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Tag: FG

  • AfDB, FG to spend $300m on youth agric scheme 

    AfDB, FG to spend $300m on youth agric scheme 

    The African Development Bank (AfDB) has disclosed plans to spend about $300 million on the Enable Youth Empowerment Agribusiness Programme.

    The project is to be implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development within 18 months.

    AfDB Director of Agricultural and Agro- Allied Industries, Dr. Chudi Ojukwu, said the three-year project would enable training and funding of young graduates, who are interested in farming across the country.

    The programme is expected to encourage youths into agriculture, thereby increasing food sufficiency, reducing unemployment with each recipient to benefit $75, 000.

    In a statement by the ministry’s Director of Information, Tony Ohaeri, Wednesday in Abuja the Agriculture Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh disclosed that the project would commence from the three Federal Universities of Agriculture in the country.

    Ojukwu stated that, “a total of US$300 million would be accessed to cover the three year project which would bring young graduates together and train them for 18 months as entrepreneur farmers.

    “The initiative would create 250,000 jobs; the beneficiaries would be trained at various incubation centres on all aspects of value chains, with each beneficiary of the project supported with about US$75,000. The project would cover the 36 states including the FCT, while the Agricultural transformation Agenda (ATA) would be expanded through the processing zones.”

    The Minister, in his remark, emphasized need for the three universities of agriculture in Umudike, Makurdi and Abeokuta respectively to revert back to the provisions of the Act that established them.

    Ogbeh advised the country to re- invent her own economic strategy to revive its economy.

    He stated that the strength of a nation lies in the population of the youth and expressed concern on the rate of youth unemployment in the country saying, “We need to take care of them before they take care of us.”

    He promised to collaborate with representatives of AfDB and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), who came to present him the concept note on the youth agriculture scheme.

    However, the Minister tasked IITA to intensify efforts towards researching into the conversion of cassava leaves into animal feeds, while some components of the Labour Intensive Family Enterprise (LIFE) of the ministry could be built into the youth empowerment initiative.

    IITA Director-General, Dr. Nterayana Saginga, called for a change in the mindset of the young graduates, saying that the IITA’s experiment in the past on young unemployed graduates revealed that they could make good turn over on their investments.

    He pledged the readiness of IITA to provide necessary support to the ministry.

  • FG urged to align maritime agencies

    FG urged to align maritime agencies

    A Marine Engineer, Mr Olu Akinsoji, on Monday urged the Federal Government to properly align all government agencies in the maritime sector for adequate development of the sector.

    Akinsoji, a former Government Inspector of Ships (GIS), made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    He said a change in the “poor’’ alignment of the agencies and other institutions in the maritime sector would ensure better service delivery.

    The marine engineer urged the government to strictly monitor the expenditures of the various agencies to ensure their compliance with the administration`s budget implementation regime.

    He commended the Federal Government for the “increased’’ budgetary allocation to the transportation sector in 2016.

    The mariner said, “If the budget earmarked for the sector is well implemented, it would address the funding of projects in the sector and fast track its development’’.

    NAN reports that the budgetary allocation to the Federal Ministry of Transportation was 215.8 billion in 2016.

    NAN reports that in the 2015 Appropriation Act, the Transport and Aviation ministries got N11.98 billion and N2.14 billion respectively.

    “The increased allocation is a step in the right direction. There are so many things that are still wrong with the sector.

    “The poor infrastructure, the poor alignment of institutional agencies, the poor seed money for shipping development and so many other challenges.

    “All these problems justified an increased allocation to the sector and I think the government has shown that it is moving away from the past with the development, “ Akinsoji told NAN.

    The mariner also talked about the need to rehabilitate the rail lines for easy evacuation of cargoes from the ports.

    He, however, urged the Federal Government to ensure that the maritime sector benefited immensely from the implementation of the budget for the development of the sector.

