The Nation Newspaper

Tag: GOVT

  • Group urges govt on cancer

    Group urges govt on cancer

    Do you know that cancer can be prevented? How, you wondered? It is through a healthy lifestyle/dietary changes and medical instructions.

    According to the wife of governor of Lagos State,  Bolanle Ambode  Nigerians, especially women should take their health seriously by going to health facilities for early screening/diagnosis if they have concerns about their health, especially breasts.

    Mrs Ambode stated this at the fourth annual public lecture to commemorate the World Cancer Day, organised by Landers 88 (Landers 88 Reunion Club) held at the Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School. The theme was: Prevent and Fight Cancer, We Can I Can.

    The lecture was organised to immortalise a colleague of theirs, Omolara Jolaoso and create awareness on the early detection and prevention of cancer. Mrs Ambode was represented by Mrs Olufunmilayo. Present were also top medical doctors and psychotherapists.

    Mrs ambode said cancer is no more a death sentence as perceived by many if the right steps are taken early enough.

    She said: “What we are saying therefore is that cancer is no more a death sentence if people will follow medical advice and treatment instructions. One thing we need to do very quickly in our fight against the scourge is to step up awareness and public enlightenment among the people. We must let everyone know – both young and old, that cancer can be effectively prevented if some simple dietary and medical instructions are followed. We must also spread the message that the conditions can also be managed for the afflicted to live a normal and useful pain-free-life.

    “Too many lives have been cut down locally and globally by cancer, what we must emphasise is what can be done to save precious lives and prevent needless deaths in cold hands of cancer. For too long it has caused untold pains and anguish among the people but the good news is that cancer is gradually being demystified, though a permanent cure may not have been found yet but we now have reliable clues on prevention and the condition can be managed with strict adherence to medical instructions.”

    President of the Club, Soji Adekogbe, lamented the unavailability of enough equipment in hospitals and therefore urged the government to declare a purpose-driven state of emergency in the health sector.

    He said: ‘’Sadly, due to limited cancer treatment equipments in Nigeria, many die even before it gets to their turn to get on the equipment. Once again, I call on government to wake up to its responsibilities to the citizens of Nigeria and declare a purpose driven state of emergency in the health sector. Since the global direction is forward looking and geared towards reducing cancer related illness and deaths, it is therefore pertinent that Nigeria is not left out of this movement. We therefore use this opportunity to seek more strategic partnerships with Landers 88 Reunion Club in the fight against cancer in Nigeria and urge Government at local, state and federal levels to change the cancer treatment narrative in the country.”

    Medical Director of Alimosho General Hospital Dr M.A Adebajo said people need to pay attention to theirhealth and go for regular checkups to know the state of their health.

    Adebajo said the cost of a full check up is very low compare to that of treatment, as he added, “I would advise people to go for check up on time. In fact, it is very costly to treat cancer but a lot more cheaply to prevent. Go for regular check up at least once in six months.”

    A consultant, Dr Adeleke Kaka  said people don’t seek for help on time, instead they try so many remedies, seek opinions from friends before going to the doctor, “let’s note that loosing blood can impair your function. If you notice some swellings on your body you should contact your doctor immediately. It is important that when you have such cases you meet the right doctor. The doctor will check if there are any abnormal growths in the body and other things before arriving at conclusion.”

  • Govt allowed killings by herdsmen to fester, says Soyinka

    Govt allowed killings by herdsmen to fester, says Soyinka

    President Muhammadu Buhari is operating under a trance, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka said yesterday.

    The sooner he gets out of that trance, Soyinka said, the better for the country.

    Prof. Soyinka, who spoke at a press conference on the damaging consequences of marauding herdsmen on the nation, noted the unforced errors going on in the nation.

    With the theme:  “Herdsmen and Nation:  Valentine Card or Valedictory Rites?” the dramatist gave an analogical tale of a state whose master’s insensitivity allows for the overbearing actions of his subjects.

    He lamented that mass destruction of farmlands in the most horrifying manner had become a norm, festering with the encouragement of the government’s body language.

    Soyinka described as appalling the position of the Inspector General of Police that the loss of lives in Benue State, and consequent increase in the number of internal refugees, was simply a communual clash.

    In his view, little will be achieved in security without  state police.

