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Senate, Reps agree to move NFIU to CBN

The Senate and House of Representative conference committee have agreed to domicile the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), it was learnt Tuesday.

This is coming as the Senate has scheduled today (Wednesday) consider and adopt the report of the Conference Committee on NFIU Bill.

The NFIU is currently domiciled in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC.)

Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Chukwuka Utazi submitted the conference committee’s report to the Senate yesterday.

The Bill seeks to grant financial and operational autonomy to the NFIU, which is currently domiciled in the EFCC.

Findings showed that the conference committee adopted the recommendation of the Senate, which removed the NFIU from the anti-graft agency and domiciled it in the CBN.

The House position which was jettisoned by the conference was that the NFIU should continue to be domiciled in EFCC.

The Egmont group, a global network of 154 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), had suspended Nigeria at its last general meeting in July 2017.

The FIU threatened to expel the country if the Unit was not given autonomy by its next meeting holding on March 11, 2018.

If expelled, the country will suffer a blacklist in the global finance sector and Nigerian Banks will be unable to issue Mastercard and Visa credit/debit cards while card transactions with Nigerian originated cards will be blocked. This means Nigerians will be unable to carry out foreign transactions.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, said that the Bill will be considered today.

Ekweremadu commended Utazi and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Kayode Oladele, for putting aside their differences and presenting a harmonised report.

He said that the Bill will be passed and signed into law before the group’s meeting this weekend.

Only last week, Utazi accused his counterpart in the House of attempting to derail the process of having a legal framework that would guarantee independence of the NFIU.

Oladele fired back and insisted that Utazi was behind the delay in the passing of the Bill.

A meeting between Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, mandated the two lawmakers to meet and conclude work on the conference report.

The joint committee met on Monday, where the two versions of the report were harmonised.

Read Also: Senate, Reps bicker over NFIU bill

March 6, 2018
Senate, Reps bicker over NFIU bill

The Senate and House of Representatives are at war over the passage of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Units (NFIU) Bill.

The rift between the two chambers blew open Thursday when Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, told the Senate in plenary that that his counterpart in the House was frustrating the efforts of the Senate to pass the controversial Bill.

Utazi complained bitterly that all attempts by his committee to sit at conference with their counterparts in the House had not been successful due to their recalcitrant attitude over the Bill.

The Enugu North lawmaker feared that the country might be expelled from the Egmont Group if the bill was not passed expeditiously.

In July, 2017, the Egmont Group, a global network of 152 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), suspended NFIU at its 24th plenary of the Heads in Macao.

“The group also explained that the NFIU was suspended because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where NFIU is currently domiciled, was leaking sensitive information to the media.

The Egmont Group equally accused the EFCC of blackmailing individuals with the confidential intelligence made available to it.

Utazi said, “In July last year, Nigeria was suspended by Egmont Group with a threat to expel the country in March this year. This is coming up on the 11th of March, which is next week. If we do not put our house in order, we will be expelled.

“The expulsion will have severe consequences. Our financial banks will not be able to do anything. Our banks and foreign transactions will no longer amount to anything. We will be degraded. Even the corruption index we are complaining about will be a child’s play to what we are going to face in few days to come.

“This Senate passed this bill within a record period of eight working days because of the importance and urgency. That was the first bill to have gotten such a speedy passage in this Senate. I came with a motion earlier to explain issues of what were on the ground.

“The House of Representatives also took its time to pass this bill. A Conference Committee had been constituted. I have been calling my counterpart in the House of Representatives. The first meeting was stalled. They said the leadership was meeting over the issue.

“We called for another meeting. Each time I call for this meeting, my counterpart in the House of Representatives will always tell me that he is attending one meeting or another. Even this morning (yesterday), I sent him a message and he said he was attending a budget defence meeting. I told him that this meeting is more important? He knows what is at stake.

“I am bringing this issue to public knowledge that this Senate is doing its job. This Senate is doing its duty. If anything should happen or Nigeria is suspended, it will not be as a result of the failure of the Senate to act on this issue.

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, explained that the issue of the NFIU had been discussed at the leadership level where the conference committee was constituted.

