Flowerbud News

Month: October 2023

  • World Economic Forum endorses Buhari’s social investment programmes

    The Schwab Foundation, a sister organisation of the World Economic Forum (WEF), has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari’s National Social Investment Programmes(N-SIPs).

    Justice Bibiye, Communications Manager, National Social Investment Office (NSIO), in a statement on Monday, in Abuja, said the foundation conferred the prestigious Public Social Intrapreneur award on Mrs Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to President on Social Investments.

    Bibiye said that efforts by the  Buhari administration to reduce poverty in Nigeria through its various SIPs had continued to receive thumbs up from well-meaning individuals and organisations within and outside the country.

    He said Uwais and 40 other individuals selected from different countries received the award on Monday in New York in recognition of their innovative approach and potential for global impact.

    “The list includes start-up founders and chief executive officers, multinational and regional business leaders, government leaders and recognised experts who are working to address social and environmental issues with innovation, in areas ranging from water purification to financial inclusion to combating hate.

    “For more than 20 years, the Schwab Foundation has recognised social entrepreneurs as a new breed of leaders, values-driven, inclusive, compassionate and entrepreneurial, developing new sustainable models for business, human development and environmental initiatives – and embedded them in the platforms of the WEF.

    “The 2019 awardees were formally inaugurated during the WEF’s Sustainable Development Impact Summit held on Sept. 23,  in New York, U.S.”

    Bibiye said that Uwais, in a goodwill message to the global gathering, described the award as an International endorsement of efforts by Buhari”s administration to address poverty and unemployment through the faithful implementation of the N-SIPs.

    He said, however, that Uwais was unable to attend the event in New York.

    The communications manager quoted Uwais as saying that the recognition was a call to action for the Federal Government to commit more resources to tackling poverty.

    Bibiye said that Uwais assured of continued transparency, efficiency and dedication in achieving the task of taking 100 million people out of poverty within 10 years, in line with the target set by President Buhari.

    “I am truly encouraged by this International endorsement of our efforts, through the structures and processes we have put in place towards ensuring that we drive implementation and set standards at Sub-National level in Nigeria (where the work is primarily done).

    “This award acknowledges that Nigeria is serious about reducing poverty and unemployment, while improving our human capital indices.

    “It is also a testament to the willingness of our legislators (at the National Assembly) and the Governors in the States to cooperate and partner the Federal Government in its bid to uplift the conditions of its hitherto less privileged citizens.

    “The close collaboration from the Federal Government,  ministries and agencies, as well as the governors and officials of the states and local governments, has enabled us to work towards our objectives, as one united and indivisible country.

    “I am humbled by this recognition and thankful to the Almighty for this opportunity to serve my country and its citizens.

    “I am also grateful to the team that has worked assiduously towards achieving our modest successes; it has been a collective effort, personally led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,” the statement quoted Uwais as saying.

    The Schwab Foundation provides a veritable platform of expertise, knowledge and resources, and a network we can engage with, for the work ahead.

    It is a privilege for me to be able to learn, share and engage with the very best in social entrepreneurship, for the benefit of Nigeria and its citizens.

    Uwais, whose appointment as Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment was recently renewed, has since 2016 been in charge of the NSIO, a portfolio of the Federal Government which coordinates all components of the NSIPs in an inclusive manner.

    No fewer than 10 million pupils in 32 states across the country are currently benefiting from the School Feeding Programme, while close to 650,000 poor and vulnerable households in 27 states are enrolled onto the National Cash Transfer Programme.

    This is in addition to over two  million people who have benefitted from interest and collateral-free loans through Marketmoni, Tradermoni, and Farmermoni facilitated under the Government Economic and Enterprise Programme GEEP.

    The N-Power, a job enhancement Scheme, has profitably engaged over 540,000 young people across all local government areas of the country.

  • Oil slips as focus shifts from Saudi supply to global demand concerns

    Oil prices eased on Tuesday as weak manufacturing data from Europe and Japan focused market attention on the gloomy outlook for demand and away from uncertainty around supply disruptions in Saudi Arabia.

    Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 40 cents to 64.37 dollars a barrel by 0624 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures CLc1 were at 58.31 dollars, down 33 cents.

