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Tag: Kayode Fayemi

  • FEC approves N30 billion for mining

    FEC approves N30 billion for mining

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N30 billion intervention fund for mining exploration in the country.

    The Minister of Mining and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He was accompanied by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

    Fayemi said that the fund that will come from 1.68% of the Federation Account will mainly focus on mining exploration.

    He said: “FEC rectified the president’s anticipatory approval for Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to qualify to access the national resources fund.

    “You will recall that in August FEC approved the road map for the growth and development of the mining sector.

    “In recognition of Mr. President’s campaigns promises to Nigerians‎ and in particular his consistent statement to diversification particularly in agriculture and mining sector, Council ratified the approval of N30 billion intervention fund for the mining sector. It will be highly focused on exploration. Exploration is the heart of mining, if you don’t search you won’t find.

    “You have heard all sorts of talks about how rich Nigeria is in mineral resources but the quantity, quality, the geological prospectively has been a challenge because we have neglected  the sector for such a long time.” He said

    He also said that there is need for investment grade geological data if Nigeria must attract mining investment into the country.

    According to him, smaller countries like Burkina Faso spend averagely $300 million a year on exploration.

    He added: “This is why Council approved this for mining and this is significant because this is the accessing of natural source development fund which has been made 1.68 per cent of the federation account. It is an equivalent of the ecological fund and the Education Trust Fund.

    “It is meant primarily for agriculture sector, mining sector and the water resources sector. And this will cover exploration primarily but also research and development in partnership with our universities, it will also cover security and mining in partnership with the ministries of Interior and Defence and the DSS just to tackle the menace of illegal mining across the country. It will also support small scale miners with grants,” he stated

    The Council, he said, also stressed the importance of inter-ministerial coordination and for the Ministry to work with the ministries of transportation, power, works and housing, environment on safer mining practices and ministry of health ‎to help build a multi-sectoral focus on mining and also encourage private sector investment in the sector.

    He said that the government is already in negotiation with sovereign investment on mining in order ‎to access private capital to mining and the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

    The guidelines, he said, will be ready in a month’s time.

    Amaechi disclosed that the Council approved advisers that would sit to negotiate with General Electric (GE) towards concessioning the railway.

    ‎He said: “For the Transport sector I’m sure you are aware of an attempt to concessioned the Railway to General Electric (GE), Council approved the advisers that would sit with GE as our own experts to negotiate.

    “The narrow Gauge railway will to a great extent assist the agriculture, mines and steel development ministries in the transportation of the extracted minerals. We are rehabilitating at no cost to government the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, which include Port Harcourt, Aba, Umuahia, Enugu, Makurdi, Jos, Gombe, Bauchi to Borno.

    “Then Lagos to Kano will include Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, ‎Ilorin, Kano, Funtua, Zaria and to Kaura Namoda, we are rehabilitating all of them.

    “It is essentially ‎to encourage freight movement, we have over 30 million worth of freight on the Lagos Kano route for which presently we are moving slightly above 100 tones. While the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri is currently moving nothing but we are anticipating 11 million tones that can be moved from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.” He said

    According to him, the rehabilitation will encourage movement of cargos and passengers‎.

    He said that GE will do everything required to rehabilitate and invest on other railway infrastructure.

    “GE is proposing to manage for 25 years‎ to recover their investments. Nigerian government has not agreed and that is what our advisers will sit with GE to agree,” he added.

    The advisers, he said, included African finance corporations.

  • Reps probe loss of over N49 trillion in mining sector

    Reps probe loss of over N49 trillion in mining sector

    Why is Nigeria earning a paltry N31.449 billion annually from the solid mineral sector when it could actually earn as much as N50 trillion?

    This is the mystery the House of Representatives resolved to solve as it braces to probe the loss of almost N50 trillion annually in the mining sector.

    The House Tuesday mandated its Committee on Solid Minerals Development to Invite all stakeholders involved in the process of mapping, licensing, mining and exportation of solid minerals in order to determine the extent of compliance with the Mining Act, 2007.

    The resolution of the House was after the prayers of a motion by a member, Hon. Lovette Ederin Idisi with the title: “Call for an End to the Violation of the Mining Act of 2007 by Mining Companies, Individuals and Regulatory Bodies,” was adopted.

    According to the House, the committee should also determine the number of licensed miners against the number of unlicensed miners and the number of prosecutions, if any commenced and convictions secured with regard to the violations of the Act.

    The committee will again ascertain the data and value of exploited and exported solid minerals and where they are located, and report back to the House within four (4) weeks, for further legislative action.

    Idisi while moving the motion claimed “that illegal mining and exportation of gold and barites are going on in the country in clear violation of section 7 of the Act, which requires any person wishing to export solid minerals to obtain a permit.”

