Flowerbud News

Month: October 2023

  • Gov. Makinde partners with FMBN on provision of affordable housing for workers

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says his government is ready to partner with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria(FMBN) on provision of affordable housing for state workers.

    Makinde made this known, on Tuesday in Ibadan, when the Management team of the FMBN visited him at the state secretariat, Ibadan.

    According to him, having affordable houses is one the improvements the government desires for the state workers.

    He acknowledged the importance of the FMBN services, adding that the state government is ready to partner with it and benefit from its housing services.

    He reiterated the commitment of his administration towards
    improving the workers’ welfare, saying provision of affordable housing would definitely enhance workers’ living standards.

    He stressed that his government has many good projects, such as Free Trade Zone, Ibadan Dry Port and Upgrading of Ibadan Airport.

    “We are targeting all these development projects to improve the economy of the state.

    “In view of the importance of FMBN, Oyo Government is ready to partner and a government delegation will soon engage with the management of the FMBN.

    “We will investigate why Oyo State stopped its contributions into the programme and if there are challenges we will engage the bank to resolve it,’’ Makinde said.

    Earlier, the leader of the team, Mr Kabir Yagboyaju, said the purpose of the visit was to intimate the governor about the programmes of the FMBN and to congratulate him on his victory at the poll.

    Yagboyaju noted that Oyo State was not contributing into National Housing Fund scheme and wanted the state to take a leading role in contributing to the scheme.

    He explained that the participation of the state in the NHF scheme could not be over-emphasised.

    He requested the governor to approve the immediate resumption of contribution of the state and local governments workers to NHF scheme.

    “The FMBN is the first foremost mortgage institution that is responsible to drive home ownership among Nigeria workers, particularly in the low and medium sector,’’ he said.

    Yagboyaju further made a request for a parcel of land that would be used to build FMBN office in the state capital.

  • Xenophobia: First batch of 320 Nigerians to return on Wednesday – Envoy

    The Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, has said that the first batch of the Nigerian returnees from South Africa would depart South Africa for Lagos on Wednesday.

    The first batch of returnees, are expected to depart South Africa by 9:00 a.m Wednesday.

    The consul general also disclosed that Air peace had indicated interest to evacuate over 600 Nigerians that were willing to return to their country following the latest xenophobic attacks.

    “The first flight leaves by 09: 00 hours  this Wednesday with about 320 passengers and the second batch will leave on Thursday all things being equal.

    “We have over 600 who had indicated interest. All things being equal, without any hitches, the plane will take off by 09 : 00 hours this Wednesday.

    “The manifest for the first flight is ready, and we are working on the next flight,” he said.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday called for the immediate evacuation of  Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa following the latest attacks on Nigerians and other  nationals.

    Buhari gave the directive when he received the Report of the Special Envoy to South Africa, the Director-General of the  National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Abubakar.

    The Chairman of Air Peace Mr Allen Onyema, had last week volunteered to send aircraft to evacuate Nigerians who wished to return home without payment.

    “Air Peace is willing to support the Nigerian Government’s efforts in this matter by deploying our B777 aircraft to evacuate Nigerians back home,” Onyema said.

    The Chairman of the Air Peace also advised the returnees against making payment to anyone for their flights to Lagos.

    Onyema urged the returning Nigerians to guard against unauthorised persons, reportedly collecting 1,000 dollars from them, adding that none of them should pay for the flights.

    According to him, airline is particularly concerned about the safety of Nigerians in South Africans following the attacks.

    “We have not designated or recruited any agent in South Africa to collect money on behalf of Air Peace.

    “So, nobody should pay money to anyone or group of persons posing as Air Peace agent or staff.

    “Any Nigerian who has paid money for repatriation to Nigeria with Air Peace should request for a refund and report to appropriate authorities,” he said.

    The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa,  had also pledged  the Federal Government’s support to  any Nigerian that wanted to return home.

    Dabiri-Erewa said this after a closed door meeting with the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations in Abuja.

    She said that the returnees would be encouraged to enroll and participate in the various social intervention programmes of the government.

    “We will encourage them to enroll in small scale entrepreneurial programmes with the Bank of Industry under the social investment programme . So, there are things that they can do’’, she said.

  • FG receives N2trn revenue from January to June 2019 – D-G Budget

    The Federal Government  received two trillion naira as revenue  from January to June 2019, Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, has said.

    Akabueze disclosed this at the Public Consultative Forum on the 2020 to 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He explained that within the period under review, about N3.3 trillion was expended by the Federal Government.

    The director-general said that there was an average of 1.6 million barrel of crude oil production per day on base production.

    He disclosed that an aggregate of four trillion naira revenue was collected in 2018 with expenditure of N7.4 trillion, including N1.7 trillion capital budget within the period.

    He expressed hope that the remaining half of the year would be better in terms of revenue performance.

