The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mr Babachir Lawal

  • FG to revamp SERVICOM for efficient service delivery – SGF

    FG to revamp SERVICOM for efficient service delivery – SGF

    The Federal Government on Monday expressed its commitment to revamp the Service Compact (SERVICOM) agency to ensure effective and efficient public service delivery in the country.

    Mr Babachir Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) made this known in Abuja at the National Policy Dialogue on Strategies for Improving Service Delivery in Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Commissions.

    The event which was tagged: “Efficient and Effective Service Delivery: Imperative for Driving the Change Agenda’’ was organised by SERVICOM to brainstorm on ways to boost citizen focused service delivery.

    SERVICOM is an acronym derived from the words SERVICE COMPACT, an initiative of the Federal Government developed out of the consensus emerging from a Special Presidential Retreat on Service Delivery.

    It is an agreement between the Federal Government and the citizens to guide and sustain the drive for improved service delivery by ensuring that MDAs are more citizen-focused in their operations.

    According to Lawal, the revamping of the agency will mark a significant step in government’s effort to enhance and sustain the culture of effective service delivery in all government establishments, to serve the people better.

    He said that the dialogue was timely as the existence of SERVICOM initiative would be appraised and frameworks developed to improve public service delivery.

    “The importance of our gathering today is to reflect on Nigeria’s public service delivery journey in the past 12 years of the SERVICOM Initiative, appraise the gains and setbacks.

    “Also to develop a framework that will translate governments’ efforts into to tangible improvements in public service delivery.

    “Therefore, I urge you to kindly embrace Government’s reaffirmation of the ideals of SERVICOM, by developing a holistic framework to facilitate the anticipated improvements in performance by MDAs as a precursor for better service delivery,’’he said.

    He noted that improving service delivery was part of the change agenda of the present administration, adding that it would enhance government’s connection with the citizenry.

    The SGF said there was need to sensitise citizens on their rights to demand high quality services; and articulate new pathways for gaining more efficiency in service delivery.

    He noted that this could be done through a review of Global best practices in governance and periodic evaluation of the quality of services delivered to citizens.

    Earlier, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, Acting National Coordinator, SERVICOM said that a citizen centred approach in service delivery would be adopted in reviving the agency.

    She added that the redesigning the internal processes of government agencies was imperative to achieving the set goal.

    Akajemeli also said that to ensure the change agenda of the present administration public servants should see themselves as servants of the citizenry and not masters.

    “Public Service in this democratic dispensation comes with legitimate expectations of the populace and the meeting of such needs and expectations is the fundamental objective of this administration.

    “ In order to achieve this there must be re-orientation of government institutions to optimise access to their sectors by all citizens.

    “There must be shift in public service culture orientating public servants to view themselves as servants of citizenry rather than masters as government recognises the need to deliver high quality efficient service delivery at reduced cost’’, she said.

    Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head Civil Service of the Federation, said that before the establishment of SERVICOM Nigerians were surcharged in the service delivered to them.

    She added that Nigerians deserve better service delivery, saying that the present administration is committed to revamping of SERVICOM.

    She noted that the dialogue was timely, when focus was on enhancing effective and efficient service delivery to all Nigerians which was critical to the change agenda.

  • Lottery Trust Fund donates sports equipment to C’River schools

    Lottery Trust Fund donates sports equipment to C’River schools

    The National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) on Thursday in Calabar donated equipment worth millions of Naira to 38 public primary schools in Cross River, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The NLTF’s Executive Secretary, Mr Habu Gumel, said the donation was in line with the Federal Government’s gesture to equip public primary schools for sporting excellence.

    He said the donation followed the Federal Government’s decision to provide sporting equipment to about 2,000 public primary schools nationwide in May 2016 in Abuja.

    He said the equipment donated in Calabar, which covered nine different sports as well as those in states so far visited by the NLTF, were worth several million Naira.

    According to Gumel, the gesture also reaffirms that Government is passionate and committed to advancing, uplifting and promoting grassroots sports in Nigeria.

    He said the government was determined to equip public primary schools with quality sports equipment through funding from the national lottery.

    According to him, this is a clear demonstration of government’s desire to foster better inclusion of the most vulnerable segments of our society especially school children.

