…gets GCON
Justice Walter Onnoghen was on Tuesday inaugurated as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, who led the inaugurated was witnessed by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former CJNs members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC); Justices of the Supreme Court, among others.
After taking his oath of office, Osinbajo decorated Onnoghen with the second highest national honours of the Grand Commander of Order of the Niger (GCON).
Details later.
The Federal Government on Monday announced its readiness to ensure seamless operation at Kaduna International Airport as Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja closes on March 8 for runway repairs.
The Minster of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this during a World News Conference organided by the ministry in Abuja.
The news conference featured the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahi Idris.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, was also represented at the news conference.
Mohammed said the Acting President had inspected Kaduna airport and the rail station to ascertain the level of readiness to ensure smooth operation during the six-week closure period.
He said that the summary of the findings during the inspection was that even though the airport might not be 100 per cent ready, its current state was suitable enough for the operation.
The minister also disclosed that the repair work on the Abuja-Kaduna highway had been completed to ensure smooth passage for Abuja bound passengers.
“As you are all aware, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja will shut from the midnight of Tuesday March 7 to the Wednesday March 8 for the purpose of repairing the failed portion of the airport runway.
“During that time, Abuja flights will be diverted to Kaduna.
“On Friday, the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo inspected the Kaduna airport and the railway station to ascertain the state of readiness.
“The summary of the finding is that while the airport may not be 100 per cent ready, by the time Abuja airport is shut, it will indeed be suitable enough,’’ he said.
Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said the government had concluded arrangements to provide free transportation service for Abuja-bound passengers to and from Kaduna.
Amaechi said that the train services would be rearranged to suit the flight schedules at Kaduna airport, adding that the train would be coming from Kaduna instead of the current arrangement.
He said the Kaduna airport runway was in perfect shape, adding that it was a portion of the terminal building that was yet to be completed as at Friday.
According to him, the work was nearing completion as at that day and the contractor promised to deliver it before the deadline.
The Minister of State, Aviation, Sirika, craved the indulgence of air travelers to bear with the government on the closure.
He said that the decision was for safety reasons, which is the key word in aviation sector.
The minister said the part of the Kaduna airport terminal building had been completed as at this morning, adding that much work had been done to ensure smooth operation.
According to him, the ministry has provided a dedicated website (www.abujaairportclosure.info) to update airport users on the operations at Kaduna during the period.
Sirika said the government had no other option than to shut the Abuja airport runway considering the level of dilapidation that had made it to fail completely.
He said that Kaduna airport would remain a seasonal international airport even after the six weeks period until it met the requirements to be a designated international airport.
According to him, Ethiopian Airline is the only foreign airline that has expressed its readiness to fly the airport so far but at the end we expect more to operate the airport.
The minister reiterated the government’s plan to concession all the airports for efficiency beginning from the big four such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.
“We have already concluded the arrangement for the appointment of transaction adviser that will commence work in a matter of weeks,’’ he said.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, assured that the police had made adequate security plans to ensure seamless operation between Abuja and Kaduna airports.
Idris said the police force had enough capacity and capability to carry out efficient surveillance on the road, the rail line and air during the six weeks.
According to him, he was in Kaduna on Sunday to conduct assessment of security in the airport, on the road and the rail at Jere and Idu stations.
“In the whole, our deployment on the ground is perfect because we have the various units of the Nigeria Police Force in charge of specialized units.
“We have the force Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), we have the force animals in charge of dogs; we have the patrolling team and the mobile force as well as the air wing.
“As I stated, all the units are deployed fully on ground,’’ he said.
The Coordinator, Concerned Maritime Professionals (CMP), Mr. Charles Obi, has condemned incessant media attacks on leading logistics service provider, Intels Nigeria Ltd.
The group said this in a letter sent to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, copies of which were made available to newsmen on Thursday in Lagos.
According to the group, the media attacks are being sponsored by competitors for selfish motives.
“Our attention has been drawn to incessant attacks in the media against private terminal operators in the Nigerian maritime industry, especially Intels Nigeria Ltd.
“Intels is one of the few thriving businesses and the largest employer of labour in the maritime sector.
