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  • Buhari: How National Assembly mutilated budget

    President Muhammadu Buhari told a shocked nation today how the National Assembly mutilated and rewrote the budget proposals for 2018 as presented by the Executive last November.

    In a brazen usurpation of executive powers, the National Assembly slashed 347 billion Naira in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to it  for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of its own amounting to 578 billion Naira, President Buhari said.

    He spoke at the signing of the budget in Abuja, seven months after it was presented to the National Assembly.

    President Buhari said the various projects  for which the National Assembly denied funds  are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation.

    Among them are the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, the East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project. President Buhari said the National Assembly slashed funding to them  by an aggregate of 11.5 billion Naira.

     ” Similarly, provisions for some ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the FCT, Abuja especially major arterial roads and the mass transit rail project, were cut by a total of 7.5 billion Naira.

     “The provision for Rehabilitation and Additional Security Measures for the United Nations Building by the FCT, Abuja was cut by 3.9 billion Naira from 4 billion Naira to 100 million Naira. He said the cutting  will make it impossible for the Federal Government of Nigeria to fulfil its commitment to the United Nations on this project.

    Also affected are the provisions for various Strategic Interventions in the health sector such as the upgrade of some tertiary health institutions, transport and storage of vaccines through the cold chain supply system, provision of anti-retroviral drugs for persons on treatment, establishment of chemotherapy centres and procurement of dialysis consumables were cut by an aggregate amount of 7.45 billion Naira.

    Another is the planned  security infrastructure for the 104 Unity Schools across the country. The National Assembly cut the budget by 3 billion Naira at a time when securing our students against acts of terrorism ought to be a major concern of government.

     The National Assembly  reduced the provision for the Federal Government’s National Housing Programme  by 8.7 billion Naira. It also slashed the funding for Pension Redemption Fund and Public Service Wage Adjustment by N5billion, at a time  when government is  working with Labour to address compensation-related issues.

     Also cut by N14.5billion were the provision for Export Expansion Grant (EEG) and Special Economic Zones/Industrial Parks, which are key industrialisation initiatives of this Administration.

    The National Assembly  reduced the funding for the completion of the Terminal Building at Enugu Airport  from 2 billion Naira to 500 million Naira,  an action the President noted, would  further delay the completion of this critical project.

    Slashed also was the take-off grant for the Maritime University in Delta State, a key strategic initiative of the Federal Government. It was cut from 5 billion Naira to 3.4 billion Naira.

    The president noted that Some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualised, designed and costed and will therefore be difficult to execute”.  

    ” About seventy (70) new road projects have been inserted into the budget of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.  In doing so, the National Assembly applied some of the additional funds expected from the upward review of the oil price benchmark to the Ministry’s vote.  Regrettably, however, in order to make provision for some of the new roads, the amounts allocated to some strategic major roads have been cut by the National Assembly.

      “Furthermore, many of these new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.

     ” As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of the States and Local Governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened.

     “Another area of concern is the increase by the National Assembly of the provisions for Statutory Transfers by an aggregate of 73.96 billion Naira.  Most of these increases are for recurrent expenditure at a time we are trying to keep down the cost of governance.

    “An example of this increase is the budget of the National Assembly itself which has increased by 14.5 billion Naira, from 125 billion Naira to 139.5 billion Naira without any discussion with the Executive”.

  • Women call on Liberia’s Weah to keep his promise of equal land rights

    A promise by Liberian President George Weah to change laws that discriminate against women is spurring campaigners to push for legal reform to protect wives’ land rights.

    Women are lobbying Weah to rally lawmakers in Liberia’s upper house to amend a draft Land Rights Act (LRA), which says people must live in an area for 15 years to be recognised as residents – a clause that will lock out many wives.

    “In the current Land Right Act draft, most women will not be considered as residents in their communities and will be left out of the land allocation process,” said Jennifer Duncan, Africa Director at land rights advocacy group Landesa.

    “The biggest thing that could be done is to enforce equal rights in customary marriages” she told the  Media Foundation.

    Across Africa, women traditionally move to live with their husbands’ communities when they marry, and their rights are usually restricted to farming and living on land that is handed down from father to son.

    Improving women’s land rights is key to reducing poverty and exposure to domestic violence, as well as providing collateral for loans and security in old age, campaigners say.

    The Senate is set to review and pass Liberia’s draft law, which was approved by the House of Representatives in August after years of delay, before the president signs it into law.

    Weah, an ex-soccer star inaugurated in January, has promised to address land ownership, which has been at the centre of many armed conflicts in Liberia, where civil war ended in 2003.

