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  • Nigeria’s fish import hits N125b , says Adesina

    Nigeria is importing an estimated 1.9 million metric tonnes of fish worth over N125 billion yearly.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who spoke while meeting the management of Triton Group in Abuja, said the huge budget on fish importation is not sustainable.

    With a national fish demand of about 2.1 million metric tonnes per annum and a domestic production estimated at about 800,000 metric, he said the nation has a shortfall of about 1.30 million metric tonnes.

    To reverse this, Adesina said the government has evolved a plan which will ensure growth both in artisanal and industrial capture fisheries as well as in aquaculture. To facilitate investment and expansion in the sector, he said the government provides an array of across-the-board investment incentives, such as tax holidays, waivers of customs duties, export tax allowances, and unrestricted repatriation of capital, dividends and profits as well as additional incentives above.

    He  hoped  that there will emerge a new cadre of local investors, who will jump at the opportunities to create wealth from the production and trade of fish through aquaculture which there is significant and growing demand.

    With marine fish stock declining, he said the government has to look at aquaculture to substitute traditional seafood sources and as a source of foreign exchange for the country.

    Adesina said The Triton Group has committed $60 million in an extensive aquaculture investment after successfully adding aquaculture to its fish importation business in Nigeria. This is a direct result of the government’s food import substitution policy.

    The  minister said the company’s efforts will create 70,000 metric tonnes yearly as well as 3000 direct jobs.

    According to him, the company’s contribution will save the nation $85 million yearly.

    Chairman, Ashvin Samtaru, said Triton Group owns a two-million catfish fingerling capacity hatchery in Ikeja, Lagos State, from where it sourced the stock for the Iwo project.

    Santani said about $65 million was being planned for investment in catfish and tilapia production in the next five years to complement efforts of the government to grow local fisheries sector and create more job opportunities.

    He said the plan was to establish fish farms for both tilapia and catfish in different parts of the country. For this reason, various state governments were approached to partner with the company to grow fish, provide jobs and boost the economy.

     

  • Coaching course: Salisu Yusuf hits London on Monday

    Coaching course: Salisu Yusuf hits London on Monday

    El-Kanemi Warriors’ Technical Adviser, Salisu Yusuf, will travel to London on Monday for a coaching course.

    Yusuf is expected to depart the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday afternoon aboard Arik Air.

    A source told SportingLife that Yusuf, who has been tipped to work with Stephen Keshi as the Super Eagles’ assistant coach, will be in the United Kingdom for the second phase of the courses he started last month.

    Yusuf was part of 17 Nigerian coaches and former international players that travelled to London in March, for a nine -day capacity-building course in match reading, match preparation and backroom analysis.

    SportingLife scooped that Yusuf is the only coach that will be traveling with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee department this time for the five-day course.

    The aim of the trip, according to our source, is to help Yusuf practicalise what he was taught in the first phase of the course.

    “Coach Yusuf is not currently with the team. He is planning to travel to London on Monday for a coaching course. He was in London last month with some Nigerian coaches for a capacity-building course, but he is the only coach travelling with the NFF technical department this time,” a source told SportingLife.

    “What they did in their last trip was more or less theoretical, but this time he is going for full practicals on modern day football technology. He will be taught how to monitor players all over the world, football software, recruitment of players as well as match analysis.”

  • Payment of PHCN’s workers severance package hits N373b

    Payment of PHCN’s workers severance package hits N373b

    The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) yesterday said 46,744 out of the 47,913 bonafide workers, representing 98 per cent of the workforce of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have been paid their entitlements amounting to N373, 170, 291,200.38.

    The NCP acknowledged the commendable progress achieved by the Implementation Committee on the payment of the severance, pension and gratuity of the workers and retirees of PHCN. It directed the Implementation Committee to  handover to BPE all information and documents concerning outstanding active workers and pensioners verifications and payments.

    In a statement endorsed  by Head of Public Communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Chigbo Anichebe, explained that the Council also directed that the process of verification and payment of all the outstanding cases should continue until the final resolution of the exercise.

