The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FG

  • FG told to declare state of emergency in mining sector

    FG told to declare state of emergency in mining sector

    The Federal Government has been urged to declare a state of emergency in the mining sector to help boost revenue from non-oil enterprises.

    The chairman of NASAMAN Mining Company Limited, an indigenous mining firm, Prince Mamman Ali has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare an emergency in the nation’s mining sector as a practical demonstration of its seriousness to revitalize the non-oil sector and to improve the revenue base of the economy.

    A statement signed by the Communication Assistant, Mr. Kelvin Gods’will Musa, said Prince Mamman Ali made this in Abuja recently when he led his management team to receive an award given to the company by the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC).

    Ali pointed out that a presidential declaration of an emergency in the sector will go a long way in boosting the chances of success of the President’s current economic diplomacy.

    According to him, “for over 15 years now, we have been at the forefront of advocacy for a major shift from a mono-product economy to a multi-product economy where fresh focus should be given to the mining sector. It is particularly imperative now that since crude oil sales have continued to tumble, we have to explore the non-oil sector where mining holds the ace for the country.”

    Mamman Ali noted that, “the mining sector can sufficiently create over five million jobs, raise government’s revenue base significantly, accelerate economic diversification, attract foreign direct investment and contribute to the rapid social, economic and institutional development of the mining communities across the country.”

  • ‘5,000 stipend is an insult to Nigerian youths’

    The Commandant-General of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Ambassador Dickson Akor has said the campaign promise of 5,000 to Nigerian youths by the All Progressive Congress, APC is an insult to Nigerian youths.

    While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for jettisoning the idea, Akor canvassed for empowerment scheme for youths as well as legislative backing to ventures and ideas that will uplift the Nigerian youths.

    The Peace corps bill which Akor said is one of various ideas will create 800,000 Nigerian youths with jobs when finally passed into law by the National Assembly.

    Speaking on the bill which scaled through the second reading in the National Assembly last week, Akor said the bill sponsored by Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume when passed seeks to empower, develop and provide alternative employment for the youths to facilitate peace, community services and other related matters.

    Akor who spoke with newsmen saturday in Abuja on the bill said the Senate has referred the bill to the committee on Interior for further legislative actions including organizing public hearing.

    “The bill when finally passed into law has the capacity to provide alternative employment for Nigerian youths, facilitate peace, community services and nation building.

    “The bill will provide positive engagement of the youths with a view to pre-occupy them in ventures that would make them economically productive to themselves and larger society.

    “Currently in Nigeria, we are investing a lot of energies and resources to contain the menace of insurgency, militancy, kidnapping, vandalism, armed robbery, political thuggery, drug trafficking, prostitution, suicide bombing, cattle rustling and a host of other social vices.

    “These vices no doubt constitute social challenges that have retrogressive effects and implications on the economic development and security of the nation.

    “This bill seeks to give statutory functions to the existing peace corps of Nigeria which currently has over 98,000 members with well structured network of branches in 34 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory and observing adequately all its stated functions, and achievement of no small measure for an NGO.”

    The Nigerian Peace Corps was established 17 years ago alongside the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

    The bill successfully scaled second reading after it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

  • FG urges court to ignore Moro’s claim of ill-health

    FG urges court to ignore Moro’s claim of ill-health

    The Federal Government Wednesday objected to plea for bail by former Interior Minister, Abba Moro and two other persons being tried over the 2014 botched recruitment exercise of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIM).

    The government, acting through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), urged a Federal High Court in Abuja to ignore claim of ill-health made by Moro, and on which basis he had sought to be granted bail.

    Moro, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Anastasia M. Daniel Nwobia, F. O. Alaiyegbami and Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited were on Monday, arraigned before the court on an 11-count charge.

    They were accused of defrauding 675, 675 graduate applicants of about N675,675,000 having been made to pay N1000 each as processing fees for 5,000 (five thousand) job openings.

    The four defendants also were accused of breaching the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

    Although they pleaded not guilty to the charge, Justice Anwuli Chikere ordered the remand of Moro and Alaiyegbami in Kuje prison, Abuja and allowed Mrs. Daniel Nwobia, said to be a nursing mother, to remain on the bail earlier granted her by the EFCC, pending the determination of their bail applications.

