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Tag: seeks

  • Fashola seeks private sector partnership in governance

    Fashola seeks private sector partnership in governance

    The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has called for more private sector involvement in governance for Lagos to emerge a true mega city in Africa.

    Fashola, who spoke while addressing business men and women at the Nigerian-British Chamber of

    Commerce (NBCC) Business Roundtable in Lagos  on the topic: ‘Public Sector’s Expectation on the Business Community,’  admonished the business community to partner with the  government for the good of all.

    He said the absence of cooperation with the government could lead to anarchy, adding that it would be very difficult and tasking if everyone has to generate power, build health facilities, construct roads and provide security which are the major responsibilities of the government.

    Fashola emphasised the need for the public to connect to the government by paying tax for effective service delivery. He said government agencies now have help lines with which the public can get

    through to the government.

    Prince Adeyemi Adefulu, President, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), in his remark, described Governor Fashola as a pacesetter and exemplary leader with the level of development Lagos

    has witnessed during his administration. He urged the coming administration to sustain the development process.

    Adefulu also called for more public-private partnership to deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizens. He cited Japan and Britain as example of countries that carried the private sector along in the

    process of transforming their economies. He said: “We are the natural partners to the government. We in NBCC are ready to partner with the government to further transform the state. We want to sell Lagos and Nigeria to the world.”

    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Pocock said the time has come for private and public sectors to work together for economic prosperity of Nigeria. He said government has responsibility to the people, which must be kept to sustain public trust.

  • Kolade seeks credible elections

    FORMER High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr Christopher Kolade and the Vice Chancellor of Joseph Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, Prof Sola Fajana, have called for credible elections.

    They spoke at the Founder’s Day Lecture of the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos. The theme was: “Credible elections: Key to national economic growth and development”.

    Kolade, who was the chairman of the occasion, said youths are disinterested in national affairs, urging them to contribute their quota to nation building.

    He said: The credibility of the election does not  depend on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the government alone, but also on all the citizens. He said: “All of us have a role to play, particularly the servants of God. We have a duty to stand up and speak out about what is going on in our nation. We can have credible election. God can’t take pleasure in election that are not credible.’’

    Kolade advised political leaders to be alive to their responsibilities. He said Nigeria was not growing because the leaders only focus on themselves. “The Nigeria enterprise does not prosper because our leaders only focus on themselves, not the followers, instead of service. They forget that responsibility is attached to leadership,’’ he said.

    Kolade said positions are transient, adding: “They will leave you and if you insist on staying longer, you will leave them.”

    He also advised the leaders and Christians to have the fear of God at heart and that in their duty posts, they should serve God. “Most of our leaders are serving the devil. But serving the Lord can be easy,’’ he added. He cited Adam and Eve, saying things were well with them until they were tempted and succumbed to the Satan.

    Fajana, who was the guest speaker at the forum, said there is a link between democracy and elections, adding that credibility of elections depend more on the viability of the electoral institutions and the leadership they produce.

    He said past democracies failed because the electoral commissions also failed in their duties. He said though INEC claims to be independent, this is only in name, adding that in practice, it is an appendage of the government.

    The don argued that only credible elections can give birth to a legitimate leader, though they might not guarantee good governance. “Nigeria has a lot of human resources, but lacks credible leaders. He traced the problem to ethnicity, greed, betrayal and selfishness of the elite. “Democracy without quality leadership is socio-economic retrogression. Our leaders bastardised our democracy right from the start and the military came to worsen it. There is no democracy without leadership,” he added.

    Fajana urged INEC to ensure peaceful and credible elections, by allocating time and resources to the critical aspects of the electoral process, such as election planning, budget planning, staff selection and capacity building, among others.

    He also urged the political parties’ leaders to refrain from campaigns of calumny and focus on issues. “Parties should only accept the results of credible and democratic elections,’’ he added.

    He noted that credible elections would engender economic growth and enable the citizens to achieve their aspirations.

  • Fed Govt seeks 10 per cent power generation from coal

    Fed Govt seeks 10 per cent power generation from coal

    As part of the Federal Government’s efforts to diversify the sources of power generation, attention is being focused on exploiting the abundant coal deposits in some parts of the country.

    The government expects to generate 10 per cent of the power supply needs of Nigerians from coal, the Power Minister, Prof Chinedu Nebo, has said, adding that licences are being given to companies that want to invest in coal-power plants.