    “If the IG can sit in Abuja and say of an event that is happening under the jurisdiction of a governor in another state is just a communal clash when people are being slaughtered and their villages are being occupied, it shows complete alienation. Then there is  the authority of Governors who have the ultimate authority for security. It is the governor who is supposed to be the chief security officer. We are now back to authoritative voices saying indeed, state police need to be decentralised. We have been saying it and others  have been saying for a long time. We are now getting back to the commonsensical issue that the nation cannot function under a single police command,” he said.

    Acknowledging, however, that the Nigerian Army has done marvelously in degrading the capacity of the Boko-Haram insurgents, the poet-activist said “it must now turn around to face another phenomenon which is considered in some international circles deadlier than the Boko-Haram”.

    According to him, the containing efforts happening now should have begun six months as he expected the force to have immediately transferred its concentration from operations, such as Python Dance and Crocodile Smile to where the heat was.

    He said the security agencies have the responsibility to look at highly-placed people in whose interest anarchy can be fostered.

    Soyinka added: “Why colonies were brought in to complicate things, I do not know. Ranches; that’s the word used everywhere. There is no organized illegal force that does not sooner or later spin up. Are these internally generated or are they being launhed by individuals who in their interest the nation must be in a state of anarchy? We sometimes talk about corruption but we don’t understand how far corruption goes. When you think of the amount being stolen in this country, enough funds illegal fund to destabilise the country. We might end up discovering that some of these people profit from ensuring there is chaos from Maiduguri to Lagos.”

    Speaking on restructuring, Soyinka said: “Sooner or later, people will recognise the fact it’s not broken record they are listening to, it’s their hearing that is impaired. In other words, we have been shouting restructuring, now its inevitability has always been stressed. The internal relationship of the units of this country be decentralised. And anytime you talk about restructuring, you hear this gibberish that the sovereignty of this country will not be compromised. Who is talking about sovereignty? We are saying the internal components of the country needed to be addressed … We must decentralise governance.”

    Asked what he would tell President Buhari if he met him, the Nobel laureate said: “I would say: Mr President, I think you are under a trance. “The sooner he gets out of it the better. So many unforced errors are going on,” he added.

    Prof. Soyinka cited Buhari’s recall of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf, after he was suspended for alleged graft by Minister of Health Isaac Adewole, as a recent example of the unforced errors that have characterised the administration.

  • Exporters hail govt on exportation from Ikorodu terminal 

    The Federal Government has been given the tumbs up for exporting agricultural produce through the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal.

    Over 30 export laden containers were moved by barges from the terminal to Lagos sea port as part of measures to decongest the ports and boost the economy.

    The gesture, exporters said, would enable Nigerians to maximise the facilities at the moribund terminal.

    Speaking during the flag-off of using barges to ferry over 31 containers laden with agricultural produce from Ikorodu to Apapa port,  NPA’s Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, said her agency has the mandate to ensure effective utilisation of the Ikorodu terminal for export.

    President Muhammadu Buhari administration, she said, is committed to encouraging export promotion through the terminal while NPA would ensure adherence to occupational health and safety as panacea to efficient port services in line with international best practices.

    She urged Nigerians to come forward and avail themselves of the emerging opportunities in the agricultural export market to boost foreign exchange earnings and  strategically position the country on the global business community

    They said they were happy that a major infrastructure at Ikorodu, which was idle for decades, came alive again under the initiative of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Managing Director Ms Hadiza Bala Usman.

    An exporter, Mr Ken Adeyanju,  said  the rejection of Nigerian commodity and produce at the international market would soon be a thing of the past.

     

  • ‘Govt must divest interest in refineries’

    ‘Govt must divest interest in refineries’

    Degeconek Oil and Gas Limited Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Mr. Abiodun Adesanya is the immediate past president of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE). In this interview with EMEKA UGWUANYI, he proffers a solution to revamping the refineries, the need for exploration in the frontier basins and how to optimise oil reserves and economy through the right policies and prudent financial management.

    What should be done to the refineries to make them work?

    It is traditionally believed that every venture government has a hand in does not work well. So, there is a need for either partial or total divestment and allow the business to go to the private sector. That, in a nutshell, is the way forward. Every other attempt by the government to monopolise and control 100 per cent any venture has not worked and will never work.

    A lot has been spent on refinery maintenance and turnaround maintenance. We still have those problems and we will continue to have them as long as that business is in the hands of government. Government should divest strategically, retaining about 20 per cent and let 80 per cent or more in the hands of the private sector. If you and I own a refinery and operate it, clearly we will watch out for our interest and run it as a business just as we have seen in the telecoms business and what we will see in the power sector when they eventually sort out their issues.

