The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reps

  • Reps approve $300m Diaspora bond

    The House of Representatives has approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to increase the Diaspora bond from $100 million Euro bond to $300 million Euro bond as part of Federal Government’s borrowing plan.

    The approval was given during consideration of report of the Ibrahim Babangida-led ad hoc Committee mandated to work on the presidential request at the Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday.

    According to the report, the Diaspora bond which  was captured in federal government’s external borrowing plan 2016-2018, was aimed at diversifying government sources of funding and taking advantage of Nigeria large Diaspora population.

     

  • Reps to probe NNPC over N350b revenue loss

    Reps to probe NNPC over N350b revenue loss

    The House of Representatives is  to investigate a N350billion revenue loss incurred by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) within eight months last year.

    The Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), has also been mandated to audit oil and gas infrastructure in Nigeria to ascertain the status of the equipment and techniques.

    This followed the adoption of a motion  by Abubakar Amuda-Kannike (APC, Kwara), who regretted that oil spillages have led to  health issues, including breathing problems and skin diseases for people in the affected areas.

    Besides,  a major reason for the spillages in Nigeria is that many of the country’s oil firms used obsolete and inadequate infrastructure to channel and distribute petroleum products in the country, he noted.

    Amuda-Kannike said it should be of great concern to Nigerians the report of the Institute for Global Energy Research that the oil exploration equipment of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Nigeria was over 40 years old as against the permissible life span of 25 years.

    In addition, he explained that a percentage analysis of causes of oil spills established by the same institute showed that corrosion of pipes and tankers accounted for 50 per cent of oil spills.

    While sabotage accounts for 28 per cent, oil production operations account for 21 per cent and inadequate or non functional production equipment is put as one per cent, he added.

    He said: “One is concerned that most of the government’s efforts to address these issues were curative rather than preventive, such as establishment of regulatory agencies like the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), all of which have resulted in addressing the effects while doing little to be proactive enough in preventing the causes of oil spillages.

    He said: “As part of the strategy of reducing the adverse effects of the activities of the oil majors in Nigeria, old and obsolete infrastructure as well as old habits of doing things must give way to modern techniques and procedure.”

    On the investigation of the N350billion loss, the House said  87 per cent  of the loss was incurred by Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC), the distribution arm of NNPC.

    Sponsor of the motion, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), while justifying the need for the investigation said NNPC crude oil and products distribution pipeline network covers 5,120 kilometers, 21 distribution depots, 9 liquified petroleum gas (LPG) depots, pump stations/houses and other ancillary  facilities.

    He said the pipeline distribution network transports crude oil and refined products to and from the refineries, depots and jetties and as a national grid pipeline which transverses over 25 cities including Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Makurdi, Warri, Benin, Auchi, Lokoja, Mosimi, Atlascove, Ejigbo, Ibadan, Ore, Abaji, Suleja, Kaduna, Kano, Gusau, Jos, Gombe, Yola, Maiduguri among others.

    He lamented that non utilisation of the distribution pipelines led to transportation of products through roads, thus resulting in countless incidence of petrol tanker explosions in various parts of the country and heavy tolls on road network.

  • Kogi crisis: Reps summon AGF, Police chief

    The House of Representatives yesterday summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, following the crisis in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

    While Malami is to appear before a 22-member Ad Hoc Committee, headed by the Majority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, to explain why he advised the IGP to discountenance the House’s directive to seal the Assembly, the IGP is to explain why he sought the AGF’s advice after being given a directive by the National Assembly.

    The committee is to investigate the matter and report in two weeks.

    The resolution followed the passage of a motion sponsored under Matters of Urgent National Importance by Ossai Nicholas Ossai.

    The lawmaker noted that the three arms of government have separate functions and that the House took a position on the Assembly crisis to forestall violence and loss of lives.

    He said he wondered why the AGF would advise the IGP against the resolution of the National Assembly.

    Contributing to the motion, Gbajabiamila said members had a responsibility to protect the institution (House of Representatives).

    He said the AGF was wrong, adding that Section 11 of the constitution empowered the National Assembly to do what it did.

    According to him, the effect of what the AGF is saying is that the gate of the Assembly should be opened to allow five members of the 25 to sit.

    “I believe the AGF has erred by inviting the police to open the House,” he said.

    Minority leader Leo Ogor, quoting Section 36, said the AGF should be invited as the No. 1 law officer, adding that the security and well-being of the country is paramount.

    Pally Iriase, who led the delegation to Kogi State, said contrary to reports at the time the House ruled to take over legislative functions of Kogi Assembly, no matter was in court.

