Month: October 2023

By Kingsley Okoye

President Bola Tinubu has sought the approval of Senate for the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

Tinubu’s request is contained in a letter addressed to President of Senate, Ahmed Lawan and read at plenary on Tuesday.

“I am pleased to submit the 2024 – 2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP to the National Assembly.

“Let me use this medium to express my gratitude to the Senate for his enduring commitment to the partnership between the legislative and executive arms of government.

“Pursuant to the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and preparations towards submission of the 2024 budget to the National Assembly is progressing very well.

“The MTEF and the FSP were prepared against the backdrop of a political transition, as well as global issues such as the Russia and Ukraine war, which continues unabated with severe consequences on global and energy prices,” he said.
Tinubu added:“We are also faced with challenges in domestic revenue mobilisation and significantly elevated public debts.

“Additionally, many economies around the world have witnessed increased inflation with in particular adverse effects on capital flows to emerging markets.

“In order to begin the process of preparing the 2024–2026 budget on schedule.

“I hereby forward the 2024 – 2026 MTEF and FSP to the National Assembly for their kind expeditious consideration and approval of the Senate in order to bring the 2024 Federal Government of Nigeria’s budget preparations process to timely closure.”

President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio referred the MTEF and FSP to the Committees on Finance, Appropriations, National Planning and Economic Affairs and Local and Foreign Debt for further legislative input.

NAN

By Kingsley Okoye

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Mr Zaccheus Adedeji as the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).

This follows the adoption of a motion by the Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) at the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.

Presenting the motion, Bamidele urged the Senate to consider the request of President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of Adedeji for appointment as Executive Chairman of FIRS.

Prior to the screening and confirmation procedures, the Senate suspended its rule to allow the admittance of the nominee and other guests into the Red Chamber.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Abdullahi Gumel led the nominee into the Red Chamber.

Thereafter, the nominee gave the highlights of his career profile and professional experiences.

Adedeji was Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State, as well as Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Revenue, before his nomination as FIRS Chairman-designate.

The new FIRS boss told the lawmakers during his screening that, if confirmed, he would work to develop data upon which revenue generation would be anchored.

He stressed that there was need to improve on the data mining capacity of the nation.

Adedeji also said he would promote the national identification system for data generation, saying that FIRS under him would make best use of data for revenue generation.

While responding to further questions on tax credit scheme, pioneer status and wavier policies, for companies, he said there was need to ascertain it based on current realities.

According to him, this is necessary if the laws enacting the policies are still serving the initial purpose for which it was earlier formulated.

He said that current realities necessitated looking at the laws by re-evaluating and re-assessing the policies on waivers, tax credit and pioneer status.

NAN

By Naomi Sharang

The 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill of N2.1 trillion expeditiously scaled second reading on Tuesday in the Senate.

President Bola Tinubu had written the Senate seeking the approval of the sum of N2,176,791,286,033 as 2023 supplementary budget to address labour wage adjustments, security and other urgent issues.

The President also sent the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) to the Senate for consideration.

NAN reports that on Monday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the 2023 supplementary budget of N2.1 trillion.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele said “permit me to move a motion for the suspension of our Rule 78 (1) in order to read the bill a second time.”

Bamidele said that the bill sought to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the sum of N2,176,791,286,033 of which N18 billion only is for statutory transfers.

“The 2023 budget is needed to fund urgent issues including related to capital expenditure on defence and security in order to tackle prevailing security situation.

He explained that the supplementary appropriation bill would make provision for N210 billion for payments of wage awards in the negotiation with Labour which the Federal government agreed in order to pay N35, 000 to about 1.5 million federal civil servants.

He said the supplementary budget also made provision for N18 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to facilitate the conduct of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi elections which were scheduled to hold in November.

Bamidele further said that N5.5 billion was provided for the funding of the takeoff of the students loans as well as N 1billion  for the takeoff grants of new ministries and N200 billion was equally earmarked for capital supplementation to deal with urgent requests.

On budget for Defence , Bamidele said, ” considering the state of insecurity in the country, our security and law enforcement agencies urgently need to procure additional equipment and other resources in response to the prevalent security challenges across the country.

