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  • INEC to release timetable for by-elections in Kastina, Bauchi, Cross River

    INEC to release timetable for by-elections in Kastina, Bauchi, Cross River

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will release timetable and schedule of activities to fill the existing vacancies in the Bauchl South and Katsina North Senatorial Districts by next week.

    The Commission disclosed this in a statement issued by its National Commissioner, Malam Mohammad Haruna on Friday in Abuja.

    Haruna said that the Commission would also by next week release timetable and schedule of activities Ieading to the conduct of bye-election to replace a member representing Obudu 1 State Constituency in the House, Cross River State.

    According to Haruna, this follows the official notifications received by INEC from the presiding officers from the Senate and Cross River State House of Assembly.

    “INEC wishes to inform the public that it has today received information from the President of the Senate about existing vacancies in the Bauchl South and Katsina North Senatorial Districts, occasioned by the death of the Senators representing the said districts.

    “Similar information has been received from the Cross River State House of Assembly about the demise of the member representing Obudu 1 State Constituency in the House.

    “The Commission will, in accordance with relevant Constitutional and Statutory provisions, issue a detailed timetable and schedule of activities next week Ieading to the conduct of the polls to fill these vacancies.”

    Haruna also noted that there had been media reports of the death of other representatives in the National as well as State Assemblies.

    “However, these have not been formally communicated to the Commission and no vacancies have been declared by the presiding officers of the respective Houses.”

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu recently told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the the commission was yet to be officially informed on five existing vacancies in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assemblies.

    Yakubu, however, pledged that the commission was fully prepared to conduct bye-elections to fill those vacancies as soon as it is communicated. (NAN)

  • I have not defected yet – Sen. Sani

    I have not defected yet – Sen. Sani

    Sen. Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) says he is yet to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to any other party.

    Sani made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

    He said that consultations were still ongoing with regard to the future of the party.

    “I am yet to defect or decamp or migrate from the APC to any other party.

    “However, discussions and consultations are ongoing as regard to our future in the Party.

    “Decision will be taken in a matter of week or two whether to remain in the party or migrate.

    “When the time comes, I will make a formal announcement on the floor of the Senate, my Facebook and Twitter handle,” he said.

    There were reports earlier on Friday, claiming that Sani and Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC-Kaduna) had left the APC.

    The report was credited to the Hunkuyi-led faction of the APC.

    The group, which is said to be known as APC Akida, purportedly made the statement in Kaduna.

    Meanwhile, Sani had said via his Facebook handle that “We the persecuted are on Exodus, riding on horses, chariots and caravans, departing Pharaoh Thutmose’s Egypt.

    “We are now at the coast of the Red Sea, about to leave the land of cruelty and injustice.”

    The lawmaker has been having running battle with his state Governor, Nasir El-rufai, who also belongs to the APC.

    There are indications that Sani is nursing the idea of picking a governorship ticket for the 2019 election, a decision which he claimed had pitched him against the governor among other things.

  • IMF says Nigeria’s economic recovery still challenging

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says  Nigeria’s economic outlook for 2018 remains challenging as  private sector lending remains low and foreign exchange inflows are mostly short-term.

    IMF in a statement issued in Washington on Friday by Lucie Fouda, the Fund’s Press Officer, said higher oil prices and portfolio flows had helped strengthen fiscal and external buffers.

    It added that action on a coherent set of policies to reduce vulnerabilities and increase growth over the medium term remained urgent.

    It said an IMF staff team led by Amine Mati, Senior Resident Representative and Mission Chief for Nigeria, visited Nigeria from June 27 to July 9 to discuss recent economic and financial developments, update macroeconomic projections and review reform implementation.

    The Fund said at the end of the visit, the IMF staff team leader issued a statement.

    The IMF  quoted Mati as saying: “Higher oil prices and short-term portfolio inflows have provided relief from external and fiscal pressures but the recovery remains challenging.

    “International reserves remained stable at about 47 billion dollars, supported by some convergence in existing foreign exchange windows, and despite some reversal of foreign inflows since April.

    “Inflation declined to its lowest level in more than two years. Real GDP expanded by two per cent in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of last year.

    “However, activity in the non-oil non-agricultural sector remains weak as lower purchasing power weighs on consumer demand and as credit risk continues to limit bank lending.”

    It  said corporate tax collection efforts improved but revenue shortfalls and the late adoption of the 2018 budget impeded its implementation.

