The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Federal Executive Council

  • Nigeria and illicit tobacco protocol

    When news of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of Nigeria’s ratification of the protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products broke on May 23, 2018, the public health community within the country and beyond went into spontaneous celebrations. It was one long wait for the country to join other countries to collaborate in efforts to combat illicit trade and duty not paid by tobacco companies among other trans-boundary illegal movement of tobacco products. The FEC approval was, indeed, long overdue, coming six years after the protocol was initiated.

    The protocol, under the auspices of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC), aims to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products and provides tools for preventing illicit trade by securing the supply chain, including by establishing an international tracking and tracing system. It will also counter illicit trade through dissuasive law enforcement measures and a suite of measures to enable international cooperation.

    Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, who made the announcement at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, said that the move would enable Nigeria control smuggling, track tobacco marketing and raise taxes on tobacco products.

    At the time of the FEC approval, Nigeria was primed to be the 35th country to ratify the protocol and the race was on for the country to be among the first 40 countries whose deposition of the instrument of ratification would make the treaty enter into force. All Nigeria would have done to merit that list was to process the ratification through the Ministry of Justice exploiting a 90-day window period and deposit it with the WHO.

    The protocol proper contains provisions that require: the licensing of all entities involved in tobacco supply chains; tobacco companies to apply due diligence measures to its customers; secure track and trace of tobacco products and production controls in factories; among others.

    The WHO FCTC adopted the Illicit Trade Protocol in 2012 to check smuggling. The big stick that the protocol wields is a “track and trace” system, which would ensure every pack of cigarettes or other tobacco product would be marked so that it can be identified on its journey from manufacturer to the buyer in any part of the world.

    But as would be expected, the tobacco industry always has Plan B. For instance,  Philip Morris International (PMI) swiftly created a track and trace system called Codentify around 2005 which it licensed for free to British America Tobacco (BAT) and other tobacco entities. PMI also created the Digital Coding and Tracking Association in 2011 to promote Codentify to governments.

    Anti-tobacco groups were, however, quick to insist that the tobacco industry should have no part in tracking and tracing owing to the industry’s complicity in smuggling of cigarettes. Public health groups referred to a recent study by the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath which exposed tobacco companies as being behind the smuggling, while also lobbying to control the global system designed by the WHO to regulate it.

    The documents showed that tobacco companies went to great lengths to control a global track and trace system and to undermine the Illicit Trade Protocol.

    Here in Africa, leaked documents show that BAT staff suspected Japan Tobacco International (JTI) was facilitating smuggling into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and then clandestinely moved millions of dollars in cash from Uganda to the DRC to buy tobacco leaf which was presumably then illegally exported.

    Groups like the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) insist that tobacco corporations are actually behind the smuggling of cigarettes and only put up a facade by signing agreements with agencies of government to whitewash their soiled image. The ratification of the illicit trade Protocol would have marked a new beginning to genuinely curtail influx of illegal tobacco products into the country.

    It is another negative commentary that Nigeria announced to the whole world that it had ratified a UN protocol whereas months after the announcement, the instrument is yet to be deposited at the United Nations.

    The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and indeed the Ministry of Health would do Nigeria some good by ensuring that the instrument of the ratification of the Protocol is deposited speedily to save the nation from avoidable embarrassment.

    • By Musa Mohammed

    Kaduna.

  • Buhari signs instrument of accession to International Cocoa Agreement 2010

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, at the State House, Abuja, signed the Instrument of Accession to the International Cocoa Agreement, 2010.

    It followed the Federal Executive Council approval for Nigeria to accede to the International Cocoa Agreement, 2010.

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    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that following the execution of the instrument of accession, Nigeria undertakes “faithfully to abide by all the stipulations therein contained” in the Agreement.

    Among other benefits, the Agreement, he said, is to strengthen cooperation between exporting and importing member countries; improve their cocoa economies through active and better focused project development and strategies for capacity-building.

    The 2010 Agreement is also expected to build on the successes of the 2001 Agreement by “implementing measures leading to an increase in the income of cocoa farmers and by supporting cocoa producers in improving the functioning of their cocoa economies.”

    It will also “deliver cocoa of better quality, take effective account of food-safety issues and help establish social, economic and environmental sustainability, so that farmers are rewarded for producing cocoa that meets ethical and environmental considerations.

  • FEC approves N15.73 billion road project in Enugu 

    The Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday reviewed upward the contract for road project in Enugu State.

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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    He was with the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.

    According to him, the project which was initially awarded at the cost of N10.3 billion in 2012 was to serve six different communities.

    He said that the project suffered failed implementation due to lack of funding.