” The Ministry of Defence has carefully scrutinised these procurement needs which the military authorities claim to represent the minimum requirements to secure our country and address current external and internal security challenges”

Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, said, “We are all aware of the fact that whenever a new government gets ushered into office, it is normal for that government to bring forward a supplementary appropriation bill.

“This is to tailor the affairs of such government in line with the policy and programme of the new government.

“Normally, you have this kind of supplementary appropriation bill being brought to the National Assembly for approval in the first or second month of such new administration but this government decided to take its time to study its challenges and areas that need funding.

“It took time. And so it decided that the challenges that we face in the areas of insecurity, agriculture and infrastructure should be dealt with. Then it decided that this bill should be brought for approval. It is a normal practice everywhere in the world”.

Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Ali Ndume, said that there was the  need to provide the security agencies with what was needed to tackle insecurity.

He said the budget was made to tackle short and immediate needs and stressed the need for it to be extended so that it would tackle all challenges.

On his part, Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Sani Musa said that the budget was necessary for the off cycle elections in three states.

“It is better to appropriate the money so that INEC will start preparation on time.”

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended President Bola Tinubu for bringing the supplementary bill to address inflation, working population, students and decay infrastructure.

NAN

Abuja:   The Appeal Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, vacated the judgment of a Federal High Court, Abuja which nullified Mr Timipre Sylva’s candidacy for All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Nov. 11 Bayelsa governorship election.

The three-member panel, in a unanimous judgment read by Justice Binta Zubairu, held that Mr Demesuoyefa Kolomo, who filed the suit at the trial court lacked locus standi (legal right) to institute the case, having not been an aspirant in the primaries that produced Sylva as party’s candidate.

The panel agreed with Counsel for Sylva, Mr Ahmed Raji, SAN, that where a party lacked locus, the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

“The issue of jurisdiction is fundamental and the bedrock of any trial. And a trial without juridiction is a nullity,” Justice Zubairu said.

The judge held that the argument by Kolomo, that the suit was a constitutional one and of grave importance to him as a voter and other voters in the sate so that they would not vote for someone who was not qualified to contest in the poll and had their votes wasted at the end of the day, was of no relevance.

“I do not think the position of Kolomo makes him an aspirant in the election.

“All these are alien and not recognised in our electoral laws and electoral matters,” she said.

She also said that Kolomo’s argument that the matter was a public interest suit had no basis.
She further held that where a party lacked the legal right to file a suit, it would be an exercise in futility to consider other grounds of Sylva’s appeal.

“The appeal of the appellant (Sylva) succeeds,” the judge ruled.
Consequently, the appellate court, aside from setting aside the verdict of the trial court, awarded the sum of N1 million in favour of the appellant (Sylva) in the first appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1060/2023 between APC and Kolomo.
The panel equally awarded the sum of N1 million in favour of Sylva in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1061/2023 between Sylva vs. Kolomo and two others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sylva’s appeals were against the Oct. 9 judgment delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, which disqualified him as candidate in the Nov. 11 election.
Kolomo had, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 filed on June 13, prayed the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delete Sylva’s name from list of candidates contesting the Nov. 11 governorship poll.

Kolomo had sued Sylva, the immediate-past Minister of State for Petroleum; APC and INEC as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
Kolomo asked the court to determine whether Sylva is qualified to contest in the election, having occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012.
In the affidavit attached, Kolomo deposed that besides being an APC member, he was also a registered voter in the state.
He said INEC recently published the names of governorship candidates for the state, including Sylva’s name.

The plaintiff said he was motivated by the need to vindicate Sections 180 (2)(a) and 182(1)b) of the1999 Constitution, the rule of law and to know the applicability of same as it relates to Sylva based on the above facts.

Kolomo also averred that the question raised by the instant suit was a constitutional one and of grave importance to him as a voter and other voters in the sate so that they would not vote for someone who was not qualified to contest in the poll and had their votes wasted at the end of the day.

But Sylva, who was the immediate-past Minister of Petroleum, in a counter affidavit, prayed the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)/ Flowerbudnews

Abuja:  The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Tuesday, affirmed the election victory of Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held in February.

The three-member panel, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, upheld the judgment of the state’s election tribunal and dismissed the appeal filed by Sen. Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court agreed with the submission of counsel for Akpoti-Uduagan, Mr Johnson Usman, SAN, for being meritorious.

