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  • Freeing electricity market from politics

     

    For Nigerians to enjoy uninterrupted power supply, the government must free the sector from political interference and allow power contracts and market fundamentals to take their cause, writes JOHN OFIKHENUA.

     

    IT was meant to change things for the better. But, things have remained the same, if not worse. The 2013 calculation, which saw the Federal Government divesting 60 per cent of its stake in the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to 11 private investors and retaining 40 per cent, has failed. The government also privatised the generation companies (GenCos) but holds on to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which wheels power from its generators to the distributors. Except that the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) prides itself with installed capacity, the power that is available for consumption is still about an average of 3,000Mw. It is marginally higher than where the private investors started from when actual power sent out was slightly above 2,000mw. However, for political capital, the Federal Government has been reluctant to base its decision on economic parameters. Therefore, it has remained an onlooker while the DisCos and the TCN trade the blame of who is responsible for the immutable darkness in the country.

    Ministry of Power Permanent Secretary Dr Louis Edozien told Minister of Power Mamman Sale and Minister of State for Power Goddy Jedy Agba that the Power Purchase Agreements the government had with the investors was not friendly because it compels the government to pay for unused electricity. Thus, whenever the DisCos reject the load that the System Operator allocates to them, the Federal Government, which the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Company interfaces for, pays for the shortfall.

    Edozien said: “We (Federal Government) created an industry that places a huge contingent liability on the government. We have to apply our intellect to this problem to solve it … The Minister of State, I know that is an area you are familiar with. Both of you have to lead us out of this quagmire.” But the nagging question is how the government can free itself from the dilemma. Will the government cease paying for the shortfall? President Muhammadu Buhari has already approved N600billion for onward disbursement into the sector. The intervention is coming after the depletion of the N701billion Payment Assurance Guarantee for the GenCos.

    NBET Managing Director Dr Marilyn Amobi told the ministers on resumption last week that: “We manage through the Federal Government any credit facility that is provided in the industry. And in that regard, we concluded the management of the N701billion, which was the payment assurance provided to NBET as a loan to enable it to carry out its purchase with the Generation Companies. This was approved on the 1st of March, 2017. And within that context, it was a loan that the CBN gave to us at 5 per cent. And currently, the government is discussing an expansion of another N600billion that will make it N1.3billion. Before this, we had a shareholder loan of 350million Euro from European bond which was given to NBET as a share loan capitalisation. We managed it and successfully we paid back to the Debt Management Office last year- the principal and interest elements. We still have the bit of that about N1.2billion to be able to repay to conclude that…But one thing you will hear is the question around undelivered power that we have made. So, in summary, since the Transition Electricity Market stated till today, at the last payment, last month, the company has borne a payment of N181billion to five generation companies based on their contracts with us but for electricity that Nigerians did not use.”

    Unless the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) allows a cost-reflective tariff in the electricity market, the DisCos, analysts argue, will continue to hold the government and consumers by the jugular. The courage to do that is, however, far-fetched. Just this year, after listening to stakeholders in the power sector at a NERC workshop on Eligible Customer Regulation in Abuja on February 12, Edozien dropped a hint that the government would cease paying for the electricity shortfall, stressing that it was not the government’s obligation.

    According to him, the consumers should pay for the power they consume, adding: “In addition to that 2,000 MW, the 4,000mwh that is consistently being delivered is not fully paid for. Government through the nation’s insurance programme is paying the generation companies for any shortfall payment from NBET.”

    He went on: “Clearly that is not what the act intends the industry to be. And ultimately the government has to exit from this role. So, it is this regulation that will ensure that not just stranded power but delivered power, is delivered to consumers who are contractually bound to pay for it. And if they do not pay for it they, do not enjoy the service.”

    But he was to recant his words as soon as the stories went virile in the media.

    Read Also: Electricity equipment vandals arrested

    Only last week, the NERC released an upward review of the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) on its website. A day after the media feasted on it, the commission’s chairman, Prof. James Momoh, in an interview with reporters after the inaugural meeting of the ministers in the Power House, he expressed his readiness to defend the approved hike to whoever cares, including the opposing Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    He said: “If any customer or NLC comes, we will show them how we did it. And I am sure they (NLC) will show the customers how we did it to understand us.”

    Surprisingly, the commission issued a statement the next day that it was yet to approve any tariff for the DisCos.

    NERC General Manager, Public Affairs Usman Arabi,   in a statement, said the commission  was still consulting.

    “However, the commission in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities enshrined under the  Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, shall continue to undertake periodic reviews of electricity tariffs in accordance with prevailing tariff methodology.

    “In all instances of such reviews and rule-making, the commission shall widely consult stakeholders and final decision shall be taken with  due regard of all contributions,” he said.