    The Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, noted that the issue should be treated with seriousness because it’s a sensitive matter.

    Aliyu Madaki (APC, Kano) said the AGF created the problem in Kogi State as it was the minister, who advised the Presidency on what to do on the issue in the first place.

    “Please, please, this man (AGF) should go and read his books well,” he said.

    Tajudeen Yusuf said the AGF had no power to direct the IGP to unseal the Assembly and that the Eighth National Assembly should reject executive recklessness.

    Edward Pajok wondered why it took the IGP several weeks to carry out the directive he was given by the House to seal the Assembly, and why he sought the advice of the AGF.

    While some lawmakers asked for removal of the AGF, others were unhappy and expressed disappointment at the utterance of the AGF.

    Mohammed Kazaure (APC, Jigawa) said: “If he thinks we don’t know our job, let us invite him here to teach us.”

  • Reps’ good gesture

    •Superlative student Ayodele Dada is given due recognition

    The reception held by the House of Representatives for Mr. Ayodele Dada, the record-breaking Psychology graduate of the University of Lagos (Unilag), is a commendable effort to restore hard work and intellectual achievement to their pride of place in Nigeria.

    It is difficult to fully estimate Dada’s accomplishment. In spite of all the difficulties and obstacles inherent in pursuing a tertiary education in present-day Nigeria, he graduated with an unsurpassable 5.0 Grade Point Average (GPA), scoring “A” grades in all of the courses he offered without exception.

    Like other university students, he endured the privations of power outages and water shortages, the frustrations of inadequate facilities and below-par equipment, the strikes, stoppages, protests and other truncations that characterise the country’s education system.

    Dada attempted the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) twice, his first attempt resulting in withheld results. He got admission to Unilag’s Diploma programme, where he was required to demonstrate his ability to undertake substantive undergraduate degree work. His ability to overcome these difficulties and attain spectacular academic heights is a testimony to his personal qualities of endurance, consistency and commitment to excellence.

    These are the qualities that the House of Representatives has fittingly recognised and honoured by holding a formal reception for the Unilag genius. It is a welcome departure from the cynical politicking and blatant greed that have too often disfigured the activities of the National Assembly.

    By this action, the House has sent the unmistakable message that intellectual achievement and academic brilliance will no longer be relegated to the back bench in favour of money, musical and sporting ability, or birth, as has sadly been the case.

    Dada’s achievement does not spring from his ethnicity or his religion. He did not purchase his success; he did not secure his achievements through dubious connections. Recognising him in the manner the House has done will help to downplay the primordial sentiments that have continued to prevent Nigeria from becoming the truly great nation that it could be.

    Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, must take a great deal of the credit for the reception. He was one of the first prominent individuals to underline the significance of Dada’s achievement and point out its implications for national regeneration and development. In an era where politicians often prefer to be seen with musical and sports stars, reality-show celebrities and billionaires, Gbajabiamila’s understanding of the need to restore intellectual ability to its pride of place cannot be downplayed.

    In spite of the enormity of his achievement, Ayodele Dada is happily not an exception to the rule. Nigeria has many geniuses of similar ability who only require a modicum of encouragement to be able to achieve their full potential to the benefit of themselves and the nation. This is what the country’s government and institutions must now turn their attention to.

    One way to do this would be to ease the acquisition of scholarships. Far too many potentially-great students are unable to pursue their dreams because of financial inability. The experience of other countries has shown that an equitable scholarship system, especially at the tertiary education level, will help to produce the human resource base that expands economies and improves lives.

    It is also important to establish a system of monitoring the educational development of outstanding citizens such as Dada in order to ensure that the nation benefits maximally from their capabilities. Those who wish to pursue further educational opportunities must be fully empowered to do so; Dada, for instance, hopes to meet with globally-renowned psychologists and learn from them. Celebrating geniuses without helping them to fully realise their potential would amount to a waste of time.

    Ayodele Dada is the living symbol of the huge promise that is inherent in Nigeria. The House of Representatives has done well to give him the acknowledgement that he so richly deserves.

  • Reps to probe CBN over secret recruitment

    Reps to probe CBN over secret recruitment

    • Move to scrap People Bank

    The House of Representatives is to ivestigate the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN ) over its last workers recruitment exercise.

    The lawmakers said due process was not adhered to in the exercise, saying it was lopsided with some sections of the country being unfairly disadvantaged.

    House Committees on Banking and Currency and Federal Character were mandated to investigate and report back within four weeks.

    The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Ali Madaki  (APC, Kano ), who regreted that CBN deliberately breached the Federal Character principle by carrying out the recruitment in secret without advertisements.

