The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GOVT

  • Govt may ban fertiliser imports

    The Federal Government is drafting a legislation to ban the importation of fertiliser, Planning Minister Abubakar Olarenwaju Sulaiman has said.

    He said a ban was necessary to protect local producers.

    Sulaiman spoke during a visit to Super Phosphate Fertiliser and Chemicals Ltd in Kaduna.

    He said the ban would also include any product which the economy has the capability to produce to reverse the adverse effects of cheap foreign imports on the local manufacturing industry.

    Sulaiman said: “We need to stop importation of products that we can produce in Nigeria, including fertiliser.

    “A policy statement is coming out in a few weeks to address this. What we can produce in Nigeria, we must not import.”

    Sulaiman also reiterated the government’s commitment to revamp the power sector, saying, “Government is doing everything right to make sure that the power sector works better and more efficiently for Nigerians to enjoy.

    The idea of privatisation is in the best interest of Nigerians.”

  • How govt can stop child blindness, by don

    How govt can stop child blindness, by don

    To reduce infant blindness, the Federal Government and non-governmental organisations (NGO) have been urged to increase advocacy and public enlightenment on the disease.

    A Consultant Paediatric Opthalmologist of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof Oseluese Dawodu, gave the advice while delivering the 152nd Inaugural Lecture of the institution.

    She spoke on the theme Childhood blindness: A changing picture with changing challenges.

    Dawodu said the rise in the number of blind children could be attributed to poverty and superstitious beliefs that a child with an eye problem would overcome it. She said it was wrong for illiterate people with eye problems to use unorthodox medicines instead of the hospitals.

    Lamenting the growing rate of the condition and stigmatisation of blind children, Dawodu said traditional institutions and miracle churches have done more harm than good to blind children taken to their centres for care.

    She said: “Rather than bring the children to the hospital for care, their parents visit miracle centres which promise to restore the sight. After much harm has been done, they approach hospital. This can be attributed to illiteracy. An educated parent would know where to seek eye care when the need arises. Sadly, many persons are in the habit of using borrowed eye glass and using wrong lenses. This is pathetic.”

    In curbing the menace, Dawodu urged the government to establish Opthalmological centres in all parts of the country, to bring treatment closer to the poor. She also called for ban of unregistered practitioners from treating eye patients.

    “If we can effectively tackle poverty, then the disease will reduce. If people have job, they will be willing to seek treatment because there will be money. Also, there should be an introduction of Rubella virus vaccine in the national immunisation policy for children and proper funding of the health sector as this will reduce the cost of treatment,” she added.

    Dawodu thanked the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Chief Medical Director, Prof Michael Ibadin, and Emeritus Professor of Opthalmology Joseph Ayanru, who founded the department in the Teaching Hospital.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Farady Orumwense, hailed the lecturer for her service to the varsity. He urged audience to spread the message to the appropriate quarters. He said the university’s inaugural lecture would remain an avenue where scholars would educate the public in various areas of research.

     

  • ‘Opposition is govt in the waiting’

    For over 90 minutes, the hall on the 5th floor of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s building at Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos was still scanty. The presidential candidate of KOWA Party, Prof Remi Sonaiya and two reporters were among the early arrivals. But for the continuous screening of documentaries of the formal opening of the old Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) at Ibadan on October 31, 1959 and the Independence Day celebration party that kept them glued to the screen behind the high table, the few guests would have been tired of the long wait.

    Except Prof Sonaiya, who was present, most of the special guests invited to the book presentation, Opposition political parties and democratisation in Africa, edited by Gabriel Lanre Adeola, sent representatives. They included former Ekiti State Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi, All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate Prof Yemi Osinbajo and Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

    Expectedly, the occasion shifted slightly into a campaign platform, with speakers  telling the audience of the need to have their permanent voter cards and vote wisely to be part of  change. They also warned the youths, in the audience of a bleak future because of the dwindling fortune of the nation’s commonwealth.

    Osinbajo and Fayemi called on  youths to join the train of change in the nation’s political space by showing interest on who leads them. They also enjoined them not to shy away from exercising their civic rights in the forthcoming general elections.

    Osinbajo, who was represented by Abimbola Ojerinde, said the youth must brace to face the reality of the state of the economy, which is in a poor shape.  “Certainly, there is nothing waiting for you after school because the nation’s economy has continued to hit an all-time low. Exchange rate has also gone high with the devaluation of the naira. In fact, there is problem in the land and we have emergency situation on our hands. We cannot pretend about it,” he added.

