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Tag: Senate committee

  • Senate panel insists on prosecution of suspended SGF

    Senate panel insists on prosecution of suspended SGF

    The Senate ad-hoc committee investigating the Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the Northeast on Tuesday recommended the prosecution of the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, for alleged infraction and contravention of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

    The Committee also said Lawal breached the Oaths of Office as SGF and should therefore be prosecuted by relevant authorities.

    The recommendation was submitted to the Senate by the Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Shehu Sani.

    The committee said, “We are of the opinion that Engr. Babachir David Lawal has contravened the provision of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As amended); the Public Procurement Act 2007 and breach the Oaths of Office as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and therefore should be prosecuted by the relevant authorities.”

    The committee also recommended further investigation by relevant agencies of government on why contract benefitting companies paid over N500 million naira into Rholavision Engineering Limited, a company in which Lawal has interest.”

    It added: “The banks’ transactions of Rholavision Engineering Limited and the confirmation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that the Bank Verification Number (BVN) of Engr. Babachir David Lawal is still the signatory to Rholavision Engineering Limited accounts and 13 other accounts, some with different names; the committee is of the opinion that Engr. Babachir David Lawal has contravened the provision of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As amended); the Public Procurement Act 2007 and breach the Oaths of Office as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and therefore should be prosecuted by the relevant authorities.”

    The committee recommended that all resources that have been misapplied or stolen by public officials should be retrieved and anybody found culpable of contravening any of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and the Federal Government Financial Rules and Regulations pertaining to the award of these contracts should be duly prosecuted by relevant authorities.

    “Relevant agencies should ensure that contracts partially executed but fully paid for must be completed by the concerned contractors, or asked to refund the equivalent money of outstanding jobs to the government treasury,” it stated.

  • Senate committee bemoans state of 23 IDCs

    Senate committee bemoans state of 23 IDCs

    Senate Committee on Industry, on Wednesday, expressed disappointment over the present state of the 23 Industrial Development Centres (IDCs) across the country.

    According to the committee, nothing tangible has been going on at the centres to justify the name by which they were conceptualised.

    The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Sam Egwu, made its position known on Wednesday when he led members on an oversight function to the IDC in Port Harcourt.

    He held the view that successive administrations had truncated the vision that informed the establishment of the IDCs.

    “For any nation to develop industrially, middle-skill manpower is needed, and this is the idea of establishing the IDCs.

    “But what we have seen here is nothing to write home about. We have seen obsolete and non-existent workshops.

    “From what we are told, most of the equipment were installed over 20 years ago but never commissioned because of lack of electricity or power,” he said.

    According to Egwu, the non-usage of the equipment resulted in most of them being cannibalised and becoming obsolete.

    “There is nothing actually on the ground and yet we talk about industrialisation.

    “It’s unfortunate, we’ve made our observations and as a committee, we’ll report and ensure that appropriate steps are taking to preserve the IDCs because they are veritable centres for development”, he said.

    Egwu emphasised the need for Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework so as to get the funds needed to revive the IDCs and achieve the set objectives.

    Dr. Dikko Umaru, Director-General, Small and  Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), said the main objective of setting up the IDCs was to develop middle-level skill manpower for growth the nation’s  economy.

    “In fact, the IDCs are meant to be a place where there is common facilities , thereby reducing the cost of production for the entrepreneurs.

    “IDCs are designed to be the springboard for industrialisation of the nation through the training of middle-level manpower”, he said.

    Umaru pointed out that only seven out  23 IDCs across the country were partially working saying SMEDAN took over their running from the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment in 2010.

    He said the IDCs had not been funded for capital projects and overhead since 2011.

    “Staff salaries have not been paid up to date apart from the salaries of the security men and this is due to overhead that is not available,” he said.

    The DG appealed to the senate committee to help recover the land belonging to the IDCs that have been encroached upon by trespassers due to a long period of inactivity at most of the centres.

  • Senate Committee commends Egbin Power project

    Senate Committee commends Egbin Power project

    The Senate Committee on Privatisation has commended the ongoing transformation at Egbin Power Plc The Committee made the commendation during a recent oversight visit to the facility.

    Describing Egbin Power as a “well-run world class facility”, the Committee’s Chairman, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce said the turnaround of the facility was indicative of the huge impact the private sector brings to the quest of transforming businesses.

    “We are pleasantly satisfied with the state of the facility which is first class and shows the difference the private sector can play in our quest for economic growth and development. The task before us now is to examine how the challenges of the sector can be solved with all stakeholders working together to ensure we achieve a stable and reliable power sector,” he said.

