The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GOVT

  • Minister seeks support for govt

    The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mr. Edem Duke, has called on Nigerians to support the government in the areas of tourism, education and other sectors of the economy, adding that development should not be left to the government alone.

    Duke made the call when he visited Elizade University and the Smokin Hills Golf Resort, an 18-Hole Golf Resort, in Ilara-Mokin.

    He said Nigerians should not be quick to criticise the government, but find ways of contributing to the development of the country.

    The Minister praised the Founder of the University and the resort, Chief Michael Ade.Ojo, for establishing the two institutions. He described the university as “beautiful” and the resort, “amazing”, saying both have brought the town to the limelight.  He added that the degree programme in Hotel and Tourism Management by the university would give the students opportunity to use the Golf Resort for practicals.

    Duke, who was conducted round the campus by Chief Ade-Ojo and principal officers of the Institution, urged the students to make use of the quality facilities to acquire quality education that would give them bright future.

     

  • ‘Jonathan’s govt has failed’

    ‘Jonathan’s govt has failed’

    The Special Adviser to Lagos State Government on Information and Strategy, Alhaji Lateef Raji, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to resign because his government has failed Nigerians.

    Raji, who spoke at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Oshodi, said a government that cannot protect lives and property, that lack capacity to contain oil thieves and a regime that has legitimised corruption has no business to remain in office.

    The Special Adviser reiterated that Dr. Jonathan has no business to remain in government because, under his watch, Nigeria is losing 400,000 barrel of crude oil per day to oil thieves. He also said the President has failed to rescue the Chibok girls almost 300 days after they were abducted and the ill-equipped soldiers being killed on daily basis by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    According to him, General Muhammadu Buhari procured more arms for the military when he was Head of State between 1984 and 1985 than Jonathan, who has been in power in the past six years.

    Raji faulted the claim of the Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr Jimi Agbaje, that the state spends three per cent of its budget on education annually. He said In 2014, the state spent 15 per cent on education and this year, we are spending 16 per cent on education as approved by the State House of Assembly.

    Raji told the party supporters that PDP and Jonathan do not deserve the votes  of Lagosians because they did nothing for the state.  According to him former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe didn’t construct a single road in Ikorodu, his constituency, for the years he spent in office.

    He said members of the PDP now dole out money to police to arrest Okada riders operating in the streets to create the impression that it was Lagos State Government that was behind it. Further investigation, he said, has shown that the opposition have recruited fake KAI officials to arrest people indiscriminately and asked people to be vigilant.

    Former Vice Chairman of Oshodi/Isolo Local Government, Mr Kayode Tinubu was confident that APC will win in Lagos State based on its antecedent.

    Tinubu said the party has performed from local government to state level. “We have tested candidates that are marketable. We have never suffered any defeat since the beginning of this dispensation so APC will win in February. The visibility of PDP is minute because most of their leaders have joined APC.”

  • APC rejects interim govt, election shift

    APC rejects interim govt, election shift

    •Party says polls must hold as scheduled

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) has said it will neither accept an interim government nor a postponement of next month’s elections, as being advocated by certain individuals.

    The party insisted that the elections must hold as scheduled on February 14 and 28, 2015.

    Its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement in Lagos yesterday, warned that any attempt to scuttle the polls in preference for any other arrangement would be resisted through available constitutional means.

    The statement said: “We are aware that those who are not comfortable with the turning of the political tide in favour of the opposition ahead of the elections are scheming to abort a possible victory for our party, through either an interim government or a postponement of the elections.

    “These enemies of Nigeria include those who are worried about the strong anti-corruption stance of our party and its avowed commitment to good governance, and those who favour the status quo of anything goes, bad governance and massive corruption that have left Nigerians deeply pauperised and traumatised.”

    APC said those who might consider the two scenarios of interim government and postponement of the elections as outlandish should consider the published, but yet unrefuted statement by Deji Adeyanju – said to be an official in the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

    The party quoted Adeyanju, who handles Dr. Okupe’s Twitter Account, as saying in a Blackberry Messenger (BBM) statement: “Buhari can never be President of Nigeria. Quote me any day any time. Instead of Buhari to become President of Nigeria, Nigeria would rather break up.

    “A military coup will even be allowed than for Buhari to become the President of a democratic Nigeria. Quote me any day, any time.”

    The party said since the statement had not been refuted, it could safely be concluded that the BBM represented the thinking in the Presidency circles.

    The statement added: “If a citizen is advocating a military coup against a sitting government just to prevent a supposed election victory of the opposition; it is nothing short of treason. Yet, the security agencies that have been falling over themselves, warning against incendiary and inciting statements, have not yet swung into action over this inciting statement. This is not encouraging vis-a-vis the non-partisan stance of the security agencies.

