lined up to ensure increased awareness of the scheme in particular and tax compliance in general, staff of JTB Secretariat in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance will take part every Thursday in tax sensitisation exercises in the states until the end of the scheme commencing from 14th June, 2018.

  • Fed Govt to employers: provide workplace crèches for nursing mothers

    MINISTER of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige has directed employers of labour in the public and private sectors to provide workplace creches for nursing mothers as provided by regulation.

    The minister, who spoke at the ongoing 107th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, said as part of efforts at protecting the rights of women in the workplace, those who suffer any form of harassment are encouraged to report such employers to labour inspectors.

    Ngige said the most effective method of eliminating gender inequality from the workplace lies in vigorous opposition to employers’ discriminatory conducts, policies and harassment in all forms wherever and whenever they occur.

    The minister added that “women who fall victim to these abuses are encouraged to oppose such through legal actions and reporting to labour inspectors”.

    He said: “For a country in which females constitute 49.4 per cent of the total population of over 190 million, it is therefore imperative that the issues which hinder increased and effective women participation in the labour force be properly addressed.

    “To address the issue of gender inequality and youth unemployment, the government drew up and has been implementing an Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Government also initiated a School-to-Work (N’Power) programme, designed to empower young women and men with skills to facilitate their entry into the labour market. The programme has an initial two-year life span.”

    The minister said he has since coming to power ensured that the principle of equal pay for equal work for all, without discrimination on account of sex, as enshrined in the Constitution.

    According to Ngige, a Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) has been put in place to promote girl/child school enrolment. Also put in place, he added, are special packages for women in the region for their economic empowerment.

    He said: “All disciplinary proceedings against any female staff, which might have been taken during the period of her maternity leave shall be put in abeyance till the expiration of the leave, while employers of labour are also barred from removal of women from work due to their marital or maternity status.

    “Illegal labour migration, contract staffing and labour casualization, which affects most women, are being reformed through policies and regulations at national, bilateral and multilateral levels.”

    He also told the conference that the government is ensuring the provision of micro/credit soft loans to market women, female artisans and women entrepreneurs on the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) and the establishment of Sustainable Development Goal office in the Presidency towards the actualisation of Goals 6 and 8 on Gender Equality and Decent Work for all.

     

     

     

  • Fed Govt to deploy 2000 special forces in Zamfara

    Police chief Ibrahim Idris said yesterday that 2000 special security personnel will soon be deployed in Zamfara State.

    Idris told State House correspondents at the end of the Security Council meeting held in President Muhammadu Buhari’s office:

    ”We have resolved that we are going to send a team to Zamfara comprising the military, Civil Defence, police to ensure that we have maximum protection of people and properties there.”

    According to him, the joint operation will begin in two weeks.

    He said the meeting was an opportunity to interface with the President on the security challenges in the country.

    On the vote of no confidence in him passed by the National Assembly, the Inspector-General said: “You can’t ask me now.” He walked away.

    Defence Minister Mansur Dan-Ali, in a statement circulated to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, told the Council of the alarming and incessant killings and kidnappings by armed bandits and criminal activities across the North-West.

    He mentioned Abuja-Kaduna expressway as a source of concern, saying there were kidnappings within the period under review.

    The statement reads: “He also stated that the upsurge in incidents of security concern in Zamfara State is quite disturbing and calls for more robust approach to tackling the threat. The situation is characterised with killings and kidnappings by armed bandits and criminal elements, predominantly in Anka, Maru, Kaura Namoda and Talata Mafara LGAs of the state.

    ”In the North-Central, the incidents of herdsmen-farmers clashes in Benue and Taraba states have reduced considerably. Several arrests have been made in connection with the killings and destruction of properties by own troops in conjunction with other security agencies. While in the North-East, the Boko Haram terrorists activities have been contained as there is significant improvement in security situation in the zone.

    ”The Nigerian Army has launched Operation LAST HOLD to flush out the insurgents from their hideouts in the Lake Chad Basin and free the communities to enable IDPs to return to their homes. The operation is to last till end of August 2018.