    He noted that the Mining Act of 2007 which repealed the Minerals and Mining Act, No. 34 of 1999, prohibits unauthorized exploration/exploitation of solid minerals in the country and vests on the Federal Government, the responsibility of implementing the provisions of the Act by creating an enabling environment for the exploration, exploitation and sustainable development of these resources for the benefit of the Nation.

    The lawmaker further said he was “also aware of other solid minerals deposits in many States of the Federation, ranging from 10 million tons of lead and zinc to be found in about eight (8) States; 7.5 million tons of bentonite and barte in Taraba and Bauchi States; limestone deposits in about eight (8) States; coal deposits in Enugu and some other States; wolframite in Kano, manganese in Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara States; not to talk of Nasarawa States, which alone, has about twenty-nine (29) solid minerals deposits.”

    He said that a report of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative/Central Bank of Nigeria (NEITI/CBN) states “that the total revenue from the solid minerals sector in 2012 amounted to N31.449 billion, whereas the country should be making as much as N50 trillion annually if all the natural resources are properly tapped and where the small, medium and large scale miners have their transactions properly recorded.”

    He expressed concern about the huge disparity in the records of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which put the value of the exported solid minerals at N577,768,456 worth of 9,068,70 tons by 15 companies while the Nigerian Customs Service put its own at N11,496,070, 69 worth of 7,107,099,80 tons by 30 companies:

    He deplored the flagrant neglect and breach of the Mining Act of 2007 which he said has made the country to lose trillions of naira “at a time when it is in dire need of funds to build its infrastructure and carry out other responsibilities of governance.”

    While citing examples he said that bitumen is one solid mineral which deposits in the country could double that of crude oil, “yet most of the bitumen used in road construction in the country are imported, a scenario which has led to the country losing billions of Naira annually.”

    When the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara called for a vote on the matter, the motion was supported by majority of members at plenary.

  • Nigeria completes mining license review, publishes results next week

    Nigeria completes mining license review, publishes results next week

    Nigeria has completed a review of its mining licenses and will publish the results next week, the minister of solid minerals development said on Monday, adding that those who did not comply risked having their licenses revoked.

    Dr. Kayode Fayemi told Reuters that an amnesty period for companies to comply would not be extended beyond March 1 as the country looks to grow its nascent mining sector and diversify away from an over-reliance on crude oil.

  • Ekiti APC faults Adesina’s JSC appointment

    Ekiti APC faults Adesina’s JSC appointment

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    • Accuses Fayose of committing another ‘illegality’

    The Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against the appointment of former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dele Adesina (SAN), as member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

    The party said the appointment has added to an alleged “long list of illegalities and constitutional breaches” committed by Governor Ayo Fayose since assuming office on October 16, 2014.

    APC Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatunbosun said in a statement yesterday that Adesina’s appointment was a violation of the constitution, which stated that “no person can be appointed into the Judicial Service Commission twice”.

    “Adesina was first appointed as a member of the Judicial Service Commission by Governor Kayode Fayemi in 2012, and against the law, he was again appointed by Governor Fayose as the Chairman of the commission in 2015,” Olatunbosun explained.

    “By the provision of Section 200(3) of the 1999 Constitution, no person can be appointed to State Civil Service Commission, Judicial Service Commission or State Independent Electoral Commission twice.

    “ Adesina (SAN) was appointed by Fayemi to serve in the State Judicial Service Commission, now Fayose has re-appointed him to the same office.

    “This is illegal and unconstitutional. This provision of the law is an offshoot of Sections 197,198 and 199 of the 1999 Constitution.”

    He added that by this action, Fayose had breached the constitution for the umpteenth time.

    “It is unfortunate and regrettable that a senior advocate of Adesina’s stature could allow temporary allure of office to take precedence over professionalism and defence of the provisions of the constitution, his very constituency from where he made money and earned his fame,” he said.

  • Fayemi urges key mining countries to assist Nigeria

    Fayemi urges key mining countries to assist Nigeria

    Mr. Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has called on key successful mining countries to assist Nigeria in its bid to diversify the economy through solid minerals.

    Fayemi made the call while receiving Mr. Perry Calderwood, the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to him, the country seeks for the assistance of successful mining countries to achieve the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari to diversify the economy from crude oil to solid minerals.

    Fayemi, who said that Canada had been able to grow its economy through mining sector over the years, expressed Nigeria’s willingness to emulate that country’s laid down structures and processes to move its economy forward.

    “We have to hit the ground running; we have no time to waste at all to achieve the mandate of the present administration.

    “We want to learn from successful countries, including Canada on their success stories in mining; we need their experience, assistance and others,’’ he said.