    Wednesday, parties argued for and against the grant of bail to the defendants, with the EFCC cautioning the court to refuse the bail applications on the ground that the defendants could tamper with the prosecution process and witnesses.

    Although Moro claimed, in his bail application, to suffering from acute diabetes and high blood pressure, the EFCC, in its counter –counter affidavit, faulted such claim, arguing that, while in its custody, and throughout investigation of the case, Moro neither  complained of ill-health nor was he treated for any ailment.

    EFFC also faulted Moro’s pledged to abide by the bail conditions and attend trial, stating that it had to revoke  the administrative bail earlier granted him (Moro) “as information received from the investigating team revealed that the applicant would interfere with investigation and prosecution process embarked upon by the respondent.

    An EFCC investigator, Isa Joshua, stated in a supporting affidavit, that “investigation conducted revealed that the defendant/applicant conspired with the other defendants to induce the said delivery of the said funds by job applicants, while deliberately neglecting to comply with extant provisions relating to procurement process as the Minister of Interior in relation to the award of contract for the recruitment exercise.

    “Investigation also revealed that the defendant/applicant conspired with other defendants to award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited without advertising the contract, without needs assessment and procurement plan, and through selective tendering procedure, by inviting four firms without seeking approval by Bureau of Public Procurement and the fact that the company was not responsive to mandatory prequalification.

    “The defendant/applicant conspired with other defendants to award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited, knowing that the company had no legal capacity to enter into the contract,” Joshua said.

    It told the court that Moro would frustrate its effort to apprehend others involved in the alleged crime as they were currently being trailed by its operatives.

    Justice Chikere, who ordered Moro and Alaiyegbami to return to prison, will rule on the bail applications today.

    Shortly after the court’s proceedings, Moro’s supporters, mostly young men and women, who wore T-shirts, with the ex-Interior Minister’s picture printed on them, sang his praise as he was led to a waiting prison van. The unruly supporters, some of who wept as he Moro was being led away, and prison officials attacked journalists, who were trying to capture Moro’s exit with their cameras.

  • FG pledges to partner with youths as Social Media Week ends

    FG pledges to partner with youths as Social Media Week ends

    Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed has pledged  federal government’s  determination to partner with the youths to ensure the actualization of their God-given potentials.

    Drawing the curtain on the fourth edition of the annual Social Media Week in Lagos at the weekend, Mohammed said that Nigeria has great options in the creative industry that can now be exploited with the dwindling revenue from oil.

    ‘’In our efforts to diversify our economy away from oil, I am confident that we have great options in the creative industry and the infinite possibilities that an empowered young Nigerian can spin,” he said.

    “We will partner with the youths to make it possible for them to actualise their dreams.’’

    Alhaji Mohammed said there is no better platform than the Social Media Week, which has garnered five million mentions on social media, and attracted 30,000 people, in addition to 500 speakers, over four years, to engage with the youths who, he said, formed the vanguard of those who helped to bring about the much-needed change in the country.

    ‘’In this respect, we hope to play a more active role in subsequent editions (of the Social Media Week),’’ he said.

    The Minister, who also fielded questions from the audience on issues ranging from Boko Haram to tourism and the country’s image, congratulated the organisers of the gathering that provides the ideas, trends, insights and inspiration to help people and businesses understand how to achieve more in a hyper-connected world.

    Earlier, while welcoming the Minister, the Convener of the Lagos Social Media Week, Mr. Obi Asika, expressed the hope that the federal government would collaborate with the organisers to ensure that the fifth edition, to be held in 2017, is even bigger than the previous editions.

    According to the organisers, the annual event features a central stage for keynotes and panels, multiple rooms for workshops, master classes and presentations, and an area dedicated to co-working, networking and interactive installations.

    Social Media Week Lagos is the largest, tech, new media and business conference in Africa, with thousands of people participating annually.

    Participants come from all over Africa and elsewhere around the world to explore a wide range of topics like education, business, entertainment, technology, art, banking and politics.