    “The demand side of the equation is back in focus,” said Michael McCarthy, senior market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney, pointing to sluggish manufacturing numbers in leading economies in Europe as well as Japan.

    “That’s why we’re seeing a little bit more (downward) pressure on Brent than West Texas at the moment.”

    Still, oil prices remained at comparatively elevated levels for the year in the wake of the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Arabia’s largest oil processing facility that halved output in the world’s top oil exporter.

    Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia has restored more than 7 5 per cent of crude output lost after the attacks on its facilities and will return to full volumes by Sept. 30,

    But the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that repairs at the plants could take months longer than anticipated.

    “Conflicting headlines lead to asymmetric conclusions, which have immobilized price action and investor risk taking,” Mike Tran, a commodity strategist at RBC Capital Markets said in a note.

    An increase in U.S. oil exports to Asia to replace Saudi crude and a reduction in U.S. imports from Iraq meant that crude inventories in the United States could be lower than previously expected, he said.

    European powers – Britain, Germany and France – backed the United States in blaming Iran for the Saudi oil attack, urging Tehran to agree to new talks with world powers on its nuclear and missile programs and regional security issues.

    Meanwhile, a preliminary Reuters poll found on Monday that U.S. crude oil and distillate stockpiles were expected to have dropped last week.

    Seven analysts polled by Reuters estimated, on average, that crude inventories fell 800,000 barrels in the week to Sept. 20.

    The poll was conducted ahead of key inventory reports from the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, to be released on Tuesday and from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.

  • Transaction Charges: CBN Gives Fresh Insight

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the transaction charges on deposit and withdrawal in furtherance of implementation of its cashless policy is on the amount in excess of the set limits.

    The Director, Corporate Communication Department, Mr Isaac Okorafor, made the clarification in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

    NAN reports that CBN on Sept 17 issued a circular to deposit banks to commence the implementation of the cashless policy in six pilot states across the country.

    The CBN explained that transactions would attract three per cent processing fees for withdrawal and two per cent processing fees for lodgement of amounts above N500,000 for individual accounts.

    Similarly, corporate accounts would attract five per cent processing fees for withdrawal and three per cent processing fees for lodgement of amounts above N3 million

    The apex bank directed that implementation should commence from Sept. 18 in Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra, and Rivers States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    It, however, stated that the nationwide implementation of the cashless policy would take effect from March 31, 2020.

    Okorafor explained that contrary to the misconception on the implementation of the policy, the charges would only be on the excess of N500,000 deposited or withdrawn for individual and N3 million for corporate body

    According to him, if an individual deposited N510,000 the two per cent charge would be on the N10,000 excess which is N200 only.

    He said the same applied to a withdrawal of same amount, adding that the three per cent charge would be on excess of the set limits.

    He said that the same thing also applies to the corporate body also which five per cent on withdrawal and three per cent on lodgement of amounts above N3 million.

    Many Nigerians welcome the development, noting that it would enhance transparency in financial dealings and reduce crimes such as ransom payment and extortion among others.

    Others, however, described it as additional burden on banks’ customers who were already laden with other charges by the banks.

    CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele had also said, after the Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Friday in Abuja, that the policy was inaugurated in the country in 2012 and implementation began in 2014.

    “The policy says if you deposit money in the bank above a particular threshold which for individual is N500,000 and N3 million for corporate bodies, then you will be charged, same for withdrawal.

    He stated that the policy was not designed to de-franchise hard working Nigerians as perceived by some categories of people.

    According to him, a data conducted, revealed that close to 95 per cent of cash deposited and withdrawn fall below this threshold.

    Emefiele said Nigerians had already embraced electronic channels and online transaction in market places.

    He added that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises now had various options and channels available to collect a legitimate payment for goods and services, like POS, banks transfer using ATM, USD code among others.

    He said that the cashless policy increases transparency in financial dealings and reduce crimes such as ransom payment and extortion among others.

    The governor said the bank had the mandate under the CBN Act 2007 as amended to promote a sound and stable financial system through credible efficient payment system. (NAN)

  • UN official want Nigeria to tax vacant houses

    (flowerbudnews) Ms Leilana Fartha, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Adequate Housing, on Monday urged the Federal Government to impose vacant home tax with a view to addressing housing challenges in the country.