    Akabueze disclosed that from the data received from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the country’s oil production output had risen to 2.1 million barrels per day.

    Also, at the forum, the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Babatunde Fowler, urged taxpayers in the country to monitor their taxes to ensure they were remitted to appropriate authority.

    “It is now a responsibility of everybody, especially taxpayers, to monitor to ensure transparency and accountability, if you have your tax deducted, then ask for the receipt.

    “Make sure you check within 41 days of when the money was remitted to the federation account.

    “This is important because during the tax amnesty close to 40 per cent has to do with withholding of tax, deducted but not remitted,’’ Fowler said.

    He added that the service had put in place measures to ensure that only those companies that paid tax would access government’s contracts and services.

    Fowler said necessary facilities would be deployed to the Office of the Accountant-General, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and other government agencies to ensure compliance.

    NAN

  • Well renumerated, invigorated civil service best tool of fighting corruption — Tambuwal

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, says the best tool of fighting corruption is to have a well renumerated and invigorated civil service.

    Tambuwal made the remarks in Sokoto on Tuesday at the opening of the 2019 meeting of the National Public Service Negotiating Councils.

    The governor said his administration has given priority to workers welfare and ensured timely payment of salaries and pensions.

    He added that the government had also initiated reward system aimed at boosting workers morale and enhancing productivity.

    Tambuwal urged civil servants to ensure the success of government policies and programmes, and avoid colluding with bad elements to thwart government efforts at adding value to the lives of the people.

    In his speech, outgoing Chairman of the council, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, urged civil servants to utilize the opportunities provided by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to become Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centered (EPIC) workers.

    Walson-Jack, who is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, said EPIC is a Federal Civil Service policy envisaged in the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, 2017-2020.

    She called on civil servants to cooperate with the new Chairman of the Council in order to realize an improved public service.

    ” We shall use our experience in appraising the impact of existing practices and provisions to articulate enabling labour policies to maintain cordial employer-employee relations in the service” Walson-Jack said.

    In her address, the new Chairman, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said the theme; Managing the Challenges of Emerging Realities in Labour/Management Negotiation in the Federal Public Service, was chosen to reiterate the need to sustain industrial harmony for enhanced productivity in the country.

    Ajani underscored the importance of employer-employee interface in boosting relationship, adding that consultation, dialogue and mediation were necessary in resolving disputes.

    ”Formal interactive windows help to deepen and entrench cordial relations, promote systematic and systemic productivity and enhance service delibery.

    ” FG is concerned with workers welfare and welbeing, hence it designed Service Welfare Policy for Public Service to encourage proper renumeration, rewards and packages in the system,” she said.

    Ajani, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies in the Offfice of the Head of Service of the Federation, added that the government had floated good housing, insurance and pension policies to safeguard workers interests.

    Speaking also, the Secretary Councils of Trade Unions, Mr Alade Lawal, warned government against any disparity in the implementation of national minimum wage.

    Lawal emphasised that any action deviod of simless implementation of the package will be unacceptable to workers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that delegates were drawn from the 36 states and FCT while lectures on different topics lined up for the three-day meeting.

    NAN

  • Anambra Govt. warns against illegal structures

    By Joy Mbachi
    Anambra State Physical Planning Board has warned developers against building of structures without approval of the board in the state.

    Mr Chike Maduekwe, the Executive Chairman of the Board, said the board would sustain its mandate of ensuring controlled infrastructural development across the state.

    Maduekwe, who made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Awka, warned developers who still engage in building without approval from the board to stop forthwith or face legal action.

    He said that the board recently demolished shanties in some areas in Awka, adding that more would be done at the expense of the defaulters.

    “In spite of the board’s warnings to rid the state of illegal shanties, some citizens have continued to erect such unapproved structures and we cannot accommodate the disobedience anymore.

    “We have commenced demolishing shanties erected in front of the office of the Transport Company of Anambra State and structures under the EEDC high tension power cable.

    “Enough warming has been given to the people but they chose to do otherwise. This exercise will be carried out across the state and constant monitoring will be done to ensure compliance.

    “We receive intelligence reports, which indicate that some people hide within the shanties to perpetrate crime, especially at night and we must put a stop to criminal acts in Anambra,” he said.

    Maduekwe assured residents that the board has enough manpower to enforce compliance, including prosecution, and therefore, called on the people to do the right thing to avoid being prosecuted.

    NAN

  • Mugabe’s death: Zimbabwe’s university postpones convocation

    The University of Zimbabwe, on Tuesday, postponed the convocation, earlier slated for Sept. 13 by a week, following the death of the former president, Robert Mugabe.

    The postponement also followed the declaration of national days of mourning, which coincide with the initial date for the graduation.

    In a press statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Department, the country’s leading university said the ceremony would now hold on Sept. 20.

    “The postponement follows the sad passing on of former President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the subsequent declaration, by government, of national mourning until his burial.’’