    Briefing Council members, BPE Director-General, Mr. Benjamin Dikki told members at its meeting held in the Presidential Villa in April 16, that only 1,169 of the 47,913 workers of the defunct PHCN were  yet to be paid.

    Out of the outstanding number, the D-G said it included workers that had exited before severance payment; those being processed for validation; and those yet to be identified by PHCN as bonafide workers adding that  the working group was  looking into these  cases to arrive at a final closure.

    Further, Council noted that 2,791 retired workers of the PHCN  representing 65 per cent of the retirees had been paid  N16,414,926,902.38 with an outstanding number of 1,516 retirees who have so far failed to turn up for verification or were still undergoing further verification or their next of kin have not been able to produce the necessary court papers.

    It would be recalled that an Implementation Committee was constituted in March 2013, with the mandate to implement the agreement reached with the Power Sector Labour Unions in December 2012. The objective was to facilitate the payment of the entitlements of all workers of PHCN and  ensure that there are no encumberances to the handover of the successor companies to the respective investors.

  • Lagos monthly IGR hits N23billion

    Lagos monthly IGR hits N23billion

    The Lagos State government said its monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has increased from N20 billion in 2013 to N23 billion this year.

    The government said it had captured no fewer than 300,000 new tax payers in its tax net in the last one year.

    Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr. Tunde Fowler, who spoke yesterday while addressing reporters in Lagos, said the development was due to the increase in the number of people that have been captured in the state’s tax net.

    Fowler said those who are tax compliant in Lagos state are now 4.5 million up from 3.8 million in the previous years.

    He said: “The high months of collection are usually in April, May and June. These are the months when companies declare dividends and staff go on leave and they get their leave allowance.

    “In terms of our actual collection, we didn’t increase in IGR. In 2013 we had approximately N236 billion while in 2014 it was N276 billion. So we went from an average of N20 billion in 2013 to an average of N23 billion.  And that was one of the things that have kept the state working.

    “The informal sector is yet to pay taxes and some of these people get paid for their services. And they are about three million people in the state. The objective of taxation is to distribute wealth.”

    The chairman said 626 tax defaulters were dragged to court with a total liability of N11.6 billion while 376 succeeded in obtaining a restraining order and a liability of N8.1 billion, while adding that  N728 million was however recovered through court processes.

    “We filled 686 cases at the state high courts at the beginning of the year with a total liability of about N11.6 billion. Out of which 376 cases we received restrain orders on. And this amount to liability of about N8.1 billion. Of this, they have paid N771 million.

    “When a tax payer disagrees with the tax he is expected to pay and both the tax officials and the payer couldn’t reach a compromise, both parties go to court. And the court will grant us some order of restrain; to close that organisation.

    “After that restrain, and they make a payment; we will give a room for the tax payer to bring additional evidence on why he cannot pay such fee. And that was why we always have difference in the amount that we took to court and the amount that was paid.”

    Speaking during 2015 inisterial news conference, Special Adviser to Gov. Babatunde Fashola on Taxation and Revenue, Mr Bola Shodipo, commended residents for paying taxes voluntarily, saying the practice had enabled the government to discharge its development responsibilities.

    He said: “We have made significant progress in recording greater tax compliance in the past few years. From 2.7million in 2011 to 4.5million taxpayers presently; this is a significant leap and government commends residents for voluntarily and promptly paying their taxes.”

    However, he said no fewer than three million taxable adults were still not paying taxes, appealing to evaders to fulfil their obligations in the interest of development.

  • National ID card scheme hits the rock again?

    Fashioning an identity card for the citizens of this country must be some sort of adventure in the land of no return. Even the first trip to the moon could not have been more troublous. No fewer than three previous times have Nigerian governments tried to identify her citizens but all such attempts have been botched after huge contracts had been awarded.