    Speaking on Egbin’s post privatization achievements, Dallas Peavey, Chief Executive Officer said, prior to the privatization of the plant in November 2013, Egbin averaged generation of below 300-MW due to the dismal operational state of its six units and at its lowest point, only two of the six units were partially operational.

    He further highlighted major investments made since take-over 3years ago such as the successful operational restoration of Unit 6 which had been out of operations for 10 years, utilizing state of the art technology in total overhaul of other Units and upgrades of the Distributed Control System (DCS)  which enables the Units peak at its 220-MW of  originally installed capacity while Environmental Impact Assessment is on-going for Egbin Phase II expansion project aimed at increasing generating capacity with an additional 1800MW to the grid.

    According to Peavey, there has  been a significant reduction in unscheduled shut-downs, unit forced outage occurrences, and improvement to Unit efficiency making Egbin capable of generating an average of 1,100-MW with gas availability and restoring the power plant to its installed capacity of 1320MW by the end of  year 2016.

    He stated that in addition to inadequate gas supply and high cost of alternative fuel (HPFO), the ineffectiveness of Power Purchase Agreements, grid instability, non-cost reflective tariff are some of the operational challenges facing the company.

    Accompanied by the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr Vincent Akpotaire and other top BPE officials, Murray-Bruce noted that the privatization of the sector remained a move in the right direction adding that the Committee is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensuring the optimization and efficiency of all privatized assets in the nation.

     

     

  • Osun APC chides Saraki over senate committee

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Ife Central Local Government, Adeleke Enitilo and his colleague from Ife East Local Government, Osun State, Mr. Kayode Ogundele have faulted the decision of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki for redeploying Senator Babajide Omoworare from Senate Committee on Rules and Business.

    The chairmen lauded Omoworare for making the constituents and the party proud. The senate president had last week reshuffled the senate committees. In the change Omoworare was moved to the committee on Legislative Compliance which the chairmen described as “none existent committee.”

    They chided the Senate President and the leadership of the Senate for redeploying Senator Omoworare. According to them, the senator was a victim of his loyalty to the party leadership.

    According to the chairmen, “With this step, Saraki and the leadership of the Senate have shown their hatred for independent mindedness, party discipline, professionalism, brilliance and loyalty which Omoworare represents. How will one explain a situation where a Senator with 14 years legislative experience is deployed to a non-existing committee to be replaced by a Senator with just six months legislative experience.”

  • Senate summons AGF over alleged plot to kidnap Kashamu to US

    Senate summons AGF over alleged plot to kidnap Kashamu to US

    The Senate Wednesday resolved to invite the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over alleged fresh plot to kidnap Senator Buruji Kashamu and ship him to the United States to face trial on alleged drug charges.

    Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions invited Malami following a petition to it by Kashamu through his solicitor Ajibola Oluyede.

    Senator Kashamu and Oluyede appeared before the committee Wednesday to defend and throw more light on the petition.

    Oluyede who spoke on behalf of Kashamu at the hearing said that the fresh plot to abduct Kashamu by unknown agents was revealed to them through a text message by an informant in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    He noted that the plot was to kidnap Kashamu or if abduction failed to shoot him.

    Oluyede said that their suspicion is that some interested parties in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation might have been perjured to facilitate the abduction of Kashamu to the US.

    He noted that the text massage was so credible that they have no alternative than to seek protection from the Senate.

    A member of the committee, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah wondered why those after Kashamu would want to shoot when a dead man could not be brought to face justice.

    He also said that allegation that Kashamu operates a drug factory does not add up since factories could be identified.

    Na’Allah noted that it looks as if there is internal conspiracy in the NDLEA if an officer could send such a message about the office he works.

    He suggested that since the Office of the Attorney General had been linked with the alleged plot to abduct Kashamu, the option left for the committee is to invite Malami to state the position of his office on the matter.

    Other members of the committee agreed.

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said that the Attorney General had already written the committee seeking a date within the month to appear before the committee on the issue.

    Oluyede later told reporters that “Recently it came to our attention that there were moves again, not to extradite him (Kashamu), but as the United States Government has a policy of rendition, rendition is forbidden by international law.

    “It is also even a criminal Act under the US law but the US Government does it and the Supreme Court of United States more or less allows it by saying that well if you come to our country illegally, it doesn’t matter to us, so long as you are here, we have jurisdiction over you and we will try you on any offence for which you are brought here.