    “Revenue from higher oil prices is limited by net losses from retail fuel sales while non-oil revenue remains below expectations, with yields from tax administration measures – including the Voluntary Asset Income Declaration Scheme (VAID) and increased tax audits – yet to fully materialise.

    “Current spending remains in line with expectations. Carryover from 2017 to 2018 helped increase capital spending in the first four months of 2018, despite delayed approval of the 2018 budget.

    “Lower yields have kept interest payments within the budgeted envelope, but the Federal Government’s interest-to-revenue ratio is expected to absorb more than half of revenues this year,” the team leader said.

    The Fund said reforms to improve the business environment were progressing, including through identification of priority investment projects and the adoption of the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) – a legislative landmark for private sector development.

    According to IMF, the implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Plan is advancing through a mini-grid policy and regulations on eligible customers and meter asset providers.

    “Under current policies, the outlook remains challenging. Growth would pick up to about two per cent in 2018, weighed down by lower than expected oil production and relatively weak agriculture growth.

    “The fiscal deficit would narrow slightly, with higher oil revenues offsetting increased spending, including those planned in a supplementary budget.

    “Inflation would pick up in the second half of 2018 as base effects dissipate and higher spending and supply constraints in agriculture put pressure on prices.

    “Increased oil exports would keep the current account in surplus, helping stabilise gross international reserves even if the current pace of foreign portfolio outflows continues,” the Fund said.

    According to IMF, a coherent set of policies to reduce vulnerabilities and increase growth remains urgent.

    “This includes specific and sustainable measures to increase the currently low tax revenue – including through avoiding new tax exemptions – and ensuring budget targets are adhered to even in an election year.

    “This process should be supported by keeping monetary policy tight through appropriate monetary policy tools that will help contain inflationary pressures and support a move towards a uniform market-determined exchange rate.

    “Moving ahead with structural reforms is needed to invigorate inclusive growth, particularly in the power sector where faster progress would be needed to ensure financing shortfalls in the sector are met in a sustainable manner,” it said.

    The Fund said the team held productive discussions with senior government and Central Bank of Nigeria officials, and also met with representatives of the banking system, the private sector, civil society, and international development partners.

    It thanked the Nigerian authorities and all those with whom the team  met for the productive discussions, excellent cooperation, and warm hospitality. (NAN)

  • Security cordon thrown on Ekiti as governorship poll commences

    A security cordon has been thrown on Ekiti as the simultaneous  accreditation and voting process is  set to commence in Saturday’s  governorship election.

    Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) spread across the three senatorial districts report that armed policemen and personnel of sister security agencies such as the NSCDC, NDLEA and the FRSC  were sighted at strategic locations.

    In  Ikere-Ekiti, home town of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo,  there was heavy security presence, with personnel of the police and NSCDC keeping vigil on the fringes of polling units.

    At the Ofamofuru  Polling Unit 007, Ward  02, of the PDP candidate, no fewer than 10 mobile police officers were sighted keeping vigil.

    In Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area, Ekiti North Senatorial District,  where the All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, hails from, there was also heavy security presence.

    At the Polling Unit 009 Ward 11 of the APC flagbearer , no fewer than five policemen were seen maintaining law and order as at 7.30 a.m.

    There was also tight security at  the Unit 2  Ward 7, Federal Housing Estate Polling Unit, in Ado-Ekiti Central Senatorial District, with five policemen sighted.

    NAN reports that the  police had  deployed 30,000 operatives, two helicopters and 250 patrol vehicles, including  Armoured Personnel Carriers, for the  election.

    The security operation for the poll would be supervised by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Operations, Joshiak Habila, who would be assisted by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, four Commissioners of Police, eight Deputy Commissioners of Police and 18 Assistant Commissioners of Police.

    Each Senatorial district would be manned by a Commissioner of Police while no fewer than four policemen and two others from other security agencies will be on duty at each polling unit throughout the state.

    NAN further reports that  Commissioners of Police and their personnel in states close to Ekiti  such as Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Ogun, Edo and Oyo  had  been directed  to be on the red alert with their personnel.

    The Police Mobile Force Unit, Counter-Terrorism Unit, the Special Protection Unit, the Anti-Bomb Squad, the Armament Unit,  Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department and the sniffer dogs section would also participate in the joint security effort.

    The police  had said  that  a threat assessment had been carried out in the state and all identified flashpoints and trouble-prone areas had been addressed.

