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Tag: PRESIDENCY

  • Presidency: no plan to reintroduce on-shore/off-shore dichotomy

    Presidency: no plan to reintroduce on-shore/off-shore dichotomy

    The Presidency said yesterday that on-shore/off-shore dichotomy has not been reintroduced in the sharing of oil revenue in the Federation Account Allocation to states.

    It urged Nigerians not to misconceive the recommendations of the committee raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on true federalism.

    The Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led committee had recommended: “To promote the unity of the country and ensure that states are more financially empowered to deliver services to their residents, as well as ensure no one feels disadvantaged, the committee recommends that the federal government should expeditiously review derivation to reflect areas of consensus which are adoption of ‘state control of resources and pay FG,’ upward review of the current formula in favour of states and adoption of similar derivation formula in favour of solid minerals and power generation.”

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate) Senator Ita Enang, told reporters yesterday that the issue was being used to campaign against President Muhammadu Buhari. He denied that government had covertly or overtly reintroduced the dichotomy.

    He said: “Attention is drawn to the campaign against Mr. President, the APC as a party and the Committee on proposal for re-structuring of Nigeria report led by Governor El-Rufai alleging that the said Report is introducing on-shore-off-shore dichotomy intended to deprive the littoral states of Akwa lbom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Lagos among others of the derivation content of Revenue allocation.

    “And more, by Akwa Ibom State alleging that a greater part of her revenue is from off-shore oil.

    “As preliminary, I want to state aforehand that neither President Muhammed Buhari, the APC as a Ruling party nor the Report on re-structuring has reintroduced covertly or overtly or in any manner whatsoever the abrogated on-shore-off-shore dichotomy and that the statutory allocation to Akwa Ibom and other littoral States will not decrease.

    “I speak and say again that the intendment of the (APC) Report is to allow the states control resources and devolve more powers to the states, and consequently increase allocation to the states, of which Akwa Ibom is among.”

    On the APC committee’s recommendations, he said the ruling party’s committee in response to popular opinion, recommended an upward review of the the current derivation formula and adoption of the said formula in favour of solid minerals and hydro power.

    The recommendation, he said, will entail the amendment of section of Constitution, noting that “the apprehension of the contenders is that the recommendation says that the oil, gas, and other minerals devolved to the state and that off-shore belongs to the Federal Government,”

    He said “By Gods special Providence, arising from the decision of the Supreme Court in the of AG. v Abia State & 35 ors (2002) 6 NWLR (part 764) 542-905, I played central co-ordinating role in the abolition of the on-shore-off-shore dichotomy in the House of Representatives and my brother, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma now Honourable Minister of Budget and National Planning led in the Senate.

    “Upon the judgment in 2002, the Federal Government, at the lead of Emeritus Governors of Obong Victor Attah (AKS), DSP Alamieyesigha (Bayelsa), James Ibori (Delta) and Peter Odili (Rivers) agreed with the Federal Government on behalf of the littoral States for a political solution, and this was worked out legislatively

    “Reading the judgment of Kutigi, JSC (as he then was) in the case of AG, Federation v. AG, Abia Reading the Judgment of Kutigi, JSC State & Ors (Supra) wherein His Lordship states:

    “‘This court has no legislative powers and it cannot rewrite the laws. Only the legislature can lawfully and properly do that if it so wishes.”

     

     

    “‘I must observe again that even the plaintiff’s claim before the court is simply “A determination of the seaward boundary of a littoral State within the Federal Republic of Nigeria…’

    He added: “We deemed this window for legislation and accordingly the Allocation of Revenue (Abrogation of Dichotomy in the Application of the Principle of Derivation) Act 2004 was made which states:

    ‘Abrogation of the Onshore and Offshore Dichotomy;

    ‘As from a commencement of this Act, the two hundred meter water depth Isobaths contiguous to a state of the Federation shall be deemed to be a part of that State for purposes of computing the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from the State pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or any other enactment.

    ‘Accordingly, for the purposes of the application of the Principle of Derivation, it shall be immaterial whether the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from a State is derived from natural resources located onshore or offshore.’

    The presidential aide therefore insisted that “the above is provision of the existing law.

    “No suggestion has been made for the abrogation of this Act in the recommendations, and no

    proposed Bill is drafted in the Report

    “May l state that at no point has it recommended for on-shore-off-shore dichotomy to be re-introduced or enforced, and the Federal Government is not doing so at this moment

    “May this be enough to allay the fears of the agitated or lay to rest the malicious issues raised by false alarmists.”