    Fartha at a news conference in Abuja, expressed concern over human rights crisis presented by poor living conditions in Nigeria’s informal settlements.
    According to her, the informal settlements house about 69 per cent of the urban population.

    She said: “Most residents in Nigeria’s ballooning informal settlements live without access to even the most basic services, like running water.

    “And they lack any security of tenure, forcing them to live in constant fear of being evicted.

    “My 10 days fact findings visit to Nigeria has presented an economic inequality in the country, which has reached extreme level and is playing itself out clearly in the housing sector.

    “There is an estimated housing shortage of 22 million units.

    “At the same time, newly built luxury dwellings are springing up throughout cities and made possible often through the forced eviction of poor communities.

    “These units do not fulfill any housing need, with many remaining vacant as vehicles for money laundering or investment,’’ she said.

    While urging the Federal Government to take urgent measures to address homelessness and poverty, Fartha advocated for a declaration of a nation-wide moratorium on forced evictions.

    “Government must address the grossly inadequate housing conditions with the urgency and rigour befitting a human rights crisis of this scale.

    “Apart from establishing a national commission to investigate gross human rights violations in the context of forced evictions, government should provide basic services to all informal settlements.

    “And must increase the number of shelters for persons in situations of vulnerability,’’ Fartha said.

    She further expressed worry that the Bill for an Act to provide rent control failed in the National Assembly.

    According to her, when the bill for rent control first hit the National Assembly, it wasn’t ripe

    “It is unfortunate that the bill died in NASS.

    “The idea of controlling rent caps is hotly debated in many countries.

    “New York just tried to have rent control laws passed; Barcelona is close to getting rent free as rent is actually frozen for some period of five to seven years.

    “So, in many jurisdictions, they have started to impose vacant home tax.

    “I support that kind of move from human rights point of view only where that money from the tax is directly put into the creation of affordable housing.

    “In the case of Nigeria it could be used as fund to upgrade informal settlements.

    “I don’t like a tax and you never see where the tax is going.

    “There are other measures that can be explored, there are situations that homes are misappropriated given that the government has all the lands in trust,’’ she stressed

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fartha will present a comprehensive report of her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020. (NAN)

  • Beware: DSS Has No Twitter Account

    (FLOWETRBUDNEWS) The Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday said it did  not own, use or operate any official twitter handles and therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard twitter messages linked to the service.

    The Public Relations Officer of the service, Dr Peter Afunanya, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    He said the attention of the service had been drawn to messages on social media, claimed to  have emanated from the official twitter handles of of the service.

    “The Service, therefore, disowns the ones, notably DSS 255 and DSS_NG_, currently in circulation.

    “These twitter handles which also bear the Service’s symbols are not only fake but designed by their creators to deceive, misinform and defraud unsuspecting persons.

    “It is also believed that such handles were desperately created by subversive elements to spread fake news and falsehood,” he said.

    Afunanya, therefore, urged the public to disregard the twitter handles and any message(s) emanating from them.

    He, however, added that a detailed investigation had begun to ensure that the suspects were apprehended and prosecuted. (NAN)

  • Ganduje pledges unflinching support for attainment of universal health coverage

    Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State has declared his unflinching support for the implementation of all health sector reforms towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the state.

    Ganduje, represented by Nasir Gawuna, the Deputy Governor of Kano State, made the pledge at a three-day workshop for all states’ social health insurance agencies on Monday in Kano.

    He said the workshop was timely and had come when the Nigerian population was clamouring for access to affordable and qualitative healthcare.

    Ganduje said Kano state had commenced the implementation of contributory healthcare scheme over one and a half years ago and had become successful with over 370,000 enrollees accessing healthcare.

    “The scheme is currently operating in 245 healthcare facilities, comprising l34 primary healthcare facilities, 37 secondary healthcare facilities and 74 private healthcare facilities.

    “We have provided the legal framework for the scheme, renovated and furnished the Agency’s office accommodation, amounting to N85 million.

    “We have also approved a grant of N250 million for the provision of ICT infrastructure and released Nl00 million as necessary requirement for Kano state,’’ he said.