  • FG to marketers: violate petrol pump price, face sanctions

    FG to marketers: violate petrol pump price, face sanctions

    The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) yesterday warned petrol marketers not to sell the Premium Motor Spirit above the new pump prices.

    The agency threatened to impose sanctions on errant marketers, which may include withdrawal of licenses and all the benefits of participation in Petroleum Support Fund Scheme.

    The Assistant General Manager and Head of Operations of PPPRA, Mr. Victor Shidok, who led the delegation from the agency to enforce and monitor compliance with the new prices in the Federal Capiatl Territory (FCT), Abuja, made these known yesterday.

    The Federal Government had earlier announced that from January 1, 2016, all retail stations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will start selling petrol at N86 per litre while others will sell at N86.50k against the previous official price of N87 per litre.

    Speaking with reporters during the exercise, Shidok warned that government would not tolerate any deviation from the new directive.

    He said the monitoring exercise, which is simultaneously going on across the country, was conceived in conjunction with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to ensure that Nigerians are not shortchanged.

    Shidok, who led a team of officials from the PPPRA, noted that there was 100 per cent compliance in Abuja, although the team was yet to reach the outskirts where he feared there might be challenges with regard to total compliance.

    He said: “This whole exercise is to ensure that the marketers comply with the new pump price. You know usually when we have a change in pump price we go round to monitor compliance.

    “We have been to 10 filling stations and we are still going round to make sure that we cover as much as possible.

    “Good enough, in ‎all the stations we have visited, both majors and NNPC mega stations, there has been 100 per cent compliance.

    “But we shall go up to the outskirts because that is where our concern is. The challenge may likely be on the outskirts.

    “All those we have visited say they have received directive from their head offices. We are in touch with the leaderships of oil marketers in the country.

    “This is a nationwide exercise. All our staff are in the field across the country and we are doing this at depot level in conjunction with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). They are also out to do a similar exercise because whenever we have a change in the downstream, all the regulatory agencies come out to ensure there is total compliance.

    “The law spelt out penalty where you have deviants to whatever directive is issued. Any deviant may lose the benefits of participating in Petroleum Support Fund Scheme, because we may withdraw such people from participating.

    “And since we are working in conjunction with DPR, your licence may be withdrawn, apart from other measures that we are likely going to take to ensure that Nigerians are not shortchanged.”

    Meanwhile, the PPPRA has approved importation of three million metric tonnes of petrol in the first quarter of the year.

    The NNPC was granted 78 per cent of the total volume for the period while the balance of 22 per cent will be supplied by other oil marketing companies.

    According to Farouk, a couple of elements that were affected by the price review include traders’ margin, which was revised downwards from N1.47 per litre to zero; lightering expenses (N4.07/litre to N2.00/litre) charges by the Nigerian Ports Authority (N0.77/litre to N0.36/litre); jetty throughput charges, (N0.80/litre to N0.40/litre); storage charge (N3.00/litre to N1.50/litre); bridging fund (N5.85/litre to N4.00/litre) and ex-depot price (N77.66/litre to N77.00/litre).

    Other elements, such as retailers’ margin, were, however, reviewed upwards from N4.60/litre to N5.00/litre; transporters from N2.99/litre to N3.05/litre; dealers’ margin from N1.75/litre to N1.95/litre.“

    Accordingly, the ex-depot price of PMS shall be N77.00k per litre while the pump price shall be N86.50k per litre – in line with the prevailing market trend.

  • FG warns neighbouring countries to stop sending deportees to Nigeria

    FG warns neighbouring countries to stop sending deportees to Nigeria

    The Federal Government has cautioned Gabon and other ECOWAS member states not to dump deportees from their countries in Nigeria.

    Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazzau, who  gave the warning on Thursday in Calabar during the evacuation of 617 people including women and children deported from Gabon to Calabar, warned that the federal government would impound any vessel used in dumping deportees in Nigerian seaports.

    Represented by Mrs. Funke Adeuyi, the Comptroller of Immigration, Cross River Command, Dambazzau said that the affected people were dumped at Calabar port since Dec. 26, 2015.