    He noted that the forthcoming general election is very critical to Nigeria just as the conversation on the political leadership of the country has changed with the coming of the APC as an opposition. He added that governance is about the common good of the people.

    Fayemi, who was represented by Akin Rotimi, said for the first time Nigerian voters are taken seriously by the politicians, especially the ruling party, which is battling to remain in power at all cost. He said the Nigerian voting space would not be the same again. “Nigeria is an eyesore and until there is a change of power, we will not realise it because the mess is being covered up. It is important to have a change at the centre, it is also critical to have a change in other levels of governance. So, everyone of us must be involved in the change,” he added.

    KOWA Party presidential candidate, Prof Remi Sonaiya, who decried the increasing attacks by politicians on one another, said if there was ever a time on how parties should conduct their affairs, the time is now.

    “Given what is happening in the political space it seems we are not sure how party in power should behave and how opposition party should behave too. I hope Nigerians are taking note and it is when citizens are fed up that they can effect a change. When we keep absorbing all the cheats thrown at us, there will be no desire for change,” she said, describing the book as one good step towards a better political development.

    Adeola described the book as an inspiration and would serve as eye-opener to Africa democratisation experience. He said the book offers a new perspective on political opposition in contemporary African democracies. “After a critical review of the classic and contemporary literature on the subject, it proposes a renewed definition of opposition that better grasps the complexity of political opposition in democracies,” he said.

    He recalled that he got the desire to put the book together when he returned to Nigeria from France and discovered a gap the book could fill. “The articles I gather together covered all aspects of opposition. They were written by 42 scholars from 26 universities. In fact, given the content, the book will surely assist the politicians. But, the message is what is opposition? It is government in the waiting. If I had written the articles alone, I won’t have been able to cover enough grounds. Nigeria needs a change,” Adeola added.

  • Assist nurses in private practice, govt urged

    The Federal and state governments have been urged to offer interest-free loans to nurses in private practice.

    This, according the Chairman, Association of General Private Nursing Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPNPN), Lagos State branch, Mr Olusola Oyebode, will promote the profession and strengthen the sector.

    Over 60 per cent of nursing care, he said, is provided by nurses in the private sector, adding that government assistance to the sector in getting more equipment will discourage people from medical tourism.

    Oyebode said the shortage of nurses was due to the high cost of training, stressing: “It is like training other medical personnel. To establish a school of nursing, people need to have basic tools for training them.”

    The AGPNPN Lagos chair said nurses could shift some of their tasks to other less-qualified health workers to concentrate on core nursing care.

    Besides, task shifting is a common occurrence in advanced countries because of high demand for nurses.

    He said there were many areas in nursing, which could only be handled by professionals. She listed pre and post operative care, such as medical, surgical and maternal care as well as neonatal and paediatrics care as some of them.

    He said task shifting is a necessity because of inadequate workforce, stressing that the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards is that one nurse should take care of four patients.

    “Nurses can shift some of their tasks when they have other jobs, which can prevent them from having time to do core nursing care. So, they assign the tasks, which need no technicalities to less qualified health workers.

    “For example, nurses cannot delegate post-operative cases. But can instruct other health workers to remove or clean catheter, which is simpler and needs no technicalities. Then they can focus on the core patients’ management,” Oyebode said.

    He said there was the challenge of quackery due to involvement of non-professionals moving into core nursing care.

    He berated some professionals, who are trying to dictate the pace of nursing, describing this as ‘unacceptable’. “This is wrong as every profession has its limitations,” he said.

    The solution, he said, is for people to start doing the right thing.

    Moreover, there should respect for other professionals because everybody cannot be doctors or nurses.

    He said the patient, which is the end user, will benefit more if there is harmony.

    The level of private nursing care, Oyebode said, is satisfying because it knows its limitation, adding: “There is a standards and monitoring committee in place. So, they all know when and where to refer patients to.

    “They all have to operate within the confines of the law. This has brought private nursing to the standard that is respected.”

     

  • Labour leaders to govt: leave Jega alone

    Labour leaders to govt: leave Jega alone

    Stakeholders in the labour movement have urged the Federal Government to allow the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, complete his tenure. They said his removal might plunge the nation into crisis.

