The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NEMA

  • Museveni directs implementation of ban on polythene bags

    President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda on Wednesday directed that the law banning importation or manufacture of polythene bags be immediately implemented.

    The news men reports that the law was suspended three years ago in Uganda.

    Museveni’s directive came a day after the world commemorated World Environment Day on Tuesday.

    “The continued manufacture of banned products must stop,” said Museveni in a statement read by Sam Cheptoris, minister for water and environment at celebrations held in the eastern district of Mbale.

    “Banning the manufacture, distribution, sale and use is encompassing of the different promoters of these products. This law has not been repealed and should be enforced,” he said.

    The directive comes about three years after government, Uganda Manufactures Association and Kampala City Traders Association reached an agreement to suspend the ban on the manufacture and use of the environmentally hazardous product in April 2015.

    Read Also:  Museveni signs law removing age cap for president

    The manufacturers and traders argued that the ban, in the absence of alternatives, disadvantage shoppers, reduce jobs as industries scale down production and contract tax revenue.
    The parties agreed to carry out more research and find alternatives for over 40 companies manufacturing polythene bags in the country.
    There have been divided opinions in the country following the government’s proposal to prohibit and impose a total ban on the manufacture and importation of plastic bags, second hand refrigerators and computers.

    The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) said the “the economic, health and social costs of the continued use of polythene bags outweighs the economic benefits derived from the production of bags and its cost is reflected in the increasing cost of malaria, reduced agricultural productivity and infrastructure repairs.”

    Approximately 39,600 tons of polythene waste is released into the environment and most of it accumulates in the soil each year in Uganda, according to NEMA.

    Government has advised manufacturers of plastic bags in the country to adopt new technologies of making biodegradable bags.

    NAN

  • 186 Nigerians return from Libya

    The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) have evacuated 186 more Nigerians from Libya.

    The spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-West Zone, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos.

    Farinloye said the returnees arrived in two batches at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday and Thursday.

    He said,” Within 24 hours, NEMA has received 186 Nigerian returnees from Libya on two different flights at the MMIA, Lagos.

    “The flight with 154 returnees arrived the airport at 8:45p.m. on Thursday aboard a chartered Libya Airline with registration number 5A-DMG. They were received at the Cargo Wing of the airport.

    “The other 32 returnees arrived via a commercial flight, which landed at the International wing of the airport on Wednesday at 3:45a.m.”

    According to him, the returnees comprised of 99 female adults, 75 male adults, four children and eight infants.

    Farinloye said the new arrivals were those based in Libya but voluntarily decided to return home when opportunity came from IOM because of the current volatile state of the North African country.

    He disclosed that IOM had started training past returnees in batches in order to reintegrate them into the society.

     

  • NEMA Probe: Group Accuses Rep Committee Of Partial Vendetta

    The Coalition for Good Governance’s (CGG) Executive Director, has accused the Hon. Isa led House of Representatives Committee investigating alleged corruption at the National Emergency Agency Management (NEMA) of engaging in

    “diversionary persecution” of the Director –General of the agency.

    Addressing journalists in Abuja, executive director of CGG, Mrs Jaiyeola Mohammed described the House members as “self-seeking and egocentric leaders”

    She wondered why the House Committee despite the overwhelming evidence provided the EFCC which indicted the former DG of the agency,  and the directors, has devoted all its energy and wisdom in probing the tenure of Engr. Maihaja, while the indicted, suspended, but reinstated directors by the order of the House of Reps are still in custody of files containing critical documents that would aid EFCC investigation into the fraud.

    She said, “The twist is why would the House of Representatives take over a case being handled by the EFCC, the agency lawfully vested with the powers to prosecute persons involved in financial crimes?  Equally disturbing is why the House committee has overlooked or abandoned a glaring case to concentrate its probe on the vague case against the NEMA boss? what is the motivation that has informed this suspect  decision?”

    “Therefore,  we feel it is nothing rather than to execute its vindictive mission against President Muhammedu Buhari, by nailing his appointees. So, in the pursuit of this agenda,  the House Committee has  cooked up frivolous allegations against the current NEMA boss, Engr. Maihaja,  claiming he  abused  due process in some contracts awarded by the agency,  running into billions of naira.”

    She said though the probe  by the House Committee on the NEMA boss has  continued, but unfortunately, it has found nothing concrete  or incriminating to nail the current NEMA boss.

    According to her, the Hon. Isa led House committee has also ignored  petitions by  Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) drawing its attention  to the pending alleged fraud case against the former NEMA DG and the directors.

