Category: News

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has opposed the upward review of electricity tariff in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the implementation of the cost-reflective electricity tariff for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, in August.

The new tariff regime, which kicked off on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, has drawn the ire of Nigerians who see the development as exploitative.

The regime proposes an upwardly adjusted tariff for customers who are not averse to paying more to enjoy longer hours of electricity supply, standard voltage profile and faster fault clearance timeliness.

Atiku, in his reaction on his Twitter, described the increment as “impetuous disregard for the challenges” faced by Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the new tariff was “ill-timed and ill-advised”, adding that instead of an increment, Nigerians deserved a “stimulus”, especially in the face of COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging economies across the world.

READ ALSO: ASUU vows not to resume duties over FG’s inability to address demands

“I reject the increased electricity tariffs. Coming out of the lockdown, Nigerians need a stimulus, not an impetuous disregard for the challenges they face.

“Many Nigerians have not earned an income for months, due to no fault of theirs. This increase is ill-timed and ill-advised,’’ he said.

Vanguard

A fuel pump (stock photo).

…Current realities support N200/litre — Iledare

…No govt has ‘raped Nigeria’ like Buhari’s—TUC

…Fuel price hike shocking — ActionAid

…FG currently not financially able to pay subsidy — Sylva

By Michael Eboh, Boluwaji Obahopo, Rotimi Ojomoyela

Petrol stations across the country, yesterday, adjusted their pumps to reflect the hike in the ex-depot price of the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, by the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, with some of the stations raising the price to as high as N161 per litre.

In Abuja, it was also observed that all the stations were opened and were seen dispensing the commodity to motorists without any hitch.

Specifically, at  Oando petrol station in Dutse, along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, only a few cars were seen inside, while the station was dispensing the product to motorists at N161 per litre; while Eterna Petrol station and Gegu petrol station, few blocks apart, were selling at N159 per litre and N158.1 per litre respectively.

In addition, the NNPC retail station at Katampe was selling at N160 per litre; Total retail outlet at Tipper Garage, N148.8 per litre, while Bozimo petrol station at Karu is selling at N160 per litre.

In Lagos, the situation was same as petrol stations adjusted their pumps to sell fuel for as much as N161:50.

Speaking on the price hike, Uche Uwaleke, Professor of Finance and Capital Markets of Nasarawa State University, Keffi and former Commissioner of Finance of Imo State, however, warned that the hike would heighten inflationary pressure and worsen the living standards of Nigerians.

He said: “This is clearly a downside risk to inflation.  In the coming months, I expect inflationary pressure to heighten as crude oil price recovery in the International market necessitates a hike in domestic pump price of imported fuel. This situation will be compounded by naira devaluation.

“The alternative is petrol subsidy, which the government cannot afford now as this may not have been provided for in the 2020 budget. Again, expecting a government already saddled with huge debt to borrow to subsidize price of petrol does not make economic sense.

‘’With all the economic headwinds, there is no question about a spike in cost of living in the coming months.”

He, however, stated that the solution remained passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, into law to pave way for investors in the oil refining sector.

Current realities support N200/litre — Iledare

Also speaking, Professor Wumi Iledare, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation’s Chair of Petroleum Economics at Institute of Oil and Gas Studies, IOGS, in the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, said with the current economic reality, the price of PMS should be selling at N200 per litre.

READ ALSO: Petrol stations in Abuja adjust pump price to N161 per litre

He said: “The reality on ground is not pretty at all with respect to what the price ought to be. At the current official exchange rate of $1 to N385, N200 is about right because of the level of demand driven by population and quality of life. Keep in mind that any attempt to invoke subsidising petroleum has unintended consequences.

“We all need to adjust and perhaps pump more money to the economy. Invoke patriotism, if the government has to, with carrot and stick to those owing government money.

“If Ghana is surviving, Nigeria’s exchange rates call for at least N200 per litre in Nigeria. In Ghana, a litre is about N325-N350 equivalent. Like Nigeria, PMS consumed are imported. Lessons can be learned from Ghana.

No govt has ‘raped Nigeria’ like Buhari’s —TUC

Also reacting, Trade Union Congress, TUC, in a statement by the president, Quadri Olaleye, and Secretary-General, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said no government has “raped” the country like the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

They described the increment of petrol price and electricity tariff as “wicked,” adding that it was coming at a time people were losing jobs because of the effects of COVID-19.

The statement read:  “They have developed a thick skin that our pleas and cries no longer mean anything to them. No government has raped this country like the present one; ironically it has enjoyed our understanding the most

“They beat us and when we cry, they send security operatives after us or force us to pay a fine of N5 million for ‘hate speech.’ Our patience has run out.

“It is difficult to cope in this circumstance. Do we still wonder why unemployment and insecurity have increased? This is disgustingly shameful.

Fuel price hike shocking — ActionAid

Also reacting, yesterday, ActionAid Nigeria condemned the new hike in fuel prices, saying the development would leave more Nigerians poorer.

