Afrinvest appoints new Chairman, Director

Leading wealth advisory firm, Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited, has announced the appointment of Dr. Fidelis Nde-Che as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors while Dr. Abdulrahman Sambo has been named a Director of the company.

 

In a statement made available to business reporters, Ike Chioke, Group Managing Director and CEO of Afrinvest said, “we are pleased to announce that Dr. Fidelis Nde-Che has been appointed Chairman of the Afrinvest Board of Directors, following the resignation of our erstwhile Chairman, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.”

 

“Mr. Obaseki, who founded the company in 1995 as Securities Transactions & Trust Company (“SecTrust”) before it was renamed Afrinvest in 2006, resigned his position on the Afrinvest board to pursue his governorship ambition in Edo State. We, at Afrinvest, are truly grateful for the visionary leadership he provided to the firm for over 20years, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavor.”

 

Chioke noted, “Dr. Nde-Che and Dr. Sambo bring with them a wealth of experience to the Afrinvest board. Their sterling reputation and invaluable input on the board will help ensure that Afrinvest maintains its tradition of integrity and service excellence, and significantly boost output in all areas of the company’s business to the benefit of our esteemed clients.”

 

Dr. Fidelis Ndeh-Che is the Founder and Managing Partner of Quanteq Technology Services, Ltd, an Information Technology Consulting and Systems Integration firm based in Abuja. 

He graduated from the City University London, UK with a first class honors degree in Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering in 1992 and went on to obtain his PhD in the same area at the same university in 1996.

 

Between 1996 and 2001, he worked as an Information Technology Consultant participating and playing a leading role in various enterprise technology adoption projects across the United States, South Korea, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Since 2001 he has worked on various enterprise and government transformation projects in Africa, and his interests include business and organizational transformation using ICT, and ICT for development.

 

The newly appointed Director, Dr. Abdulrahman Sambo, holds an M.B.B.S. degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a Master of Health Personnel Education from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.  He also holds a Certificate in Computer Applications and Planning from Appropriate Training Limited, Preston, Lancashire, UK.

 

Dr. Sambo is highly innovative and proactive, and possesses an undisputed experience in the public sector, at both the state and federal levels. Besides being Commissioner for Health in Kaduna State between 1997 and 1999, he has been a member of several governing councils/boards, including the National Identity Management Commission. He also served as Chairman on several committees and projects at the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC. He currently works with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and was the NHIS’ Ag. Executive Secretary from March 2012 to November 2013.

 

Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited is a wealth advisory firm involved in investment banking, securities trading, asset management and investment research with a focus on West Africa.

 

Law Professor calls for revolution in Nigeria

Veteran Law Teacher, Professor Toriola Oyewo, has advocated a revolution as a means to liberate Nigeria from the yoke of corruption and other social ills that are now struggling to destroy Nigeria, sooner than later.

Professor  Oyewo lamented that despite the beauty of the economic objectives of Nigeria as enshrined in the subsisting constitution, factors like corruption, injustice, illiteracy and gross inequality, still pervade the system, thereby obliterating  sustainable good governance.

In a paper titled: "The Nigerian 1999 Economic Policy and Objective, an unfulfilled mission of expectation", delivered at a Law Seminar of the Bola Ajibola College of Law, Crescent University, Abeokuta, the septuagenarian law professor and dean of the college, was irked  with the operators of Nigerian constitution, saying: "they have woefully failed to make the economic objectives of the state work as designed."

Section 16 of the Nigeria Constitution, Professor Oyewo pointed out, provides for the state to control the resources of the nation in such a way as to promote national prosperity for every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity, to control the national economy in such a manner as to secure maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity,and the state to protect the right of every citizen to engage in any economic activities outside the major sectors of the economy.

Regrettably, however, the erudite jurist lamented that as laudable as these provisions were,it's achievement has become "a pye in the sky or a sciciphean task", turning Nigeria into a derisive  nation of selfish, corrupt, vissionless and inept leaders, for which there is need for urgent change in the paradigm of governance.

Professor Oyewo then recommended that:

    * Since inequality is a potential threat to national security, the government should try as much as possible to move towards  the direction of welfare state which makes adequate provisions for alleviating poverty at all levels and which is our economic primary objective.

    * In order to promote government and welfare of all persons as envisaged by its economic objective, government must make chapter II of all principles of state policy justiciable like South African Constitution. This will allow any person to sue the government when there is any possible breach of the chapter.

   * Our leaders must realise that as long as poverty, poor living conditions, illiteracy,  injustice and gross irregularity persists in Nigeria, none of us can truly rest, and insecurity will be a hard nut to crack, or despicable disaster to overcome or eradicate.

    * Late South African leader, Mandela, who did not covet power and left a legacy of quality leadership,selfless service and people oriented  government, should be emulated by our leaders.

