The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FG

  • Buhari appoints new DG of SSS

    Buhari appoints new DG of SSS

    President Muhamadu Buhari has sacked Ita Ekpenyong as the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS) replacing him with Mr. Lawal Musa Daura.

    The appointment was conveyed Thursday in a letter by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Barrister Danladi Kifasi.

    Daura was born in Daura in Katsina State on the 5th of August, 1953.  He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1977 – 1980.

    He started his carrier in the State Security Service in 1982 and rose to the rank of Director.

    He was at one time the Deputy Director Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre at the Presidential Villa Abuja between 2003 and 2007.

    He also served as the State Director of Security Service at various times in Kano, Sokoto, Edo, Lagos, Osun and Imo States.

    He attended various professional courses both home and abroad including the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS) Kuru.

    The appointment is with immediate effect.

  • FG to partner Cross River on projects

    The Federal Government has pledged its readiness to partner Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade, on his signature projects to ensure their realisation.

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi  Osinbajo stated this on Thursday while fielding questions from press men during a private visit to Governor Ben Ayade at his residence, shortly after delivering a key note address at the 10th P.O.E. Bassey Memorial Anniversary Lecture, held at University of Calabar.

    Osinbajo disclosed that he had strong belief that the signature projects initiated by the governor, which include; the dual carriage super highway from Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja and Obudu, as well as the state deep seaport, have a turnaround effect not only the economy of the state, but the nation as a whole.

    He described them as projects with strong economic potentials, which “the federal government will lend its support to ensure they succeed,” because according to him, “they will create employment, create wealth, attract more development as well as attract both local and foreign investors to the country.”

    The Vice President commended Prof Ayade for his vision to open up the state and develop its economy in order to improve on the wellbeing of its citizenry.

    Osinbajo said the lofty initiative will definitely take the state to enviable heights, as he intends to record a lot of achievements during his (Ayade) reign.

    In his words: “Having listened to the governor on his plans for the state, I am confident that he has the capacity and commitment to bring developments to the state. His vision for the state will certainly impact on the people as well as take it to greater heights.”

    The Vice President, who described Cross River as home of hospitality and centre of tourism in the country, restated that the Federal Government will partner it to ensure that all undeveloped and other untapped tourism potentials are fully harnessed and repositioned to attract more visitors for socio-economic economy gains.

  • Fuel scarcity: FG, oil marketers resolve conflicts

    Fuel scarcity: FG, oil marketers resolve conflicts

    … –Products lifting to begin within six hours

    The Senate on Monday recorded a major breakthrough in its efforts to resolve the lingering fuel scarcity in parts of the country

    The upper chamber brokered an agreement between the Federal Government and oil marketers to ensure immediate lifting of available petroleum products by marketers in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar depots.

    The Senate had mandated its joint committee on Petroleum Resources (upstream and downstream) to meet with stakeholders including the federal government to find immediate solution to the lingering fuel scarcity in the country.

    The resolutions were read by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) Senator Magnus Abe.

    Part of the resolutions reached at the well attended meeting included the immediate call off of the strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PNGASSAN).

    The resolution said the suspension of the strike was made possible due to the intervention of the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Joseph Dawha.

    The resolution also mandated the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to give an undertaking to the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Depot Owners Association (DAPPMA) that the work of the committee being headed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) will be concluded.

    The committee is charged with the responsibility of verifying the N200 billion MOMAN claimed the government owes its members.

    The resolution said if the committee “concludes its verifications of the outstanding claims before the end of the life of this administration, it would be reflected in the handover notes to the new President. “

    “If it is not concluded, then, the fact that such a committee was set up and is working, will be reflected in the handover notes and a copy of the letter, conveying the existence of this committee will be sent to MOMAN and DAPPMA and also, a copy will be sent to us in this committee.”

    It added that “On the basis of that agreement, MOMAN will offer whatever cooperation that is needed to enable lifting of petroleum products to begin nationwide within six hours.

    “MOMAN has also agreed to give a similar undertaking to National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to pay existing transport costs as has been determined by them.

    “MOMAN will give a written undertaking to NARTO and a copy will also be sent to this committee.

    “NARTO and its affiliates nationwide will commence lifting of petroleum products from available fuel depots within the next six hours.”

     

  • Fuel scarcity worsens Lagos traffic

    Fuel scarcity worsens Lagos traffic


  • Tarok people petition FG over alleged killing of 400

    Tarok people petition FG over alleged killing of 400

    The Tarok speaking people of Plateau State under the umbrella body of Ngwan Ishi Otrok have protested the alleged killing of 400 people in Kadarko village, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

    The victims of the attack were alleged to be Tarok.