  • FG orders MLSCN boss to vacate office

    FG orders MLSCN boss to vacate office

    The Federal Government has ordered the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Prof Anthony Emeribe to vacate office “with immediate effect’’.

    The directive was contained in a letter to Emeribe by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, dated Feb. 19, 2016.

    The letter signed on behalf of the Minister by Dr Patience Oshinubi, the Head, Department of Hospital Services in the Ministry stated that Emeribe should hand over to the most senior Director in the council.

    It also stated that the position of the Registrar and CEO of the Council should be advertised.

    “The Honourable Minister of Health has approved the advertisement of the post of the Registrar/CEO of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria.

    “In view of the above, I am directed to inform you to hand over the administration of the council and of government property under your purview to the most senior Director in the council, with immediate effect.

    “Please, accept the assurances of the Honourable Minister of Health’s best regards,’’ the letter read.

    Meanwhile, Emeribe has acknowledged the receipt of the letter in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    The professor, whose second term of four years as Registrar/CEO of the council ought to end in 2018, however, said that the letter was “sub judice’’.

    He said there were subsisting cases in court in respect of the advertisement of the position of the Registrar/CEO of the Council, awaiting judicial determination.

    “The cases are in court. The issues that gave rise to that letter are all in court and the ministry knows that it is sub judice.

    “The Ministry was misadvised into taken that decision because the ministry should know that you cannot take an action on a case that is in court,’’ he said.

  • FG commends North – Easterners for supporting terror victims

    FG commends North – Easterners for supporting terror victims

    Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday commended Nigerians in the North-East for their good neighborliness and accommodating internally displaced victims of the insurgency in their own homes and communities.

    He gave the commendation during a meeting with a delegation from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, (UNHCR), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Osinbajo, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, noted that even though the insurgents still create a sense of fear, many Nigerians were still doing their bit to accommodate the IDPs.

    He said on its part the federal government is also committed to many of the initiatives put in place to address the situation of the North-East region of the country.

    Despite the economic challenges currently in the country, he said that the Buhari administration is determined to restore the infrastructure, de-mine farmlands and make the affected communities safe and habitable again.

    Some of the initiatives in place, he said, included the Safe Schools Initiative, Victims Support Fund (VSF), Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE), among others.

    Those initiatives are now structured under the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiatives, PCNI, for which President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed General T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) to lead.

    According to the Vice President, the federal government is deeply committed to the recovery and rehabilitation of the North-Eastern region and will require the continued support of the United Nations (UN) in the effort.

    The Vice President also commended the UN agency for its assistance so far.

    “We are looking forward to much more assistance from the UNHCR,” Prof. Osinbajo told the team led by Mr. Volker Turk, the Assistant High Commissioner.

    While acknowledging that the agency has already done a lot, he said that there is still a long way to go.

    He noted that the UNHCR is “peculiarly equipped to deal with this kind of situation.”

    “We urge the UNHCR to work with us as closely as possible on the resettlement and rehabilitation of IDPs,” the VP said.

    In his remarks, Mr. Turk while offering the government the continued collaboration of the UN agency said that it is the aim of the UNHCR to support and assist the Nigerian government on how to create the space for IDPs’ return to their communities with safety, dignity and sustainability.

    The Vice President also received a delegation from the Nigerian Association of Nephrologists led by its president, Prof. B.L Salako.

    The association requested that the federal government should assist in the provision of drugs for victims of kidney disease and also work with the group to standardize dialysis treatment and kidney transplants in the country.

    The Vice President responded stating the importance of nephrology in medical practice and expressed government’s readiness to explore options on how to make the drugs readily available.

    He lamented that there are people who even don’t know they need dialysis, while many others die because they could not afford the treatment.

    The Vice President said that the Buhari administration will work with the association to address the situation.

  • Soyinka reiterates support for FG’s anti-graft fight

    Soyinka reiterates support for FG’s anti-graft fight

    The current economic situation in the country calls for an emergency economic conference, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has said.

    Prof.  Soyinka who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in his office in Abuja on Thursday, blamed years of bad governance for the country’s economic downturn.