    “So, on that basis the American security agencies often kidnap people and take them to the US to face what they call justice.

    “Most of the time they have only done it in what they call enemy territory and only against terrorists.

    “We have had only one instance in Nigeria where they have done rendition and that is against a motor dealer here, who was carried suddenly and exported to United States, Lanre Shittu.

    “Now this is what is being planned currently against Senator Kashamu and we have it on very good authority and you will see we have quoted from an agent of the NDLEA, a sympathetic agent.

    “He was even among those who were sitting in his bedroom with guns and wearing masks for six days.

    “There were some of them who were giving us information and till today, there are still people in the NDLEA who have conscience.

    “When they see any bad thing going on they want to be whistle blowers but we know there is a problem with being a whistle blower in Nigeria.

    “Unless Nigeria enacts a law that protects whistle blowers it will be difficult to really hold on to some of our public officers who are actually criminals who should not be in public office at all and that is why we are relying on information given to us by this informant and we have quoted that text that that is the plan.

    “Mr. Ahmed Giade was the chairman of the NDLEA at the time they invaded his house the first time to export him, the unsuccessful attempt.”

    Oluyede claimed Giade has been “meeting with them and even the office of Attorney General has told us that they warned him to stop.”

    “They wrote a letter and that letter is also in the bundle, telling NDLEA, we have this case in court you should not take any further step, don’t meet with the US officials anymore but the ambassador of the US came out unwittingly, voluntarily he told a newspaper that he is still meeting with Nigerian government officials for the purpose of the rendition of senator Kashamu.”

    He continued, “The only government official he could be meeting with is NDLEA officials and that is why we take this text very serious and now knowing this we have made further inquiries and  we have found out that is true because even  after Giade retired in December from NDLEA  his backers still got him into government.

    “He is almost 80 years old he should be in his village but his backers smuggled him into government as Special Assistant to the Attorney General on Narcotics.

    “This gives him a supervisory power over NDLEA even after removing him as chairman. He is still in control of NDLEA because the office of the Attorney General is the supervisory authority over NDLEA and it is in that capacity now.

    “He is at the centre of this move to carry out the rendition of senator Kashamu and there are many more information that are contained in the document.

    “The reason we are here is that the Senate should be able to look into this matter.

    “Yes, there are certain aspects of this matter pending in court but there are aspects of it that the court can never look at.

    “The court is not going to look into the internal workings of a government institution and find out whether those who have been appointed to hold office in that institution have carried out their duties in accordance with their remit or in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal  Republic of  Nigeria and the court  is not going to find out whether currently under the influence of a foreign power for the purpose  of  abducting, kidnapping  a senator , nobody is going to carry out  that investigation.

    “It is only this hallowed chamber that has the supervisory power  to look  into what the executive is doing  and find out whether the executive is actually complying either  with the statutes that emanates  from this chambers or even  with the constitution and you have the power to do that, to call people to order and say this is wrong.

    “You have the power to recommend to the president and say this officer who is in government is not operating appropriately and he ought to be dealt with.

    “The courts cannot do that, the courts cannot usurp the function of the legislature and the legislature cannot usurp the function of the court. We humbly appeal to you to take the appropriate action in this matter.”

    Oluyede said that a former Attorney General of the Federation was part of the conspiracy to abduct Kashamu.

    Anaynwu said, “We have heard his case and we have asked questions. Having heard from you  the Solicitor to Senator Kashamu, you may now leave and be rest assured that the committee has heard you and we  will hear from the other correspondents  and we will come up with a position on this issue.

    “Meanwhile I think it is obvious that when we make our investigation we will put down our report to the entire senate

    “We have to invite the parties involved and not in representative capacity to answer to the allegations.

    “This allegation concerns Giade and whatever the senate will arrive at he is equally going to be affected by it so it only fair that we hear from him.

    “This matter is before the senate and we think status quo should remain until we look at the issues in the petition and come up with a position.

     

  • Apapa Road : Senate committee meet stakeholders

    Apapa Road : Senate committee meet stakeholders

    The Senate Committee on Marine Transport yesterday visited the Lagos Port Complex and the Tin-Can Island ports to access the impact of the gridlock on the roads leading to the ports.

    Led by its Chairman and former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, the committee arrived the Lagos Port Complex at 10.59am.

    The lawmakers experienced the gridlock on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway as they approached the Tin-Can port.

    Their convoy drove against traffic from the Liverpool Under Bridge to access the port.

