The Nation Newspaper

Tag: seeks

  • Bamidele seeks sanction for political violence

    The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Ekiti State, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, has called for sanctions against parties that violate the Electoral Law.

    Bamidele, who is the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, said Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega must take punitive steps against parties found to be unruly.

    In a statement by his campaign organisation, at the weekend, he said INEC should not wait until people are killed in daylight by desperate politicians before imposing sanctions to curb “mindboggling excesses”.

    Regretting the “desperation” of some parties to win the June 21 election, Bamidele urged them to put the interest of the state above personal and narrow interests.

    He said it was disheartening that some parties that pledged to make their campaigns issue-based reneged on their promises.

    Bamidele said the LP had been conducting its campaigns lawfully, despite provocation from the opposition.

    He said although some of his supporters had been intimidated, harassed and attacked since the campaigns began on March 23, the LP would not “betray the confidence reposed in it by the electorate”.

    The lawmaker said: “We find it difficult to believe that some parties have derailed from their promises to make the campaigns issue-based and agenda-driven. Some parties no longer campaign about what they would do for the people, but take pleasure in character assassination.

    “At campaign rallies, they pour invectives on perceived opponents. They no longer tell the people what they have in the pipeline for them, if elected. Little wonder there were accusations and counter-accusations from different directions that parties were being attacked.

    “INEC cannot afford to fold its arms to these shenanigans playing out in the polity else, the situation may escalate uncontrollably. INEC would have to invoke relevant provisions of the Electoral Act to check politicians, so that the election can be free, fair and devoid of bloodshed.”

  • APC seeks probe of firms in NNPC’s swap programme

    APC seeks probe of firms in NNPC’s swap programme

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the National Assembly committees probing alleged revenue losses and sleaze at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), especially through the crude-oil-for-refined-product barter, to beam their searchlight on the activities of the two companies involved in the programme.

    In a statement yesterday in Washington, DC, the United States, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC said the call was necessitated by the fact that the two firms involved in the swap programme, Taleveras and Aiteo, submitted the highest and unmatched bid of $2.85 billion for the largest of Shell Nigeria’s four oil blocks slated for sale, the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29, which Shell is selling with its 97-kilometre Nembe Creek oil pipeline.

    The party described as incredulous the fact that the two firms, which were oil marketers – and not explorers – of less than five years, could make such a huge bid.

    APC noted that this has put into a glaring context what may be the opacity of the barter programme under which the NNPC exchanges a huge chunk of the 445,000 barrels per day – which the government allocates for domestic refining – for refined petroleum products.

    The statement added: “This bid, by the two upstart firms, must attract the attention of the various National Assembly committees, including the House (of Representatives) Committees on Downstream, Upstream and Justice, and the Senate Committee on Finance.

    “How is it possible that these two companies, which were nowhere prior to now, have metamorphosed, in just five years, to become companies that can buy assets of $2.85 billion? Is there a link between this sudden leap in fortunes and the possible underhand dealings in the swap programme, considering that they are the two firms involved in the programme? Is it a coincidence that while Nigeria continues to get less and less from the programme, those who service the programme are feeding fat on it?

    “Is there any link between the stupendous wealth of these firms and the ever-expanding huge revenue losses going on at the NNPC? How did it happen that Taleveras and Aiteo have, in less than five years, grown from obscurity into the oil sector hegemony by simply exchanging crude oil for an equivalent refund of petroleum product? And is there a link between the activities of these firms and the alleged missing $20 billion oil funds?

    “Nigerians will also like to know: why is it that the highest bidders on the OML 29 are not big industry players but some deal-making firms? How did swap become the most lucrative sub-sector of the oil and gas market in Nigeria?

    “These and other questions are begging for answers, and we do hope the committees will provide the answers.”

    The party said it would also be necessary for the committees to examine the five-year audited report of the two companies to know the source of their record-breaking earnings and achievement, within such a short time of their active participation in the industry.