Country Director, ActionAid, Ene Obi, said in a statement that with the effects of COVID-19 putting Nigerians out of job, increase in the fuel price becomes an additional burden on average Nigerians.

He said:  “We are not out of COVID-19. A lot of citizens are losing their jobs, people are getting poorer, more responsibility with school closure, young people roaming the streets unemployed and fuel hike at this time is shocking.

“Governance is about easing the pain and burden of the common man, but it seems the Nigerian government is not in touch with the reality on ground.

“We are dealing with too many increases at the same time and this is introducing so much inflation into our lives. Governance is about the people.

“Instead of dealing with insecurity, we are taking actions that will further heighten insecurity because as inflation goes up and more people are plunged into poverty, there will be more conflict in our society.”

FG currently not financially able to pay subsidy— Sylva

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources,  Timipre Sylva, yesterday, disclosed that the Federal Government was not currently in a position, financially, to pay subsidy, as the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted negatively on the country’s finances.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Sylva also disclosed that since the introduction of the deregulation policy in March 2020, the country had saved about N1 trillion.

He further stated that the Federal Government had concluded plans to merge the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund, PEF, into one agency called ‘The Authority’.

Sylva noted that the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector and the removal of subsidy was not a political decision, but had become inevitable, especially with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the low crude oil prices and curtailing of Nigeria’s production output by OPEC, which had constrained government’s revenue.

Sylva also added that  PPPRA and PEF would still be relevant to serve as a regulator on the industry, noting that without PPPRA and PEF, it would be difficult to deal with profiteers.

However, he disclosed that the PPPRA and PEF would not exist as they currently are, stating that with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, the two organisations would be merged into one and called ‘The Authority,’ to help monitor the downstream sector.

Vanguard

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

An illegal slaughter slab in the Oke Rube area of Alimosho Local Government Area was, yesterday, busted by officials of the Lagos State government with 10 butchers arrested and two live cows confiscated.

The onslaught was carried out by men of the re-inaugurated Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team of the state Ministry of Agriculture in furtherance of the sanitisation of the red meat value chain.

The state acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, explained that the exercise was coming on the heels of repeated warnings to the operators of the illegal slaughter slabs and the menace of their activities.

She said: “This dislodgement exercise is necessary especially as the state is particular about the production of wholesome and healthy meat for its residents while simultaneously ensuring that the streets are free of stray animals.

“We will also strictly enforce meat transportation using only the designated vehicles and stray animals control which has lately become more rampant in the State.”

She noted that the state government re-inaugurated the Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team last Friday and charged it with the responsibilities of dislodging illegal abattoirs, controlling and enforcing issues relating to the transportation and sale of meat as only the Eko Refrigerated Meat Vans and Eko Live Animals Transport are the permitted means of transporting meat from one place to another.

READ ALSO: Alleged P&ID scam: How bank supplied firm account statements to EFCC

According to her, the illegal abattoirs were constituting a hazard to the businesses of legal operators who are doing everything possible to ensure that only healthy and wholesome meat is produced for the populace.

Olusanya stated that the confiscated carcass has since been donated to the Juvenile Remand Home at Oregun, Ikeja after due inspection by members of the veterinary team in order to ensure the safety of the meat while the live cows would be deposited at the Oko-Oba abattoir at Agege for their owners to claim them within 48hours or risk being similarly donated to charity.

She added that the arrested butchers would be prosecuted at the Lagos State Task Force Mobile Court.

Vanguard

soldiers

At least 10 soldiers have been killed by suspected members of the Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) who attacked Garin Giwa village in Kukawa local government area of Borno State.

Military sources told TheCable that many soldiers sustained injuries in the attack which happened  on Wednesday morning.

Two gun trucks were reportedly taken from the troops who  were on a routine patrol when their convoy came under attack.

“The troops engaged the terrorist in an encounter which lasted for about 30 minutes, and as a result we lost 10 of our special forces soldiers. The insurgents took us by surprise,” one of the sources said.

“Our wounded soldiers have been taken to Mile 4, while those killed have been transported back to Maiduguri.”

Sagir Musa, army’s spokesman, did not immediately respond to a message seeking development confirmation of the attack.

Despite repeated claims of defeating the sect, insurgents have continued to launch attacks across the north-east.

READ ALSO: Fourteen killed in wake of Hurricane Laura in US

Meanwhile, Babagana Zulum, governor of the state, has inaugurated a committee for the resettlement of internally displaced persons back to Baga.

The governor said after his visit to Baga in August, a formal letter was sent to Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, notifying him of the desire of the people to relocate to Baga.

“The letter received the blessing of the military, hence we have taken steps to relocate citizens back to their ancestral homes. In view of the foregoing, Borno State government constituted a high powered committee comprising top government functionaries both from the federal and state governments, the armed forces, CJTF, hunters, and traditional rulers.”

He also said the army chief has replied to the letter seeking military clearance for the return of the displaced persons.

vanguardngr.com

Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.

