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Tag: Federal government

  • FG on course with Digital Switch Over implantation

    The Federal Government has resolved the brewing crisis threatening the implementation of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) from analogue television broadcasts in the country.

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, had on Thursday summoned the critical stakeholders in the DSO to a meeting where the contentious issues involved were discussed and resolved.

    The NSA had told the stakeholders the Federal Government was determined to uphold its policy on DSO and also ensuring that private investment in the Nigerian economy was not discouraged.

    The meeting, which lasted about three hours, witnessed the diplomatic negotiation and consensus building capacity of the NSA that facilitated a resolution of the five year old dispute, which interrupted smooth implementation of the DSO and twice led to missing set deadlines.

    The Federal Government policy on DSO was thereby protected from legal interpretation in law courts while also salvaging solid private investment in the nation’s economy and attendant jobs created through the investment from uncertainty and jeopardy.

    At the meeting were Senator Elect and Chairman of the Board of NBC, Ikra Bilbis, DG NBC, Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, the CEO of Details Nigeria Limited, operators of Goth, John Ugbe and Chairman, Pinnacle Communications Limited, Sir Lucky Omoluwa whose efforts to make the meeting possible was acknowledged by the NSA, and COO of Pinnacle Communications Limited, Dipo Onifade.

  • FG to eliminate chemical fertilisers in agriculture, says Ogbeh

    The Federal Government says it will gradually phase out the use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture to ensure the production of healthy foods for the people.

    Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this on Sunday while inspecting the first organic banana plantation by an Indian company, Contec Global Agro Limited in Kwali.

    Ogbeh, who expressed worry over the increasing numbers of liver and kidney diseases among young people, explained that the objective was the elimination of dangerous elements from foods.

    He noted that the move would also help to reduce the damages in the soil through the application of fertilisers.

    ‘‘We are slowly going to begin to eliminate chemical fertilisers. Organic nature means that this is what nature is all about without polluting it with salt, the chemical fertilisers are salt.

    ‘‘They damage the soil of all kinds and over a while, you find out that the soil is no longer good for you because they destroy the microbes which make the soil more productive. We need to make the food healthier because a lot of self-poisoning is going on in the country.

    ‘‘Even the machines we use to grind tomatoes in the market, metal rubbing against metal; particles of heavy metals getting into the food.

    ‘Suddenly, you see a young person in the hospital, like 20 years of age suffering from liver and kidney problem and you ask, do you drink alcohol, he says no, then what is happening?

    ‘‘We are not probing enough but we want to start in agriculture, eliminating dangerous elements from our food.

    ‘‘The place to begin is the farm, right from where you are planting, from the soil, from the bio-chemicals, the water, all of that has to be controlled and then you have healthy foods,’’ the minister said.

    Ogbeh said the company was already conducting an experiment to develop microbes from the soil in the laboratory and putting them back into the soil without the use of chemicals.

    The minister, who commended the owners of the organic banana farm, said that the Federal Government would continue to support both local and foreign investments in the agriculture sector.

    ‘‘We are happy that in spite of the difficulties people face, they still remain and invest.

    ‘‘This is the message from Mr President, stay close to the investors, and give them all the support they need. If there are things you can’t handle yourself, come and tell me about them and I will do that,’’ he said.

    Mr Thomas Chackunkal, the Managing Director, Contec Global Agro, the initiators and owners of the banana farm, said the plantation was a 250 hectare biologically safe demonstration farm.

    Chackunkal said the banana plantation would be replicated in Osun, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, Edo and Oyo States.

    ‘‘We want to attract the young people. We want a holistic approach to provide all the basic needs like housing, schools, primary health care,’’ he said.

    Contec agro develops organic farming products such as bio-seed, bio-fertiliser, and bio-planting to help Africa develop its agricultural industry and ensure food security for the populace. (NAN)

  • Onnoghen: No allegations of $3m, 55 houses before tribunal – Prosecutor

    Mr. Aliyu Umar (SAN), the lead prosecutor in the trial of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, said yesterday that the Federal Government did not table allegations of undeclared $3million against Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    He also said all the six charges against Onnoghen made no references to 55 houses.

    Government, he said, only accused Onnoghen of breaching the Code of Conduct Act with his failure to declare and disclose five Standard Chartered Bank’s Statement of Accounts in his Asset Declaration Form.

    He said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wrote a separate petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) on some accounts and issues on inflows into Onnoghen’s accounts.

    The Nation gathered yesterday that the EFCC had quizzed the driver to the CJN, Mr. Emmanuel Essien as part of its ongoing probe.