    “We are confident that this intervention programme will lead to the discovery of new talents in sports that abound in our communities and rural areas and also assist their physical and professional development,” he said.

    Gumel charged the benefitting primary schools to put the equipment to good use in and ensure their proper security.

    Speaking at the occasion, Mr Babachir Lawal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said President Mohammadu Buhari was determined to channel available resources to develop Nigeria’s economy.

    He said that the renewed focus on the lottery industry was consistent with the Federal Government’s economic blueprint aimed at diversifying its economic base.

    “Government is determined to harness needed resources wherever they may be found in order to continue to develop our economic potential and apply them to the generality of Nigerians.

    He said government is determined to devote full attention to the industry to ensure it performance meet the revenue and development aspirations of our people.

    He said government has identified sports as a major revenue earner and capable of contributing significantly to our gross earnings outside of oil.

    Lawal was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Dr Amina Shamaki,

    Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River, who received the equipment at Tinapa Resort, decried a situation where Nigeria was only represented in very few sports at global sporting events apart from football.

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, said the gesture by the Federal Government through NLTF would meaningfully engage youths in other sporting activities.

    He said that there were no doubts that with the equipment presented by the NLTF young people, who take to sports and education, would excel

    He urged the benefitting schools to share what they have with neighbouring schools, who had none and ensure the equipment were put to effective use.

    The sports equipment donated were in nine sports: football, badminton, handball, table-tennis, volleyball, basketball, athletics A, athletics B and Taekwondo.

  • Ministers, SGF shun Senate invitation

    Ministers, SGF shun Senate invitation

    The frosty relationship existing between the Presidency and the Senate further deepen Thursday.

    Three ministers and Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal, summoned by the Senate to appear before its separate committees failed to honour the invitation.

    The development emerged as Senate Thursday adjourned plenary for three weeks to observe its end of session.

    The Senate, Thursday, got messier, as the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal and four Ministers, shunned summons extended to them by the Upper Legislative Chamber.

    Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Ababakar Malami, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama; and Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, were invited to face various Senate committees to clear certain grey areas.

    Specially, the Senate summoned the AGF on Tuesday to appear before its committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to explain why the suit against Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules of 2015 became necessary.

    This resolution to invite the AGF followed the adoption of a motion of national urgent importance raised by Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West).

    On the other hand, the SGF, Mr. Lawal and Foreign Affairs Minister, Onyeama did not also turn up to clarify in honour of their invitation.

    Lawal and Onyeama were invited to explain the criteria adopted in the selection of ambassadorial nominees recently forwarded to the Senate for consideration and confirmation by President Buhari.

    While Minister of Communications, Mr. Shittu who was invited by the Senate committee on Communications to explain the reduction of the fine imposed on MTN for alleged operational misconduct by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

    Shittu did not also show up.

    The MTN sanction was originally N1.04 trillion, later reduced to N780 billion and again reduced to N330 billion by the Federal Government.

    The non-appearance of the Minister of Communications may have prompted a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Communication, Senator Gilbert Nnaji which got Senate nod to summon the Minister and some other stakeholders once again.

    The two prayers of the motion asked Senate to “Direct the Committee on Communication to invite all the relevant stakeholders including the Minister of Justice, Accountant General of the Federation, Minister of Communication, executive vice chairman of NCC, Governor of Central Bank, managing director MTN Nigeria Limited and all other parties involved in all negotiations of the MTN deal to shed light on the matter especially whether the reduction was in accordance with the regulation of the NCC governing fines and penalties.

    To “Urge the Federal Government to move the initial amount of N50 billion from the CBN recovery account to the CBN/NCC treasury single account.”

    The prayers were unanimously adopted.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki directed the committee chairman report back in two weeks by the time the Senate resumes from its break.

    Nnaji noted in his lead debate that Senate is aware that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) enabled by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 is the statutory regulator for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

    He said that as the regulator, the commission has been imposing fines on erring telecom operators over the years and proceeds from the redemption of such fines have been lodged in the commission’s designated account.

    The Enugu East lawmaker recalled that in October 2015, in line with the Nigerian Communications Commission Registration of Telephone Subscribers) Regulation, 2011, the Nigerian Communications Commission imposed a fine of N1.04 trillion on MTN Communications Nigeria Limited for failing to deactivate 5.2 million unregistered subscribers on its network.

