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Tag: Senate

  • Senate probes $1b Ogoni clean up

    Senate probes $1b Ogoni clean up

    The Senate yesterday mandated its committee on environment to investigate the implementation of the Ogoni Cleanup.

    The Federal Government launched the project in June last year with initial cost of $1 billion.

    Apart from investigating the Ogoni Cleanup, the committee was also asked to assess the progress of the Great Green Wall programme initiated to control desertification.

    The resolutions followed a motion on “World Environment Day” sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) and members of her committee.

    Senator Tinubu is worried that despite the launch of the Ogoni Cleanup Campaign, the work had not started.

    Senator Magnus Abe also told the Senate that there was nothing on the ground to show that the Ogoni Cleanup  is a government priority.

    Senator Abe an Ogboni from Rivers South East) said the country should review some of its practices in the interest of environmental regeneration.

    Senator Tinubu, in her lead debate, noted that the 5th June World Environment Day was set aside to create awareness for environmental issues and protection of the environment.

    She noted that the theme for this year’s World Environment is “Connecting People to Nature”, in celebration of nature’s beauty and man’s dependence on nature for his wellbeing.

    She observed that the Sustainable Development Goals include ensuring clean water and sustainable hygiene, sustainable urban development, sustainable consumption through increased use of natural resources and reduction of toxic materials, combating climate change and its adverse effects, conservation of aquatic resources and preservation of terrestrial biodiversity.

    The Lagos Central lawmaker said in the light of the country’s environmental issues, such as gully erosion in Eastern Nigeria, desertification in the North and large scale environmental degradation in the oil rich South-South, illegal mining, uncontrolled and excavation of laterites, there was a need to be proactive in addressing them.

    She expressed concern that unmitigated environmental issues had widespread effects on the economy, health and social wellbeing of the people.

    The lawmaker also expressed concern that women and children suffered more from the effects of environmental issues.

    She noted that school curriculum fail to teach children at a young age the impact of their actions and their civic duty to the environment.

    Tomorrow’s leaders, Senator Tinubu said, ought to be equipped with how to deal with challenges.

    Senator Tinubu reiterated that the environment is being held in trust for unborn generations and must be kept in pristine condition.

    She spoke about the absence of clear framework and institutional actions to counter climate change and its effects and the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (COP21) and COP 22 in the light of the withdrawal of the United States.

    Senator Tinubu’s six prayers include to:

    • call on governments at all levels to create a feasible framework for realization of the protection environment under the sustainable development goals;
    • urge the Ministry of Environment to create awareness and sensitise Nigerians to environmental issues with a view to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the citizenry, and to
    • urge the Federal and state ministries of Education to include Environmental Studies in the curriculum  of schools. They were unanimously adopted.

    Other prayers that were also adopted are to accelerate the passage of the Erosion Prevention and Control Bill 2017 and other environment protection Bills, to mandate the Ministry of Environment and relevant agencies to create the framework to stop and prevent further deforestation and degradation, and for replacement of lost vegetative cover and to mandate the ministry to create a sustainable and viable framework to counter climate change and its effects.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki asked the committee to look closely at Ogoni Cleanup.

  • Senate probes telcos over dropped calls

    Senate probes telcos over dropped calls

    Worried by the growing cases of dropped calls, the Senate has ordered investigation into the causes of the problem, even as it chided the global systme for mobile communications (GSM) service providers for inefficiency and poor service delivery.

    The Senate also warned the service providers against unsolicited calls and SMS that flood subscribers’ telephone lines on a daily basis, while  it kicked against illegal deductions of airtime for frivolous product subscriptions without the subscribers’ consent.

    At its plenary yesterday, the upper legislative chamber mandated its standing committees on Communications and Trade and Investment to investigate the matter.

    It also urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other regulatory agencies to invoke the appropriate sanctions against the telcos.

    Urging the agencies to protect the millions of mobile telephone subscribers in the country, the Senate said the telcos must not be allowed to flout extant agreements and regulations on consumer protection.

    The lawmakers further urged the relevant regulatory agencies to ensure refund to subscribers for disrupted calls and unauthorised airtime deductions.

    According to the senators, the regulatory agencies should exercise more control regarding the usage of data bundles to ensure regulatory and operational efficiency in service delivery.

    The resolutions were made following a motion sponsored by Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South).

    Presenting the motion, Uba protested the loss of billions of naira by subscribers daily, as a result of what he described as unwholesome practices by the telcos.