    “For the avoidance of doubt and lest we are misunderstood, we are not accusing these companies of engaging in any misdeed. What we are saying is that those who are saddled with investigating the alleged revenue losses and possible sleaze at the NNPC must not leave any stone unturned in their attempt to unearth the truth.

    “Since the two firms are the main players in the NNPC’s swap programme, and in view of their recent (planned) expenditure profile, they must also come under the scrutiny of the committees,” APC said.

  • Group seeks empowerment of youths, women

    Group seeks empowerment of youths, women

    A group in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has called for the repositioning of party politics, to give vulnerable groups, including youths and women more opportunities to participate in the political process. Speaking at a media briefing in Ikeja, recently, coordinators of the New Justice Forum (NJF), Olatunji Folami and Taiwo Ayedun, said it is sad that there is no succession plan in the Southwest, because political leaders in the region have failed to groom future successors.

    Folami, who read from a prepared text, said the group is determined to bring back robust competition and fair play, level playing field and justice, adding “political movements should not be built around individuals, but around organisational structures.” He said the late Nelson Mandela was one of those who started a movement in South Africa. “Today, he is no more, but the movement continues,” he added.

    Folami said although members of the New Justice Forum have respect for the old Justice Forum led by the renowned grassroot mobiliser and colossus in Lagos politics, Alhaji Olatunji Hamzat, the old order has not built organisational structures that would promote competition and groom future leaders that would step into the shoes of credible leaders Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and a host of others, who have demonstrated political vision and shown commitment to good governance.

    His words: “The philosophy underpinning the coming into being of the New Justice Forum (NJF) therefore, is the determination to bring back robust competition and fair play, level playing field and justice and reposition it on the path of equity and justice for all members. This would be attained through the harnessing of the abundant energies of all members, particularly youths and women who are most vulnerable.

    “Our agenda is to identify persons with progressive orientation and great potentials who are ready to serve and lead democratically. They must be from our generation and we will work to put them forward for positions. Enough of old hands and old ideas. We want new blood, new ideas and new ways of doing things.”

  • Group seeks empowerment of youths, women

    A group in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has called for the repositioning of party politics, to give vulnerable groups, including youths and women more opportunities to participate in the political process. Speaking at a media briefing in Ikeja, recently, coordinators of the New Justice Forum (NJF), Olatunji Folami and Taiwo Ayedun, said it is sad that there is no succession plan in the South-west, because political leaders in the region have failed to groom future successors.

    Folami, who read from a prepared text, said the group is determined to bring back robust competition and fair play, level playing field and justice, adding “political movements should not be built around individuals, but around organisational structures.” He said the late Nelson Mandela was one of those who started a movement in South Africa. “Today, he is no more, but the movement continues,” he added.

    Folami said although members of the New Justice Forum have respect for the old Justice Forum led by the renowned grassroot mobiliser and colossus in Lagos politics, Alhaji Olatunji Hamzat, the old order has not built organisational structures that would promote competition and groom future leaders that would step into the shoes of credible leaders Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and a host of others, who have demonstrated political vision and shown commitment to good governance.

    His words: “The philosophy underpinning the coming into being of the New Justice Forum (NJF) therefore, is the determination to bring back robust competition and fair play, level playing field and justice and reposition it on the path of equity and justice for all members. This would be attained through the harnessing of the abundant energies of all members, particularly youths and women who are most vulnerable.

    “Our agenda is to identify persons with progressive orientation and great potentials who are ready to serve and lead democratically. They must be from our generation and we will work to put them forward for positions. Enough of old hands and old ideas. We want new blood, new ideas and new ways of doing things.”

  • Acting CBN Governor seeks stronger African central bankers

    Acting CBN Governor seeks stronger African central bankers

    Acting Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Dr Sarah Alade is seeking stronger African Central bankers to support developmental projects.