    “The truth is that what could as well be a Freudian slip by Adeyanju has exposed the depth of panic and desperation in the Presidency ahead of next month’s polls. This has also confirmed that those who have been canvassing, either openly or otherwise, the options of interim government or postponement of the elections, are working at the behest of certain forces.”

    The party, therefore, called on Nigerians to be vigilant and be ready to do everything under the law to protect the nation’s democracy; imperfect as it might be.

    It also alerted the international community to the evil machinations of some desperate politicians ahead of the general elections.

    ‘’Our stand is simple, but needs to be restated: the 2015 general elections must hold as scheduled all over Nigeria, and our party is ready for the elections. As we stated earlier, we will only accept the outcome of a free, fair, credible and transparent elections; not that of manipulated polls.

    “We will also not agree to the postponement of next month’s elections under any guise, and an interim arrangement plot is totally unacceptable to us.

    “We challenge the ruling PDP to also state its own stand on next month’s polls for the world to note.

    ‘’We also challenge the Presidency to state its own stand and to also distance itself from the anarchic and treasonable statement by one of its own over the forthcoming polls,” APC said.

  • Govt urged to back non-oil exports

    Govt urged to back non-oil exports

    The Federal Government has been urged to initiate policies and incentives to encourage non-oil exports.

    The Senior Consultant/CEO, RTC Advisory Services Limited, Opeyemi Agbaje stated this yesterday in Lagos at a forum titled: ‘Review of 2014 and Projections for 2015,’ organised by the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN).

    He said: “We have achieved significant diversification in terms of local production and consumption, but we are not competitive in exports.

    He said South Africa’s exports revenue is driven by companies such as MTN, DSTV and South African Breweries, adding that the challenge for the Nigerian economy is for government to create policies and incentives that will allow the private sector to become exporters.

    If our export revenue is earned by thousands of Nigerian companies exporting their services, we would not collapse anytime the price of oil falls, he said.

    “We also need to start refining our oil domestically and exporting it. We should be one of the biggest exporters of refined petroleum products in the world,” he said.

  • Govt, Chinese firms sign MoU on power

    Govt, Chinese firms sign MoU on power

    Determined to correct past weak capacity of transmission in the Nigerian electricity value chain, the Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo has urged Chinese companies to bridge the gap so as to boost the nation’s capacity to wheel generated power to end users.

    In a statemnt endorsed by Deputy Director (Press), Ministry of Power, Timothy Oyedeji, the minister underscored the role of transmission in the power value chin by saying it is needless if generated power could not be wheeled to the customers.

    While calling for more foreign investment, Prof Nebo identified the Chinese as special people that have capacity to identify opportunities, “little wonder that China is doing so well with us in the sector”.

    He said: “We will continue to support and defend your interests and investments here.”

    He further requested the Chinese to do  more in terms of investing in the sector, adding that in the area of renewable, a lot of opportunities still exist.

    Prof. Nebo advised the Chinese to also build synergy with distribution and generation companies as they could build mutual relationship in the area of embedded or generated power within a locality and get such distributed through the DISCOs in the area.

  • NUBIFIE to govt: emphasise transparency

    The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) has urged the three tiers of governments on transparency and prudence in the New Year.

    General Secretary of the Union, Mallam Muhammed Sheikh, said in Lagos that only transparency and prudence in governance would make the common man enjoy the dividends of democracy.

    He urged governments at all levels to intensify efforts at reducing the plight of Nigerians by sacrificing some of the luxury of political office holders. “Oil still remains the main source of the nation’s economy, there should be transparency and prudency in the way funds are allocated and spent. I think the state and Federal Government should come up with measures to ensure transparency and prudence in oil proceeds,” he said.

    According to him, many Nigerians are still poor, struggling to make ends meet. Government should show commitment at reducing poverty in the land. He said efforts should be intensified to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor by creating wealth. He said the country has all the resources at its disposal to better the lots of its teeming population.

    Sheikh added that the government’s attention should be on how to block all revenue leakages in the sector. The NUBIFIE scribe said more jobs should be created to engage millions of Nigerian youths roaming the streets without job. Besides, he urged government to work hard at making its stewards more accountable.

  • Govt reiterates commitment to Made-in-Nigeria goods

    The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to growing the Made-in-Nigeria goods market–in line with its determination to create more jobs and generate wealth.

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said the  government’s policy on Made-in-Nigeria products, which gave priority to the patronage of locally-made products, will, among many other benefits, help curb the waste of foreign exchange on what could be manufactured in the country.

    Aganga spoke during the inspection of the Secure ID  plant for smart cards in Lagos.

    He said the launch of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) by President Goodluck Jonathan had kick-started the diversification of the economy and revenue source of the country since 2012.

    According to the minister, for the first time in the history of the nation, Nigeria has a robust and comprehensive plan, which the current administration started implementing in 2012.