    Speaking at a workshop organised in Lagos by the Centre for Labour Studies and Advocacy (CLASA) in conjunction with INEC, Executive Director and former General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr John Odah, said Professor Jega should be allowed to complete  his tenure, which ends on June 23.

    The Labour leader explained that whenever politicians forment trouble, the masses are always at the receiving end. “If at the last minute, the President wants to join those who want to commit illegality, this would dent his image. As of February 14, INEC was ready to conduct the election, but because of some connivance, it was shifted. Jega should be given the chance to conduct the election. Those who think they are in charge and want more international ridicule by calling for the removal of the man should desist from their schemes,” he said.

    Organised labour, he said,   should be at the forefront of setting agenda to disallow politicians’ selfish interests in agenda setting.

    The Director-General, Electoral Institute, Professor Abubakah Momoh, said INEC should be allowed to do its job, saying its responsibility is to make the votes of the people count. “Professor Jega wants to show the public that credible election is possible; so politicians should allow INEC to perform its role in the forthcoming election. The Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is secure and will also prevent rigging,” he said.

    He continued: “If Jega is removed, there will be crisis of confidence in the forthcoming elections. Politicians do not want him because he is a man with integrity. President Jonathan chose him because of his pedigree and impeccable records. In his own (Jonathan’s) interest, he should not listen to politicians calling for Jega’s removal because it will affect his integrity.”

    Abubakar said there is no going back on the use of PVC, adding that anybody who does not want it has the intention of rigging the election. He said anybody that steals or sells PVC is just wasting his or her time, as only the owner of the card can use it.

    “There is no going back on the use of PVC because it has the highest security fortification. Some people that are saying we should go back to Temporary Voters Card (TVC) are not sincere because it will pave way for rigging. More that 80 per cent of Nigerians have collected their PVCs and have returned the TVCs. Are you now saying we should go back to TVC?,” he asked.

    Abubakar called on Nigerians to rally round Professor Jega for him to carry out a credible election. According to him, INEC wants to lift the benchmark so that anybody  coming to take over will not do anything less. “We want to show the world that it is possible to conduct a credible election in Nigeria. Politicians should allow us do our job,” he said, urging the electorates to be more careful in casting their votes. He said they should be at the voting centres in time and follow the rules guiding the voting process.

  • Govt summons Indonesian ambassador

    The Federal Government yesterday again summoned the Indonesian Ambassador, Mr Harry Purwato, over the country’s planned execution of more Nigerians by firing squad for drug-related offences.

    Amb. Danjuma Sheni, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a meeting with the envoy in Abuja that the death sentences should be converted to life imprisonment.

    He told the envoy to speak with his home government to tamper justice with mercy in order not to allow anything to jeopardise the “very robust and excellent relationship“ between Indonesia and Nigeria.

    “Your Excellency, I have been asked to summon you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to appeal to you to talk to your government about the proposed execution of three Nigerians, who are currently on the death row in your country.”

    “As you know, your country and Nigeria have a very robust and excellent relationship and we do not intend that anything should happen to our relationship.

    “We, in this context, are very aware of the consequences of drug trafficking in your country, but we still want to put it on record and we still want to appeal to you and to your President to tamper justice with mercy.

    “We understand that the three condemned Nigerians have gone through the judicial processes and their appeals to the President have been turned down.

  • Govt, monarch bicker over land

    The Lagos State government has accused Oba  Bashir Oloruntoyin Saliu of Oworonsoki of illegal sale of land in his domain.

    But, the monarch has denied the allegation, saying the land being sold belongs to his family.

    In a public notice, Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said: “The attention of the government has been brought to the following illegal activities taking place in Oworonsoki Foreshore/Government Scheme in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State; illegal sales of land by persons, family, traditional institution falsely making claims of ownership to government  land and selling same to unsuspecting members of the public, who have failed or refused to check the status of the land being offered for sale from relevant agencies of government.

    “All illegal activities aforementioned including harassment of government allottees and government officials should stop forthwith and any other person (individual, corporate or traditional institution) dealing in any of such illegality shall, henceforth, be promptly sanctioned accordingly and in line with all applicable / relevant provisions of the law.”

    At his palace over the weekend, Oba Saliu said: “The traditional institution under my watch is law abiding. We are not illegal land sellers and there is no one involved in the sale of government landed property in my domain. The land that my family is selling is the 5.171 hectares allotted to me on behalf of the Saliu Salami Rufai Family, which is covered by a Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, signed by the Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, on July 3, 2009.”

