The Nation Newspaper

Tag: States

  • ‘28 states yet to fully embrace CPS’

    ‘28 states yet to fully embrace CPS’

    Twenty-eight states are yet to fully adopt the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), the Managing Director, AIICO Pension Managers Limited, Longe Eguarekhide has said.

    He told The Nation in Lagos that the benefits of the new scheme over the old one are enormous to both the states and the economy.

    He advised state governments in to comply with the scheme to solve the problem of ghost workers.

    He said there is a huge market yet to be tapped in the states that have not complied with the CPS.

    Eguarekhide reiterated that by subscribing to the CPS, both the states and retirees will enjoy some benefits, adding that it is an incentive for serious states to end ghost workers in civil service.

    He said: “Firstly, if they do their calculations properly, they will find out that they are short-changing their workers for not subscribing. This is because their pension liabilities will continue to grow graduallyand if they don’t fund their pension liabilities, they will continue to face problems with their retirees.

    “Secondly, while they are trying to make provision for their workers’pension, they will solve the problem of ghost workers. This is because a worker has to register under the CPS to collect his or her pension and the process will cut off any ghost worker in the system. The payroll is organised in such a way that you make payments to people who have registered.

    “With this, a lot of people who are not registered on the payroll would have been streamlined, thereby reducing the liabilities of ghost workers just by subscribing to the CPS. If you ask some of the states where the CPS have been embraced, you find out that that is an added benefit they have been able to get. At present, we have about eight states that have subscribed fully to the CPS while the remaining 28 have not subscribed to it.”

    The AIICO Pension boss further described the CPS under the Pension Reform Act, 2004 has a revolution when compared with the old pension scheme, the Defined Benefit Scheme.

    He said under the old scheme, government retirees or pensioners were paid based on a specific calculation after retirement and even though some pensioners knowhow much they will be paid, the scheme was not properly funded by the government and the private sector.

    “This led to pensioners’meeting in long queues and, sometimes, there is no record of their pension is or it’s difficult for them to access the pensionbecause there is no money to pay.

    “But the arrangement is contributory by both the employer and employee.There is a contribution that happens every month and that contribution goes to the Pension Fund Administration (PFA) which AIICO is one. The PFA does not actually receive the money. It goes to a Pension Fund Custodian (PFC), who then informs the pension administrator that money has been contributed for its management by its contributor, and then the pension fund goes and invests the money in approved investment areas or sectors. This further shows that there is a separation of rules in the scheme.”

    Eguarekhide added that the regulator, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) has been working since the inception of the PRA2004.

    He said there is structured contribution management, well supervised investment management, adequate regulation and an organised process of the contributor accessing their benefit at the time the benefit becomes due.

     

  • ‘FG, states, may miss MDG water, sanitation targets’

    The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, has said that the federal and state governments are struggling to meet the Millennium Development Goals on safe water and sanitation.

    The minister also lamented the decline in water quality in the country.

    According to the minister, availability of water in the right quantity and quality will affect the production of food, industrial development, recreation and power production, leading to sustained human existence.

    The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Baba Umar Farouk, spoke in Abuja at a technical committee meeting on the “Review of Nigerian Standard for Drinking Quality Water”.

    She noted that increased population growth, rapid urbanisation, discharge of new pathogens and chemicals from industries as well as agriculture were affecting water quality.

    Ochekpe said: “Improved access to potable water supply and basic sanitation are the challenges all the governments of the federation are facing as we strive to meet the stated MDGs targets.

    “The threats posed by these water quality issues require that drinking water supplies to the public must be wholesome and potable to avert ill health.

    “About 70% of common tropical diseases are water diseases and can be eliminated if adequate supply of water at the right quantity and quality are provided to the public.”

     

  • IBB seeks increased revenue allocation to states, local govts

    IBB seeks increased revenue allocation to states, local govts

    Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, has said true federalism will thrive in the country when there is a devolution of powers from the centre to the federating states and the local governments.

    He advocated an increase in revenue allocation to the states and the local governments.

    Babangida spoke in Minna, the Niger State capital, when the chairman of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Chief Elias Mbam, led members of his board to the Minna Uphill home of the former military leader.