    Arabi said the minor review implemented by the commission was a retrospective adjustment of the tariff regime released in 2015

    He said this was to account for changes in macroeconomic indices for 2016, 2017 and 2018, “thus providing certainty about revenue shortfall that may have arisen due to the differential between tariffs approved by the regulator and actual end-user tariffs,” he said.

    The commission froze the tariff before the 2015 general elections. Analysts attributed this to the perceived outcry and negative publicity it would elicit against the then ruling government. On assumption of office, the present government simply took advantage of the prevailing directive to maintain the status quo. It has all been politics and semantics, say analysts. But the poser remains: When will the government and stakeholders divorce electricity business from politics?

    The Transition Electricity Market (TEM) should be activated so that the sector will thrive on a price mechanism, which is the interplay between demand and supply. Instead of this, a transparently defined electricity subsidy, said analysts, will cushion the effect of the cost of electricity on the consumers, especially the poorest ones. As high as the tariff will be, it will reach its equilibrium and subsequently decline when the supply of electrify exceeds the demand for it, argue observers.

    The low hanging fruits that the sector can harvest for the government to score its easiest goal with the electricity market are its ability to sustain the two major policies that former Minister Babatunde Fashola kicked-started. To enthrone the spirit of transparency, accountability and fairness for the investors and electricity consumers, the NERC introduced the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) policy. It relieved the DisCos the burden of funding metering. It is already in force with a considerable level of success. Besides, under Fashola’s watch, the commission also flagged-off the Eligible Customer regulation, which has not only incentivised bulk electricity consumers but also fascinated more international customers to the grid.

    Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Managing Director Usman Gur Mohammed said the implementation of the eligible customer policy has not stopped. “It will move,” he said, stressing that “there is a new directive from the government that we reduce our liability. We cannot continue to carry liability on the national budget like this all the time. It doesn’t make sense.”

    Insisting on the separation of politics from the development of the power sector, he said the only contractors that would now be qualified to implement its projects would be those with the technical and financial capability. He said all contracts must now be completed within 18 to 24 months.

    The TCN boss added: “Now, we don’t need politics. We need infrastructure. After infrastructure, we can play politics.”

    As a result of political patronage, the company recorded 800 stranded containers in the ports, which Mohammed has almost cleared.

    Politics in the power sector has always come with corruption. Interest groups benefit from the spoils while the government looks on the other side. Yet the malpractice, which cuts across the different value chains over the years, is now fizzling out.

    According to Mohammed, it was only recently that the TCN was planning to relocate its National Control Centre from a rented property due to security reasons, that it realised that it was paying rent on its land in Osogbo.

    He said: “For your information, for several years we have been operating our National Control Centre, Osogbo, the land we use is rented land. We had been paying rent on that land for over 50 years. I am happy to announce that that land belongs to us and we are not paying rent again.”

    He was silent on the likelihood of the government recovering the 50-year rent.

    However, freeing the power sector from the corrupt practices and political interference must be with holistic. What the new ministers must do in a hurry to succeed is to quickly activate the government shares in the DisCos. Already it has increased its representation on the board of the companies. What is left for it to do instantly is the contribution to the recapitalisation of the firm. According to the TCN boss, “What we are saying is that to correct this thing, we have to recapitalise the DisCos. The recapitalisation requires $4.3billion, which means they have to bring the balance. What we are saying is that the government cannot be passive anymore… Government ownership should be represented by four directors just like proportional to the investment. The government should bring its own 40 per cent capital. We have simulated the grid to examine the investment requirement by the DisCos. And we have come to $4.3billion. Government is going to bring its 40 per cent of $4.3billion which is about $1.7billion.” The NERC, he said, is expected to draft the proclamation for the procurement of all the power equipment and contracts to insulate the money from public funds predators.

    As fantastic as these ideas are, the government, observers said, must wield the big stick were necessary to realise them. Since the excuse of the DisCos is that they cannot distribute power sufficiently because of lack of a cost-reflective tariff, it has become expedient for the government to allow a slight hike that will not weaken the consumers. This, it must also do with a strict implementation of the metering policy to ensure that no customer or government pays for unused electricity.

    Although a regulator should have a human face in its operation, it ought not to operate in a manner that it becomes obvious that it has no voice of its own. The NERC, as it is today, is like a reed in the tide, it easily recoils into its shell with any shrilly outcry. When any interest yells at it, it withholds its decision or denies it completely. With this, it cannot live up to its name to be truly independent of interference. Unless the commission leaves its decision to market fundamentals, it will remain at whim and caprice of those it is supposed to regulate or the government.

     

    VIEWS FROM A CONCERNED PARTY

     

    THE Coalition for Affordable and Regular Electricity (CARE) has suggested how to revive the electricity sector.