…Tasks 22 Christian, Muslim leaders on peace

By Ibrahim HassanWuyo

In the last five years, Kaduna State has spent billions  to support, equip and sustain federal security agencies to provide peace in the state.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who disclosed this yesterday, however, observed that these were resources that could be better applied for investment in reducing the human and physical infrastructure deficits the state suffers.

While addressing 22 senior Christian and Muslim clerics at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, yesterday, El-Rufai said diversity of faith should not be a reason for division and violent conflict.

The governor on the occasion, inaugurated the House of Kaduna family as leaders of faith unite for peace, a platform designed for leaders of faith to dialogue, interact and assume collective responsibility for messages that assist people of faith to live up to the highest ideals of our two main religions as peaceful, law abiding citizens.

The Muslim and Christian leaders   from across Kaduna State, called on adherents of both religions to stop conducts   that were unbecoming of their   faith and embrace peace instead.

READ ALSO: Gunmen killed over 100 Muslims in Southern Kaduna — Imams

The event was organised by the Kaduna State Peace Commission which will be the secretariat of the House of Kaduna Family.

He said:  “The decision to gather leaders of faith in a joint endeavour for peace and harmony in our state reflects our belief that religion does not have to divide.

“The diversity of faith can be a vehicle for unity when adherents respect the right of every human being to life, liberty and livelihood, as creatures of God,” he said.

The governor sought the support of the leaders in ensuring that the conduct of people more closely mirrored the message of peace and compassion in the major religions.

vanguardngr.com

The CJN, Justice Muhammad Tanko

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad, has said that Nigeria will suffer grave effect if judicial officers are consistently deprived of requisite infrastructure.

Justice Muhammad made the remark at the commissioning of  24-bedroom duplexes built for Judges of Rivers origin serving both in the State and Federal Judiciaries at the Emmanuel  Chinwenwo Aguma Judges Quarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Justice Muhammad who was represented by Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court noted that judges would be more confident to dispense justice if they have good shelter and welfare.

“Lagos and Rivers States rank among the most litigious states. The implication is that manpower and materials are perennially stretched far beyond limit to attend to the large number of cases filed daily.

“That explains the enormity of work before judges. A good car, shelter and good welfare package are some of those things that can serve as magic wand to bring out the best from them.

“Whenever, we deliberately or inadvertently toil with the welfare of judicial officers, we are unconsciously inflicting a debilitating wound on the conscience of the nations.

“We are not ignorant of Governor Nyesom Wike’s huge investment to improve infrastructure of federal courts.  You are today also giving to Judges a life long accommodation on owner- occupier basis, ” he said.

Governor  Wike in his address, said the judiciary would be on a  pedestal of efficiency and productivity with the support given to it by his administration.

READ ALSO: Obaseki’s N1.5b loan bid for vote-buying, APC alleges

“There is need to guarantee judicial independence and secure effective administration of justice. These are the overriding consideration for the unprecedented investment we have made in our judicial system.”x

“I cannot think of any state government  with similar welfare scheme we have made. This will have profound and positive impact on judicial officers.

“We have moved our Judiciary from the valley of neglect to an enviable hilltop of independence, capacity and effectiveness,” he stated.

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Mr Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Shippers Council(NSC) has said that diversified means of transportation would reduce the cost of transport and port gridlock in the country.

Bello told newsmen in Abuja that transport drives the economy and President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration was working at ensuring diversification of the country’s transport system.

Also read: Fuel price, electricity tariff hike most unfortunate — Gani Adams

“We have been having challenges in our Nigerian ports because of some distortions.

“I will give some examples to the road, our dependence on the road has cost us a lot, or has stiffened and made it impossible for transportation to make an expectant contribution in terms of revenue, in terms of employment and infrastructure.

“But the government is trying. Like I said, if not for COVID-19, we will not be having gridlock, we would have connected the rail to the ports.

“Now connection of the rail to the port is significant because it will do two things, for every trip the rail makes, 38 trailers are removed from the port.

“Before now the monopoly is on the road traffic, it is only the dominant, maybe 90 per cent of connection that is dropping cargo to the port.

“You can’t rely on one mode of transportation. Nigeria Shippers’ Council has now encouraged rail employment and also evacuation from the ports and that will be at a cheaper rate,’’ Bello said.

He said the various stakeholders in the maritime sector were collaborating to strengthen the standard operating procedure for the rail.

He said:“ that will mean two things, we have an alternative to road, we remove a lot of trucks and we give the truckers a run for their money.

“There will be competition, so this will mean prices of transportation will crash very soon in time to come and that is one of the achievements.’’

According to Bello, the NSC is also looking at a very important aspect of access to the ports which is the batches inland waterways.

According to him, the diversified means of transportation will give room for competition, the law of demand and supply will apply, thus, there will be a reduction in transportation cost.

“Besides the Federal Government has made a policy statement that all ports and I hope this will include dry ports would be linked with rail. As I have said if not for COVID-19, the Chinese will have linked not just Apapa but Tin Can with rail.

“The moment we have inland connectivity, the gridlock in Apapa will disappear that is apart from infrastructural efforts the federal government has made.”