    He also advocated an increase in revenue allocation to the states and the local governments.

    Though he refused to give a sharing formula, Babangida said his position was informed by the volume of responsibilities at the states and grassroots levels.

    He called for a reduced revenue allocation to the Federal Government from the federation receipts.

    The former military leader also called for the diversification of the nation’s economy by tapping on the huge alternative sources of revenue instead of relying on mono-culture source of revenue (oil), which he said was limited and exhaustive.

    Addressing reporters after a closed-door meeting with the commission’s board members, Babangida said: “I call for the devolution of powers and the diversification of the economy to explore other areas and leave the mono-culture economy of the country.

    “If the responsibilities of the federal, state and local governments are streamlined properly, I think the burden would be light on all Nigerians.

    “If we can operate a leaner government at the federal level and we give more revenue to the local governments and states, then we’re set to be going somewhere.”

    He hailed the RMAFC but cautioned that it had a great task at hand, especially when the last revenue allocation review was done 21 years ago.

    “You have the greatest task ahead of you. It is not an easy task, especially in a country where every action is being politicised. What you are doing requires doggedness and I applaud you all for that,” Babangida told the commission.

    Assuring the nation that RMAFC would submit its recommendation to President Goodluck Jonathan by December, Mbam said the visit to Babangida was part of the consultations with major stakeholders as the commission prepared a new revenue sharing formula.

  • Fed Govt starving states of cash, say commissioners

    Fed Govt starving states of cash, say commissioners

    •N548.393bn allocation rejected

    Is Nigeria broke?

    Despite Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s denial, states left Abuja yesterday empty handed.

    There was no cash to share as the monthly Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting was aborted — for the second time this month.

    The chairman of the meeting, Minister of State for Finance Yerima Ngama, failed to show up. No reasons were given for his absence.

    Besides, the arrears of the N366 billion expected to have been paid in by the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) is yet to be paid.

    The chairman of the commissioners, Timothy Odaah, decried the situation.

    Odaah, who is Ebonyi State Commissioner for Finance, said: “It is like the states are being starved of funds by the Minister of State for Finance, giving us the theory of handle the dog with great starvation and whichever way you want him to turn, he will turn.”

    The states, he said, “are not dogs; we respect Mr. President and are calling on him to hear this.”

    He said commissioners and the state accountants-general were invited by the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Jonah Otunla, but he had nothing to tell them and was as confused as the state representatives.

    Odaah said: “For the second time within the month of September, the FAAC session has been stalemated. We were invited by the Minister of State for Finance, who is the chairman of FAAC, but we have not seen him.”

    According to Odaah, Otunla instructed him as chairman of the Commissioners Forum to invite his colleagues to yesterday’s meeting, but at the end, Odaah said, “he (Otunla) was more confused than anybody”.

    He said he wanted to let us know that there was no change.

    Angered by the action, the state governments, Odaah said, had warned the Ministry of Finance “not to invite us until all issues are settled”.

    Odaah added: “We have imperative demands, augmentations and differentials in benchmark, which we listed. We agreed that there would be no further augmentation in order to clear the backlogs.”

    At the first botched FAAC meeting in September, Ngama and the commissioners agreed that they would not “dip hands in the reserve which made us to believe that the NNPC has brought in something this time”.

    Odaah said: “It was agreed that the augmentation backlog till July should be paid because states had entered into financial commitments, relying on benchmark expectations, the tendency is that states are in a bad shape. Past augmentations should be paid but from August no state will enter into new contracts.”

    “However, up till now, there has not been any augmentation, no clearing of the backlog. The worst effect of this is that it is having a retrospective effect on the states and local governments. As a result of this uncleared backlogs, states rely on the budget in order to secure financial commitments and handle security issues and issues of contractors. We have issues of insecurity, among others. Just clear the backlog and we get along,” Odaah said.

    Ngama, according to Odaah, is “ playing levity with our case”. “We have been slighted; contempt has been poured against the states to the extent that the interest of our states and local governments is suffering. He has treated us with contempt and treated our states and local governments with contempt”

    The way forward, Odaah said, “is that the state accountants general, commissioners for Finance on the directives of our governors are going back and should not be called back until the conditions we give are met and the President must be informed.”