    The group, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Chinedu Bosah, and National Secretary, M.K. Shoyombo,  said the failure of the privatisation policy to revive the sector called “for re-nationalisation of the power sector under the transparent and democratic control of the working masses as a means of ensuring massive investment, efficiency, affordable tariff and uninterrupted power supply”.

    It said the move to increase tariff showed “the failure of privatisation, obvious incapacity of the power companies to massively invest, develop the power industry and give consumers affordable and uninterrupted power supply”.

    The group added that continuing the privatisation programme amounts to rewarding the failure of the DisCos and GenCos.

    “Overwhelmingly, many electricity consumers are forced to pay outrageous and unwarranted estimated bills; facilities and power infrastructure remain in a deplorable state; lack of investment to turn around the sector and poor working conditions of electricity workers. The consequence is widespread darkness in many communities; load-shedding and epileptic/poor power supply leading to a situation where in the country with a population of about 200 million people gets a paltry 4000 MW averagely,” it said.

  • UN worried by Nigeria’s growing security, socio-economic challenges

    THE United Nations (UN) on Monday expressed concerns over the multi-faceted security and socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria.

    Its Country Resident Coordinator and Representative of the Secretary General on Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence against Women and Girl Child, Mr Edward Karlon, spoke in Sokoto.

    The UN official noted that the global body was concerned about the challenges and the need to heal Nigeria’s political wounds.

    Karlon spoke at the unveiling and signing of this year’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework to fast-track possible Action Plan.

    The UN official noted that Nigeria’s growing population was projected to rise to 400 million by Year 2050.

    He said the UN spotlight initiative was aimed at deepening support, cooperation and partnership that would strengthen capacity as well as promote systemic peace and security.

    The UN official said this would be achieved by improving management and accountable system of the global body towards realising the country’s Vision 2030.

    “We will make our comparative efforts and advantage visible in terms of technical support by strengthening the capacity of Nigeria’s authorities on basic and key activities for development,” he said.

    Karlon led a high-powered delegation comprising representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), among others, for the mini-launch of the initiative.

    The UN official expressed concern about explosive demographic growth with more children born in poverty, multi-dimensional poverty and inequality trend, sanitation, health and water challenges and pervasive corruption.

    He also expressed worry about climate change and competing natural resources, farmers/herders clashes, gross insecurity, soaring ratio of unemployment among women and youths, lack of empowerment, weak institutions, bad governance and alarming spate of banditry, kidnapping and sundry crimes.

    “Nigeria’s population is fast growing at 3.2 per cent against its lowly 2.1 per cent economic growth rate. The figure is alarming with over 87 million exposed to poverty.

    “More vibrant institutions have to be established to fight corruption. We will dwell on SDGs, peace-building and crime prevention, business and usual approach, advocacy for a national conflict, peace and reconciliation commission, gender equality and discrimination against women and girl-child.

    “All these would be anchored in partnership with the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum for domestication in respective states across the country.

    Read Also: Buhari at the United Nations plenary

    “We are already in consultations on SDGs across the six geopolitical zones,” Karlon said.

    Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal assured of the willingness of the governors’ forum to drive the ideas and initiatives of the UN to reality for the development of Nigeria.

    He said: “Poverty and inequality need urgent attention at all levels of governance in Nigeria. Sokoto is making consistent efforts at addressing the duo through active advocacy by ensuring massive empowerment activities and enrolment of the girl-child for not only quantitative but qualitative education as well retention.”

     

  • How ‘Next Level’ ministers can succeed

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn-in his ministers. They are expected to resolve the challenges of economic stagnation, unemployment, high inflation and epileptic power supply. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN sought the view of experts and stakeholders on how the could administration hit the ground running.

    THE administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is beset with many challenges. But, it charting a course to restore order in governance. Opinions are divided on what the president has successfully accomplished in the last four years. But, there is a consensus that it is no longer business as usual.

    Following the inauguration of the 43 ministers last week, experts and stakeholders expressed divergent views about the prospects of the team meeting the expectations of Nigerians in the next four years.

    Nigeria is not bereft of ideas or the manpower for development. The major challenge facing the country is lack of credible leadership, former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Dr. Olajide Basorun, said.

    He said what is required for the President’s ‘Next Level’ cabinet to be impactful is sincerity of purpose and simple and practical programmes, not grandiose schemes. He said people often talk about putting square pegs in square holes as if it is a matter of just putting people in the right place.

    Basorun said: “The analogy of square pegs and round holes has become superficial. What we need to have an efficient government are sincere and intelligent people; their certification does not matter. Did Babatunde Fashola study energy or power, given all the achievements he recorded in the power sector? The power sector is now on auto-pilot; whosoever is minister today is just going to follow what is on ground.