    Giving reasons for the increase, he said, that there is also need to provide for erosion control.

    Details Later…

  • Apapa gridlock: Fed Govt may revoke port concession agreement

    As stakeholders blame shipping companies, others for bedlam

     

    The federal government might revoke the seaports concession agreement it entered with terminal operators during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Minster for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said this on Thursday during the stakeholder meeting on the lingering bedlam occasioned by activities of truck drivers to and fro Apapa seaport.

    The meeting which was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), was held at the headquarters, Western Naval Command  (WNC), Apapa.

    According to Amaechi, he would submit the issue to the Federal Executive Council  (FEC) for a possible revocation of the concessions because the concessionaires were not sticking to the terms of operation.

    He said: “Concessioners not sticking to terms of agreement. We might have to go back to the FEC to ask for a revoke of the concessions. We are currently reviewing the concession agreement.”

    Meanwhile, stakeholders at the meeting blamed the shipping companies, tankfarm owners as well as the federal ministry of works for the congestion, noting that while the company and tankfarm operators had refused to operate holding bays for their trucks, the ministry was too slow in repairing bad portions of the roads.

    Read Also: Apapa gridlock: Lagos suspends approval for tank farms

    They also accused the shipping companies of deliberately fuelling the traffic through its demurrage policy, which makes empty containers flood the roads so that they could beat deadlines and collect their money.

    According to the Managing Director, Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Hajiya Bala Usman, the shipping companies were acting in disregard of the law.

    She said: “The attendant disregard by shipping companies to patronize holding bays cannot be tolerated. Shipping companies are not above the law in Nigeria and they must act in accordance with the law.

    “We have sanctioned three shipping companies, which are among the largest operating in Nigeria. We withdrew their licenses for 10 days. Upon the review of their 10 days suspension, it was extended to additional five days. Presently, they do not have vantage services within Nigeria.

    “We have noted the concerns about empty containers. What we need to do is ensure that the same volume of containers that come into the country go out.

    “Shipping companies have over the years, made Nigeria a dumping ground. They have also instituted a fee where by, every importer is rushing into the port to drop their containers or risk losing their money.

    “Shipping companies are refusing the operationalisation of holding bays. Ordinary, when you import goods, the empty containers should be returned to the holding bays of the shipping companies. It is their responsibility to move it from the bays to the port.

    “The shipping companies are not above the law. We will keep sanctioning them until they comply and operationalize their business. The container repositioning fee they newly introduced is not acceptable. “The Vice President has written to us demanding clarity and we have cleared that nobody should pay for empty container repositioning. We need to define a location and day, possibly Saturdays and Sundays, where empty containers are moved into the port locations in preparation for them to be taken out to the vessels.

    “Nigerian government would not continue to absorb the cost of your none operationalisation of holding bays. Sixty percent of the trailers on our roads are empty or hawking. They come out without having any business and hope to secure one. “So, NPA is working on licencing trailer parks. In fact, only trailers from such parks can come into the port. We have received four proposals on that and we are working in collaboration with Lagos State Government. The trailers would be at the parks and only come out when called upon.

    “Then, truck owners’ association must ensure compliance of their members. Any truck found idle on the road would be impounded and the association dealt with.”

     

     

  • FEC okays N35.613 billion for roads, bridge projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved a total sum of N35.613 billion for roads and bridge projects in the country.

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He was with the Minister of Information and culture, Lai Mohammed.

    According to Fashola, N8.9 billion was approved for construction of Ikom bridge and roads in Calabar, Cross River State.

    The roads and 330 meter bridge, which will be completed in 24 months, he said, will create access to the port for trucks to move freely with their containers.

    “This will help to facilitate further activity in the Calabar port and ease the challenges being faced.” he added

    The Minister said that N11.78 billion was approved for the 37 kilometers of section two of Nguru-Gashua-Biamari road project in Yobe State, while N8.6 billion was approved for section one of Ilorin-Igbeti-Kishi road project in Kwara State.

    While N5.4 billion was approved for re-award of section one of Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia road project in Abia State.

    “The previous contractor was unable to satisfactorily execute the project in terms of capacity and equipment. And therefore we terminated and re-awarded the project to a new contractor.” he stated

    He said that N933.7 million was approved for automatic meter reading machine and services for Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

    The Minister said “This is to facilitate remote meter reading of wholesale meters at the custody and trading points. This is different from remote reading of retail meters used by consumers like you and I.

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    “If this is successful implemented, it will eliminate all of the delays. It will also help in dispute resolutions because data can be then produced quicker online.” he said

    On what he is doing to enforce supply of retail electricity meters to Nigerians, he said “The control that the Minister of Power before me, before 2013 had over PHCN and all its assets have been taken by the privatization of the sector.