    Ganduje noted that the contributory healthcare scheme population coverage throughout the country had remained low.

    He added that this had challenged most states of the federation to domesticate the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) based on their religious beliefs and traditional value system.

    The governor however said access to affordable healthcare had continued to be a challenge for most households due to the high level of poverty and significant reliance on out-of-pocket expenses.

    Ganduje further explained that the participation in Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), in line with the state’s policy, drove to strengthen the state’s health system.

    He said five per cent of the state’s internally-generated revenue and one per cent of the local government areas’ statutory allocation have been dedicated to the health sector under the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND).

    “The state is considering scaling up its free Maternal and Child Health programme by covering additional vulnerable groups, particularly, pregnant women, children under five and retired civil servants, under the Kano State Contributory Health Scheme.

    “These are part of government’s intervention towards a sustainable health system that will drive the process of achieving UHC by ensuring all Kano State residents have access to effective, quality and affordable health care,’’ the governor said.

    The Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Mohammed Sambo, while speaking, said the workshop was aimed at aligning State Health Insurance Schemes to the NHIS.

    He said this was highly necessary, “because, in the year 2000, Nigeria was ranked 187 out of 191 in performance in health care systems globally”.

    Sambo noted that this was not good enough for Nigeria’s image among the comity of nations.

    He said the global target of attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 became a national momentum  generated to confront the challenges.

    “One of the viable options was to develop a National Health Bill that would transform the health sector so as to be more responsive to meeting the yearnings and aspiration of the citizens.

    “It took more than a decade to get this Bill passed into law, which became the current National Health Act that we are all celebrating today.

    “One appealing feature of this Act is the provision, that not less than one per cent consolidated revenue shall be dedicated to the health sector, out of which half of that fund is intended to improve financial access to health care services to the citizens through the National Health Insurance,” the NHIS executive secretary said.

    He further stated that the programme had become a reality, adding that many states lagging behind had successfully keyed into the programme.

    Sambo said NHIS disbursed the first tranche of N6.5 billion  of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to 15 states and FCT in the last two weeks.

    He added that NHIS intends to develop a comprehensive coordination platform between it, states’ agencies, partners and other stakeholders in order to make health insurance the best programme in Nigeria.

  • Dangote Cement in Tanzania now runs on gas turbines

     

    Management of Dangote Cement has revealed that its Pan African sales increased by 2.7 per cent to nearly 4.7 million tons for the six month ended on June 30th 2019.

    To the delight of its investors, the company also revealed that its Tanzania Plants now runs on gas turbines, just as sales volumes from its Senegal Plants are more than 100% of its rated capacity.

    All in all, these surely are good signs of better days ahead for the company’s investors. It would be recalled that the company paid a whopping N272.6 billion as dividends to its shareholders last financial year, translating to N16 per 50kobo share,, an increase of 52.4 per cent against total dividend of N178.9 billion or N10.50 per share paid by the company for 2017 financial year.

    Chairman of the company, Aliko Dangote had recently said its cement terminals in Lagos State and Onne, Rivers, would be concluded before the end of 2019, as a way of further improving its market share.

    He promised that the terminals, which were delayed by equipment suppliers, would rake in about $700 million in foreign exchange through cement exportation to sub-Saharan Africa.

    He said the company would be opening export facilities within the terminals to export clinker and cement to its existing facilities both in Cameroun and other African countries.

    According to him: “Later in 2019, we will open export facilities in Lagos and Port Harcourt that will enable us export clinker initially to our grinding facility in Cameroun and then to new grinding plans we are building in West Africa…Not only will these generate useful foreign currency for Dangote Cement to support other expansion projects outside of Nigeria, they will also help to increase the output of our Nigerian plants,” he said.

    He further revealed that the company would be exporting cements through the terminals to Ghana, Cameroun, Sierra Leone and Congo, among others and as such make Nigeria the biggest exporter of cement in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Noting that the project will improve job creation and increase prosperity of the country, he said the company’s capacity will also increase on the completion of the terminals.

    Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with nearly 46Mta capacity across ten countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. A fully integrated quarry-to-customer producer, it has a production capacity of 29.25Mta in Nigeria. Its Obajana plant in Kogi state, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 13.25Mta of capacity across four lines; its Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined capacity of 12Mta, while its Gboko plant in Benue state has 4Mta.