    According to him, the secret recruitment has generated negative reactions from several sections of the country with accusations of lopsidedness.

    “Sometime last year when members of the public got wind of the secret recruitment exercise, the CBN came out and outrightly denied any such recruitment, or plan to recruit.

  • Reps promise to pass budget on Thursday

    The House of Representatives has said it is working towards passing the budget on Wednesday, as promised.

    Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs Abdulrasak Namdaz told The Nation yesterday: “We’re working towards the date.”

    Attempts to speak to the Chairman, Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin  Jibrin, were fruitless.

    He neither picked or returned his calls nor replied to  text messages yesterday.

    Unconfirmed reports said lawmakers may have been under pressure to fix the date.

    Some financial analysts believed that given inconsistencies and confusion trailing defence sessions by MDAs, there would be need for proper scrutiny.

    But chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje and Jibrin Abdulmum had assured Nigerians that the budget would be passed on Thursday.

    Goje, on March 3, said subcommittees of both chambers, after interacting with respective MDAs,  had submitted their reports.

    He said there was no reason the National Assembly would not meet the deadline.

    Jibrin also confirmed the date at the joint briefing, saying: “After consultation with the leadership of the House and Senate, we confirm that we should be able to lay our reports before the House and Senate on March 16, for consideration the next day.

    “So it is safe to conclude that the 2016 Appropriation Bill will be passed on March 17, 2016.’’

  • Reps move to eliminate unsolicited text messages

    Reps move to eliminate unsolicited text messages

    •Moot N5m fine for violation

    The House of Representatives has set in motion a process for eliminating unsolicited text messages from GSM providers.

    They plan to prescribe a sanction of N5m fine against any service provider sending unsolicited SMS to subscribers.

    Nigeria has 149,787,120 active Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) lines as at November 2015 according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and subscribers are said to lose over N547b yearly per unsolicited SMS at N50 deductible, every five days of subscription.

    Other unsolicited SMS attract N100 per week.

    The lawmakers believe that unsolicited text messages breach the privacy of phone users and contravene their fundamental rights as provided for in the constitution.

    Sponsor of the bill, Ali Madaki (APC, Kano) said in Abuja the bill became imperative as the NCC Act currently allows the telecommunications service providers to do whatever pleases them.

    The bill is also out to stop online telemarketing without prior consent or application of a subscriber.

    The bill also empowers any aggrieved party to file a civil claim before a High Court and provide penalties thereof.

    Opponents of the bill including Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) said unsolicited text messages do not need stand alone laws as the NCC Act contains enough provisions to address the issue.

    However, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila opined that privacy of subscribers should be an issue which the NCC Act is silent on.

    The bill was unanimously passed after it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, who said opinion of experts and stakeholders would be required at public hearing stage to determine how Nigerians felt about unsolicited text messages.

  • Kogi Assembly defies Reps’ order

    Kogi Assembly defies Reps’ order

    Kogi State House of Assembly yesterday defied the resolution of the House of Representatives ordering its closure, as 10 members under the factional leadership of Mr. Umar Imam, sat.

    The House had, in a resolution, ordered the sealing off of the Assembly, following a crisis over the Speaker.

    Lawmakers loyal to Mr. Momohjimoh Lawal, who took their case to the National Assembly, however, stayed away.

    The 10 legislators resolved that Kogi was greater than any individual and should not be dragged into political quagmire.

    Relying on Section 11, subsections 4 and 5, the Assembly said since last December 29, March 2 and now, it had transacted business, even at committee levels, and should be left alone.

    Holding a valedictory session in honour of the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. James Ocholi, members extolled his virtues.

    The Assembly ordered the legal department to file contempt proceedings against the House of Representatives and set up a committee to investigate those behind the continuous “blackmailing of the Assembly”.

    It urged members to remain “focused for the cause of the people and the state.”

    The factional Speaker said: “This Assembly is in session, transacting its legislative business at the plenary sitting and committee meeting. I call on the Senate to discountenance the concurrence sought by the House of Representatives and direct same to re-examine the prevailing situation disinterestedly and with a view to finding a solution to this problem.

  • NNPC restructuring: Senate backs Kachikwu, Reps disagree

    NNPC restructuring: Senate backs Kachikwu, Reps disagree

    The National Assembly was split yesterday over the restructuring of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced by Minister of State Ibe Kachikwu.

    The Senate backed the action, saying restructuring of the corporation was in order, especially when no law was breached, but the House of Representatives took a contrary position.

    It declared the step taken by Kachikwu as wrong. “The House is not averse to any form of reform that would reposition the NNPC, but due process must be followed by the executive by reverting to the National Assembly for such reforms,” House spokesman Abdulrazak Namdas said at a news conference.