    After passing through the second gate, the vehicles were stuck amidst container-laden trucks.

    The lawmakers alighted to access the failed sections of the road.

    Addressing reporters and other stakeholders at a forum by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Yerima  said the ongoing construction work at the 500-truck capacity holding bay in front of the Tin-Can port, was put on hold because  the Federal Government owed the contractor N1.5 billion..

    The chairman noted that, though, work at the site was about 95 per cent completed, the contractor pulled out because he was yet to be mobilised by the government.

    He promised that the Federal Government was making efforts to pay up so that work would resume.

     

    “We have seen the situation on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. While we were on the tour, Senator Kabiru Gaya, called the Ministry of Works. He was told that construction work at the Holding Bay at Tin-Can Island was 95 per cent completed. He was also told that the contractor is being owed N1.5 billion.

    “If the money is paid, work would resume and all these trucks will have no cause to continue to park on the road.

    “The park at Tin Can Island is still under construction. That is why you did not see trucks there,” Yerima added.

    The Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, the Acting Director-General of NIMASA Pastor Haruna Jauro, Executive Secretary of Shippers Council Hassan Bello and other stakeholders identified lack of rail system, indiscriminate licencing of tank farms, lack of holding bays, non-usage of barges, unorthodox behaviour of truck drivers and other factors are responsible for the gridlock.

  • Saraki names 65 Senate committees

    Saraki names 65 Senate committees

    The much expected standing committees for the Senate were announced on Wednesday by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators got 41 Chairmanship positions while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators were given 24 chairmanship portfolios.

    With the inauguration of Borno Central Senator Senator Kaka Garbai, APC now has 60 Senators in the chamber while PDP has 49 Senators.

    Former Senate President, Senator David Mark was neither named chairman nor vice chairman of any committee.

    No reason was given for Mark’s missing on the list of committees but insiders said that Mark might have declined to head any of the committees.

    While Senator Danjuma Goje (APC) was assigned to chair the committee on Appropriation, Senator John Owan Enoh (PDP) was allocated the chairmanship of the Finance committee.

    Senator Donald Omotayo Alaosoadura (APC) got the chairmanship of committee on Petroleum (Upstream) while Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife (PDP) is to head the committee on Petroleum (Downstream).

    Saraki is Chairman Senate Selection Committee, a body of principal officers of the upper chamber with the responsibility to allocate the committees.

    After the announcement of the Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship positions, Saraki adjourned the Senate till Tuesday, November 12th, 2015.

    The Senate President did not give any reason for the adjournment.

    Findings however showed that the adjournment might have been informed by the trial of Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) which resumes on Thursday.

    Former Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Dino Melaye, however said that the Senate adjourned to allow its four ad-hoc committees to conclude their assignment and submit their reports next week.

    Break down of the committee sharing showed that Senator Babajide Omoworare (Osun East) retained the chairmanship of Committee on Rules and Business with Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume as Vice Chairman.

    Senator Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto East) also retained the Chairmanship of the Senate Services Committee with Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North) as vice.

    Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Imo West) retained the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions with Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South) as Vice.

    Senator Andy Ubah (Anambra South) also retained the chairmanship of Senate Committee on Public Accounts with Senator Gbolahan Dada (Ogun West) as Vice.

    The Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence has Senator Shaaba Lafiagi as Chairman with Senator David Jang as Vice.

    The five committees listed above are statutory committees of the Senate.

    Other standing committees also named  included Senate Committee on Agriculture with Senator Abdullahi Adamu as chairman and Senator Theodore Orji as vice; Committee on Air Force has Senator Duro Samuel Faseyi as Chairman with Senator Ali Wakili as vice; Committee on Army with Senator George Akume as Chairman with Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba as vice, Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes with Senator Godfrey Chukwuka Utazi as Chairman and Senator Sani Mustapha as Vice; Committee on Appropriations with Senator Danjuma Goje as Chairman with Senator Sunny Ogbuoji as vice and Committee on Aviation with Senator Hope Uzodinma as Chairman and Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah as vice.

