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Tag: Federal Executive Council (FEC)

  • FEC approves N3.23 billion contracts for Unilag, UI

    FEC approves N3.23 billion contracts for Unilag, UI

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved construction contracts for the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos.

    It ‎approved the construction of a post-graduate ‎hall, International House, for the University of Ibadan, at a cost of N1.302,709,02.34‎ to be completed within 44 weeks.

    The contract approved for the University of Lagos (UNILAG) is for reconstruction of new library‎ at the cost of N1.935,135,87.35 billion.‎

    The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting, said that the UNILAG library, which was built in 1964 has not been expanded nor modernized.

    “So this new library is to augment the old one. Completion period is 64 weeks. Both contract to be handled by a local contractor.” He added
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    The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh said that the Council approved the renewal of a service provider for technology platform, e-wallet for the delivery of seeds and fertilizers and capturing the database of farmers in every local government in the country.

    He said: “The e-wallet is a programme of the old administration under the current president of ADB. The programme ran very well in 2012 and 2013 but had few hitches as Ministry got involved in trying to select the providers.

    “This led to the figure of debts piling up to the sum of N67 billion.

    “Council today approved the extension by one year of the service provider. They are at the end of the year to transfer all the data to an in-house‎ group that will manage the system because the price is quite high, so that we can keep on monitoring who gets what, at what price and we can also keep an eye on the cost,” he stated.

    According to him, the quotation of the company was N884, 799 million, but negotiated ‎downward to N380, 512 million.

    He added: “They will work with us for one more year, teach our people how to do it, domicile the data of farmers which is 20 million of them and continue to work on how to get agriculture inputs to farmers and keep away those who tend not to deliver but make claims.”

    On his part, the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed disagreed with the claim that the present FEC has become mainly contract awarding body.

    Stressing that the current Council has kept to its promise during the 2015 general election campaigns, he said that only policy-oriented contracts are considered.

  • FEC tasks MDAs on 2017 digital broadcasting deadline

    FEC tasks MDAs on 2017 digital broadcasting deadline

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday directed relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to collaborate effectively to ensure Nigeria meets the June 2017 global deadline for migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.

    They are expected ‎to follow up on the success and ensure that Nigeria is not left out of worldwide digital broadcasting by June next year.

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said that the issue was the only discussion during the meeting.

    According to him, the migration in line with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) will enable Nigerians continue to receive television signals after the deadline.

    He said that the pilot scheme for the migration, which was ‎ carried out in Jos, Plateau State in April using special set-up boxes to provide free digital signals of 15 broadcast stations, has been successful.

    He also explained that the funds for the project about N34 billion are available and contracts have been awarded for the supply of the digital set-up boxes at affordable prices to Nigerians.

    The Minister explained that the new digital migration policy‎ entails that signal distributors will thenceforth be solely responsible for sending out broadcast signals to the public consumers while broadcast content will be the responsibility of station owners.

    He said: “The main highlights of today’s council meeting are the swearing in of the four special advisers and permanent secretary for foreign affairs after which only one single council memo was considered and that council memo was a note in respect of an update from my ministry in the process of migrating from analogue to digital broadcasting, as you are aware the ITU gave a deadline to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting June 2017.

    “Already the pilot scheme in Jos which was successfully deployed at the end of April is working very well and today those who are in possession of our set up boxes can view 15 channels with clarity in Jos.

    “And the highlights of today’s council meeting is that council reaffirmed its support for us to meet the deadline of 2017 June and directed that the relevant ministries work together to achieve these deadline.

    Asked why FEC deliberated on only the issue while there are hunger and hardship in the land, he said: “Yes Nigeria might be going through a very difficult time it doesn’t mean that we are going to be cut off from the rest of the world. 20 years ago Ethiopia had a famine that ravaged the whole country they have risen from the ashes of that famine to become one of the strongest economies of the world.

    “The fact that we are facing temporary problems does not mean that we are not going to be at pace with technology development all over the world. This is a global issue; it simply means that if we do not move from analogue to digital broadcasting we may not be able to even receive signals on your television.” He said

    Apart from the government assisting to subsidize in getting the boxes, he said that the digital migration is going to create jobs.