“Despite the harsh economic environment, the company has weathered the storm, offering world-class services that could compete both nationally and internationally.
“Recently we have seen organised attacks in the media against the company that has served as robust revenue source for the government especially at this time when so many companies are on bent knees.
“We consider this uncalled for,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the group as saying.
CMP said it was not holding brief for Intels and would stand up for any company in Nigeria unjustly pummelled by any group.
The group said the Federal Government should advise media houses not to allow themselves to be used by competitors to run down the few thriving businesses in Nigeria.
“Recently, we see the trend of attacks against Intels Nigeria Ltd, ranging from unfounded allegations of monopoly and alleged indebtedness.
“To be sure, Intels is not the only company in the One Free Zone and so cannot be accused of monopoly.
“There are close to 200 firms that operate in the zone with each of them professionally managed and duly regulated by appropriate agencies of government,’’ the group said.
According to the group, Intels has operated in the zone for three decades and made meaningful contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.
“Other operators have the freedom to break the so-called monopoly by investing heavily in the maritime sector, just as Intels has done over three decades.’’
“On the alleged indebtedness of Intels to NPA, we have it on good authority that Intels has written letters to NPA asking for reconciliation of accounts.
“Both organisations should be given the opportunity to set up a committee to reconcile contentious areas in line with the concession agreement.
“Media attacks against this Nigerian company will do no one any good,” the group said.
It said Intels provided more than 500,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country.
The group said the media attacks against Intels would send the wrong signal to foreign investors, especially at this critical time when “the country is in dire need of foreign direct investment’’.
Service Chiefs including the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno on Wednesday briefed Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on the security situation in the country.
The first meeting with all the service chiefs in attendance since President Muhammadu Buhari left the country on vacation was held at Osinbajo’s office.
They briefed Osinbajo on the Boko Haram insurgency and killings in Southern Kaduna, cattle rustling and armed banditry.
Briefing State House correspondents at the opening of the security meeting, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, expressed appreciation of the administration for the support and continuous funding of the armed forces in the conduct of its operations.
This, he said, has impacted positively on the capacity of the armed forces and troops in fighting the Boko Haram terrorists in the North East and other security threats across the country.
He said: “On behalf of the armed forces and other security agencies, we pledge our total commitment and loyalty to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“The ongoing operation in the North East has recorded tremendous success and has led to restoration of normalcy in most parts of the affected areas. The current strategy being adopted involved the simultaneous conduct of consolidation and stabilisation cases so as to enable the civil authorities take lead role as quickly as possible.
“Our troops in conjunction with the vigilante groups successfully conducted clearance operations in villages and Boko Haram camps which led to the recovery of weapons and communication equipment as well as apprehension of many suspects. This is being supported by continuous aerial surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force so as to ensure that terrorists do not regroup.
He also said that several high profile Boko Haram commanders were arrested while over 20,000 persons mostly women and children held hostage by the terrorists were rescued.
“A number of the terrorists have surrendered to our troops and currently, rehabilitation and deradicalisation process for this category of Boko Haram terrorists and other rescued persons is ongoing.
“Also, the armed forces are currently providing medical support and basis amenities such as food, clothing, water supply to most IDP camps in the North East.
“Furthermore, several inter and intra roads and bridges that were impassable due to the security risks have been reopened and damaged ones reconstructed to enhance movement of people and goods in the North East.
“The Nigerian Army Small Arms Competition will be conducted by 7 Division at Sambisa Forest to consolidate the gains achieved so far and further sharpen the skills of our troops.
“In other to sustain the tempo of the counter insurgency operation in the North Eeast, the present administration had recently procured modern equipment to enhance the combat effectiveness of our armed forces.
“Mine-resistance ambush patrol vehicles, one 20mm Motors and ammunition were being procured by the Nigerian Army. Also, some patrol boats and other platforms have been ordered by the Nigerian Navy for outpost at Lake Chad Basin while contract for helicopters from Russia for the Nigerian Air Force has been awarded and approval for addition four of MI 35 are being awaited.” he added
He also said that additionally, 20 unmanned aerial vehicles from the United Arab Emirates have been procured by the Nigerian Air Force to support the operation in the North East.
