The Nation Newspaper

Tag: position

  • Okonjo-Iweala’s position on ECA confusing’

    Okonjo-Iweala’s position on ECA confusing’

    The position of the Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the Excess Crude Account (ECA) is misleading and a threat to the practice of fiscal federalism, the Rivers State Government has said.

    Rivers State’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in a statement, said Mrs.Okonjo-Iweala should always base her arguments on fact and figures, and not sentiments or politics, so as not to mislead Nigerians.

    She said the Rotimi Amaechi’s administration is interested in knowing how much we have earned from our crude oil sales in the last year, and the percentage of the 2013 budget that was funded from crude oil sales revenue.

    The Rivers government reiterated that there was a position of the National Economic Council (NEC) on the issue of the Excess Crude Account (ECA), which was that the savings in the ECA, belonging to all the states, would not to be touched.

    It noted that the NEC’s position was in tandem with the position of the Finance Minister that the ECA was savings for all, to be set-aside for the rainy day and not to be “shared” in the manner she now seemed to suggest.

    She said the Amaechi’s administration found it curious and very disturbing that “our” rainy day savings had been “shared,” in complete breach of the known procedure for doing so and in what might be considered an under-the-table and clandestine manner.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Our position, by PDP, APC, LP

    Our position, by PDP, APC, LP

    The candidates of the three leading opposition parties in Anambra State rejected yesterday, Saturday’s governorship election, calling it a monumental charade, which should be cancelled.

    The candidates are those of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Chris Ngige, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Tony Nwoye and the Labour Party (LP), Dr Ifeanyi Ubah.

    They called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election before the March, 2014 handover date by Governor Peter Obi.

    Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Ngige said the call became necessary because the election was characterised by irregularities and fraud.

    “We are here to tell the whole world that as a result of the high scale irregularities and fraudulent practices which characterised the faulty election, we call for the cancellation of the election, which held yesterday in Anambra State and we hereby use this opportunity to call on the INEC to do that and arrange a new governorship election in the state at which the people will elect a governor of their choice in a free and fair manner,” Ngige said.

    Explaining their decision, Ngige listed five grounds, which necessitated their line of action.

    He listed a fraudulent voters register, the manipulation of results Sheets, security harassment, and large scale financial inducement of voters at polling units by the ruling party.

    “So, when we reviewed all these things, we have come to the inevitable conclusion that this Commission is determined to go back to the old ways of doing things, and we will not accept that. The gains of the 2011 elections have been lost through this singular election in Anambra State.

    We, therefore, without equivocation, call for the cancellation of the election and a new one conducted,” Ngige said.

    He also warned that they had requested that no result should be announced as the election cannot be validly said to be conclusive yet. Ngige pleaded with INEC not to provoke the people of Anambra State.

    The other candidates agreed with him.

  • APC explains position on council autonomy

    APC explains position on council autonomy

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said its governors are not against autonomy for local governments, as reported in a section of the media yesterday.

    It described such reports as a gross misrepresentation of the governors’ position on the issue.

    In a statement in Oro, Kwara State, yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the governors are only asking that such autonomy must be determined by the Houses of Assembly, rather than the National Assembly.

    “For those who may have been misled by the media reports, we want to state our stand. In the first instance, the constitution gives the Houses of Assembly the power to create local governments. Therefore, autonomy for local governments should be debated in the Houses of Assembly, not in the National Assembly.

    “Secondly, giving control of the local governments to the Federal Government, one of the two federating units in a federalist system of government, will only result in the creation of a unitary government.

    “Thirdly, local government administration must be democratically- elected in a free and fair election. Chairmen and councillors must be accountable to those who elected them.

    “We are a welfarist party and we believe in accountability and abhor any system where any local government administration is not elected freely and fairly. The appointment of caretaker committees to run local governments is an aberration. This is our stand and it definitely does not represent an opposition to autonomy for local governments,” APC said.

    The party said instead of creating more problems by giving the National Assembly the power to regulate local governments, ways must be found to resolve existing problems for the smooth running of local governments.

    “Let us ensure that local government elections are free, fair and credible; let us ensure that chairmen and councillors are accountable.

    Let us stop the appointment of caretaker committees to run local governments because this is undemocratic. Let the Houses of

    Assembly, which have the powers to create local governments, also be able to determine the issue of autonomy.

    “Also to be looked into are the areas of responsibility of the local governments. Currently, they have the same list of responsibilities, although their areas of priority differ. But the truth is that local governments should have different areas of responsibility. While some may want to place emphasis on agriculture, some may prefer environment by virtue of their topography.

    “On the belief that some state governments appropriate funds meant for local governments, the cure is not for the Federal Government to give money directly to the local governments, but for states and local governments to agree on how to ensure a judicious expenditure of local government funds. The partnership between states and local governments is very important for the overall welfare of the common man,” APC said.