    Others also constituted are Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions with Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim as Chairman and Senator Achonu Nneji as vice; Committee on Capital Market with Senator Iiaka Adeleke as Chairman and Foster Ogola as vice; Committee on Communications with Senator Gilbert Nnaji as Chairman and Senator Solomon Adeola as vice; Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa and NEPAD with Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi as Chairman; Committee on Culture and Tourism with Senator Mathew Urhoghide and Senator Abubakar A.M. as vice; Committee on Customs, Excise &Tariff with Senator Adamu Aliero as Chairman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as vice; Committee on Defence with Senator Ahmed Lawan as Chairman and Senator Jeremiah Useni as vice; Committee on Diaspora and Civil Societies with Rose Oko; Committee on Drugs and Narcotics with Senator Joshua Lidani as Chairman and Senator Philip Gyunka as vice; Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) with Senator Uche Ekwunife as Chairman and Senator Jibrin Barau as vice, Committee on Ecology & Climate Change with Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim and Senator Danjuma La’ah as vice; Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) with Senator Aliyu Wamakko as Chairman and Senator Rose Oko as vice; Committee on Employment, Labour& Productivity with Senator Suleiman Nazif as Chairman; Committee on Environment with Senator Olaka Johnson Nwogu as Chairman and Senator Oluremi Tinubu as Vice and Committee on Establishment &Public Service with Senator Emmanuel Paulker as Chairman and Senator Suleiman Nazif as vice.

    The Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has Senator Dino Melaye as Chairman with Senator Mohammed Hassan as vice; Committee on Federal Character has Senator Salihu Egye as Chairman with Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi as vice; Committee on Finance has Senator John Owan Enoh as Chairman with Senator Umaru Ibrahim Kurfi as vice; Committee on Foreign Affairs has Senator Munsurat Sunmonu as Chairman with Senator Shehu Sani as vice; Committee on Gas has Senator Bassey Albert Apkan as Chairman with Senator Abubakar Ahmadu Moalaahyidi as vice; Committee on Health has Senator Lanre Tejusho as Chairman with Senator Mathew Urhoghide as vice, Committee on Housing has Senator Barnabas Gemade with Senator Francis Alimikhena as vice; Committee on I.C.T & Cyber Crime has Senator Buhari Abdulfatai as Chairman with Senator Foster Ogola as vice; Committee on independent National ElectoraL Commission has Senator Abubakar Kyari as Chairman with Senator Nelson Effiong as vice; Committee on Information and National Orientation has Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe as Chairman with Senator Ibrahim Danbaba as vice; Committee on Interior has Senator George Thonpson Sekibo as Chairman with Senator Bayero Usman Nafada as vice; Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs has Senator Bayero Usman Nafada as Chairman; Committee on Industry has Senator Sam Egwu as Chairman with Senator Buhari Abdulfatai as vice; Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and legal Matters has Senator David Umaru as Chairman with Senator Godswill Akpabio as vice; Committee on Lnad transport has Senator Olugbenga Ashafa as Chairman with Senator Philip Aduda as vice while Committee on Local and Foreign Debts has Senator Shuhu Sani as Chairman with Senator Senator Philip Gunka as vice.

    Others also named included Committee on Marine Transport with Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani as Chairman with Senator Ighoyota Amori as vice, Committee on Media and Public Affairs has Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi as Chairman with Senator Murray Bruce as vice; Committee on Public Procurement has Senator Abdulsalami Ohiare as Chairman with Senator Yele Omogunwa as vice, Committee on National Identity & National Population has Senator Kabiru Marafa as Chairman with Abubakar Sani Danladi as vice; Committee on National Planning & Economic Affairs has Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as Chairman with Senator Danjuma La’ah as vice; Committee on Navy has Senator Isa Hamma Misau as Chairman with Senator Osinachukwu Ideozu as vice;  Committee on Niger Delta has Senator Peter Nwaboshi as Chairman with Senator Abubakar Abdulrahman as vice, Committee on Police Affairs has Senator Abu Ibrahim as Chairman with Senator Stella Oduah as vice; Committee on Power has Senator James Manager as Chairman with Senator Bukar Mustapha as vice, Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases has Senator Mao Ohuabunwa as Chairman with Senator Olusola Adeyeye as vice; Committee on Privatisation has Senator Ben Murray Bruce as Chairman with Senator Abdullahi Yahaya as vice; Committee on Science and Technology has Senator Robert Ajayi Borofice with Senator Marafi Bashir as vice; Committee on Solid Minerals has Senator Joshua Dariye as Chairman with Senator Rilwan Adesoji as vice; Committee on Sports has Senator Obinna Ogba as Chairman with Kabiru Marafa as vice; Committee onSpecial Duties has Senator Murtala Nyako as Chairman with Senator Sunny Ogbuoji as vice, Committee on State and Local Government has Senator Abdullahi Gumel as Chairman with Senator Kashamu Buruji as vice; Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND as Senator Binta Masi Garba with Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura as vice; Committee on Trade and Investment has Fatimat Olufunke Raji Rasaki as Chairman with Senator Sabo Mohammed as vice, Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) has Senator Donald Omotayo Alaosoadura as Chairman with Senator Bassey Gershom as vice; Committee on Water Resources has Senator Mohammed Ubali Shittu with Senator Emmanuel Bwacha as vice; Committee on Women Affairs has Senator Oluremi Tinubu as Chairman with Senator Stella Oduah as vice, Committee on Works has Senator Kabiru Gaya as Chairman with Senator Clifford Ordia as vice while Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Welfare has Senator Ali Wakili as Chairman with Senator Godfrey Chukwwuka Utazi as vice.