The NSC boss, however, noted that infrastructure was not enough to manage traffic, adding that the various stakeholders were working at developing an electronic system that would ensure this.

On the high cost of doing business, Bello reiterated that the NSC had made it impossible for shipping companies to bring out arbitrary or unilateral charges which would increase the cost of doing business in the country.

He said the council was also working with the Nigerian Customs Service to ensure speedy clearance of cargoes at the ports.

“Because of lack of scanners, cargo is cleared after 100 per cent physical examination, now this is a primitive way of doing things and it causes so much delay.

“ So scanners will be redeployed very soon we have been at it with Customs, it takes five hours for a container to be examined physically and then cleared but when we have the scanners it will take five minutes.

“So you can see we are all making our ports efficient, we have the structure, infrastructure superstructure as a matter of fact and the clearance will be simpler, faster, more economical,’’ Bello said.

Vanguard News

…Why we allowed Babalakin into campus —ASUU

By Adesina Wahab

After about six months when he was declared persona non grata on the campus by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, yesterday, appeared on campus before the Prof. Tukur Sa’ad-led Visitation Panel set-up by the Federal Government to look into the affairs of the institution from 2017 till date.

This happened as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, and ASUU also appeared before the same panel.

Babalakin, who came out of the Senate Chambers at about 1.08pm, refused to answer questions posed to him by reporters.

He said since the panel began sitting, nobody had addressed the press about their appearance before it.

“I have only come to make my own presentation before the panel. Nobody has addressed the press about their encounters with the panel since it started sitting,” he said.

The Chairman, UNILAG chapter of ASUU, Dr. Dele Ashiru, while going to make the union’s presentation before the panel, said Babalakin came on campus in his individual capacity and not as the Chairman of the Governing Council.

problem started with the composition of the Governing Council.

READ ALSO: ASUU tasks FG on 2019 MoA, universities revitalisation fund

However, two of the three non-teaching staff unions in the university, SSANU and NASU have formed a Joint Action Committee to make their presentation before the panel.

The third non-teaching staff union, the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, through its Chairman, Comrade Sulyman Lawal, said the body’s position in the matter is to remain neutral.

Vanguard

Governor Godwin Obaseki

…Allegation is campaign of calumny – Edo govt

By Ozioruva Aliu

THE All Progressives Congress, APC,  has accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of seeking an approval for a N1.5 billion loan from the factional Edo State House of Assembly headed by Hon Frank Okiye for buying votes during the September 19 governorship poll.

The Chairman, APC Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki, made the accusation in a statement released yesterday. He said plans are afoot to cash the loan at a particular commercial bank allegedly chaired by a friend of the governor.

However, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Stewart Efe, pooh-poohed the allegation, describing it as a campaign of calumny by the APC, he said was aware that it would lose the September  election.

Mayaki urged anti-graft agencies and civil society groups to block Governor Obaseki’s latest attempt to increase the financial toll of his “doomed second term ambition on the public finances of Edo State.”

He said: “After depleting the treasury of Edo State with his constant illegal withdrawals, the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki is now finalizing plans to obtain a 1.5 billion naira loan from a commercial bank for the sole purpose of vote-buying on the 19th of September.

“This latest move and indication of the Governor’s pathological desperation was reliably communicated to us by a source in his illegal Assembly of seven members out of the 24 elected to represent the people of Edo State.

“This illegal Assembly of seven members, convening in aberrant and unlawful meetings dictated by  Governor Godwin Obaseki in the Edo State Government House after leading thugs to destroy and desecrate the legislative chambers, quietly received and passed a request for a loan of 1.5 billion naira which the Governor intends to deploy in his planned vote-buying and mobilization of more thugs to orchestrate violence following anticipated defeat in a fair contest.”

READ ALSO: Igini demands ‘modest sum’ of N1bn from Imuse over defamatory statement

He said the APC will resist every attempt by the governor to compound the woes of the state and leave behind intractable problems that would stall development and growth.

He threatened a petition to the EFCC on the planned loan and urged all civil society groups in Edo State to live up to their mandate of holding the government accountable and combating institutionalized corruption by taking the state government to task on the said loan.

Countering, Efe told Vanguard on phone: “This is a campaign of calumny, it is not true, the story is to hoodwink the people and it is the handiwork of mischief makers who know they will lose in the election.

“The people are with Governor Obaseki who has worked for the people unlike them that have nothing to show. Governor Obaseki’s recharge card is full of distinctions. His imminent victory can be likened to a child that has been born whose pregnancy cannot be aborted. He has changed the narrative of governance. These people should forget about September 19 and join hands with Obaseki whose interest is about the well-being of the state.”

Vanguard

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a female suspect alleged to have defrauded a job seeker of N3 million on the pretext of assisting him secure employment in the commission.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the spokesman of the Commission, Mr Dele Oyewale, said that the suspect was arrested through her son who she sent to a branch of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) to make a transaction for her.

Oyewale said that unaware to the suspect that the commission had placed a Post No Debit (PND) on all her accounts, the suspect sent her son who was detained until she arrived in the bank and was arrested.