    She said, “Unfortunately though, the House Committee has turned unbearable heat and pressure   on the current NEMA DG, Engr. Maihaja to the extent of threatening to arrest the DG, who on two occasions, could not honour the committee’s invitations, because of pressing official engagements, but deemed it necessary to send representatives while he was on official visit to Benue and other states.”

  • Re: Dogara and his political vendetta against NEMA

    It is common knowledge and several events have proven that when you fight corruption anywhere in the world, corruption fights back with great intensity. This especially applies to Nigeria where the same people who fleece poor Nigerians of their future disguise as saints and cry to the highest heavens whenever there is an attempt to bring them to justice for their misdeeds.

    And so, it was not surprising when an article titled, “Dogara and his Political Vendetta against NEMA”, written by one James Adamu, appeared in The Nation online edition of April 27, 2018.

    One does not need to read beyond the second paragraph to know where the writer was heading, but there is no need to join issues with him as he is only exercising his right to express himself as guaranteed in the Constitution.

    However, it is pertinent to correct the lies that are embedded in his article in order not to mislead the public.

    For starters, Speaker Yakubu Dogara earned his place as a member of the House of Representatives when his constituents voted him for the third time to represent them. The same virtues that made him worthy of his reelection also gave him favour among his colleagues who, against tough opposition, elected him as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. A person who “burns bridges” as claimed by James Adamu, does not enjoy as much goodwill as Hon Dogara has enjoyed and continues to enjoy through his political journey.

    The writer tried to weave an intricate web of connection between the governor of Bauchi State, M. A Abubakar, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Engr Mustapha Maihaja and Speaker Dogara but he failed woefully. Let it be known that the Speaker shares mutual friends with the governor of Bauchi State and some of them occupy high positions in Nigeria, why then will he single out Maihaja to get back at the Governor of Bauchi State? It is preposterous to create a link between these three and this clearly exists only in the imagination of the writer. We are however, grateful to the writer who has now revealed the so called relationship that he said exists between the Bauchi Governor and Maihaja. And this will surely help to expose all those who may have a hand in the scandal in NEMA.

    The Speaker is known for not holding grudges against people who offend him, his forgiving spirit is one of his greatest attributes and since the writer mentioned it, Hon Gbajabiamila and his supporters have since been embraced by the Speaker and in fact, these people are very much part of his team working to achieve the agenda of the 8th Assembly of the House of Representatives. In fact, Hon Wayo who sponsored the motion was a staunch supporter of Hon Gbajabiamila for the Speakership position.

    One wonders why Mr Adamu has a problem with the investigation of the current management of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) over allegations of mismanagement and lack of due process in the handling of relief materials for flood victims and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), among others because nothing calls for an inquiry more than cries of displaced Nigerians who have not been able to get any aid from government despite huge sums of money released by the government to alleviate their sufferings.

    It was in response to petitions against the agency that on February 15, 2018, the House, through a motion of urgent national importance, mandated its committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to investigate NEMA over alleged diversion of N19.4 billion relief materials and funds for victims of disasters.

    Sponsor of the motion, Benjamin Wayo from Benue State, said the funds were meant for hunger intervention in the North-east and food intervention across the country. He explained that available records showed that the funds were illegally siphoned by officials of the agency through dubious award of contracts without delivering relief items to the victims.

    The committee presided over by the deputy chairman, Hon Ali Isa, commenced an investigative hearing on the matter on March 21.

    How then did Speaker Yakubu Dogara plot against the fall of Maihaja? If he had proposed a witch-hunt, which, in any case, is inconceivable, the House would not have ensured that the general public could follow proceedings of the investigation via live broadcast. A witch-hunt will work better when the hearing is done in secrecy. So far, three of the investigative hearings have been televised live on NTA.

    One question the writer needs to answer is who else would have been summoned to give account for alleged misapplication of funds if not the Director General of NEMA. He certainly has questions to answer as the chief superintendent and accounting officer of the agency. He has questions to answer on the N1.6bn released to the agency in July last year to procure relief materials for victims of flood in 16 states of the federation last year.

    He has questions to answer on why most of the 289 companies engaged to supply the relief materials did not meet the relevant laws of the land, he has questions to answer on the circumstances that led to the suspension of six management staff of the agency on April 4, he has questions to answer on the 6,779 metric tonnes of rice donated by Chinese government to internally displaced persons in the north east. The same rice that the agency paid N414 million naira on demurrage and an additional N161 million to transport without evidence to show they were delivered. He has questions to answer on why he awarded N3bn rice contract to ‘unqualified’ firms and the N5bn North-east intervention fund.

