The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GOVT

  • Govt okays five-year period for driver’s licence

    Govt okays five-year period for driver’s licence

    The Federal Government has approved the production of another driving licence that will have a five-year expiry period, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, has said.

    Oyeyemi, who spoke at a press briefing in Lagos on Saturday, said the decision to have the five-year driving licence was taken by the Joint Tax Board at its 134th meeting held recently in Kano, which was presided over by the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler.

    Before now, the driving licence had a three year terminal date after which motorists were expected to renew the document.

    Oyeyemi, however, said the three-year driving licence would not be jettisoned, adding that it would exist side by side with the new one.

    He said, with the new five-year driving licence, motorists would have the option of going for that or the three-year licence.

    Quoting from a communiqué issued by the JTB, after the meeting, the corps marshal said, “The board has approved an optional validity period for driving licence of three and five years at different costs to provide more efficient an effective service delivery to its customers.”

    According to him, while the three-year licence will cost N6,000, motorists are to pay N10,000 for the five-year document, stressing that the cost has not been increased.

    The FRSC CEO stressed that any new applicant for any of the two driving licences would have to go to an approved driving school for training to qualify for a licence to drive.

    One other decision taken at the JTB meeting was the production period for vehicle number plate, which the FRSC would henceforth complete in five working days.

    Oyeyemi also cleared the air on the recent court pronouncement on the speed limiter, noting that it only declared that the corps should not fix the gadget’s price or market it but it could enforce the use of device in commercial vehicles.

    “I’ve never spoken about prices and marketing since the speed limiting device campaign started. We’re not involved in that. Ours is the enforcement of the device. We’re only concerned about what can bring down road crashes,” he said.

    He expressed satisfaction with the success so far attained with the speed limiting device, commending various transport groups and firms that had bought into the idea.

    For instances, he said, a number transport companies had purchased vehicles affixed with the speed limiting device now being deployed in long distance routes.

  • Surveyors urge govt to reform housing programme

    The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) President, Dr. Patunola-Ajayi, has urged the Federal Government to reform its programme on housing. He stated that there are people that cannot afford to buy houses, but if built for the masses and are affordable, they can try to access it.

    PatunolaAjayi, who made the call at the Institution’s 46th Annual General Meeting in Abuja, said by the time the government reforms its programme on housing, there will be enough housing for the masses.

    He said: “The government should inject money into housing and power, any money available now should be injected into these projects, they are projects that will generate quick employment for all cadres.

    “The situation in the country presently is really tense, the people need a programme that will give relief to the people. By the time some of these projects are kicked off, activities will start and by the end of the year when we are accessing we will see that things have really improved.

    “If there is power supply we can boost that 50 per cent of our national problems are solved. Money available right now should be injected into housing and power.”

    Patunola-Ajayi said the beauty of housing projects is job generation for all cadres. Government, he said should take quick action to ensure that projects are initiated, adding that by the time these projects kick off, there would be a relief in all sectors.

    According to him, the situation now is tense, adding that there is a need for a programme that will give relief so that at the end of the year, it will be obvious that things have taken a new turn.

    “On the government’s activities on road, power and housing, they are still working on the budget, when I saw the proposed budget, it is obvious that there is need for a re-think on putting more into capital project, especially on works and housing, the government should move in any  way they can to produce houses for rent,”he said.

    Patunola-Ajayi said the government had not started work, as the budget has not been sorted out, and until money is allocated and contractors are mobilised, nothing would be kick started.

  • ‘Govt eyes six months contracting cycle’

    The Federal Government is set to cut the contracting cycle in the oil and gas industry from its current two to four years to six months as done in other countries, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has said.

    Kachikwu stated this at the stakeholders interactive workshop on the Nigerian Content Policy organised by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.

    He identified the long contracting cycle as a major contributor to the high cost of production per barrel of crude oil in Nigeria compared to other member countries of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). He listed other challenges to include multiplicity of bidders, application of manual tools in bid evaluation and divergent tender requirements by approving entities such as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) and the International Oil Companies (IOCs).