When one synchronizes the parameters of the dreaded evils of our government and the denied expectations of the governed, Professor Oyewo, opined, one is left with no other option than to call for a revolution, the kind that has transformed the neighbouring state of Ghana.

by VillageNetwork Reporter, Abeokuta

Nigeria's Senate President Saraki Used Carlisle To Acquire Property For Himself, Witness Tells CCT

Prosecution witness Michael Wetkas today told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja that Senate President Bukola Saraki used Carlisle Property and Investment Company Limited to acquire a property located at Plot 2482 Cadastral Zone A6 Maitama Abuja.   He made this revelation during cross-examination by defence counsel Paul Usoro in the resumed corruption trial of the Senate President before the Code of Conduct tribunal in Abuja Prosecution witness Michael Wetkas today told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja that Senate President Bukola Saraki used Carlisle Property and Investment Company Limited to acquire a property located at Plot 2482 Cadastral Zone A6 Maitama Abuja.   He made this revelation during cross-examination by defence counsel Paul Usoro in the resumed corruption trial of the Senate President before the Code of Conduct tribunal in Abuja. Wetkas explained that the property was acquired by the defendant through a company in which he stated in his asset declaration forms he had substantial and controlling shares.      Answering questions from journalists at the end of the day’s proceedings, prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs explained that counts 6-9 of the charges against Saraki deal with that same property. He further reflected on the practice of using a company that is performing no work as a vehicle for acquiring property, only for the perpetrator to claim that the company is different from himself. “Is it done anywhere?” he asked rhetorically.  “And you refused to declare those things, and (yet) you declared some that you bought in the name of Carlisle Property and Investment Company Limited. You said, yes I own this property but in the name of Carlisle but you did not declare it, and we are saying you did not declare these properties, so you are now saying that properties are different.  If they are different, why did you declare (some) in the name of Carlisle Property and Investment Company Limited?” The prosecuting counsel made clear that at the end of the day, these the issues the court will decide.  Mr. Usoro had argued that the property in question was acquired by Carlisle, but not by defendant, as the prosecution asserts. When asked about the delay tactics being employed by the defence counsel, Mr. Jacobs described the strategy as “unfortunate”. "I have never seen a situation where a witness will be called and be cross-examined by three counsels representing only one defendant,” he stated, noting that Wednesday was the 10th day of the cross-examination of just that single witness. He declared that the foot-dragging tactics were aimed at extending the proceedings for as long as possible to enable him Mr. Saraki to continue to enjoy his office as Senate president, a situation that has been called into question by the charges he is facing.                          He ridiculed the defence counsel for asking the witness to read through documents, including those for which he was not responsible.  “Is that the purpose of cross-examination?” he queried. Mr. Jacobs was alluding to Mr. Wekas being asked to read through a lengthy letter from the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) that had been sent to the investigation team.   The witness was also asked to read another letter from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.                                                    Mr. Saraki has continued to use such delays to slow down his trial, with Mr. Usoro asking questions that lack relevance to the issues under consideration. Saraki has, however, relied on the permission of the court to make use of his large legal team to cross-examine the prosecution witness.                                        The court adjourned to a continuation of the trial to Wednesday, May 30.      

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Industrial Court Restrains NLC,TUC From Going On Strike

The President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice Babatunde Adeniran Ademjumo early today granted an interim order restraining the Nigeria Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress(TUC) from embarking on indefinite strike slated for tomorrow to protest a hike in the price of petrol.

Presiding over lawsuit No.NICN/ABJ/179/2016 between Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Labor Congress and Trade Union Congress the judge granted an interim order of injunction restraining the Defendants/Respondents, their agents, privies, employees, workmen, or servants from embarking on industrial action, demonstrating or engaging in any action that may disrupt the economic activities of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The Federal Government was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN; Okoi Obono Obla, Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, and Dayo Apata, Director of Civil Litigation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The Attorney General of the Federation submitted that if the reliefs sought in the motion paper is refused, irreparable damage will be done to the country's national economy, security and corporate existence. 

He further submitted that the defendants having threatened to shut down the country have to be restrained otherwise there will be a breakdown of law and order.

In his ruling, early today Justice Adejumo held that he has jurisdiction to hear the application and that having read through the affidavits in support of the application, he is satisfied that a case of urgency has been established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to warrant the grant of an interim order of injunction.

He said the threats of the defendants as contained in the communique issued by the NLC on  May 15 to shut down all banks; airports, seaports, government offices, markets nationwide has proven that there is a res to be protected.

CIVIL SOCIETY GROUP URGES NLC,TUC TO SHELVE PLANNED STRIKE

A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to shelve their proposed nationwide strike over the increase in the price of petrol.

This was contained in a statement issued on yesterday, in Abuja, signed by Tosin Adeyanju, Executive Director, Conscience Nigeria, for the group which declared that embarking on strike would do more harm than good to the country’s economy.

He listed some members of the collation supporting deregulation of the oil sector as Stand up Nigeria, Centre for Leadership Development (CPALD), National Youth Council of Nigeria and Arise Nigeria.

“We all know the implication that will arise as a result of this sudden change,” the statement read.

“We must endure this phase in order for our country to survive these present economic realities that are very obvious.

“We equally appeal on the NLC and other civil society colleagues to shelve the proposed nationwide strike and engage the government.

“We want NLC to engage government on the need to create immediate palliatives to cushion the effect of this policy instead of worsening the already bad economy of the country.

“If our country is shut down as proposed, billions of naira will be lost and the country will suffer for it in the long run

“The new phase of deregulation championed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources is worthy of commendation after many years of monumental corruption in subsidy regime.

“No nation can move forward without liberalization or deregulation of its critical economic sector like ours as it was done in the telecommunication sector.

“About 80 percent of our country’s revenue comes from oil proceeds and as the global economic meltdown continues, there is need for this to take place if we must be taken seriously in the comity of nations.

“Therefore, the step taken by the minister to deregulate this critical sector is the best at this material time.”