    Essien was released after his interrogation by the operatives of the anti-graft commission.

    Umar, who spoke exclusively with our correspondent, said: “There is a lot of falsehood in the public space which I need to correct. The government did not file complaints bordering on $3million and 55 houses against Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    “I am aware that the EFCC wrote a separate petition to the NJC on some alleged infractions, including the accumulated $3million in Onnoghen’s accounts but those allegations are not before the CCT. The NJC is handling this matter separately.

    “There is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public by using the proceedings at the tribunal to address the petition before the NJC. They are even alleging that the prosecution could not prove its case. There was a distortion of the proceedings of the tribunal to fit a propaganda focus.

    “The case before the tribunal is just about failure to declare five accounts and alleged violation of the Code of Conduct Act. The same figures being twisted in the public space were the exhibits presented to the tribunal by the prosecution to prove its case against Onnoghen.

    “The Exhibits the government presented to the tribunal were as follows:

    • CCB4o, CCB4p, CCB4q for Onnoghen’s Euro Account No. 93001062686 with NUBAN No. 5001062686 with a balance of $10, 187.18(USD) as at 11th January 2019
    • CCB4r, CCB4s, CCB4t and CCB4u for Onnoghen’s Pound Sterling Account No. 285001062679 with NUBAN No. 5001062679 with a balance of £13, 730.70 as at 11th January 2019
    • CCB4v, CCB4w, CCB4x, CCB4y and CCB4z, CCB4za, CCB4zb, CCB4zc, CCB4zd, CCB4ze, CCB4zf for Onnoghen’s Dollar Account No. 0001062650 with a balance of $63, 832.99 USD as at 11th January 2019.
    • CCB4zg, CCBzh, CCB4zi, CCB4zj and CCB4zk for Onnoghen’s Naira NUBAN Account No. 0001062667 with a balance of N2, 556, 019. 25 as at 11th January 2019.
    • CCB4zl, CCB4zm, CCB4zn, CCB4zo and CCB4zp and CCB4zq, for Onnoghen’s Nigerian Naira NUBAN Account No. 5000162693 with a balance of N12, 852, 580.52 as at 11th January 2019.

    “Any Nigerian is free to apply for a copy of the charges against Onnoghen at the CCT and he or she will know that they were explicit.

    Quoting from “Further affidavit and Better Affidavit before the tribunal, Umar said: “We submit that there are two important reasons to be observed from this case against the defendant.

    “These reasons are as follows:  (1) The complainant no doubt is the body responsible for code of conducts of the public servants in Nigeria. (2) That the depositions and exhibits attached to the further affidavit glaringly show that the allegations of breach of code of conduct against the defendant are strong, cogent and compelling.

    “We submit that by the strength of the allegations of the breach of Code of Conduct Act, the defendant was alleged to have failed to declare and  disclose his five Standard Chartered Bank Statement of Accounts in his Asset Declaration Form of Public Officer Exhibit CCB 3 and Exhibit CCB5 deposed to in paragraphs 5-11 of the Further Affidavit.”

    Umar dismissed allegations that the prosecution chickened out by closing its case when it had no fact.

    He added: “The prosecution also did not close its case abruptly as being insinuated by some commentators. We listed six witnesses including the petitioner, a staff of Standard Chartered Bank and four from the Code of Conduct Bureau.

    “Two staff of the Code of Conduct Bureau testified as PW 1 and PW2 and a staff of the Standard Chartered Bank testified for the prosecution. Those who came for the Code of Conduct Bureau were investigators and at a point during cross-examination, it was the defence which asked one of them that their testimony was likely to be the same.”

    Meanwhile, the EFCC has interrogated a driver of the CJN, Mr. Emmanuel Essien.

    A source said: “As part of our investigation, we interrogated Essien and released him afterwards. We will still need to interact further with him,” a top source added.

    The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) alleged yesterday  that Essien was abducted.

    The coalition, in a statement by its spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, also condemned the interrogation of Essien.

    It said: “The CUPP sees this new offensive against Onnoghen as one too many.

    “We note that the government, having seen from yesterday’s proceedings at the Code of Conduct Tribunal that the trump up charges filed against him may not fly, has resorted to hunting for evidence to further indict him.

    “We reiterate our position that President Muhammadu Buhari is desperate to see Onnoghen resign without any justifiable reasons.”

     

  • My govt is committed to making education affordable to Nigerians – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government is committed to making education affordable to youth of the country through the open and distance learning system (ODL).

    He said this at the 8th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria, yesterday, in Abuja.