    It was also alleged that the victims were killed following raids carried out by some men in military uniform.

    The protesters, who matched through the streets of Jos yesterday morning, submitted their petition to the state house of assembly for onward passage to the Federal Government.

    According to the protesters, “The Tarok people demand explanation and justice over the extra-judicial killing of our kinsmen.”

    Chairman of the group, Comrade Nagor Ndam, said: “We have come before the House of Assembly to present our letter of petition formally over the May 2, 2015 killings of innocent lives in Wase Local Government Area of the state for a thorough investigation so that Justice will prevail.

    “We want our petition to be submitted to the federal government because the killings were carried our by troops of the federal government.”

    Receiving the petition, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Titus Alams, said: “I know anything about the death of a loved one is painful, but I appeal to all the Tarok people to remain calm and allow government take necessary steps to address the issue.”

    He added: “Now that the people have cried out, I will make sure this petition is submitted to the appropriate quarters for action. But meanwhile, the people affected should try as much as possible to be law abiding pending government’s reaction. We don’t want anybody to take the law into his hands over the incident. We should rather allow justice to take its course peacefully.” said Alams.

    Also speaking, the member representing Lantang-North as well as the Deputy Speaker, Joyce Rampnam, expressed shock over the lives and property destroyed during the raid, saying, “the elimination of a particularly generation of people by Military men without following the rule of engagements is uncalled for and unacceptable.”

    The protester asked the federal government to provide relief materials to the thousands of those displaced during the raid.

  • FG downgrades Asaba airport over safety concerns

    FG downgrades Asaba airport over safety concerns

    The Federal Government has downgraded Asaba airport following the failure of the owners to comply with safety measures.

    With the downgrade, flight operations will be limited to certain categories of aircraft.

    The government through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had raised several safety concerns over the ditches on the airport’s runway, lack of the required strip, perimeter fencing, drainage, and lack of adequately trained technical personnel.

    A statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Assistant Director, Press and Public Affairs in the Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, announced the airport downgrade.

    The statement said: “With the downgrading which takes immediate effect, the airport would now be allowed to accommodate the operation  of only Dash 8-Q 400 aircraft or its equivalent until all the safety issues are addressed.

    “It has therefore become a matter of serious concern that despite a series of meetings with, and assurances given by the operators of the airport, the Delta State government, no concrete steps have been taken to address the issues which are capable of compromising the safety of flight operations and, of course, the passengers.

    “The federal government has also drawn the attention of the owners of the airport to the fact that it has, through its inability to address the issues, violated safety standards as stipulated in the Nigeria CARs Part 12.6.2 and 12.6.3 in respect of the airport runway and its associated facilities as well as adequately trained personnel.”

    The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, however explained that the downgrading is in the interest of the public.

    Chidoka said, “The downgrading has been carried out in the public interest because the federal government places very high premium on the safety and security of aviation passengers and would never compromise set standards for whatever reason.”

    He assured that the airport would return to its previous status as soon as all the safety concerns are adequately and satisfactorily addressed.

  • NANS to FG: Don’t remove subsidy on petrol

    NANS to FG: Don’t remove subsidy on petrol

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says it will not support the removal of fuel subsidy either by the outgoing or incoming administrations.

    A statement issued by Nwankwo Ezekiel, NANS’ Public Relations Officer and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Monday, said removing fuel subsidy was anti-people.

    The statement said NANS took the decision after wide consultations with the majority of its affiliate member unions, all its structures as well as past leaders.

    It called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to assent to the budget when it gets to his table if there was no provision for fuel subsidy in it.

    “We enjoin the National Assembly to have another look at their approved budget and make provisions for fuel subsidy before forwarding it to the President for his assent.

    “The incoming administration has said so much about blocking leakages and we believe that the subsidy provisions are not part of the leakages to be blocked.

    “The subsidy is almost the only benefit the poor Nigerian masses derive from our abundant petroleum resources.

    “We hereby remind the government that in 2012, Nigerians rose in unison against the removal leading to the ‘Occupy Protest’ that almost crumbled our national economy,’’ it said.

    According to the statement, Nigerian students are ever ready to once again be in the fore front of agitations against removal of fuel subsidy and will not shy away from such responsibility.

    It said that Nigeria’s economy was still a mono economy; solely dependent on oil, adding that any drastic hikes in price of fuel would trigger hyper inflation and hardship.