READ ALSO: EFCC re-arraigns Mama Boko Haram, 2 others over N6m fraud

“The suspect had charged her victim a whopping N6 million, which she claimed was to enable her secure a job for him in the EFCC.

“A part-payment of N3 million was made into the suspect’s account by the victim on Oct. 29, 2019, while the balance was to be paid after the victim had received his employment letter.

“She could not keep to her promise to deliver the appointment letter in two weeks from the date of the part payment, which was Nov. 7, 2019, ” he said.

The victim, Nuraddeen Abubakar in his petition to the EFCC revealed that he came in contact with the suspect through her son, Oyewale said.

“The victim stated that he has not received the promised EFCC employment letter from the suspect nine months after making the part payment to her.

“The suspect will soon be charged to court, ” he added.

NAN

Vanguard News Nigeria

Housing Project in Osun State

The Federal Government says it is committed to producing national development plans for the country.

Mr Clement Agba, the Minister of State for Finance, Budget, and National Planning made this known at a news conference on the Medium-Term National Development Plans (MTNDPs) 2021 to 2025 and perspective plan, Nigeria Agenda 2050 in Abuja on Thursday.

Agba said Nigeria Vision 2020 would end on December 31, and President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of the terminal dates.

“And to avoid a vacuum, hence approved and directed the ministry to prepare successor plans from which governments can derive its policies going forward,’’ he said.

READ ALSO: Oyo Govt. set to reintroduce Boys’ Scout in public schools

He explained that the plan required the involvement of critical stakeholders and the ministry adopted participatory and inclusiveness of all arms of governments and the Private Sector.

He said stakeholders such as the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Opinion Leaders, Public Commentators, Religious Organisations, Traditional Leaders, and various pressure groups among others were involved.

The minister said that six state governors, one from each of the six geopolitical zones, representative of major political parties were involved at the Steering Committee (SC) level for the development of the plans.

“We are in the process of engaging the grassroots through the states and the local government in the planning process, which shall take place via town hall meetings where memoranda from town development associations and traditional rulers shall be received,” he said.

Agba said that 25 Technical Working Groups (TWGs) comprising experts with diverse experiences had been engaged to identify thematic areas for the plans.

He said that they were working on Macroeconomic Framework and Growth Diagnostic to identify the policies and provide macroeconomic projections for the new plans, the performance of the outgoing plans and sector policy documents in the past periods.

The minister said that more TWGs were inaugurated to work with the Central Working Group (CWG) on agriculture, food security and rural development, manufacturing and industrialisation, transportation, housing and urban development.

He said that cross cutting issues were on employment, gender and people with special needs, education and manpower development, health and nutrition, environment, social, regional development, disaster management and digital economy, among others.

“​I am happy to announce  that the Macroeconomic Framework and Growth Diagnostic TWG, after three months and two weeks of tedious work, has produced a Macroeconomic Framework report.

“The report has been shared with the CWG and presented to the remaining TWGs on August 19, to guide the ongoing work on their thematic areas.

“The Macroeconomic Framework report will also be shared with the Steering Committee and Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) by the Central Working Group in due course,” Agba said.

READ ALSO: Kaduna LG boss suspends Almajiri system as 8 die in river

He said that the deadline given to the TWGs to submit its work on the MTNDP, 2021 to 2025 to CWG was Sept. 30, while CWG was to turn in its report at the end of October, with the launching of the plan in December by the President.

Agba also commended the TWGs, CWG and the SC for their continuous support.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CS is co-chaired by well-respected Nigerians representing the Organised Private Sector in the persons of economist and investment banker, Mr Atedo Peterside and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed for the Public Sector.

Also, the governance structure of the CWG is headed by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and currently Special Adviser to the President on Finance and Economy, Mrs Sarah Alade, and 26 TWGs.

Vanguard

The Amuwo Odofin Local Government (AOLG) on Thursday said it had concluded arrangements  to auction unclaimed and abandoned containers seized by the council after the expiration of the  21 days notice it issued.

The council’s  Vice-Chairman, Mr Olusegun Idris said the containers were seized in order to decongest the area and reduce the crime rate recorded there.

He added that the abandoned containers and trucks made vehicular movement tedious around the Mile 2 and the Industrial Estates, in Amuwo Odofin.

ALSO READ: IPMAN shelves planned shutdown of Anambra

Idris noted that truck drivers had made the roads, lawns and green zones in the area a dumping site for their containers.

“There has been a lot of complaints and petitions from residents in the estate. “They complained of incessant robberies and attacks by hoodlums, people sleeping in the containers and they are so many on the roads.

“The council also could not do the repairs planned for that area,” he said.

ALSO READ: Gov Emmanuel reiterates commitment to developing aviation sector

The vice-chairman said it became necessary to seize the containers after the council had made several appeals to the owners to evacuate them, but all to no avail.

He said the council had decided to auction the containers because its Abule-Ado Area Office, where they were relocated to, was needed for other things.