    The commissioners went on: “To have called us without any improvements in our demands is a great slight and has shown that the minister does not brief the President. We know the President as a good leader with listening ears who would have attended to these problems immediately if he was aware, but it is like Ngama tells him he will control us. We do not support this situation. The minister should be competent enough and show that level of competence. The minister is running FAAC as his own show.”

    Last week, Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi said states were short paid in their July allocation. According to him, of Rivers’ N19 billion allocation, only N14 billion was paid.

    Amaechi said this is an indication that the government is broke.

    He reiterated his call for Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to resign “if she cannot manage the economy well”.

    But the minister insisted that government was not broke.

    According to her, an indication of that is the payment of civil servants’ salary for September.

     

  • States reject N548.393bn

    Embarrased by the stalemate of the August 2013 Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting yesterday, the Federal Government released N548.393 billion as the August statutory revenue for the three tiers of government.

    According to a statement from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), this disbursement “is an improvement over the figure of N497.984 billion as made available at the Federation Accounts Allocation (FAAC) meeting “ for the month of July allocation.

    Responding to the walkout by Commissioners for Finance over an outstanding N75 billion expected from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, said efforts were being made to resolve the outstanding issues.

    The statement said the OAGF promised that “FAAC has received assurances from NNPC that the issue is being dealt with with dispatch and that a positive outcome is expected soon”.

    It also said that the government was exploring all avenues to end the shortfalls in revenue caused by oil theft and vandalisation as soon as possible.

    However, the state governments rejected the disbursement saying it has loopholes. Chairman of the Commissioners Forum Timothy Odaah said: “The hasty and limited disbursement is to ensure that they (Federal Government) short circuit states. They should have addressed us at the meeting earlier today.”

    Odaah insisted that the decision by the states to walk away from yesterday’s FAAC stood “until governors meet with President Goodluck Jonathan to resolve the problem”.

    He said the delay resulted in delayed payment of civil servants’ salaries.

    According to him, the N548.393 billion “hastily” released falls far short of the budgeted N630 billion expected to have been shared by the three tiers of government for June and July. He said it had been agreed that from August only the actual accruals would be shared.

    Odaah, on behalf of the states, demanded that the N121 billion outstanding for June augmentation be released along with the backlog of augmentation and budget benchmark for July.

    State governments, he said, “have relied on this budgeted figures to incur financial commitments up to the point where it was agreed that no more augmentation will be paid from August because this has been appropriated”. “As from August, states will act frugally because they know they will only get actual accruals without augmentation.”

     

  • Adamawa accuses Fed Govt of cheating states

    The Adamawa State Government has accused the Federal Government of diverting money that should have been paid into the Federation Accounts into enriching itself, despite its lion’s share in the present sharing formula.

    The Adamawa State Government made the accusation in Gombe, the Gombe State capital, during the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) advocacy workshop on Economic Diversification and Enhanced Revenue Generation for the Northeast.

    Geofrey Garba, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, presented the position of the state at the workshop.

    He said: “Examples of Federal Government’s short-changing fiscal practices are the NLNG dividends, excess crude oil account, Federal Government’s independent revenue, Education Tax Fund and privatisation proceeds.

    “These add a lot of money to the Federation Account, if paid in. But it ends in adding to the Federal Government’s income only.

    “In view of the above, the Adamawa State Government recommends that the sharing formula should be reviewed thus: Federal Government’s share from the Federation Account be stepped down to 42 per cent.”

    The spokesman noted that state and local government shares should be stepped up to 33.56 per cent and 24.44 per cent.

    According to him, the present arrangement in which the allocation is 52.68 per cent, 26.72 per cent and 20.60 per cent to the Federal Government, state and local governments, is not only a rip-off of the other two tiers but is also obsolete and should be reviewed “to ensure conformity with changing realities”.

    Garba argued that the state’s position was anchored on the fact that “the states are in need of more funds than ever before to counter security and ecological problems”.

    He added: “Other serious issues for consideration are floods in many parts of Nigeria, which make life difficult for millions of people.”