    Nebo, who spoke in Lagos, said: “Government is working on diversifying sources of power generation to make sure that we have a good robust energy mix. As a result  of this, more licences have been issued to companies that are interested in mining coal for power generation. We are looking at a time where about 10 per cent of our power generation will come from coal-fired turbines.  The President is determined to ensure that it happens.”

    He said the decision to veer into exploitation of coal for power generation has become imperative in view of the menace of gas pipeline vandalism, which seriously sabotages government’s efforts at providing stable power supply to the populace. He said vandalism is a thorn in the flesh of the government as 70 per cent of the nation’s power supply comes from gas fired turbines. “The phenomenon of gas pipeline vandalisation is another problem. Vandalism is taking a toll on us and it is a situation where our own compatriots vandalise the oil and gas pipelines and especially the gas pipelines. About 70 per cent of our power generation is gas-fired turbines and 30 per cent hydro. We have not been doing coal, renewable and biomass, among others, and these are areas the government is focusing now,” he said.

    Nebo also noted other areas the government is channeling resources and attention to improve power supply including existing and proposed new hydro plants. He said: “The hydro power plants including Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro, the government has done much to make sure they go back to their initial capacity. For over 30 years, there has been no overhauling of the Kainji turbines but this government has undertaken that. Very soon Jebba and Kainji will be operating at capacity or near capacity. We are also working on about 12 small and medium hydro plants including Kashimbilla, which is almost ready and will be inaugurated soon. The turbines have been installed but the transmission components will be flagged off shortly. The contract has already been awarded.

    “Work has also started in Zungeru hydro power since 2013. A lot of civil works are ongoing there and on completion, the plant will be generating 700 megawatts (MW) to the national grid and the President will soon flag off the Mambilla power project that will add 3050MW when completed.

    “Licences have been issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC) to companies that want to do solar power generation in Nigeria and the good thing is that there is an attraction because solar is more capital intensive but its maintenance is much less. Down through the year, you don’t have to buy fuel because God has already given the fuel, which is the sunlight. So, solar is expensive to install but costs much less to maintain along the year. For over years, you save a lot of money by using solar technology and government is working very hard to make sure it happens by giving solar the highest tariff consideration. If you are generating power by solar, you will get the best tariff in the country.

    “More independent power plants (IPPs) are coming. The Azura-Edo IPP, a 450MW Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) power station, which is part of a 1,500MW facility being developed near Benin City, was flagged off about two months ago. Ughelli power plant has not only doubled capacity within a year but is also trying to add another 1000MW in the next 12 to 24 months.”

  • RTEAN seeks extension of auto policy’s implementation

    The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has demanded that the national automotive policy’s implementation be extended by six months.

    The implementation which should have begun last month was suspended by the Federal Government to get more backing for the policy.

    RTEAN’s National President Alhaji Musa Shehu told reporters in Abuja that the extension would ease commuters’ pains.

    He urged the government to grant a 70 per cent waiver on the over 4,000 mini and high capacity commuter vehicles expected to be imported within the period.

    Shehu said: “The initiative is coming at a time when the government is discouraging importation of vehicles and encouraging local manufacturing of vehicles in the country.

    “We support the Federal Government’s automotive policy but we are making this appeal in the knowledge that local manufacturers cannot meet the demand of these vehicles at the moment.

    RTEAN, he said, supports the policy because it is running a nationwide mass transit scheme dedicated to low income earners.

    Shehu said the scheme was meant to boost mass transportation for the benefit of the people.

  • Ambode seeks fairness at the polls

    Ambode seeks fairness at the polls

    Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State has asked  law enforcement agents to provide a level playing ground for all the parties contesting this month’s elections.

    He said at a stakeholders interactive session between the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies and political parties in Lagos that only this could enhance the development of the democratic process in the country.

    The security organizations, Mr. Ambode said, should see themselves as agents of the state and not of any particular political party, and stressed the need build the Police and the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) as enduring institutions. He said they must rise above partisan politics and not be subject to the whims and caprices of any political office holders.

    He also advised them to improve on their intelligence gathering with a view to forestalling crimes across the country.

  • Forum seeks diversification of economy

    Forum seeks diversification of economy

    WORRIED over the parlous state of the nation’s economy as a result of the plummeting oil prices at the global market, the Forum for Inclusive Nigerian Development (FIND) has stressed the need for a paradigm shift aimed at developing other streams of national income.

    The Forum made this resolution at the end of an interface and discussion session under the collaboration of Consensus Building Institute and New Nigeria Foundation.