“We have given them another 21 days notice to come with proof of ownership and claim the containers

“When that time elapses, we will auction the unclaimed ones,” he said.

NAN

Vanguard

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By Donu kogbara

THE endlessly controversial Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, grabs more headlines. But the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, is actually much more important than NDDC in real terms because without the fragile peace that has ensued since the late President Yar’Adua decided to neutralise ex-militants by paying them off, the Nigerian oil industry would be on its knees.

Nextier SPD consultants have prepared a detailed assessment of the PAP. The full report is available on nextierspd.com. I thought I should share the executive summary with Vanguard readers:

Nigeria has continued to lag in human capital and infrastructural development despite being the world’s tenth-largest producer of crude oil and Africa’s largest exporter of petroleum.

READ ALSO Getting farmers adopt good agricultural practice is challenging— Olunowo

The Niger Delta region which harbours these natural resources, like other regions of the country, is marred by youth unemployment, environmental degradation and other forms of socio-economic and political deprivations.

On account of perceived neglect of the region, the area was awash with youth restiveness and criminal violence in much of the late 1990s to late 2000s, posing a huge security threat to lives, livelihoods, environment and critical oil infrastructure.

In the era spanning 2007 to 2009, Nigeria’s oil production was as low as 700,000 barrels per day, bpd, from the daily crude production of 2.2 million previously recorded, leading to estimated loss of more than one million bpd, which as of May 2009 was calculated to be about N8.7 billion or $58 million daily.

The economic losses as well as the deteriorating security situation in the region led to the proclamation of amnesty for militant groups in the region by President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2009.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme was modelled after the United Nation’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration, DDR, interventionist programme. The PAP was adjudged a success for restoring oil production to pre-amnesty level and reducing the scale of insecurity in the region.

The programme supported ex-militants with monthly stipends as well as provided vocational and university education as part of the DDR process. However, 10 years into the programme, there are concerns that the programme has derailed from its original objectives.

Besides the fact that the programme was originally designed to last for five years, today, it appears that the programme has no terminal date in sight. Moreover, it is becoming too expensive to maintain, as well as being marred by corruption, nepotism, prebendal and patrimonial acts.

Between 2010 and 2014, the implementation of the Amnesty programme gulped N243 billion (US$1.68 billion) making this home-grown DDR programme one of the world’s most expensive.

In 2017, the amnesty budget almost tripled, with an additional N30 billion ($98.47 million) being released and an extra N5 billion reportedly added at a later stage. Until 2016 the annual budget was N20 billion.

The report finds that the PAP has succeeded in improving the security situation in the region and putting more than 20,000 beneficiaries through various formal education and vocational training programmes

Like most bureaucratic institutions in the country, the PAP suffers from lack of transparency, consistency and efficient management of resources. It has been characterised by a vision targeted only toward reducing threats to oil production.

Following the not-too-impressive management and implementation of the programme over the last 10 years, especially as it concerns achieving its main objectives, this report, which is based on survey research, reviews the overall performance of the programme, examines challenges which have prevented it from producing optimal results and proposes policy approaches for the transition of the programme.

The report finds that the PAP has succeeded in improving the security situation in the region and putting more than 20,000 beneficiaries through various formal education and vocational training programmes, enterprise development, apprenticeship schemes, and job placement initiatives.

However, there is a growing view that the PAP has overstayed its welcome, even though there is a prevailing attachment to the programme on account that its closure could cause the eruption of more violent agitation from a new crop of militants.

With the overarching goal of the Amnesty programme being security stabilisation as a precondition for intensive socio-economic development of the region, an assessment of the PAP would essentially focus on the effective implementation of the DDR process.

To assess the PAP, it will be necessary to examine it from a number of perspectives. This will be done by assessing the following areas:

• programme performance: which will consider whether implementation is proceeding in accordance with the programme plan and budget;

• programme effectiveness: which will examine whether and to what extent the programme has achieved its objectives, and on what external conditions it depends; and,

• programme efficiency: which will determine whether programme outputs and outcomes were produced in the most economical way or are wasteful.

The approach and method adopted by the team of consultants for this project is a mixed research methodology: literature review of PAP documents and relevant research papers, in-depth/oral interviews for identified key stakeholders in the region, and focus group discussions.

In light of the findings of the assessment of the PAP, this report makes the case for a transition strategy away from PAP as it is currently constituted to another form of mechanism that could foster peace and security, and also address the issue of underdevelopment in the Niger Delta, avoiding the challenges as discussed.

Four main transition options were presented for consideration, highlighting the implications for each of the options. Of the four options listed below, the team of experts advanced arguments while concluding that Option 4 is the most suitable.

Option 1: Closure of programme. Propose a closure process for the programme over a short time frame (about nine months), ensuring that all registered beneficiaries complete their reintegration programme within this period;

Option 2: Devolution of PAP Programme Activities to Federal MDAs. Divesting the PAP activities into the programmes of other federal MDAs;

Option 3: Transforming PAP into an Autonomous Youth Programme which would not be just focused on militant youth but youth as a whole; and,

Option 4: Devolving PAP Activities to State Oil Development Commissions which entails divesting powers from the centreand to agencies of state governments, encouraging more local ownership and supervision.

