The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Author: Editor

  • FG to fund six railway projects connecting virtually all regions of the country with N71bn

    The Federal Government is to partly fund six rail projects connecting virtually all regions of the country with a counterpart funding of N71.15bn this year.

    Also, N15.1bn will be spent on the development of safety and security critical projects, airport certification, runway construction, terminal building, among others in the aviation sector in 2021.

    A report on selected projects in the 2021 budget obtained by our correspondent from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning in Abuja showed that in the rail sector, the government had mapped out six projects that it would partly fund this year.

    The government stated that the N71.15bn would serve as counterpart funding for railway projects including the Lagos-Kano rail line (ongoing), Calabar-Lagos (ongoing), and Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Aladja (Warri), which was also described as an ongoing project.

    Others are the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway, the new Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi line in Niger Republic and the Abuja-Itakpe and Aladja-Warri Port and refinery/Warri new harbour.

    Construction work is currently ongoing on some of the rail projects, while others are new projects, as physical construction work had yet to start on them.

    Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had explained that the Lagos-Kano line (ongoing), which would be connected from the Ibadan end of the Lagos-Ibadan railway, would cost about $5.3bn.

    On January 9, 2021, Amaechi declared that the construction of the Ibadan to Kano line would commence once the Chinese government approved its $5.3bn loan to Nigeria, as the Federal Government had given approval for the contract.

    “We are waiting for the Chinese government and bank to approve the $5.3bn to construct the Ibadan-Kano. What was approved a year ago was the contract,” the minister said.

    He added, “The moment I announced that the Federal Government had awarded a contract of $5.3bn to CCECC (China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation) to construct Ibadan-Kano, people assumed the money had come in; no.

    “We have not got the money, which is a year after we applied for the loan. We have almost finished the one of Lagos-Ibadan. If we don’t get the loan now, we can’t commence.”

    Meanwhile, a few of the rail projects had come under criticism, as many Nigerians and groups had faulted the locations where the projects were sited.

    An example is the Kano-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi in Niger Republic, which on January 11, 2021, the Federal Government announced that it signed a $1.96bn Memorandum of Understanding with Mota-Engil Group for the construction of the standard gauge rail project.

    Amaechi signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while the Managing Director, Mota-Engil, Antonio Gvoea, signed on behalf of the contracting firm.

    The $1.96bn rail line connects Nigeria and Niger Republic, as the new railway corridor, located in Northern Nigeria, would run through three states.

    The states include Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and the 283.75km rail line would go through the territory of Niger Republic as far as Maradi.

    This particular project had been greeted by widespread criticism. The Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, for instance, said many Nigerians were against the move by government to construct the rail line.

    Afenifere’s Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, told our correspondent that it was unfortunate that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was more interested in constructing a project outside Nigeria than in developing bad roads within Nigeria.

    Odumakin said, “It is an unfortunate development. We know the state of Nigerian roads. We know that our roads are in a very bad shape; for instance, look at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the roads to the East, to Port Harcourt and the rest of them.

    “They are not Buhari’s priority, rather his priority now is the line to Maradi in Niger Republic. They are more interested in their kings and kins who are Fulanis outside Nigeria than in Nigeria itself.”

    He added, “It is unfortunate. So the Afenifere and many other Nigerians out there are not in support of this initiative. In fact, how can we support it?”

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    Meanwhile, aside from rail infrastructure, the report on selected projects in the 2021 budget listed other projects to be developed in the aviation sector, among others.

    In the aviation sector, it stated that N3bn was for safety and security critical projects and airport certification nationwide.

    “N10bn is for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,” it stated.

    The report added, “N900m is for extension and asphalt overlay of MMIA (Murtala Muhammed International Airport) runway. N1bn for construction of new terminal building in Enugu.

    “N200m is for construction of Abeokuta airstrip.”

    Some selected projects in the power sector were also mentioned as infrastructure to be funded by the government this year.

    A total of N1.3bn was earmarked for rural electrification access programme in federal universities.

    Also, N160.83bn was for multilateral and bilateral funded projects such as the Zungeru power project, Abuja power feeding scheme, transmission access project, etc.

    A N200m counterpart fund was named as part of the money to be provided by government for the development of the Mambilla Hydro Power project.

    In the report, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the government was optimistic that there would be significant improvement in macroeconomic performance by the second quarter of 2021.

    This, according to her, was because the Federal Government was already implementing several measures to overcome the country’s fiscal constraints.

    Ahmed said, “In addition to the Strategic Revenue Growth Initiatives, we are leveraging technology and automation, plugging fiscal drainers and ensuring more effective independent revenue monitoring.”

    She, however, noted that the Federal Government remained mindful of the need to provide safety nets to cushion the impact of reform measures on the vulnerable segments of the population.

    The minister explained that the goal of fiscal interventions would be to keep the economy active through carefully calibrated regulatory/policy measures designed to boost domestic value-addition.

    Ahmed said this would de-risk the enterprise environment, attract external investment and sources of funding, among others.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Socialite killed by gunmen in Ibadan

     

    Fondly called, ‘Gatuso, he was reported to have gone to the hotel at a time the gunmen that just robbed the hotel were leaving. 