    He said that other punitive measures including seizure of vessels and payment of fines as stipulated in the ECOWAS charter would be employed to stop the anomaly.

    He said: “Nigeria will no more tolerate this because of security implications of such actions.

     “This should be the last time this category of the deportees will be allowed to transit through the Nigerian land borders or ports.

    “Any country that brings this category of deportees to Nigeria will face the relevant penalty ranging from impounding of their vessels.

    “Nigeria has a new policy on this type of issue and I am here to reiterate that severe action will be taken by Nigerian government should this continue.”

    “Most of these people were deported for immigration related offense,’’ he said.

    Responding on behalf of ambassadors of countries whose nationals were among the deportees, Babacar Mbodi, the Consul General, Republic of Senegal, commended the Nigerian government for safe-keeping of the deportees.

    He said that arrangements had been concluded to take the deportees to their respective countries through Seme, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic.

    He assured that Senegal would comply with the new federal government’s policy.

    The deportees are from Gabon, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Niger, Mali, Chad and Guinea. (NAN)

  • EX-AIG urges FG to tackle injustice, ignorance

    A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Alhaji Bashir Albasu, has called on the Federal Government to address growing level of injustice, ignorance, poverty and corruption at the grassroots.

    Albasu made the appeal an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of 2nd Edition of the 2015 Nigeria Security Exhibition and Conference (NISEC) in Abuja yesterday.

    Albasu said in addition to what the Federal Government was doing to fight insurgency, government should go to the grassroots to make sure that it prevent injustice and other factors that fuel terrorism.

    “These are what fuel terrorism, going to Sambisa Forest to completely wipe out the terrorists is a very good and excellent effort.

    “But what do you do with what breed terrorism because if you wipe out the Boko Haram terrorists today without addressing the root causes of it the situation might resurface.

    “I remember 30 years ago, when President Shehu Shagari was in power, we had Maitatsine uprising in Kano which led to the death of over 10,000 innocent citizens.

    “The military was used to subdue the Maitatsine uprising and peace was restored in Kano.

    “Similarly, in Maiduguri before the present security challenge there was another one but I have forgotten the name they were calling themselves, it was also knocked down by the military.

    “And now we are fighting the Boko Haram. This shows that what we are doing is to allow the tree to grow and then cut the top of the tree and the branches.

    “That means the root is still intact in the ground and the tree will still grow again,” Albasu said.

  • FG to involve EFCC, DSS in prosecution of pipeline vandals

    FG to involve EFCC, DSS in prosecution of pipeline vandals

    The Managing Director, Petroleum Products and Marketing Company (PPMC), Mrs Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, says the Federal Government will involve some security agencies in prosecuting pipeline vandals.

    Ogbue disclosed this on Sunday during a visit to Mosinmi Depot and Ajebo pipeline in Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun.

    She listed the security agencies to be involved as the Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Ogbue said that the involvement of these agencies would facilitate the prosecution of the vandals at the courts of competent jurisdiction.

    “We are looking at all ramifications on how to bring these criminals to book; they have to be treated as criminals and pipeline products thieves.

    “The pipelines are the most efficient way of moving products and then for the first time in a very long time we are pushing products all the way to Ibadan.

    “We intend to move to Ilorin, reduce bridging from Lagos area so that people can go and pick up their products in Ibadan and Ilorin,” Ogbue said.

    She expressed optimism that partnership with EFCC, DSS, Police and host communities would yield positive results and the culprits would soon face the full wrath of the law.

    Ogbue said that federal government would start deploying trackers on trucks carrying fuel from its depots to filling stations across the country to check diversion of the product.

    The PPMC boss explained that with the trackers government would be able to monitor the movement of trucks vis- a-vis their destinations.

    Ogbue lamented that fuel diversion was a serious problem with undesirable consequences on the economy.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the federal government operates 22 depots nationwide, including Atlas Cove, which is located in Lagos.