Saraki promised to take up the matter with the Speaker, House of Representatives to broker a way through and ensure that the Bill.

Saraki said, “This matter has been discussed at the leadership level and a Conference Committee was set up. I am surprised that this meeting has not taken place. I will meet with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and I will remind him of the decision we took so that he can direct the chairman in the House of Representatives on this.

“Both of you will work on it as fast as you can so that we can transmit this bill to the President before the next Egmont meeting in order to save this country. We will take action.”

A source however said that the problem between the two chambers emanated from their different positions.

He noted that while the Senate wanted the NFIU removed from the control of the EFCC, the House wants the body to be domiciled in EFCC.

Read Also: Senate threatens to pass 2018 budget without MDAs’ inputs

March 1, 2018
Reps to FG: Include teaching of leadership principles in curriculum

The House of Representatives Thursday urged the federal government to include the teaching of Leadership Principles in the curriculum of secondary schools and tertiary institutions:

To this end the Green Chamber mandated its Committees on Basic Education and Services and Tertiary Education and Services to liaise with relevant authorities to ensure the inclusion of the teaching of leadership principles and practice in the curriculum of Secondary Schools and Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria.

The joint committee is to report back to the House within six (6) weeks for further legislative action.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion by a member, Hon. Olajide Olatunbosun.

While moving the motion, the lawmaker noted that education is the key that unlocks the development of personal and national potentials and equips every person with knowledge, skills, attitude and values to enable him or her contribute meaningfully towards national development.

His words: “The goals of higher education as specified in the Nigeria’s National Policy on Education include acquisition of both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individuals to be self-reliant and useful members of the society.

“The education curriculum in Secondary Schoolsand Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria have been developed and continually changed to carter for the needs and growth of the society.

“Those curricula have undergone constant changes, there are no provisions for subjects and courses that will equip students with requisite leadership skills and knowledge to make them future leaders and persons capable of engaging in global competitiveness;

Olatunbosun expressed concern that the absence of subjects or courses on leadership and development in the education curriculum in the Secondary schools and Tertiary institutions has left the youths ill equipped and with little or no capacity to assume leadership roles in the society.

He said though the new additional subjects introduced by the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and implemented are essential because they include subjects such as entrepreneurial studies, “but did not include the teaching of leadership which is an essential subject for future leaders.”

When the Deputy Speaker of the House, Yusuff Lasun who presided over plenary called for a vote on the motion, it was supported by a majority of members.

Read Also: Optionalising Nigerian languages in senior secondary school curriculum

February 22, 2018
Killings: Reps urge FG to provide sustainable security in Zamfara

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, called on the federal government to give special security attention to Zamfara State because of the recurring killings by unknown armed men going on there.

According to the Green Chamber, the Federal government should provide a coordinated and sustainable security intervention, involving but not limited to land and air military operations; State Security Services and other security agencies.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion of urgent national importance titled: “urgent call on federal government to provide security to Zamafara state” sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Husaini Moriki (APC Zamfara)

The lawmaker noted that the state is facing various security challenges ranging from kidnapping, cattle rustling, community attacks and general banditry activities.

He also recalled recent killings of about forty people on Wednesday, 14^th February, 2018in Birane and Mashema districts of Zurmi Local Government by unknown armed bandit.

According to him, previous killings had been brought before the House and many resolutions to address the situations were adopted and implemented by both Zamfara state government as well as the federal government but regretted that the implementation was not consistent and could not be sustained thus leaving the state vulnerable to further attacks.

“Recent attacks in the two local government areas that I represent namely Shinkafi and Zurmi claimed no fewer than one hundred lives and property worth millions of naira were lost.

“Beside this, several citizens of the local government Areas were also kidnapped, and ransoms amounting to millions of Naira were paid by relatives of the victims in Oder to secure their release.”

Read Also: Teacher flogs student to death in Zamfara

Moriki expressed concern that the development has negatively impacted on the economic wellbeing of the people of the state as businesses have collapsed and farms abandoned due to fear.

When the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara called for a vote on the motion, it was supported by majority of members.

