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  • MTEF/FSP: Senate, House panel in marathon meeting to beat deadline

    Members of the Senate and House of Representatives joint Committee on Finance are locked in a marathon meeting.

    It is to meet the one-week deadline given to them to submit a report on the 2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) for consideration and passage by the National Assembly.

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan had, last week, given the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola till Wednesday to submit its report.

    The House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila also referred the document to the James Faleke-led House Committee on Finance. He gave the panel a week to turn in its report for consideration and approval.

    The rush to get the MTEF/FSP report back to plenary and its possible passage is to pave the way for the presentation of the 2020 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari in earnest.

    Read Also: Buhari decries continued loss of public funds through illicit financial flows

    Lawan had asked the Presidency to submit the 2020 Appropriation Bill by September ending, or the first week of October for its consideration and passage by the National Assembly before Christmas.

    The Nation learnt yesterday that following the directive from both chambers, the committees on Finance have resolved to hold joint sittings to consider the document to save time and meet the deadline.

    A source who spoke in confidence told our reporter that the committees have been meeting non-stop.

    The source said: “The Senate Committees on Finance and its House of Representatives counterpart have decided to hold joint sittings to consider the MTEF/FSP instead of the Senate committee doing its own and the House Committee doing its own.

    “They want to do a joint sitting so that they can meet that deadline of maybe Wednesday or Thursday.

    “You know, the deadline the Senate President gave was Wednesday but they are working to meet the deadline or if they miss it, it would just be by a day or so.

    “That is the much they can do because unfortunately or fortunately, Tuesday is a public holiday.

    “So, that was why they decided to work through Saturday, even today (Sunday) they are still meeting over the same matter.

    “It is like even today (Sunday), they are working on it. So, there is every possibility they will meet the deadline.

    “You know they gave them Wednesday, but I don’t think they took cognizance of Tuesday – a public holiday – and the weekend. But members of the joint committee have been working round the round the clock.”

  • I waited for 15 years after wedlock to give birth – Dickson’s wife

    Wife of the Bayelsa State Governor, Dr. Rachael Dickson, at the weekend said she waited for 15 years for a child after her wedlock with Dickson and God rewarded her patience with quadruplets.

    She described the moment she was delivered of her quadruplets in the United States of America three years ago as visitation by God.

    Rachael, who spoke during a thanksgiving service at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House, Yenagoa, said God showed up after 15 years of waiting for fruits of the womb.

    The thanksgiving service was part of activities marking the third year anniversary of the quadruplets.

    Read Also: PDP will win Bayelsa by landslide, Dickson boasts

    She described her children as bundles of joy and prayed God to bless, prosper and equally use them to bring him glory.

    She said: “First I want to thank this great God of heaven because today we are marking the third anniversary of this special gifts from God.

    “After fifteen years, he turned away our captivity. When men thought it was over, he, God, said it was not over”.

    “I stand before this great God to say there is no other God like him. Today I stand before him to say our joy is full. Today I stand to say this great God of heaven can never fail”.

    The governor’s wife also expressed appreciation to family members, friends, associates and the clergy for attending the service as well as for making the day memorable for the children.

    A reception for guest was also held at the Governor’s Lodge with over 200 children in attendance amidst fanfare.

    Some dignitaries in attendance include the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Douye Diri and his wife; his running mate Senator Lawrence Erhuwjakpo, top government functionaries and the clergy.

  • Kwara hospital records 35% patronage rise in three months

    Kwara State Government, in the last three months, has recorded 35 per cent rise in hospital patronage, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said.

    He added that the feat was borne out of the government’s focus on basic health care and the recent equipping of the General Hospital, Ilorin.

    The governor spoke at the weekend at the closing ceremony of the free medical and surgical interventions, at the General Hospital, Ilorin.

    Represented by his deputy, Kayode Alabi, AbdulRazaq said: “We’ll make sure that our primary health centres are properly run and functioning very well. The government will also equip hospitals to meet people’s medical needs. What you have seen here is a direction of where we are going.”

    Read Also: ‘Kwara will pay attention to road’

    The surgical interventions, in which 500 persons benefitted, was sponsored by the government in partnership with the Kwara State Association of Nigeria, North America (KSANG) and Sakinah Medical Outreach.”

    AbdulRazaq said the government was determined to secure the services of qualified health personnel, to provide quality health care services.

    The Special Adviser on Health Matters to the Governor, Prof. Wale Sulaiman, said the just concluded surgical mission was a follow-up to the medical mission held across the three senatorial districts where about 2,500 patients were attended to by volunteer doctors from Sakinah Medical Outreach.