  • No plan to reintroduce onshore/offshore dichotomy – Presidency

    No plan to reintroduce onshore/offshore dichotomy – Presidency

    The Presidency on Monday denied that onshore/offshore dichotomy has been reintroduced in the sharing of oil revenue to states.

    The Presidency said the reaction followed a misconception arising from the recommendations of the committee raised by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) on true federalism.

    A committee headed by Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had recommended that to promote the unity of the country and ensure that states are more financially empowered to deliver services to their people, the Federal Government should expeditiously review derivation to reflect areas of consensus which are adoption of “state control of resources and pay federal government” upward review of the current formula in favour of states and adoption of similar derivation formula in favour of solid minerals and power generation.”

    Briefing State House correspondents on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, said the issue was being used to campaign against President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He denied that government had covertly or overtly reintroduced the dichotomy.

    He said: “Attention has been drawn to the campaign against Mr. President, the APC as a party and the Committee on proposal for re-structuring of Nigeria led by Governor El-Rufai alleging that the said report is introducing onshore-offshore dichotomy intended to deprive the littoral states of Akwa lbom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Lagos among others of the derivation content of Revenue allocation.

    “And more, by Akwa Ibom State alleging that a greater part of her revenue is from offshore oil.

    “As preliminary, I want to state that neither President Muhammed Buhari, the APC as a ruling party nor the report on re-structuring has reintroduced covertly or overtly or in any manner whatsoever the abrogated onshore-offshore dichotomy and that the statutory allocation to Akwa Ibom and other littoral states will not decrease.”

     

     

  • Only 15.8% of social investment funds released in two years – Presidency

    Only 15.8% of social investment funds released in two years – Presidency

    The Presidency on Thursday disclosed that only 15.8 percent of the budgetary allocations for Social Investments Programmes were released in the last two years.

    At least N500 billion were appropriated in the 2016 and 2017 budgets for the programmes.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Investments Programmes, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, briefed State House correspondents at the end of National Economic Council meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to her, the government has been making positive impacts with what has been released in the past two years.

    She also hoped that there would be improvement in allocated funds for the programmes.

  • Video: How FG will tackle insecurity – Presidency

    Video: How FG will tackle insecurity – Presidency

    The Presidency yesterday said the meeting between President Mohammadu Buhari and service chiefs was aimed at deliberating on how to tackle the security challenges across the country.

    The President Special Adviser, Femi Adesina on Media and Publicity, spoke on the outcome of the meeting in a video posted on his official Facebook page, saying the intention is to completely control the clashes between farmers and Fulani Herdsmen.

    Adesina, quoting President Buhari “the impression created that I was sitting in an air-conditioned office and home, enjoying myself while these things happened is dishonest” when he was visited by Catholic Bishops said the president is particularly worried about the clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers.

    The meeting, was an enlarged one with heads of Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Prisons Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    At the meeting was the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, Minister of Defence  Mansur Dan-Ali, Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Danbazzau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama and National Security Adviser Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd)

    Others are: Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Lawal Daura, Director of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) Ahmed Abubakar and Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris.

     The service chiefs at the meeting included Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar.

    [jwplayer oL63c7IQ]

  • Mixed signals from the presidency

    Mixed signals from the presidency

    HARD as they may try, it is impossible for the Buhari presidency to pull wool over the people’s faces concerning the herdsmen/farmers crisis. In his remarks to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on Thursday, the president only spoke of cattle colonies to debunk any attempt by the government he leads to help the Fulani colonise any part of Nigeria. He went on to describe the government’s intentions concerning the herdsmen as setting up grazing locations. He attributed this policy to the outcome of meetings by stakeholders to firm up a solution to the herdsmen/farmers conflicts.

    That was not the impression the Agriculture minister, Audu Ogbeh, gave. The minister clearly spoke of stakeholders meetings and government discussions producing what he termed cattle colonies spread over 5,000 hectares each in states that willingly embrace the policy. Even though he produced no evidence of when the federal cabinet discussed such a sensitive policy, he even went on, before the press and before the Benue governor, Samuel Ortom, to identify the differences between grazing reserves and cattle colonies.

    And when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo addressed the national security summit in Abuja last Thursday, he also studiously avoided mentioning cattle colonies as a federal government policy. He spoke instead of grazing reserves or cattle ranches, and added that herdsmen would pay for such lands willingly transacted with them by states interested in that business. It is clear the idea of cattle colonies, or anything resembling that in name, will be disfavoured by top presidency officials. Watch Chief Ogbeh when he speaks next. He is unlikely to talk very confidently of cattle colonies, regardless of his asseverations, and notwithstanding the buffoonery of Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello, who has offered 15,000 hectares of land to the federal government before agreeing to, and paying compensation to landowners. Someone will sue Mr Bello, for he has no right even under the colony bugaboo to allocate public money to pay compensation for a transaction the herdsmen did not initiate and are clearly not interested in paying for. And to think the governor is all the while defaulting in paying salaries.

