Tag: Reps

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 7, asked the Nigerian Army to immediately mobilise troops to communities in Borno and Yobe states to neutralize the terrorists that recently attacked the communities and restore normalcy to the villages.

The House condemned the terrorist attack on farmers in Borno communities, killing several of them, while many are still missing.

Adopting two motions of urgent public importance by Hon. Ahmed Satomi (APC, Borno) and Lawan Shettima Ali (APC, Yobe), the House asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), North East Development Commission, and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to as a matter of urgency mobilize humanitarian and relief materials to the affected communities.

Moving his motion, Hon. Satomi informed the House that on Saturday, 4th November, heavily armed Boko Haram terrorists attacked Zabarmari farmers working in their rice fields in the villages killing several of them.

He said the attack was carried out by terrorists less than 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital

He expressed concern about the dynamic and strategy deployed by these terrorists’ attackers who were on motorcycles, divided themselves into three groups, and attacked not with guns but rather used cutlasses and knives to stab and butcher the victims.

He said Security forces and Civilian Joint Task Force groups in the Nigerian northeast of Borno have recovered 9 dead bodies while the search continues in a bid to find more people who are still missing.

According to him, in spite of the terrorist attack of Saturday, November 4, and the current search and rescue operations which are still ongoing, another attack and massacre of about 50 persons was again carried out on the night of Sunday, November 5.

Hon. Satomi said that if urgent and drastic steps are not taken, the area may be overrun by terrorists with attendant dire consequences.

Also, in his motion, Hon. Lawan Ali said there was a terrorist attack in Nguro Kayaiya a Community under Kusur Damakarwa Ward in between Gumsa and Kusur towns of Geidam LGA, Yobe State on Monday 30 and Tuesday, October 31.

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He said the terrorists who were on a revenge mission, went to Nguro Kayaiya riding on about 15 motorbikes with sophisticated weapons paraded and killed 16 male villagers on the outskirts of the village and later burnt down the village including houses, vehicles, and tricycles.

Hon. Ali said that on Tuesday, October 31, in the afternoon, villagers from neighbouring Mallam Kelluri of Gumsa village unit numbering about 14 on a tricycle ran over an explosive device planted by the terrorist around the village which exploded and killed 12 persons while 4 who were taken to hospital

He said several villages including Nguro Kayaiya Village, Jororo Village in Geidam LGA, and Garin Bulama Garaiye, in Yunusari Local Government were burnt down.

He said further that this is one of several attacks in Geidam and Yunusari LGAS within the spate of 13 years, adding that the recent attack has caused a serious humanitarian crisis as a result ejected residents out of the town fleeing to bushes, nearby villages, and some other Local Governments as they were made homeless.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, has pledged to carry out a comprehensive audit of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol subsidy regime.

He also said the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which has become a major concern to key stakeholders would be thoroughly reviewed.

Ugochinyere said this at the inauguration of the Committee in Abuja yesterday.

He said the Committee will legislate for energy security, professionalism in the petroleum sector, economic transformation, accountability, institutional reforms and revenue recovery and generation, with a specific goal of helping the Federal Government to recover $20 billion revenue from the sector.

The lawmaker said the early remittance of federal revenues and recovery of unremitted revenues is part of what the Committee would  focus on in the coming days.

He said, “It is also very important that we would make it known to Nigerians that we feel the pains that Nigerians are going through due to the removal of the subsidy regime. That regime had to go because it was corrupted and that is why the downstream committee of the House on Petroleum resources would do a comprehensive audit of the PMS subsidy regime. We would probe the beneficiaries of the payment, rendering accounts on all loan transactions, the pre-export financing arrangement and other loan arrangements. Also other loan arrangements in exchange for crude would be extensively reviewed and investigated.

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“The Direct Sales, Direct Purchase, using the crude to bring in the PMS and other value chain associated with them will also be reviewed. This committee would be working closely with our brother committees in the upstream, mainstream, gas, petroleum training fund and other petroleum related committees to also help us achieve our set objectives.