The panel agreed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to give good reason why it did not collate the results in parts of Kogi Central Senatorial District, particularly Ganaja/Ajaokuta Ward in nine polling units where election was conducted.
The appellate court equally agreed that the results of PDP and its candidate, Akpoti-Uduagan, in about eight polling units where election was conducted and results declared at the polling units, were suppressed by the ward returning officer at the ward level.
The panel agreed that the votes ought to have been restored and that the state’s election tribunal was right when it restored those votes
Justice Barka, in the judgment, awarded the sum of N500, 000 against Ohere, the appellant in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/EP/SEN/KG/35/2023 between Ohere and another Vs. Akpoti-Uduagan and two others.
Besides, the judge also awarded the sum of N500, 000 against INEC in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/EP/SEN/KG/57/2023 which the commission filed against Akpoti-Uduagan and three others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Kogi State National and State Election Assemblies Tribunal, had, on Sept 6, declared Akpoti-Uduagan the validly elected candidate for the senatorial poll.
The tribunal also invalidated the victory of Sen. Ohere, after the PDP candidate filed the petition at the tribunal to challenge Ohere’s declaration as winner.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Kemakolam Ojiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Sen. Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
He added that INEC reduced Akpoti-Uduagan’s results in those areas and omitted the results of other polling units meant for Akpoti-Uduagan in the same LGA.
Following the necessary corrections, the court declared Akpoti-Uduagan as the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who garnered 51,291 votes.
But unsatisfied, Ohere approached the Court of Appeal seeking to upturn the election.
INEC had declared Ohere as winner of the senatorial election held on Feb. 25.
INEC returning officer for the district, Rotimi Ajayi, had announced that Ohere garnered 52,132 votes to beat Natasha who had 51,763 votes, with 369 votes margin.
Speaking shortly after the judgment, Mr Usman, who appeared for Akpoti-Uduagan, said justice had been done to the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District, who came out enmass to vote for his client on Feb. 25.
“It is called the people’s mandate and justice has been done,” he said.

Also speaking, Sen. Dino Melaye, the PDP Candidate for the Nov. 11 Kogi governorship election, described the judgment as “victory for democracy.”
Melaye, who congratulated Akpoti-Uduagan, said his party would replicate the victory in the Nov. 11 election.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)/ Flowerbudnews

Enugu:  Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State says farming plays a pivotal role in his administration’s quest to grow the economy of the state.

Mbah disclosed this during the flag off of the 2023 World Food Day organised by Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization in collaboration with the state committee on food and nutrition in Enugu on Tuesday.

The theme of the event is “Water is life, Water is Food and Leave No One Behind.”

The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said that one of the key things he set out was to see the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increase from N4.4 billion to N30 billion.

He said that the implementation of the increase was the reduction and elimination of poverty, saying that farming was going to be a very critical tool for the state to eliminate poverty.

“Farmers will begin to take their rightful position in the society,” he said.

According to the governor, the number of farming products displayed during this flag off showed that the state has comparatively advantage and it is quite heartwarming.

He added that his administration had the vision to support agriculture as key economy enabler.

In his welcome address, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Patrick Uburu, said that the World Food Day served as global reminder of the intricate connection between water and food as it underscored the indispensable role that water plays in ensuring food security and nutrition for all.

Uburu expressed his joy over the achievement of Mbah’s significant milestone in water provision in various parts of the state.

He said that with reliable access to water, farmers in the state could engage in year round farming activities, increase crop yields and diversify their agricultural practices.

“This will not only enhance food production but also contribute to rural development, poverty eradication and improve livelihoods,” he said.

The Chairman of Enugu Farmers Association, Mr Romanus Eze, lauded the governor for developing cluster farmlands in three different locations in the state and for being an agricultural friendly governor.

Eze assured the governor that the farmers in the state were ready to work, urging the farmers to work hard so as to have enough food in the state.

Prof. Elizabeth Ngwu, Nutrition Department, University of Nigeria (UNN), lauded Mbah for his plan to make the state free from hunger.

According to Ngwu, the World Food Day is to provide opportunity for government, non governmental and individuals to think about the problem of hunger which is affecting up to 9. 2 per cent of the world population.

She urged everyone to come together and find how to free the state from hunger.(Flowerbudnews)