The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Permanent Secretary

  • Permanent Secretary stalls budget probe

    Permanent Secretary stalls budget probe

    House of Representatives’ investigation into the performance of the capital component  of 2015 budget could not take off again for the second time in a week.

    The absence of the Federal Ministry of Finance’s  Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Anastasia Mabi Daniel-Nwaobia at the public hearing halted proceedings at the hearing despite the presence of seven agencies of government invited for the hearing.

    The committee will begin the investigation next Tuesday after being informed that the Permanent Secretary will still not be available throughout this week. The decision to go on with the hearing on Tuesday followed the intervention of President Mohammadu Buhari’s National Assembly liason officers, Senator Eta Inang and Suleiman Kawu.

    They said the permanent secretary would be on official duty outside the country  throughout the week.

    The committee summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

    [ad id=”403656″]The agencies that appeared before the committee yesterday  included the Budget Office of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Fiscal Responsibility Commission among others.

    The committee refused to allow the representative of for Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Aliyu Gusau who is the director general Budget Office to make any presentation  on behalf of the Finance Ministry.

    Members of the committee, who were unanimous in their decision to postpone the hearing, took turn to explain the implication of the absence of the Permanent Secretary at the hearing.

    The Chairman of the Committee, Pategi, said his panel would not  compromise the transparency mantra of the current administration.

    “We need to know the budget performance, do we have difficulties implementing it, is the nation broke, there are lots more to know.

    “For instance, we are concerned that Zenith bank is laying off about 1000 workers and that’s part of the reasons the House is worried about the capital expenditure of the budget because of  it’s implications on Nigerians”.

    Nicholas Ossai noted that the Permanent Secretary may not be aware of the enormity of the hearing by sending a representative after failing to appear before the committee a week earlier.

  • Nigeria power sector gulps N2.740 trillion in 16 years

    Nigeria power sector gulps N2.740 trillion in 16 years

    A total of N2.740 trillion was spent on the country’s epileptic power sector between 1999 and 2015, the Senate was told Tuesday.

    This was the submission of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, at the Senate two day investigative hearing on Power Sector.

    The investigative hearing was inaugurated by the upper chamber to unearth alleged unwholesome practices in the power sector between 1999 to 2015.

    The Senate mandated an ad-hoc committee on the Power Sector headed by Senator Abubakar Kyari (Borno North) to conduct a comprehensive hearing to expose corrupt practices and establish how much the Federal Government has spent on the sector between 1999 and 2015.

    Igali told the committee that out of a total appropriation of N1.6 trillion since 1999, the sum of N948 billion was actually released to the Ministry of Power and its agencies within the period.

    The Permanent Secretary added that sum of N155 billion was also released to the ministry to cushion the effects of the shortfalls in expenditure for the power sector within the same period.

    He noted that power sector is at the centre of the country’s development insisting that everything must be done to get the sector right.

    Igali said that at the inception of democracy in 1999, the government inherited a sector where everything was dormant with no new generating units built except the one built in the 60s.

    He stressed the need for consistent investment in the sector.

    He noted that for over 100 years when the first electric power came to Lagos, power remained in the hand of government because there was no law allowing individuals to invest in the sector.

    He said, “It is a heavy capital intensive industry but if you get it right people are ready to pay.We have not been consistent with our investment. From 1999, despite the interest of government to infuse money in the sector, government has not been able to meet what the sector requires.”

    Igali also told the committee that the country’s electricity generation had risen to about 4600 megawatts from 3500 megawatts in 2013.

    He attributed the rise in generation capacity to the reduction in the degree of vandalisation of power equipment in parts of the country.

    The permanent Secretary also said that the NIPP is currently the greatest contributor of power to the National Grid.

    He noted that post privatization era, vandalism of power equipment has gone down.

    Igali said that from his evaluation “things will be better in the sector very soon.”

    On the disengaged staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Igali said that only 2000 had not been verified and paid their severance allowances.