    Geo-political distribution of the committees showed that South West got 11 committee chairmanships positions, North West has 11, South East has 10, North Central has 13, North East 11 while South South has 10.

     

  • Senate Committee wants fixed tariff for terminal operators

    The Senate Committee on Privatisation has directed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to introduce fixed tariff for terminal operators at the nation’s ports.

    The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Olugbenga Obadara, said this on Monday during a visit to NPA headquarters in Lagos.

    He said a fixed tariff regime would increase the revenue profile of the organisation.

    “The committee wants to know what is being generated either quarterly or half yearly because the space at the ports belongs to the Federal Government.

    “The committee is inspecting not only the ports, but also all the government agencies so that there will be a progression in revenue and not a drop,’’ Obadara said.

    According to him, the visit afforded them the opportunity of listening to the complaints of some of the terminal operators including Josepdam Service Limited and Five Star Logistics operating at Tin Can Island Port.

    “The terminal operators complained of the delay in completing port rehabilitation, the access road which has affected quick delivery of cargoes and low profit margin.

    “The committee spent more than 25 minutes at Tin Can Island Port and surprisingly, the terminal operators were unable to provide receipts of the monthly remittances to NPA.

    “We need money to finance NPA’s budget and if the operators cannot tell us where the money is, NPA should be able to tell us,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Obadara as saying during the visit.

    In his response, the Managing Director of NPA, Malam Habib Abdulahi, told the committee that the mandate of NPA had changed since the port concession regime came into being some years ago.

    Abdulahi urged the Lagos State Government to collaborate with the Federal Government in ensuring that trucks plying Apapa-Oshodi Expressway complied with the necessary regulations and laws.

     

     

  • Senate committee assures Unijos on take-off grant

    Senate committee assures Unijos on take-off grant

    The Senate Committee on Education said it will liaise with the Federal Government for the release of the take-off grant for the University of Jos.

    The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Uche Chukwuemerije, said this when he led his colleagues on an oversight visit to the institution.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the university, one of the second generation universities established in 1975, has yet to receive its take-off grant.

    According to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai, the non-provision of the seed money is responsible for the slow development of the institution.

    Chukwumerije said that senate would assist the school in “pushing for the release of the grant.”

    He also promised that the senate would assist towards resolving the security challenges faced by the institution.

    “ We understand your peculiar security challenges and we are engaging the Federal Government to attract some funds that will assist you in handling the challenges.’’

    He promised that the committee would also assist the school to break more grounds in the area of research, noting that much had already been done in that area.

    Earlier, Mafuyai had highlighted the university’s challenges and identified major areas to include insecurity, inadequate accommodation and transportation.

    “We have a student population that is close to 30,000 but we only have accommodation for 7,000. Staff accommodation is equally inadequate,” he said.

    Mafuyai said the university’s infrastructure was also in bad shape.

     

  • NUT to meet Senate committee over strike

    NUT to meet Senate committee over strike

    The Senate Committee on Education will on Thursday meet with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) over the non-implementation of the 27.5 per cent Teachers Enhanced Allowance.

    Also expected at the meeting are the 18 governors whose states are yet to pay the allowance.

    The states are: Benue, Cross River, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Kogi, Niger and Sokoto.

    The National President of NUT, Mr. Michael Olukoya, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the meeting had become imperative due to plans by the union to embark on strike from June 1.

    Olukoya said the decision to embark on an indefinite strike was taken at the end of the union’s National Executive Council meeting in Asaba on April 17.

    He wondered why some state governments were reluctant to pay the 27.5 per cent allowance and the non-implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage.

    The union had also said the non-implementation amounted to discrimination against teachers, and called on state wings of the union to embark on a stay-at-home strike.

    He said the teachers had been patient enough and stressed that the Nigerian Governors’ Forum approved the new pay structure in 2009.