    Uba said subscribers not only experience disturbing rate of dropped calls but also get incomprehensible speech and voice quality “that sounds like speaking from the bottom of a fish tank”.

    The lawmaker also expressed worry over congestion on the various networks leading to poor audio reception and poor delivery on the various data bundles.

    The Senate specifically fingered the major network providers such as MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Globacom for expanding their network coverage beyond what their infrastructure could conveniently accommodate.

  • Senate moves against telecoms over dropped calls

    Senate moves against telecoms over dropped calls

    Worried by the growing cases of mobile telephone dropped calls, the Senate has ordered investigation into causes of the problem, even as it chided the GSM service providers for inefficiency and poor service delivery.

    The Senate also warned the service providers against unsolicited calls and SMS that flood subscribers’ telephone lines on a daily basis, even as it kicked against illegal deductions of airtime for frivolous product subscriptions without the subscribers’ consent.

    At its plenary on Tuesday, the upper legislative chamber mandated its standing committees on Communications and Trade and Investment to investigate the matter.

    It also urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria, (SON) and other regulatory agencies to invoke the appropriate sanctions against the service providers.

    Urging the agencies to protect the millions of mobile telephone subscribers in the country, the Senate said the telecom firms must not be allowed flout extant agreements and regulations on consumer protection.

    The lawmakers further urged the relevant regulatory agencies to ensure refund to subscribers for disrupted calls and unsolicited airtime deductions.

    According to the senators, the regulatory agencies should exercise more control regarding the usage of data bundles to ensure regulatory and operational efficiency in service delivery.

    The resolutions were made following a motion sponsored by Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South).

    Presenting the motion, Uba protested the loss of billions of Naira by millions of Nigerian subscribers on a daily basis, as a result of what he described as unwholesome practices by the telecom firms.

    Uba said subscribers not only experience disturbing rate of dropped calls but also get incomprehensible speech and voice quality “that sounds like speaking from the bottom of a fish tank”.

    The lawmaker also expressed worry over congestion on the various networks leading to poor audio reception and poor delivery on the various data bundles.

    The Senate specifically fingered the major network providers like MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Globacom for expanding their network coverage beyond what their existing infrastructure could conveniently accommodate.
     

  • No plan to increase fuel price, says Senate panel chair

    •CNPP backs labour, students

    The National Assembly has denied any plans to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by N5, saying such an action has not been discussed on the floor of the Senate.

    Senate Committee on Works Chairman Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano) made the clarification in an interview with reporters in Abuja at the weekend.

    But despite the clarification, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) threw its weight behind Nigeria’s organised labour over the “planned increment”.

    CNPP accused the National Assembly of taking more anti-people decisions than resolutions that could better the lives of the already impoverished masses.

    Gaya, however, said information about the “Road Fund Bill” proposed by his committee was misinterpreted, saying that those speculating it are creating negative perception in the hearts of the people against the Senate.

    The senator, who accused some persons of trying to make mountains out of mole hills, said the misinformation on the proposed bill was an attempt aimed at denting his image and that of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration by mischief-makers, who should rather educate the public on the true position of the bill.

    He said: “They said the Senate is increasing fuel price? That was wrong! They don’t even understand what we are talking about. In the last seven years, I have been in the Senate. There was a N5 levy for which the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA) was supposed to be deducted, not to increase, even when pump price was sold at N87 per litre from the amount sold and remit to FERMA to maintain roads.

    “From our calculation, PPRA has not paid N167 billion to FERMA. I raised this issue then and wanted to continue this time again that the same N5, which was supposed to be paid before and they didn’t pay and now should also be deducted and removed from the N145 not to increase.

    “People are complaining because they don’t know the challenges before we in the Committee of Works. We have a lot of work to do because there are about 34 projects that were not included in the 2016 budget. But we make sure that they are now included in the 2017 budget.

    “They were in 2016 budget but were shortchanged and the Buhari administration approved these jobs, but they were not in the contracts in the budget. So, we said there is no way the executive council will approve a project and it’s been announced and it is not included in the budget.

    “The Committee of Works said these projects should be included and we commended the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, who ensured that those projects are included in the budget.”

    But the CNPP, in a statement by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu yesterday, said: “We assure the Senate and the Federal Government that their proposed N5 per litre of fuel tax will be resisted.”