    The minister, who was represented by the Group General Manager, (NAPIMS), Mr. Sajebor Dafe Stephen, stated that the contract approving entities were already implementing his charge to strategise and develop a single contracting procedure, which will soon be issued to the industry.

    He also confirmed plans to categorise companies that have invested heavily in the economy and become local content champions for specific work scopes in a way that will facilitate contract opportunities. These measures, he said, will enhance transparency and further boost investor confidence.

    He stated that a good number of  Nigerians had been motivated by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act to acquire high cost marine vessels and oil rigs, and assured the Act’s provision of first consideration for Nigerian owned assets shall always apply in tenders related to utilisation of rigs or marine vessels.

    With the emergence of a new crop of indigenous owners of marine vessels, he said the new focus was on the local construction of vessels, adding that an assessment of shipyards was ongoing and government will provide incentives and enablers that will enable local yards to construct vessels at competitive cost.

    While expressing gladness that some firms, including the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) had accessed the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) for its ongoing fabrication and integration yard expansion, the minister regretted the challenges faced by some other companies in accessing the NCDF.

    He stated that government was currently reviewing the operating model for NCDF, adding “it is my hope that the revised model will see more Nigerian firms access NCDF for commercial and developmental interventions.”

    Kachikwu charged Nigerians to keep faith with the Local Content policy as an instrument for the industrialisation of the economy, noting that other prosperous jurisdictions succeeded because they adopted their preferred development policies and sustained the programmmes for long periods.

    He challenged the National Assembly to consider the possibility of expanding the provisions of the Nigerian Content Act to other sectors of the economy especially information and communication, automobile, construction and power for maximum socio-economic gains.

    He solicited the support of the private sector and the international community for Nigerian Content implementation and assured that the Act is not intended to drive foreigners out of the industry but to encourage domiciliation of industry activities in-country through genuine partnerships.

     

  • How govt can boost economy

    The Federal Government has been asked to galvanise the economy with policies that will drive business growth.

    A real estate consultant, Mr Omo Aisagbohi, said things were not moving for now because of the liquidity crunch.

    Speaking at Trinity Mall customer reward show in Ikeja, Lagos, he said the real estate sector was the most affected by the current economic hardship. The dearth of liquidity in the system, he said, was discouraging patronage for personal mortgage ownership.

    Aisagbonhi said: ‘’The real estate sec experiencing tough time because there is no liquidity. People are merely trying to survive and those who have money are careful about spending. Generally we are struggling to remain in business as things have gone worse. If not for banks that help us, maintaining our equipment have become more expensive.

    “We expected that the first few months of the administration will make things better. But I don’t think our sector is growing in particular. One must first be well before thinking of owning a house. My fear is that government is discouraging hardworking Nigerians from owning their houses.”

    He explained that challenges, such as multiple taxation, general import policies and difficulty in accessing Foreign Exchange (forex), among others, have prevented the sector from providing affordable housing to Nigerians.

    He said the implication was that it encouraged smuggling of goods and services into the country while stimulating the economy of neighbouring countries.

    The property expert noted, however, that those who make the harsh policies are not aware of the damages they are doing to the economy. He said they are enriching other countries as they smuggle those goods in.

    While stressing the need for the government to rethink its policies in order to stimulate the economy, Aisagbonhi emphasised that the government should be less concerned with the provision of housing, but focus on creating the enabling environment for private sector operators to thrive.

  • Review workers’ salaries, govt told

    The General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Issa Aremu, has urged the Federal Government to set in motion the machinery to review the  minimum wage of N18,000.

    Aremu said it was not too late for a supplementary review of the budget to accommodate the salary review.

    He said the expectation of labour was  beyond paying workers on time, adding that its expectation is that government should set in motion the machinery for the review of the existing minimum wage.

    “The best way to stimulate the economy is through improved wage income for the working people. Workers’ pay goes to basic goods such as food, rent, transport and clothes which is good for the business of the real sector that produces such products and survives.