The Will

NEW CIVIL AVIATION REGULATION TAKES EFFECT FROM JULY

The new Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) promulgated in December, 2015, will take effect from 1st July, 2016.

This was contained in a Circular Ref: NCAA/DG/AOL/21/16/01 sent to all Airline Operators last month.

Whilst all operators are in possession of the copies of the Regulations, the interregnum between April and the commencement date is a permissible transitional period. During this time, all stakeholders are expected to acquaint themselves with the contents therein for seamless implementation.

The process of review was set in motion to align Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) with recent International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) amendments and industry observations received by the Authority.

In other words, the reviewed Nig.CARs is to ensure a completion of the Annexes. Provisions have therefore been made for economic and consumer protection regulations – that were hitherto not incorporated in the 2009 edition.

In addition, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) decided on the review to standardise the operational procedures, implementation and enforcement in the industry.

All these have been done in conformity with the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as contained in the Annexes to the Chicago Convention.

The new Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2015 has 19 parts comprising General Policies and Definitions; Personnel Licensing; Aviation Training Organisations; Registration and Marketing;Airworthiness;Approved Maintenance Organisations; Instrument and Equipment;Operations;Air Operator Certification and Administration and Commercial Air Transport by Foreign Air Carrier within Nigeria.

Others are Commercial Aircraft Operations used for Specialised Services (Aerial Works); Aerodrome Regulations; Air Navigation Services; Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air; Environmental Protection Regulations; Aviation Security and Offences.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) wishes to enjoin all Airline Operators of Nigeria and all stakeholders to ensure total and sustained adherence to the reviewed Regulations. Any breach would be met with the stipulated sanctions.

 

FULL TEXT OF THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE OF NLC &TUC ON HIKE IN FUEL PUMP PRICE

RED ALERT: LABOUR ON 'WAR' PATH WITH FG OVER HIKE IN FUEL PRICE

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and the Tade Union Congress have given the federal government an ultimatum to revert to the previous price of petrol by Tuesday next week or face indefinite strike from workers.

Addressing the press after it’s National Working Committee meeting in Abuja, NLC leaders also urged Nigerians to stockpile food ahead of the protest against fuel subsidy removal.

The NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other Civil Society Organisations at the end of the crucial meeting issued a joint communique warning of impending strike.

The emergency meeting debated extensively the implications of government’s unilateral increase in prices of petroleum products, noting government’s disinclination for consultation on issues of public interest and its obsession with protecting product marketers at the expense of the Nigerian public.

The meeting expressed concern about government’s neo-liberal policies which it considered a betrayal of its electioneering promises and observed  as follows:

During the electioneering campaign last year, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ),  Muhammadu  Buhari, had promised  that, if elected president, he would not remove fuel subsidy if there was any at all;

After his election, President Muhammadu Buhari had maintained that there was no subsidy in the petroleum product price regime and that even if there was, he did not see how its removal would be beneficial to  the ordinary Nigerian, noting that the slightest product price adjustment often leads to inflationary spiral and unimaginable suffering for the people;

On January 18, 2016, the government further allayed the fears of the Nigerian people by  reducing the pump price of PMS to N86:50, explaining that the reduction was in furtherance of the implementation of the revised component of the Petroleum Products Pricing for PMS and kerosene;

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu had been speaking from both sides of his mouth. Whereas last year, he had strongly canvassed for the removal of “subsidy” in defiance of President Buhari, about a month ago, he claimed the subsidy had been removed through his ingenuity and that Nigeria was saving  $1billion from this process;

Organized Labour wondered what has informed government’s sudden and dangerous policy summersault and its desperate attempt to convince the public that Labour was part of the decision that led to this price increase;

In view of the fact that the board of the Petroleum Products Pricing  Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), which is statutorily vested with powers  to recommend prices,  has not been reconstituted, the price variation  announced by any officer of the agency  or outside the agency is not only ultra vires and illegal, it is a criminal imposition on the citizenry;

The price hike from N86:50 to N145,  representing 67.63% increase, is the height of insensitivity and impunity as there  was no previous consultation with stake holders, especially the organized labour, or any justification for this reckless decision other than the fact that government believes it is accountable to no one;

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources declared that marketers will have to source their dollars from the secondary market. The attendant pressure on the dollar will lead to an unimaginable rise in prices of commodities and other services thus creating further hardship for the people. Due to the volatility of the black market, organized labour doubts that government would be able to maintain PMS pump price at N145 per litre were the hike acceptable or justifiable.

At the time the PMS pump price was fixed at N145, the exchange rate at the black market was N320 to the Naira. Between Wednesday and today when the new pump price was announced,  the Naira has further crashed against the dollar, first to N340 on Thursday,  then N365 on Friday morning and N385 by close of business on Friday, all in 48 hours! At this rate, we believe it will not take long before the Naira becomes entirely useless against the dollar. It is thus morally and economically suicidal to have tied the importation of products to the secondary market exchange rate;

Given the fact that in the past five years, there has been no increase in salaries or wages or pensions  in the face of devaluations, spiralling inflation and other vagaries of the economy, this product price increase is unrealistic, unaffordable, unacceptable and is thus rejected;

Government is unable to justify this price increase other than the puerile explanation that marketers need to recover their costs, without a thought for the aggregate or  larger national interest including the need for local refining and creation of jobs;

The government has remained incalcitrant  in spite of a subsisting court injunction on the issue of the criminal increase in  electricity tariff even in the face of ever-worsening power supply situation;