“This administration has also shown tremendous concern to the welfare of troops particularly in the North East through prompt payment of troops’ salaries and allowances as well as improvement in medical services.
“Last week, we had a meeting with Ministers of Defence from the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin member countries, hosted by Nigeria. The countries include Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.
“Memorandum of Understanding for the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to fight Boko Haram terrorists was signed during the meeting. This was aimed at supporting the operations of the MJTF operation Gama Aiki II nicknamed Rawan kada in the North East.”
He said that peace talk is already on course to resolve the Southern Kaduna crisis.
“With regards to the situation in Southern part of Kaduna State, peace talk is currently ongoing to address the current clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the communities.
“Recently, some religious leaders led by former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, were in Southern Kaduna to mediate between the herdsmen and farmers.
“As part of efforts to curtail this menace, Nigerian Army is in the process of constructing a permanent barracks in Kafanchan. Also, the Nigerian Army is expected to conduct exercise Harbin kunama II in Southern Kaduna, Falgore Forest in Kano and the forest in Bauchi to flush out the criminal elements.
“The activities of cattle rustlers and armed bandits generally in the entire North West have been significantly reduced. Efforts and peace talks to put an end to this cattle rustling and armed banditry in communities in Zamfara and Katsina State have successfully resulted in the handover of various weapons to troops in the states.
“Bandits from an area in Zamfara State handed over 234 dane guns, 94 locally made pistols, 25 locally made revolvers, 17 locally made multi mural pistols, 10 locally made double barrel, 11 AK47 and five machine guns in addition to the ones collected in Kastsina recently.” he stated
Those at the meeting included the Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonishakin and other service chiefs; the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura; and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
A University lecturer, Prof. Okey Onuchukwu, says establishing modular refineries in the Niger Delta will enliven the economy of the area and end youth restiveness.
Onuchukwu, an Econometrist who teaches at the University of Port Harcourt, made the suggestion in an interview with journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo recently in a meeting with Niger Delta leaders in Port Harcourt announced that the Federal Government planned to establish modular refineries.
A modular refinery is a processing plant that has been constructed entirely on skid mounted structures. Each structure contains a portion of the entire process plant, and through interstitial piping, the components link together to form an easily manageable process.
The don also said the establishment of modular refineries would make the youth in the Niger Delta more meaningfully occupied, productive and enterprising.
“The meaning is that we shall have modular refineries along the creeks, with such development; the youth will become more productive.
“The economy will become more vibrant, more money will legitimately be put in their pockets, this to me is a good omen,’’ he said.
Onuchukwu further said that the crises plaguing the Niger Delta would be reduced if the move to establish modular refineries was implemented.
He further said that when implemented, modular refineries would close the gap in the petrol consumption need of the country.
“Apart from that, it will also make more products available for sales outside the shores of the country,” Onuchukwu said.
He said that the move was to meaningfully engage youths involved in illegal oil refining in the region.
Illegal refinery operation nicknamed ‘Kpo Fire’, is a major activity in the region, with products such as diesel and kerosene being produced for household consumption.
Scientists say the black soot being witnessed in some parts of the region is as a result of the activities of illegal refiners.
A renewed drive for public-private sector collaboration is set to commence in Nigeria as Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo inaugurates the Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Tuesday.
The Group aims at mirroring the Global Private Sector Advisory Group which established by United Nations Sustainable Development Fund (UNSDGF) in New York to effectively achieve the SDGs as a result of the numerous challenges faced during the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
The PSAG in Nigeria will provide the Global PSAG with guidance and strategic support to achieve hitch-free implementation of SDGs in Nigeria. This will ultimately create a platform for more impactful and home-grown sustainable models and solutions to achieve the SDGs.
Speaking on the initiative, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, said the PSAG would help the nation address and solve development issues sustainably. “The Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Sustainable Development marks a new dawn in the implementation of pro-poor projects and programmes in Nigeria,” she said.