    This, he noted, is to diversify the economy in the areas where Nigeria has competitive and comparative advantage.

    Aganga said: “The Federal Government is ahead of the present fall of oil price today by focusing on agro industrial processing such as sugarcane to sugar under the Sugar Master Plan Policy that has attracted $3 billion investment commitment; the development of local content and job creation under the auto policy; and backward integration in cement and rice production, among others.

    “Our approach has always been value addition, using local content, which had resulted to $14 billion investment in the oil and petrochemical industry. We have created a gas industrial park in Delta State mainly to provide a source of raw materials in the petrochemical sector.

    “The beauty of NIRP is that it looks into the areas of competitive and comparative advantage and focuses on how to reduce the cost of production and make products produced in the country more competitive and easier for Nigerians to afford.”

    The minister also said to boost industrial development, tariff adjustments were only being done on sectoral basis, stressing that tariffs to individual companies have been stopped since 2011.

  • ‘How lawyers in govt can remain relevant’

    Lawyers working in  government have been  urged to make continuing legal education a priority if they must remain up-to-date with new legal principles.

    Speakers at a three-day development course for lawyers in the Delta State Ministry of Justice said lawyers in public service must regularly update skills and knowledge to remain relevant.

    The Attorney-General, Mr. Charles Ajuya (SAN) said the course was designed to enable participants improve their legal skills.

    According to him, a well-equipped counsel will not only benefit himself, but will add value to the state.

    Former Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies  (NIALS) Director-General, Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN), who was one of the speakers, said the development course afforded him the opportunity to translate NIALS experience into practice in Delta State.

    He stated that the course was  designed as a capacity building programme  for the participants.

    Addressing participants, he said: “It  is  customised because  it is based on ideas from you. It is a clear amalgam of all the needs of the departments and parastsals.

    “Therefore your understanding of the course is necessary for you to address the problems of your ministries and equip you with the capacity to face the challenges of a globalised world.”

    Others speakers included former Director of Public Prosecutions in Lagos State, Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey who spoke on criminal prosecution and  legal opinion writing techniques; former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Chief T.J. Onomigbo Okpoko (SAN) spoke on case preparation and appeals, and Ken Mozia (SAN) who discussed  case management and fast track litigation.

    Prof. Emeka Chianu discussed Land acquisition challenges and prospects, while former chairman of NBA Ikorodu branch, Nurudeen Ogbara presented Prof. Lanre Fagbohun’s paper on class action litigation and environmental law practice.

    Chairman Mid-Western Bar Forum, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN) discussed new trends in the law of evidence while Prof. Azinge (SAN)  discussed Government legal advisers, Legal writing and law reporting.

    He also discussed legislative  drafting and legal drafting in conjunction   with Prof. Paul Idornigie while Mr. S. V. Omekeh discussed public  civil rules and application,  ethics,  code conduct, minutes and memo writing.

    Prof. Mike Ikhariale discussed constitutional and human rights while Prof. Paul Idornigie discussed commercial agreements, ADR, Arbitration and MOU while  Albert Akpomudge (SAN) discussed brief writing.

     

  • Edo students apologise for burnt govt buses

    A coalition of tertiary students in Edo State has apologised to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the burning of a luxury bus belonging to the state government by some University of Benin (UNIBEN) students during a protest last week.

    The UNIBEN students were angry that the government demolished parts of the buildings some of their lecturers and former lecturers were staying.

    A High Court had ruled in favour of the state government in a suit between the government and UNIBEN authorities.

  • PENGASSAN sets agenda for govt

    PENGASSAN sets agenda for govt

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has urged the Federal Government to demonstrate commitment to stimulating local refining of crude oil this year. Its General Secretary, Mr. Bayo Olowoshile, who spoke in Lagos said only domestic refining would end the crises in the oil and gas sector.

    ”The key focus of the government in 2015 should be to stimulate local refining of petroleum and petrochemical products. Domestic gas production for energy, industry, agricultural and automotive purposes should be given ultimate attention this year,’’ Olowoshile said.

    The PENGASSAN scribe said the government should cut the rate of importation of products by 50 per cent. “Job creation and manpower utilisation should also be a priority of the government at such time like this when crime rate has increased. Many of our present challenges are tied to unemployment and government’s inability to channel the youthful strength of our young people into productive activities,’’ he said.

    Olowoshile said a slice in importation of products would not only stabilise the economy, but also create millions of jobs for unemployed youths in the country. He said importation of finished products into the country was a ‘canker worm’ that had left many Nigerians jobless.

    According to him, government should boost local capacity development and curb idleness in the country. Olowoshile urged government to halt capital flight in the New Year to save enough money for infrastructure and socio-economic development of the nation.

    The oil workers’ scribe urged the government to do everything possible to ensure the restoration of national peace and tranquility.