    He also reiterated his earlier support for the Administration’s fight against corruption

    ”The economic condition of a nation, of a people does not deteriorate overnight. Something came before that deterioration,” he said, while answering a question on the current state of the nation’s economy.

    He blamed the deterioration of the economy on ”a certain prolonged and unchecked process of attrition”, adding that Nigerians should not expect a quick turnaround of the economy.

    ‘The Noble Laureate also warned Nigerians not to expect a quick turnaround of the economy, saying that ‘Recovery is going to take quite a while…The President should call an emergency economic conference, with experts to be invited. Consumers, producers, labour unions, university experts, professors, etc.

    ”I think we really need an emergency economic conference, a rescue operation bringing as many heads as possible together to plot the way forward,” the Nobel Laureate said.

    Prof. Soyinka said the government must remain resolute in its ongoing fight against corruption, while also expressing satisfaction with ”both the target and tempo of motion” as far as the government’s efforts are concerned.

    He urged the government to pursue the anti-corruption battle within the confines of the law, saying that if that goal (of fighting corruption) is attained by positive means, if nothing else, the government would have moved the nation forward by many years

    According to him, the government must recover stolen funds and punish those who are responsible ”for the impoverishment of the nation, of the people and those who robbed the nation with contempt”.

    Earlier, while welcoming Prof. Soyinka, the Minister said it was a great pleasure to host the Nobel Laureate whom, he said, had come on a private visit.

    He however said that with his level of fame and accomplishments, it was practically impossible for Prof. Soyinka to go anywhere unnoticed.

    Alhaji Mohammed thanked Prof. Soyinka for making the MInistry of Information and Culture his first port of call.

  • No going back on sacked VCs – FG

    No going back on sacked VCs – FG

    The Federal Government will not reverse the decision to sack 13 Vice Chancellors appointed by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the government said Thursday.

    The government had last week announced the sacking of 12 VCs of federal universities as well as that of the National Open Universities of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Vincent Tenebe.

    The decision, which has drawn protests from different groups and civil societies, has generated controversies within the academic circle.

    But Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, at the flag off of the 2015/2016 annual school census in Abuja, reaffirmed the sacking of the VCs by the federal government.

    Asked why the VC of NOUN Prof. Tenebe, whose tenure had not expired, was removed, the minister explained that he was removed because of the petitions against him.

    He said: “Do you reverse government decision simply because somebody has criticized them? I don’t think there is any decision of government not going down well with everyone in the country.

    “The ministry has received communications from some people who feel like this and we are looking at this.

    “What I am saying is that they have already written to us. We are looking into their complaints. We will reply them.

    Adamu said that all states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be included in the school census.

    He said that the exercise would aid educational planning, administration and inform decision making by government.

    According to the minister, the current trend in the conduct of the annual school census was informed by the provision of the Nigeria Education Information System (NEMIS) policy of 2007 which provided for the collection of data from schools.

    He said: “The Education Management Information System (EMIS) process has since been decentralized to the states to enhance efficiency in the collection, collation, management and dissemination of education data in Nigeria so as to ensure the availability of credible, reliable and timely education data.

    “The states therefore conduct the ASC exercise while the Federal Ministry of Education through NEMIS co-ordinates and monitors the process.”

    He said that the ministry has concluded arrangement to host the NEMIS software on the internet for real –time online data entry and processing.

    “This will further ensure uniformity in data reporting so that end-users will have timely reports for decision making and research. I am optimistic that, beginning from this year, Nigeria’s education data, at the basic and secondary school levels, will be cleaner, more accurate, more accessible and up-to-date,” he added.

    Earlier in his address, Minister of the FCT, Musa Bello, said that the census was required to keep up – to –date and comprehensive data in schools in terms of infrastructure, numbers of students and personnel.

    “The annual school census is very important because it is the foundation upon which all our planning and therefore policy directions are built.

    “I learnt that UNICEF has already supported the FCT’s 2016 school census by printing 7,234 census forms to cater for all public and private schools minus the tertiary institutions within the territory,” he said.