    “I have no doubt that the NLC leadership will soon constructively engage the Buhari administration on the need for the new minimum wage,’’ Aremu said.

  • Oyo workers happy with new govt deal

    Oyo workers happy with new govt deal

    The Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Oyo State, Waheed Olojede, spoke yesterday of workers’ excitement with the new deal of using the state’s federal allocation for payment of salaries.

    Olojede, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday, said he had been receiving telephone calls from workers since Friday, thanking him and members of his negotiating team for getting such a good deal from the government.

    The NLC chairman explained that dialogue remained an effective tool in getting good welfare for workers without necessarily being confrontational.

    The labour leader expressed satisfaction with the new deal, saying it would go far in ameliorating the negative impact of lack of salaries for workers.

    Organised Labour and the government met three times last week to resolve the logjam created by a seven-day ultimatum issued to the government.

    Both parties agreed on a review of the previous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which led to another agreement of using the entire monthly allocation for salaries.

    Addressing reporters on the outcome of the meeting, Olojede said: “In our critical review, we discovered that devoting 90 per cent of Federal Government allocation to payment of salaries could not stand the test of time, because salaries kept running into arrears.

    “We then agreed that henceforth, the entire 100 per cent of whatever comes from Abuja as federal allocation would be spent to pay workers salaries.”

    He said the new agreement raises hope of payment of some of the arrears soon.

  • Why govt should insure 2016 budget, by insurers

    Chieftains of the insurance industry have advised the government to insure the 2016 budget.

    According to them, spending without protection or security will lead to a waste of government’s resources.

    The Director-General, Nigeria Insurers Association (NIA), Sunday Thomas in a chat with The Nation, said insurers have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that insurance cover is obtained by the Ministries, Parastatals and Agencies (MDAs) for the execution of both capital and recurrent expenditure of the budget.

    He said he met with officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and discussed the role of insurance in building the economy. He cited the loan and facilities the Federal Government wants to give to youths as an example, noting that the programme should have an insurance content to avoid waste of resources.

    He said: “I attended a meeting with the CBN where we discussed the roles that insurance can play in building the economy. It was a meeting on inclusion. It was noted that one of the cardinals of this regime is to empower the people and this cannot be without insurance. They want to give loans and facilities to youth, but what is the insurance content. There should be a kind of life insurance to back it up. They must always give allowance for failure. Do they want to keep bringing money when there is failure?

    “What or how will government ensure the monies to be spent on infrastructure are secured? What is sustainability plan? What is the insurance content in the roads they want build. Is government thinking of mortgage and the insurance content among others?

    “At the meeting, they said it did not occur to them. I told them that whatever they are packaging, they should have insurance to avoid waste that characterised government spending in the past. They should avoid situations where money is spent by government and huge amount are wasted because there is no insurance. “

    The CBN, he said, is now ready to key into insurance because they now understand what they should do, stressing that all they need to do as insurers is to develop products that can meet these needs. “By so doing, we are creating wealth and people who are employed can insure,” he said.

    The Executive Director, Leadway Assurance, Mrs. Adetola Adegbayi urged governments at all levels to protect the spending of budget provisions with insurance.

    According to her, insurance enables the economy because it is a supporter, a protection and security for life and assets. She encouraged all MDAs that have been allocated budget to insure their budgets.

    “All ministries like ministry of works, depending on where they are putting the money have to do their own insurance. Apart from the group life which is for centralised employees or key assets, each parastatal and agency has its own insurances to do. So, they should all insure.

    “Insurance is a support and security mechanism. It is embedded within the economy or outside the people within that economy to make everything go smoothly. Also, insurance is only dominant when people begin to understand what insurance is about and carries the message. Lekki Gardens for example was found not to be insured. So, insurance can only be dominant when people that are meant to insure are insuring.