Tonye Cole, Executive Director and Co-Founder Sahara Group, said the PSAG would galvanise ideas and initiatives from various stakeholders to achieve accelerated and inclusive development across the nation. “We strongly believe that the achievement of the PSAG objectives will not only improve the global SDG ranking of Nigeria, it will also improve the standard of living across the nation through the provision of sustainable solutions to basic problems,” said Cole, who represents Sahara Group on the Global PSAG board of the UNSDGF.
The Nigerian Private Sector Advisory Group is made up of 13 key partners who share high commitment in achieving the 17 SDGs and also have a track record of laudable milestones in the area of implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility projects.
Some of these key partners include but are not limited to: Growing Businesses foundation (GBF), Lagos Business School (LBS), Sahara Group Limited, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. (PwC), Google, Unilever Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, GT Bank, General Electric (GE), Dangote Group, Coco-Cola, Channels Television, Chamber of Commerce- Lagos/Kano, National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) and NASME. As the work progresses, the number of organizations that make up the PSAG are expected to increase to accommodate others that are keen on contributing their quota towards achieving the SDG’s in Nigeria.
Stakeholders working under the aegis of the PSAG will collaborate on identifying areas of common interest to achieve the establishment of vibrant public-private partnerships in Nigeria.
The Group will work closely with the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on SDGs to ensure seamless implementation of adopted development projects across the nation.
A valedictory session was held on Wednesday for the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who was attending the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for the last time.
She is billed to resume duties at the United Nations as new Deputy Secretary-General on March 7, 2017.
Some cabinet members got emotional during the valedictory session as some of them wept.
Among those who could not hold back tears during the valedictory session was her deputy, the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jubril, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Amina Alhassan.
Amina Mohammed also could not hold back tears during the session.
All the cabinet members that spoke during the session had good things to say about Amina Mohammed.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who chaired the FEC meeting, described the out-going minister as a role model to millions of youths across the country and lauded her contributions to the government and the society at large.
He announced that a special valedictory dinner would be held in her honour on Thursday.
He said “We have always been very fascinated by her incredible understanding of so many different things.
“It’s actually quite amazing that we have one person who seems to know so much, who is competent in practically everything; finance, planning, environment and even law sometimes,’’ he said.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Amina Mohammed had made the nation proud, saying that the only consolation was that she was leaving to assume high responsibilities.
He said that Nigerians are confident that she is going to succeed in her new assignment at the UN.
Others that spoke at the valedictory session included the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aishat Alhassan; Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Aishat Abubakar and the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Amina Mohammed, 56, had served as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.
She was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
Before joining the UN, Mohammed worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals.
She provided advice on issues, including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, as well as coordinating poverty reduction interventions.
She is an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University, serves on numerous international advisory boards and panels, including the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Others include the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, and the Global Development Programme of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
She is also a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Sustainability Panel, the African Women’s Millennium Initiative, Girl Effect and the ActionAid International Right to Education Project.
As Nigerians and businesses grope in darkness, Honorary Adviser to the President of Dangote Group, Eng. Joe Makoju has advocated adequate funding and restructuring of the Power sector so as to achieve relative stability in electricity generation and distribution
He said the power sector is currently bankrupt to the point of even threatening the health of financial institutions and the wider national economy.
To restructure the sector for effective services, Makoju advised a reduction in the distribution zones.
Speaking at a two-day Power Sector Stakeholders Interactive Dialogue convened by the National Assembly in Abuja, Makoju who was a special adviser to three different Presidents of Nigeria on Power canvassed for a fundamental structural change as against the current path of tariff increases and government bailouts.
He said: “I want to stress that, I do not wish to be alarmist; but if we continue on the current path of tariff increases and government bailouts without fundamental structural changes, we will soon be dealing with a disaster. What assets are on the ground will depreciate, financial positions will deepen, and eventually we will all come back to these same conclusions but after much more harm has been done.”
While revealing that the failure of the Power Sector under government management was not a technical and commercial management of the business but the absence of sustained and adequate funding of the sector, he said despite the privatisation exercise six years ago, the problem of the sector remains the same.
According to him, “Most of the private sector investors in the power privatisation had no specialist knowledge or understanding of the power sector, which has eroded the technical and managerial competence in the industry. And the funding problems have persisted and even become exacerbated as they now even threaten the stability and health of the nation’s banking system as well as the entire electricity sector.”