    He explained that most of those involved who claimed to be former staff of PHCN have no valid document to back up their claim.

    He however said that final verification would soon be conducted to determine the veracity of the claimants.

    The Permanent Secretary told the committee that proceeds of privatisation was used to settle labour claims of over 46000 workers by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation and Pension Commission.

    ‎The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Mr. James Olotu, on his part told the committee that the National Independent Power Projects (NIPP) received $8.23 billion.

    The $8.23 billion which came from the excess crude account translates to about N1.640 trillion the NIPP used for its activities.

    The committee wondered why the local government tier of government was not represented in the governing board of the NIPP even when the tier is one of the sponsors of the NIPP projects.

    Olotu explained that the framers of the NIPP law might have thought the bringing in local government chairmen as board members of the NIPP would make the board unwieldy considering the number of local governments in the country.

    He said that governors in the board are representing local governments in their geo-political zones.

    The committee also mandated Igali to submit audited accounts of the ministry of power and its agencies to it.

    Chairman of the committee said that audited account of the Ministry of Power and its agencies would enable the committee to know what was actually released to the ministry.

    The committee was also not comfortable with what a member described as notable contradictions and discrepancies in the presentations and submissions of those who appeared before the committee.

     

  • Fed Govt withdraws ‘illegal’ diplomatic, official passports

    Fed Govt withdraws ‘illegal’ diplomatic, official passports

    The Federal Government yesterday directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to retrieve all valid diplomatic and official passports from people who are not entitled to it.

    According to a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Yusuf Isiaka Alhaji and made available to The Nation, “The Federal Government has found out that some Nigerians who are not entitled to hold diplomatic and official passports are in possession of these documents.

    “In view of the Federal Government’s determination to protect and promote Nigeria’s integrity in the comity of nations, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Interior has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to retrieve all valid diplomatic and official passports with immediate effect from all persons who are not entitled to hold such documents.”

     

  • Fake doctor owes Fed Govt N17m

    Fake doctor owes Fed Govt N17m

    An assessment by Integrated Personnel and Payment Information System (IPPIS) has shown that Martin Ugwu Okpe, who impersonated his friend to work in the Ministry of Health since 2006, owes the Federal Government more than N17million in salaries and allowances.

    IPPIS arrived at exactly N17,024,017.90 through pay slips and performance evaluation cards as money Okpe owes government.

    The amount excludes tax and union dues through nine years which were paid to the government, according to IPPIS.

    The health ministry is looking for “full retrieval” of money that accrued to Okpe in the past nine years, according to Permanent Secretary, Linus Awute.

    Okpe worked in the Department of Health Planning Research and Statistics as a Grade-12 senior medical officer using the credentials and name of a Dr George Davidson Daniel, his friend and a doctor doing residency in Jos.

    Okpe was charged to court last Tuesday  and remanded in Kuje prisons pending the fulfilment of his bail condition. The court will hear the case on October 10.

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  • Fayose dismisses permanent secretary

    Fayose dismisses permanent secretary

    •Govt: he disobeyed civil service rules

    A Permanent Secretary in the Ekiti State Civil Service, Tunde Alokan, was yesterday sacked by Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Alokan was the permanent secretary,  Office of Establishment.

    He earlier served as permanent secretary, Ekiti State Liaison Office in Abuja and is believed to be one of the best hands in the civil service.

    Alokan’s sack came barely four months after former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Kofo Aderiye, was sacked for allegedly advising against drafting teachers to participate in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential rally addressed by President Goodluck Jonathan on January 14.

    Mrs. Aderiye reportedly insisted that government teachers were civil servants and should not be dragged into partisan politics.

    Although no official reason was given for Alokan’s sack, a Government House source told our reporter that he was dismissed for his alleged closeness to former Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    His “other sin” was turning down an offer to chair a panel to try his elder brother, Tokunbo, for an offence that was not clear.