    He said: “Look at the opportunities it offers our young men who are very talented to provide content to television stations. So it’s going to impact very largely on the broadcast industry, even piracy which has been a menace to us today, with digitalisation it means that musicians and film makers can release their films or records direct on digital broadcast such as video on demand and we are now going to cut off the entire pirate network which has been a bane to our creative industry.

    “If we look at the advantages of digitalisation in terms of changing the entire economy of providing more jobs for the people, even the 13 manufacturers of set up box who have been licensed, two of them already are producing are also going to employ but I think that the fact that we have a temporary setback does not mean we are going to be cut off from the entire world,” He stated.

  • FEC okays Multilateral Agreement to check companies’ tax evasions

    FEC okays Multilateral Agreement to check companies’ tax evasions

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement to prevent tax evasions and avoidance by multinational companies, among other benefits.

    This was disclosed to State House correspondents by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, at the end of FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The briefing was also attended by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

    Mohammed also disclosed that Nigeria has lost over N1 trillion to tax evasions by multilateral companies.

    The Council, he said, also approved the outline business case for development of Greenfield port facilities at Badagry in Lagos state.

    He said: “In respect of the first memo which is the memo for Multilateral Competent Agreement and the exchange of country by country report, the whole essence is to give the government a better grip on its tax laws and also to prevent tax evasions and avoidance by multinational companies.

    “Where multinational companies operate in more than one country, it is quite easy for them to move profit from one territory to another territory where the tax laws are very favourable to them.

    “And what has happened over the years is that the revenue companies have lost a lot of money. As at the last count over 1 trillion has been lost over a period of time and the revenue companies have found that they were losing more money in terms of tax evasion and avoidance than what they were even receiving as grants from multinational agencies.

    “So this is a law that provides that if a company like MTN or Nestle for instance, is operating in Nigeria, not only must he file returns on his activities in Nigeria, he must also file returns on his activities in every other country that they are doing business so that you can see from there whether there is any attempt to hide figures.

    “Apart from shoring up our finances, I think it is part of the fight against corruption and it also enhances transparency,” he added

    He said that the approval for Greenfield port facilities in Badagry is the first step to approving the establishment of a new sea port in the country.

    The approval, he said, showed that Nigeria is still a very preferred investment destination in Africa despite the challenges it is facing.

    Fashola said that the Multinational competence authority agreement is consistent with the macroeconomic policy of government to fund its operation and economy with more tax incomes.

    According to him, it will allow government to see how much taxable revenues are accruable to it especially from companies.

    He said: “It is for transparency and accountability on the private side of the economy because transparency and accountability has been focused perhaps a little more on the public side of our national life.

    “When you look at the profit that is coming from the private sector beaming the ray of transparency and accountability on revenues that should come into the public space and be used for national development only helps to strength the economy in the long run and bring probity across board,” he said.

    Noting that the Badagry port was long overdue, he said that the ports in Nigeria are behind in terms of technology in the maritime industry.

    He said: “There are bigger vessels now being built across the world that require larger depths and drafts berth. Now some of our competitors on the continent like Djibouti are building bigger ports, so if we don’t build this port we risk becoming uncompetitive and we risk a threat to our maritime hub status in the sense that we may become a transshipment port instead of a port of original destination.

    Stressing that the work on the port started in 2012, he said that all its financing is coming from the private sector.

    “Again that is consistent with what this government stands for in terms of allowing private capital and competency to come into the development of our infrastructure,” he added.

    He said that the Badagry port was delayed because of the refusal of the last administration to grant approval for it as the port development was under federal government control

    Ameachi said that it would take five years to construct it from the end OBC and FBC concessional agreement.

    He said that the port will bring $2.558 billion into the system.

    “And that in this period when we are looking for foreign exchange, it is going to bring a total of $2.558 billion into the system and federal and Lagos state government would not contribute financially other than the land given by the Lagos state government,” he stated.

  • Pray more for Nigeria, Buhari urges cabinet members

    Pray more for Nigeria, Buhari urges cabinet members

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night urged members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to redouble their efforts in praying to God for a better and peaceful Nigeria.

    He spoke during the breaking of fast dinner for members of FEC at the new banquet hall of the State House, Abuja.

    He said the Month of Ramadan was a special time when God listens and answers prayers of the faithful.