    The Federal Government has set 2019 to stop importation of refined petroleum products. Do you think that is a step to achieving self-sufficiency in fuel requirement?

    The reality is that our refineries are old and they haven’t been diligently maintained over the years due to corruption, among others. To meet that target is an uphill task in the light of what I’m seeing except if there is a magic wand somewhere, I don’t see us meeting that objective. We can move closer to realising that objective, but entirely achieving it is a tough one.

    The government is also suggesting co-location of new refineries with the existing ones. What is your take on this?

    They will benefit from similar infrastructure. They will benefit from roads, water, pipeline that supplies crude to the existing refineries’ facilities in the first instance. So, that will obviously have positive impact on the overall cost of having those refineries. So, for a cheaper cost you can actually have the value you try to create.

    What is the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves with the dwindling exploration activities?

    The future of Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves is still bright. People think Nigerian basin is mature, but as a geoscientist and from NAPE perspective, I can tell you Nigeria still has the capacity. There are still enough of plays out there to be able to double what we have now. It is just making sure we have the right policies in place. We have to recognise that oil companies are into business. So, in any business you are, if you are not making money, I don’t know how you can continue in it. Also, because the world is dynamic, and the economy is dynamic, the government needs to respond with changes in policies. I can tell you in the times past when the price of oil was $10, the government responded by putting a policy in place to encourage exploration and there were some incentives.

    For example, if you go and explore and drill an exploration well, there is an incentive for it. There was also an incentive such as reserves addition bonus. But all those policies have relapsed. The major challenge that we have apart from the fact that oil price has come down, is that we have a lot of competitors within the African environment. A lot of the West African countries that had no oil in the past  have now discovered oil. There is virtually no country in the sub-region that has not found oil and gas.

    The question here is what makes same oil firms here to go there to explore and not explore here? It is because business people and the fiscal policies there are better and money will always chase investment where it will make profit. So, the right policies are there. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has been before the National Assembly for about 17 years without passage. With the right policies and laws we can double the reserves we currently have as a country because there is no oil and gas technology in any part of the world that we don’t have in Nigeria. There is no frontier technology in the world that we don’t have in Nigeria. We have not even taken the value chain of oil and gas. We only think of oil and gas, most of the time, in terms of white products – petrol, diesel, kerosene, forgetting the petrochemical.

    The oil and gas industry is heavily capital intensive and has long gestation period. Sometimes you drill some dry wells and the cost of some of those wells, the cheapest one, are in the neighbourhood of between $20 million and $40 million. How many indigenous firms will be able to drill a dry well of $100 million twice and will be able to survive? So, to be able to do that, they have to spread the risk and that is why partners have to come in. Even in the deepwater acreages, the international oil companies (IOCs) partner, they don’t do it alone.

    Government’s slogan now is ‘diversification’ from oil and gas. Where do we diversify to and where is the money for this coming from?

    We have mentioned agriculture, solid minerals, but primarily because we are geologists, some of our professional colleagues are working in that sector also, so it will be easier to relate. Solid minerals, agriculture, ICT, tourism, among others, the list can be extended where we can diversify to? In 2016, I said we need to come out of the recession with lessons learnt. We need to avoid a situation where we make the same mistakes all over again and we go the cycle all over again. With prudency in financial management, with areas of wastages blocked, with men and women of knowledge and capacity put at the helm of affairs and with the right policy thrust by the government, whatever the volume of that money is, will be carefully managed and steer us into these other diversified areas. And we should be able to again see an expansion of those areas. Nigeria is never short of money, it is just the problem of management of that resource. If we manage it very well, we will have money to build infrastructure such as railways and we can progressively start. The issue of Apapa Port gridlock will be addressed. We can carefully tilt our policies and programmes in such a way that the areas that are essential for the growth of the economy, we put money there and we see the result.

    Do you think production from frontier basins will match that of the Niger Delta basin with time?

    It is not a competition. It is more of a diversification of the sources of the nation’s hydrocarbon. What is being done or advocated to be done, is for example, you need gas in Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri, and if the only way to get that gas to such places is to run pipeline from the Niger Delta all the way to those places, that will be an expensive venture.