    Fayemi attended the funeral of the father of the sacked permanent secretary, which held in Efon Alaaye in February, which the source said might have angered the government.

    Fayemi appointed Alokan as permanent secretary in January 2012.

    Another Government House source explained that Alokan’s elder brother,  a director (Level 16), may also be dismissed in connection with the funeral saga.

    The elder Alokan was attached to the Due Process Office in the Governor’s Office before he was transferred to the Office of Establishment.

    Another source said: “After the funeral the following week, his elder brother, also a civil servant, was asked to report at the Office of Establishment.

    “A panel was set up to investigate Tokunbo with the younger brother mandated to chair the panel, an offer which he turned down.

    “Although the two of them were pencilled down for sack, that of the elder brother was put on hold to pave the way for his investigation and interrogation by the panel.

    “Since his younger brother turned down the offer to chair a panel raised to try Tokunbo, another person will be appointed to perform the task and your guess is as good as mine on the result that would come out of the panel.”

    The Head of Service, Gbenga Faseluka, said Alokan’s removal has no link with his father’s burial.

    But the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, said Alokan violated civil service rules by dabbling into politics.

    He also denied awareness of any panel to try the sacked Permanent Secretary’s elder brother, describing it as “political idle talks”.

    Adelusi said: “There are rules governing civil service system and Ekiti State is not an exception.

    “It is unfortunate that anybody will link his sack to ex-Governor Fayemi.

    “For anybody to be sacked, it will be based on strictly civil service rules. His salaries did not accrue to Fayemi.

    “The governor is not aware that Fayemi attended his father’s burial and he is not aware that there was a burial in the first instance. There is a time to be hired and there is a time to be fired.”

     

  • Jonathan suspends permanent secretary

    Jonathan suspends permanent secretary

    •Zuma for Buhari’s inauguration

    THE Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, has been suspended for his alleged role in the controversy over the invitation of Nigeria’s envoys from South Africa.

    Media reports at the weekend claimed that Nigeria had recalled its envoys from South Africa over the xenophobic attacks in the country.

    The South African government has already reacted to the action, describing it as unnecessary.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Monday, maintained that there was no truth in the report.

    Claiming that there was a mix up and misinformation on the matter, he said that Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires to South Africa was invited for consultation.

    But, a reliable source, who craved anonymity, said that a query has already been issued to Sheni by the Head of Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi, on the order of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The source said Sheni’s offence was that he did not get clearance from the president before inviting the country’s envoys for consultation.

    The President, he said, was miffed that the ministry embarrassed him again, a few weeks after the diplomatic row between Nigeria and Morocco on issue of telephone conversation between Jonathan and King Mohammed VI.

    He said that Sheni would have been dismissed, if not for the civil service rule.

    He said: “The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been suspended and queried for embarrassing the President by not clearing from him before inviting the Charge d’Affaires.

    “The President on Monday directed the Head of Service to query him and he has 24 hours to respond to the query.

    “You will recall that that was the second embarrassment, this one came shortly after the Morocco saga.

    “The permanent secretary was to be dismissed immediately, but for the civil service rule. Even at that, there will still be further consequence.

    “As at now, a new permanent secretary has been redeployed to the ministry to replace him.”

    South Africa has, however, insisted that it still has cordial relations with the Nigeria despite the latter withdrawing its high commissioner in protest against xenophobic violence.

    Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe yesterday led a media briefing of the inter-ministerial committee that has been set up in the wake of attacks on foreign nationals during the past two weeks.

    Radebe was careful to point out that President Jacob Zuma would attend the inauguration of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, and that South Africa companies still enjoyed investment opportunities in the West African country.

    Radebe mentioned MTN, Shoprite and Standard Bank.

    He noted that Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote was building a cement factory in the country’s North West Province.

    “SA still has very cordial relations with the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Radebe repeated at least three times during the media briefing.

    He emphasised that SA had amicable relations with all the members of the African Union (AU).