    Earlier, Calderwood said his visit was to discuss with the minister on areas that Canadian government could collaborate with the ministry.

    He said the two countries would continue to enhance the existing dynamic ties between them, adding that Canada had earned and achieved a lot through its mining sector.

    NAN reports that mining sector is the leading customer in Canada’s ports and it’s the highest paying industrial sector.

    It is also the largest employer of aboriginal people.

    In 2011, mining companies invested 17 billion dollars in capital investment and paid 7.1 billion dollars in corporate taxes and royalties.

  • Wednesday’s ministerial screening highlights

    Wednesday’s ministerial screening highlights

    The screening of ministerial nominees into the Federal Executive Council enters day two on Wednesday.

    The Senate on Tuesday screened 10 ministerial nominees, including a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Danbazzau, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    On Wednesday Another set of nominees will meet the Senate and reel out their programmes for Nigerians.

    Those that will be screened on Wednesday are – former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, Dr. Chris Ngige, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Barr. Solomon Dalong, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Senator Hadi Sirika and Barr. Adebayo Shittu .

    THE NOMINEES:

     

     Babatunde Fashola:

    – Lagos success a team effort.

    – Police decentralization is a must.

    –  Encourage diversification of economy through productivity.

    – I don’t sign cheques or fix prices.

    – Nobody has said I have corruptly enriched myself.

    – Concept of loyalty is a very strange one. If tested you may be asked to take a bullet for your son.

    – Nigerians invest more money outside the country.

    – Nigeria needs loans that will grow the economy.

    – Security is the toughest task any government can possibly take.

     

    Dr. Ibe Kachikwu

    – 50% of NNPC subsidy charges come from kerosine.

    – Refinery has a lifespan of 50-60 years depending on maintenance.

    – Nigerians to get free cylinders  next year.

    – PH Refinery operating presently at about 67% capacity.

    -No routine maintenance in refineries in 10 years.

    – No new PIB for now.

    – Contracts processes in NNPC not transparent.

    – Senators will get monthly report on NNPC and the petroleum industry as a whole.

    – All requests or grants for refineries will be reviewed.

    – NNPC is not owing salaries.

    – There is massive fraud in subsidy scheme.

    – I will support NNPC unbundling.

    – NNPC has one of the best retirement packages in Nigeria.

     

    Abubakar Malami

    – Our laws cannot develop without input from National Assembly.

    – Justice administration is incomplete without financial independence of the judiciary.

    – There is development in justice administration, but there is need for greater collaboration among the three arms of government.

    -No person should be detained in criminal matter beyond a period of three months before they are arraigned.

    -Justice administration in respect of criminal cases provides that cases must be determined within 180 days.

    – Prisoners should be made to acquire vocational skills while serving their terms.

     

     

    Dr. Chris Ngige

    – We introduced the first health committee in the Senate.

    – We promoted primary health care service.

    -Buhari is ready to serve Nigerians.

     

    Aisha Alhassan

    – My nomination is not a compensation for losing governorship election.

    -Corruption has little or nothing to do with money.

    -The bar and bench are key players in the corruption of the judiciary.

     

    Solomon Dalong

    – Criminal justice in Nigeria has a long history.

    – There is need to reduce prison congestion.

    -Lawyers must live up to expectations.

    – Cattle rustling has international connection and must be tackled head on.

    – We must have a clear perception about corruption.

    -Over-dependence on oil makes Nigerians lazy.

    – Nigeria prison system is punitive.

    -Corruption cannot be reduced to opinion, it should be defined by act of the National Assembly.

     

    Kemi Adeosun

    – Non-oil sector is growing.

    -We must implement strategies to improve IGR

    -Identify sources of revenue leakages and plug them

    -We must stimulate our economy

    -Set aggressive targets to plug revenue leakages

    -TSA reduces borrowing capacity.

    -TSA improves visibility of revenue.

    – We need FID to create employment.

    -Nigeria a huge consumer market.

    – In 2005, Ogun was ranked 35th out of 36 in worst states to do business.

    -We cannot continue to spend 78% of our budget on recurrent expenditure.

    -We need to look for other sources of funding.

     

  • Highlights of ministerial screening

    Highlights of ministerial screening

    A ministerial nominee from Akwa Ibom, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, sets the ball rolling.

    He has been asked to take a “bow and go.”

    The next nominee to enter the podium is a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    Rights activist, Shehu Sanni, asked the ex-governor if truly he escaped through an unconventional border during the late Gen. Sani Abacha era.

    Fayemi said, “I did not borrow to pay salaries, but borrowed to fund capital projects for Ekiti.”