    The president also said his government would continue to deploy the necessary resources and facilities through direct budgetary funding and the tertiary education trust fund (TETFund) interventions in order to ensure that provision of quality tertiary education is guaranteed to the youth.

    Buhari, who is the visitor to the university, was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Victor Onuoha, at the occasion.

    He attributed the root cause of crisis recorded in the past in the country to ignorance, saying that his government hopes to put an end to it through functional education.

    The President said: “It is of common knowledge that the root cause of most of the recorded crisis of nationhood that we recorded in Nigeria are as a result of ignorance which we hope can be abated through functional education.

    “This is why the federal government of Nigeria is more than ever before, committed to making education affordable through the open and distance learning system. In this connection, therefore, the national policy on education have provided for lifelong learning that transcends all barriers through open and distance learning.

    “As a government, we reiterate our commitment to continue to deplore, the necessary resources and facilities through direct budgetary funding, TETFund interventions and the NEEDS assessment funding to ensure that provision of quality tertiary education is guaranteed to our teeming youth.”

    The president commended NOUN for expending access to higher education for Nigerians.

    Buhari added that the government would strengthen the ODL system of NOUN in order to meet its target of expanding access to tertiary education.

    “It is gratifying to note that NOUN continues to record successes at the national level by expanding access to higher education as well as making it affordable. In this regard, the national open university of Nigeria has carved a niche for itself both nationally and internationally.

    “The open and distance learning institution (ODL) will therefore be strengthened to take the lead in this desired direction’” the president said.

    In his remarks, NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, said that 20, 799 graduated from the university.

    He explained that the massive increase in the number of graduates of the university was as a result of the confidence Nigerians have placed on the efficacy of the ODL system.

    According to him, the university awarded 103 First Class degree to the graduating students.

    Bala Salhu Magaji of the department of Islamic Studies emerged the overall best graduating student at the occasion.

  • FG commiserates with Ghana over death of 50 in road mishap

    The Federal Government has commiserated with the Government and People of Ghana over the loss of more than 50 lives resulting from a head-on collision involving two public transport buses.
    The accident occurred in the early hours of Friday.
    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, said this in a statement by the ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr George Edokpa on Friday in Abuja.

    Read also: 60 dead as two buses collide in Ghana

    According to him, the accident, which led to the injury of several others, occurred on the Kintampo Techiman Road, Bono East Region, Ghana.
    The minister commended the emergency services for their efforts in rescuing passengers trapped in the vehicles.
    He offered Nigeria’s fervent prayers for the quick recovery of those injured, condoled those that lost loved ones and convened Nigeria’s solidarity in their time of grief (NAN).

  • FG, IFAD hail implementation of VCDP in Niger

    The Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Friday commended the implementation of the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Niger.

    Dr Maimuna Habib, Director, Projects Coordinating Unit, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who made the remark in Wushishi, described the programme as a huge success.

    She stated this during an identification mission of the federal and state governments and IFAD to the VCDP participating farmer groups in Wushishi and Bida areas of the state.

    “I am satisfied with the implementation of the VCDP in the past five years from what I have seen on ground here.

    “There is no doubt that the VCDP is doing well here, so today we want to get feedback from our farmers,” she said.

    Habib announced that the federal government through the ministry was ready to assist the farmers with farm implements.

    “I have directed the State Programme Coordinator to articulate what the farmers want and we will do something to get them implements at subsidised rate,” she said.

    She called for inclusion of more women in the programme to enable them own businesses and assist their families.

    Similarly, Dr Jonathan Agwe, IFAD Lead Regional Technical Specialist for Rural Finance, Market and Enterprises,  said that the rogramme has succeeded in the state.

    He said that arrangements had been concluded to expand and extend the programme beyond the year 2020 when it was supposed to terminate to the next three years.

    The next phase of the extention of three years programme is expected begin in 2023.

    “We want more women on board, this is why we will work with the government and beneficiaries to ensure that more women participate,” he said.

    Agwe said that the various farmer organisations would be updated on how to sustain the programmte when it wound up.

    He said that the VCDP has contributed positively to the rural economy of the country.

    Earlier, Dr Matthew Ahmed, the Programme Coordinator in the state said that good performance earned the state the inclusion of three more local government areas on the programme.

    Ahmed said that the programme was able to access more funds to extend it for the next three years, adding that three states of Enugu, Nasarawa and Kogi would be included in the second phase of the Programme starting 2023.

    “What we will do in the second phase of the Programme is to look at what has been done well and what we need to improve on,” he said.