     

  • States celebrate APC

    States celebrate APC

    There was excitement in political circles yesterday, following Wednesday’s registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida described the coming of APC as a welcome development, which will make politics more robust and give the people another option.

    There was a huge rally in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to welcome the party. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) lowered the party’s flag in Lagos and in Benin, the Edo State capital.

    The Presidency seemed jolted by the arrival of the APC. Presidential spokesman Doyin Okupe said Dr. Jonathan was not moved.

    The APC interim National Secretary, Alhaji Tijani Tumsah, gave an insight into what the party would do if elected into office. It will fight corruption, he said.

    Tumsah, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt, said: “The APC has the human resource to turn Nigeria’s economy around through provision of regular power supply, creation of jobs, promotion of investment and industrialisation.’’

    According to him, APC is going to put the country back on track for effective utilisation of resources.

    Tumsah, who decried insecurity and level of poverty in the country, said the party was determined to put smiles on the faces of the downtrodden.

    He urged Nigerians to support the APC’s programmes for a united and prosperous country.

    He said there was no other country Nigerians could call their own, hence the need for collective responsibility to transform it.

    Tumsah praised INEC for living up to its responsibilities by registering APC, and promised that the party would abide by the Electoral Act.

    The new party plans to embark on a massive membership drive and enlightenment, Alhaji Umar Duhu, the National Vice Chairman, North East, has said.

    Duhu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola that the party, “which is the much awaited platform and alternative for selfless service, wants its presence to be felt at all levels”.

    “You know, Nigerians were so enthusiastic about APC being registered; so we have to match our words with actions by reaching out to them.

    “We want to establish structures across the country beyond ward level. We want to be the first party to have structures at unit level,” Duhu said.

    Duhu, a former State Chairman of the defunct ANPP in Adamawa, said that ANPP recently received about 300,000 new members, “who are now automatic members of APC”.

    He said the party was confident of its chances in the 2015 general elections.

    Duhu said that the party was in talks with some governors, who are interested in becoming members of the APC.

    “As at today, many governors are in talks with us. From the number I have now, we have at least 23 governors coming to APC.

    “I am assuring the party members, particularly those that are just coming in, of equal opportunities,” Duhu said.

    Former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida said the registration of APC has opened up the political landscape for vibrant politicking.

    He spoke after hosting five chieftains of the party, led by its national deputy chairman and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari. National Deputy Secretary and former Minister Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Bauchi Senator Nasir Nasif were also in the team. They met with Gen. Babangida at his home in Minna.

    Gen. Babangida said: “With this development, we will now see more vibrant activities of political parties in the country. Every political party will now have to work harder to sell their candidates to the people.”

    He said the coming of APC will widen the opportunity to select the best candidates in elections.

    “I have always been a strong believer of a two-party system. We will now have two strong political parties in Nigeria. It is a welcome development.”

    There was a rally by members of APC in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

    The Freedom Park at the Old Garage, venue of the rally, was filled up.

    The rally was addressed by Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, leader of the defunct AC N Mr. Adebiyi Adelowo, Attorney General Wale Afolabi, former Secretary to the Osun State Government Sola Akinwumi.

    Mrs. Laoye-Tomori rallied support for the new party which she said would make a big difference in the nation’s political space.

    Adelowo said that the 14 years rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) brought no glory to the nation but shame and destruction.

    He said: “The birth of the APC will be the rise and fall of many. Those who have been destroying our democracy will fall from their high places of evil, while those who stand for truth, justice and democracy will rise for the change from evil to good, from unemployment to job creation, from corruption and systemic collapse to accountability, security and stability.

    “This new-born child, the APC, will restore the glory of the Nigerian nation and our integrity in the comity of nations will again be acclaimed. The dream we had for ourselves at independence to fashion a great country, as well as the hope Africa had reposed on us to provide leadership will also be restored.”

    Adelowo, who noted that the registration of the APC by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was a triumph of good over evil, said the APC is the platform of unity to fight and end the atrocities of the PDP against the poor and the helpless.”

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said the APC has the capacity to re-invent Nigeria.

    He also said the registration of the party is a challenge to the progressives , who have now got a major tool to use in championing the course that they had regularly advocated for as individuals and as a group.