    When a highly regarded professional, Mr. Chris Onyemenam was appointed a few years ago to initiate another national identity gamut, we thought the time was now to kill the serpent; what with today’s vastly improved technology. But we may have rejoiced too soon. After about three years, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is troubled once again. Since roll out was announced with fanfare over a year ago, nothing more is heard. I don’t know anyone I know who has the National ID.

    Recently, the major contractor/technical partners of NIMC had to send a long, open letter to the president through several national newspapers. Writing to the president through an open forum means that all other channels of engagement had broken down. It also means going to the court of public opinion.

    This is indeed a shame. This scheme failed in the First Republic, the Second Republic, and in Obasanjo’s era. The contractors cry of bad faith; we urge NIMC to seek mediation and ensure utmost integrity in their processes. That is the least we expect for our generation has a point to prove that we can succeed where our fathers failed. The ID scheme is too crucial not to be up and running in this age. We expect a lot more from Chris.

  • El Kanemi hits Ilorin today

    El Kanemi hits Ilorin today

    • Bank on Benjamin, Adewale to crush Kwara United

    El kanemi Warriors FC of Maiduguri will arrive in Ilorin today ahead of their week 2 Glo Premier League clash against Kwara United on Sunday.

    The team left Kano yesterday, according to media manager Obaseki Anthony and is expected to arrive today to have enough time to rest for the match on Sunday.

    The Warriors will be banking on midfielder Benjamin Turba, defender Kabiru and captain Bamai Bukar to get a decent result at the main bowl of the Kwara Stadium complex, venue of Sunday’s game. ,

    “Kwara is like home to me, I played against them when I was in Kaduna United and we drew them 1 -1,” Turba said.

    Another El Kanemi player, Kabiru Adewale boasted that Kwara United strikers will find it difficult to penetrate their defence because they are ready to keep a clean sheet in the game.

    “I want to say here that Kwara United’s attackers will find it tough against our defenders because our defence is a no-go area,” Adewale declared.

    Though team captain, Bamai Bukar will not underrate Kwara United, he nonetheless revealed that the Afonja Warriors will not stop them from getting a favourable result having played them before they got relegated two seasons ago.

  • Customs revenue collection hits N977b

    Customs revenue collection hits N977b

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), collected a total revenue of N977.099billion  into the federation and non-federation accounts, the Comptroller-General, Dikko Inde Abdullahi, has said.

    He said it was an improvement over the 2013 performance that saw the NCS recording  N833.397billion.

    Attributing the feat to the implementation of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), Abdullahi noted that “PAAR has equally delivered on the promise of generating revenue to government. In 2014, we received 291,146 applications, out of which a total of  273, 148 was issued.

    “A total revenue of N977.088billion was collected into the Federation account, representing an improvement over the 2013 total revenue of N833.397billion.”

    The customs boss spoke at the International Customs Day (ICD) ceremony with  Coordinated Boarder Management as its theme in Abuja.

    He described the theme as an inclusive approach for connecting stakeholders, adding that PAAR, represents a bold statement in forging an all inclusive approach to stakeholder management.

  • December inflation hits 8%

    December inflation hits 8%

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday said inflation range rose from 7.9 per cent in November to eight  per cent in December last year.

    In its December 2014 report made available to The Nation in Abuja, the NBS said the implication of this is that the country has remained on a single digit range for 24 months.

    The report said food price went up slightly in December as a result of the festive period, rising by 9.2 per cent from the 9.1 per cent recorded in the previous month, adding that this was the first uptick in rates of food prices for four months.

    The report said:  “In December, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures inflation rose by eight  per cent (year-on-year), 0.1 per centage points from 7.9 per cent recorded in November. This implies that inflation has held in the single digit range for twenty four consecutive months.

    “Specifically in December, the faster pace of price increases recorded by the Headline index was as a result of advances in a broad array of divisions that yield the Headline index.

    “Food prices edged slightly higher in December as a result of the festive period. Over that span, the Food sub- index rose by 9.2 per cent (year-on- year) up from 9.1 per cent recorded in November.