  • CNPP to FG: Clarify fuel subsidy, price modulation

    CNPP to FG: Clarify fuel subsidy, price modulation

    The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) Sunday urged Federal Government to be more open about its decision on fuel subsidy.

    CNPP said that recent pronouncements by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu have only served to create more confusion that profiteers would explore to unleash hardship on Nigerians.

    It said the explanation by Kachikwu on how government wants to modulate price without removing subsidy to achieve the proposed N85 pump price sounded questionable given that he has been oscillating between how subsidy is not being removed and how the same subsidy is not sustainable in view of economic realities on ground.

    A statement issued by CNPP’s Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu warned that the group will not sit by and watch Nigerians suffer on account of: “a government that failed to properly articulate and think its policy through,”pointing out that the latest move by the government was reminiscent of the New Year subsidy removal gift under former President Goodluck Jonathan, which Nigerians vehemently rejected.

    It said the position announced by the Minister of State for Petroleum in recent days tended towards removal of subsidy despite the denials.

    The statement reads in part: “What we found most worrisome is that the Federal Government is tactically implementing fully deregulation of the sector beginning January 1, 2016 without announcing modalities for containing exploitative cabals that could sell petroleum products for four times the global average on account of the concept of free market.

    “It is on record that only Abuja and Lagos enjoyed the N87 price while the subsidy lasted as other towns and cities bought petrol for as high as N180 per litre. We have not heard the minister said anything about remedying this anomaly that would be further compounded by a deregulated oil industry.

    “The template announced by the minster implies a market driven pricing, which is potentially volatile, given the peculiarities of Nigeria and uncertainties on the international scene. But we have not also heard how the deregulation would be managed in a way that small and medium businesses that generate their own electricity would be insulated to prevent widespread collapse of businesses.

    “CNPP is concerned that low income earners could soon be faced with life threatening choices as they are forced to make decisions between spending all their earnings on transportation and going without food to keep their jobs or to make take other desperate options.”

    The conference condemned the inability of the government to bring closure to the fraudulent subsidy issue, which it has continued to pay out even as its senior officials acknowledge that there was no need for subsidies.

    “For the government to have paid out over N1 trillion this year and for Kachikwu to have emphatically stressed that there was no need to pay subsidy means that there is a level of collusion going on between the government and the subsidy cabal. This government has simply continued the subsidy corruption from where its predecessor handed off. Nigerians therefore want a probe of the subsidies paid under the present government.

    “The Federal Government must also immediately present plans of how it will protect Nigerians from the fuel cabal since they will naturally shift their attention to extorting the populace once there are no more subsidies,” the conference demanded.

  • FG votes N500bn to tackle unemployment – Ngige

    FG votes N500bn to tackle unemployment – Ngige

    Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, said the Federal Government voted N500 billion to tackle unemployment and provide care for the vulnerable.

    The minister said this during a courtesy visit by the Rwanda High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Stanislas Kamanzi in Abuja.

    He said the Federal Government was determined to face the menace of unemployment squarely, especially among youths in the country.

    Ngige said the government would fight spiritedly to solve the unemployment problem totally in the country.

    Ngige said the government was also poised to engage the over 500,000 that graduate yearly from the nation’s institutions, adding that this would prevent them from engaging in untoward activities.

    He said that the people of Rwanda shared a common trend of poverty, ignorance and high rate of unemployment with Nigeria, hence the government would seek collaboration to curtail the scourge.

    The minister said that the ministry would engage any country willing to assist in removing obstacles on the way of keeping the Nigerian youth busy.

    He said Nigeria was ready get out of poverty, adding that the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to return the country on track.

    “The government of President Buhari will fight terrorism, insecurity of lives and property and corruption, which have made it impossible for the country to grow.”

    He said that there were plans to engage the youth in rice production and they would be responsible for the packaging and sale of the rice.

    According to him, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will embark on an entrepreneurship scheme to engage the youth, including the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to train artisans in skill acquisition across the country.