    The statement, therefore, said there was an urgent need to diversify the economy and broaden the foreign exchange earnings of the country through other means.

  • FG pays over N500bn to oil marketers in five months

    The federal government has bowed to pressures from oil marketers and paid them N156 billion as promised.

    A statement from the federal ministry of finance signed by Paul Nwabuikwu, Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister and Minister of Finance said the latest payment was “in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to prioritise payment to marketers in spite of revenue constraints.”

    The latest payment Nwabuikwu said has two components. The first he said; “consists of the cash backing of the N100 billion IOU which the marketers were given in March while the second is N56 billion in interest payments for the marketers according to the PPPRA template.”

    Inspite of these payments Nwabuikwu disclosed that there still remains “a balance of N98 billion certified by PPPRA as the amount owed the markers.”

    Nwabuikwu noted that “the N156 billion is the latest in a series of significant payments made to the oil marketers within the last five months. These include over N300 billion in two installments in December last year and N31 billion in interest differentials recently. In all, oil marketers have received over N500 billion within the past five months.”

    The statement added that the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appealed to oil marketers “to appreciate the efforts being made by the Federal Government to meet up with their payments and reciprocate with some understanding of the situation of Nigerians who should not suffer more.”

    She urged the marketers to sustain the distribution and supply of fuel to end the suffering of Nigerians at fuel stations.

    According to Okonjo-Iweala, “the Federal Government has made maximum effort, in spite of the well-known fact that the fall in oil prices has significantly reduced national revenues, to prioritize payments to marketers. For the sake of Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of fuel scarcity, the marketers should reciprocate in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation in which we have always tried to engage them.”

    Reacting to a recent fall out of the released forensic report on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said she has heard that SIAO Partners, a group of three accounting firms, has filed a suit against her before a Lagos High Court.

    Reacting to the law suit, Nwabuikwu said “the Minister is yet to be formally notified of the suit but from information gleaned from media reports, the group is alleging that she appointed the global audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct the recently concluded forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) against the provisions of the Local Content Act.”

    Nwabuikwu described the said court action as “spurious in the extreme”, arguing that Okonjo-Iweala did not appoint the PWC to carry out the audit.

    The statement from the ministry of finance expressed shock “that professionals of the caliber of the SIAO Partners can embark on this kind of legal action without taking the trouble to do the minimum amount of homework to confirm basic facts.

    The statement then urged SIAO Partners to “immediately drop this totally baseless suit or she will see them in court.”

  • FG declares Friday public holiday

    FG declares Friday public holiday

    The Federal Government has declared Friday May 1,  as Public Holiday to mark the 2015 Workers’ Day.

    The Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro making this declaration while also congratulating all Nigerians for their resilience and commitment in the face of the challenges of daily living and enjoined them to sustain the support for President Goodluck Jonathan in his efforts to build a stable, peaceful and economic vibrant nation.

    According to a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji, the Minister wishes all Nigerian Workers a joyous and peaceful celebration.

  • Row as FG concedes $470m national security system to private firm

    Row as FG concedes $470m national security system to private firm

    •Top Presidency official mounts pressure on Ministers to sell NPSCS
    •Panel: Selling NPSCS will compromise national security

    The Federal Government has conceded the $470million National Public Security Communication Systems (NPSCS) of the Nigeria Police to a private firm, in what appears to be a threat to national security.

    The concession is also believed to be in contradiction of the recommendation of an inter-ministerial panel set up by government itself, sources knowledgeable about the deal said yesterday.

    The six-man panel comprising Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan and Communication Minister Omobola Johnson, it was gathered, had opposed any such concession on the ground that it would compromise national security.

    The panel was set up by Vice- President Namadi Sambo.

    The concession to Messrs. Openskys Services Limited is also unlikely to go down well with the Chinese government which provided the bulk of the funds for the project through the China Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.  Investigation revealed that the concession was made without input from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    The conveyance of concession was contained in  a  letter to the Managing Director of Openskys Services Limited by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Dr. James N. Obiegbu in which he conveyed “ the approval of His Excellency, Mr. President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR for your company Messrs. Nigeria Satellite Communications (NigComSat) to partner and form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will operationalize and commercialize the National Public Security Communications System (NPSCS) network of the Nigeria Police Force.” Details of the deal, according to Dr. Obiegbu, are:

    •the Equity of the SPV shall be held at the ratio of 82% by OpenSkys Services Ltd and 18% by the Federal Government;

    •the Federal Government’s investment in the Project so far is to constitute the 18% Equity of Government;