    “The combined medical and surgical mission is one of those key emergency strategies to bring immediate relief to people that have common ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, infectious and non-infectious diseases,” he said.

  • ‘Plateau no longer depends on external revenue’

    The Plateau State Internal Revenue Service has said the government no longer depends on Federal Government’s monthly subvention and periodic bailout facilities to run its administration and provide infrastructures.

    It said the state has expanded its internal revenue profile to a level that 80-90 per cent of the state’s annual budget is funded from internal revenue.

    Executive Chairman Mr. Arlat Dashe, who briefed reporters in his office in Jos on Sunday, said: “Of the 2019 budget estimate of N18billion, the revenue service was tasked by the governor to generate N12billion, and so far in the ninth month of the year, we have generated over N9billion.

    “We have put every machinery in place to meet the N12billion target before the end of the year with a potential to even exceed the target.

    Read Also: Tension in Plateau over council poll

    “With the number of reforms we recently introduced in the tax sector, Plateau State will as from next year, depend fully on its internal revenue sources rather than monthly subvention and bailout from the Federal Government.

    “Based on the recent economic recess witnessed in the country due to fall in oil revenue, state governments were advised to look inward for revenue source to fund their budget. We took the advice very seriously and came up with initiatives that give us positive leverage on our internal revenue sources.

    “Today, we can say the tax reforms we embarked on have paid off. The state is funded 80 per cent from internal sources, and very soon, it shall be 100 per cent internal revenue based. Anything that comes from external sources shall only be a plus.”

    He went on: “Some of the reforms we initiated were to create 12 revenue districts across the state and we deployed our men to take charge. We further engaged tax stakeholders to sensitise them on the need to pay tax. This has increased voluntary tax payment and remittances.

    “As tax payment improves gradually, we have physical infrastructural development projects to show the people how the tax is being utilised by the government. When people see some level of transparency in tax utilisation, they get more encouraged to keep paying.

    “There are other tax potentials we are yet to exploit fully, such as the ones from ministries, agencies and parastatals. By the time we fully develop that sector, we can increase the state’s budget to N50 billion and we will not have problem funding it internally.”

  • I won’t disappoint Bayelsa, says Lyon

    The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Chief David Lyon, at the weekend  vowed not to disappoint the people of the state if he emerged victorious in the November 16 election.

    Lyon, who was received by a crowd of APC supporters in Yenagoa, the state capital, said he would sweep all the evils in the land that had kept the state underdeveloped, promising  to eradicate poverty.

    Thousands of APC members and residents trooped to the streets of Yenagoa to welcome their candidate and the state leader of APC and Petroleum Minister Chief Timipre Sylva, who arrived the state capital from Abuja.

    The crowd, in a carnival mood, dressed in different colours of Lyon’s campaign vests,  locked down Yenagoa and held traffic to standstill for hours.

    Lyon, who addressed members of the party at the APC secretariat, mocked persons asking him to present a certificate of return from his party to prove he is the authentic candidate of the APC in the state.

    He said it was childish and strange that his opponent at the poll was parading a certificate of return he got from his party, saying such thing never happened before in the state.

    Describing himself as the authentic flag bearer, Lyon said he was working to collect the certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after his victory at the poll instead of dissipating his energy carrying party’s certificate of return.

    Read Also: How I will govern Bayelsa, by Lyon

    The candidate, who insisted that he and his running mate, Senator Degi-Eremienyo Biobarakumo, were validly elected and nominated, said they were on a mission to bring the required change in Bayelsa.

    He said: “If you want to know a genuine flag bearer, it is not by flashing certificate of return from your political party and we don’t see it anymore. I will not flash the Certificate of Return from the party as flag bearer. We are waiting to take the INEC’s Certificate of Return.

    “We want you to take the message to the local governments and grassroots because we are coming to make a change in governance of our people. We are saying to Bayelsans that our suffering will soon end.

    “I assure you that when I am elected, prosperity will come. Let me tell you a story. Some people that have not seen anything, when you entrust the public fund in their care, they turn it into a family fund. That is what is happening in Bayelsa. We have started the journey and by the grace of God we will win the election.”

    Also speaking after inaugurating the David Lyon-Senator Degi Campaign Office in Yenagoa, the Petroleum Minister, Chief Timipre Sylva, expressed optimism that the APC would bring positive next level to the state.

    Sylva said the pair of Lyon and  Degi-Eremienyo were up to the task of bringing prosperity.