    He prayed the Senate to note that Section 19 and 20 of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) registration of telephone subscribers’ regulation 2011 does not empower the commission or another entity or government officials to reduce any fine so imposed.

    Nnaji regretted that the MTN fine was unilaterally reduced from N780 billion without the input of the Ministry of Communications and the NCC which “constitutes a flagrant breach of this regulation and an attempt to whittle down the authority of the commission.”

    He added that through some negotiation process excluding the ministry and the commission but championed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation; MTN was requested to pay the sum of N50 billion as a gesture of good faith towards the settlement of the fine.

    “Mr President, the Senate recalls that the attendant confusion created by the claim and counter claim over the veracity of the payment of the said N50 billion by MTN and the domiciliation of the money in a CBN recovery account, as if the money in question was a stolen fund, prompted the committee on communications to embark on a fact finding meeting of all stakeholders involved on March 10, 2016.

    “These included the Attorney General of the Federation, Accountant General of the Federation, Minister for Communications, Governor of Central bank of Nigeria, executive vice chairman of NCC, and the managing director MTN Nigeria Limited.

    “The senate regrets to discover by the admission of the accountant general of the federation at the meeting that the said N50 billion was actually lost in a CBN recovery account on the instruction of the accountant general of the federation.

     

    “Further regret to discover through a document available to the committee that MTN had already made a proposal of final payment of N300 billion as at the time of the meeting of the meeting in March which led the committee to conclude that there was a secret agreement between MTN, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Accountant General of the Federation to admit the N50 billion as the commencement of the execution of a final agreement of N300 billion.

     

    “The senate alarmed to observe that the reduced fine of N780 billion was further slashed to N330 billion through a settlement payment plan that smacks of unpatrotism and insensitivity of the parties that agreed to the new amount in spite of the economic plight currently facing the country.

     

    “The senate laments that Nigeria has been shortchanged in this whole process of account of the ridiculous settlement payment plan coupled with the disparity in the exchange rate regime when the fine was imposed abinitio compared with the current prevailing exchange rate where the value of naira is taking a downward slide.

    “The senate notes therefore as the representatives of the Nigerian people we are saddened about this development coming at a time when the Nigerian economy needs all the available capital infusion to bolster it,” Nnaji said.

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  • FG applauds TUC, NLC faction for shelving strike

    FG applauds TUC, NLC faction for shelving strike

    The Federal Government has applauded the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for their understanding to shelve the planned strike by organised labour.

    Mr Babachir Lawal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), gave the commendation in Abuja at a news conference early on Wednesday after a meeting called with a view to avert the proposed strike.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that organised labour had scheduled to commence an industrial action on Wednesday in protest against the liberalization of the petroleum downstream sector, leading to a new fuel pump price of N145.

    Lawal said that the Federal Government, after two consecutive days of deliberations, had full cooperation from the TUC and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the NLC, to set aside the planned strike.

    According to him, a faction of the NLC completely agreed with the position of the TUC that they will participate in all the technical committees and that work continues on Wednesday as usual.

    He, however, noted that the elected NLC representatives had decided that unless government addressed their demands, they would have no further participation in the process.

    “We only received a notice from them on Saturday and it is government position that it is not humanly possible to respond to their demand within the time frame.

    “Government is fully assured that there will be no strike.

    “Again, we will like to report to Nigerians that the Industrial Court has given an injunction that no strike should hold by NLC and TUC.

    “Government wishes to assure all Nigerians that they should report at their duty posts and go about their jobs as usual.

    “Anyone embarking on strike is doing so illegally.”

    He also said that government responsibility was to guarantee security of lives and property as well as freedom of movement and association.

    The SGF said anyone found in anyway trying to compel Nigerians to do otherwise, would be challenged by the laws of the land.

    Furthermore, Lawal said that the Federal Government had taken the painful decision to liberalise the petroleum sector, knowing that there could be possible adverse consequences to the comfort of Nigerians.

    “But it is a decision needed to be taken at this time and it is the President’s believe that for a better future, painful decisions need to be taken now.

    “The government is determined to bring Nigeria out of previous rot and take bold decisions where necessary, with some expected to be painful.

    “There is no other choice to this matter; if the president had choice to take other options that would be less painful than this, he would have gone for it,” the SGF said.