While noting that the distribution end of the value chain is the most inefficient and has suffered the greatest neglect, he described it as one which underpins the financial viability and sustainability of the entire sector. “To get the sector moving forward we need to improve its liquidity position, and this can only be accomplished through satisfied, paying customers.” he asserted.
Still on the issue of adequate funding for the sector, Makoju said the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) reports that as at December 2016, the funding gap in the power sector is over N1 trillion and as such, he advised that funding must be looked at from the perspective of new equity and debt financing arrangements and structures, and internally generated revenue maximization.
As a lasting solution, he also canvassed new capable players working in a reconfigured power sector while also considering residual government shares for bringing in long-term funding.
While urging the FG to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, he routes for the engagement of industry experts and policymakers to draw up a comprehensive power sector master plan building on past provisions and arrangements to deliver an electricity industry fit for current and future needs.
Makoju said: “The present configuration is not working and will not work even with more money pumped in. The structure of the sector needs to be reconfigured for efficiency, with fewer distribution zones for instance. These can be managed and coordinated by a reputable international operator like EDF, Globeleq, Actis, Reliance, etc. in partnership with financially credible Nigerian entities,” Makoju also canvassed for the restructuring of the TCN management for better service delivery.
Given the extended lead times required for new gas, transmission and distribution improvement investments in the Power sector, and the quantum of legacy issues now encumbering the sector, Makoju opined that it may take anywhere from five years to 10 years to fully stabilise electricity delivery across the country.
Nevertheless, he said positive results can be recorded within the first five years’ period if earnest action is taken now.
Speaking at the Power Sector Stakeholders Interactive Dialogue, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki said the problems with the power sector are Man-Made but are surmountable. He regretted that despite the huge amount of money sunk into the sector it has failed to bring about the desired result.
He said the dialogue was convened because the legislative arm of government, which represents the Nigerian people are worried about the teething challenges facing power chain of generation, transmission and distribution. He said Nigerians of this generation must not repeat the mistakes of the past, adding that both regulators and players must be ready to make sincere sacrifices.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara also concurred with Senator Saraki that successive investments in the sector have not translated into efficiency and delivery of power to the people. He also asked questions relating to the proceeds of power sector privatisation, saying the legislative arm will continue to work with all stakeholders to deliver power to the Nigerian people.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola said the Muhammadu Buhari government is doing all things possible to address power problem. He, however, urged the legislative arm to support such efforts through vibrant legislations and continuing engagement with critical stakeholders.
Also speaking Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said his office has been coordinating all activities in the sector and it is not unmindful of the deep crisis it is facing.
He assured Nigerians the government is prioritising the sector, saying it is key to economic development.
Chairman of Egbin Power Plc Kola Adesina and Board Director Ikeja Electric urged the National Assembly to accord priority to power during budgeting. He also regretted that public sector debt in the sector has increased astronomically over the years.
The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday forwarded the name of the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, to the National Assembly for confirmation as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The Nation reports that the news of the nomination was made known by the presidency through its twitter handle @NGRPresident on Wednesday.
It would be recalled that there has been series of agitation from different quarters urging the presidency to forward Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for confirmation following the retirement of Justice Mahmud Mohammed.
Onnoghen was born on December 22, 1950 and has been a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria since 2005.
He graduated from the University of Ghana at Legon, Ghana in 1977 and from the Nigerian Law School in Lagos in 1978.
Before joining the Supreme Court, he was a judge in Cross River State and a justice of the Court of Appeal.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday met behind closed doors with members of the presidential task force on the rising cost of food items in the country.
The meeting, which took place at Aguda House, the official residence of the acting president, was attended by all members of the group, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the setting up of the task force as part of efforts to enhance food security in the country.
The task force is to urgently consider measures that would ensure a steady flow of farm produce to the market and reverse recent price increases.
It also has the responsibility of exploring strategies toward ensuring availability and affordability of food items to Nigerians.
The group, expected to submit its interim reports on February 8, has the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and Minister of Industry, Trade and Development, Dr. Okey Enelamah, as members.
Other members of the team are – the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.