    The Buhari presidency may have retreated a bit from the colony concept, but that stand does not however deflect from the fact that they attempted to sell a policy to Nigerians that had not been, contrary to what the president said, well thought out. Nigerians need to be watchful of a government that seems adept at taking things for granted and are clearly unable to do its homework well.

  • Presidency confirms death of 2 members of Buhari’s extended family

    Presidency confirms death of 2 members of Buhari’s extended family

    The presidency yesterday confirmed the death of two members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s extended family in Daura, Katsina State.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the two senior members of the family died within a few hours of one another.

    They are Hajiya Halima Dauda and Hajiya Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman.

    Halima Dauda was the President’s niece and younger sister to his close associate and nephew Malam Mamman Daura while Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman was the wife of the President’s older brother, Alhaji Mamman.

    Halima Dauda, aged 56, who has since been buried in Daura, left behind 10 children, including one of President Buhari’s Personal Assistants, Mohammed Sabi’u Tunde.

    Her burial was attended by a federal government delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.

    Others on the team were the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika; three Senior Special Assistants to the President, Sarki Abba, Ya’u Darazo and Garba Shehu; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Abubakar.

    Others included the State Chief of Protocol, Amb. Lawal Kazaure, the Permanent Secretary, State House Jalal Arabi, Alhaji Isma’ila Isa and Sayyu Dantata both of them businessmen.

    The Buhari family had earlier on buried Hajiya Ai’sha Alhaji Mamman on Friday.

    Receiving condolences on behalf of the Buhari family, Malam Mamman, thanked God for the lives of the deceased and all the visitors for sharing the moment of grief with them.

    Among those received by the family in Daura were the Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, and a former Military Governor of Kaduna State, retired Brig.-Gen. Jafaru Isa.

     

  • Presidency laments hate speeches by some media houses

    Presidency laments hate speeches by some media houses

    The Presidency on Friday expressed worries over what it termed hate speeches by some media houses.

    Briefing State House correspondents on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, specifically mentioned the front page report and a column in The Sun newspapers.

    He said: “I am here this afternoon to address you on some pressing issues concerning our noble profession and to appeal that members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm should show more decorum and professionalism in the reportage of security and humanitarian situation in the country.

    “The growing lack of respect for journalism ethics and press laws in the Nigerian media, especially regarding the clashes in Benue State is very unfortunate.

    “The frequent expressions of hate speech published by newspapers, in news stories and especially in columns is indeed a source of concern to all.

    “We want to state emphatically that a segment of the Nigerian media is sinking deeper and deeper into the mesh of hate speech in spite of repeated appeals by recognised and reputable media bodies, the Government and concerned Nigerians.

    “Unfortunately, self-regulation which is the norm in civilized societies has taken flight from many of our newsrooms.

    “For instance, a recent column published in a national newspaper (The Sun newspaper), said ”President Muhammadu Buhari was the first to endorse the Benue massacre on New Year Day. The same columnist described the Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali, as ”a dyed-in-the-wool Fulani irredentist who places trade over and above human life”.

    “The diatribe went further to invite citizens of the country to arm themselves and fight each other. In addition, one of the newspaper’s Saturday headlines proclaimed: ‘Expect More Blood in Benue…’

    “Apart from the basic tone of respect expected from an individual who is supposedly intelligent and educated enough to know better since they have been granted space to write in a national newspaper, there is the risk of inciting the public to actions that will have gory consequences for the entire nation for generations to come.

    “Those beating the gongs of war and fanning the embers of discord must remember what prevailed in Rwanda before the genocide of the early 90s, during which hundreds of thousands of lives were lost as a result of consistent hate speech spewing from that country’s media.

    “We must learn to express our grievances and criticisms without resorting to gutter language or to name calling, and the press has a responsibility to maintain that even if it means calling their columnists to order.

    “President Buhari, by the Constitution, has the primary duty of protecting life and property and that is what he has been doing in Benue and across the country”.

  • Executive, NASS can’t dictate election order to INEC – Lawyers

    Executive, NASS can’t dictate election order to INEC – Lawyers

    Senior lawyers said on Friday that neither the Presidency nor National Assembly can dictate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the order in which next year’s general elections should hold.

    According to them, INEC can only act based on the Electoral Act 2010 and its guidelines without recourse to the two arms of government.