    Restriction on  vehicular movement in and out of Ekiti State  also commenced  from  midnight of Friday and would be in place till  the end of the election while  travellers and other road users were advised to make use of alternative routes.

    NAN reports  that those on essential duties were, however, being granted passage.

    NAN further reports that  other security and safety agencies, including the military and FRSC,  who are members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in the state,  would complement the  police during the election.

    Already, the NSCDC  had deployed   19,997 personnel    for the exercise and had  also ordered the deployment of mobile surveillance vehicles and sniffer dogs. (NAN)

  • Trump flies into ‘hot spot’ Britain, questioning May’s Brexit plan

    Trump flies into ‘hot spot’ Britain, questioning May’s Brexit plan

    The United States President Donald Trump flies into “hot spot” Britain on Thursday hours after casting doubt on Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans for leaving the European Union.

     Protests are planned across the country where the president says the people like him a lot.

    After a NATO summit where he provoked a crisis session to force allies to up their defense spending, Trump arrives in Britain having described the closest U.S. ally in Europe as being in turmoil over Brexit.

    May hopes Trump’s trip will help forge a future free trade deal, but instead Trump’s views on Brexit have cast a shadow over the visit.

    The trip coincides with a tumultuous week for May after two senior ministers resigned in protest at her plans for trade with the EU after Britain leaves next March.

    That business-friendly Brexit proposal was only agreed by her cabinet last Friday after two years of wrangling since Britons voted to leave the bloc in a 2016 referendum.

    “I’m going to a pretty hot spot right now, right? With a lot of resignations,” Trump told a news conference at the NATO summit in Brussels.

    “The people voted to break it up, so I imagine that’s what they’ll do. But maybe they’re taking a little bit of a different route, so I don’t know if that’s what they voted for.”

    Asked about Trump’s comments, May said: “We’re delivering on the vote of the British people to take back control of our money, our laws and our borders.”

    Trump has long been a Brexit supporter and has expressed enthusiasm for a wide-ranging trade deal with Britain after Brexit, something heralded by eurosceptics as being one of the great benefits of exiting the bloc.

    He has also said he might speak to Boris Johnson, who quit as foreign secretary over May’s plans.

    May is trying to unify her deeply divided Conservative Party behind her Brexit plans with some of her own lawmakers openly speaking of a leadership challenge.

    In a statement ahead of Trump’s arrival, she said the visit would focus on trade and strengthening defence and security ties, saying there was no stronger alliance than Britain’s “special relationship with the U.S“There will be no alliance more important in the years ahead,” she said.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Niger State Govt. deploys political appointees for voters’ registration

    Niger State Govt. deploys political appointees for voters’ registration

    The Niger Government on Thursday  deployed all political appointees to the 742 political wards across the state to participate in the ongoing continuous voters registration in the state.

    Alhaji Danjuma Saulau ,Commissioner for Information, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Thursday.

    He said all the commissioners and special advisers had been directed to move to their constituencies to  mobilise  eligible residents to participate in the exercise.

    ” Those that had earlier registered and did not collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) should be mobilised to come forward for collection.

    ” We will do everything humanly possible to ensure massive registration of our eligible residents to enable them to participate in the electoral processes.”

    The commissioner said traditional and religious leaders had already been contacted to help in mobilising residents who had earlier registered but not collected their permanent voters cards to so immediately. (NAN)

  • Ebonyi Govt. to pay workers’ July salary on 13th

    Ebonyi Govt. to pay workers’ July salary on 13th

    Ebonyi Government says it will pay the July 2018 salaries of its workers before the month’s 13th day in spite of states not receiving the federation allocation since June.

    Chief Obinna Nwachukwu, the Commissioner for Finance made the disclosure on Thursday in Abakaliki while addressing newsmen.

    Nwachukwu said that the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) quagmire in the country would not affect the payment.

    He said it was the government’s policy to pay workers’ salaries before the 15th of every month but the July payment would be made earlier to buttress such commitment.

    “The government discovered that July 15th fell on a Sunday and the governor insisted that the salaries be paid on or before the July 13.

    “The governor directed that I and the accountant general of the state obtain loan from available sources to offset the salaries due to the plight of workers.

    “This is because the federation allocation has not been accessed by any tier of government in the country since June,” he said.