The following recommendations emanate from the assessment:

• To address this feeling of exclusion from PAP which has made violence a recurring decimal in the Niger Delta, the plight of excluded active youth, women and ravaged communities must be factored into the transition or exit strategy of PAP.

• Corruption needs to be significantly reduced through effective oversight functions, deployment of robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms as well as prosecution and sanctioning of those indicted for corruption.

• Innovative strategies must be used to get jobs for those who have been trained in order to prevent them from relapse into violent crimes in their quest for socioeconomic survival.

• Open up the space for the private, non-oil businesses and not-for-profit sectors to participate in/contribute to the programme.

This broadening of participation will promote the integration of those trained on the programme and also boost acceptability of the programme by international actors.

• Finally, even though poverty alleviation does not fall directly within the remit of PAP, the programme has been expected to have significant impact on the socioeconomic wellbeing and thus livelihood of its beneficiaries.

Food for thought indeed about yet another government initiative that has fallen short of desired outcomes!

Edward Snowden

Seven years after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the mass surveillance of Americans’ telephone records, an appeals court has found the program was unlawful – and that the U.S. intelligence leaders who publicly defended it were not telling the truth.

In a ruling handed down on Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said the warrantless telephone dragnet that secretly collected millions of Americans’ telephone records violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and may well have been unconstitutional.

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Snowden, who fled to Russia in the aftermath of the 2013 disclosures and still faces U.S. espionage charges, said on Twitter that the ruling was a vindication of his decision to go public with evidence of the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping operation.

“I never imagined that I would live to see our courts condemn the NSA’s activities as unlawful and in the same ruling credit me for exposing them,” Snowden said in a message posted to Twitter.

Evidence that the NSA was secretly building a vast database of U.S. telephone records – the who, the how, the when, and the where of millions of mobile calls – was the first and arguably the most explosive of the Snowden revelations published by the Guardian newspaper in 2013.

Up until that moment, top intelligence officials publicly insisted the NSA never knowingly collected information on Americans at all. After the program’s exposure, U.S. officials fell back on the argument that the spying had played a crucial role in fighting domestic extremism, citing, in particular, the case of four San Diego residents who were accused of providing aid to religious fanatics in Somalia.

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U.S. officials insisted that the four – Basaaly Saeed Moalin, Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud, Mohamed Mohamud, and Issa Doreh – were convicted in 2013 thanks to the NSA’s telephone record spying, but the Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday that those claims were “inconsistent with the contents of the classified record.”

The ruling will not affect the convictions of Moalin and his fellow defendants; the court ruled the illegal surveillance did not taint the evidence introduced at their trial. Nevertheless, watchdog groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, which helped bring the case to appeal, welcomed the judges’ verdict on the NSA’s spy program.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for our privacy rights,” the ACLU said in a statement, saying it “makes plain that the NSA’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records violated the Constitution.”

Reuters

Vanguard

By Bashir Bello

The Nigeria Customs Service Kano/Jigawa Command on Thursday says it has generated the sum of over N2billion as Internally Generated Revenue for the month of August.

The Comptroller, Nasir Ahmad who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen said the IGR was the highest of its kind recorded in the command.

Ahmad attributed the success attained to the commitment, resolute and doggedness of his men and officers in the command.

READ ALSO: Customs rakes in N151m from e-auction exercise

The Custom lamented the non-cooperation of some persons and traditional leaders in the border communities whom he said to harbour the smugglers.

According to him, “The main challenges we face is that some traditional leaders at the border communities are supporting their children who are into smuggling and despite all that, we do they will go back to it,” Nasir stated.

Vanguard News Nigeria

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has been caught on a secretly recorded conversation denying rumors of sexual misconduct during a conversation with President Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen, according to reports.

In the recording, obtained by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the two men are purportedly heard discussing how journalists have asked ABC Cuomo’s former employer, if women have made allegations against him, according to the Washington Examiner.

In the recording, Cuomo is allegedly heard saying: “You know, I’m always careful when I talk to media. Do you know how many phone calls I’ve gotten from people at ABC who say that reporters are calling and lying about things they’ve heard about me, to try to get stories about me when I was at ABC?”

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He adds: “Guys calling and saying, ‘I heard he was the Charlie Rose of ABC. He used to invite women to a hotel and open his bathrobe.’ Do I look like the kind of guy who’s gotta do that?”

“Sure, why not?” Cohen allegedly replies.

CBS fired Rose in late 2017 amid sexual misconduct allegations, including claims that he would walk around naked in front of his female staff.

NY Post

Vanguard

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

Mr Abdullahi Abdul, the Enugu State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has called for capacity building workshops on drug management for Drug Control Committee (DCC) members across the states of the federation.


Abdul made the call during a two-day seminar on drug management for the committee members in the state.

The event was organised by the state Ministry of Health in partnership with NDLEA and Bensther Development Foundation.