    The lawyers, however, said the National Assembly can alter the elections order by an amendment order of the enabling law.

    While the Presidency is in favour of INEC conducting the presidential elections first, the lawmakers want theirs to come before the presidential election.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, said the National Assembly can alter the order of the election through an amendment of the Electoral Act.

    “What the National Assembly is not allowed to do is to change this law less than six months to any election. We still have 14 months before the election, so they can amend the law to change the order.

    “But, beyond it, it is more responsible and more politically correct to put lesser elections first before the biggest election. The little masquerade first dances in the village square before the biggest of them all comes out.

    “It will have a negative effect if you hold the presidential election first before others. Others like governors or senators would want to go where the president had gone so that they would not be in opposition.

    “Not only that, the person who has won the presidency can decide to muscle others and remove those they don’t want within one week. So, let the small elections come first, which will make the presidential candidate to lobby, work very hard and go down to the remotest parts of Nigeria to campaign, because he cannot take anything for granted.

    “So I think the National Assembly is right in terms of political correctness and morality,” Ozekhome said.

    Former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch, Mr. Martin Ogunleye, said INEC is empowered to act independent of executive and the National Assembly.

    “The term “independent” in the name of INEC supposes that the Commission ought to be independent of and from external influence. Neither the executive nor the legislature ought to interfere in the time-table,” he said.

    The President of Crusade for Justice, Mr. Richard Nwankwo, said based on the Electoral Act as amended, the power to determine the sequence of an election is vested in INEC.

    However, he said the lawmakers reserve the right to amend the Electoral Act which would leave INEC with no choice.

    “If the National Assembly tinkers with the enabling law and provides the sequence of election, then INEC’s hands would be tied, even though people would look at it as the lawmakers taking undue advantage of their position.

    “But, that does not detract from National Assembly’s powers to make such laws. Whether it is morally or politically right is not the issue. What is in issue is whether the National Assembly has the power to tinker with the law, and that is beyond contention,” Nwakwo said.

    Lagos lawyer, Mr. Tope Alabi, said neither the Presidency nor the National Assembly can impose anything on INEC except through the Electoral Act’s amendment.

     

  • Presidency laments hate speeches by media houses

    Presidency laments hate speeches by media houses

    The Presidency on Friday expressed worries over what it termed hate speeches by some media houses.

    Briefing State House correspondents on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, specifically mentioned the front page report and a column in a National Newspaper.

    He said “I am here this afternoon to address you on some pressing issues concerning our noble profession and to appeal that members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm should show more decorum and professionalism in the reportage of security and humanitarian situation in the country.

    “The growing lack of respect for journalism ethics and press laws in the Nigerian media, especially regarding the clashes in Benue State is very unfortunate.

    “The frequent expressions of hate speech published by newspapers, in news stories and especially in columns is indeed a source of concern to all.

    “We want to state emphatically that a segment of the Nigerian media is sinking deeper and deeper into the mesh of hate speech in spite of repeated appeals by recognised and reputable media bodies, the Government and concerned Nigerians.

    “Unfortunately, self-regulation which is the norm in civilized societies has taken flight from many of our newsrooms.

    “For instance, a recent column published in a national newspaper, said ‘‘President Muhammadu Buhari was the first to endorse the Benue massacre’’ on New Year Day. The same columnist described the Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali as ‘‘a dyed-in-the-wool Fulani irredentist who places trade over and above human life’’.

    “The diatribe went further to invite citizens of the country to arm themselves and fight each other. In addition, one of the newspaper’s Saturday headlines proclaimed: ‘Expect More Blood in Benue…’

    “Apart from the basic tone of respect expected from an individual who is supposedly intelligent and educated enough to know better since they have been granted space to write in a national newspaper, there is the risk of inciting the public to actions that will have gory consequences for the entire nation for generations to come.

    “Those beating the gongs of war and fanning the embers of discord must remember what prevailed in Rwanda before the genocide of the early 90s, during which hundreds of thousands of lives were lost as a result of consistent hate speech spewing from that country’s media.

    “We must learn to express our grievances and criticisms without resorting to gutter language or to name calling, and the press has a responsibility to maintain that even if it means calling their columnists to order.

    “President Buhari, by the Constitution, has the primary duty of protecting life and property and that is what he has been doing in Benue and across the country.

    “Calling him a murderer is not only grossly disrespectful but unfair, especially when the President has written a letter to the Senate detailing his efforts to quell the crisis in Benue State, including dispatching the Minister of Interior and the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of operations for an on the spot assessment of the situation in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident; and receiving a direct briefing from the IG the following day.” he said