Subsequently, the House urged the national emergency Management Agency NEMA, through its committee on NEMA to send relief materials to families of the victims.

It also resolved to send a delegation to visit and condole the people of Birane and Mashema in Zurmi LGA and the people and government of Zamfara State.

February 21, 2018
Reps move to legalize Excess Crude Account

The House of Representatives Tuesday moved to legalize the Excess Crude Account in a bid to restructure the distributable revenue to the three arms of government.

A bill for an Act to amend the Allocation of revenue ( Federation Account etc) Act Cap, A15 Laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004 to establish the Excess Revenue Fund Account, and for other related Matters,” passed through second reading Tuesday on the floor.

It was referred to the joint committees of Finance and Justice after the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara called for a vote and it passed.

However, the Chairperson of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon Nnena Elendu-Ukeje disagreed with the lawmakers’ efforts saying the Excess Crude Account can only be legalized through a constitution amendment process.

Lovette Idisi (PDP-Delta) sponsor of the bill in his argument said; “the allocation of revenue Act was established in 1982 to prescribe the basis for distribution of revenue accruing to the Federation Account between the Federal and State Governments and Local Government Councils in the States; the formula for distribution amongst the States; the proportion of the total revenue of each state to be contributed to the State joint Local Government Account.”

According to him, the amendment seeks to insert new sections to section 5 of the Principal Act:

“There is hereby established for the Federation an excess revenue fund account which shall consist of all revenues or other moneys raised or received by the Federation above the revenue targets set out for the purpose of funding the budget in a fiscal year (not being revenues or other moneys payable under the Constitution or any Act of National Assembly into any other public fund of the Federation established for a specific purpose.

“Section 5(2) provides that: ‘No money shall be withdrawn from the Excess Revenue of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the funds, money as authorised and/or prescribed by the National Assembly pursuant of Section 81 of the Constitution.

“Section 5(3) further provides that: “Subject to subsection an expenditure from the Excess Crude Revenue Fund Account shall be Ain accordance with section 2 and 3 of the Principal Act; provided that the Federation Allocation Account Committee shall prescribe the manner of distributing such money to the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purpose of this bill and the Sovereign Wealth Fund,” the lawmaker said.

The Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, while quoting section 80 said the National Assembly has the power to legislate on any account for specific purpose,.according to him, he had queried the legality of the ECA several times in the past and that the only way out is to legalize it he account.

But Chairperson House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon.,Nenna Elendu- Ukeje , disagreed with the Bill to give legality to the Excess Crude Account saying only a constitution amendment should have sufficed

She said: “Well, I think that today’s bill put paid to the to the question that we’re troubling our minds on the last motion in the House regarding the $1 billion deductions from the Excess Crude Account for the counter- terrorism war.

“On that day, Mr. Speaker had said on the floor that as well as the Leader of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila -at the time, we had said that it was an illegal account – Of course they differed on that day that it was an illegal account. In fact to quote Hon. Gbajabiamila, he said and I recall: that that $1 billion was part of the contribution of states.

“But in this debate Tuesday he said that it was an account that was shrouded in so much mystery where nobody knew what was accruable to the states and what was accruable to the federal government.

“So, as far as I am concerned,, if we’re seeking to give it legal backing, what it means is that everything the account has up to date, it has operated illegally. As a matter of fact, in Hon. Femi’s debate, he said that somebody should change the word” establishment” because the Excess Crude Account has not been established. That the National Assembly was the only body that has the power to come up with an establishment bill. Which means that we have been operating an illegal account. Therefore, my concern is the constitutionality of it all.

“The constitution states very clearly that all monies accruing to the federal government shall be paid into the consolidated Revenue Account and disbursed in a manner as prescribed by the National Assembly. So that means that if we want to change it, can we actually change it by way of a stand-alone bill? Or is it a constitutional amendment matter? Because of course, we all know that as the grand norm, any law in conflict with the constitution, to that end, that law is null and void.

“So, for me, I’m a little worried about what’s the legality of the account and I’m very glad it has been put to rest because the Speaker and the leader of the House have finally agreed with what we said that it was an illegal account. But I’m very concerned with the mode of giving legality to this illegal account.