He said: “It is important for each state of the federation to have a capacity building seminar for the DCC members.

”As a member, the seminar is useful and important in order to reduce and eliminate the menace of drug addiction in our localities.”


Mr Eyeuche Ome, the Principal Staff Officer, Drug Demand Reduction Department of the agency, said that 370,000 people in Enugu were high risk drug users.

He said that all the states in Nigeria had drug addicts of different kinds, including the ones on injection, smoking and ingestion, among others.

READ ALSO: NDLEA destroys 10-hectare cannabis sativa plantation in Kogi

According to him, drug abuse and addiction lead to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV transmission, Hapitaitis, low productivity and others dangerous to health.

Ome further said that inappropriate use of drugs constituted danger to physical, social, economic and legal harm.


He said that drug addicts were faced with incarceration and death sentence upon conviction in some countries.

”In any country, where there is a high risk of drug misuse, there is always the problem of poverty and other atrocities,” he said.


He advised that the rights of drug adicts be respected and that they should not be stigmatised but helped to overcome the addiction.

Also, Mr Nonso Maduka, a pharmacist with the foundation, said that agents of socialisation must be incorporated in the struggle to reduce or eradicate drug abuse.

”Family, school, workplaces, communities and the health sector should be the major target for the prevention of drug abuse,” Maduka said.

He said that the seminar was in line with the global advocacy for better drug policies that prioritise public health and human rights.


”The campaign aims to promote drug policy reform and change of laws and policies, which impede access to harm reduction and intervention,” he said.

Mr Casmir Odo, a Director in the ministry, expressed worry over the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria and the world in general.


Odo said that National Drug Control Master Plan 2017 was intended to strengthen the use of drug, control its abuse as well as its supply and demand.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seminar, which ended on Thursday, was designed to sensitise and mobilise communities in the war against drug abuse in Nigeria.

Vanguard

A 2-Day virtual meeting was held recently on Parental Ethics, Patterns, Requirements, and Approaches for a Successful Sex Education.

The meeting organized by Hope Christopher, a child safety advocate/ personal development coach, and Tessy U. Ozobialu, social worker and child protection advocate, was said to be empowerment for parents to know different ways to make children understand sex education better.

During her session, Hope Christopher said the majority of African parents believe that the best way to prevent a child from sexual immorality is by keeping them in complete ignorance of what the overall meaning is, saying that this perception which has been going for decades, has actually thrown children into the hands of perpetrators, destroyed homes and caused hazards in homes.

Christopher emphasised on how in many homes sexual education is seen as a taboo and how parents shy away from certain activities that would have groomed the child and prevented him from becoming a predator or pedophile or engaging in sexual abuse. Adding that if sex education is put in place, there wouldn’t be a daily occurrence of child sexual abuse.

READ ALSO: Sex education key to ending sex abuse among children – Mothers

Christopher pointed out that attitude in communicating or informing a child is something parents should consciously prepare for, and must also follow some etiquette, approaches, and right modelling for proper education. She added that parents should have the ability to be great teachers to the child, see beyond present defects but should see the positive and focused results.

She encouraged parents to bond with their children, adding, “A child you don’t bond with, you can’t teach and you can’t impart. Bonding helps you to have access to their uniqueness, it helps you know your child very well. Without the right parental patterns, you might end up misusing the process of sex education”. she said.

Vanguard

Health workers in South Africa protested on Wednesday against lacking the protective gear and low salaries as a scathing report revealed the country’s COVID-19 relief fund was misused.

Kimi Makwetu, the auditor general, said there was overpricing and potential fraud. In some cases, protective gear, or PPE, was bought for five times more than the price advised by the national treasury.

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“There are fewer people who are able to monitor and supervise transactions, others who know best take the opportunity,” said Makwetu.

The funds were supposed to procure PPE, help vulnerable households with food parcels, unemployment grants and support small businesses and farmers.

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It comes as a blow to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who vowed to tackle graft left over by his predecessor Jacob Zuma.

South Africa has the most coronavirus cases in Africa and is the sixth-worst hit country in the world.

As of September 2, South Africa has 628 259 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 14 263 deaths, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization.

Africa News

Vanguard

By Gabriel Olawale

The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has commenced mobilisation of organised groups for mass action against the recent “two most painful anti-people’s actions of All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government’s increment in electricity tariff and pump price of fuel”.

CUPP Head of Human Mobilisation Unit/Action Alliance National Chairman, Mr. Kenneth Udeze, said that they have begun to reach out to key labour, civil society, political, ethnic, religious and organised groups.

ALSO READ: CUPP urges respect for protesters’ rights

Udeze said: “These patriotic efforts are geared towards convincing these organisations on the need for national civil action to protest and resist the increasing anti-people’s policies, especially the painful increase in fuel pump price and electricity tariff, coupled with the growing corruption and insecurity that have taken over Nigeria.

“If the consultations yield a positive result, the CUPP Human Mobilisation Unit will be announcing a date for a civil action in collaboration with these organised groups.”

VANGUARD