    He also plans to review of all laws to remove clauses that discriminate against women.

    “Laws on marriage, divorces, property rights, child custody and land ownership all contain powerful clauses that marginalise our women in favour of men,” Weah told a development conference in Brussels this month.

    Most of Liberia’s four million people live on land held under customary tenure, which is largely administered by chiefs without legal title, according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

    Activists hope the LRA will help women win equal land ownership – part of 17 global development goals adopted in 2015.

    Ali Kaba, senior researcher at Liberia’s Sustainable Development Institute said he wants the law to be passed before parliament’s August recess, when other lobby groups will have a chance to propose further changes.

    “Legislators usually go to an annual break in August and this is the time they get engaged with investors,” he said, referring to billions invested by logging and agriculture companies whose concessions are also under review.

    “If something does not happen between now and end of July, we will go back to the streets.” (Reuters//NAN)

  • N14bn police pension scam: Onyegbula closes her case in trial- within-trial

    Mrs Veronica Onyegbula, a defendant in the N14billion police pension scam, on Wednesday, closed her case at the FCT High Court, Maitama, in the trial- within –trial, to ascertain the voluntariness of her statement to EFCC.

    Onyegbula, is the fourth defendant in the case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against her and six others.

    Others are: Esar Dangabar, Atiku Kigo, Ahmed Wada, Sani Zira, Uzoma Attang, and Christian Madubuke.

    EFCC alleged that they were responsible for the disappearance of N14 billion police pension fund.

    Onyegbula’s counsel, Mr Ernest Ikeji, had earlier, informed the court that EFCC forced his client to make the statements which the anti-graft agency wanted to tender and prayed for trial-within-trial.

    Onyegbula, cross examined by Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN ), the prosecuting counsel, told the court that she made10 statements to the EFCC.

    She added that five out of the statements were not made voluntarily.

    Onyegbula further told the court that she made the statements in the recording room of EFCC in the presence of Mustapha Gandaya and Aliyu Habibu.

    “They were dictating what to write on the first day, they told me to write my personal information and I did, they said I should write everything about myself,” she said.

    She told the court that all the five contentious statements were dictated to her and that the EFCC asked her to co-operate so that they will call her as a witness to testify against her directors.

    She added that the EFCC officers dictated to her to write that she stole N14 billion with her directors, and that she refused to write it, but rather told them that she never saw such money.

    Onyegbula said that she was promised by the EFCC that if she cooperates, her name will be dropped from the allegations.

    She said that after she was released on bail, she made five additional statements.

    The judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, after listening to her testimony, adjourned the matter until October 9 for adoption of written addresses. (NAN)

  • N102.4m worth of expired medicament destroys by NCS

    The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Command  in Badagry, says it has destroyed expired and seized medicament’s  in its warehouse with a Duty Paid Value (DVP) of  N102.4million.

    The command’s spokesperson, Mr Saidu Abdullahi, made the disclosure in a statement released in Lagos on Wednesday.

    He said the destruction was supervised by the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye and the Area Controller, Mohammed Aliyu.

    Drugs destroyed were Tramadol caps and tabs, Codeine, Diazepam tabs, Analgen Injection, Medik 5, Paracetamol with caffeine, Dexamethasone tabs.

    Others were expired rice, fertilizers and food seasonings.

    The area controller said the destruction was in compliance with the service extant law.

    “The destruction of these items are in compliance with the policies of the Federal Government and we are determined to get rid of dangerous and illicit drugs coming through the border.

    “We will keep on strengthening the synergy with sister agencies so as to ensure that our borders remain safe in all departments,” Aliyu said.

    He warned drug traffickers to desist from smuggling noting that the enforcement team would track them.

    Adeyeye commended the efforts of the command noting that the synergy would ensure that illicit drugs were not brought into the country.

    “We are determined to flush out all illicit and dangerous drugs from all corners of the country because they are harmful and dangerous especially for our children.

    “We must all join hands together in the fight of the usage of illicit drugs especially by the youths,” she said. (NAN)

     

  • Buhari signs 2018 Appropriation Bill into law, expresses concern over changes

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday signed the 2018 Appropriation Bill of N9.12 trillion into law after seven months of its submission to National Assembly (NASS).

    The President, however, expressed concern over changes made by NASS to the budget proposal.

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on Oct. 26, 2017 approved the 2018 draft budget of N8.612 trillion but NASS increased the budget from N8.612 trillion earlier proposed to N9.12 trillion.

    The Senate also increased the crude oil benchmark for the budget from 45 dollars per barrel to 50.5 dollars per barrel.