    He said that the VCDP was working with 16,000 farmers in the state and that out of the figure, 8,000 had been encouraged to go into dry season farming.

    Also, Mr Inuwa Reza, member Bankogi Nassara Gwari Rice Farmer Group in Wushishi, said that the Programme exposed them to good agronomic practices.

    According to him, before the intervention of the IFAD-VCDP they were harvesting between 1.5 and two metric tons of rice per hectare of land, but now they get between six and eight metric tons.

    Reza appealed for more implements such as power tillers and transplanters for increased yield.

    Hajiya Habiba Abubakar, Vice Chairman, Sokodeke Cassava Processing Association located at the Cassava Processing Centre in Wushishi, said that the intervention resulted in increased production of garri, fufu and animal feed.

    Abubakar said that the association would soon start the production of starch.

    She appealed for more link to off-takers (market) to sell their products and loan facility to enable them procure more machines.

    The Federal Government is implementing a six year programme for rice and cassava VCDP in Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba states.

    While five local government areas of Bida, Wushsishi, Katacha, Kontagora and Shiroro are participating in the programme in Niger.

    The programme prepared in 2010, was approved for an IFAD loan of 74.4 million dollars and grant of 500,000 dollars in April 2012. (NAN)

  • Govt begins Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation

    The Federal Government has started the first phase of the rehabilitation of the 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity Port Harcourt Refinery complex. It comprises the 60,000 bpd Old Refinery built in 1965 and the 150,000 bpd New Refinery, commissioned in 1989.

    The exercise, flagged–off by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, in the premises of the refinery in Port Harcourt, is coming 19 years after the last Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) the plant.

    The project, according to a statement,  will be executed by Milan-based Maire Tecnimont S.p.A, in collaboration with its Nigerian affiliate, Tecnimont Nigeria.

    The statement said Maire Tecnimont S.p.A is listed on Milan Stock Exchange with interest in international engineering and construction, technology and licensing, and energy business development, adding that the Tecnimont group had operations in 40 different countries, numbering about 50 operative companies with a workforce of about 5,500 employees.

    The GMD was quoted as saying that at the end of the phase 1, the Refinery complex should be able to reach 60 per cent capacity utilisation.

    It said NNPC is engaging eni/NAOC as Technical Advisor to support the Rehabilitation of PHRC, saying NNPC/PHRC would leverage Eni’s extensive refinery supply chain network and warehouses to procure critical materials for the programme.

  • Falana urges Fed Govt to obey judgments on asylum seekers

    Activist-lawyer Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Federal Government to obey the judgments ordering it to bring back refugees and asylum seekers who were deported by the National Security Adviser (NSA).

    He vowed to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents if they fail to comply with the verdicts within two weeks.

    In a March 20 letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN), Falana said the judgments were on suits numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/147/2018 by Wilfred Tassang and 50 others against the NSA and another, and FHC/ABJ/CS/85/2018 by Mr. Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 10 others against the NSA.

    The SAN said the applicants are refugees and asylum seekers entitled to legal protection under the 1999 Constitution, the National Commission for Refugees (Establishment Etc) Act, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations on Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees Commission.

    According to him, in utter breach of their rights to personal liberty and dignity guaranteed by the statutory and international human rights instruments, they were deported from Nigeria and dumped in Cameroon on January 26, 2018 by the Office of the NSA.

    Falana said the applicants filed the lawsuits through his chambers to challenge their deportation.

    On March 1, Justice Anwali Chinkere of the Federal High Court declared the applicants’ deportation illegal and unconstitutional.

    The judge awarded reparation of various sums to them, and ordered the Federal Government to bring them back to Nigeria and restore all their rights and privileges as bona fide refugees and asylum seekers.

    “In view of the foregoing, we are compelled to request you to use your good offices to advise the Federal Government to comply with the aforesaid judgments of the Federal High Court without any further delay.

    “In particular, you may wish to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the case of the Minister of Internal Affairs v. Alhaji Shugaba Darman (1982) 3 NCLR 915 where the respondent who had been illegally deported to the Republic of Chad by the Federal Government was brought back to Nigeria in compliance with the orders of the Borno State High Court presided over by the Honourable Justice Oye Adefila of blessed memory.

    “Take notice that if the Federal Government fails to comply with the aforesaid judgments within the next two weeks, we shall not hesitate to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents including your good self without any further delay,” Falana writes.

  • FG to earmark N43.5bn for routine immunization

    The federal government has earmarked the sum of N43.5 billion for routine immunization programme in 2019.