    That is not the reason behind exploration in those places. Exploration in those places is a matter of necessity. God gives you a resource, you don’t know it’s there, why not find out if it’s there or not. You are not hundred per cent sure it is there, but you are making effort to find it because it is there and you need to develop it for your development. If we find a big enough gas field in Bauchi-Gombe area, with that gas, you can build an independent power plant (IPP) on that spot and you can enter the national grid from that spot. You don’t need any partner, and the electricity is shared around the country. You can make that place an industrial hub for industries that need that gas for whatever their businesses are.

    So, it is a convenient, easier and sensible way, but you must do the hard work first. You must go and find it, if it’s there you must find out. The science says it is logical to look in that direction, so you want  to basically make sure you exploit that opportunity to the fullest. That’s all we are saying. So, it’s not a competition with Niger Delta. We may find something bigger or smaller than what we have in the Niger Delta. I cannot say that today because it is impossible to say that.

    So, is there any hope of finding oil in the frontier basins or has there been any discovery already?

    I’m not God, but I will try as much as possible. The reality is that the results from these basins are encouraging. I would isolate the 23 wells that were previously drilled in the Chad Basin. I’m looking at the three wells that were drilled in the Benue/Gombe/Bauchi area. One of them actually intercepted gas and that gas is what they now want to appraise. So, in the next three months Frontier exploration Service (FES), an arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will be scudding and drilling that appraisal well. They will be doing that drilling and when the results come we will see, but most likely there will be an announcement of gas discovery in that Gombe/Bauchi axis. That’s our expectation.

    The demand for renewable energy is increasing globally. Can this be a threat to demand for fossil fuel in the future?

    To the extent that it is fuel, yes. Currently, I think about 64 per cent of global energy consumption comes from fossil fuels and the idea is that by 2025, that percentage would have dropped below 50 per cent. But oil and gas is still useful in other areas for petrochemical development – the shirt, button, jacket, plastics and fender of cars, among others, are products of oil and gas, products from petrochemical industry. We haven’t even scratched the ground on that basis at all in this our environment.

    So, if oil and gas is not giving us petrol, diesel, kerosene and Jet A1 for aircraft, among others, it will be giving us opportunity to set up plastic and fertiliser industries. Gas can be used for fertiliser. It is a major component of fertiliser. So, the agriculture and other things we want to do as a country, we will be able to do it better if we harness the hydrocarbon resource. All we are doing is trying to diversify and make sure we exploit the resource. So, it is something that will be around with us for a while. The other point that is also very important to notice is at what cost will all the other renewable energy sources be? How much money do you need to generate what? As it is now, gas is still the cheapest way to generate energy, fuel or power. Hydro, solar, nuclear and all the other renewable energy sources are there.

    In terms of today, how long or far does Nigeria want to make that extra dollar investment? We have oil and gas here, even if the whole world decides that they are burning hydrocarbon again, if we have a need, we use it ourselves. The whole idea is to use these resources for our development regardless of what is happening around the world. Even with what is happening around the world, it is quite expensive to attain right now.

    Nigeria is said to have one of the world’s highest production cost per barrel of oil. How can the nation cut this cost to maximise returns?

    I wouldon’t agree with this position. To be honest with you, I will say that cost per barrel is a function of cost of services. It is a function of wastages in the system (corruption, among others). But there is the actual cost per barrel. We don’t have any business having a high cost of per barrel given the matured and long history of exploration and production that we have had in Nigeria. If we move to new areas and try to develop them, that will be understandable. But currently, there is a lot of amortised infrastructure that have been built a long time ago and they have paid for themselves already and are just being utilised.

    But if you are going to a new area, for example, Aje field production, they need a lot of new infrastructure such as floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), among others. So, we have gone past that point. Our cost per barrel has no business being high because we have been in recession and the industry has been challenged by oil price, service cost has also come down.

    Now there is an element that has nothing to do with oil and gas on the technical side that is also exacerbating the cost per barrel. This include the non-technical cost, cost of joint taskforce (JTF), navy patrol vessel, cost of providing security and community issues, among others. Cost of repairing in a cyclical way the damaged infrastructure because all those costs are eventually shared and passed on to the cost per barrel. So, there is a technical cost that we know – cost of drilling, logging a well and seismic, among others. There is cost of naval patrol vessel, gun-boat rental, repairing Trans Forcados multiple times, among others, which can easily be avoided. By the time you add these on to the technical cost, you have this bogus cost per barrel. So, if we can decompose, try and address those issues and bring them down, I think we will be alright.