    He said: “Today is just a tip of the iceberg. I will not say much about the elections because I know that APC has won already. When some people say, are you sure? And to everyone that thinks we are joking, they are the ones joking. Our prayers have been answered.

    “I want to tell you a new chapter has been opened in the history of Bayelsa State. I want to tell you prosperity is coming and I want you to know that the dark days and locust years under the PDP administration are over; prosperity is coming”.

  • Sokoto shuts three private schools

    Sokoto State Government at the weekend shut three private schools for failing to provide a conducive learning environment as well as not complying with the guidelines for establishing private schools.

    Similarly, 10 non-existent private schools with full addresses were identified across locations.

    The schools, which closure by the Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education is with immediate effect, include: Coral Foundation Spring Montessori, Sokoto; Brighter Children School, Koko Road, Sokoto and Godiya Nursery and Primary School, Tambuwal.

    A statement made available to reporters in Sokoto by the spokesman for the ministry, Nura Bello Maikwanci, said the schools were found to be in poor learning environment and did not meet the requirement for establishing a private school.

    The statement said the essence was to ensure standard, quality and compliance with basic requirements for operating private schools with a view to developing the sector for academic excellence.

    Read Also: Assembly tasks Sokoto State Govt. on IPSAS for 2020 budget

    It added: “Ten other private schools were discovered not in existence by the committee set up by the ministry to assess and evaluate the operation of private schools.

    “They include Precious Nursery and Primary School, Shuni Road, Sokoto; Grace International School, Nakasari, Sokoto; Spring -Field International School, Unguwar Rogo, Sokoto and Alkhairi International School, Bodinga.

    “Others are: TAC Academy Kwannawa, Sokoto; Rhema International School, Kwannawa; Kids Ambassadors Nakasari Area, Sokoto; The Sokoto Academy, Mana, Sokoto; De-Trend Day Care School, Old Airport, Sokoto and

    International Academy for Excellence, Badon Barade, Sokoto.

    The statement urged schools with the approvals from Arabic and Islamic Education Board or Local Government Education Authority with full integration to speedily regularise their operations with the ministry.

    Commenting on the sidelines, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Muhammad Bello Abubakar Guiwa, said the measures being taken by the ministry were not aimed at victimising or denying operations of private schools, adding that they were rather to reposition education such that standard, quality and compliance were encouraged in line with the mandate to resuscitate the sector following the declaration of emergency.

    He, however, said that only private schools that complied with the guidelines would be allowed to operate, adding that education was key in shaping the cause for societal development.

    “The world is now knowledge driven and we must key in by encouraging standards, quality and most importantly compliance with basic requirements for operations for the benefit of the people,” Guiwa said.

  • FCE clears promotion backlog

    The Federal College of Education (FCE), Okene in Kogi State has cleared backlog of workers’ promotion dating back to 2015/2016 academic session, Provost Dr. Umar Hassan has said.

    Hassan, who spoke at the weekend while conducting reporters round the projects inaugurated by his administration in the last two years, said they included Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) intervention projects that had addressed the needs of a vastly growing academic community.

    He said the institution boasts of low fees among its contemporaries.

    The provost appealed for additional federal funding to address the problem of inadequacies.

    “As it is often said, the government is a continuum. Therefore, we’ve set in motion necessary machinery to address the lingering challenges we met on ground, which are majorly financial and of course, academic related. We inherited huge liabilities of promotion arrears for 2015 and 2016, which were as a result of shortfalls in personnel cost.

    “Despite the lean resources at the disposal of the college, critical policy decisions have been taken to stabilise the system with quick interventions in academic programmes.

    Read Also: BUK expels 63 students, rusticates 13 others

    “We created additional academic directorates and restructured the existing ones for greater efficiency and service delivery.

    “Our efforts to move the college to the next level of growth and development in research and academic development have continued to yield fruits, with growing opportunities.

    “This administration met some ongoing TETFUND projects and knowing fully well that new projects cannot be accessed without the completion of the ongoing ones; it became expedient for us to mobilise the contractors to site to ensure immediate completion of the projects. They include the Information Communication Technology (ICT) complex at 60 per cent completion then, but now completed, School of Vocational Education lecturer’s building at 70 per cent completion then, also now completed and the gymnasium at 60 per cent completion then, now completed.

    “Others include the construction of one-storey building complex for Early Childhood Care, Primary, Adult and Non-Formal Education, with external work ongoing.

    “The construction of twin-200 seater auditorium with external work. These initiatives have made considerable impact on the well-being of our students on campus and of course our workers. Interestingly too, discussions are at an advanced stage to benefit from Dangote Foundation for hostel construction and rehabilitation.

