The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Federal government

  • Monday is public holiday

    The Federal Government has declared Monday, October 1st, 2018  as public holiday to commemorate Nigeria’s 58th Independence Anniversary.

    The federal government made the declaration in a statement issued by the Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, on Thursday in Abuja.

    The statement was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Mohammed Umar.

    Read Also: NGO to construct public toilets in Ekiti

    Dambazau, who congratulated Nigerians on the anniversary, urged them to sustain President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s efforts at maintaining and strengthening the unity and peace of the country.

    He emphasized government’s commitment to promoting national unity, economic growth, social and political development based on democratic principles.

    The minister added that in the past 58 years, Nigeria had made a lot of progress and positive impact not only on the lives of its citizens but also on infrastructure development as well as international relations.

     

  • Gas flaring: FG vows to begin revocation of licenses next year 

    …to launch Programme to attract $30b investments

     

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu’ Monday vowed that the Federal Government would from 2019, withdraw the licenses of oil firms that refuse to stop gas flaring in Nigeria.

    He dropped the hint at the 2018 Buyers’ Forum/Stakeholders’ Engagement that the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN) organized in Abuja.

    Read Also:NNPC sets 2020 deadline for zero gas flaring

    He added that the Government would launch the infrastructure improvement programme in November, which has the potential of attracting between $20 billion and $30 billion of investments into the petroleum industry and also help address the infrastructural deficiencies in the industry.

    The minister explained that there has been a Cold War between the Federal Government and the upstream oil companies as a result of gas flaring.

    He noted that while the government has been eager to bring the menace of gas flaring to an end, the oil firms are full of excuses for continuing the flaring.

    According to him, the bottom line of the disagreement the oil firms had with the government on ending gas flaring was cash call and money.

    He said, “Government wants to end flare, oil companies still give lot of reasons why flare cannot be ended. Bottom line is cash call and money. But the reality is that whether or not we deal with cash call issues, it is not an optional agenda, it is a compulsive immediate agenda. It is destructive to the populace; it is intolerable in developed country and it should not be tolerable here either.

    “Any oil company that cannot find a way to ending its flare ought not to be producing. And I have said to the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, beginning from next year, we are going to get quite frantic about this and companies that cannot meet with extended periods — the issue is not how much you pay in terms of fines for flaring, the issue is that you would not produce. We need to begin to look at foreclosing of licences. This is very urgent.”

    Kachikwu stressed that the quest to discourage gas flaring led the Federal Government to initiate the gas flare commercialisation programme.

    In addition, the minister disclosed that future renewals of oil and gas licences would involve the assessments of the gas components and gas flare rate of each company seeking renewals.

    “Some of the ones that have come recently for renewals have insisted that they are building massive gas processing plants  and we are going to follow this right through so that the supply obligation, the processing facility, the treatment of gas; their submissions  are very accurate and very aggressive,” he noted.

    Kachikwu further emphasized the need for a critical implementation of the Domestic Supply Obligation, which would be extended to Domestic Supply and Processing Obligation for both gas and crude oil, stating that the country needed to move away from the point of just producing these commodities, throwing it into the vessel and shipping it out, to the point of processing as much of it locally as much as possible.

    According to him, only through this would we be able to create more jobs, create better profit and returns on investments, achieve better pricing and address the challenges of local industries and industrialization.

    Also speaking, Managing Director of GACN, Mr. Morgan Okwoche, called for increased support for the company, while he highlighted the need for optimum collaboration among industry players in the development of the gas sector.

    He called on the DPR to expedite action on the issuance/renewal of the five-year rolling Domestic Supply Obligation, DSO, volumes which will help in effective project planning.

    In addition, Okwoche said, “I would like to see the non-existence of a Gas Distribution tariff model which is encouraging arbitrariness and monopolist behaviours which may hamper effective implementation of the network code is not addressed ultimately.”

  • ‘National Theatre will lose its historic monument if privatized’

    The incumbent General Manager (GM) of the National Theatre Complex, Dr Stella Oyedepo, has allayed the fears of Nigerians that the edifice will neither be privatized nor concessional.

    Oyedepo said there was no move or plan by the Federal Government to privatize the complex or hand its affairs over to the Lagos State Government to manage.

    “The National Theatre complex belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria and it still remains the pride of the nation,” Oyedepo said.

    The GM told our reporters that if the Federal Government should privatize the complex, it would cease to retain its historic honour of being the pride of the nation.

    According to her, the National Theatre complex is very valuable to the history and culture of Nigerians and it can be turned into something else if left in private hands.