    The Alhaji Balarabe Musa-led umbrella body of all registered political parties and associations in Nigeria also warned the Presidency of the imminent consequences of adding to the pains of the ordinary people of Nigeria by raising the pump price of fuel under any guise.

    “Our findings have shown that the bill titled: ‘National Roads Fund (Establishment, etc) Bill 2017’, proposing that N5 to be paid per litre of fuel imported into the country is a ploy by the Federal Government to impose more hardship on Nigerians at a time the burden of recession in the country is becoming unbearable.

    “We thought that the Federal Government should be thinking of reducing the already biting hardship in the country after failing to fulfil the promised increment in minimum wage and non-payment of arrears of workers’ salaries and allowances in the past two years.

    “It seems that the current government at the federal level and their National Assembly collaborators enjoy inflicting more and more pains on Nigerian masses.

    “We wonder why the Senate Committee on Works in its final report on the bill would make such proposal.

    “Are they saying that the only way this government can raise funds is by increasing pump price of petroleum prices and punishing the masses?” the CNPP queried.

    The Nigerian organised labour, students and others have vowed to resist any attempt by government to indirectly or otherwise introduce a hike in the pump price of fuel, given the country’s economic hardship.

  • ‘Senate lacks power to review President’s control on Custom CG appointment’

    A Benin-based legal practitioner and notary public, Gen. Idada Ikponmwen (rtd), has faulted the Senate for reviewing the Nigeria Custom Act.

    The review gave the Senate the power to approve the appointment of any future Comptroller-General of the Custom Service.

    Ikponmwen said the senators’ decision contravened Section 171 of the Nigeria Constitution, which vested the right solely on the President to approve the heads of extra-ministerial departments, which the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Custom Service falls in.

    Speaking in an interview with reporters in Benin City, Ikponmwen urged the senators to avoid undue interference into the rights of other arms of governments in the interest of the nation and adherence to the rule of separation of powers.

    His words: “Let us at this point make it clear that the positions of the head of custom by whatever names you call it happens to be relating to extra-ministerial department.

    “And the appointment to heads of extra-ministerial department under Section 171 of the Nigeria Constitution, is not one that require the approval of the Senate.

    “So, if exactly they now pass a law to say anybody that should be appointed to that position or to the board of that organisation must have their approval, it means that they are acting clearly in conflict  out of tune and at variance with the constitution, which is the supreme law and the grand norm of Nigeria.

    “The constitution in Section 171 talks about the appointment that can be made by the President of this country in his position as the head of government. He names ambassadors and those of the kinds in foreign nations. He names permanent secretaries, heads of extra-ministerial departments and personal staff of the president.

    “It is the President that nominates and appoints people into these positions. Under this same positions, it is clear that only those of the ambassadors require the approval of the Senate.

    “So, by implication, other positions named do not require senatorial approval. And that is the constitution.”

  • No plan to increase fuel price – Senate

    No plan to increase fuel price – Senate

    •NUPENG warns against proposed N5 petrol levy

    The Senate has denied that it plans to increase Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) price from N145 to N150.

    The clarification, contained in a statement by the Senate spokesperson, Mr. Bamikole Omishore, followed the massive public condemnation trailing the proposal.

    This is coming as the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday criticised the proposed N5 petrol levy suggested by the Senate, describing it as a huge joke.

    Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG, said in Lagos that the proposal was ill-timed and also smacked of insensitivity to the current economic hardships facing Nigerians.

    He wondered how the nation’s Upper Chamber could think of another fuel price increase when Nigerians were “striving to cope with the current harsh economic realities.”

    “How can the Senate propose such a bill at this particular period when poor Nigerians can hardly feed themselves?

    “The prices of foodstuffs have tripled in the market, while workers’ salary has not been increased,” Korodo said.

    Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano), the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, had on June 1, presented a bill entitled, “National Roads Bill” to the House.

    The bill recommends that Nigerians should pay N5 levy on every litre of imported petroleum products and that levy will form part of the proposed national roads fund.

    It also recommends the deduction of 0.5 per cent on fares paid by passengers travelling on inter-state roads to commercial mass transit operators as well as the return of toll gates on federal roads, among others.

    Korodo said: “Just a year ago, the pump price of petrol was increased from N87 to N145 per litre and Nigerians accepted the increment because of the sincerity of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    “Any attempt to adjust the price of petrol under any guise will be resisted by Organised Labour.”

    The NUPENG chief called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the leadership of the Senate to step down the bill.