Two weeks ago lawmakers from the South-South geopolitical zone had demanded for the allocation of the percentage of the $1 billion which was meant to fight terrorism and removed from the Excess Crude Account.

The agitation on the legality of the proposed withdrawal of $1 billion from Excess Crude Account (ECA), for the procurement of arms to fight Boko Haram caused the House to refer the motion to the committee of Finance for further investigation on the exact amount in the ECA and advice.

Read Also: Reps to investigate Total E&P for neglect

February 20, 2018
Cattle colony: Reps suggest cattle breeding settlement

The House of Representatives has kicked against the proposed establishment of cattle colony by the Federal government as a solution to the open cattle grazing and its attendant consequences on communities across the country.

Rather, the lawmakers advised the Federal government to work out modalities for the establishment of cattle breeding settlements as a lasting solution to incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Mohammed Onawo (PDP, Nasarawa), who regretted that the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers have presented serious security challenges in the polity.

He said: “It is noted that the Federal Government’s proposal to establish cattle colonies in every State in Nigeria to cater for the herdsmen and their cattle as a lasting solution to the continuous clashes which, in most cases, result in senseless and avoidable loss of lives and properties.

“We are however concerned that the decision to establish cattle colonies in each State could be in violation of Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Land Use Act as those colonies will remain the exclusive reserve of the individual State governments and as such, would not guarantee total freedom to the herdsmen.

“It must be said that cattle rearing is not an exclusive reserve of the Fulanis as other tribes also engage in the business and that is why we are determined to provide a lasting solution to the incessant conflicts between herdsmen and farm owners, hence modern breeding practices should be encouraged.

“We are convinced that ranching will offer longer lasting solution to the recurring conflicts between herdsmen and farmers, if the herdsmen would be fully sensitized and educated about the benefits of the program, as it would enable them assume full ownership of those ranches”.

In its resolution, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has been urged to liaise with State Ministries of Agriculture to speedily educate and encourage the herdsmen on the benefits of ranching.

February 20, 2018
Reps to investigate killings in Benue, Rivers, others

Worried by the killings in Benue, Rivers, Zamfara and other states across the country, Nigerian military service and intelligence chiefs are to face the House of Representatives over killings across the country.

The service chiefs are to avail the lawmakers’ details of their intervention and strategies aimed at preventing future occurrence, it emerged Tuesday.

The lawmakers however expressed concerns over a stereotypical attribution of every killing to a particular group irrespective of where they took place.

They said such conclusions hinder paths to enduring solutions to the challenge.

Speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, Chairman of the ad hoc committee mandated to carry out the investigation, Pally Iriase said the House was not unaware of a number of efforts and approaches by other organs and agencies of government to tackle the problem.

Iriase who is also the Deputy Chief Whip of the House however regretted that the efforts, while still ongoing, are being impacted by strait – laced narratives, political innuendos and ethno-religious distrust.

He said: “In fact some of these strait – laced narratives have tended to ascribe all killibgs to a single cause, thus jettisoning the need to rigorously interrogate the happenings with an open, unbiased and nonpartisan mind.

“The seven-man Committee is bipartisan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious in composition and we are enjoined to approach this important national assignment with an open mind and adopt an Intelligence gathering focus.

“To achieve our goal in this onerous task, we have adopted a proactive approach that will see us embark on visitation and interaction with victims by visiting a number of carefully selected areas that have been attacked severally, interact with the victims, survivors and other critical stakeholders.

“We will also interact with the security chiefs, in addition to our foreign partners.

“To assure Nigerians that it is going to be an all – inclusive engagement, a public hearing that will afford Nigerians the opportunity to air their grievances and proffer solutions will also be conducted.

“It must however be emphasized that intelligence gathering is going to be our major focus because the aim is to identify the remote and immediate causes of these killings enable us proffer solutions from informed position”.

Saying that the approaching 2019 electioneering activities would not affect the commitment of the Committee members, Iriase noted that the issue is more important to the country.

“2019 election and activities towards its prosecution will not affect us because it is only in an atmosphere of peace that election can hold.