    Shettima, who made his position known through his Special Adviser on Communications, Alhaji Isa Gusau, said APC cannot afford to let Nigerians down.

    The statement said: “I am very optimistic that our party has very patriotic, credible and competent Nigerians who are selflessly ready to work for the quick re-invention of Nigeria for all Nigerians.

    “We have highly respectable people and this is why Nigerians have very high expectations from the APC we must then get to work immediately as a family, to think out of the box, to bring something new and concrete that is capable of making the difference.

    “Nigerians have so much demands but the demands are just about basic things that are well achievable, we do not need rocket science to provide things as basic as portable water, sound education, quality healthcare, jobs, security, roads, electricity and other very basic essentials of human existence that are no longer in the demand lists of other countries with less our human and material resources.

    “I also importantly join in thanking the media for very fair but deserved publicity accorded to the APC and for regularly monitoring every step of the way, leading to the party’s registration as lawfully desired by the party’s actors and promoters.

    “I pray that peace returns to every part of Nigeria in no distant time and I do solemnly pray that Nigeria recovers and grows steadily to become the real giant that we so wish for us, the African continent and indeed the world”.

    Yobe state Deputy Governor Abubakar Aliyu praised the commitment of the media to the cause of the APC registration.

    Aliyu, who spoke in Damaturu, said: “I think all the media did well to highlight the merger process.

    “I want to say that the kind of leadership provided during this merger is the one that Nigeria needs. The leaders of all the political parties were selfless. Everyone was ready to make unconditional sacrifices and that is why the merger has come to fruition with the registration of this great party,” he said.

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola said the future requires more sacrifice as he lowered the AC N flag and hoisted the APC flag in its stead at the party secretariat in Ogba, Lagos.

    The governor said: “With the APC, the Goliath now has a stone to contend with. We will provide opportunities for change and choice.”

    The new party held its first meeting, presided over by Chief Oladele Ajomale, chairman of the defunct ACN, in Lagos.

    At the meeting, which took off shortly after the hoisting of the APC flag, were party elders, the ACN chairmen from the 57 local councils and 20 local government chairmen.

    Among the beaming party chieftains and supporters at the impressive ceremony were the Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, a former deputy governor, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, former Secretary to the Government Mr. Olorunfunmi Bashorun, Chief Abiodun Adeseye and the ACN secretary, Primate Charles Odugbesi. They hugged one another, exchanged banters and proposed a toast to the health of the new party.

    In Benin, the flag of the defunct AC N was lowered at the party secretariat in Edo State, amid celebration.

    State Chairman of defunct ACN Thomas Okosun said APC’s dream of taking over the leadership of the country was gradually becoming a reality.

    “As chairman of the defunct ACN, it is a dawn of true democracy that is about to take place in this country because we are about to rescue Nigeria from the hands of those who have mismanaged our collective resources.

    “The leadership doesn’t have the solution. We have a party determined to rescue this country from self inflicting damage.”

    Notable politicians and elder statesmen from the North described the registration of the party as a healthy political development that would promote the country’s nascent democracy and give room for healthy competition in politics.

    In a message he sent via e-mail from Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, the presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to all the leaders and the parties that courageously merged to form the new All Progressive Congress (APC).

    “I must also congratulate INEC for their sense of justice and patriotism, who despite pressure from many powerful corners summoned the courage to do the right thing. I do hope that they, INEC, will be similarly sincere in conduction of all future elections, as these are even more crucial to our survival as a country.

    “For the APC leaders and supporters, I must say the hard work begins now. Sacrifices have to be made, both personal and sectional, if we are to achieve the victories that are glaringly promised to us by the Nigerian electorate. Internal democracy and good, competent and acceptable candidates are the recipe for the successes we all hope for. But a sure way to failure is to do the opposite of these. Nigerians now do have a genuine choice. I hope they will choose wisely.”

    Second Republic presidential adviser Tanko Yakassai said: “Getting an opposition party that would attract the support from all parts of Nigeria is a positive development for our nascent democracy, as that will go a long way in promoting National Unity and Integration. Besides, it would discourage the formation of political parties on ethnical, tribal, sectional or religious basis, which should also be good to our Nation.”