    Nigerian graduates are said to be lacking the capacity to meet oil and gas industry expectations. What is NAPE doing to address this?

    We have the University Assistance Programme (UAP), which has a chairman and the chairman is on our executive council.  The UAP started over 15 years ago. It was primarily set up to increase the industry/academia relationship both on the lecturer and student sides. We have the internship programmes in the universities. They started when the UAP started. When a student gets to year three going to year four, mandatorily, he or she will go and spend six months in the industry.

    What has been the percentage success, how many students are available and how many openings are available?

    The openings available don’t match the number of students. So, some get left out. What we have instituted this year is to take the internship to the schools. How do we do that? We take all the 26 affiliated universities to NAPE. We group them regionally into six geo-political zones and we have a centre in each zone and we attract five best students from six schools, that is 30 students in all, and we run them through “a crash intense internship programme” over a weekend. They start on a Friday and end on Sunday evening. It is something that we see as a sacrifice because that way, people who ordinarily wouldn’t have had the opportunity of getting to hear anything about the industry will have that opportunity.

    They will know about exploration and production, among others. It is a crash and the criteria for selection have to include – having a very good class recommended by your Head of Department (HoD). There will still be the normal internship, but we are offering this one and each person from those five schools gets back to school and try and repeat the presentations they have learnt. There is a competition each of them will present back.

    It is quite intense, you work 8am till 8pm for those three days. We accommodate them, give them food and one university will host everybody and NAPE supports them with subvention. We put money on it. We have done one in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, University of Port Harcourt, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, We had about six schools in that zone and we brought them all to Awka successfully. We are doing the next one in Ilorin, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ife, University of Ilorin, among others, will come together again.

    Every quarter we will do that until we go round the geopolitical zones, and we keep on repeating it again and again. That way we will be able to get a greater number of people to benefit from the programme. Sometimes, having the opportunity and hearing about the oil industry is all you need to figure out and know exactly where to pitch your tent.  That is one critical area that we assist in addition to all that the UAP has been doing.

    We have been sponsoring lecturers to conferences, we have had leadership programmes and trained the trainers. We take the lecturers and train them too in order for them to be up-to-date and be familiar with the latest in the industry for them to pass that knowledge to their students. We give them scholarships, sponsor them to NAPE conference and we have mini-conference for university students every two years purely for educational institutions that offer geosciences.

    Degeconek Oil and Gas Limited is an upstream service company. W hat value does it add to the industry?

    Apart from our business, which is providing services in the areas of geosciences and reservoir engineering, we have also hired people. To be modest, we have hired a greater number of people than we actually need at any point in time. A number of them have left us as well and they are strategically in various companies all around. So, we have brought opportunities to those who ordinarily may not have had one. We believe we have contributed and are still contributing to the industry.

    What is your advice  to upcoming geologists, petrochemical engineers and other geosciences graduates?

    Basically, they need to be thirsty for knowledge. So, they have to go to where knowledge is being dispensed. They have to be very good in their lectures in class and make sure they come out with good grades. They have to, as much as possible, position themselves by attending conferences and technical seminars where their knowledge can be enriched; and they need to be dynamic and move around. Of course, it is not easy because they need money to do all these, but doing well in their lectures provides an opportunity for scholarship, among other benefits. But over and above that, they must be ready, because it requires a lot of hard work to make it in anything. They must be ready to walk the work as opposed to looking for shortcuts. They must not be distracted by short-time gains and not be lured into illegal things that people do to make money. They must work hard and know that with hard work and a bit of luck and prayer, which we cannot rule out, they will make it.

  • Govt registers artisans, tradesmen

    Govt registers artisans, tradesmen

    Lagos State government yesterday began the registration of artisans and tradesmen to enhance their productivity.

    The exercise is aimed at  transforming and developing tradesmen, artisans, small and medium scale entrepreneurs in the state.

    Speaking at its launch  at Ovation Event Centre in Iyana-Ipaja, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment  Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said the data capturing initiative would curb the rising rate of unemployment in the state.

    The exercise, she said,  would last for five weeks across the five divisions of the state.

    She said: ‘’The major objective of the initiative is to create capacity in the informal sector by stemming the tide of increasing rate of unemployment, endless  search for white collar jobs and more importantly  to halt the preference for artisans and craftsmen from the neighbouring countries.”