    “The President has chosen those he considers as people of integrity. All he needs to do is to ensure that they have a master plan and the next thing is to monitor them. He must monitor them closely, so that we can have a transparent government. If they say they will do this, go there and see whether they did it.

    The former Chairman of the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Duro Kuteyi, said he is satisfied with President Buhari’s choice, particularly for the ministries that have one thing or the other to do with small scale industrialists. He said it now depends on what they do with the opportunities they have on their hands.

    Industralisation:

    Kuteyi said the key thing is for government to come up with strategies to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to contribute meaningfully to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). He said: “The Ministry of Industry, as well as that of Science and Technology, must come up with ideas to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have access to funding and infrastructural facilities.

    “The Ministry of Agriculture should also support farmers to make sure that they produce enough raw materials for SMEs to process. When it comes to exports, restriction should be placed on the export of agricultural products, so that value would be added before they are eventually exported.

    “Some of the major challenges facing SMEs are lack of raw materials, lack of funds and lack of space to store raw materials for production for a considerable length of time. Ideally, small scale industrialists ought to stock enough raw materials when such produce are in season against off season. SMEs do not usually have enough funds to stock raw materials in that manner. In this wise, they should be assisted to have access to raw materials for production throughout the year.

    “Steps should also be taken to ensure that firms that deal with intermediate products spring up, to process primary products into semi-finished products. Such intermediate products can stay without refrigeration for at least 12 months, so that SMEs can source their raw materials from there. Strategic grain reserves should be made accessible to SMEs as possible raw materials.

    “The issue of power is another matter. Since we have been operating without power for a long time, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has not increased tremendously. Improving power supply will actually boost our level of production, so it is an area that government needs to focus on.”

    Kuteyi, who is also the founder and chief executive officer of Spectra Industries Ltd, an indigenous food processing and packaging company, said one challenge that SMEs face that has not been sufficiently spoken of is that of tele-communications. His words: “Nobody is talking about it. The GSM is only making the operators’ rich at the expense of the subscribers. This is because of the high rate of dropped calls; this is a situation where a conversation is terminated midway, due to technical reasons.

    “Do you know how many times subscribers get cut off in the middle of a conversation and he is compelled to reconnect again and perhaps start the conversation all over again. In the process, you spend more money needlessly. And where is all that money going? To the telecom service providers of course at the expense of SMEs.”

    Paul Akinola, an engineer based in Calabar, Crosss River State, said the Niger Delta Affairs Minister should brace up for the challenges, because of the importance of the Niger Delta to the Nigerian economy. He said the minister should be ready to face the attitude of some of stakeholders, particularly the youths.

    Niger Delta:

    Akinola added: “One of the issues that he will have to tackle is Niger Delta roads. This is because the roads in the Niger Delta region need urgent attention. I am in Calabar, so I can talk about Calabar. The state of roads within the Calabar metropolis gives me much cause for concern. For instance, from my end of the town to the city centre, a journey that should not take more than 20 minutes, takes over an hour. Besides, roads from Calabar to Port Harcourt and other parts of the Niger Delta are in terrible shape.

    “Power is probably the second problem that would require his attention. Rural power supply is necessary to encourage the people to engage in productive ventures.

    “The minister has to come up with empowerment training programmes for the youths of the region. Most of them believe that it is only when you are in politics that you will make money. So, he needs to do something to engage them and channel their energies towards a positive direction. More so, agriculture is not being given prominence any more. The region has good lands that could be used for farming. He only needs to mobilise them, through seminars and intensive training programmes.

    “But, I must confess that a lot of empowerment programmes have been implemented over the years that failed to make any meaningful impact. This is owing to this entitlement mentality that has crept in over the years, which has made the youth to be lazy and only interested in collecting money. The new minister must be prepared to deal with that sort of attitude, which is prevalent all over the region, not only among the youths but the Niger Delta people generally.”

    Former National Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Monday Ubani, urged the ministers to give priority to infrastructure development to achieve the ‘Next level’ agenda of the administration.

    Ubani bemoaned the state of infrastructure, saying no region can boast of good road network. He said: “There is no single international road cutting across the six geo-political zones. Despite the trillions of naira we realize from oil every year, it is unbelievable that our highways are death traps. People like to travel by road, but they don’t do that anymore, because of the terrible condition of the roads, coupled with the activities of kidnappers on the highways.

    Power:

    “The Buhari administration should tackle the problem of power supply to its logical conclusion in his second term. Though there is marked improvement in power generatio, we still have problem with distribution. The transmission capacity is not there; the distribution companies don’t know what power distribution is all about¡ they are just extorting power consumers through estimated billing. It is high time they are relieved of the job.