    The senators, who okayed the step, nevertheless, scolded Kachikwu for his failure to consult the National Assembly before carrying out the reorganisation.

    Three standing committees of the Senate grilled Kachikwu on the motive of his action.

    Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Jibrin Barau and Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, conducted the session, which later moved into a closed session.

    Alasoadura told reporters after the closed session that they were satisfied with the measures taken by the minister whose objective is to make the NNPC more functional.

    The Ondo Central lawmaker added that Kachikwu did not breach any law.

    Senate Chief Whip Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central), who led the question-and-answer session, noted that the Act that established the NNPC, especially cap1, 23© 1d, gave the management a free hand to operate as an entity.

    Adeyeye said the Act, however, did not give them the power to create autonomous firms that would be independent of the NNPC.

    He also said the Act clearly stated that the affairs of the NNPC must be conducted by a board.

    A member of the committee, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), urged the minister to go ahead with far reaching restructuring of the NNPC.

    Utazi, who stressed that change in the NNPC was long overdue, said the Minister should not mind vested interests in the oil and gas sectors who are working to compromise changes in the corporation.

    Utazi said: “Mr. Minister, you must understand the sort of resistance that would come when you want to change things. But you must continue doing what you are doing. Don’t be deterred; don’t be tired of the reforms you are carrying out.  We understand what you are doing. Just go on with what you are doing; we are behind you.”

    Another member of the Committee, Senator Biodun Olujimi, said the government must have a human face in its actions.

    Mrs Olujimi said that there was no doubt that the minister, by his action, effectively pre-empted the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    Senator Emmanuel Paulker said the minister should have carried unions in the industry along.

    Kachikwu insisted that what his ministry did was not unbundling, but restructuring.

    He also said that it was not true that the exercise was carried out without the approval of a board and the Federal Executive Council­­ – as stated in the Act.

    He said that the approval process began long ago.

    The minister said the chairman of the NNPC Board is the Minister of Petroleum.

    He said with the measures taken by the ministry, there will slightly be less control from the head office.

    He noted that other than aging equipment, the refineries, for instance, have not been given the independence they require to operate.

    Kachikwu said: “You cannot bring in loanable funds into the refineries because for you to bring loanable funds, you have to have the cash flow to fund the loan.”

    The minister said that there was already a committee of staff and management in the NNPC looking at the measures being taken by the ministry.

    But the Chairman, House Committee on Media, Namdas, said President Muhammadu Buhari must present an executive bill to give the restructuring a legal backing.

    He said: “The Act of parliament that established the NNPC had provided that there ‘Shall be the inspectorate department which shall be an integral part of the Corporation,’ but that same was conspicuously absent in the new arrangement.

    “The key word here is ‘Shall’. Of course, the law gave room for agencies to make their own laws for administrative convenience but with the ‘shall’ the agency has no power over that, which was the case here.

    “The House is not averse to any form of reform that would reposition the NNPC, but due process must be followed by the executive by reverting to the National Assembly for such reforms.”

    To emphasise the determination of the House’s support for NNPC reform, the Spokesman disclosed that Speaker Yakubu Dogara had earlier contacted President Buhari over reforms in the petroleum sector.

  • MTN must pay fine in full, Reps insist

    The House of Representatives has insisted that Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) service provider, MTN Nigeria must pay the N780billion fine slammed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission  (NCC).

    This is as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation  (AGF), Abubakar Malami and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari have been invited to appear before the House next week to explain and justify their roles in the negotiation process.

    It was disclosed yesterday that MTN had, in its proposal for settlement of the face-off with the NCC  planned to pay N300billion only out of the N1.04 trillion that was later reduced to N780billion.

    It proposed to pay N50billion it described as ‘goodwill offer’ and another N100billion in cash while the balance  would be paid with complementary services (in kind).

    The service provider also proposed to be listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) as part of the settlement negotiation.

    The lawmakers said since it was an incontrovertible fact that MTN was found culpable of breaching Sections 19 and 20 of the NCC Act, it was not position to dictate the terms of negotiation as it is currently doing.

    While condemning the exclusion of the National Assembly from the negotiation of the fine by the Federal Government, the lawmakers regretted that NCC was also relegated to the background in the exercise.

    MTN was penalised by the regulatory body for failing to deactivate 5.2 million improperly registered subscriber identity module (SIM) cards within a stipulated period stipulated by the NCC.

    At the resumed investigative hearing by House Committee on Communications, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Dambatta said the position of the Commission was that MTN must pay the fine of N780b in full, even if in installmemts and not as it proposed.