    The government has already announced that Mugabe, who died in Singapore on Sept. 6, would be buried on Sunday, Sept. 15, although it did not indicate where the burial would take place.

    There had been reports earlier that Mugabe, who resigned as President in November 2017, had indicated that he did not want to be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

    His family is also yet to confirm the burial date.

    The family spokesperson, Leo Mugabe, told the media that traditional leaders in Mugabe’s rural home, Zvimba, would make an announcement on the matter.

  • UK Parliament suspension: Johnson wins in court

    A High Court in London has rejected a suit challenging Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament for five weeks ahead of Queen’s speech on 14 October.

    But in Parliament things don’t look for Johnson as reports said Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour and other parties have agreed not to Support PM’s General Election demand before EU Summit.

    The Mail Online reported that Labour will block Boris Johnson’s plans for an early General Election until November after entering into a pact with the SNP to stop a No Deal exit.

    According to the newspaper, Jeremy Corbyn held a secret meeting on Thursday with Ian Blackford, the Scottish nationalists’ Westminster leader, to agree an election should only be held after Britain has secured another Brexit delay from the EU.

    Mr Corbyn believes he can derail the Prime Minister’s plans to hold a vote on October 15, forcing him to seek another delay to Brexit.

    The Labour and SNP chiefs agreed to October 20 at the earliest, The Telegraph reported, although Mr Corbyn’s advisers have told him to go for November.

    The Prime Minister is being frustrated by Mr Corbyn, who along with Mr Blackford, has repeatedly called for a general election over the last two years, only to back off with October 31 looming.

    Mr Johnson is expected to go for broke on Monday and call for a general election again after he was slapped down in the Commons this week.

    It comes after yet another atrocious day for the Prime Minister on Thursday, with his younger brother Jo Johnson resigning from the cabinet and Johnson being heckled by the public on the campaign trail, where he made the desperate statement that he will rather die in the ditch than delay Brexit beyond 31 October.

    The legal challenge against Johnson’s planned suspension of parliament was filed by remainer campaigner Gina Milla.

    The court said the case could still be taken to the Supreme Court for a final appeal.

    Johnson announced at the end of August that he would suspend parliament from mid-September to mid-October, just before Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31, so the government could announce a new legislative program.

    That prompted campaigner Gina Miller, who defeated the government over another Brexit issue two years ago, to bring a legal challenge. She was later joined in the process by former Prime Minister John Major and opposition political parties.

    Miller told reporters outside court that parliament should be sitting during such a crucial time for Britain’s democracy, and she would not give up the fight.

    “The Supreme Court has penciled in Sept. 17 for the appeal hearing,” she said. “My legal team and I will not give up the fight for democracy.”

    Miller’s lawyer, David Pannick, argued on Thursday that comments from Johnson showed an important part of his reasoning for the prorogation, or suspension, was that parliament might say or do something that impeded the government’s Brexit plans.

    The legal challenge has lost some of its impact after lawmakers voted this week to force Johnson to seek a three-month delay to Brexit rather than leave without an agreement on Oct. 31, a move that is likely to lead to an election.

    Separate legal challenges to Johnson’s Brexit plans are also being heard in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  • Buhari mourns former Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe

    President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the Government and people of Zimbabwe over the passing of the founding father and former President, Robert Mugabe, at 95.

    The President, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Friday, commiserated with family members, friends and political associates of the late political activist.

    President Buhari noted that Mugabe fought for the independence of his country from colonial rule and lived most of his life in public service.

    According to him, Mugabe’s sacrifices, especially in the struggle for the political and economic emancipation of his people, will always be remembered by posterity.

    He prayed that the Almighty God will grant the soul of the former president rest and comfort his loved ones.

  • Tribunal upholds election of Sen. Oduah

    The Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the election of Sen. Stella Oduah as the Senator representing Anambra North in the National Assembly.

    Sen. Oduah who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation in the Senate, floored the APGA candidate, that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 18 others to win Anambra North Senate seat.

    Oduah polled 113,989 votes, the APGA candidate polled 59,937 votes while Mr Nelson Onubogu of the APC polled 11,995 votes.

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the election, Chinedu Emeka had challenged the election, alleging that Oduah was not qualified,

    The petitioner also alleged that there were electoral malpractices which influenced the victory of the two-term Senator.

    He went on to accuse the Senator of still being a member of APGA as at the time of the election, adding that part of the process contravened the Electoral Act

    In its ruling challenging the victory of Oduah, the Tribunal held that the allegations against her and against the Election process could not be substantiated.

    Justice Esther Haruna. said the petitioner failed to prove his allegations beyond reasonable doubt and therefore ruled that Oduah was validly elected.

    In a related development, the tribunal also affirmed the election of Valentine Ayika of the PDP, representing Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituencies.

    Ayika’s election was challenged by APGA candidate, Dozie Nwankwo.