    She said that taking pride in what was called a national monument could be very important to the people.

    Read Also: National Theatre hosts children theatre

    “The fact that the complex is a historic monument must not be lost or distorted in any way.’’

    She said that the current management under her leadership would ensure prudence and regular repairs of the complex’s facilities.

    Oyedepo said that would help Nigerians to preserve the symbolic icon.

    “Our arts should be given life and the opportunity to serve its purpose to the people. If this beautiful structure is privatized, it will no longer be affordable,” she said.

    Also, the Director of Event Management and Business Development at the NT, Mr Biodun Abe, corroborated what the GM had said.

    Abe said that the current management of the complex was committed to transforming the complex into a lively entertainment centre.

    “There are plans by the management of the NT to have exchange programmes with other internationally renowned organizations.

    “This is because Nigeria recently signed cultural bilateral agreements with other countries where some of the organisations are located.

    “That will give the National Theatre the opportunity to invite international artistes to perform within the theatre.

    “It is certain that the glorious days of the National Theatre will gradually be restored through such programmes,” Abe said.

    NAN

  • FG considers use of nuclear, geothermal energy

    The Federal Government (FG) has confirmed it is considering the safe use of nuclear and geothermal energy to improve power supply in the country.

    Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bwari, said the government has been interfacing with the Nigerian Atomic Energy Agency towards advancing the safe use of nuclear energy.

    He also said that other African countries already have a head start in terms of research on geothermal energy, which Nigeria can take a cue from to develop a robust approach to acquiring new energy resource.

    Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) 2018-NMGS-NGSA discourse series, Bwari stated that the discourse, which is on Geothermal Energy, promises to be quite exciting.

    His words, “As a result, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has consistently been a critical player in advancing alternative supply of energy. In this regard, we have worked closely with the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in the coal to power programme.

    “Indeed, sourcing for and characterising the coal resources in Nigeria have become the basis for policy direction regarding this initiative. We have also been interfacing with the Nigerian Atomic Energy Agency towards advancing the safe use of nuclear energy.

    “Actually, in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development Roadmap, we have specifically focused on the exploration of Energy Minerals, including coal, bitumen and uranium out of the growing list of 44 mineral types that we have in Nigeria.

    “I am aware that some countries, even our sister African countries, already have a head start in terms of research on geothermal energy. Information available shows that Kenya for instance, has achieved about 1000mw of energy from geothermal energy. Nigeria can therefore take a cue from this and develop a robust approach to acquiring this new energy resource, he said.

  • Fed Govt begins N1b severance payment to ex-PHCN staff

    The Federal Government has begun severance payment for the 408 active staff and retirees/Next-of Kins (NOKs) of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

    These payments, including entitlements amounting to N1.053billion go to those who have been computed and audited by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE),  said yesterday.

    BPE’s Director General,  Alex A. Okoh,  expressed delight that following the approval of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, the outstanding labour issue in the power sector privatisation was now being resolved.

    According to a statement by BPE’s Head of Public Communications, Amino Othman, Okoh said  the current milestone in the   resolution and settlement of the outstanding labour liabilities became possible after the Bureau on March 27, 2018, constituted a Technical Working Group (TWG) comprising the OAGF, PENCOM and others, which worked assiduously culminating in a meeting between the DG of BPE and the OAGF on August 1, 2018 to finalize the payment process.

    Earlier, the BPE through the OAGF  had paid 47,041 out of  the 47,913 active staff  of the defunct PHCN  in 35 batches and 2,962  out of the 4,423 retirement and death benefits  to the beneficiaries in 14 batches. This is in accordance with the mandate of the BPE to ensure that labour issues in privatisation are adequately addressed and resolved.

    However, given the fact that not all the active staff and retirees/NOKs of the defunct PHCN were verified, the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) at its meeting of April 16, 2015, directed the Bureau to continue with the process of verification and payment of outstanding cases until a final resolution was achieved.

    Following the NCP directive and approval, the Bureau conducted the final verification for staff and retirees/NOKs of the defunct PHCN in the six geo-political centers from October 3rd -14th, 2016, resulting in the 408 beneficiaries who are now being paid, the statement said.

  • Breadmakers canvass downward review of 15% levy on wheat

    Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria (PBAN) has called on the Federal Government to review downwards the 15 percent levy on wheat grain imports to help drive down the price of flour which constitute about 75 percent of baking ingredient.

    The body said the 15 per cent  reduction in the levy on wheat grain will lead to a substantial reduction in the price of flour by millers.