    “I encourage people to see insurance as fulfilling selfish interest especially for those who are meant to insure compulsorily. When people see insurance as a selfish aspect by feeling, I need to insure my assets so that I can recover my assets through insurance if anything happens, it will be easy for them to set aside little premium needed for insurance,” she said.

    Adegabyi, however, called on insurers to create more awareness and be accessible to the public.

  • Govt exports 328,897mbs of crude

    The Federal Government exported 328, 897 million barrels of crude oil in the last four years, the Nigerian Extractive Industrial Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has said.

    The agency,  in a paper  titled:  ‘’NNPC offshore processing and swap arrangements: Revenue loss to the nation’’ obtained at the weekend, showed that the Federal Government allocated 655,235million barrels of crude during the period under review, of which it exported 328, 897 million barrels to generate revenues for the country.

    The paper, which gives an account of the number of volumes of crude oil allocated per  year, volumes delivered to the refineries for processing into petrol, kerosene, diesel and other finished products, volumes supplied for offshore processing, and those exchanged between Nigeria and her partners abroad, said the government supplied 134, 387 million barrels of crude oil to the refineries during the period.

    In the paper presented by  former NEITI Acting Executive Secretary, Dr Orji Ogbonaya Orji, the government allocated more crude oil for exports since it derives more than 70 per cent of its earnings from oil exports.

    Giving a breakdown of crude oil dealings during the period under review, NEITI said the country allocated 161,914 million of crude oil in 2009; 166, 523millions in 2010; 164,455million in 2011; and 162,343millions in 2012.

    It said the government exported 142, 500 million barrels of crude oil in 2009; 97, 792 million barrels in 2010; 39, 341 million barrels in 2011 and 49, 215 million barrels in 2012.

    The paper said the government delivered 19, 363 million barrels to the refineries in 2009; 34, 703 million barrels in 2010; 48, 394 million barrels in 2011 and 34, 927 million barrels in 2012.

    Others include crude oil offshore processing-27,556 million barrels of crude oil in 2010; 26, 688 million barrels of crude oil 2011; and 22, 755 million barrels of crude oil in 2012.

    Also, the paper recalled that the idea of swapping crude oil for refined products began in the mid 80s, adding that the idea was introduced to enable NNPC access funds to meet its obligations in the Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs)

    The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee  conducted investigation into the Refined Product Exchange Agreement/Crude Oil Swap between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/ Product Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC).

    Also, the Committee had planned to invite the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deazani Alison-Madueke for explanation on the issue. The invitation was to enable the former Oil Minister provide   explanations into crude oil swap deals contract extensions granted Duke Oil Company  Incorporated and Trafigura B.V without valid contracts.

  • Leave Lagos, govt tells beggars

    Lagos State Government yesterday told beggars to leave the metropolis in their own interest.

    Commissioner of Youth and Social Development Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said the government would take drastic action against those who did not leave on their own.

    She said there was an ongoing campaign against the menace of street begging on radio stations to sensitise people on the need to stop it.

    Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf urged residents to stop giving alms to beggars in order to discourage them, saying: “We have been campaigning against street begging on radio since January. The campaign will run for three months following which the state government will take more drastic actions against perpetrators because there is anti-begging law in the state.

    “What we are also saying is that people should stop giving alms to beggars on the streets because many of them are not beggars in the real sense of it. Many street beggars have been discovered to engage in criminal activities and hard drugs.”

     

  • Kano govt set to fly Kano Pillars for away games

    Kano govt set to fly Kano Pillars for away games

    Kano State government is considering flying players and officials of Kano Pillars for their away match in the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League.

    The chairman Kano State Sports Commission, Ibrahim Galadima revealed this during his meeting with the players and technical committee of the club in his office in Kano

    The team’s delegation was in his office to congratulate him on his new appointment.

    Galadima said the move was necessitated to reduce the fatigue players are suffering while going for away matches.

    The former chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFA) urged them to be focused and be good ambassadors to the government and people of Kano State anywhere they find themselves.

    He praised them for their commitments so far in the league and urged them to keep it up.