    The Senate spokesperson, Mr. Bamikole Omishore,  in a statement clarifying the stand of the Senate, said: “At the public hearing on the National Roads Fund Bill the stakeholders were unanimous on the need to access a percentage of the funds for the sustainable maintenance of roads from the pricing template of petroleum products.

    “While the unanimity was on a percentage, opinion varied as to what percentage. Some argued for 25%, 11%, 7% and 5% of the value of the price of the product.

    “This position was held strongly since most other African countries have actually implemented an average of N25 surcharge on petroleum products for the maintenance of their roads.

    “It was the widely-held view that we may not be able to go that far in view of the economic challenges the country was going through and the need to ameliorate the suffering of the ordinary Nigerian.

    “The technical committee in reviewing this submission determined that even at a surcharge of 5% which leaves the value at about N11 (at the current price of PMS) will be untenable.

    “Not only due to implementation challenge that would have required that at all times, the surcharge will mean an addition burden is placed on Nigerians beyond the cost of the petroleum product.

    “Rather it was agreed that the charge be pegged at N5 and implemented within the existing charges template rather than a calculation arrived at in addition to the price of the product.”

    He added that the charge is to be accommodated within the pricing charge template in effect within the PPPRA and that it was to ensure that our roads can come back to life.

  • Senate passes Nigerian Customs Service Management bill

    Senate passes Nigerian Customs Service Management bill

    The Senate has passed the Nigerian Customs Service Management Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2017.

    The passage of the bill followed a clause by clause consideration of the report of Committee on Customs and Excise on the bill as well as a voice vote by the lawmakers.

    Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee, Sen. Hope Uzodinma said the Act establishing Customs had not undergone a major overhaul since 1958.

    He said the passage of the bill would help to reposition the service which was one of the major sources of revenue generation for the Federal Government.

    He said one of the major objectives of the bill was to create a commission that would regulate and oversee activities of the service to ensure optimal performance.

    He said the bill also made provision for the appointment of a Comptroller-General from the service by the President subject to confirmation by the Senate.

    He stressed that the commission would take up most of the duties of the Minister of Finance, who was currently the head of the Management Board of the service.

    “At the beginning of this senate  a committee was set up to  identify the money bills that will help  our distressed economy and one of the bills that the senate earmarked for amendment is the Customs and Excise Management Act.

    “The primary purpose of amending this bill is to bring discipline and prudence into Nigeria Customs Service as a major revenue earning Department of Government.

    “It is also to use the services of Customs to strengthen border community and facilitate trade.

    “The Customs Act was legislated upon last in 1958. This is the first time that this bill is going through a comprehensive overhaul and it is as good as a brand new one.

    “This bill has created a Customs Service Commission that is in charge of the day to day management of the service.

    “It will be in charge of discipline, conduct, training, deployment of officers, and it has the powers of oversight the various customs operations while ensuring that it is not different from customs in other clients.

    “The Chairman of the Commission will be appointed by the President, subject to Senate confirmation and members of the commission are going to be statutory organs of government, Federal Ministry of Finance.

    “Others are  Federal  Ministry of Transport, the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), the Nigeria Customs Service, Standard Organisation of Nigeria,’’ he said.

    Uzodinma further said that the tenure of the Chairman of the commission would be four years with an option to renew for another four years.

    He stressed that the creation of the commission was not to jettison the position of the Ministry of Finance, adding that it was to make the work easier.

    The lawmaker further said that that with the passage of the bill revenue accruing to customs would improve significantly.

    “Currently Customs should get money from non-dutiable items and it should be able to oversee the activities of dutiable cargo and non-dutiable cargo.

    “That is what we have done. Now customs will be funded through the existing seven per cent surcharge and additional one per cent charge from the revenue generated,’’ he said.

    In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said  the bill, when assented to, would bring about the modernisation of customs procedure in accordance with the requirement of the Revised Convention.

    He said, ’’it will also ensure that Nigeria complies with international commitments of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

    “ It is a very positive development in ensuring that we have a customs administration that will be more transparent with better clarity.’’

  • Senate passes Buhari’s anti-corruption bill

    Senate passes Buhari’s anti-corruption bill

    THE Senate on yesterday passed the bill on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between Nigeria and other foreign countries to enhance the fight against corruption and other cross border crimes.

    The bill seeks to enhance collaboration and mutual assistance between the Nigerian government and foreign countries.