    “Why must the Federal Government alone be responsible for power generation and distribution? States and private organizations or individuals should be allowed to come in and participate in power business. If they do, we will generate power in excess of our needs, and power distribution would also improve. If the power supply improves, the economic situation in the country will also improve. Foreign and local investors will establish industries and there will be employment opportunities for the youths. Lack of job had driven many youths into crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping. If the new set of ministers can tackle these problems, this regime will go down as one of the best in the history of this country.”

    Industral harmony:

    To civil right activist, Mashood Erubami, the re-appointed Labour Minister, Dr Chris Ngige, must ensure industrial harmony by tackling  sensitive labour matters diligently.

    Erubami said Nigerians are expecting Ngige to embark on a speedy implementation of the agreed  minimum wage to improve  the quality of life for low-income earners.

    The minister, he added, should embark on programmes that will induce  job creation  and increased earnings for workers, as well as promote conditions for better quality of life and reduction of inequality.

    He wants the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, to develop  connectivity in the transport system across the country with better traffic management in towns and establishment of public transport towards improving transport services with lowered fares.

    On the fight against corruption, the activist advised the minister in charge “to mobilise resources under his or her control to fight corruption head long,  fight its menace  strenuously and unsparingly in a nonselective manner”.

    Erubami added: “The anti-corruption agencies must be reformed to be proactive and more effective,  to respond to corruption issues in line with global best practices.

    “All cases of corruption passing through the police or the Justice Department must not be compromised by using wrong charges that are easily knocked out by lawyers who do not necessarily know the law but are familiar with Judges.

    “The minister in charge of the law and the justice system must be fair  and he must work with honest  judiciary and an incorruptible Bar, to ensure transparent justice, so that technicalities are not  used most often against substantial justice to win cases.

    “The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice should review all court judgments yet to be obeyed by the government and ensure that they are obeyed without further delay within three months of his occupation of office.

    “All outstanding cases of alleged corruption against judges must be relisted and charged to court through the appropriate agencies. In the process monies found belonging to states which are laundered from contracts awarded through accomplices must be returned through diligent prosecution.”

    Erubami called for prison reform and asked the President to set up a committee to find out how many prisons are overpopulated by awaiting trials.

    He said the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, must put up immediate measures to ensure that prison officers are made responsible and responsive for improving  the harsh conditions of Nigerian prisons for the habitation of  awaiting trial suspects and prisoners, prevent extra- judicial killings, torture, overcrowding, as well as inadequate feeding and shortages of  medical instruments  and drugs.”

    Erubami said Nigerian expect to see positive changes in the performance of the ministers, so that the administration  can impact more positively on the lives of Nigerians in the “Next Level”.

    He said: “The new ministers should leverage on the good relationship existing between the Executive and the Legislature to raise the bar of governance and put behind them the mistakes of the first term.

    “They should avoid distractions that could drag back the vehicle of good governance and renew capacity to drive sustainable economic growth, job creation and ability to enhance good governance via delivery of dividends of democracy.”

    A security expert, Isa Dogonyaro, said Nigerians expect President Muhammadu Buhari to make security a major priority in his second term, given the increasing cases of banditry in the Northwest, insurgency in the Northeast and farmers/herders clashes across the country.

    Dogonyaro said the President should give the new Minister of Defence a matching order to do something to restore law and order in the country. He added: “The new Minister of Defence must come up with a more lasting solution to the Boko Haram challenge and this will include a solution to the rot and financial malfeasance robbing the Nigerian military. The military is believed to be ill-equipped to tackle the current challenge facing it.

    “To enhance internal security, the inter-agency rivalry among  the security agencies should be addressed,  to create more synergy among them. The era of Department of of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) being at each others throats or constantly trying to outshine one another must be consigned to the past.”

  • UBEC disburses N2.7b to 5,010 primary schools

    THE Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has budgeted over N2,768,908,275.44 to support 2,505 communities for the building of two classrooms each in 5,010 primary schools across the country.

    At the national flag-off of the school-based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP) at Coronation Hall of the Government House in Kano, the commission’s Executive Secretary Dr. Hamid Bobboyi said over 120 schools benefitted from the disbursement of funds.

    These, he said, raged from N250,000, N1 million, N5 million and N7 million for the renovation, construction of blocks of classrooms, supply of furniture, completion of abandoned buildings/classrooms as well as purchase of teaching materials.

    According to him, State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) were directed to receive request letters from the commission through which communities submitted proposals for the projects.

    Bobboyi said the commission identified the needs of the schools and developed action plan based on the schools’ needs assessment.

    Read Also: Why Police are ineffective, by Acting IG Adamu

    He said: “The guiding principle of the self-help and community engagement approach is to engender strong partnership and the desire to draw and harness state resources and skills alongside the abundant material and human resources in the community with a view to developing the basic education sub-sector.

    “It is a view widely held that no nation can sustain a robust, functional and qualitative basic education without the meaningful and strategic involvement of its citizenry.