    He has also been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    The next nominee to face the senators is Chief Audu Ogbeh.

    The ex-National chairman of the PDP has been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    The next ministerial nominee is Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

    He is acknowledging cheers from the senators.

    He has been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    The next ministerial nominee is Dr. Osagie Ehanire from Edo State.

    He will take questions from senators.

    The nominee has been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    In all five ministerial nominees have been cleared by the Senate.

    The sixth nominee, Lt. Gen.Abdulrahman Danbazzau (rtd), takes to the podium to take questions from senators.

    Lt. Gen. Danbazzau has been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    The APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is the next nominee to face the senators.

    He took six bows before the lawmakers – three for Saraki and three for the Senators.

    Mohammed has been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    Seven ministerial nominees have now been cleared by the Senators. We have three more to go.

    A female ministerial nominee, Amina Mohammed, is now addressing the Senators.

    After her address, she will take questions from the lawmakers.

    After taking few questions, she has been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    The ninth nominee, Suleiman Adamu, is now addressing the senators.

    Adamu has been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    The last nominee for today, Ibrahim Jubril Adamu, is introducing himself to the senators.

    He is a ministerial nominee from Jigawa State.

    He has also been asked to take a ” bow and go.”

    Adamu’s clearance by the Senate ended the proceedings for today.

    All the 10 ministerial nominees that faced the senators on Tuesday have been confirmed as ministers.

    The exercise will continue on Wednesday with the screening of second set of nominees.

  • Ministerial screening: Fayemi responds to questions

    Former governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi is presently answering questions on his activities in office, particularly the debt burden left behind by his government.

  • Fayose to Senators: Don’t block Fayemi’s nomination

    Fayose to Senators: Don’t block Fayemi’s nomination

    Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, on Thursday warned Senators from the state against blocking the nomination of former Governor Kayode Fayemi during the screening of ministerial nominees next week.

    The governor gave the warning during a meeting with executives of the Federation of Ekiti State Student Unions (FEESU) in his office in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

    Describing Ekiti as a “project that belongs to all,” the governor said what he is after is the progress of the state and that everything must be done to support it.

    According to him, an Ekiti man is an Ekit man irrespective of his party affiliation, urging the federal lawmakers from the state to play their own part in ensuring that Fayemi is cleared when he appears at the Senate.

    Fayose said: “Ekiti is my priority. I call on all the House of Representatives members and senators that went to Abuja from here, some people petitioned the National Assembly stating how Fayemi sunk Ekiti into heavy debts, I have told the members not to do that.

    “It is God that judges people, not us. You must support him there. They should not go to the Senate and oppose Kayode Fayemi, no, they must never do that. An Ekiti man is an Ekiti man. I appeal to everybody, you must support him.”

    He charged the students to shun acts that could mar their future, saying he would never ask them to engage in party politics or thuggery.

    The governor urged them to be mindful of the current financial situation of the state while making their demands, promising to always treat young people with utmost respect and love.

    He promised to hand over a brand new bus donated to him during his campaigns to the Ekiti State University Students Union Government and another bus to transport the students to and fro their campus.

    Fayose equally gave the assurance that other state-owned institutions would be considered for assistance too.

     

  • My nomination came as a surprise – Fayemi

    My nomination came as a surprise – Fayemi

    A former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said on Tuesday that his nomination as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari came as a surprise.

    The ex-governor said he didn’t anticipate his inclusion in the President’s ministerial list.

    He told journalists at the All Progress Congress (APC) National Secretariat that although he was with President Buhari till about 4:00pm on the day the list was submitted to the Senate President, the President never mentioned it to him that he was being considered for appointment.

    Fayemi, who was the Director of Research and Strategy of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, is one of the 21 ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by President Buhari.

    He said, “Well, to the extent that I was not told by the President that I was going to be on his list, yes, it came as a surprise. The President is a surprise master, let me put it that way.

    “He did not tell anyone to the best of my knowledge and I would have thought that I was in vantage position to know more than others. I was with him for five days before then, I was with him in New York at the United Nation General Assembly and he never said a word about his list to me nor to anyone else.

    “We came back to Nigeria together, I was with him till 4:00pm on the evening he submitted the list to the President of the Senate and I didn’t have any clue of what is going to happen. So, to that extent I was pleasantly surprised.”

    While describing the nomination as a call to service, Fayemi added: “One must thank the President for reposing confidence in us and we thank the party because when you look at the list, you will see that this is a galaxy of party men and women. These are people that have been very active and worked hard to ensure the victory of our party.

    “And we also hold it as a duty to deliver on the promises made to Nigerians by the party.  So it is a call to duty really, it involved a lot of work, service and sacrifice to Nigerians.”