    Second Republic Deputy Senate President Alhaji Abubakar Dan-Musa said: “INEC has done the right thing; it is now left for the managers to also do what is right. The ball is now in their own court as the destiny of this party is in their hands.”

     

  • Fed Govt, states partner on food security

    Fed Govt, states partner on food security

    The Federal Government has said it is commited to food security through partnership with state governments and the private sector.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, spoke yesterday at the beginning of the meeting of the 40th National Council on Agriculture (NCA) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    She noted that realising the value-chain programme of the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) would pave the way for increased productivity and enhance easier management of farm input.

    The permanent secretary said the meeting would review past policies on agriculture as well as develop a new framework to enable the nation realise its agricultural programme.

    The NCA is the highest policy-making body on agriculture and rural development. It is an avenue for the Federal Government, states, the private sector and other stakeholders to review and direct agricultural policies to ensure food and nutritional security.

    Mrs Odusote said: “This meeting is coming at a time when the Federal Government is pursuing a robust transformation agenda in the agricultural sector.

    “Accordingly, the task before us at this meeting is enormous, as we gather in the next five days to share experiences arising from the policy implementation and chart a new course for the sector.”

    The permanent secretary noted that the challenge before the sector is more daunting but exciting because the Federal Government has taken some far-reaching policy decisions through its stakeholders to ensure the success of food security in the country.

    Mrs Odusote added: “The meeting is, therefore, expected to develop an implementation action plan towards actualising the agenda and realising the government’s short, medium and long-term food security goals…”

  • No new states, says Senate

    No new states, says Senate

    Proponents of state creation seem to have lost the battle. The Senate yesterday foreclosed the emergence of new states as part of the ongoing amendment of the Constitution.

    Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said although the Senate was desirous of creating states — in line with the agitation by many Nigerians— all those demanding new states have failed to meet up with the constitution’s requirement.

    He said the Senate Committee on Constitution Review would submit its report this week.

    He said: “I believe that, God willing, by this week, we should be laying the report of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review on the table.”

    Ekweremadu is hopeful that the amended Constitution would be ready by next month.

    He added: “Even if we are going to miss it, it will not be too long behind the mark.

    “We tenaciously followed our programme and timeline regarding constitution amendment. I am happy to say that, we have achieved our objectives in terms of the timing.

    “So, hopefully, we are going to start the next phase which is proper legislation regarding the Constitution amendment.”

    He stated that despite Senate’s support for agitations for state creation, the constitutional requirements were not met.

    He said: “People think they will come to Abuja and submit memoranda and the National Assembly will deliberate on it and then subsequently announce that so and so states have been created.

    “Unfortunately that is not the case. What happens is that you have to receive request pursuant to Section 8 (1) of the Constitution.

    “That Section 8 (1), I will like all of you to go and read it because it is going to be a major debate by the time we start debate on the amendment of the Constitution.

    “When we receive a request, that request must as a matter of constitutional requirement have the signature of the two-thirds of the local government councils of the affected area requesting for the state.

    “So, that include the councillors and the chairmen of the council from the area requesting for the state.

    “And you must know these must be elected councilors and chairmen because the Constitution did not envisage caretaker arrangements.

    “If it is found out that they are not elected chairmen, that means that they have not fulfilled that obligation.

    “Furthermore, there must be signature of the two-thirds of the state assemblies from those respective areas requesting for a state. Then, there will be two-thirds signature of the National Assembly.

    “What has happened now is that, our traditional rulers, out of the love for their people, quickly signed the request for creation of state and submitted in Abuja without looking at what the Constitution says.

    “They are not the ones who should be signatories, it has to be parliamentarians.

    “My own understanding of the Constitution is that, it is not just going to be parliamentarians but serving parliamentarians, that is, sitting members, not those who were members in 1960.

    “That is one of the details people have avoided in making these requests. So this is one of the constraints.

    “But for us, we support creation of states. But you have to follow the procedure laid down by the Constitution which most people are trying to avoid.”