    “The need for instituting the SBMC-SIP, therefore, was informed by the fact that, the overall success of the basic education sub-sector in Nigeria depends largely on the level of community awareness, participation and support to the programme.”

    He added: “The vision of the Commission in the SBMC-SIP, was therefore to put up a strategy for school development whereby community initiated self-help projects would be implemented by the SBMCs.”

    Education Minister Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Sunny Echeno, said the Universal Basic Education programme “is Nigeria’s home-grown initiative aimed at addressing national aspirations and meeting global expectations through the provision of qualitative functional education free of charge to all children of school-going age”.

    He added: “However, implementation experiences have shown that the delivery of basic education in the country is being faced with daunting challenges that militate against Nigeria’s drive towards meeting her developmental goals and global expectations.

    “Thus, it became imperative within the context of the challenges such as phenomenal inadequacy of teacher quality and sufficiency, inefficient infrastructure, large size of out-of-school children, skyrocketing population growth and inadequate finances that the full involvement of all and sundry is required to reverse the trend.”

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said his administration had initiated community participation in the development of basic education.

    The move, the governor said, had generated billions of naira for renovation and rehabilitation of schools, provision of books and other writing materials as well as reduced the number of out-of-school children in the state.

  • Commissioner urges workers to be committed to duty

    LAGOS State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke has urged officials of the ministry to work hard in the discharge of their duties.

    She said they should work in line with the objectives of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.

    Arobieke spoke on Monday during her first official working day meeting with the workers.

    She said:  “When everyone discharges his or her duties in line with the ministry’s mandate, it is then that the government’s agenda will be achieved. I implore everyone to be hard working and committed to duty. It is only when we are committed that we can help the present administration deliver on its electoral promises to the people that is in line with the government’s agenda which is T.H.E.M.E. i.e. (Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Economy, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism, Security and Governance). This will enable the ministry to attain an enviable height.”

    The commissioner sought the support of the monarchs and over 3,300 Community Development Associations across the state.

    She called for a working relationship with the local governments and community media practitioners, as this would make the ministry to attain an enviable height.

    ‘Let’s work together as a team. I believe in team work, so that we can excel and be sure the best will come from our working together,” Arobieke said.

    The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Taiwo Salaam, assured the commissioner of the readiness of workers to share the vision of the Sanwo-Olu  administration by achieving a greater Lagos through hard work and commitment to duty.

     

  • Youths detail how Kaduna money should be spent

    Fed up with how public funds are frittered away, some youths in Kaduna State have made clear how their government should disburse state cash. ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports

    It is a national malaise. Year after year, huge funds are budgeted but there is very little to show. The people groan and bicker, but the cycle continues.

    Kaduna State youths have had enough. At a gathering in the city, they said ‘Away with stomach infrastructure’, a rather loose term used to describe how state cash is handed out to people to do whatever they please with it.

    In the North, ‘Stomach infrastructure’ plays out in sundry ways. You can hear someone say: ‘Rankashidede, dan Allah, mun samu karuwa ne, ina bukatar kudin ragon suna’. Meaning, ‘Honourable, we’ve just  just welcomed a new baby in my family. Please, assist with me with money to buy ram for the naming ceremony’.

    Such funny requests are just too many to mention, and they don’t cease to come to the ears of public office holders, most of whom find them difficult to turn down. In most cases they dare not, because doing so automatically earns such elected official the tag of a stingy person who doesn’t give back to his constituency, and the implication is to be denied reelection. It does not matter to such constituents if the public servant uses the money to develop their constituency.

    It is against this background that, a group of Kaduna youths have developed an agenda on how they want Kaduna State to be governed, saying, they want public servants to stop dishing out money to their constituents, but invest state resources on its development.

    The project tagged ‘Kaduna Youth Agenda’ which was launched at its first first Quarterly Policy Dialogue on Wednesday, identified five thematic areas of education, healthcare, agriculture, job creation and peace building as the areas that require serious goverment attention and where they want improvement for youth development.

    Presenting their campaign overview, Executive Director of One Project Africa, the lead implementing partner for project, Mrs. Zigwai Ayuba said Kaduna Youth Agenda is a youth policy advocacy campaign that resulted from the implementation of the Vote Not Fight campaign before the 2019 general elections.

    She disclosed that, a survey conducted in 2018 across the 23 local government areas in Kaduna State and responded to by 6,610 young people where 85% of the youth picked the five thematic areas of education, healthcare, agriculture, job creation and peace building as the areas where they want improvement for youth development.

    She said the old tradition of politicians dishing out money to constituents must stop, while public money must be spent on developmental projects that would outlive the tenure of the elected officials.

    Speaking on the five thematic areas of development, Mrs. Ayuba said, in the area of education, the youths recommend emphasis on school furniture, white board, exercise books, textbooks, report booklets and funtional libraries with reading time for pupils and students.