    To answer the posers thrown in the writer’s article, the investigation came up as a result of the need to find out the truth in allegations that NEMA management is not following due process in their dealings and other issues that are related to sharp practices, the mandate for the probe was gotten from the Nigerian people who members of the House of Representatives represent in the National Assembly and the objective is to unravel the truth or otherwise in the allegations and recommend for sanctions where necessary.

    Hon Yakubu Dogara has always stood for truth, justice and fairness and these have endeared him to so many people, including his opposition.

    The House is not the speaker  the speaker is not the House and  I will advise the NEMA boss to deal with glaring cases of fraud and corruption against him and leave the Speaker out of the matter.

    I wish to conclude by reminding the faceless Adamu and indeed his pay masters that from the humongous revelations of alleged fraud emanating from the House investigation, the grass cutting scandal that consumed former SGF  Babachir David Lawal was a child’s play and the House should get to the end of the matter and ensure Maihaja is not only sacked but also jailed.  Let’s hope  that the faceless Adamu is not one of the beneficiaries of the fraudulent contracts that are being investigated and is working to divert attention from the revelations of monumental fraud because sooner rather than later,  the long arms of the law will surely catch up with him for our sake and that of our family members and other poor and innocent Nigerians who on account of corruption and systemic failure are dying of hunger and starvation in IDP camps across the country.

     

    • Kolo wrote in from Pompamari, Maiduguri, Borno State.

  • NEMA receives 165 Nigerians from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday received 165 Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya.

    The returnees arrived aboard a chartered flight operated by Buraq Airline with registration number 5A-DMG.

    The aircraft landed at 9:45 p.m. at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The returnees included 68 female adults, six female children and 89 male adults and one male infant.

    They were handed over to the South West Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Yakubu Suleiman, by the Head of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Mission in Nigeria, Ms Enira Krdzalic.

    Krdzalic said IOM in collaboration with the European Union (EU) had repatriated 7,746 Nigerians from Libya under its voluntary return and rehabilitation programme.

    According to her, 600 returnees have been rehabilitated already, while another 200 are to be rehabilitated.

    She urged the Nigerian government to improve efforts towards positively engaging the youths by partnering with more international agencies to create employment opportunities in the country.

    NAN

     

  • Maiduguri attacks: NEMA evacuates causality (Photos)

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have been spotted clearing the scene of Boko Haram attacks in Maiduguri on Friday.

    According to Nema Northeast, nine persons have been confirmed dead at jiddari polo and high court area of the metropolis, where four are residents and the other five are suicide bombers.

     

  • Video: Six killed, others wounded in Maiduguri attack -Police

    The Police in Borno said six persons were killed in an attack coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents at Jidari Polo area of Maiduguri on Thursday.

    Mr Edet Okon, the Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said in a statement on Friday that the victims included three civilians, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and two female suicide bombers.

    Okon disclosed that two men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) and seven other persons sustained injuries from gunshots and explosions in the attack.

    He added that a Police Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicle was damaged in the attack.

    Okon said: “on Thursday April 26; at about 17: 00 pm, Boko Haram Terrorists launched a surprise attack at Jidari Polo area of Maiduguri near the Federal High court.

    “The terrorists fired sporadically and detonated Improvise Explosive Devices (IEDs). The Borno State Police Command promptly deployed combat teams of SARS, PMF and EOD to support the Military and the Divisional Police Officer of GRA division who were already at the scene.

    “The insurgents were successfully repelled by the security forces after fierce gun battle with profuse tear smoke application.

    “There was no casualty on the side of the police apart from two SARS personnel that were injured in the battle. A police Amoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was also damaged by IED explosions. Seven other persons were severely injured.

    “Four persons including a member of the CJTF and two female suicide bombers were killed in crossfire and IED explosions.

    “The victims and corpses were evacuated to the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri. Normalcy has been restored in the area”.

    Okon added that preemptive deployments were being put in place to forestall further surprise attack.

    He quoted the Police Commissioner, Mr Damian Chukwu, as calling on members of the public to go about their lawful activities without fear.

    (Boko Haram suicide vehicle destroyed by the Nigerian Air Force)

    However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), in a joint press briefing said nine persons were killed in the attack.