    “The 5.171 hectares of land were allotted to us, following an Ikeja High Court judgment on October 12, 1994, in suit number ID/390/93. The land was allotted to my family being the original settlers in the community and following a term of settlement ratified by the court as a result of a suit my family filed against Lagos State government. As a matter of fact, we don’t sell our land but lease it out to people. We want to use the land to establish a world class estate like those that can be found in the high brow areas of Lagos State.”

    Oba Saliu asked the Lands Bureau to check its record properly before accusing his family of indiscretion.

  • Govt signs $1b MoU on mortgage refinancing

    Govt signs $1b MoU on mortgage refinancing

    Nigeria’s mortgage refinancing initiative got a boost when the Federal Government signed a $1 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cantor Fitzgerald, an American Mortgage Company, to support the initiative.

    At the signing in Abuja, Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the deal was welcomed.

    “This is yet another good development at a time when our economy is going through some difficulties. At a time we are suffering from the impact of drop in the oil price, an investment company of this repute has come to say they want to be part of this economy.

    “We are very trilled they are about the biggest in the mortgage business in the U.S. and they have come to us to talk to us in Nigeria. They are very excited with what we are doing in Nigeria and as a result, they want to sign a MoU with us to work with the Nigeria Mortgage Refinancing Company (NMRC) to be able to work with us at the value chain in financing,” she said.

    The Minister said what this means is that it would make the dream of opening the housing and mortgage financing market a reality.

    According to her, the signing of the MoU marked the future milestone in initiating the NMRC as a liquidity company to service the primary and secondary mortgage market.

    She said under the 10,000 mortgage refinancing project of the Federal Government, of 66,000 applications, 25,000  had been processed and pre-qualified. She noted that 9,000 had received offer letters and 33 people got mortgages in Abuja.

    “This is progress from where we are and we now know that it takes much more time than what we thought it was when we started,” Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said, adding that government was working on a number of initiatives that would enable Nigerians access mortgages at affordable price.

    She said the government was working with the National Pension Commission to see how workers could access their pension to get mortgages. This, she said, would help to eliminate the challenge of getting bulk money to pay off the equity on mortgage.

    “We are also looking at other ways to collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other agencies to see how we can make the homes as affordable as possible. We are looking at the cost of construction because that’s another way to bring the cost of the houses lower,’’ she added.

    She said the Cantor Fitzgerald would also build houses and beneficiaries would receive the mortgages at a reasonable interest rate.

    Prof. Charles Inyan-Etteh of NMRC said the occasion marked a new beginning for the NMRC, which just started full operations. “This marks a new chapter for the Federal Government in the commitment to the provision of affordable houses to Nigerians,’’ he said.

    He said the aim of establishing NMRC was to provide affordable mortgages to Nigerians through funding of the primary lenders of the mortgages. He said NMRC had received its licence to operate. He assured of the commitment of the company in investing in the housing sector and to the transformation of mortgage system in the country.

    Mr Jack Hefternan, Managing Director, Debt Capital Markets, Cantor Fitzgerald, said the company was established in 1945, adding that it has branches in almost all countries. He said the company would invest $1 billion to help synchronise what the NMRC was doing in Nigeria.

    He said the company would work with local firms, to follow up on every step of the value chain to help deliver affordable housing to Nigerians.

    He said the houses the company would provide would cost between eight and N15 million.

    Mr. Charles William of the same company said the organisation had received an approval to provide about 10,000 homes.

    According to him, the houses will be spread across four locations: Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos and Enugu and would take between six months and one year to complete them.

    “The states involved have provided us with lands and we will take off from first April,’’ he disclosed.

  • Govt to pay oil marketers N185b to end fuel scarcity

    FUEL queues may soon disappear, with the government agreeing to meet marketers’ demands.

    Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said yesterday that the costs incurred by the marketers, their fees as well as interest and Foreign Exchange (forex) differentials would be paid.

    To get the marketers, who have not been importing fuel to take it easy, a meeting between them and the minister has been scheduled for today.

    The minister said the government had packaged some initiatives to address the marketers’ concerns.

    “Specifically, we have taken the following steps: we’ve reached an agreement with the marketers’ union on the N185 billion balance of their payment. As part of this agreement, we are paying not only the costs they’ve incurred and their fees but also interest and forex differentials.”