    The commissioner noted that the FACC meeting had not been held on three occasions it was scheduled since June, adding that the one fixed for July 10 could not also hold.

    “The country will not collapse due to the FAAC quagmire as insinuated in several quarters but there are technical issues that need to be sorted by concerned authorities.

    “Several economically viable states are owing workers’ salaries due to the quagmire but Ebonyi has vowed never to join the league of such states.

    “This is why the governor instructed that we source for loan to pay the workers salaries and we will refund the loan once the allocations are released.

    “I am optimistic that the technical issues surrounding the FAAC quagmire will be sorted and we assure the state’s workers that their welfare is paramount in our policies,” he said.

    Nwachukwu noted that the state had received its certificate of contribution to 250 million dollars borrowed by the three tiers of government from the excess crude account and transferred to the sovereign wealth fund.

    “Ebonyi Government and the 13 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state duly contributed to the fund as the state contributed 1.37 million dollars, while the LGA’s contributed 754.2 million dollars.

    “Ebonyi by God’s grace, has continually been in the forefront of the nation’s economic development as people now come to the state to copy its policies and programmes,” he said. (NAN)

  • Sultan directs Muslim to look for new moon of Zulki’ida

    Sultan directs Muslim to look for new moon of Zulki’ida

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has requested Muslims to start looking for the new moon of Zulki’ida 1439AH from Friday July 13.

    Prof. Sambo Junaidu, Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto, quoted the Sultan as making the request in a statement on Thursday in Sokoto.

    “This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that Friday July 13, which is equivalent to 29th day of Shawwal 1439AH, shall be the day to look for the new moon of Zulki’ida.

    “Muslims are, therefore, requested to start looking for the new moon on Friday and report its sighting to the nearest district or village head for onward communication to the Sultan,” it said.

  • Transparency: Nigeria making progress, says NEITI boss

    Transparency: Nigeria making progress, says NEITI boss

    The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr Waziri Adio, on Thursday in Abuja said Nigeria had had attained above meaningful progress on the EITI Validation index.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EITI is a world body that seeks global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources and has 51 member countries.
    It validates 33 various requirements including revenue collection and socioeconomic contribution.

    Adio, who spoke on the progress NEITI had made at a workshop tagged: “Validation for Media and Civil Society Organisations,” said the EITI would be in Nigeria for the validation exercise from July 16-20.

    Validation is an independent evaluation mechanism used by EITI to assess the level of implementation of its principles of transparency, accountability, poverty reduction and good governance in the extractive industry.

    The exercise, which holds every two years, has five categories: the no progress, inadequate progress,

    meaningful progress, satisfactory progress and beyond satisfactory progress stages.

    Adio said Nigeria attained the meaningful progress stage in 2016 but would not attain the satisfactory progress stage if it missed a step of any of the requirements.

    “Nigeria is the most ambitious of the EITI countries having attained 30 out of 33 requirements. We have done tremendously well, beyond expectation.

    “For every requirement, there are different stages a country must scale through and so for a country to get to the satisfactory progress stage, it must pass every step in each requirement.

    “It is not that Nigeria has failed or passed the validation. We think we have done very well. We think we’ve met most of the marks but we are not grading ourselves.

    “We have the meaningful progress stage without improvement and we have the meaningful progress stage with improvement. Nigeria is on the meaningful progress stage with improvement.

    “If a country is on the meaningful progress stage and does not improve the country can be suspended or downgraded to the no progress stage.
    “So if we are graded and we make it, we will progress to the satisfactory progress stage,” Adio said.

    The NEITI boss said the organisation had achieved many feats in the fight for transparency in the extractive sector.

    He said: “I must say no other country pushes the kind of boundaries that we do in Nigeria.

    “We are the first to have an EITI law, we are the only country to have a database, we give quarterly reviews to keep issues on the front burners, so we are working hard.

    “It is not a pass or fail system but a measure of a journey that shows where you are on that journey. I will say we have done very well. We are not under any threat of suspension at all.

    “We are making substantive progress but that is not what the EITI is out to measure.

    “They are looking at governance processes, quality control, periodic checks and we have had a free hand in operations. No one interferes with our work or calls us to query what we put out.”

    Adio said as at the 2016 validation exercise, only four countries: Philippines, Timor Leste, Mongolia and Senegal reached the satisfactory progress stage.
    NAN also reports that no country has attained the beyond satisfactory status on all the requirements. (NAN