    Alade spoke yesterday at the 7th joint Annual meetings of the Economic Community of African Conference of African Ministers of Finance in Abuja.

    She pitched for the close examination of the mandates of central banks in Africa beyond the current prescription of price stability which the continent’s central banks pursue.

    According to Alade, “before globalisation, central banks of developed economies were involved in development issues, we cannot be industrialized in Africa with narrow focus on price stability,” she said.

    The expansion of central banks to play supportive role to fiscal authority she said will help drive industrialisation in the continent.

    Africa, she said, has to find its own solution to industrialisation as partnering with the private sector alone will not solve the problem.

    Establishing financing institution, such as Brazil did, she said could also help in development initiatives but should be as an example rather than depending on support from public banks.

    Africa, she said, needs “to refocus and see how best to improve the volume of financing projects in Africa as well as establish credible policies based on transparency and accountability” which she identified as important.

    For effective industrialisation that would bring inclusive growth, Alade canvassed for human capital development to be of top priority in the continent. “We must invest in people to achieve industrialization and also build the public sector to positively contribute in the initiative,” she said.

    She added that “Commitment and political will is very important in this industrialization drive. We don’t need to pay lip service to it.”

    Speaking at the conference, Executive Secretary of the ECA, Mr. Carlos Lopes told African central bank governors that rapid innovations in financial services offer exciting opportunities for monetary policy to play a role in promoting inclusive industrial development.

    He said monetary policy must be consistent with Africa’s structural transformation agenda. In his words, “in some situations this may require trade-offs between the central banks’ core mandate of price stability and the objective of financial access and economic stimulus for industrial development.”

    A major area of tension at the meeting was the question of rethinking the mandate of African central banks and whether the focus of their mandates should remain on price and financial stability or broadened to include measures that promote the development of economy in key areas such as industrialisation.

    Core to the debate was the importance of remaining independent from political influence in the interest of financial stability.

    The ECA Chief noted that central banks must ensure more productive use of Africa’s reserves. According to him, “it is troubling that unlike other developing regions of the world, African countries hold in aggregate more deposits in Bank for International Settlements (BIS) reporting banks than they receive in loans from them.”

    This trend, he said, suggests that the bulk of revenues from exports of African oil and commodities are not intermediated by local banks.

    “The revenues remain in overseas banks which recycle about 60 per cent of these deposits as cross-border loans back to African banks and the non-bank sector. I am sure many of you will agree that this situation is totally unacceptable,” he said.

  • ANAN seeks International Accounting Standards’ domestication

    The President of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Sakirudeen Labode is seeking the application of International Accounting Standards for transparency of financial statements.

    He spoke after a two-day workshop on International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) held in Nassarawa State University, Keffi.

    The workshop is jointly organised by ANAN and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPAI). “If we truly desire to drop the toga of a developing country and join the league of developed nations, our reporting system must swing along the lines of the credible path. ‘That will lead to transparent presentation of financial positions through application of international standards,’’ Labode said.

    He said that the workshop would also make ANAN members more competent and efficient on the convergence of financial information based on Generally-Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) with the international public sector accounting standards.

    According to him, that is very important to the extent that almost all the countries in the world had adopted it (IPSAS) wholesale or by blending to suit their peculiar financial environment. “Many governments introduced IPSAS because it is considered to be good and transparent. “While some adopt the standards wholesale, some adopt and modify the system, the bottom line , however, is its universality,’’ Labode said.

    The ANAN president, however, said that in Nigeria, we had opted to transit to cash basis in 2014 and to accrual basis in 2016 full blast. He added, ‘’ the use of IPSAS is steadily becoming more widely spread and increasingly relevant in public sector accounting around the worlds.’’

    Labode mentioned that accountants in public sector were, however, faced with the daunting task of having to learn and apply what seemed a completely new set of Financial Reporting Standards.

    According to him, even, though, the task is daunting, this is necessary to make our impact felt and the consequential output of our efforts relevant, understandable and comparable.