From the foregoing, it is evident that the neo-liberal forces in the government have taken over the government, and we should expect more inhumane policies which will further degrade the living standard of the average Nigerian. The punitive electricity tariff and PMS product prices may just be teasers;

The implications are costly and far-reaching, with the first and most significant being that we have become dependent on the massive importation of refined products to meet our domestic needs in contra-distinction to other OPEC members. Whereas most OPEC members significantly meet their domestic needs through domestic refining by an average of 80 per cent, Nigeria on the contrary, at the pace it is going, will continue to rely on about 90 percent of imported refined products in the foreseeable future;

And because we are dependent on importation, the end-user price  will always be influenced or determined by external factors such as the cost of refining abroad, transportation and others denominated in the dollar. As the Naira continues to depreciate against the dollar, so will the woes of consumers in Nigeria continue to increase, a situation the Marketers in classic greed will exploit to their advantage;

Taking into account the utilitarian value of petroleum products in Nigeria, all sectors are going to be negatively affected by this mindless price increase as virtually all the stakeholders are agreed that the most significant contributor to the astronomical cost of doing business in Nigeria is the cost of energy.

NLC, TUC, and other civil society allies are not unaware of the positions taken by the Unions in the Oil and Gas Industry. A process of engagement will be put in place to ensure the success of the struggle to protect the overall interest of the Nigerian people.

In consideration of all of the above, we urge government to:

Revert to the old price regime to reduce the suffering of the people and to consider this singular act of mindless pump price increase as a betrayal of trust; Revert to the pre-45 percent electricity tariff increase, make meters available to consumers and stop estimated billing; Reconstitute  the boards of PPPRA and NNPC without further delay and give them their statutory right to function alongside DPR in order to deepen the process of consultation, checks and balances in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry;

Intensify the prosecution of all those involved in subsidy scams with a view to recovery and sanctioning of the culpable;

Put in place enhanced local refining capacity within a specified period  in place of endless importation as an enduring solution to the perennial problem of scarcity;

Reverse the entire deregulation and privatization process which foists on the nation, private individuals as drivers of the economy in contravention of the constitutional provision that says government shall be the driver of the  economy and engage the organised labour in the process of negotiation on key policy issues;

Wean itself from the overbearing influence of the neo-liberal elements in its fold who have not  only staged a coup but are determined to make this government collapse even before  the end of its four-year tenure;

Uphold its electioneering promises to Nigerians   instead of subjecting them to the vagaries of slavish policies such as full devaluation of the naira and total removal of  subsidy as enunciated by the IMF and its agents in the system;

In the event government fails to accede to these demands on or before 12 midnight on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and their civil society allies resolve to commence the following actions with effect from Wednesday, May 18, 2016;

·Mobilize to the streets across the country, ordinary and helpless Nigerians to whom they owe the duty of protection;

·Shut down all Banks, Sea and Airports, Government and private offices as well as Markets.

·Commence indefinite nationwide strike action.

·Fight/resist the machinations and cruelties of the neo-liberal forces in the government as part of the process of saving the government from itself and the generality of Nigerians from slavery.

Nigerian are therefore advised to stock sufficient food items that will last for a while for the prosecution of the current struggle against neo-liberal agenda in Nigeria.

The communique was endorsed for and on behalf of Nigeria Workers, Civil society allies, and the Masses, by Comrade Ayuba Wabba,President, NLC and Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, President, TUC.

FG SCRAPS FUEL SUBSIDY; PETROL NOW N145 PER LITER

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and GMD of the NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has announced in a briefing on Wednesday evening at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that petrol will sell at the limit of N145 per liter.

According to a text of the briefing, Kachikwu said: “We have just finished a meeting of various stakeholders presided over by His Excellency, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The meeting had in attendance the Leadership of the Senate, House of Representatives, Governors Forum, and Labour Unions (NLC, TUC, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN).

The meeting reviewed:

1. The current fuel scarcity and supply difficulties in the country.

2. The exorbitant prices being paid by Nigerians for the product. These prices range on the average from N150 to N250 per litre currently.

3. The meeting also noted that the main reason for the current problem is the inability of importers of petroleum products to source foreign exchange at the official rate due to the massive decline of foreign exchange earnings of the federal government. As a result, private marketers have been unable to meet their approximate 50% portion of total national supply of PMS.

Following a detailed presentation by the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, it has now become obvious that the only option and course of action now open to the government is to take the following decisions:

1. In order to increase and stabilise the supply of the product, any Nigerian entity is now free to import the product, subject to existing quality specifications and other guidelines issued by Regulatory Agencies.

2. All Oil Marketers will be allowed to import PMS on the basis of FOREX procured from secondary sources and accordingly PPPRA template will reflect this in the pricing of the product.

Pursuant to this, PPPRA has informed me that it will be announcing a new price band effective today, 11th May, 2016 and that the new price for PMS will not be above N145 per litre.

We expect that this new policy will lead to improved supply and competition and eventually drive down pump prices, as we have experienced with diesel. In addition, this will also lead to increased product availability and encourage investments in refineries and other parts of the downstream sector. It will also prevent diversion of petroleum products and set a stable environment for the downstream sector in Nigeria.

We share the pains of Nigerians but, as we have constantly said, the inherited difficulties of the past and the challenges of the current times imply that we must take difficult decisions on these sorts of critical national issues. Along with this decision, the federal government has in the 2016 budget made an unprecedented social protection provision to cushion the current challenges.