    •upon its formation, the SPV shall assume the assets and agreed liabilities of the Federal Government in the project, except the reimbursement of Messr. ZTE Corporation in respect of cost incurred in the maintenance of the network prior to this take-over;

    •the Government is not making any further investment in the network while the SPV shall undertake the repayment of the agreed portion of the China EXIM Bank liabilities through the Federal Ministry of Finance. A copy of the Financing Agreement containing the repayment schedule is herewith attached;

    •consequent upon the above, the SPV will be required to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Police Affairs on the repayment of the agreed portion of the loan obligation; and

    •the Nigerian Police Force shall operate on the network using the 500,000 subscriber lines at no extra cost to Government.

    It is expected that government will hand over the assets and agreed liabilities of the NPSCS to Messrs. Openskys Services Limited once it avails the authorities with the details of the SPV.

    Of the   US$470million spent on the  project the Federal Government contributed    $85million (15%) through the Ministry of Police Affairs, while   the balance of $399.5m (85%)  came from  a concessionary off-shore long term loan facility from China Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.  The project was certified substantially completed by the Nigeria Police in December, 2012.

    Upon the completion, NigComSat entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministries of Finance and Police Affairs on December 18, 2012 to “partner in the implementation of the NPSCS and the commercialization of the excess capacity on the network in order to repay the USD399.5m China Exim Bank credit facility and support the sustainability of the network.”

    It was learnt that  dispute over the sharing of the  same 450 MH7 frequency with OpenSkys and the  non-provision of the take-off funds had hampered the operational deployment of the NPSCS. While the nation was sourcing for funds, the Technical Contractor, ZTE operated the system up to December, 2013 at the cost of N3.2 billion.

    But since 2013, the system has been “largely underutilized which has been the source of concern, especially in the face of the present security challenges.”

    It was gathered that the government was faced with three options including a joint venture between NigComSat Ltd and OpenSkys Services; sourcing funds to sustain NPSCS; and outright sale which was considered dangerous.

    There had been tension in government over the fate of the NPSCS. But the six-man Inter-Ministerial Panel, raised by Vice President Namadi Sambo, rejected proposal to sell or concession the  nation’s security network.

    Members of the panel apart from Adesiyan and Johnson were Mr. Obiegbu (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs); Mr. Abba Kassim (Senior Special Assistant, Research and Statistics, Office of the Vice President); Ms. Abimbola Alale (Managing Director, NigComsat) and Mrs. Nuratu Batagarawa (Director, Police Services, Ministry of Police Affairs).

    The committee, in its report, was of the view that “The NPSCS network is viable as the Central Bank of Nigeria has expressed the desire to roll its nationwide cashless policy thereon for a fee and additionally some security agencies have expressed interest to operate on the network.

    “The operation take-off fund required by Messrs NigComSat Limited could be sourced from the funds for the Nigeria Police Force Reform Programme and in respect of which a provision should be made from the 2014 funds.

    “In the light of the above, the meeting is of the view that greater value for money outcome would be achieved by raising the required take-off funding for Messrs NigComSat Limited to run and operate the network rather than its outright sale to a third party to whom payment for the use  of the services there from would again be made (round tripping).

    “Accordingly, the Interim Implementation Committee on Police Reform Programme is requested to consider providing the required take-off funding for the project.”

    The panel said the proposal by Messrs Openskys Services Limited (OSL) “to absorb the NPSCS, a network ab initio dedicated to national security service, to provide for an independent, private and secure communication platform for the police and other security agencies is considered to be a compromise.

    “Messrs OSL only proposed to absorb funds expended by the Federal Government subject to its own assets valuation.  Hence the obligation to pay the balance of the EXIMBank loan will again fall on government.

    “The National Telecommunications and Industrial Policies specifically preclude foreign companies’ participation in telecommunication matters relating to defence and security of the nation.  Accordingly, the proposal of Messrs Openskys Services Limited (OSL) with heavy foreign participation would also appear a compromise of the policy.

    “A colossal resource of the Nigeria Police Force was committed to the implementation of the NPSCS project. Hence the proposal which now requires annual payment for the use of the same network by the Nigeria Police Force will indeed disadvantage the Force.

    “That in consideration of overriding national interest, the approval granted Messrs OSL for the 450MHz Frequency Band ‘A’ be withdrawn at no cost to and assigned to the NPSCS project. “That consequent upon above, Messrs OSL should be migrated to Band ‘L’ of the 450MHz Band to deploy its network.”