    According to her, the youths also desire that goverment should consider the introduction of biometric system of attendance capturing for teachers in public schools, which should be piloted in model schools in each of the three senatorial districts.

    “Goverment should introduce a structured teachers training program with a major focus on new teaching methods and the use of information and communication technology. The campaign recommends that teachers are trained and assessed at least twice a year.”

    In the area of health, Ayuba said, the youths desire that, the goverment revives the free maternal and child health Care services and ensure completion equipment and of 255 model Primary Health Centres and the 300 bed capacity hospital in Millenium City.

    “The youths also desire that, goverment strengthens regulation of private health establishment to control drug abuse, as well as ensure the implementation of the Kaduna health service delivery charter. The goverment should equally consider the upward review of rural posting allowance for health workers as incentive for young health personnel.” She said.

    For agriculture, Kaduna youths belief that, if the goverment can invest in at least 10 youths by training them to become mechanized farmers every year, it would succeed in raising 40 mecahnized farmers to cover for the existing shortfall in extension service across Kaduna State.

    They also suggested that, as a way of curbing the disturbing rural-urban migration and encourage youth participation in agriculture, youths should be engaged as part of agriculture desk officers in the 23 local government areas of the State.

    Speaking further, she said of all the five thematic areas, peace building, was the most important to the youths, pointing out that, youths suffer more in the atmosphere of crisis, as they mostly the perpetrators and the victims, but they are often not the instigators of crises.

    Having identified high rate of unemployment as major cause of youth restiveness, Mrs. Ayuba said, Kaduna youths want the state government in partnership with the Federal Goverment and the 19 northern states governors’ furum accelerate efforts at reviving the moribund textile industry in the state, saying that, such will create thousands of jobs with the youths being the major beneficiaries.

    In his own remarks on inclusion of youths in governance, Senior Resident Director, National Democratic Institute (NDI), Aubrey McCutcheon identified consistent involvement and inclusion of youth in policy making and implementation and collaboration among government agencies, as solutions to Nigeria’s poor Global Youth Development Index.

    He argued that, “if Nigeria in the 36 states are investing so little in education, health and employment then Nigeria is not preparing for a better future. Kaduna has opportunity to be a leader, to be an example for other states by working in collaboration with other government agencies.”

    The Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Shagali, who was represented by the Minority Whip, Hon. Samuel Ubantako, assured the One Project Afrika, of the assembly’s support in the area of, “legislations and laws to boost youth development in Kaduna state.

    He assured that, “the House will not hesitate to back our youths with laws to make them self-reliant, independent, committed and entrepreneurial”.

    However, in the communique issued at the end of the policy dialogue which was attended by chairmen and representatives of the 23 local government areas, state commissioners of key ministries, civil societies, supporting development partners and media executives, recommended that, the state government include the recommendations in the Kaduna Youth Agenda in its Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

    It was also agreed that, Kaduna state Ministries, Departments, Agencies and LGA administrations include the recommendations in the Kaduna Youth Agenda in the 2020 budget proposals in consultation with the KYA campaign.

    According to the communique signed by Zigwai Ayuba, “Upon passage in the 2020 appropriation bill, the Kaduna State government and LGA administrations should work with the Kaduna Youth Agenda campaign to develop action plans and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure value for money in the implementation of KYA recommendations.

    “That the Kaduna state government set up an inter-ministerial committee to identify quick wins within the recommendations in the Kaduna Youth Agenda that can be immediately implemented before the end of the year. This committee can also be responsible for ensuring the implementation of KYA recommendations in the 2020 appropriation Act.” It was recommended.

  • Lagos urges property owners to perfect title documents

    LAGOS State Government has advised legitimate land and property owners to perfect title documents and other legal documents pertaining to their land and properties.

    It said this will help put land grabbers at bay and ensure easy administration of justice if such properties are forcefully taken.

    The Coordinator of the Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, Mr. Owolabi Arole, who spoke on Monday in Alausa, Ikeja while reviewing the report of the task force for first and second quarter of 2019, noted that undocumented and incomplete transactions as well as untidy property documentation make it difficult for property forcefully taken to be retrieved through legal means.

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    He said: “A large chunk of the land grabbing cases the task force is working on is fraught with issues of improper and incomplete legal documentation and such issues cause delay in getting justice for owners of land.

    “These issues have, however, not deterred us from carrying out our mandate and getting justice for owners of land from unscrupulous elements who forcibly encroach and dispossess them of their property.”

    Arole said the task force has carried out its mandate to reduce the activities of persons or corporate entities who use force and intimidation to dispossess or prevent any person or entity from acquiring legitimate interest and possession of property in Lagos.