     

  • NLC, NASS, govt meet over reversal of electricity tariff

    NLC, NASS, govt meet over reversal of electricity tariff

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Wednesday assured Nigerians that organised labour has commenced the process of compelling the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission and operators of the nation’s power sector to reverse the recent increase in electricity tariff.

    President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said in a statement made available to The Nation in Abuja that organised Labour held series of meetings with the leadership of the National Assembly and the Government with a view to effecting the tariff reversal.

    He expressed gratitude to Nigerians for turning out enmass across the country to protest the increase in tariff, pointing out that organised labour still believe that Nigerians should not be made to pay for the inefficiencies of operators of the power sector.

    The statement reads:”The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and our colleagues in the Trade Union Congress wish to express our profound appreciation and gratitude to Nigerian workers and people for coming out en mass across the country on the nationwide protest rally we called to voice our opposition to the 45 percent increase in electricity tariff which came into effect on February 1, 2016.

    “We wish to, in particular, commend our civil society allies who stood firmly with organised labour through the planning and execution of the February 8th rally. We thank Nigerians from all walks of life who saw the wisdom of our action and identified with the campaign.

    “Since the nationwide rally, the leadership of organised labour and our colleagues in civil society have been meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, with the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, being present to underscore the importance they attach to this issue which affects every household in the country.

    “We are also having a meeting with the Federal Government under the Chairmanship of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige with a view to annulling the 45 percent tariff increase.

    “We wish to assure all Nigerians that we are focused on the main objective of our campaign to ensure that the tariff increase does not stand.

    “As we have argued in the course of the rally, we maintain that Nigerians should not be compelled to pay more for darkness, against the background of the flagrant disregard of the terms on which the distribution companies (DISCOs) and generation companies (GENCOs) were awarded our common patrimony in the name of privatisation.

    These companies have failed, for instance, to provide prepaid metres as stipulated in the terms of their contract. They have instead continued to violate this special clause by charging and forcing consumers to pay the arbitrary tariffs they have imposed, even as they fail most of the time to provide them the required electricity.”

    NLC President commended the governor for having the courage to reverse his action and recall the about 6000 workers wrongly sacked and expressed the hope that the committee set up to implement the agreement reached between labour and the government will faithfully carry out its assignment.

    He said: “The leadership of both NLC and TUC also wish to express appreciation to all affiliate industrial unions for mobilising their members to turn out in massive numbers for our action of closing down government and commercial activities in Owerri, the lmo State capital on February 10, 2016 to press home our demands for the recall of about 6000 lmo State workers in government parastatals wrongly sacked by the state governor, Rochas Okorocha.

    “While we thank the entire people of Imo State for their uncommon understanding and solidarity with our actions to protect the fundamental rights of workers in the state, we wish to acknowledge Governor Okorocha for having the courage to reverse himself once we convinced him that his action was unlawful and wrongheaded.

    “It is our hope that the committee put in place to implement the agreement entered into between us and the lmo State government will faithfully implement the terms of the agreement so that we could put behind us the ugly and unpleasant situation created by the purported sacking of the workers.

    “Our hope is that governments in other states, or even at the federal level, will learn from the lmo State case, to avoid creating situations that will bring organised labour to be at loggerheads with them on account of unjust and anti-worker policies.”

  • ‘No Boko Haram resurgence despite attacks’

    ‘No Boko Haram resurgence despite attacks’

    The Federal Government on Tuesday dismissed fear that the recent Boko Haran attacks were indications of the sect’s resurgence.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said  the fact that Boko Haran operates in few local government areas does not equate to holding or controlling territories, insisting that the sect remains largely decimated, dispersed and disoriented.

    He also declared that no Nigerian territory is under Boko Haram control.

    The minister, however, hinted that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will not be returning to their various homes until government is able to replace the soldiers with the police and other para- military agents.

    Mohammed, who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja, noted that government anticipated the attacks far back, hence the warnings that soft spots may become target of the disoriented group and the need for vigilance on the part of the general public.

    The minister added anyone who is conversant with the trends in insurgency will not be surprised by the attacks.