    The commissioner said a new software application had been designed as a platform to bring artisans and those who need their service together.

    “The initiative would modernise the workforce/SMEs by reconstructing competitive and business sustenance foundation on which exchange of goods and services occurs. It involves the loading of all registered/certified artisans and MSMEs products on a platform  i.e the Artisans Virtual Market platform where anyone in need of quality service of the artisans , tradesmen  and SMEs can get it just through a click on their phones or any online device,’’ she said.

    ‘’The payment gateway on the App is to be handled in conjunction with Ibile Microfinance Bank who will open bank accounts for the artisans and issue credit cards that will also double as identity cards by which the cash flow of the business operators can be clearly seen which will also give them the opportunity of accessing loan through a well authenticated platform.

  • Traders seek better deal from govt 

    A group of traders in Lagos has called on the government to provide them an enabling environment to operate. They are not just problem solvers, but also job creators and drivers of growth.

    Mrs. Joy Oriowo said the tough business condition was affecting them. She said traders and small business owners were unhappy with the insecurity in the markets and shops, adding that some of the youth involved in the crimes were unemployed.

    She said those who break into shops and steal peoples’ products should not to be blamed because things are hard. “There are no jobs for graduates,” she said.

    Speaking on her challenges, Mrs. Oriowo, a retailer of clothes, attributed this to the high price of clothes and fabrics, no thanks to the high foreign exchange rate, adding that this was making it difficult for her to sell her wares.

    Also, Mrs. Abimbola Shotayo, a trader in one of the markets in Lagos, said her major challenge was multiple levies.

    She lamented: “We pay many levies and this is affecting our profits.”

    Mrs Shotayo explained that apart from paying rent she also pays charges to some associations, such that at the end of the month, she would not be able to make enough profit.

    Mrs Shotayo, a food stuff seller, urged the Lagos State government to scrap some of these levies to enable small businesses survive.

    She suggested that the government should build shops at a very affordable rate for small businesses.

  • Falana asks Govt to bring back deported naturalised Nigerians from Cameroon

    Falana asks Govt to bring back deported naturalised Nigerians from Cameroon

    Activist lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has accused National S ecurity Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno of “acting illegally” in the deportation of 52 naturalized Nigerians to Cameroon two weeks ago.

    He said yesterday in a statement that under the National Security Agencies Act (Cap N74) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and the Immigration Act 2015, NSA Monguno is not competent to arrest, detain and deport any alien or immigrant from Nigeria to any other country.

    Falana  urged President Mohammadu Buhari to bring back the naturalised Nigerians, who were deported  to Cameroon by the NSA.

    Falana disagreed with General Monguno that the deportees were illegal immigrants in the country.

    In an open letter to the President yesterday Falana, who claimed to have the mandate of the affected persons to represent them, said:

    “Our clients are not illegal immigrants in Nigeria. Three of them are naturalized Nigerian citizens while others are recognized refugees and political asylum seekers in Nigeria”, he stated adding that their names and status are set out in the list of deportees attached to his open letter to the President.

    ”Out of the 52 people who were expelled from Nigeria the Government of Cameroon has maintained that the National Security Adviser handed over to it 47 deportees. Up till now, the National Security Adviser has not accounted for the whereabouts of the remaining five detainees

    ”The National Security Adviser knew that two of our clients are naturalized Nigerians, six are refugees while 37 others are political asylum seekers who are entitled to be protected by the Federal Government of Nigeria. For the avoidance of doubt, the Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees in Nigeria drew the attention of the National Security Adviser to the legal obligations of Nigeria to respect the rights of our clients”, he contended.

    The letter read in part: “Twelve of our clients who are the leaders of the people of Southern Cameroon and who have been living in Nigeria for several years were assembled for a meeting at Nera Hotel, Abuja on Saturday, January 6, 2018 to discuss the challenges faced by the over 10,000 Cameroonians who have sought political asylum in Nigeria due to persecution and repression under the Paul Biya regime in Cameroon.

    ”But before the commencement of the meeting a team of armed security personnel invaded the venue, abducted our clients and took them away to an undisclosed place.

    “The Police and the security agencies denied knowledge of the abduction of our clients. Consequently, all efforts made by the lawyers, doctors and family members of our clients to visit them in custody were frustrated without any legal justification. Even Mrs. Nalowa Bih who is pregnant was denied medical attention by the National Security Adviser.