    Buhari then noted with concern that the National Assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion.

    The President said “many of the projects cut are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation.  Some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualised, designed and costed and will therefore be difficult to execute.

    “Furthermore, many of these new projects introduced by NASS have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.

    “As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of states and local governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened.’’

    The President pointed out that another area of concern was the increase in the provisions for Statutory Transfers by an aggregate of N73.96 billion by NASS.

    According to him, most of the increases are for recurrent expenditure at a time when the administration is trying to keep down the cost of governance.

    He said: “an example of this increase is the budget of the National Assembly itself, increased by N14.5 billion from N125 billion to N139.5 billion without any discussion with the Executive.’’

    The President, however, thanked the leadership of NASS, particularly the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senators and members for passing the 2018 Appropriation Bill after seven months. (NAN)

  • UN tasks Nigeria on stigmatisation of ‘Boko Haram wives, children

    The UN has urged the Nigerian authorities to give more attention to protecting the girls and children, who were victims of sexual violence and abuse by the Boko Haram terrorists.

    Ms Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, stated this while briefing on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflicts.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the plight of the girls, who were victims of sexual violence and abuse by Boko Haram terrorists, were among the spotlights for the Day.

    Under this year’s theme, “The Plight and Rights of Children Born of War,” the Day encourages solidarity with the survivors, who have endured multiple ordeals, in the wake of sexual violence.

    A short video clip featured ‘Khadija’, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists at Banki, Borno and impregnated, being tagged ‘Boko Haram wife’ and her baby, ‘Boko Haram sin’ in the camp.

    Patten recalled her meeting with the victim girls and children born out of rape arising from the sexual violence and abuse when she travelled to Maiduguri in 2017.

    “I met with 200 young girls and there were 162 babies and I was really disturbed by the fact that these young girls and their babies were not only rejected by their families and by their communities but also by the very people they were living with inside the camp.

    My visit to Maiduguri made me realise that more attention needs to be given; I think the focus really has to be on the rights.

    “There’s a convention on the rights of the child that protect these children and more needs to be done,’’ she said.

    According to her, all the girls that she met at the internally displaced people camps in Maiduguri were released from the captivity of Boko Haram.

    She said some of them still had complaints about sexual violence and food, explaining that these were issues that she raised with the government, following her visit to the camp.

    “I raised the issue with the authority, with the Acting President (Yemi Osinbajo), whom I met and who reassured that actions would be taken.’’

    She said government followed up to ensure the review of the administration of the camp.

    She added with further follow up by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, the distribution of food was handed over to the World Food Programme to ensure cases of sexual abuse were minimised.

    My office is trying to support the government of Nigeria and other partners and agencies to meet the needs of the very young survivors of sexual violence and their children through access to some kind of livelihoods support.

    That`s in the process of negotiation with Nigeria.’’

    UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said the effects of conflict-related sexual violence echoes across generations, in the form of trauma, stigma and unwanted pregnancy.

    The UN chief described the scourge as “a threat to our collective security’’ and “a stain on our common humanity.’’

    “Children conceived through wartime rape often struggle with issues of identity and belonging for decades after the guns have fallen silent.

    “They may be left in a legal limbo or at risk of becoming stateless.

    “They are vulnerable to recruitment, trafficking and exploitation, with broad implications for peace and security as well as human rights.

    “Their mothers may be marginalised and shunned by their own families and communities.

    “These women and children are sometimes seen as affiliates of armed and violent extremist groups, rather than as victims and survivors,’’ Guterres said.

    Lord Ahmad, the British Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations, also condemned Boko Haram terrorists’ activities against girls.

    “Female illiteracy in some countries is running at 60, 70 or 80 per cent and there are bigoted fanatics, who actually campaign to stop girls from going to school, including the numbskulls from Boko Haram who will raid schools, abduct children and inflict any atrocity in order to deny girls an education.

    “As recently as February, Boko Haram kidnapped 110 girls from a school in Dapchi and we all remember how 276 were taken from Chibok in 2014.

    “When I visited Borno last year, I met girls who had been told they would be shot if they dared learn to read, as the Taliban shot Malala,’’ Ahmad said.

    Similarly, Ms Ninette Kelley, Director of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in New York, while launching the UNHCR’s Global Trends Report, urged governments to ensure voluntary return of IDPs to their communities.

    She added that no displaced person should be forced to return until certain factors are considered. (NAN)

  • NDDC resumes foreign scholarship scheme

    Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it has concluded plans to resume its Post-Graduate Foreign scholarship to qualified indigent youths in the Niger Delta.