“The implementation of the PIA which has become a major concern to key stakeholders would be reviewed by this committee. What was done before the PIA? What are they doing after the PIA? The assets that used to be national assets before the coming into effect of the PIA, where are they? Who is with them? All these,  the committee would look into to ensure that the intention of the PIA is achieved. One of those intentions is to ensure that there is energy security and competition in the downstream sector.”

The House of Representatives says it has taken steps to recover over $30 billion in accrued fees and bonuses from mergers of multinational oil companies operating in the country.

 In a resolution that followed a motion sponsored by the member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Ademorin Kuye, the House asked its relevant committees to conduct an investigation into the issue and recover the money for the country.

Kuye said the oil industry experienced several lateral mergers/buy-overs/takeovers of companies in the same oil and gas exploration, prospecting, production and marketing in the ’90s.

According to him, Section 2 of the Petroleum Act, 2014 – the extant law applicable under which the merger took place – provides that the oil exploration licences, oil prospecting licences and oil mining licenses may be granted to only Nigerian citizens or companies incorporated in Nigeria, implying that mergers that resulted in a corporate body not indigenous to Nigeria in their incorporation would exclude the new entity from the scope of companies that could be given a licence or lease under the Petroleum Act.

Read Also: Reps vow to recover $30b accrued fees, bonuses from oil firms

Kuye explained that the June 1984 merger of Gulf and Chevron, which he said brought Chevron through the backdoor to inherit Gulf Oil operations in the country, was not approved until July 1991.

The lawmaker said this only happened after careful consideration and bargaining that still shortchanged the country to the tune of $65 million at that time.

He noted that other mergers between Exxon and Mobil to form ExxonMobil; Elf, Total and Fina to form TotalFinaElf, and between Chevron and Texaco to form ChevronTexaco, resulted in new entities and companies that should have been subjected to certain procedures and processes.

The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committees on Judiciary and Finance to investigate the failure of judgment debtors and debtors from regulatory audits to pay the Federal Government judgment sums, audit assessments, tax and pension debts.

The committees are to report back within six weeks for further legislative action.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion, ‘Investigation into Allegations of Failure of Judgement Debtors and Debtors from Regulatory Audits’, moved by Philp Agbese.

The House noted that the Federal Government faces numerous cases and litigations worldwide, primarily based on monetary claims against counterparties and vice versa.

Read Also: Reps reject motion on free JAMB, WAEC, NECO exam

It also noted that the government had frequently suffered losses and paid substantial sums in local and foreign currencies to judgment creditors, within and outside Nigeria.

It lamented that the government’s inability to meet judgment debts has negatively impacted the country’s reputation and investment attractiveness. It also said judgment debtors often owe the government more money, which is often kept under wraps, never enforced, and not reported in the news, allowing debtors to continue their normal business.

The House of Representatives yesterday granted the Federal Government permit to begin the concession of railway services to competent private investors. 

The House also allowed the Ministry of Transportation to begin the expansion and connection of the rail lines in Onitsha and the entire Southeast to the Standard Gauge Railway. 

Adopting two separate motions by Sada Soli and Pascal Agbodike, the House directed its committee on Land Transportation to liaise with the Ministry of Transport to explore a framework for concessioning the rail services. 

Soli, who stressed the importance of rail services, said it plays a pivotal role in the transportation sector, with an endless value chain which makes a difference in job creation, efficiency for services, infrastructure and economic growth. 

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He lamented unsuccessful efforts by successive administrations to develop an efficient and functional rail system in Nigeria. 

The lawmaker said the government has opted for concession of the operation and management of the nation’s railway system because it has become a global option. He reiterated that for the country’s rail services to be efficient, corruption-free and guarantee job creation, Nigeria must adopt concessioning to achieve value for money.

Agbodike described the railway system as a vital hub in the transport sector, which contributes to economic growth and social development due to its capacity, safety, and affordability for long-distance travel. 

The House of Representatives has called for an investigation into Friday’s robbery attack on tour banks in Otukpo, Benue state in which a Police DPO and two female police officers were killed.

Adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Blessing Onuh, the House also asked the Nigerian police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other Security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, make an effort to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of this heinous act.

The House condemned in strong terms the gruesome and brutal killing of security personnel, bank officials, and other law-abiding members of the community while asking the government to increase the security architecture within the town and its environs to prevent recurrence.