    “ Being associate member of IFAC places enormous responsibility of training on both members and staff upon our shoulders on which we must not waiver no matter how intimating the challenges might be,’’ the ANAN president said.

    The Coordinator of the workshop and the Assistant Registrar, Technical of ANAN, Dr Micheal Ayeni said that the connotation of the international accounting standard was meant to ensure credibility of financial statement.

    Ayeni said that this could not be achieved without a thorough understanding of its benchmark. “One of the beacons of these benchmarks used as a pathfinder to a credible financial statement is the international public sector accounting standard (IPSAS), which we are about to demystify today,’’ he said.

    The Accountant said the principal objective of the workshop was to equip participants with the tool kits and acumen that would make them become versatile in the art of converting fro financial statement based on the Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP) to the modern global standard known as IPSAS.

    He said that this would enable ANAN members to be on the same page with international stakeholders who would like to assess the worth of their investments in Nigeria using international accepted principles

  • Family seeks ownership of school land in Onitsha

    Family seeks ownership of school land in Onitsha

    The Premises of Our Lady’s High School, Onitsha is the subject of a dispute.

    Some people identified as Ogbo family members are claiming the ownership of the premises.

    Last week, they stormed the school with placards, demanding that the lease of 60 years have elapsed, hence their intention to reclaim the land from the Anambra State government. They told the school management to vacate the premises to enable them to take charge, adding that lease expired 10 years ago.

    Some of the placards read: ‘Gov. Peter Obi, release our land to us’, ‘We want our land not our Lady’s High School’, ‘ANSG, give us back our land’, ‘Gov. Obi, we want our land, not compensation’, among others.

    The head of Ogbo family of Umuasele Village, Onitsha, Omodi Obiora Nzekwu, recalled that the family leased the land to one Mr. Peter Ejikeme Chukwura on August 8, 1944 for an initial term of 30 years. He added that when the initial 30-year lease agreement expired in 1974, Chukwura renewed the lease for another 30 years, which expired on July 31, 2004.

    Nzekwu said Chukwura established a school initially known as Africa College which, according to him, later metamorphosed to Chukwura High School.

    In their petition to the then Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, signed on their behalf by their legal counsel, F. O. Balonwu Esq, Nzekwu insisted that the family did not grant the lease to the school, but to Mr. Chukwura.

    Obi has passed on the baton of governorship to Mr Wille Obiano.

    Alluding to the agreement of August 8, 1944, Nzekwu said it was agreed in the document that there would be no further renewal of the lease after its expiration, adding that if there was, the clause would have been reflected in the document.

    Balonwu maintained that since Chukwura was a school proprietor and government took over his interest, it follows that the government could only acquire whatever interest the proprietor had in the land, which is the term of years which lapsed in 2004, adding that by operation of their reversionary rights, they are entitled to repossess their land on which Our Lady’s High School stands.

    However, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Peter Obi, Mr. Mike Udah, told our reporter on phone that the petitioner’s claim is legal and as such could only be handled by the state Ministry of Justice.

    The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Peter Afuba, told our reporter that he was yet to receive the governor’s reaction on the matter, since the petition was written to the governor.

    He added that besides, it is the duty of the state Ministry of Education and Ministry of Lands to brief him on the position of the land before he could take up the matter.

    Efforts to get in touch with the outgoing Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Uju Okeke and her Lands counterpart, Chief Okoli Akirika, proved abortive as both of them were not available as at the time of filing this report. Efforts to speak to them on phone equally failed.

     

  • TUC seeks health insurance scheme

    The Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Comrade Musa Lawal, has called on the Federal Government to adhere to the policy of International Best Practices (IBP) as the only workable option to the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the country.

    He said less than six per cent of the nation’s population is benefiting from the Scheme.