    “This was the first uptick in rates of food prices observed in four months. While higher increases were recorded in the Meat, Fish, and Dairy groups, the Food sub-index was weighed upon by slower rises in the Bread and Cereals, Oil and Fats, and Fruits groups.”

    It added that the pace of advances recorded by the “All Items Less Farm Produce” or Core sub-index slowed for the first time since August last year. The Core sub-index eased in December, increasing by 6.2 per cent, after increasing by 6.3 per cent in the previous four months.

    NBS said: “While prices increased in most divisions that contribute to the Core sub-index, slower increases were recorded in the Communication and, Recreation and Culture groups. It should benoted that the Headline Index is made up of the Core Index and Farm Produce items. As Processed Foods are included in both the Core and Food sub-indices, this implies that these sub-indices are not mutually-exclusive.

    “The Headline index rose by 0.82 per cent (month-on-month) in December, higher from 0.59 per cent recorded in November. This represented the highest month-on- month increase since March 2014. Prices increased in most COICOP divisions that yield the Headline index prices but eased in the Communication and Education Divisions.

    “Year-on-year, the Urban index increased at the same rate in December as in November; by 7.9 per cent. Rural prices as observed by the Rural index increased at a faster pace in December after increasing at a slower pace for the previous three months.”

    “The Rural All items Index increased by 8.0 per cent, marginally higher from 7.9 per cent recorded in November. On a month-on-month basis, both the Urban and Rural indices recorded the highest increases since May and September 2014 respectively. Prices increased by 0.2 percentage points to 0.83 and 0.82 per cent respectively.

    “The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve-month period ending in December over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve-month period was recorded at eight per cent.

    “The corresponding 12-month year-on- year average percentage change for the Urban index was 8.2 per cent in December, while the corresponding Rural index was also unchanged in December increasing by 7.9 per cent.”

  • Eland crude hits 31,500 barrels

    Eland Oil & Gas said it sold 31,500 barrels of Brent crude last year.

    The Aberdeen-based company said the oil was loaded and sold by its Nigerian joint venture company, Elcrest, at an average price of $94.93 a barrel.

    The oil was produced from Eland’s only commercially producing field, the oil mining lease (OML) 40 field in the Niger Delta, where it began production earlier last year.

    The sale of the 31,500 barrels brought its gross oil production from OML 40 in 2014 to 115,722 barrels and sold at an average price of $103.77.

    Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), George Maxwell, said: “Eland has had a successful end to 2014, culminating in our most recent operational updates.

    “The company is moving from strength to strength and is well- prepared and financed for our 2015 programme.”

    The sale by Eland comes shortly after the company secured a $22 million (£14 million) loan facility from Standard Chartered. The funding, according to the company, signalled a vote of confidence in its key OML 40 licence at a time when the price of oil is plummeting selling at below $60 a barrel. The facility will be used by the company to fund work on the Nigerian acreage, it added.

    The AIM-listed Eland has mandated Standard Chartered Bank to co-ordinate work on securing a $75 million lending facility it wants to have in place by the year end.

  • Workers’ strike hits courts in Abuja, others

    Workers’ strike hits courts in Abuja, others

    COURTS were paralysed yesterday as workers under the auspices of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) began an indefinite strike.

    The strike followed the alleged refusal of the Executive arm of government at the federal and state levels to comply with a January 13, 2014 judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court.

    The judgment, among others, upheld financial autonomy for the judiciary and declared as unconstitutional, the piecemeal release of its budgetary allocations.

    The strike came at a critical stage in the nation’s electioneering process, when many politicians, who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their parties’ primaries, are in court, hoping to have their cases resolved before next month’s general election.

    This is the second time the nation’s judiciary workers would be going on strike on the issue since the judgment was given by Justice Ademola.

    The workers shut courts for over two weeks in July. They suspended the strike when the Presidency, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, intervened.