We believe in the long term, that improved supply and competition will drive down prices.

The DPR and PPPRA have been mandated to ensure strict regulatory compliance including dealing decisively with anyone involved in hoarding petroleum products.”

FRSC TO IMPOUND EXPIRED &SUB-STANDARD TYRES

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Monday said it would hence forth impound vehicles with expired and substandard tyres in the country. 

The FRSC Corps Marshal ,Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, made this known at the Stakeholders’ Forum on Tyres with the theme `‘Promoting Safe Tyre use in Nigeria’’.

The forum was organised by the FRSC in Abuja. Oyeyemi said that all the crashes the commission had recorded from February 2016 till date had been tyre-related. He said that this could be attributed to the ignorance in the use and management of tyres by most drivers. “We are going to start impounding any vehicle that has expired or substandard tyre and then we will arrange for the continuous journey of the passengers. That’s the new method to preserve lives.

“ This is going to be done without fine but the driver will use money to go and buy genuine tyres with receipt before he would be allowed to continue his journey. “Enough is enough to this. We need to take stringent actions as soon as possible to save more lives. “Nigerians will have to choose between life and death. “Its either you use a fake or substandard tyre and then with the temperature of 41 degrees have a tyre blow out and a life is lost or you buy a genuine tyre and play safe.

“New tyres are not so costly: with N11, 000 now you can get a new tyre, whereas these fairly used tyres cost between N5, 000 and N6, 000: the choice is yours “ Oyeyemi urged Nigerians not to put their lives at risk and consider the fact that life has no replacement and could not be bought with money. “You can buy tyres, vehicles can be replaced but lives can’t be replaced. The choice is yours, but on our part, we have decided that no vehicle can move forward with substandard tyre,’’ he said.

He said that the support of the government and the private sector was needed in order for Nigeria to go back to having tyre plants. He said that the control of tyres coming into the country was made difficult as there were no longer tyre manufacturing companies in the country. Oyeyemi said that there was, therefore, the need to encourage local production of tyres.

He appealed to the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), to explore how tyre manufacturing plants could be brought back to life. He said that the FRSC had been raising alarm on fake tyres since the Dunlop and Michelin tyre plants were shut down in Nigeria. This, he said, had led to people patronising bad tyres which in turn increased the rate of road crashes.

He said this was because of ignorance of drivers and non compliance with instructions on tyre. Oyeyemi said many of the local vulcanizers use improperly calibrated measuring tools while some lack knowledge on the accurate gauge of each tyre. 

Also speaking at the forum, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing decried the incessant cases of tyre blowout resulting in fatal crashes in the country.

Fashola, who was represented by Mr Abubakar Magaji, Permanent
Secretary of the ministry, said there were over 250 brands of tyres in use in Nigeria.

He said that over 20 per cent of the entire vehicle population and 40 per cent of the commercial vehicles in the country use mixed tyre brands which was a threat to road safety in the country. The minister said that public awareness on tyres was very low while the maintenance culture among the people was poor, thereby increasing the level of vulnerability of the vehicles to tyre-related crashes.

“It is also our hope that with the efforts being made by government to create conducive business environment for foreign investments, tyre manufacturing companies would be encouraged to invest heavily in the country. ‘’ He urged road transporters to avoid patronising fake and expired tyres, but make issues of safety uppermost in their minds.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, said of recent, the nation had been exposed to cases of frequent road carnages due to expiration, inappropriate inflation or wrong use of tyres. Lawal said as a responsible government, this administration would no longer tolerate senseless destruction of lives and property on the roads through use of tyres that were fake, expired or non-conducive to our environment.

He called on all tyre manufacturing companies which relocated from Nigeria over the years due to harsh economic environment in the country to come back because things are now better.

FORMER GOVERNOR OF AKWA IBOM NABBED BY EFCC OVER INVOLVEMENT IN $115m Scandal

Indonesia Nkanga, the accused.

Mr Idongesit Nkanga has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – His arrest is in connection with an alleged involvement in a $115million scandal involving Diezani Alison-Madueke – Nkanga reportedly collected four hundred and fifty million naira (N450,000,000) 

The former Military Administrator of Akwa Ibom state and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is accused of N450,000,000( Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira only) from the sleazy $115million deposited by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, with Fidelity Bank Plc. 

Former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Idongesit Nkanga arrested by EFCC for involvement in $115million poll bribery scandal. 

According to Premium Times, Mr Nkanga, a retired air commodore was arrested in Port- Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Monday, May 9. Sources said Nkanga allegedly collected the money in two tranches, from one Saint-Anthony Ejiowu, a staff of Fidelity Bank in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital. 

The first tranche of the money – N350,000,000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Million Naira only) was paid to the politician on March 27, 2015, the sources revealed. 

Nkanga allegedly received the second tranche of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira only) on March 31, 2015. “He is in the custody of the EFCC and would be charged to court soon,” .

Former minister confesses The EFCC arrested the former governor just as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, assured Nigerians that the Commission will cooperate with the anti-graft agency in regarding its personnel named in the scandal. According to a statement by the commission’s Director, Voters’ Education and Publicity, Oluwole Ozaze-Uzzi on Monday, Mr. Yakubu gave the assurance during a meeting with editors in Lagos. 