    The Forum which had in attendance a diverse, influential set of Nigerian leaders with backgrounds in government and politics, business and economic development, community empowerment, academia, religion, culture, and media, suggested what it described as strategic action plans aimed at boosting the nation’s economic fortunes.

    The overall goal of the Forum project is to promote effective and efficient use of Nigerian government oil and gas revenue for human development that benefits all of Nigeria’s citizens.

    The Forum has had two meetings; in May and September, 2014.

    It would be recalled that Ford Foundation in 2013 awarded a grant to Consensus Building Institute and New Nigeria Foundation to assess the feasibility of establishing a multi-stakeholder Forum on Oil and Gas Revenue for Development in Nigeria (FOGARD).

    Prior to convening this first meeting of the Forum, NNF and CBI conducted a stakeholder assessment by interviewing over 120 influential Nigerian leaders in different sectors. The interview process contributed substantially to the definition of the Forum’s goals and strategy.

    At the end of its first meeting Forum members agreed that their goal should be to help the country’s leaders and the broad public to break out of the current, unproductive debate on corruption in the oil sector.

    The Forum confirmed its call to action to build more inclusive prosperity for all Nigerians, by harnessing the country’s abundant natural and human resources, design strategy for influencing the national discussion and debate in the upcoming elections by leveraging on its members who have connections to groups that can promote discussion of the issues of economic and revenue diversification.

    The Forum equally called on the government to create smart, evidence-based plans to support economic diversification, just as it urged government at all levels to identify actions they can take to support sectors with high potential for growth, job creation and poverty reduction, among others.

    The group argued that government at all levels needs to attract private investment and apply management expertise to the provision of infrastructure, energy, and other public benefits.

    The Forum also tasked Nigerians to demand from all persons seeking elective office to marshal out plans to diversify Nigeria’s economy, propose as sources of government revenue beyond oil and clearly define the roles of citizens in monitoring the implementation of such plans.

    FIND aims at developing a shared vision and strategy on ways to allocate oil and gas revenue more transparently, effectively and accountably to achieve development goals.

    Besides, it seeks to translate that vision and strategy into joint action to demonstrate better ways to allocate and invest revenue, at local, state and federal levels, using a variety of public-private partnerships and initiatives as well as engage a broad cross-section of Nigerians beyond those directly participating in the Forum in conversations about the Forum’s vision, strategy and actions, so that public opinion and the climate for political leadership focuses increasingly on achieving development results with oil and gas revenue.

  • FG seeks legal framework for GES Scheme

    FG seeks legal framework for GES Scheme

    The federal government yesterday said that it has sent a bill to the National Assembly to institutionalise the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES).

    The legislation, it added, will define the legal framework for a constant and orderly implementation of the scheme.

    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said this in Abuja at a one- day stakeholders’ meeting on the draft bill for the consolidation of the GES scheme.

    Adesina, who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser, Dr. Martins Fregene, said that the bill will provide the legal framework for the sustainability of the GES scheme such that its implementation by successive administration could be guaranteed.

    The minister noted that the bill will promote greater collaboration between the federal, state and local governments in facilitating the provision of GES to agriculture in Nigeria.

    According to Adesina, it will facilitate direct purchase by farmers of agricultural inputs across the country.

    “We must do all possible to ensure that the policies and institutional reforms are institutionalized and backed by legislations to secure the future of our farmers,” the minister added.

  • Chamber seeks OPS involvement in disbursing N250b MSME fund

    Chamber seeks OPS involvement in disbursing N250b MSME fund

    The Abuja Chambers of Commerce has appealed to the Federal Government to include the organised private sector (OPS) in setting criteria for assessing the N250billion  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Council Scheme launched by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Its Vice President, Public Relations, Jude Igwe made the appeal at the inaugural ceremony of the 9th President,  Exco and council members of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and the presentation of its 2014 award to recipients in Abuja.

    He said: “The Chamber commends the N250billion Micro, SMEs council scheme launched by President Goodluck Jonathan as a policy in the right direction, but advised that the organised private sector should be engaged in setting eligibility criteria for assessing the loans.

    “We are also concerned about the stiffling negative effect of multiple taxation and revenue collection on the SMEs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but was relieved to note that the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohommed has directed that urgent steps be taken to check this menace.

    “As members, we are challenging the chamber as the voice of the OPS to take up the challenge of creating clusters of business owners as a means of strengthening the capacity of her members to meet the eligibility conditionalities for support loans.”