    NEMA’s Northeast Zonal Director, Mr Bashir Garga, said that five suicide bombers detonated IEDs and killed themselves while four civilians lost their lives in the attack.

    Garga disclosed that a number of persons also sustained injuries in the attack, adding that: “people panicked, fled their homes to escape the attack and in the process got injured.

    “We conducted evacuation exercise in the affected areas and normalcy has been restored”.

    Garga called on people to desist from going to the scene of attacks, noting that the trend was obstructing rescue services and expose workers to dangers.

  • Former NEMA DG maintained 20 bank accounts, probe panel reveals

    Former Director-General (DG) of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi, allegedly maintained about 20 different accounts in various banks, as a public servant.

    This was part of the revelations at the ongoing public hearing by the House of Representatives committee on emergency and disaster preparedness.

    The lawmakers have been investigating alleged violation of public trust in NEMA, following a motion by Hon. Benjamin Wayo in February 2018.

    Barrister Edward Omaga, while making presentation on behalf of a civil society group, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency, on Tuesday, told the committee how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered suspicious deposit totalling $164,000 in the domiciliary account of the former DG NEMA.

    Omaga also said the anti graft agency also found the sum of £58,000 in Sidi’s Pounds Sterling account at Standard Chartered Bank, all within a space of 18 months.

    The international group also submitted that the Directors that were suspended by the current leadership of NEMA under Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, were grossly engraved with corrupt activities and that the EFCC had traced various of accounts to their names.

    “The suspended Director of Finance and Accounts, Akingbola Hakeem Gbolahan also maintained many bank accounts with questionable transactions. His account with Guarantee Trust Bank contained suspicious deposits amounting to N27,650,000. Deposits over £37,000 and $120,000 were found in his domiciliary accounts, and much of these deposits flowed directly from NEMA.

    “The acting Director of Special Duties, Mr. Umesi Emenike diverted funds meant for programs and maintenance of the South-South zone operations of NEMA under his supervision. The funds were paid directly into his accounts, 14 of them have been discovered by the EFCC in various banks, instead of the zonal office account. Mr Emenike was found to have withdrawn these funds freely in cash, by electronic transfers or through ATM machines”, the group alleged.

    The group also told the lawmakers that, the Director of Risk Reduction of NEMA, Mr. Alhassan Nuhu, also maintained five bank accounts “which were apparently used as conduit to receive and distribute money from NEMA coffers. So far, Mr. Nuhu has not been able to give a satisfactory account of his transactions, including NEMA funds moving through him to a company called Dambo Farms Limited”.

    The Pilot incharge of NEMA’s air ambulance, Mamman Ali Ibrahim was also indicted by the group, which accused him of commercializing both NEMA air ambulance and helicopter.

    According to their submission, “the EFCC traced at least N285m to him, out of which only N63m was paid to the Accountant-General’s office and another N11m was paid to NEMA while the balance could not be accounted for”.

    The revelation also touched the Director of Welfare, Kanar Mohammed, whose six bank accounts were allegedly found to be replete with NEMA funds, “including the sum of N214m meant for displaced traditional rulers in the North East but diverted, N 184m paid by him to one Crystal Chambers based in Abuja and N29.5m paid by him to a former Minister, Abdul Bulama”.

    The group questioned the integrity of the House committee for instituting such an investigative hearing without inviting the former DG and the suspended Directors, whom they described as the “real culprits”.

    In their prayers, the group called on the Speaker Yakubu Dogara to forthwith, suspend the investigation, saying if it must continue, then the former DG and suspended Directors must be part of the probe.

    Responding, the acting Chairman of the committee, Hon. Ali Isa, said the ongoing public hearing was not targeted at anybody and that there was no vested interest by the National Assembly.

    He said, the committee was specifically vested with the mandate to investigative the violation of public trust in NEMA for the last one year.

    Isa, however, said if the present DG of NEMA mentions in his presentation, or any other person submits petition that the former DG should be invited, the committee would not hesitate to invoke section 89 of the constitution and invite him or any other person.

    The hearing continues tomorrow

  • NEMA: Governor fingered in plot against Osinbajo

    •Presidency uncovers plot to use IDPs to stage protest

    A state governor has been identified for involvement in an alleged plot to rubbish Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the operation of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    Osinbajo heads the board of NEMA which has distributed relief materials to more than 16 states in the last one year.

    Also uncovered by the Presidency, is an alleged plot by some people to instigate   Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to stage a phony protest to the National Assembly against the NEMA board.

    The House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness is currently investigating the activities of NEMA since 2017.