“Whatever level of cooperation any of the agencies requires of the Commission, we will give that level of cooperation because it is also in a bid to sanitize the system,” Mr. Yakubu was quoted as saying. “I hope also it (investigation) will extend to the givers not just the takers so that there will be collective sanity. 

Whoever violates the law of this land and there are questions to answer, the person should answer, the person should bear his own cross. “All the staff that are fingered are individuals. It is not a collective institutional thing. 

They should go and answer for what they have alleged to have done.” Some staff of the electoral body were alleged to have received a cumulative N23 billion in bribe from Mrs. Alison-Madueke, through Fidelity Bank. 

Prominent among the accused INEC staff were Gesila Khan, the Resident Electoral Commissioner who had earlier been arrested by the State Security Service over allegations of inducement to rig elections in Rivers State; and Uluochi Obi Brown (INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State), former Deputy Director of INEC in Cross River state, Edem Okon Effanga, and the Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo. 

Also under investigation is retired INEC official, Sani Isa, who allegedly collected bribe on behalf of the deceased Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano State, Mukaila Abdullahi. 

Also two unnamed former INEC chiefs were said to have participated in aiding the flow of the bribe money. 

The alleged bribery scandal involved bank chiefs, including Sterling Bank Chief Executive, Yemi Adeola, the removed Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo and Access Bank Managing Director, Hubert Wigwe, who allegedly assisted Mrs. Alison-Maduekwe in laundering part of the fund which was allegedly handed to INEC staff in a plot to influence outcomes of the 2015 presidential poll. 

The integrity of the elections in the South-South region, particularly Rivers State, has been questioned by many organisations, including foreign observers and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) whose report claimed results in the oil-rich region were inflated. 

A citizen group, Enough is Enough, last week filed a Freedom of Information request asking EFCC to disclose identities of the former INEC chiefs, all the electoral staff and civil society organizations involved in the alleged bribery. 

Following investigation of the Investigation the poll bribery scandal, operatives of the EFCC found out that $115m (N23.29b) came from proceeds of stolen crude oil. 

The said money was allegedly used as a bribe for officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to alter the results of the 2015 presidential election. 

Speaking with The Nation on Monday, May 2, a top EFCC official who pleaded for anonymity said: “Our operatives have discovered that the $115 million came from stolen crude oil. 

They got it from former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke. “We will uncover how they came about the stolen crude oil and those used to siphon the oil in order to deny the nation of revenue.”

Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency has reportedly frozen all the accounts of top officials of the INEC and oil chiefs implicated in the poll bribery scandal. 

According to another source, the EFCC is preparing for the arraignment of some suspects, including top banking officials and some owners of oil companies. 

Charges might also be preferred against Alison-Madueke, who is believed to be central to the coordination of the huge bribe given to INEC officials. 

Naija.com


 

US considering selling Nigeria attack planes to help in Boko Haram fight

The United States is considering selling Nigeria ground attack planes to help fight Boko Haram rebels, officials said at the weekend.

Nigeria’s Western allies have vowed to assist the West African giant in its fight against the brutal Islamist group, but have been cautious of providing arms to troops regularly accused of extrajudicial killings.

Washington is now, however, contemplating selling Nigeria a dozen A-29 Super Tucano ground attack planes of the type US contractors have supplied to Afghanistan to help it strike Taliban guerrillas.

US officials would not publicly confirm the plan, as it has not been formally approved or explained to Congress, but said Washington is looking for ways to help President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Washington has longstanding concerns about Nigeria’s rights record and the government is prevented by law, under a 1997 amendment authored by Senator Patrick Leahy, from arming units that act with impunity.

“We are committed to implementing the letter and spirit of the Leahy Law, and will not provide assistance to any unit for which there is credible information of a gross violation of human rights,” a senior administration official told AFP.

“We provide training and other assistance to numerous Nigerian security force units not implicated in human rights violations and we believe that assistance has and will have a significant impact on Nigeria’s fight to defeat Boko Haram.”

Buhari, a former military dictator, was elected to the Nigerian presidency last year, replacing the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, whose government was widely derided as incompetent and corrupt.

Since Buhari came to office, the United States has sought new ways to help out in the struggle against Boko Haram, but has proceeded cautiously because of the Nigerian military’s reputation for brutality.

“As a matter of policy, we do not comment on proposed US defense sales or transfers until they have been formally notified to Congress,” said David McKeeby, spokesman for the State Department’s bureau of political-military affairs.

“Nigeria is a strategic partner of the United States and we continue to work closely together on security matters,” he said.

“We provide a range of assistance to Nigerian authorities, including advisors, intelligence, training, survivor support services and advice on strategic communications.”

Boko Haram’s insurgency began in northeast Nigeria and has spread to parts of neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon—where French and US forces have been more active in helping local armies fight the rebels.

More than 20,000 people have been killed since fighting began in 2009, many of them in large-scale slaughters of civilians by insurgents, but some in heavy-handed military operations.

Mail&Guardian

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PRESIDENT BUHARI SIGNS 2016 BUDGET INTO LAW

President Muhammadu Buhari this morning signed the 2016 appropriation bill into law.

The record 6 trillion budget is expected to stimulate the nation’s slowing economy which took a hit as the price of crude oil, Nigeria’s main export, collapsed in the global market.