    ”However, a representative of the Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees in Nigeria was allowed to visit our clients at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the visit, the United Nations representative found that our clients were held in an underground cell at the headquarters of the Defence Intelligence Agency on the orders of the National Security Adviser.

    ”On account of the refusal of the National Security Adviser to allow access to our clients by their lawyers, relatives and doctors we filed an application at the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court on Thursday, January 25, 2018 for the purpose of securing their fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.

    ”Notwithstanding the pending suit and the intervention of the Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees, the National Security Adviser expelled our clients from Nigeria and deported them to Cameroon on Friday, January 26, 2018.”

    “By a consent judgment delivered by the Court on March 5, 2002, the Federal Government was directed to file a suit at the International Court of Justice to have a judicial confirmation of the human right of the people of Southern Cameroon to self determination. Attached herewith and marked annexure A is a certified true copy of the judgment.

    ”The Federal Government also undertook to take other measures as may be necessary to place the case of the people of Southern Cameroon for self determination before the United Nations General Assembly and other international organizations.”

    ”Even though the suit has not been filed at the International Court of Justice the Federal Government has continued to recognize the human rights of our clients and other people of Southern Cameroon to self determination”, he stated

  • Enugu govt. to procure 100 vehicles for mass transportation

    Enugu govt. to procure 100 vehicles for mass transportation

    Enugu State government is to procure 100 vehicles at the cost of about N800m to ease mass transportation in the state. Rising from the state’s Executive Council meeting held at the Government, Enugu, the commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barrister Sam Ogbu Nwobodo, also informed that the State Government has also approved the contract for the renovation and expansion of New Haven Shopping complex in the state capital to enhance ease of doing business.

    According to him, the decision of the government to procure 100 units of vehicles was to make movements of persons and goods in and out of the state very convenient. He further explained that to execute the vehicles procurement project, the state government had earlier approved its participation in what is called Infrastructure Bank Move Nigeria Programme, an offshoot of Infrastructure Bank of Nigeria PLC created by the Federal Government to fund major infrastructures at concessionary rates and which it intends to use for this purpose.

    The commissioner explained that “the totality of gains in the two projects is to impact positively on the lives of people of the state both in terms of mass transit and in terms of ease of business for the traders and people that patronize them, making it conducive for people who live around New Haven, Independence Layout and GRA”. Giving further details of the intervention in the shopping complex, he said the state government approved the award of contract for the expansion and renovation of its parking area, construction of ultra-modern public toilet in the market for ease of business and to avoid outbreak of diseases which may result from non-availability of convenience rooms in such crowded market area. Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has commended his Enugu State counterpart, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his development strides in Enugu in spite of the nation’s economic challenges and the meager resources of the state.

    Ambode also applauded Ugwuanyi for the existing peace in Enugu State, saying “where other states seem to be having problem, there is dignified peace and stability in Enugu”. The Lagos State governor spoke when Ugwuanyi hosted him and his entourage at the Government House, Enugu alongside other dignitaries, who were in Enugu ahead of the burial of the elder statesman and former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme in Oko, Anambra State on Friday. He said that irrespective of party leanings, he was moved by the development strides of Ugwuanyi that he noticed since he arrived Enugu.

    He said: “Irrespective of party affiliation, development is development and progress is progress and the whole thing is more about being people-oriented and we give God all the glory that there are still people who can prove that there is good governance in Nigeria.” Ambode who was also in the south east geopolitical zone for the late Dr. Ekwueme’s burial in his capacity as the Chairman of Southern Governors Forum, said he sees himself as part of the Igbo people, who make up a good percentage of Lagos and drive the state’s economy. According to him, “I am more Igbo than any other person because Lagos is a cosmopolitan state and I am not too sure whether I can cross any street in Lagos without having an Igbo brother or sister and if you want to govern Lagos properly, you have to abide by the rules and conditions of business men and women and which the majority happens to be our brothers.”

  • ‘How govt’ll capture new minimum wage’

    ‘How govt’ll capture new minimum wage’

    The Federal Government will prepare a supplementary budget to ensure the payment of the increased wage bill after the minimum wage review, Director General of the Budget Office Ben Akabueze said yesterday.

    He spoke against the background of the ongoing wage review process and its effect on this year’s budget being considered by the National Assembly.