    “We inherited huge promotion arrears for 2015/2016. I am delighted to inform you that so far we have cleared 19 months of 2015 and nine months from 2016 arrears. Remarkably too, 2018 promotion was effected and financially implemented. Similarly, as at December 2017, all salary arrears were cleared. It is also worthy of note that the contentious issues surrounding the payment of arrears of Peculiar Academic and Non-teaching allowances have been put to rest, as we have begun implementation.”

  • Taraba REC Yusuf dies

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Taraba State, Alhaji Baba Abba Yusuf, is dead.

    Announcing the death in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony said the late REC died on Saturday night at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri, Borno State.

    She said Yusuf, who had served as REC in Benue and Adamawa states, was buried in Maiduguri in accordance with Islamic rites.

    Oriaran-Anthony described the late REC as one of the most experienced hands in the commission, having been appointed a state commissioner in 2010.

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regrets to announce the death of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Taraba State, Alhaji Baba Abba Yusuf. He died last night at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno State, where he was on admission for sometime.

    “He will be buried today (September 29) at 4pm in Maiduguri. The commission will be represented at the funeral by a delegation of the National and Resident Electoral Commissioners.

    “Alhaji Yusuf was one of the most experienced RECs in the commission, having been appointed in 2010. He had served as REC in Benue and Adamawa states. His experience has been invaluable to the commission over the years,” the statement said.

  • 19 expectant women freed at baby factory

    Barely a week after a-week-old baby was recovered from an illegal trade syndicate in Isheri-Osun, a Lagos suburb, the police have rescued 19 pregnant women at another baby factory.

    The victims between ages 15 and 28 were said to have been kept at four different locations in Isheri-Osun and Ikotun where their babies were taken away from them and sold for N300,000 or N500,000 depending on the sex.

    Four kids were also rescued in the operation led by Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Chike Ibe, a Chief Superintendent (CSP).

    The Nation reports that policemen and officials of the Ministry of Youths and Social Development last year stormed another baby factory at Igando and rescued malnourished children, pregnant women at the facility that also ran an alleged illegal creche.

    While some of the expectant mothers knew their babies would be sold, others were brought to Lagos with promises of jobs only to be turned to baby-making factories.

    It was gathered that some of the victims were abducted from their home states and brought to the locations where men allegedly took advantage of them.

    Those who said they accepted to sell their children to the syndicate claimed they were not offered the money promised, it was gathered.

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    He said the victims were brought from Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Abia and Imo states.

    According to police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), detectives on a tip-off at about 4pm on September 19, stormed 14, Adisa Street, Ayanwale in Ikotun, 32 Owosho Street, Governor Road, Ikotun, 29, Olugbeyohun Street,  Olakunle Bus Stop Abaranje and 4/6 Anomo Street, Abaranje.

    He said the places were suspected to  have been used for child trafficking, adding that two suspects Happiness Ukwuoma, 40, and Sherifat Ipeya, 54, were arrested in connection with the case.

    “The suspects did not receive formal medical training but operate as nurses. The suspects are from Imo and Lagos states. The command has launched a manhunt of the principal suspect Madam Oluchi from Mbano in Imo State.

    •Oluchi, a principal suspect ‘on the run’

    “She is a mother of five. The young women were mostly abducted by the suspects for the purpose of getting them pregnant and selling the babies to potential buyers. The girls were tricked with employment as domestic staff in Lagos. The suspects sold boys N500,000 and girls N300,000.

    “The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Zubairu Muazu, has visited the scene and ordered the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) to take over the case.

    “The command is working with other agencies and stakeholders in rehabilitating and resettling the pregnant girls and the babies. Investigation is ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court,” he said.

  • Two Nigerien nabbed with pistols

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted two Nigerien with pistols, computers and phones at the Kongolam border in Katsina State.

    NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday James said in a statement in Abuja at the weekend that the men were nabbed following the swift operation of NIS border operatives.

    “This action by the operatives was after the visit by the Comptroller-General, NIS Muhammad Babandede and his Customs counterpart, Col. Hammeed Ali (rtd), to assess the level of cooperation, synergy and successes so far recorded.”

    Read Also: Council seals 332 medicine stores in Jigawa

    James further said the two Nigerien had attempted to open fire in defiance and to evade arrest.

    “The gallant operatives overpowered them leaving one dead and the other who survived is helping with useful information about their activities.

    “After due interrogation and profiling, the surviving criminal has been handed over to the police for further necessary action.”

    He advised the border communities to desist from conniving and sabotaging government efforts at ensuring safer borders.