    The committee is probing  the disbursement of the following by the agency : N5.9 billion food intervention in the  North East; N3.1 billion food intervention in the  North East; N1.6 billion for Libya returnees; N1.5 billion for flood intervention in 16 states; alleged N400million demurrage incurred on 6,779 metric tons of rice donated by China ; N800 million demurrage on donated rice by China and unaccounted N10 billion released from Ecological funds.

    The committee is already on the war path with the Osinbajo-led NEMA board over the suspension of six directors of NEMA for alleged fraud.

    The directors were allegedly indicted and recommended for suspension by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Suspended are  Director of Finance and Accounts, Akinbola Hakeem Gbolahan; Ag. Director, Special Duties, Mr. Umesi Emenike;  Director, Risk Reduction, Mallam Alhassan Nuhu; Pilot in-charge Air Ambulance and Aviation Unit, Mr. Mamman Ali Ibrahim; the Chief Maintenance Officer, Mr. Ganiyu Yunusa Deji; and the Director of Welfare, Mr. Kanar Mohammed.

    While the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita claimed that the suspension of the six directors by the NEMA board was in order, the Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja said that N1.5 billion suspicious contracts were awarded by the former Director-General, before his own assumption of duty.

    The Nation gathered that N1.1billion contracts were awarded between January 1 and March 31, 2017 whereas Maihaja assumed office on April 21, 2017.

    The DG said that “Presidency made sure that all contracts in respect of other votes were approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

    The presidency believes the ongoing probe is aimed at rubbishing the Vice President who was summoned last week.

    A highly placed source said yesterday that a state governor is ‘coordinating’ the plot against Osinbajo.

    “The forces against the Osinbajo-led board are being coordinated by a governor whose interest is to rubbish the VP ahead of 2019 poll,” the source said.

    “The governor was uncomfortable with the composition of NEMA board and he felt one or two members, allegedly opposed to him, should not be on board.

    “Osinbajo has however refused to bow to pressure from the governor to drop the affected NEMA members.

    “The same governor, who was said to have had some issues with the presidency in the past few months, had been allegedly working against President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

    “Their plot is to use NEMA as a spring board for the attack against top presidency officials especially the Vice President.  They want to rubbish the President and his VP to prove that the Buhari administration is not transparent.

    “I think everything boils down to the countdown to 2019 poll and some people are out to fight dirty.”

    The source said that the Presidency was the approving authority for  all releases and expenditures of NEMA before the inauguration of NEMA Board about three weeks ago.

    “So, if the House is investigating NEMA activities, their target is Osinbajo,” the source said.

    “Initially, they claimed that NEMA mismanaged the 6,779 metric tons of rice donated by the Chinese government without knowing that the offer was accepted by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning and when the ministry had no votes to clear the rice, it transferred the cost of the demurrage to NEMA.

    “The responsibility was passed over to NEMA on August 14, 2017 and it only received the original documents in December 4, 2017 and Jan. 2018.

    “The ongoing cleansing of NEMA of bad eggs and sleaze was said to have affected some forces including top officials of the agency, contractors, some lawmakers and others benefitting from the status quo.

    “Unknown to them the presidency is determined to get to the roots of the N2.5billion fraud in NEMA.”

    It was also gathered that security agencies have stumbled on plans by some anti-Buhari forces to deploy IDPs to stage a protest against NEMA and its leadership.

    “They have paid some agents that will coordinate the protest in Abuja. But the Federal Government is probing those behind this protest,” the source said.

    At its sitting on Thursday, Ali Isa said: “”We have no other interest; we have no business with any agency

  • Fire at NEMA warehouse in Lagos

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) warehouse in Ikeja, Lagos, was on Saturday razed by fire.

    The South-West zonal spokesman of the agency, Mr. Farinloye Ibrahim, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said the warehouse was used to keep relief materials.

    “We don’t have many materials in the warehouse as at the time of the fire incident. We have few mattresses, foams and other few facilities. The fire started at 8:30 a.m.

    “The damage was not much before the fire was put out. We cannot estimate as at now the cost of the materials burnt,” Ibrahim said.

    The Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Rasaki Musibau, said a high tension cable fell on the roof of the warehouse and caused the fire.

    Musibau said the Service’s timely intervention prevented the fire from spreading to a nearby petrol filling station and other public buildings in the area.

    “No casualties. We drew firemen from three stations to put out the fire. The firemen, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and police put out the fire,’’ he said.

    NAN