  • Union urges Sanwo-Olu to dissolve governing council

    THE Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN) has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to dissolve the governing council of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, Lagos.

    The advice was given on Monday during a peaceful protest following a query given to some executives of the union, including the branch Chairman, Ombugadu Wumi, by a disciplinary panel set up by the governing council.

    Executives and members of the union in the Southwest gathered for the protest. They carried placards with the inscriptions: “We say no to governing council usurpation of college management duties”, “Enough is enough to AOCOED registrar’s anti-union activities”, “We say no to administrative rascality”, “Sanwo-Olu please save our souls”, among others.

    SSUCOEN National Vice President Ogbusuo Nicholas described the decision of AOCOED governing council as illegal, saying the union executives were only exercising their duties.

    He said the congress held by the union chapter was for conversion of workers in the institution.

    Ogbusuo said despite the government contacting the institution to allow status quo remain on the congress’ decision, the governing council set up a disciplinary panel, which issued the query.

    “The congress held by the union is only for conversion of workers, which was subjective. The union wrote to the college and the governing council for them to look into what they have done and be fair to all. As a result of this, they were queried and asked to provide the minutes of the executive and congress meetings of the union. It is not done anywhere because the union cannot release the minutes of the meetings to external bodies.

    Read Also: ‘Sanwo-Olu is on course’

    “We had a peaceful meeting with the management. Yet, the disciplinary panel, which was not appropriately set up, held a meeting at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). We told them it is an aberration, why hold a meeting outside the college?

    “This is why we are appealing to Governor Sanwo-Olu to come to the aid of AOCOED by dissolving the governing council that will be leaving two weeks, so that they will not destroy the good name of the college,” he said.

    AOCOED branch Chairman of the union Ombugadu Wumi said she and other executives have not committed any crime to warrant issuance of query.

     

  • Residents storm IE office over ‘crazy bills’

    RESIDENTS of Abule Ijesha, Abule Oja and Akoka in Lagos Mainland on Monday marched on the premises of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IE), Ikorodu Road, near Obanikoro bus stop.

    They protested against high rate of electricity tariff.

    The protesters were led by a community leader, Alhaji Sanusi Olawale.

    They condemned the ‘crazy bills’ given to them by IE.

    Read Also: NERC yet to approve hike in electricity tariff

    Sanusi alleged: “We are here to say no to the high electricity bill given to us and also to say no to the sending of electricity bills to residents through text messages, as it a form of exploitation. Enough is enough.”

    Mr. James Gbenga, a representative from Abule Ijesha community, alleged that the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company was  exploiting residents through ‘crazy bills’.

    “We say no to ‘crazy bills’ and injustice.”

    Mr. Hassan, an Akoka resident, said N5000 was the initial amount he paid monthly as electricity bill, but recently it was increased to N28,000.

    “The bill these people bring to us is alarming, from N5,000 to N28,000 in less than six months. We want them to come and disconnect the light, we don’t need their service anymore.  We have our children’s tuition fees to pay, house rent is there and other bills are also on our neck,” he said.

    An official of the company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the protesters that the IE has taken note of their grievances.

    He promised to convene a meeting to address the problem.

     

  • Minister to sanction unproductive workers

    THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, on Monday said his second tenure will not be business as usual for the ministry’s workers.

    Bello said he would not hesitate to kick out any unproductive worker. The minister, who officially received a handover note from the FCT Permanent Secretary,  Mr. Christian Ohaa, said he was not prepared to pamper any worker who does not want to add value to the system.  He stressed that performance is paramount in the agenda of his administration to deliver the mandate given to him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Bello, who recalled that during his first tenure, he spent a lot of time working on identified deficiencies in the workforce, also promised not to tolerate unproductivity from workers.

    He said: “During my first time, I used a lot of time pursuing workers around and encouraging all to be their best. I gave all of you free hands. I spent a lot of time ensuring that various departments strive to be productive.

    “This time around, every agency must do its work. All must be held accountable. Anybody who does not do its work shall be out of the system.”

    Read Also: We will deliver on Buhari’s mandate, says Minister

    The minister expressed displeasure that most of the senior workers could not create a positive image needed to support the Change Agenda of the past administration.

    Now, everybody must sit up or face the music, he warned.

    According to him, President Buhari, who graciously re-appointed him, clearly stated the objectives he wants all ministers to achieve. Bello said while the Presidency monitors him to do his job well, he would ensure that all workers in the FCT live up to their responsibility.

    Ohaa assured the minister of loyalty and full support.

    The permanent secretary noted that within the three months he oversaw the administration, departments and agencies had remained alive to their duties.

    He said: “On behalf of the entire workers of the FCTA, I wish to pledge our full support, cooperation and loyalty to ensure that you achieve the mandate of taking the FCT to the Next Level.”