    “But as a people as a government, we are not helpless. Powers that the Minister used to have are now vested in NERC.

    “But the Minister has the power to direct NERC to do its job. There are clear statutory and legal  limits to what I can do as minister in order not to send a wrong message to investors.” he said

    On why the Federal Government is yet to speak on the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun’s allegedly forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate  Lai Mohammed said, “The government has spoken. NYSC is part of government and I have nothing to add to what the NYSC has said”

  • FEC okays N230.28 billion for roads, mining data projects

    Also approves $92 million for gas pipeline project 

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved a total of N230.28 billion for roads projects and mining data in the country.

    The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Bawa Bwari briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Mohammed disclosed that N206 billion was approved for linking road and associated infrastructures for the 2nd Niger Bridge.

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    He said that N11.58 billion was approved for re-award of rehabilitation of road in Enugu State.

    According to him, $92 million was approved for gas pipeline project.

    Bwari said that the FEC okayed N12.7 billion was approved for exploration and consultancy projects in the mining sector.

    The projects, he said, will help in getting accurate mining data, which will attract local and foreign investments.

  • FEC to receive amendments to tax policy soon, says Osinbajo

    Five amendment bills and two Executive Orders will soon be submitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval in order to change Nigeria’s National Tax Policy.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made this disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja at the 20th annual tax conference of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).

    According to Vice President Osinbajo, the “implementation Committee for the new tax Policy’s work has since produced five amendment bills and two Executive Orders; all of which will shortly be presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

    The specific mandate of the Committee he said included the removal of obsolete, ambiguous and contradictory provisions in our tax laws, simplification of the tax payment process, and the reduction of the tax burden on micro, small and medium enterprises.

    The need to change Nigeria’s tax policy the Vice President said has become necessary because “for too long Nigeria has tried to carry on as an oil-rich country, one without the need for its citizens’ taxes. The unwritten compact has been something along the lines of pay whatever taxes you can pay, but it’s really no big deal. In exchange, we, as government, get the right to do whatever we like with Nigeria’s oil wealth.”

    This arrangement he lamented, has fueled the massive corruption and inefficiencies that have come to be associated with public revenue management.

    The government of President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo revealed “is working to change this state of affairs. We are determined to restore the full weight of the social contract. We are rewriting the old rules and compacts; making it clear to Nigerians that we will ensure that every naira of public money is put to use for the maximum good of the Nigerian people, while simultaneously ensuring that every naira due to the public coffers in taxes is promptly and efficiently collected.”

    He reiterated that the Treasury Single Account (TSA’s) unified system of bank accounts domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has proven to be far more transparent and cost-effective than the old scenario in which government agencies maintained thousands of accounts across various commercial banks.

    As a result of the TSA, “the Federal Government realizes monthly savings of at least N4 billion which would have gone on commercial bank charges” he said.

    The Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), the Vice President elaborated “has also tightened controls on the federal payroll and pensions systems, eliminating tens of thousands of ghost workers and saving us more than N200 billion that would have gone to these ghost workers.”

    With the introduction of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), Osinbajo urged tax administrators particularly members of the CITN “to keep in mind that, that extra income is taxable, and, to whom much is given, much is expected.”

    Going forward, the federal government the Vice President said is “working to adapt our tax laws for the digital age, one in which commerce has become borderless and intangible, and to which the old laws no longer apply. E-Filing is a rapidly growing concept which we are very keen to extend to taxpayers at all levels across the country.”

    The Vice President also disclosed that the number of economically-active Nigerian tax payers is now in excess of 19 million, and still growing from only 14 million in May 2017.

    This he said “means that the efforts of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), in collaboration with the State Inland Revenue Services, have already added more than five million new taxpayers to the tax base.

    Earlier, president and chairman of council of the CITN, Chief Cyril Ikemefuna Ede, said the “heartbeat of any economy is its deft use of taxation for promoting economic growth and development. Through taxation, government ensures that resources are channeled towards important and critical activities in the society. Thus the imposition of taxes is essential to economic and social development in any given economy.”

  • FEC okays N68.6 billion for roads projects

    Approves N10.7 billion for 10 rice mills 

    Approves N10 billion to fight erosion 

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of N68.6 billion for roads construction in the country.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, after about six hours FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, N64.108 billion was approved for additional work on 43 kilometers part of Section one of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    The new approval, he said, is to accommodate the changing factors occurring on the project and also to modify the bitumen for the road in order to withstand the heavy vehicles passing the road.

    The Minister also disclosed that N4.57 billion was approved for Sumaila-Bauchi road that links Kano State.