    The Lagos State chapter of the APC has backed the party’s governors on the true federalism and proper adjustment in the current lopsided revenue allocation.

    It said it supports the APC governors that local government autonomy in the face of unjust federal structure and a revenue formula that gives the Federal Government so much is another effort to smuggle unitarism in what is supposed to be a federation.

    In a statement in Lagos by its Interim Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, the APC said the veiled attempt to annex the councils by the Federal Government in the guise of local government autonomy would deepen the woes of the country rather than ameliorate it.

    It, therefore, called for an urgent application of the principles of true federalism and just and proper fiscal allocation that may allow the local governments to function as a true federating unit when they are granted proper autonomy.

  • Kaduna Utd’s PFL position worries Ambrose

    Kaduna Utd’s PFL position worries Ambrose

    Kaduna United central defender, Emmanuel Ambrose has frowned at his side’s 18th position in the five-week old Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    Ambrose said the position is unacceptable for a side poised to challenge for the league title.

    “None of us is happy with our position on the log at the moment. It doesn’t speak well of us nor position us well as a side determined to challenge for the title or pick a slot to the continent. We’ve vowed to give our best in all the matches to ensure we move up the ladder.

    “In fact, our target in the next three or four matches is to move up to the 10th position and take it further up from there,” said the captain of his side to supersport.com.

    The Kaduna-based side hosted Enyimba in the NPFL’s Matchday 6 on Thursday at the Kaduna Township Stadium and Ambrose said his team are ready to put in concerted efforts to shore up their fortunes and will start with the clash against the People’s Elephant.

    “Of course, Enyimba won’t escape defeat, we’ll make them pay for the defeats at Nasarawa United and Enugu Rangers. We need the points badly to improve on our position on the log. Enyimba shared points with Warri Wolves on Matchday 5 in Aba and will come all out to fight for points but we’ll surely turn them back empty-handed,” he said.

  • Our position on Okada riders, by Fashola

    Our position on Okada riders, by Fashola

    PROPONENTS of unregulated commercial motorcycle operations in Lagos State should visit hospitals and emergency centres to see the havoc wreaked by their activities, Governor Babatunde Fashola has said.

    Fashola, in an interactive session on Law and Order with members of the Metropolitan Club in Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday, said the hospitals and emergency wards are filled with “those who have lost limbs, arms, and those who have lost children or those who have become orphans by the recklessness of the okada riders”.

    He said a lot depended on the citizenry in ensuring an orderly society, saying, everyone must build a consensus that the idea behind the new traffic law is one that involves the quality of life of everyone, the protection of the assets of every resident of Lagos and their businesses.

    Tracing the various well organised public transport systems that had existed in the past like the L.M.T.S and L.S.T.C, the governor said it should agitate the minds of citizens and members of the Club how the state arrived at its present state in terms of the unbridled operation of commercial motorcyclists.

    According to him, in less than two decades, Okada has gained so much prominence that it has become a phenomenon which should not have been allowed in the first place. He stressed that the elite are culpable as many encouraged their workers and employees to use Okada to run errands.

    “The only way to stop the business from flourishing is by not patronising them. It is a business that if the income from it dwindles, the business proposition of those in it will change,” he said.

    Conducting an overview of various facets of life in the state, Fashola explained that he had to lead by example by shunning the use of siren to escape from the traffic, adding that as a governor he has always fought against attempts by Very Important Personalities (VIP) to close roads and people must be ready to fight against behaviours and conducts hazardous to healthy and secure existence.

    The Governor said there should be concerted effort by all to ensure that Nigeria does not reach the notorious status of Bangkok in terms of traffic because Bangkok city according to him loses about one million dollars every year to traffic congestion.

    Urging business executives and corporate leaders to have a rethink on the types of ventures to support, Fashola said tricycles known as Keke Marwa represents the sign of India’s age of poverty, which the country is striving hard to move away from as it is now busy manufacturing TATA buses and wondered why Nigerians are now embracing it wholeheartedly.

    He added that the same applies to motorcycles which originated from China, saying the Chinese are currently making fast trains for their usage while Nigerians are helping their economy by patronising their Okadas.

    He noted that those breaking the law with impunity are aliens with no respect for rules and regulations.

    According to him, over 100 people from Niger Republic have been sent out of the state in the last 24 hours.

    Fashola, who spoke on the topic: ‘Freedom From Fear,’ explained that the presence or absence of law and order in any society is what determines whether the people will live in fear or without it.

    He added that while the Constitution guarantees many rights, there is no right classified as right to be free from fear in the Constitution because freedom from fear seems to have been the forgotten freedom.