    It will also facilitate identification, tracing, freezing, restraining, recovery, forfeiture and confiscation of proceeds of crime wherever they are located.

    The bill was presented by the Committee Chairman on Judiciary, Senator David Umaru.

    Umaru said when passed, the bill will promote mutual assistance in criminal matters between the country and foreign countries.

    The bill was a joint effort among the Judiciary, Human Rights, Anti-Corruption, Financial Crimes and Foreign Affairs committees of the upper legislative chamber.

    One of the highlights of the bill is the removal of territorial jurisdictional  constraints to the fight against corruption across the borders.

    “The globalisation and advancement in information and communication technology have made it imperative for a legislation of this nature to be put in place, in order to promote cooperation for the prosecution of cross-border offenders and transnational organized crimes,” Umaru said.

    According to him, the committees that worked on the bill expanded its scope beyond what was contained in the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in the Commonwealth (Enactment and Enforcement) Act 2004.

    He added that the committees ensured that issues of international dimensions and laundering of proceeds of crime were effectively covered in the bill.

    Initiated by the executive arm, the bill seeks to provide legal framework to tackle corruption, terrorism, economic and financial crimes, money laundering and other related crimes across territorial borders.

    Senate President SenateBukola Saraki said the passage of the bill will restore the confidence of foreign investors in Nigeria’s fight against graft and international crimes.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Senate passes anti-corruption bill

    Senate passes anti-corruption bill

    The Senate on Tuesday passed the bill on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between Nigeria and other foreign countries in the fight against corruption and other cross-border crimes.

    The bill seeks to enhance collaboration and mutual assistance between the Nigerian government and its foreign counterparts.

    It will also facilitate identification, tracing, freezing, restraining, recovery, forfeiture and confiscation of proceeds of crime wherever they are located.

    The bill was presented by the Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Senator David Umaru.

    Senator Umaru said when passed, the bill promotes mutual assistance in criminal matters between Nigeria and other foreign countries.

    The bill was a joint effort among the Judiciary, Human Rights, Anti-Corruption, Financial Crimes, and Foreign Affairs committees of the upper legislative chamber.

    One of the highlights of the bill is the removal of territorial jurisdictional constraints to the fight against corruption.

    “The globalisation and advancement in information and communication technology have made it imperative for a legislation of this nature to be put in place, in order to promote cooperation in the prosecution of cross border offenders and transnational organized crimes,” Umaru said.

     

  • Ijaw youths reject PIB as Senate passes Bill

    Ijaw youths yesterday disowned the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) recently passed into law by the Senate.

    The youths, under the auspices of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, said passing such a version of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) portrayed senators as insensitive lawmakers.

    In a statement by its spokesman Henry Iyalla, IYC said the PIGB, which failed to provide special funds for oil-producing communities, would not guarantee peace in the Niger Delta region.

    The statement said: “We condemn the show of insensitivity by the Nigerian Senate on the recent passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), which makes it clear that the only interest the government has in the Niger Delta region is control of its oil.

    “It is unfortunate that at a time we expect the government to show commitment in the development of the region, we have to contend with the celebration of an ill-conceived idea to divide the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into greed-driven mushroom bits.”

    IYC insisted that the only PIB that would ensure peace in the region and calm frayed nerves must include the Oil Communities Fund Act.

    The group said such Act would give Niger Delta residents a stake in the industry and provide avenues to alleviate their suffering.

    It added that without such funds, any governance structure put in place in the region would fail.

    IYC said: “It must be stated that for oil and gas-related activities to operate smoothly within the Niger Delta region, the National Assembly, which is saddled with the responsibility of law-making, should immediately take further steps for the quick passage of the Host Community Bill.

    “This is to guarantee 10 per cent of the net profit of upstream oil companies on onshore areas and offshore shallow areas to the community.

    “Otherwise, the Niger Delta region would see the recent passage of the PIGB as a calculated move aimed at making laws for the smooth governance of exploitation and exploration of the abundant oil reserve within the region without any consideration for host communities.

    “IYC would not be part of a divide-and-rule method of governance within the oil and gas operations in the region.

    “It should be known by all relevant arms of government that the singular passage of the PIGB will not deliver the full benefits of the intended reforms except the other aspects of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) are legislated upon.

    “The passage of the complete Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is the only guarantee for a smooth and conducive operational environment in Niger Delta, as the people of the region cannot guarantee conducive operational base without the protection of their interest.”