    The Director General Budgte Office of the Federation Ben Akabueze made this disclosure in Abuja at the Nigeria Value for Money in the Health Sector Workshop.

    In his presentation, the DG budget said there was a need to scale-up allocation to primary health care and also called for equity in the allocation of funds to different areas in the health sector.

    Mr. Akabueze explained that because Nigeria was operating a deficit budget it has become very difficult for the country to further borrow to fund projects in the health sector. According to him, this has placed a limitation on “how much we can borrow.”

    To change things, he said Nigeria must seek ways to attract other sources of funding.

    Earlier, the minister for Budget and National Planning Senator Udoma Udo Udoma assured that the federal government will prioritise health expenditures in the 2019 budget cycle.

    The Minister also disclosed that the government was working to improve the country’s mortality rate which is among the lowest in the continent.

    The interest in allocating more funds to health was triggered by “the constrained fiscal space occasioned by drop in oil price and disruption to crude production continues to reflect on revenues. The present administration came to meet a very constrained fiscal space. Revenue dropped from N10.07 trillion in 2014 fiscal year to as low as N5.68 trillion in 2016. Even though it recovered somewhat to N7.17 trillion and N9.17 trillion in 2019 and 2018, it is still low compared to the amount in 2014,” Udoma said.

    The minister for Budget and National Planing also lamented that “dwindling donor funding has further compounded the matters with the country’s transition from the status of a poor country to a developing economy.”

    He, therefore, noted that notwithstanding government’s tight revenue inflow, “there is need to increase expenditure in the health sector and collaborate with governments at all levels on the need to maximize value for allocation to the sector.

     

  • FG unveils app to boost ease of doing business

    The Federal Government through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has unveiled the REPORTGOV.NG App, a new Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Mobile App to drive the ease of doing business initiative.

    The REPORTGOV.NG App, which is a web-based portal, is Nigeria’s official public service feedback and complaints platform for business environment reforms.

    The innovative app will allow the PEBEC office to resolve issues and complaints encountered by private sector operators with government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within 72 hours of lodging same.

    The PEBEC was established in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari with the aim of eliminating the delays and restrictions that come with doing business in Nigeria.

    The launch of the web-based application was, therefore, a step forward in the Federal Government’s resolve to make the business environment conducive and also boost domestic and foreign investments.

    At the unveiling of the app in Lagos, last week Thursday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, Office of the Vice President, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the platform would facilitate the escalation and resolution of issues encountered with MDAs towards ensuring a more business-friendly environment.

    She explained that the app was co-launched by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okey Enelamah; Chairman, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Mr. Adedotun Sulaiman and herself at the Regulatory Conversations (RC3.0) event.

    Read also: Samsung has transformed Nigeria into FPSO construction hub – NCDMB

    The event themed “Improving Transparency and Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria” was hosted by The Convention on Business Integrity/The Integrity Organisation in collaboration with ActionAid, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and BusinessDay Newspapers.

    Dr. Oduwole described the app as revolutionary, pointing out that Nigeria has never walked down this road before. “Collaboration has been the cornerstone of this initiative,” she said, adding that PEBEC engaged extensively with various stakeholders.

    She noted that the initiative was aimed at making sure that public and civil servants adhere to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) on making the business environment conducive

    The presidential aid said the PEBEC has spent a lot of time building capacity to ensure that feedbacks and complaints from the private sector are resolved within the 72 hours approved by the president.

    Also speaking, Dr. Enelamah said the launch of the app was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to being a business enabler and facilitator. “It’s about energizing businesses and making the business environment conducive,” he said.

    The Minister added that the app is already available on Google Play Store for download, and it will soon be available on the iOS store to enable users give feedback or complaint that will drive continuous improvement in service delivery and public protection efforts.

    The Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, described the app as “A game changer and one of the best things to happen to this country.”

    He said although, the PEBEC office has been doing a lot, it’s still work in progress. “There is still a whole lot more to be done, despite a few signs of progress that have been made,” he said.

    Yusuf, who spoke during a panel discussion to discuss issues bordering on transparency and efficiency of service delivery in Nigeria, however, observed that there is need for the World Bank to review the indicators for composition of the EoDB Index to reflect the reality of each country.

    He said countries vary in their peculiarities and challenges; that some of the indicators in the EoDB composition do not properly capture the critical variables in the Nigerian environment such as power, transportation and security.

    “We need to address all these other variables that are not on the list of the EoDB parameters,” Yusuf said, pointed out, for instance, that the present indicators are about construction permit, ease of starting business, credit, reforms, trading across borders, amongst others.