Onuh had informed the House that on Friday, October 20, at about 3 p.m., Otukpo a relatively peaceful town in Benue State was invaded by heavily armed gunmen numbering over twenty.

According to her, these gunmen held the community under siege for over two hours. They wreaked havoc using rocket launchers, dynamites, AK47 rifles, and other sophisticated weapons.

She examined that these yet-to-be-identified gunmen started their killing spray by attacking the vigilante group which is the first line in homeland security, before proceeding to the Otukpo Police Station, killing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and three other female police officers.

She said: “While the attack on the police station was ongoing, other members of the gang were busy attacking four commercial banks simultaneously, killing and carting away a huge sum of money”.

She listed the banks attacked were, Stanbic IBTC, Zenith, UBA, and First Bank, adding that several persons were killed in the bank premises and many others sustained gunshot injuries.

Onuh stressed that residents are currently feeling traumatized by last Friday’s incident and are greatly feeling unsafe as the Security architecture of Otukpo Community, particularly the police and vigilantes are badly demoralized.

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She disclosed that the commercial and business activities are currently rein in Otukpo and Benue South as a whole as Banks and other commercial institutions have completely shut down operations.

Contributing to the debate on the motion, Hon. Ahmed Jaha described said the attack appeared to have been carried out by terrorists, rather than armed robbers.

Jaha lamented that the House has taken several motions on insecurity almost on a weekly basis since the inception of the 10th Assembly while things appear to be going from bad to worse.

He said there was a need for all. Security-related committees in the House take a critical look at the security expenditure of the country and make sure that monies budgeted are used for the purpose for which they are budgeted.

He expressed concern that unless something urgent is done, the nation may wake up one day to discover that the 774 local government areas in the country have been engulfed by insecurity.

Chieftain of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP),  Olufemi Ajadi, has hailed the move by House of Representatives to increase teachers’ salary, saying the move is a step in the right direction.

 Ajadi said the move by the House showed it supports improvement of citizens’ welfare, an action.

Chairman of House Committee on University Education, Abubakar Fulata, had called for salary increment for primary, secondary and university teachers, saying they should earn N250,000, N500,000 and N1 million.

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 Fulata spoke at a one-day National Stakeholders’ Workshop on Development of a Roadmap for Nigerian Education Sector (2023-2027), in Abuja.

 He said it was necessary teachers be encouraged more by paying them well.

 Ajadi, in a statement yesterday, described the move as well thought, saying teachers should be given their pride of place.

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Ministry of Works to temporarily suspend the widespread use of cement concrete for road construction in the nation, pending the findings of its investigation.

The House has directed its Committee on Works, Environment, Finance, and Judiciary to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the advantages and disadvantages of employing cement concrete rather than asphalt for road construction.

The decision came in response to concerns raised by Hon. Khadija Abba Ibrahim regarding the recent statements made by the Minister of Works, who disclosed the Ministry’s consideration of concrete technology for road construction.

She reminded the House that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, has several ongoing road contracts across the country, including those awarded under the Federal Government Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme (RITCS) Executive Order 007 Phase II by NNPC valued at over Nl.4 trillion.

She said that the Federal Executive Council approved the awards of contracts to which the Federal Ministry of Works, and Department of Highway (bridges and design), participate in preparation for the implementation of the project.

According to her, a due process certificate of “No Objection” was granted by the Bureau of Public Procurement to the Federal Ministry of Works for the construction and rehabilitation of all the Federal road projects.

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She said Contractors awarded the road. Projects submitted a Performance Guarantee of 10% of the contract sum to secure successful project completion.

She further noted that the contract Agreements have strict liquidated damages Clauses with the supervision and monitoring by the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure that standard specifications are not compromised.

She stressed that several studies have revealed that the use of rigid/cement concrete pavements in road construction has significant technical limitations and constraints.

She expressed concern that the new policy by the minister of works’ on cement concrete pavement adoption without in-depth studies of the comparative advantages/disadvantages with asphalt may contradict technical specifications, potentially leading to contract breaches and potential arbitration and litigations during a challenging economic time.