    ”Similarly, the MNJTF is currently engaged in Operation to dislodge Boko Haram terrorists in the fringes between Niger Republic and Nigeria. The Task Force has so far dislodged the insurgents from Arege, Kangarwa, Metele and few other islands on the Lake Chad.  So far, 296 persons have been rescued and are undergoing profiling.”

    ”The number is envisaged to increase as troops intensify clearance operations. In the South-South/South-West, the situation of illegal oil bunkering, militancy and pipeline vandalism is on a decline in the Niger Delta following the effort of the Federal Government to engage stakeholders in dialogue. Similarly, Operation AWATSE has continued to dislodge militants and pipeline vandals from Arepo and other areas in Lagos and Ogun waterside,” Dan-Ali said.

    The Council, he said, was also informed that the United States conveyed to the Government of Nigeria information about the implementation of Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act Section 231.

    He said that the award of contract for the procurement of the Mi-35M helicopters was completed before the Act was signed into Law in August 2017.

    The Minister also suggested to the Council the need for Defence Headquarters to launch a Joint Task Force Operation similar to Operation SAFE HAVEN in Jos to cover Zamfara and Birnin Gwari axis of Kaduna State with its headquarters in Gusau, Zamfara State.

    He said: “The need to employ other channels with the affected states to reduce tension by suspending the implementation of the Anti-Open Grazing Law while also negotiating safe routes for the herders.

    “The urgent need for the Nigeria Police and Department of State Services to prosecute all the suspects arrested in the states.

    “The need to hasten the establishment of a National Commission on the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria. The need to engage diplomatic channels to ensure US sanctions does not affect Nigeria.”

  • ‘Fed Govt should feed pupils attending low-cost schools too’

    An appeal has gone to President Muhammadu Buhari to provide mid-day meals to children attending low-cost private schools.

    Association for Formidable Education Development (AFED) President Mrs Esther Dada, who made the call yesterday, also asked the government for loans to support the group’s initiative to provide tablets to children from low-income backgrounds.

    At a press conference ahead of the group’s 2018 congress holding on Friday, Mrs Dada said by educating children from the lower-rung of the socio-economic ladder, AFED was helping the government reduce the number of out-of-school children.

    “The government must also understand that children in low cost schools are there due to inadequate government facilities in some of (the public) schools in such locations where our low-fee schools are prominent and therefore educational right and privileges should be extended to children in low-fee private schools such as we have in public schools.  And these privileges should include free feeding programme through the Home Grown feeding project of the Federal Government,” she said.

    On the tablet project, Mrs Dada said AFED found from a pilot project supported by Department for International Development (DFID) that computers could boost learning.

    “In AFED, we are leveraging on the broad partnership network and its prospects to deliver in the next three years a tablet with preloaded textbooks, workbook, exercises and continuous assessment for every child in the basic education class.  This quest might seem huge but with our collective will, it is surmountable as efforts has commenced in the right direction.

    “We therefore wish to call on the Federal Government to institute as a matter of urgent national importance special fund from where operators can access affordable loans to support this laudable project.  You will agree

  • Fed Govt to recruit 6,000 officials

    The Federal Government will recruit 6,000 personnel for the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) to address manpower shortage, Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), said yesterday.

    Dambazau spoke when he assessed damages in Sunday’s jailbreak at the Medium Security Prison in Minna.

    He said: “We are aware of inadequate manpower, so the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to recruit 6,000 persons to beef up security in and around prison formations across the country.”

    The minister said of the 210 escaped inmates, 28 have been re-arrested while 182 were still at large.

    “We have identified some lapses and we will make some amendments, part of it is that the prison personnel on duty yesterday were inadequate,” Dambazau added.

    The minister noted that two inmates, whose execution was to be confirmed yesterday, were among the escapees. He said the inmates might have masterminded the jailbreak.

    Dambazau said investigations have begun and the outcome would help to know the next line of action.

    Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) Jafaru Ahmed also confirmed that investigations had started.

    He doused fears that that prison was attacked due to the presence of Boko Haram inmates, saying: “There is no Boko Haram suspect in Minna prison. We don’t know the attackers yet but investigations will reveal that.”

    Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello described the incident as unfortunate. He said the state would work with the Federal Government to prevent a recurrence.