    In addition, the minister said the Debt Management Office (DMO) had been instructed to issue Sovereign Debt Notes (SDNs) to cover N100 billion out of the N185 billion agreed upon as balance for the next payments and that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had also given approvals for the banks to issue letters of credit.

    The government, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said, “is very concerned about the fuel queues which have appeared in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country”. “The Petroleum ministry and NNPC have worked very hard to reduce them to the barest minimum. We sympathise with Nigerians whose lives are being disrupted by the queues and assure them that we are working hard to end them as quickly as possible.”

    She said the fuel crisis was “due to a mix of factors, including disruption of pipelines and logistical issues and they are being attended to urgently.”

    Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala pointed accusing fingers at those she described as unpatriotic marketers who have refused to cooperate with the government. She did not, however, name such marketers.

    She said: “It is clear that while the union and most members have been cooperative, some of their members are not. Some of these people have even refused to open Letters of Credit (LCs) to facilitate their payments. We salute the union and the members who are working hard to end this unfortunate situation. As for those who are working in the other direction, Nigerians should ask them what their motives are.”

    To end this unfortunate situation as quickly as possible, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said, “the Petroleum ministry and NNPC are taking strong action to improve supplies in this election season”. “I’ve been speaking with Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and they’ve assured me that they are working hard to increase supplies and more are on the way.”

    She said 40million litres was been distributed in Lagos yesterday with 86 trucks already in Lagos “and another 86 trucks heading for Abuja. Other parts of the country are also included in the plans. So the situation should improve soon.”

    The minister said contrary to some speculations, the fuel queues were not caused by payment issues. “We paid the marketers a total of N320.8 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) in two installments last December.

    “This underscores the fact that we are taking payment of marketers very seriously indeed. We’ve been in constant touch and talking with the marketers and a week ago we reached an agreement with them on their core concerns, which we have addressed.”

     

  • •Govt urged to improve gas supply

    10 power plants may get gas by June, says NNPC chief

    The 10 power plants built under the National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) initiative  will be connected to gas pipelines either by June or the end of the year, Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. David Ige has said.

    Speaking on the sidelines of the 12th Aret Adams Memorial Lecture in Lagos, at the weekend, Ige said the connection would enable the plants to access gas for improved electricity generation and distribution.

    Aret Adams was former Group Managing Director of NNPC.

    Ige said the plants are would add 5,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity to the national grid upon completion.

    The plants are Geregu 11 (334Mw); Calabar (630Mw); Egbema (378Mw); and Ihonvbor (504 MW). Others are Gbarain (252Mw); Sapele( 504Mw); Omoku (252Mw); Alaoji (1030Mw); Olorunsogo II (750Mw) and Omotosho ( 500Mw).

    He said: “Plans are underway to connect gas pipelines to the 10 power plants constructed by the Federal Government to ease electricity problems and further encourage economic growth. Gas is critical to the growth of the power sector and the government is working to ensure that enough gas is channelled to the power generation plants.”

    Ige also stated that the government has made arrangement to  provide gas to the privatised power generation plants formerly owned by the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

    He said there is enough gas waiting for Omoku power plant but noted that pipeline vandalism is a major problem in the industry even as the government plans to reduce or stop it.

    “A lot has been done to bring huge volumes of gas to the power plants. But each time, we try to breach the shortfall in gas supply; our efforts are frustrated by vandals who break the pipes at will. Since the beginning of this year, we have not had one week of respite. There have been consistent attacks of pipelines. When we have these attacks, the pipeline pressure drops immediately because of the off-take. If we shut down to repair the pipelines, it takes about 10 days to repair. Thereafter, you need some days to build up the pressure. By the time you are building up the pressure, people are attacking the pipelines again,” he added.

    The Acting Head, Public Communication, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, said the government is working hard to provide gas to the plants.

    The spokesman, Niger Delta Power Holding Company of Nigeria, Yakubu Lawal, said the company was not delaying the sale of the plants which investors bid for in 2014. He said the firm has completed the building of the plants, with Olorunsogo being the latest one commissioned a fortnight ago in Ogun State.

    “The goal of the company is to build the 10 power plants, which we have done in line with the mandates given to us by the government. It is the responsibility of NNPC to provide the gas. So, how did we cause the delay in the sale of the plants as rumoured in some quarters? he asked. Yakubu said gas supply was not part of the mandate given to the company and would not concern itself with that. He said the court would determine the fate of three of the plants that are under litigation.