    Mr Ibitoye Abosede, NDDC’s Director of Corporate Communications, announced this in a statement in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

    He stated that the Governing Board and Management of the company had met and approved the commencement of the 2018 award process worth about 30,000 U.S. dollars per annum.

    He noted that the programme was cancelled earlier to allow the commission to carry out comprehensive restructuring of the scheme.

    He stated that “NDDC regrets the cancellation of the inconclusive 2017 award process and the inconveniences suffered by students who applied for the scholarship.

    “To this end, all outstanding tuition for recipients of the scholarship have been cleared. This is to provide a fresh start and a seamless process.

    “However, any student who has proof of non-receipt of payment should feel free to contact the commission immediately.”

    Abosede explained that the scheme covered disciplines in engineering, medical sciences, computer science technology, geosciences, environmental sciences, agriculture, environment, oil and gas law and project management.

    He added that advertisement for the scholarship would be published in national media and the commission’s website.

    Established in 2010, the scholarship is designed to produce top level professionals with technical manpower, capacity and expertise to compete in oil and gas industry and in other sectors.

    So far, 1,409 students have benefitted from the programme, including Charles Igwe, whose unique redesign of the Turcot Interchange road saved the Montreal Area Municipality (Canada) over one billion dollars.

    Igwe is a Ph.D student of Construction Engineering at Concordia University in Canada.

    Similarly, Mr Ubong Peters won a global three-minute thesis competition.

    The NDDC spokesman, therefore, urged interested and qualified candidates to take advantage of the opportunity to apply for the foreign scholarship. (NAN)

     

  • Saudi Arabia pushes for support of Gulf oil producers ahead of OPEC meeting

    Saudi Arabia is struggling to convince fellow members of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) including Gulf allies on the need to raise oil output, sources familiar with the talks said on Wednesday, adding to complications ahead of an OPEC meeting this week.

    The meeting of OPEC countries on Friday was to decide on output policy amid calls from major consumers such as the U.S. and China to cool down oil prices and support global economy by producing more crude.

    Iran said on Tuesday that OPEC was unlikely to reach a deal, setting the stage for a clash with Saudi Arabia and Russia, which are pushing to raise production steeply from July to meet growing global demand.

    According to two sources familiar with the talks, adding to the complications is a lack of compromise among usually aligned Gulf oil producers ahead of the Friday meeting.

    Traditional Saudi allies, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, believe Saudi Arabia was too quick to respond to U.S. calls for higher production, and have been rattled by Riyadh’s close coordination with non-OPEC Russia.

    Media reports said there are different views on how much to increase production and whether such a move should be gradual.

    Russia has proposed OPEC and non-OPEC raise output by 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), effectively wiping out existing production cuts of 1.8 million bpd that have helped rebalance the market in the past 18 months and lifted oil to 75 dollar per barrel.

    Oil was trading as low as 27 dollar in 2016.

    OPEC members Iran, Iraq, Venezuela and Algeria have opposed a relaxation of production cuts, fearing a slump in prices.

    However, OPEC could still agree a last-minute deal on Friday by compromising on a lower output increase below 1 million bpd. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Man sets ablaze wife over ‘Eid shopping’ in Multan

    Man ‘sets ablaze’ wife over ‘Eid shopping’ in Multan
    By Owais Qarni
    Published: June 19, 2018
    The woman succumbed to her wounds after spending five days in critical condition. PHOTO: FILE

    The woman succumbed to her wounds after spending five days in critical condition. PHOTO: FILE

    MULTAN: A woman succumbed to her burn wounds on Tuesday after her husband allegedly set her ablaze following a quarrel over Eid shopping in Multan.

    Mujahid Iqbal, the culprit, doused the victim, Jamila, with petrol and then set her on fire. The victim was hospitalised at the Nishtar burn unit in critical condition.

    The couple got into an argument over buying Eid apparel for their children on June 14. In a fit of rage, Mujahid set his wife ablaze leading to her sustaining severe burn wounds to 80 per cent of her body.After remaining admitted in the burn unit for five days, the victim succumbed to her wounds. The body has been handed over the bereaved family.

    Man sets ablaze newly-wed wife in Islamabad

    Meanwhile, police said a case of the incident has not been registered, however, an investigation is ongoing.

    Back on January 18, a man allegedly killed his wife in Islamabad by dousing crude oil over her and then setting her ablaze.

    Ambreen Bibi, the victim, was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) with critical burn injuries where she died. Initially, the woman’s husband, identified as Zubair, claimed she sustained the injuries from a cylinder blast.

    However, the victim’s mother and other family members suspected his involvement and approached the police.