The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Technical Committee

  • Tenure Elongation: APC NWC divided over technical committee

    INDICATIONS emerged yesterday that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may currently be divided over earlier resolution at the last NEC meeting of the party that a technical committee be set up to review President Muhammadu Buhari’s opposition to the elongation of the tenure of the party’s NWC which ends in June.

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that some members of the NWC and other prominent chieftains of the party are opposed to the setting up of the review committee, preferring instead to have the party announce dates and procedures for the immediate conduct of congresses that will usher in new leadership at all levels for the party at the expiration of the tenure of the John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC.

    In a like manner, a former member of the NWC has said that the idea of a technical committee may be a ploy by the current chairman of the party and his allies to buy time and see if they can circumvent the directive of President Buhari in their bid to stay in office beyond June. According to him, this disagreement among party chieftains is responsible for the delay in setting up the technical committee 96 hours after the decision to do so was made public.

    A top ranking member of the NWC, while speaking with The Nation in Lagos yesterday, confirmed that the committee was yet to be set up. According to the politician, there are issues over the propriety of subjecting the outcome of a NEC meeting to a technical committee to be instituted by the NWC “which is a respondent in the matter to be adjudicated upon.”

    “The President, who is the leader of the party, spoke at the last NEC meeting and he was not contradicted by anybody. He made his position clear and buttressed it with constitutional reasons. We believe the way to go is to put modalities and dates in place for the conduct of congresses as advised by Mr. President and other leaders of the party. The idea of a technical committee, given the shortness of time, is unacceptable.

    “That the said technical committee is yet to be constituted 96 hours after the meeting is a proof that it is unpopular. We know those insisting on it and we know their intentions. We have told them we will reject it as we cannot be judges in our own case. The NWC is a party to the matter to be reviewed and it should not be the one to set up such a body,” our source claimed.

    The Nation also learnt that disagreement over the technical committee may have also militated against ongoing efforts by the party to get its chieftains currently in court against the planned tenure elongation of the NWC, to withdraw their cases. Miffed by the insistence of Oyegun and some of his officials to subject the issue to a technical committee, rather than announce dates and modalities for congresses, the aggrieved party chieftains are refusing to withdraw the cases.

    “We are sincerely talking to our members currently in court over the matter to respect President Buhari and save the APC from crisis by withdrawing their cases. But they are insisting that there must be dates and procedures for congresses in place for them to do that. Two of them invited to the national secretariat during the week were categorical in rejecting the idea of a technical committee.

    “But sadly, some of our people see the technical committee as an escape route from what is obviously an inevitable end. The party’s future depends on internal democracy and the President has warned us not to toy with that. Most of us are ready to seek re-election at the congress than threaten the future of the party by staying put in office through the back door,” our source added.

    Efforts to speak to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who earlier announced the decision of the party to immediately set up the technical committee after the NEC meeting on Tuesday, on the development, we’re not successful as calls to his mobile phone numbers did not go through. But another member of the NWC, who said he was not authorized to speak on the matter, confirmed that the technical committee was yet to be set up due to the need to iron out some grey areas.

    “The committee is not yet in place. We are trying to agree on some things before that could be done. It is all in the interest of the party. I can assure you that progress is being made to resolve all these issues. Mr. President has spoken and his opinion must be respected. As soon as there is an agreement on some issues, you will see us moving forward,” he said.

  • Obaseki inaugurates committee on privatisation, commercialisation

    Obaseki inaugurates committee on privatisation, commercialisation

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has inaugurated a 10-man Technical Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation (TCPC), which will take inventory of all non-operational enterprises owned by the state government and provide guidelines for their privatisation and commercialisation.

    The committee to be chaired by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon Philip Shaibu, was inaugurated on Tuesday, by the governor at the Government House in Benin City, Edo State.

    Obaseki noted that the TCPC will “carry-out due diligence on the Uromi Cassava Factory; review and end the previous process for the sale of the factory and carry-out actions that will ensure the selection of capable investors for the uptake of the factory.”

    Obaseki said, “The objectives of the committee will include visits to sites of the state-owned enterprises to identify enterprises that require urgent restructuring through commercialisation, privatisation or partnership. It will carry out due diligence on the status of the identified enterprises.

    He added, “The TCPC will make recommendations for the review of the TCPC law and appoint the Public Private Partnership Office as a standing and Adhoc Committee to facilitate the performance of its functions.

    Chairman, TCPC, Rt. Hon. Shaibu, represented by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh, expressed appreciation to the governor for the opportunity to support the economic agenda of state government.

    He said, “The committee will put their best in discharging its duties in line with the provision of the Law and economic agenda of Obaseki’s administration. We will be transparent in our engagements.”

    Other members of the committee include, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Kabiru Adjoto; Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Osagie Inegbedion; Commissioner for Infrastructure, Hon. Osahon Amiolemen; Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, Hon. Emmanuel Usoh; and the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Prof (Mrs.) Yinka Omorogbe.

    Others include, a Director in the Ministry of Wealth Creation, Cooperatives and Employment, who will act as Secretary of the committee; Mr. George Etomi, of Etomi and Partners; Mr. Olu Akpata, Templars Law firm and Mr. Cephas Afebuameh, Supply Chain and Operations Director, Suntory Beverage and Food Nigeria.

  • LAUTECH: Oyo, Osun set up technical committee

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, and his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola, have set up a 10-person technical committee to produce a white paper from the visitation panel’s reports on the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

    The visitation panel, chaired by legal luminary Wole Olanipekun (SAN), set up by the two owner-states to investigate the crises rocking LAUTECH and recommend short-term and long term solutions, submitted its report to Ajimobi and Aregbesola last week.