    Speaking on the politics of his Enugu home state, Ekweremadu said there was no zoning arrangement for elective offices in the State ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    Ekweremadu’s position is contrary to media report that the governorship position in the state has been zoned to Enugu North Senatorial District by the State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said he has no governorship ambition.

    The Deputy Senate President said he would be glad if somebody from Enugu North becomes the governor of the State in 2015, “but not on the basis of zoning.”

    Ekweremadu said: “There is no zoning in Enugu. I am not aware and nobody is aware.

    “I have been in politics in Enugu since the beginning of this particular dispensation.

    “People from every part of the state have vied but somehow, somebody would win.

    “So, I am sure that our brothers from Nsukka understand that clearly. I stand to be challenged.

    “I want anybody to tell me a document or a meeting where the governorship of Enugu has ever been zoned since 1999.

    “I will be happy if somebody from Enugu North becomes governor but not on the basis of zoning.

    “Probably they are the only one that has not produced the governor of the state but like I said, it has nothing to do with zoning. There is nothing like zoning in Enugu as at today.

    “Until zoning is done, I don’t think anybody who wants to run from other parts of the state can be stopped. But for me, I am not running for governorship.”

     

  • Governors condemn non-conduct of council polls in states

    The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has condemned the non-conduct of local government elections in some states.

    The Director-General of its Secretariat, Mr Asisahna Okauru, yesterday in Abuja told reporters that the non-conduct of the elections in some states is an aberration.

    He said the issue should be addressed, as stipulated in the Constitution.

    The media briefing was organised to intimate reporters with NGF’s State Peer Review Mechanism (SPRM) findings and recommendations in Anambra and Ekiti states.

    The exercise was concluded recently.

    Okauru said civil society groups in Nigeria have a role to play in ensuring that the polls are conducted in the affected states.

    He noted that there is need for sustained pressure from the media and civil society groups to check governors of the affected states.

    The NGF chief said the forum’s peer review mechanism was a laudable initiative, adding that the media should help the forum to project it as well as its other activities.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NGF peer review mechanism was conceived to assist states’ accelerated development.

    It ensures periodic reviews of progress in the implementation of states’ development policies, plans and programmes.

    It is expected that through their participation in the process, governors will learn new innovative and good practices from one another.

    Dr Afeikhena Jerome, the National Coordinator of SPRM, urged Anambra and Ekiti governments to urgently conduct council polls.

    According to him, this will enthrone good leadership and ensure that true representatives of the people are elected at that tier of government.

    Jerome, however, said Anambra State Government was doing well in some aspects, but there was need for the government to reform its budget process.

    He said this would require making the state’s budget comprehensive to capture all revenues from its development partners and the state’s counterpart contributions and inter-governmental transfer.

    Jerome noted that the Anambra Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base was low, and there was a need for the state government to proffer ways of boosting it.

    He said the state Board of Internal Revenue needed to be professionalised and be well funded.

    “The government needs to recognise and strengthen its revenue collection machinery, especially the board of internal revenue which is not professionalised and poorly funded,’’ Jerome said.

    He, however, added that the state could learn from other states, which have relative fiscal independence.

    Jerome decried the deplorable state of federal roads in Anambra.

    He urged the government to lobby the Federal Government to refurbish the roads.

    The SPRM chief also said the state government could alternatively reach an agreement with the Federal Government on how to undertake the resuscitation of the roads through the State Road Maintenance Agency.

    On the findings of the NGF state peer review mechanism in Ekiti, Jerome said there was the need for the government to take steps to address the growing unemployment rate in the state.

    “Against the background of growing unemployment, the government is encouraged to pursue with vigour the various strategies and measures geared towards generating employment opportunities,’’ Jerome said.

    This, he said, would open up the state economy, especially in the private sector.

    The DFID-State Partnership for Accountability and Capacity was partnering with the NGF to drive the SPRM.

    Dr Jeo Abah, DFID National Programme Manager, said the SPRM was an honest assessment of states strength, weaknesses, opportunities and treats.

    He said the review brought about useful experiences from other governments and the international community to commend states for what they did well, and highlights those things they needed to do better.

    He urged governors to focus their efforts on those issues that had been identified in the SPRM report and for development partners to tailor their support to the real needs of states.