    Akabueze said: “When an agreement is reached on the new minimum wage, the financial implications will be worked out and a supplementary budget prepared for its implementation.”

    He added: “Right now, the only provision that exists is what we call public service wage adjustment and that is merely over N40 billion that has been made on that line, which means it would not be enough to cater for any adjustments that may be necessary.”

    Speaking during a dialogue with the media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Abuja yesterday, Akabueze added that an arrangement was being worked on in respect of government departments generating revenue but not remitting to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

    He said:  ”Going forward, we are working to design and implement a new performance management framework for these MDAs and state owned enterprises that will see them contributing, we have refused to take the path of reducing the revenue projection from them.”

    According to him: “in the 2016 budget, we projected a very ambitious N1.5 trillion naira for these agencies, by the time the year was over, we recorded less than 400 billion. In 2017 we took a hard look and realised that we are being overly ambitious and we reduced the projection to N807 billion, the full year fiscal numbers are not out and I know that there’s still a significant under performance.”

    “For 2017 we put N847 billion and a number of people have questioned the rationale for that decision, but we think that it’s important to answer the question fundamentally whether N847 billion naira revenue projections from these agencies in which cumulatively government has invested about N40 trillion over the years and therefore a budget of N847 billion is simply asking for a two per cent return of investment, is not unreasonable. We chose to hold back on the target and to engage with these agencies to drive the performance and say this is not acceptable.”

    He added that the N4.9 billion the federal government spends annually to maintain mechanical and electrical equipment in the Villa is not excessive.

    “There is the annual N4.9 billion for maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment in the Villa. The Villa as we all know is an expansive complex comprising residences, offices and other relevant support services and infrastructure as significant as N4.9 billion sounds, it’s not an excessive amount of money to keep those facilities in top shape.”

    Defending other contentious items in the budget, Akabueze noted that regarding “some items classified as “unclear”, we concede that perhaps some of the item descriptions need improvement, we made efforts and some of our officers made contact with some MDAs, we reviewed and questioned some unclear descriptions and we made some push backs and the MDAs were made to clarify but it is quite conceivable that some of them still sound not very clear. If you come across such you can seek clarification from us or specific MDAs.”

    Regarding the N2.2 billion social media mining suite which the DSS plans to execute under security protocols to curtail false information and what is called fake news, Akabueze said this amount in the 2018 budget was captured because false information or fake news as it is known globally now “could threaten national security and they have assured us that the intention is not to hinder freedom of speech and information.

    According to the DG budget, “we have N338 million computer and software acquisition for the federal ministry of finance this is only to fund some ICT solutions this cannot be considered an excessive amount of money for the ministry of finance this is hardly $1 million.”

    There have been allegations of inadequate provisions for some sectors such as health, education and agriculture Akabueze said the Budget Office in preparing the budget “conceded that we need to allocate more money as we go forward but the truth of the matter is that overall there is significant constraint in terms of availability of funding. We should be looking at a budget higher than N8.6 trillion. The estimate is that we need to be spending a minimum of $30 billion annually on infrastructure to actually make a significant dent on the infrastructure stock in the country.”

  • Govt urged to improve crude oil production by 70%

    The Federal Government should improve crude output as the price hovers between $68 and $70 per barrel, stakeholders have said.

    The stakeholders, including the Chief Executive Officer, Abuja Power Station, Mr Jameel Jammal, and the former Country President, International Institute of Energy and Law, Prof Adeola Akinnisiju, said this would enable the government to earn enough money for budget implementation and other fiscal responsibilities.

    They urged an increase in production of between 70 and 80 per cent.

    Jammal said a sustained peace initiative in the Niger Delta was necessary for the government to achieve its intention of meaningful economic growth.

    He said it was through the region that the economy derives highest percentage of its earnings from crude oil, adding that the country would stop contending with bad economy once crude oil production improves significantly.

    “Meeting fiscal responsibilities in order to encourage growth in the economy would not be difficult, once the production of crude oil peaks. The country depends on crude oil for about 80 per cent of its export earnings, a development, which suggest that crude oil is the mainstay of the economy. While economy diversification is good, it would take the Federal Government sometime to improve through economy through non-oil sources,” he added.

    Also, Akinnisiju said happenings in the Niger Delta region go a long way in determining the outlook of the economy. He said Nigeria depends on crude oil for sustenance, therefore, there is need to foster growth in the Niger Delta region.