    Its President, Tosan Jemide disclosed this in an interview.

    Jemide said since 2012, when the government introduced a 15-percent levy on wheat grain imports, it has resulted in an increase of five to 20 per cent.

    The levy, he said was meant for the development of wheat cultivation in Nigeria, but , they said six years its introduction, they were yet to see its effect on wheat cultivation.

    The Nigerian bread industry, Jemide said , is estimated at N122.1 billion with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of three per cent  He said  premium breadmakers contribute significantly to job creation, food security and economic growth in Nigeria; affirming that the industry should be supported to remain sustainable.

    One of the ways, government could support, he said include:  access to  low interest loans from financial institutions to enable operators stimulate growth and the attendant job creation capabilities.

    He said breadmakers were grappling with a myraid of challenges. Jemide said : ” The serious challenges we are facing as an industry. The premium bread making industry currently employs well over seven hundred thousand Nigerians directly and indirectly, making it a significant employer of labour, by implication, there will be adverse effects on the economy  if allowed to go into extinction.  The role of premium bread in food security of Nigeria cannot be over emphasized, it therefore behooves on the government to do everything within their means to ensure that the industry does not go extinct.

    Read Also: Premium breadmakers promise better products

    The challenges we face as a result of incessant increases in the prices of baking ingredients has rendered most premium bakeries comatose from operating at a loss; capital injection through loans and equity investments have been pumped into a lot of these businesses and repayments are no longer possible. This has a ripple effect on the economy as a whole as it serves as a disincentive for investment. Between 2015 and now the price of flour which is our major ingredient has increased from #6,500 naira per 50kg bag to #11,500 naira per bag as at today, with the possibility of further price increases. See the data analysis of the percentage increase in prices of baking ingredients in the pages below over the last 3 years to enable you know how precarious the situation of the premium baking industry is.

    On the increase in the price of bread ingredients, Jemide said: “In the last 3 years, the prices of flour, sugar and other baking ingredients have quintupled without a corresponding increase in prices of premium bread by PBAN members. As an Association, it is either we do something about the astronomic increases in prices of baking ingredients or we burst. Most of us got loans with double digit interest rates from financial institutions to fund our bakery projects and are finding it extremely difficult to meet our loan repayment obligations.

    On the challenges of power supply, Jemide said: “Our bakeries suffer seriously due to epileptic power supply and the high cost of alternative energy has made it a no go area for us.

    Almost all our baking machines are powered by diesel generators. The cost of diesel has hit the roof top and is almost out of our reach.

    The consequences of high cost of diesel have led to the closure of some premium bakeries.”

    He called for the exemption of bread, as basic food item from Value Added Tax (VAT). He said: ” As we all know, bread is a staple food which Nigerian families have as part of their daily meals. To our understanding, Part 1 Paragraph 2 of the first schedule of the Value Added Tax Act exempts certain goods including ‘basic food items’ from VAT. However, the Act does not define basic food item. In reality however, producers of premium bread over time have been made to pay VAT, penalised or threatened for not paying VAT on bread. We find that there is an ambiguity in the tax law and the clarification of the FIRS Act made by FIRS. We therefore demand that the federal government and FIRS look into this as a matter of urgency in order to clarify this ambiguity.”

    He further said: “Distributors in the premium bread making industry are the channel through which the bulk of the product is moved and sold to the general public. The near collapse of the premium breadmaking industry is having an adverse effect on their businesses equally. Due to the technicalities involved in obtaining loans for their businesses, they are unable to have enough cash outlay for purchase of premium bread; even when they do sell the bread, their margins are almost non-existent due to the uncompetitive price of premium bread, thus leading to so many of them going out of business.

    “Given the current situation, most premium bakeries may be forced to embark on a price increase which will further make bread (a staple food) unaffordable to the common man.

    As an association, we are totally committed to ensuring that Nigerians have healthy, quality, affordable and unharmful bread on their table.

    It is in light of this that we appeal to the Federal government to look into the issues that currently threaten the existence of the premium bakery industry in Nigeria.”

     

  • Power: FG considers safe use of nuclear, geothermal energy

    The Federal Government (FG) has confirmed it is considering the safe use of nuclear and geothermal energy to improve power supply in the country.

    Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bwari said the government has been interfacing with the Nigerian Atomic Energy Agency towards advancing the safe use of nuclear energy.

    He also said that other African Countries already have a head start in terms of research on geothermal energy, which Nigeria can take a cue from to develop a robust approach to acquiring new energy resource.

    Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the Nigerian Mining and Geo sciences Society (NMGS), Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) 2018-NMGS-NGSA discourse series, Bwari stated that the discourse which is on Geothermal Energy promises to be quite exciting.

    He advised the experts to approach the issue through modular basis by taking care of regional and area specific demands, particularly rural areas, rather than making each geothermal station feed the entire nation.

    His words, “As a result, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has consistently been a critical player in advancing alternative supply of energy. In this regard, we have worked closely with the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in the coal to power programme.

    Read Also: NLC condemns killing of health workers in North East

    “Indeed, sourcing for and characterizing the coal resources in Nigeria have become the basis for policy direction regarding this initiative. We have also been interfacing with the Nigerian Atomic Energy Agency towards advancing the safe use of nuclear energy.

    “Actually, in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development Roadmap, we have specifically focused on the exploration of Energy Minerals including Coal, Bitumen and Uranium out of the growing list of 44 mineral types that we have in Nigeria.

    “I am aware that some countries, even our sister African Countries, already have a head start in terms of research on geothermal energy. Information available shows that Kenya for instance, has achieved about 1000mw of energy from geothermal energy. Nigeria can therefore take a cue from this and develop a robust approach to acquiring this new energy resource.

    “Experts advise that we approach this through modular basis by taking care of regional and area specific demands, particularly rural areas, rather than making each geothermal station feed the entire nation.

    “It is interesting to note that apart from providing us with more power, Geothermal ecosystem also offers opportunities in geo-tourism as exemplified by our warm springs which have been largely underdeveloped.”

  • FG to carry out survey on diabetes, hypertension incident – Minister

    ….Says PHCs will soon commence screening, treatment

     

    The Federal Government has planned to carry out a survey on diabetes and hypertension, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has announced.

    The survey, which Adewole said will be carried out this year, is to help determine the number of people affected with such diseases.

    Read AlsoHypertension killing more people than any other condition – Prof. Omotoso

    Besides, the minister also announced that Primary Health Centres (PHCs) will soon be conducting screening and treatment of patients of such diseases.

    In a statement signed by Boade Akinola (Mrs.) Director, Media and Public Relations the minister noted that it was important to know the number of people with the problems so as to provide healthcare for them.

    He was quoted to have spoken in Abuja, while declaring open, 4th Pan- African Diabetic Foot Study Group Conference and the Advance Course on Diabetic Foot/ Podiatry organized by the Pan-African Diabetic Foot Study Group in collaboration with World Diabetes Foundation and Mark Anumah Medical Mission.

    He said, “We want to know how many people have the problem so that government can provide care for them appropriately.

    “We will go beyond screening of diabetes at the teaching hospitals but we want to mainstream it in our primary healthcare centers”.

    “As we are implementing the basic healthcare provision funds in PHC in this year’s budget, we want to offer care to Nigerians in the Primary healthcare level, where the large number of population received medical care”, Adewole said.

    The Minister said that situation where everyone goes to teaching hospitals would not help the Nigerian health system.

    In his remarks, chairman of the occasion, Prof. Oladipo Ladipo, President, Association of Reproductive Health said that Nigeria had the largest population in Africa and indirectly has the large number of diabetic patients in Sub-Sahara Africa.

    He said Nigerian Doctors, Nurses, Orthopedic Surgeon must work together to ensure the diabetic foot was reduced to the barest minimum.

    Prof. Ladipo said that more than 120 delegates converged from various parts of Africa to discuss way forward on diabetic foot /podiatry. He emphasized that Nigeria must develop another way to manage non- communicable diseases.

    In her presentation, the Chairperson, Local Organizing Committee, Prof. Felicia Anumah of University of Abuja Teaching Hospital said that diabetic had become pandemic and would lead to increase of diabetic foot.

    She said the disease is silent until it sets up complications, is has high economic cost and difficult to manage when the case is presented lately.

    “50 percent of the patients present their cases when the only option is amputation” She said.

    She called on general public to always visit healthcare providers for checkup if there is any pain in the feet.

     

     

  • FG to disburse Paris Club Refund to States in tranches

    The Federal Government Tuesday said the payment of the approved amount from Paris Club refunds will be made in phased tranches to the States.

    For state governments to access the final approval of US$2.689 billion refund, the federal government gave the following conditions:

    Salary and staff related arrears must be paid as a priority; Commitment to the commencement of the repayment of Budget Support Loans granted in 2016, to be made by all States; Clearing of amounts due to the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, Commitment to clear matching grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) where some States have available funds which could be used to improve primary education and learning outcomes.