    Ajimobi’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy Yomi Layinka announced this at a briefing in Ibadan yesterday.

    The technical committee, chaired by Ajimobi’s Chief of Staff Gbade Ojo, will begin its sitting today.

    It is expected to submit a white paper on the visitation panel’s report within two weeks.

    The Director of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Oyo State, Kunle Adeosun, will serve as secretary.

    The owner-states set four-point terms of reference for the committee, which include looking at the recommendations of the panel and review whatever inadequacies that might be in the recommendations.

    The committee is also expected to come up with pragmatic recommendations for the reopening of the school and its sustainability without necessarily bringing financial burden to the owners.

    Members of the committee also from Oyo State are Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Seun Abimbola; permanent secretary, Ministry of Finance, David Olatunde; permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Ronke Makanjuola and Chairman, Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Afeez Adeleke.

    Members of the committee from Osun State are former permanent secretary, Cabinet Office, Obafemi Akinyele; permanent secretary, Ministry of Finance, Adebimpe Ogunlumade, permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, Sunday Olajide; Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Education, Folorunsho Bamisayemi.

  • LASTMA launches 23 tow vehicles to tackle gridlock

    When the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) went on a road show with its 23 tow trucks, the intention was not to scare motorists, many of who dread the agency’s officials.

    Rather, it was to demonstrate its enhanced capacity to decongest traffic and get motorists moving in record time.

    The vehicles, which are of various capacities, will help reduce the 40 million manhour said to have been lost to accidents, traffic gridlocks and delays, last year.

    LASTMA’s Deputy Comptroller Mr. Philip Ogunlade told The Nation that the agency would key into the vision of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who on Wednesday, urged it to stop harassing motorists.

    He said the trucks would assist the agency to improve on traffic flow by the speedy removal of broken down vehicles, adding that this would enhance the implementation of traffic laws.

    According to Ogunlade, LASTMA has also embarked on reforms to reposition the agency.

    He said the agency has continued to improve its human and institutional capacity for an accident-free and unimpeded flow of traffic in the state.

    The agency had been incapacitated in the past in this area because of its relevance on privately owned tow trucks which were often ineffective and inadequate.

    That was why former Governor Mr Babatunde Fashola invested in the rehabilitation of the vehicles which had been grounded for years.

    The LASTMA chief said the agency has embarked on human capacity training to ensure seamless traffic flow.

    He said: “Our personnel have undergone local and overseas trainings in order to improve traffic management efficiency and service delivery. This is coupled with other trainings on good conduct; inter-personal relationship, quick response to road safety and emergency and having a knowledge of the law.”

    These trainings were responsible for the new found relationship between the agency, stakeholders and motoring public and an improved motorists’ voluntary compliance with traffic laws.

    LASTMA’s Provost Marshal Mr Biliamin Apena said many departments have been re-organised, repackaged, upgraded and equipped with state- of- the- art facilities to improve their efficiency.

    Apena, who confirmed that the agency’s image is still being soiled by some of its officers, said LASTMA has sufficient rules to deal with bad eggs.

    He said: “At all our trainings or seminars, the attention of our men are drawn to the state traffic laws, the criminal code and the Nigerian Constitution. We have also being sanctioning our men and between 2003 and last year, over 400 LASTMA officers were either disciplined, sanctioned or prosecuted.”

    Apena said adequate provisions are in place to take care of the welfare of all its officers adding that they now work in a serene work environment to boost officers’ morale.

    The government, he said, have also placed premium on traffic officers’ safety and security through the provision of insurance and welfare package while an annual award was instituted to appreciate dedicated staff.    He said many were dismissed for various acts that were at variance with the state Civil Service rules and regulations.

    The Head of Recovery Department Mr Henry Akintomide said the refurbished tow vehicles would boost the agency‘s capacity to remove broken down vehicles from the roads, help ensure safety, free flow of and improve service delivery.

    He urged public to respect traffic law and cooperate with traffic officers.

    He also urged aggrieved motorists to make use of LASTMA’s feedback mechanism to lodge complaints against any infraction against any LASTMA officers. “Such would be treated with despatch and without fear or favour,”Akintomide said.

  • Umeh charges Falconets to ground England

    Umeh charges Falconets to ground England

    Acting President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mike Okeke Umeh on Tuesday challenged the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, to go all out in Edmonton, Canada on Wednesday and earn a first–ever win over England in the history of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup..

    Both previous clashes between Nigeria and England at the championship have ended in 1-1 draws, first in Coquimbo, Chile on November 22, 2008 and then in Augsburg, Germany on July 14, 2010. Both were group phase matches.

    It is another group phase match at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on Wednesday, with Nigeria in need of a draw and England needing to win to be sure of a place in the knock –out rounds.

    With four points from their first two matches, the Falconets lead Group C and will earn a place in the quarter finals with a draw against the England squad.

    “I am happy with the performance of our girls in their matches against Mexico and Korea Republic, even though there are areas in which they need to improve. They must improve on those areas to be able to beat a crack side like England.

    “The NFF believes the girls are well –motivated and I have the assurance of the technical crew that they will go all out for a win,” Umeh said in Abuja.

    On Monday, Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Felix Anyansi-Agwu arrived in Edmonton, and his arrival hugely boosted the morale of players and officials as they look forward to the encounter with England.

    “The players and their coaches are in very high spirits. They are not only thinking of beating England, but going all the way to claim the trophy. I believe it is possible,” Anyansi-Agwu, perhaps the most successful club manager in Nigeria football history, said on phone from Canada.