    The Minister of State for Agriculture, Heneiken Lokpobiri, said that FEC approved new 10 rice mills in the country at a cost of N10.7 billion.

    The ten states the mills will be located, he said, included Kebbi, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Anambra, Kaduna, Ogun.

    Each of the mill, he said, will have capacity to produce 100 tonnes of rice per day.

    According to him, the private sector will manage the 10 mills.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed that N10 billion was approved to fight erosion in the country.

    He also said that $460 million was approved to facilitate usage of new buildings located at airports.

  • Buhari dispatches four ministers to Dapchi

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday ordered four ministers to proceed to  Dapchi in Yobe for update on the release of the female students abducted in February.

    The Ministers include Mansur Dan-Ali, Defence; Abdulrahman Danbazau, Interior; Lai Mohammed, Information; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Khadijat Abba-Ibrahim.

    The four ministers left the weekly Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) meeting for the trip to Dapchi.

    Before their departure, the Information Minister confirmed that 76 of the released girls had been documented.

    According to him, when the girls were dropped in their school by the abductors many of them went straight home to reunite with their parents.

    “I can confirm that the Dapchi girls have been returned, what we can confirm to you is that Mr President did actually assure Nigerians that the abducted girls would be released, but he also said that violence and confrontation would be ruled out.

    “Based on that, the Federal Government with support of friendly countries embarked on back term negotiations; this back term negotiation has led to the release of these girls.

    “What I can confirm today is that these girls were released yesterday, but on the conditions, number one is that they were released unconditionally; no money changed hands.

    “Number two, they had one condition to return them to where they picked them.

    “So in the early hours of today they did return the girls but of cause most of the girls went to their parents homes,’’ Mohammed stated.

    According to him, efforts are now being made to document all the girls, adding that at the moment, 76 of them have been documented while “they are still more.’’

    He promised to give update on the incident from time to time.

    “It is a day of joy for Nigerians. What I can assure you is that Mr president has kept his promise.

    “The girls have been released and we will tell you exactly in a few hours time how many of them have been documented.

    “They were not molested,’’ he added.

    Also, Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali attributed the early release of the girls to “the effort of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces for the support he has been giving us and the output is showing now.”

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    On the negotiations, the minister said that while it was being planned the government was prepared to move on a position of strength.

    Also Minister of state for foreign Affairs, Khadijat Abba-Ibrahim said: “I am very excited today. That is what I feel because the Dapchi girls have been released.

    “We are very happy. We have achieved what we have gone out to achieve and we thank the Almighty God for his mercies.”

    She declined to mention if any of the girls was killed.

    “As far as I know now, they are taking a roll call so we cannot ascertain how many have passed on, but we will find out later on what the casualties are.’’

    The minister advised parents not to be discouraged by the incident but to continue encouraging their female children to embrace education.

    “I will advise parents to continue sending their children to school.

    “We as a government will fortify the schools to make sure that they are safe for the children to actually go and learn,’’ Mrs Abba-Ibrahim said.

    NAN

  • Philanthropist empowers Kogi pupils

    When President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2017 declared open the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Retreat On Education Sector, he had decried that the state of education in the country, saying it calls for serious concern.

    The president who listed the effects of decades of neglect suffered by the sector as including an estimated 13.2 million children out of school, high illiteracy level, infrastructural deficit and decay as well as unqualified teachers and inadequate instructional materials, also said his administration was determined to turn around the sector for the better and also enjoined well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with his government in ensuring a better educational system for the country’s future leaders.

    Determined to contribute his own quota towards the educational advancement of the nation and support the president in his efforts to turn around the sector, Omoba Babatunde Ajibulu, a Lagos State-based business executive, philanthropist and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)  registered hundreds of final year secondary school students of Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi West Senatorial District for the  West African Senior School Certificate  Examination (WASSCE) through his pet project, Babatunde Ajibulu Education Endowment Fund .

    Ajibulu,  a native of Ekinrin Adde made the gesture through his education endowment, human capital development and rural areas development empowerment programme office.

    In his effort to ensure every youth has access to tertiary education in courses of their choices, the philanthropist took a step further by paying the tuition fees for hundreds of less privileged students in his Ijumu Local Government Area as a first step towards an all-inclusive programme that will eventually cover the entire Kogi West senatorial district.

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Saliu Kudirat Opeyemi expressed profound gratitude to  Ajibulu and prayed that Almighty God continue to strengthen him to do more.

    “We are grateful for this kind gesture. It means a whole lot to us and we want to assure  Omoba Ajibulu that we will make judicious use of it and we will make him proud” she said.