    According to him, the Ramadan period provides leaders the opportunity to be more conscious of their responsibilities to the people they governed.

    He said: “It strengthens our resolve to build our country to make it stronger and to make sure that the incoming generations are sufficiently motivated to be patriotic.

    “It is no news that we are the biggest country in Africa, we are the economic engine of Africa, which are true by the way.

    “But, we must always be patriotic in our dealings with others. This (Ramadan) month of prayers and service to God, let us keep on these prayers all the times, believing that God in His infinite mercy will listen to our prayers, give us peace, security and better the economy once more, so that we can quickly rebuild and even do more for the  country.

    “Let me assure that the time of Ramadan is making us more conscious of what leaders at every level ought to do, and leading the people is not a joke. It means accepting responsibilities for good or wrong,’’ he said.

    The president stated that the country needed a lot of prayers in view of the economic and security challenges facing the nation.

    He, particularly, cited the activities of the militants and those agitating for the state of Biafra, reminding such people and their sponsors of the calamities that befallen the country during similar agitations between 1967 and 1970 were about two million lives were lost.

    “We need a lot of prayer. Certainly, with the nation’s economy going down. Haven’t developed the agriculture, we are still trying to talk about those who will come and develop the solid mineral for us.

    “The militants in their various homes. We need to reflect very seriously on what happened between 1967 and 1970 were about two millions Nigerians lost their lives.

    “And at that time, as young military officers, you hardly heard of anything about petroleum or whatever money you got from it.

    “Look at what Gen. Gowon said; ‘To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done’ and every soldier, whether he has been to school or not knew what the General meant.

    “But, we were quarrelling with our brothers, we were not fighting an enemy and then somebody is saying that once again he wants Biafra.

    “I think this is because he was not born when there was Biafra. We have to reflect on the historical antecedence to appreciate what is before us now and what we intend to leave for our children and our grandchildren,’’ he warned.

    He thanked the ministers and other members of the cabinet for accepting to serve, and to identify with the APC-led Federal Government.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who spoke on behalf of members of the FEC, thanked President Buhari for inviting them for breaking of fast dinner.

  • Due process stalling release of N350 billion – Minister

    The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma on Wednesday said that Due Process is mainly working against the release of N350 billion planned to reflate the Nigeria economy.

    Before the 2016 Appropriation bill was assented into law, the government had announced its plans to inject the money into the economy.

    But speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Udoma said that there is now need to fast track the processes hindering the releases.

    He was accompanied to the briefing by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.

    According to him, Nigerians will start to feel the impact of the 2016 Budget from the 3rd quarter of this year.

    The Minister also disclosed that Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been urged in Council to fast-track the processes for the capital budgets in order to quickly reflate the economy.

    He said: “As far as the N350 billion which was indicated, the money is available but there is a process and this is part of the reasons we briefed council and there is need to fast track those processes so that very soon most of those monies will be released. We expect in the Ministry of works, they should have quite substantial release in the next week or so.

    “It’s easier for us for existing projects but new projects are a bit more difficult because of the public procurement. The public procurement you have to advertise and you have to wait for six weeks and so on. So new project will take a bit longer.

    “But existing projects that have already gone through the public procurement process‎ will be faster and I believe that you will soon start seeing the impact of those releases.” He said

    On whether no kobo has been released from the N350 billion, he said: “I didn’t say that but I said you will be seeing a lot more releases.”

    Asked further to disclose the level of release, he said: “I think what we will probably do is ‎because that wasn’t part of what council discussed, so what we will do we will be giving numbers from time to time. So I’m sure within the week we should be able to give you numbers.”

    On the recession hinted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the alleged absent of plans to put Nigeria back on the path of growth, he said: “Let me speak on not having a plan. We launched a strategic document, we ‎set out 34 things we want to achieve this year, we set out all our objectives. We have a plan and the plan is to reflate the economy.

    According to him, what has happen to Nigeria was not a surprise to the government.

    “It is something that we came in to meet, it has been caused by the fall of crude oil prices from over $100 to less than $30 and so we came in to meet that problem.

    “The decision that we took to address that problem is to reflate the economy and the budget was aimed to achieve that and that is why you have in the budget a plan to spend a large amount of money on infrastructure but as you know the budget was only recently passed.