Before today’s signing, the President and the National Assembly had been at loggerheads over the budget.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE SIGNING OF THE 2016 APPROPRIATION BILL INTO LAW ON FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016, ABUJA:

It gives me great pleasure today to sign the first full-year budget of this administration into law.  I thank the leadership of the National Assembly, in particular, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and indeed all members of the National Assembly for their cooperation in making this a reality.

The budget is intended to signpost a renewal of our commitment to restoring the budget as a serious article of faith with the Nigerian people. This Administration is committed to ensuring that henceforth the annual appropriation bill is presented to the National Assembly in time for the passage of the Act before the beginning of the fiscal year.

Through the 2016 budget, aptly titled “Budget of Change’’, the government seeks to fulfill its own side of the social contract. The Budget I have signed into law provides for aggregate expenditures of N6.06trn. Further details of the approved budget, as well as our Strategic Implementation Plan for the 2016 budget, will be provided by the Honourable Minister of Budget and National Planning.

I shall be speaking in more details about the Budget, its implementation and the over-all national economic and social policies of the Government in my address on May 29th, God willing.

In designing the 2016 budget, we made a deliberate choice to pursue an expansionary fiscal policy despite the huge decline in government revenues from crude oil exports. This is why we decided to enlarge the budget deficit at this time, to be financed principally through foreign and domestic borrowings.  All borrowings will however be applied towards growth-enhancing capital expenditures.

The signing of the budget today will trigger concerted efforts to reflate the Nigerian economy, a key element of which is an immediate injection of N350bn into the economy by way of capital projects. To illustrate our renewed commitment to infrastructural development, the 2016 budget allocates over N200bn to road construction as against a paltry N18bn allocated for same purpose in the 2015 budget.

Despite the current difficulties we will work extra-hard to achieve our revenue projections. Our revenue generating agencies are coming under better management and are being re-oriented. The implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) is expected to contribute significantly to improving transparency over government revenues.

Our determined fight against corruption is resulting in improvements in the quality of public expenditure. The work of the Efficiency Unit, as well as other public financial management initiatives, are also contributing in this regard. The continuing efforts to reduce recurrent expenditures should hopefully free up more funds for capital expenditure in 2017 and beyond.

As I said in my New Year message, living in State House does not in any way alienate me from your daily struggles. I read the newspapers and listen to the TV and radio news. I hear your cries. I share your pains.

We are experiencing probably the toughest economic times in the history of our Nation. I want to commend the sacrifice, resilience and toughness of all Nigerians young and old who have despite the hardships continued to have hope and confidence of a great future for Nigerians. But permit me to say that this government is also like none other. We are absolutely committed to changing the structure of the Nigerian economy once and for all.

We are working  night and day to diversify the economy so that we never again have to rely on one commodity to survive as a country. So that we can produce the food we eat, make our own textiles, produce most of the things we use. We intend to create the environment for our young peoples to be able to innovate and create jobs through technology.

I cannot promise you that this will be an easy journey, but in the interest of so much and so many we must tread this difficult path.  I can assure you that this government you have freely elected will work with honesty and dedication, day and night to ensure that our country prospers and that the prosperity benefits all Nigerians. God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.

FAAN IS COMMITTED TO BEQUITTING BEST TERMINALS TO AIRPORT USERS

The Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria FAAN Engr Saleh Dunoma says the agency is working towards getting the best terminals for airport users across the country.

Speaking with aviation correspondents shortly after commissioning the aviation white house constructed by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association ATSSSAN  as part of activities marking the May Day celebration, Dunoma said a lot has been done to improve on safety of both the airlines and passengers at airports.

According to the FAAN boss, work on the air side has in some airports have  been completed which can be attested by the pilots that use the facilities.

Dunoma explained that passengers will soon start experiencing better facilities as soon as the new terminals were put into use noting that work has reached advanced stage.

On the construction of cargo airports in some designated States, the FAAN boss explained that some equipment for the cargo airports have arrived but for paucity of funds it has slow down the pace of work.

He assured that the agency will commence work by prioritizing six of those cargo airports by completing them as soon as fund was available stressing that the revenue generated from the airports will be channeled to complete others.

On the Labour management relationship, Engr Dunoma commended Labour for the peaceful Co existence between them.

He congratulated ATSSSAN on the great feat by erecting the edifice and pledged his support towards the development of the Union.

On debts owed the agency by various organizations, Dunoma said both FAAN and agencies involved were discussing with a view to ensuring that the debts were paid. 

N12.5b indebtedness controversy: Arik owes us not FAAN, says Bi-Courtney

The controversy surrounding the indebtedness of Arik to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has taken a new twist as Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2), Lagos, yesterday claimed that Arik Air’s alleged N12.5 billion indebtedness, which led to the disruption of its operations in Lagos and Abuja by aviation workers on Wednesday, 20th April 2016 was indeed part of Bi-Courtney’s legitimate revenue that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) continued to appropriate despite several legal pronouncements.

In a statement by the company's Chief Operations Officer, Ms Adebisi Awoniyi, she noted that:"Members of the public will recall that the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NAUTE), FAAN branch, had prevented Arik from carrying out its domestic operations at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Lagos and the Nnamdi AzikweInternational Airport, Abuja, during the impasse".

"We want the public, particularly relevant stakeholders, to notethat the country’s law recognises Bi-Courtney as the genuine owner of GAT, thus, making FAAN’s continuous operation of the terminal illegal and a clear violation of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. FAAN however, continues to defy the laws of the land. It has openly and recklessly denied our company 60 per cent of its revenue by its continuous illegal operation of the GAT as a competing terminal to MMA2 even after an Arbitration Panel, a Court of Law and an Appeal Court had ruled in our favour."