    In the list of victims of the xenophobic violence provided by Radebe, it showed that of the seven people killed, one was Ethiopian, one was Zimbabwean, one Mozambican, one from Bangladesh, and three were South Africans.

    The list also showed that foreigners being repatriated were from Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

    The Office of International Criminal Court’s (ICC’s) Prosecutor has signified its intention to probe the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African citizens in South Africa.

    This followed a petition from Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) alleging hate speech by the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.

    SERAP’s Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni said this yesterday in a statement.

     

  • Permanent Sec retired for incompetence in Edo

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has directed the compulsory retirement of Mr. Felix  Otoide, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development from the Edo State Public Service for incompetence.

    The retirement takes immediate effect, according to a statement by Peter Okhiria, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

    Otoide served as Permanent Secretary in the ministry of youths and sports and also in the board of internal revenue.

  • How to march forward into stable nationhood, by Federal PS

    PERMANENT Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, has called for the establishment of institutional paradigms upon which Nigeria can begin to march forward into stable nationhood.

    Stating that it is only at the level of institutional equity that the country and her citizens can transcend ethnic, religious and cultural challenges, Olaopa who made the call at a public lecture titled ‘Aawe town, Bishop Atilade and the vision of a new Nigeria,’ as part of activities to honour the President, Gospel Baptist Conference of Nigeria and Overseas, Archbishop Magnus Atilade.

    He noted that the value-based institutions that will provide the base infrastructure on which sustainable development is grounded and which defines national standard in all spheres, including leadership, governance, and service delivery is imperative.

    Olaopa noted, “A good polity is one that is grounded on institutional framework of constitutional order. To achieve the above requires a solid rethinking of the educational system and all its structural shortcomings. A sound educational system constitutes the institutional answer to the problem of good citizenship, value reorientation, low skills equilibrium, unemployment, etc.

    “More than this, it provides the mental basis for an enlarged mind-set that sets an individual beyond the lures of ethnic or religious chauvinism that consistently work against the goal of national integration. The result will be a national citizenship education to ignite culture change that will breed a new generation of conscientious and purposeful leaders.’’

    Another critical plank in the rehabilitation of the national project, Olaopa observed, is the need to reconnect with the generational value chain that stretches from the past to the present, adding that generational capital requires that the accumulated wisdom of those who have laboured within the trenches of the Nigerian project be deployed in educating the new generation in the virtue of patriotism and the love of humanity.

    “Installing a new productivity paradigm shift in the national economy is critical in our national bid to capacitate the infrastructural basis of productivity in the national economy. Productivity in this sense becomes a commitment on the part of government to increase the welfare of its citizens through improved performance of its public services charged with the delivery of qualitative goods and services,” Olaopa postulated.

    Lamenting the tales of developmental woes that have been the lot of the Nigerian state since independence, and the repercussions of these failures on the Nigerian citizens, Olaopa submitted that the task of integrating Nigeria’s diverse population into one unified citizenry has been held in critical abeyance because successive governments have been struggling to fulfill its part of the social contract.

    “The failure of the development plans is represented in the lack-luster performance of the Nigerian public service. I am a critical participant and insider in the contemporary evolution of the Nigerian civil service, and I can say that it is not yet Uhuru. We still have a long way to go,” he said.

  • Imo warns against diverting counterpart fund

    Imo warns against diverting counterpart fund

    The Community Government Council Officers in Imo State have been advised against diverting the N1 million naira counterpart fund for the renovation of schools to personal use.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs Maria Amah, gave the advice when the officers visited her in Owerri.

    Amah warned that any community that diverted the fund would face the full wrath of the law, and urged those that were yet to begin the renovation of schools in their domain to start immediately.

    She stressed the need for collaboration between the executive secretaries and the community development officers for effective monitoring and supervision of the projects.

    The leader of the executive secretaries, Mr Reginald Onunibaku, said they were in her office to appreciate the state government for releasing the fund.

    He assured that they would make judicious use of the fund to fast-track the quality of education in the state, especially in the rural areas.