“To us this assignment is more important than the election and this is the reason why the House will make the report available to Mr President when we are done,” he added.

February 20, 2018
Constitution review: State assemblies excite Saraki

President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Monday, took to his social media accounts to express his excitement that 25 of the 36 states had voted on amendments to the constitution that were passed by the National Assembly in July 2017.

Saraki stated that the passage of the amendments by the 25 state assembles was a testament to the fact that with the right vision and follow-through, the country can achieve a lot as a nation.

He was also quoted as saying that the process was a pointer that politicians from various walks of life and various parties can still come together to get things done.

Saraki’s comments, reproduced by his media office on Monday read, “I am excited about the news that 25 out of 36 states have voted on the #ConstitutionReview amendments that the 8th National Assembly passed in 2017.

“In 2015, when we first started the ambitious process to review the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we never could have imagined the level of support and participation that we would get from all of you — everyday Nigerians, members of the civil society, and political actors across the country.

“This is why the passage of the #ConstitutionReview amendments in 25 states across the country, is a pat on the back of legislators at both the Federal and State levels — because it shows that with the right vision and follow-through, we can achieve anything as a nation.

“Make no mistake, this is another #PromiseKept by the 8th National Assembly, and it further demonstrates that despite our differences, politicians from various walks of life and various parties can still come together to get things done.

“Moving forward, I cannot wait to receive the #ConstitutionReview documents at the National Assembly, so that we can move forward with the process of getting them assented and cemented in the laws of our great Federal Republic.

“Now that both the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives have set up a Joint Committee to review the #ConstitutionReview amendments that did not scale through initially, we are encouraged with the level of collaboration that we have already seen from the State Assemblies throughout this process.

“I am very encouraged for the next phase of this process.

“Well done to members of our State Houses of Assembly”.

Read Also:Saraki names conference committee on electoral reforms Bill

February 19, 2018
Reps to probe NEMA over N17bn allocation

House of Representatives, says it will probe the financial operations of National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ).

The resolution followed a motion under matters of urgent public importance by Rep. Benjamin Wayo (Benue-APC) on “the alleged violation of public trust at the agency.”

Wayo, who moved the motion, said that NEMA has been unable to account for the more than N17 billion it had received so far.

According to him, the core mandate of NEMA is to coordinate the management of disaster across the country and to assist victims of such disasters.

“In spite of this core mandate, several cases of disasters across the country have been given necessary attention which is the hunger issue in IDP camps in the Northeast, the farmers and herdsmen conflicts, fire disaster victims and many other such cases that have been neglected.

He said the house was “Concerned that the agency has received more than N10 billion from 20 per cent from the National Ecological Fund in the last one year, five billion naira for hunger intervention in the Northeast, about two billion Naira for flood intervention across the country.”

Wayo expressed concern that these funds were illegally siphoned by officials of the agency through dubious award of contracts without delivering relief items to the victims.

According to him, the Director General of the agency also awards contracts to companies he has personal interest in and has violated his approval limits by awarding contracts to single firm without due process.

He further expressed concerns that the agency is the only federal agency that has an Air Ambulance but has turned it into financial venture without remitting the financial proceeds to government coffers and the agency could not account for their assets.

Contributing to the motion, Rep. Obinna Chidoka (Anambra-PDP), said that the house should investigate NEMA’s activities thoroughly to know how much was appropriated and spent.

Similarly, Rep. Sunday Adepoju, (Oyo-APC), said that tax payers money must be accounted for as there were no way these monies could be spent unaccounted for.

The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to investigate the allegations in six weeks.

NAN

February 15, 2018
Bamidele: don’t see Ekiti APC primary as warfare

Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has warned aspirants jostling for the Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket against perceiving the primary as a do-or-die contest.

He said he is contesting for governor, because of his passion for his people, adding he has the requisite political experience for the position.

Bamidele spoke in Otun Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area while addressing delegates in preparation for the party’s primary billed for April.

The former federal lawmaker is currently on a tour of the 16 local Government areas of the state, and stated this when he addressed the party members in Ido Ekiti during the week.

February 9, 2018