Awoniyi therefore affirmed that, all revenues, such as Passenger Processing Charge, space rental, fuel surcharge and others, which FAAN had been collecting and continues to collect from its unlawful operation of the GAT, including the N12.5 billion in contention between FAAN and Arik Air, belonged to Bi-Courtney.

"The implication of this is that both FAAN and Arik Air are indeed fighting over monies that lawfully belong to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited.

"We also wish to categorically confirm that all the airlines operating at the GAT are actively involved in FAAN’s act of illegality, because they are all aware of the position of the law in respect of the ownership of the terminal. It was, therefore,shocking to hear the Managing Director of Arik Air, Mr. Chris Ndulue, in an interview, in THIS DAY of Friday, April 29, titled, “Ndulue: Charges on Airlines should be done Transparently”, accuse FAAN of disregarding specific orders of the court and perpetrating acts of illegality against his company.

"It was indeed surprising to hear Arik Air, which had hithertosupported FAAN in all the latter’s obvious injustice towards Bi-Courtney and outright disobedience to court orders, complaining and now turning round to accuse the same FAAN of arbitrariness and disdain for the rule of law. One wonders what went wrong with the romance of the two.

"We also find interesting the claim by Ndulue in the same interview that “Arik Air continues to have confidence in the court even if FAAN does not have confidence in the court. Arik Air remains committed to adhering to principles of the rule of law”. If Ndulue’s claim was true, Arik Air would have conformed to the court judgment that affirmed Bi-Courtney’s ownership of the GAT, especially after the appeal filed on its behalf by Ojemaie Holdings against the judgment failed. Rather, it continued to support and encourage FAAN’s acts of illegality.It can only mean Arik Air is very selective in its understanding of the principles of the rule of law and court orders. 

"What Ndulue said in his interview can be classified only as mere rhetoric. It is our hope that this development will serve as a wake-up call to other airlines, service providers and businesses operating at the GAT to the risk they are exposing themselves to due to their continued recognition of FAAN as the operator of the terminal, despite the well-publicised position of the nation’s law on the matter.

It is public knowledge that the various court judgments on the issue, including the arbitration panel, which first adjudicated the dispute between Bi-Courtney and FAAN, on the terms of the concession agreement for the reconstruction and operation of MMA2, “unambiguously affirmed Bi-Courtney’s ownership of the GAT. There is a subsisting judgment of N132 billion in favour of Bi-Courtney, which FAAN has refused to honour due to its blatant disregard for the laws of Nigeria. This judgment was obtained in 2012. This amount four years on would have increased.

Particular judgments confirming the owner of GAT as Bi-Courtney include the 2009 ruling of Justice J. Chikere of the Abuja Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CJ/50/2009. The same judgment was reaffirmed in a ruling on February 13, 2013 by Justice A.R. Mohammed of the same court in a suit filed by FAAN and the Ministry of Aviation, asking the court to declare that they were not bound by the ruling of Justice Chikere. Justice Mohammed, in his ruling, had stated categorically that by suing the Attorney-General of the Federation, Bi-Courtney’s suit was binding on all agencies of the Federal Government.

It should be of interest to note that Justice Mohammed also quoted aspects of Justice Chikere’s ruling, where it said: “The parties named in the relief 7 are agents/agencies of the Federal Government. They are agents/agencies of a named principal that is the Federal Government. Any order against the known principal binds the agents/agencies. The agents/agencies stationed and operating at all airports terminal in Lagos State could not have operated without the support or approval of the Federal Government. They are therefore restrained, prevented or prohibited from operating scheduled flights in and out of Lagos State from any airport terminal other than MMA2 or an airport terminal owned/operated by the plaintiff during the concession period as stipulated in the Agreement.”

Furthermore, worthy of a mention is the judgment by Justice G.K. Olotu of Federal High Court, Abuja Division, delivered on July 3, 2012, on the ownership of the GAT, in which the judge stated as follows: “In the case before the court, we have seen the gross, deliberate, calculated and heinous abuse of the rule of law, typified by the acts of the Federal Government of Nigeria, headed by the President, assisted by the Minister charged with responsibilities for aviation matters in disobeying the judgment of the court delivered on 3rd March, 2009, i.e. approximately three years and three months ago, to deliver the immediate possession of the GAT to the plaintiffs (Bi-Courtney) as ordered by the court.

“As if that is not enough, the Federal Government and its agencies are presently engaged in the ‘remodeling and, or, construction works to improve the terminal (GAT), contrary to and notwithstanding the agreement with the applicant and the judgment of the honourable court.”

"We also wish to remind all and emphasise that the GAT was declared an integral part of the MMA2 concession by the decision of the Federal High Court in 2009. 

"But in a desperate move to prevent the handing over of the premises to Bi-Courtney Limited, four appeals were filed and lost by the following: Attorney- General of the Federation, OjemaieHoldings (landlord to Arik Air), NUATE and ATSSAN (Trade Unions under the Ministry of Aviation) and FAAN.

Awoniyi concluded:"There is, therefore, no doubt on the current position of the law in respect to the ownership of the GAT, nor the fact that Bi-Courtney is the rightful owner of the N12.5b that is the subject of dispute between Arik Air and FAAN."