    Through its recent investments, Dangote Cement has eliminated Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement and has transformed the nation into a net exporter, serving neighbouring countries that lack the limestone necessary for cement manufacturing.

     

  • El-Rufa’i keeps promise, enrols son in public primary school

    Gov. Nasir El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State on Monday enrolled his six-year-old child, Abubakar into primary one in Capital School Malali, Kaduna, a public school, in fulfillment of a promise he made in 2017.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that El-Rufa’i had in a state broadcast in December 2017, promised to enroll his child in a public school when he turns six years.

    “The move is part of reforms to revamp public schools in the state to make them more competitive.

    “We are determined to fix public education and raise their standards so that private education will become only a luxury.

    “As we make progress, we will require our senior officials to enroll their children in public schools.

    “And I will by personal example ensure that my son that will be six years of age in 2019 will be enrolled in a public school in Kaduna State, by God’s grace,” El-Rufa’i had said.

    Briefing newsmen shortly after he enrolled the child, El-Rufa’i explained that it was a commitment that had been fulfilled.

    “I made that commitment because I believe that it is only when all political leaders have their children in public schools that we will pay due attention to quality of public education.

    “I went to a public school like this. In fact, the school I went to is not as good as this one, but here I am, because of the quality teaching I got.

    “My intention is to ensure that all our public schools offer quality education, and so we are encouraging all our senior public servants to send their children to public schools.

    “Once the public schools are improved to a point they are nearly as good or even better than private schools, no one will waste his money taking his child to private school,” he said.

    Ummi El-Rufa’i, the mother of the child said: “l am glad that we are able to send a strong message to our leaders and the elites, that we need to start making things work from within our homes.

    “By the time we start attending public hospitals and send our children to public schools, the system will get better. This is a very huge step,” she said.

    On his part, the little child said: “I am sad that I will miss my old school, my friends and my teachers. But I have to help my father keep his promise” .

    NAN

  • 5-year-old marriage dissolves, husband married in Germany

    An FCT High Court, Jabi on Monday dissolved a five-year-old union between Lynda Dike and her husband Jude Ajaero, on grounds that he was legally married to another woman in Germany.

    Dike in her petition sought for the dissolution of the purported marriage through Sections 3 (1) (a) (d) and 34 of the Matrimonial Cause Act.

    The sections which stipulated that any marriage purportedly celebrated when one of the parties was lawfully married to another when consent was obtained either by fraud or duress would be void.

    The Act further stipulated that a petition for nullity can be instituted by the ailing party.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Charles Agbaza, held that the sole issue to be determined by the court was whether the petitioner had successfully made out a ground for the court to grant the relief she sought.

    The judge further averred that Ajaero, the respondent who was served with court processes , hearing notices did not file nor answer to the petition, but had legal representation and neither did he challenge the evidence of the petitioner, rather he rested his case on that of the petitioner

    According to Agbaza, ” the implication of this is that the court will deem the unchallenged and uncontroverted evidence of the petitioner as true,correct ( as long as it is credible) and act on it”.

    Agbaza concluded and said “because the evidence brought by the petitioner was not challenged by the respondent,

    “this petition succeeds and judgment is accordingly entered in favour of the petitioner in the following terms

    “The court hereby pronounce a Decree of Nullity of the purported marriage conducted between Lynda Dike and Jude Ajaero on Oct.2,2014 at the Federal Marriage Registry, Abuja, on the ground that the marriage is void.

    ” The court hereby grants an order nullifying the said marriage”, he added.

    In her petition, Dike said that when she married the respondent, he told her that he was not married.

    She further submitted that however, when she traveled to Germany to see the respondent and instead of taking her to the address she knew he lived, he took her to a different address..

    According to the petitioner, when she demanded to be taken to the address of where he lived, she was beaten up by the respondent.

    She said this action prompted her to tail the respondent to the aforementioned address and that was when she discovered that he lived there with his German wife.

    Dike added that she confronted the respondent and he admitted that he was married to the German woman and that they had been married for over a year before he came to Nigeria to marry her.

    NAN