    “It takes time for the spending to be release and to hit the economy and to begin to see the impact. So we have a plan, we know the situation we are in right now and we have a plan to get out of the situation.”

    He added: “It is just that at this particular point in time we expected this trajectory because the releases will only start kicking in so that by the third quarter we will start seeing the impact of what we are doing to reflate the economy.”

    He said that the banking and the private sector were advised not to lay off staff due to the current circumstances because things will soon pick up.

    He said: “With regards to the plea to the private sector, it is because we know that by the time the economy picks up, they will need those people again‎. We know the economy is going to pick up we are confident about that, that is because of our plan; the plan was conceived because we knew that this was the trajectory we will move into.

    “I will give you an indication of some of those things in the plan, for agriculture for instance, we plan to be self-sufficient in rice within a certain number of years in rice, in wheat within a certain number of years. Indeed the Vice President has just set up a task force headed by ‎the governor of Kebbi State to realise that. So we are implementing the plan one by one.

    “We have a plan to move this country up 20 places in the ease of doing business, we are working on that, we want to stimulate the private sector because we know that even the spending by government alone will not be sufficient, we also need to have policies that will encourage the private sector. We do have a plan, it was launched, it was taken to cabinet, approved by cabinet and the minister of state had announced,” he stated

    The Minister also denied the speculation of impending sack of workers in para-military organizations.

    “That is news to me, I am not aware of any instruction to anybody to sack anybody, in fact the policy of this government, we said so at the beginning that we are not going to retrench, there is a natural wastage which happens in government, there are people who retire, people who may be disciplined but there is no policy in this government to retrench. So I want to disabuse your mind that there is no such policy,” he said.

  • SGF chides Kachiku in FEC over fuel scacity

    SGF chides Kachiku in FEC over fuel scacity

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu was on Wednesday rebuffed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal over the lingering fuel scarcity in the country.

    It happened just before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Before Kachikwu came into the Council Chamber around 9:57 a.m, Lawal had been urging the ministers to settle down for the business of the day.

    But when Kachikwu came some ministers were still on their feet exchanging pleasantries with their colleagues.

    So Kachikwu also decided to greet the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who was standing close to his seat.

    While Kachikwu was doing that, Lawal said through the microphone: “Petroleum, you are shaking hands when there is no fuel.”

    Fashola came to his defence by replying SGF: “Petrol now sells for N107.”

    Fashola was referring to the report that one of the oil marketers, AA Rano sold fuel at N107 per litre in Kano State.

    While the drama lasted, Kachikwu kept his cool as he quietly sat down on his seat.

    President Muhammadu Buhari came in just before 10 a.m to start the meeting.

  • Ocholi’s driver may face prosecution

    Ocholi’s driver may face prosecution

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal on Wednesday could not rule out the possibility of the driver that drove the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, from facing prosecution for over speeding and not owning a driver’s license.

    Ocholi, his wife and son had died in a car crash on Sunday on Kaduna-Abuja road.

    An interim report of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) had claimed that the driver of the car, James Elegbede, was over speeding and had no driver’s license.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the SGF said that the final report on the accident will determine if Elegbede will be prosecuted.

    He said: “As to the issue of whether we would prosecute the driver, Yes, Nigeria is not short of laws, the problem is that Nigerians find it very difficult to obey the laws.

    “There is a speed limit in place and so if anybody chooses not to obey the traffic laws, of course, it is subject to prosecution by the agencies concerned. But as to this particular incidence, I think we will leave it until the final report of the investigation comes out.

    “But of course as we say accident is accident and nobody goes out deliberately to summersault and die, but as to allegations you claimed from the family, we are not aware and anybody who has anything to the contrary, that they didn’t die in an accident is free to report to the law enforcement agencies who will appropriately take it up.” He added

    He explained that the Federal Government did not extend automatic employment and scholarship benefits to the driver’s relative and other surviving victims because they are alive and still on government payroll.

    He said: “The government decided to give employment to the children of the late minister because he was the breadwinner and the children are now orphans. On the other hand, the driver survived and the government is taking care of their medical bills at the National Hospital and they are also government workers as some of them are policemen, SSS and others.

    “So they are on salary and are treated free, but God forbid that had any of them suffered the same fate as those who died, the President would have willingly included them in the list of beneficiaries,” he stated.