    Igwe said Ministries,  Departments and Agencies MDAs can develop a reliable feedback mechanism with the collaboration of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry to make for constant review of the impact of policies.

  • Agbakoba seeks refund of N1tr ‘illegal’ charges by operators

    Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has threatened to sue the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) and the Association of Shipping Line Agencies (ASLA) to court over an alleged illegal N1 trillion collected from importers.

    The charges were said to have been collected before the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) was appointed as the ports economic regulator. Agbakoba is accusing STOAN and ASLA of refusing to return the cash.

    Answering questions from The Nation at his office in Apapa, Lagos, Agbakoba said the Federal High Court in Lagos recently upheld the NSC as the ports economic regulator and directed the terminal operators and shipping companies to cut down their charges and refund all the money they collected from importers.

    Agbakoba accused the terminal operators and shipping companies of driving away genuine investors and crippling the economy because of their illegal charges.

    He urged the government to overhaul its outdated policies, and embark on a visionary enterprise that will institutionalise growth in the maritime sector as alternative to oil.

    The last major review of Nigerian Shipping Policy was 28 years ago when the NSP act no 10 of 1987 was enacted, he said.

    He wondered why the terminal operators and the shipping companies have not refunded the N1 trillion to boost shipping and maritime.

    Agbakoba urged the government to create an enabling environment to encourage huge investment in the sector.

    The ports that are supposed to be the hub of shipping business in West and Central Africa, he added, were unattractive and uncompetitive because of arbitrary charges.

    “We went to court recently and there were two very important cases; the terminal operators and shipping companies hiked their prices and introduced one non-sense charge (Shipping Line Agency Charge) making billions of naira and the court has declared it to be illegal collections.

    “The next case we are pursuing is that we are going to go after the terminal operators and the shipping companies to refund at least the N1 trillion they have taken illegally”

    “The N1 trillion, had Nigerian companies had it,  would give them capital to do other things, and this is why the Shippers Council has insisted that nobody must be allowed to over-price the ports because they do,  many importers will not patronise them ,” he said.

    Agbakoba said he is not happy because the ports have been abandoned for those in Benin Republic and Togo.

    “Until recently, there is no clearly recognised economic regulator for the shipping sector. The Federal High Court has held that the Nigerian Shippers Council is an economic regulator. It is only when the Nigerian Shippers Council, is empowered to regulate that stakeholders in the sector can turn around their businesses and generate huge revenue for the nation as their counterparts in other countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and USA.

    “This is due to lack of regulation in the sector, which has led to a plethora of uncoordinated activities and exorbitant port charges which make Nigeria very unattractive for business.

    “Invariably, Nigeria due to paucity of its shipping regulations, is violating international trade facilitation laws. For instance, Nigeria as a coastal state is to provide port importation support and access to landlocked countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso. Cameroun and Ghana are now providing those services in spite of long distances between the countries,” he said.

    The spokesman of the terminal operators, Mr Bolaji Akinola could not be reached as at the time of filling in this report.

  • Association seeks sack of perm sec

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has suspended the four weeks old strike in the Federal Ministry of Education, calling for the removal of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. MacJohn Nwaobiala.

    In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by its Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, the union ssaid the suspension of the industrial action followed the release of N527,643,444.00 by the Federal Government, to pay the first batch of the promotion arrears to the workers of the ministry.

    “Besides, there have been appeals by well-meaning Nigerians, including the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters, who met with the union and the management of the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja. They emphasised the need for the ministry to pay its staff all outstanding entitlements,”  the statement added.

    On the call for the removal of Nwaobiala, Lawal pointed out that the negative attitude of the Permanent Secretary towards the welfare of workers and the ignoble role he played by treating welfare issues with levity provided the ingredients that fuelled the industrial action.

    He said had the Permanent Secretary done the needful, all the allowances, many of which had been outstanding since 2007, would have been paid.

    He said persistent strikes in the education sector have more than confirmed that the Permanent Secretary has lost his bearing and as such, the best option for the Government is to post him out of the Federal Ministry of Education before he completely destroys the sector.

    According to Lawal, a task force made up of representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Education has been set up to ensure that the N1.7 billion needed to complete the payment of promotion arrears and other allowances are released by the Budget Office of the Federation.

    outstanding salaries for newly employed and re-instatement allowance, will be paid immediately the sum of N1.7 billion is released to the Federal Ministry of Education by the Budget Office of the Federation”.