    Read Also:Fayemi faults Fayose’s claim on Paris Club refund denial

    A statement from the Federal Ministry of Finance on Tuesday provided some clarifications on the Paris Club Refund approved for the 36 States of the Federation.

    According to the statement signed by Hassan Dodo, Director (Information) “the issue of Paris Club loan over-deduction had been a long standing dispute between the Federal Government and the State Governments which dated back to the period of 1995 to 2002.”

    In response to the dispute, President Muhammadu Buhari he said “directed that the claims of over-deduction should be formally and individually reconciled by the Debt Management Office (DMO). This reconciliation commenced in November 2016.”

    As an interim measure to alleviate the financial challenges of the States during the 2016 recession, President Buhari, Dodo noted, “had approved that fifty percent (50%) of the amounts claimed by States be paid to enable the States clear salary and pension arrears.”

    Dodo said this was released between 1st December, 2016 and 29th September, 2017. This refund was part of the Government’s fiscal stimulus to ensure the financial health of Sub-National Governments.

    The DMO led the reconciliation process under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

  • Federal Government and NOUN law graduates

    Sir: The imbroglio between the Council of Legal Education (CLE) and National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) over admission into the Nigerian Law School is indeed discreditable albeit resolvable. The quagmires which have lingered for five years since the first set graduated resulted from conflict of interests between the Federal Ministry of Education and its counterpart, Ministry of Justice. Regrettably, innocent law graduates became the proverbial helpless grass that suffers the fight of the elephants. By their establishments, NOUN and National Universities Commission (NUC) operate under the Ministry of Education while the Nigerian Law School, under Council of Legal Education is supervised by the Minister of Justice/Attorney General of the Federation; thus two different ministries involved.

    The two ministers have significant roles to play in the resolution of the conflicts as their continual disagreement will keep the students roaming the streets. These two ministers should harmonize their differences without further delay. President Muhammadu Buhari should summon them for amicable resolution of the crisis pursuant to national security and interests. Interestingly, this is an era the polity is overheated over national security. Irrefutably, NOUN law graduates crisis aptly falls under matters that deserve doctrine of necessity and national security as keeping grown persons to be wandering the streets without vocational training for their practice and engagement is dangerous. No doubt, the predicament commenced during the previous administration but in line with change mantra, the crisis deserves a state of emergency as unrelenting neglect is precarious.

    By the accreditation of the programme by NUC, obligations accrued to the parties to do the needful. The students fulfilled their part by completing their courses and acquired certificates as approved by the relevant bodies. And to crown it, in the moot-court competition which is the only practical aspect of the programme, the students diligently floored their counterparts from conventional universities and represented the country in an international competition in 2012. These Nigerians deserve honours and not political bullying.

    The federal government should stop pretending as if it is not aware of the predicament of the students. It is under obligation to fulfill its part of the deal as it willfully established the institution, promoted and lured these citizens into it. To clear the air over its authenticity, the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo laudably enrolled into one of the programmes. That singular act is sufficient to make those playing politics to have a rethink. These graduates were persuaded to apply into the school due to its newness, and from records so far, it cannot be said that the products are academically deficient. President Buhari owes these students obligation even though inherited. Government is a continuum. It is absurd to abandon innocent and brilliant citizens with certificates to be roaming the streets for no justifiable reasons.

    At most, if the accreditation appears questionable or flawed, the appropriate thing should be to withdraw the accreditation as NUC did to University of Abuja and recently, Obafemi Awolowo University. The powers vested in the Minister of Justice/Attorney General of the Federation to give directions to the Council of Legal Education should be effectively utilized forthwith. Enough of empty promises and tactics as destinies are being shattered. If the numerous prominent legal icons that embraced ODL (Open and Distance Learning) were frustrated during their time, the nation would have lost all their contributions to the legal profession and society at large so far.

    To sum up, the Minister of Justice should urgently release these innocent citizens from incarceration. No country of the world would allow such shameful treatment to triumph especially in a government that made uncountable promises to the citizenry. President Buhari has the brightest chance of redeeming this situation and write his name in gold. These law graduates should not continue in dirges while the government is chorusing national security and interests everywhere. Their continued denial of admission quota into the Nigerian Law School is the height of wickedness. It is imperative to recall that admission into the law school doesn’t guarantee successful exit. If there is nothing hidden, let these law graduates be admitted into the law school like their counterparts from other universities. They studied and graduated. Allow them to prove themselves. Thus, live and let live.

     

    • Onyema Sylvester Ikechukwu,

    Lagos.