    Earlier, Kamanzi said the ministry was key to the provision of employment to the youth and should do all within its power not to disappoint them.

    He said that Rwandan government would look at the area of cooperation where the two countries could explore to curtail youth restiveness due to unemployment.

    He said that some Nigerian youths who were unemployed had in the past engaged in activities detrimental to the country because of their seeming lack of hope.

    Also, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, who also visited the minister, said that Nigerians were focused, talented and smart people especially the young ones.

    He said that it was most shocking that they did not have jobs.

    Entwistle said that lack of job was the greatest challenge facing the administration of President Buhari.

    The ambassador urged the government to help young talented Nigerians find job so that they could play a role in the society and enhance the nation’s economy.

  • FG set to partner Chad on Lake Chad Basin

    FG set to partner Chad on Lake Chad Basin

    The Federal Government has said it is ready to partner Chad Republic to restore the Lake Chad basin.

    Environment Minister, Amina Mohammed disclosed during a briefing Tuesday in Abuja.

    She said the decision would revive agriculture and restore peace in the area.

    ‎Mohammed said, “We have shown that we are willing to work with our neighbours, such as those in the Lake Chad basin to restore the once fertile land and well stocked fisheries so that peace and security can return”

    The Minister said that Nigeria has also shown that she values international partnerships and that the discussions she has held with representatives from the World Bank, African Development Bank and a range of bi-lateral partners in the last two weeks will pave the way to substantial new funds accruing to Nigeria in the coming years to support our climate plans.

    However, she cautioned that to deliver an agenda for change, the nation’s climate plans must align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) so that we can have a more ambitious, robust and effective approach that tackles inequality and addresses the challenges of climate change.

    By building on the agreement coming out of the COP 21 process, she said “we can look forward to a healthier, wealthier and brighter future for all Africans”

    The Minister further stated that the Paris agreement has created a veritable global platform for President Buhari’s bold change agenda which focuses on a new roadmap with emphasis on green and inclusive growth at its heart.

    According to the minister, Nigeria’s ambitious INDCs, aim at reducing emissions by 20 per cent by the year 2030 with support from the international community.

    This she affirmed can also act as a catalyst to achieving economic diversification, adding that this will support the restructuring of the economy in a way that will facilitate inclusive growth with vast opportunities.

  • FG alerts on planned Boko Haram abduction

    FG alerts on planned Boko Haram abduction

    The Federal Government alerted Nigerians on Friday about Boko Haram plans to carry out another abduction similar to the Chibok episode.

    A statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Culture said the sect plans to abduct students or foreigners in their latest fight for survival.

    The statement signed by Mr. Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistance to Minister of Information and Culture, quoted the minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as saying that  the sect is cash trapped, hence its desire to raise fund through ransom.

    The statement reads: “The Federal Government warned on Friday that Boko Haram terrorists, who have been beaten and put on the run by the military, are planning another sensational abduction of pupils/students or foreigners in a desperate effort to raise funds, through ransom, for food, medical and arms supply.

    “Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the planned abduction is in line with the terrorists’ new modus operandi of focusing on soft targets, having being routed from their stronghold and their capacity to stage spectacular attacks substantially degraded.”

    The statement said while the largely defeated terrorists have now concentrated their attacks on soft targets, like motor parks, schools and entertainment centres, they have been decimated to a level that they are now incapable of staging spectacular attacks like they used to do.

    ”The kidnap of the Chibok girls in 2014, which attracted global attention to the terrorist group, is what the sect is now trying to repeat, hoping it can find vulnerable targets, especially schools, or a group of foreigners outside the frontline states.

    ”The plan by Boko Haram is also part of an overall strategy by the terrorists to seek to negatively impact on the psyche of the gallant troops who have routed them (terrorists) from their stronghold and also give the impression that they have not been largely defeated by the December 2015 deadline given by this administration to effectively degrade the insurgency in the Northeast.”