    Musa, who made the call while presenting a paper on ‘Financial Risk Protection: Option for the Private Sector – A Political Economy Approach or Working Class Approach’ during the Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage in Abuja, said the lesson learnt from the implementation of NHIS is that the scheme has respond to crisis in the health sector, but has not succeeded due mainly to its  limitation to the formal sector and does not cover most terminal ailments.

    He said: “The way forward for a workable option to the implementation of NHIS, is adopting the IBP that would embrace the most popular of private/public financial protection for health scheme that would be implemented through contributions from both employers and employees on monthly basis as a percentage of income in the country.

    He said the Value Added Tax Funding System (VATFS), as the most effective concept of determinant of health data, should be effectively used as there is pressure on health facilities in most urban centers where the value added tax product is mostly consumed.

    He said VAT that covers financial protection, could give wide spread coverage to health cases as the most effective covering both for the informal and formal sector, adding that health systems require direct, out-of-pocket, payments from people at the time they need care.

    His words: “In Nigeria the challenges associated with direct, out-of-pocket expenses have prevented hundreds of millions from accessing services and  as result, falls into financial hardship, even impoverishment, for millions more.

    “Here in Nigeria, the impact of reducing the reliance on direct, out-of-pocket payments will to some extent, lower the financial barriers to access and reduce the impoverishing impact of health payments.

    “The workable option therefore is for the government to introduce policies that would  reduce fragmentation and increase the redistribution capacity of the pooled funds to cover the healthcare costs for those in need, as key element of the broad strategy that we need to rely on in order to move towards national health service delivery coverage,” he said.

  • Kwara Sports Council seeks increment in subvention

    Kwara Sports Council seeks increment in subvention

    The Kwara Sports Council on Wednesday appealed to the state government to increase its monthly subvention to enable it cope with its programmes.

    The management of the council made the appeal in Ilorin when the newly appointed Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Saheed Popoola, visited the council on a familiarisation visit.

    The acting chairman of the sports council, Tunde Aluko, called for an increase in the subvention of the council to take care of pressing needs.

    Aluko also decried the rate at which contracts involving the council were being awarded without the knowledge of the management.

    The Director of Sports in the state, Tunde Kazeem, praised the state government for boosting sports development in the state. He disclosed that the council won 24 trophies in 15 events in 2013 and hosted what he said was adjudged the best schools sports festival.

    Kazeem, however, said the council needed more coaches and at least N10 million a month as subvention. The commissioner on arrival at the council’s headquarters inside the state stadium complex was conducted round.

    Popoola, while responding, reiterated the state government’s readiness to ensure sports development in the state. He said the government would continue to use sports to boost the image of the state.

    The commissioner also said that government would carry out necessary renovation of dilapidated structures and facilities in the stadium, especially the indoor sports hall soon.

  • NICEGA seeks FG’s financial support

    NICEGA seeks FG’s financial support

    The President of Nigeria Colleges of Education Games Association (NICEGA), Mohammed Sanusi,has called on the Federal and state governments to save the NICEGA games from extinction by rendering financial support to the bi-annual games for colleges of education in the country.

    Speaking to Prompt News Online on why the 13th edition of the games slated for the College of Education, Minna was yet to be held,Sanusi said the postponement was due to lack of funds due to the inability of government to release the annual subventions given the body.

    He said NICEGA has had cause to reschedule thrice due to lack of funds and the inability of the host college to provide the necessary facilities for the games.

    “We have fixed the games to hold between May 10 to 19,and by the grace of God it will not be shifted again.The games must hold with or without the governments aid this year. Governments are our financiers and of late the subventions we get yearly has not been coming and that was why we could not hold the games last year and this year,we are yet to get a dime from government.

    “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government to restore the annual subvention to NICEGA to enable the body to continue to churn out budding talents like it has always done over the years,” he said.

    Speaking further,Sanusi revealed that zonal qualifiers have been done for team games like table tennis,tennis,volleyball,basketball,badminton and handball adding that the individual events will hold in Minna.