    Representatives of parties relevant to the execution of the judgment, including the accountant general of the federation (AGF), states’ accountants general, commissioners of Finance, among others, held meetings with leaders of JUSUN, which culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November.

    The MoU, dated November 27, 2014, directed the accountant general of the federation to deduct directly from allocations to states’ judiciaries at the last Federation Account Allocations Committee (FAAC) meeting in December.

    But yesterday in Abuja, the main gates to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal headquarters (located within the Three-Arms Zone), the Federal High Court headquarters within the Central Business District and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama were locked when The Nation visited.

    Some court officials, who reported for work after the holidays, were turned back by JUSUN officials, led by its President, Marwan Adamu.

    The JUSUN officials went round courts to enforce the strike.

    On the strike, Adamu said: “There is no going back. We will persist until they (the Executive) respect the judgment of the court. This strike is, therefore, indefinite.

    “Since we suspended our initial strike, the government and its representatives engaged us in series of meetings, where  about seven agreements were signed.  The last one was the MoU signed in November.

    “Yet, noting has happened. They promised to comply, but at the last FAAC meeting, we were surprised when they all started shouting no, no, no.

    “The accountant general of the federation has refused to obey the judgment. We have tolerated and accommodated them enough.

    “In a situation where courts’ judgments are not obeyed, we are heading towards anarchy. We are happy that there is total compliance with this strike throughout the federation.”

    The JUSUN president, who sympathised with litigants and other court users, said the workers had no choice, but to go on strike to compel implementation of a subsisting court judgment and the agreement reached with them.

    All was quiet at the high and magistrates’ courts in Lagos  State  yesterday, as  workers also complied with the directives of the national leaders of JUSUN.

    Among cases caught in the industrial action was the application filed by Pastor Temitope Joshua, seeking to stop the inquest into the circumstances surrounding the September 12, 2014, building collapse.

    Justice Lateefa Okunnu could not deliver her ruling in the matter.

    Also, the coroner, Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, could also not sit.

    Litigants and lawyers were prevented from entering the Lagos and Ikeja High court by officials of JUSUN.

    Judges, who reported early for work and hoping to carry on with court proceedings, were turned back as the gates were locked.

    The situation was also the same at the state’s magistrates’ courts.

    Court registrars were  around, but they could not access the court rooms.

    JUSUN’s National Deputy President Samuel Adesanya told reporters yesterday that the strike began on January 2 as scheduled, despite the public holidays.

    An executive of the Lagos branch of JUSUN, Mr. Adelenu Tajudeen, said the court gates would remain locked till further notice.

    The National Industrial Court (NIC) in Ikoyi was also locked as the workers stayed off. Those who reported for work returned home.

    Angry litigants and lawyers, who had thought the association would not carry out the threat, expressed displeasure over the situation.

    They said JUSUN should have considered the implication of its action on the masses.

    They explained that the strike would cause hardship to those in detention while police cells would witness more congestion.

    A Lagos-based lawyer, Kayode Bankole, expressed worries that state governments were yet to compile with the judgment several months after it was delivered.

    When contacted, the National Secretary of JUSUN, Isaiah Adetola, said: “All state high courts will remain closed until they complied with the judgment of the court and grant financial autonomy to the judiciary.”

    In Edo State, courts’ gates were also locked as the state’s JUSUN officials monitored events to ensure full compliance .

    Besides the demand for judicial autonomy, the state JUSUN is also seeking the payment of July 2013 salaries to its members.

    The salary was reportedly withheld because the state government enforced the “no-work no-pay rule” after JUSUN members joined a national strike. Its Chairman, Uyi Ogieriakhi, said his members were being victimised by the state for participating in the strike.

    According to him, “The July salary is a right Edo State cannot continue to keep. We embark on a strike to fight for autonomy of the judiciary.

    “The strike we went for was a statutory strike, but workers are being victimised by the government. We are urging the governor to take a look at the July salary. We cannot continue to wallow in a situation, where the judiciary will be caged.”