    It was learnt that he was making a call as he entered the hotel’s premises and that the gunmen shot him in the stomach at a close range, probably thinking that he was calling security agents.

    It was also learnt that armed robbers had successfully completed their operation when the deceased encountered them.

    “The late socialite was 46 years old and has never been married. He had bought an engagement ring, which he wanted to use to propose to a lady of her choice on Sunday January 24, before he met his untimely death the previous day,” a source told Daily Sun.

    “He  also planned to travel out of the country as soon as possible and somebody that wanted to help him, paid N18million into his bank account to perfect his travel processes. The person was said to have been agitated on how the deceased’s family members would believe him towards getting back his money.”

    Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, when contacted, said: “I am busy now. I cannot confirm anything to you. We are moving from Igangan to Ago-Are to ensure peaceful co-existence of the people. I will confirm and get back to you when we return to Ibadan.”

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • …if we must get this country right, we should look for people like Governor David Nweze Umahi

    I say this with tears of joy, that if we must get this country right, we should look for people like Governor David Nweze Umahi—-Hon. Barr. Uchenna Orji

    Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji is the Honorable Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State. He had previously served the state in different capacities. In this chat with The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine Team at his office in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, he bares his mind on issues relating to the state, with emphasis on what is believed to be the developmental strides of the Governor, Chief Engr. Dave Nweze Umahi (Akubaraoha).

    PFM: Tell us about yourself

    Commissioner: My name is Orji Uchenna Orji. I’m from Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. I’m a graduate of Law. From 2007-2011, I was the Member representing my constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly. I was, at the time, the Chief Whip of the House as well as the Chairman, House Committee on Justice and Judiciary. I also served as the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation. As God would have it, I have served in some other capacities. Between 2014-2015, I served as a Board Member, West African Examination Council, Member, Administrative and Finance Committee, West African Examination Council and Council Member, West African Examination Council. Between 2015-2017, I served as the Honorable Commissioner for Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ebonyi State. From 2017-2019, I also served as the Honorable Commissioner for Empowerment & Job Creation in Ebonyi State. The Ministry is now known as the Ministry of Human Capital Development & Monitoring. Presently I am the Honorable Commissioner for Information & State Orientation.

    PFM: Let’s look at Ebonyi State as one of the youngest states in the country. Ebonyi seems to be the new kid in the block, with the news of rapid developments sweeping across the state. Give us an insight into what is actually happening in the State.

    Commissioner: Prior to 2015 when Governor Umahi declared his intention to run for Governor, he was deserted by people. He was called all sorts of names for the reason that he had that ambition, but God came in his fulness and said touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm. What we saw was a neglected person becoming popular and he emerged the Governor of Ebonyi state. He became governor at a time when we had the worst of economic recession so he began doing things differently. When you take a look at his first inaugural speech and match it with what is happening in the state, you will know that he’s a special creature God gave to us. He’s from Uburu, the community with the highest salt deposit in Nigeria, from where Ebonyi garnered the Salt of the Nation motto, which at a time was corrupted to Dust of the Nation. Today, under his watch, we having Ebonyi as truly the Salt of the Nation. For me, his coming is very symbolic. Do you know that today, with the exception of Lagos and Abuja, Ebonyi has the highest number of flyovers in the country? The type you have in Enugu are not flyovers but pedestrian bridges. Some of these flyovers built by Umahi are 23-25 span, dualized flyovers, that all kinds of trucks and heavy-duty vehicles can ply. The one in Anambra can’t be plied by these heavy vehicles. He’s building thirteen dualized flyovers, of an average of 23 span at all the major junctions of the state. He built a beauty spot in the state- the biggest light tunnel in the whole of Africa and he named it after President Muhammadu Buhari. Cited close to the light tunnel is the biggest ecumenical centre in Africa, built by him. Again, cited close to this ecumenical centre is a mall built by him.

    When Senator Ben Bruce came, he confirmed it to be the biggest in Africa. Still close to this light tunnel, there are three flyovers, apart from each other at a driving time of 3 minutes. One of the flyovers connects the biggest international market in the South East, bigger than what we have in Onitsha, being built by this administration. It was started by the previous administration but he considered what was there to be inferior so he began afresh. Apart from Abuja & Lagos, I can tell you that in the whole federation, Ebonyi has the highest number of good network of roads. He builds these roads using what is called concrete pavements, with a guaranty of 50 years. With this concept, he has built 25km roads in all the LGs in the state, with a plan that all roads in both the rural and urban areas will be pliable. It doesn’t matter to him that a particular road is designated a federal road, so these roads built have improved the economic advantages of the state. As much as Human capital development is important, he believes that the environment should be such that man can thrive in, just like God first created the garden before creating man to dwell in it.

    PFM: But beyond all these infrastructural developments, Ebonyians complain that they have been starved while roads are built. Don’t you think that Human capital development can work simultaneously with infrastructural developments?

    Commissioner: Recall I said I was Commissioner for Human Capital Development for a time so I can tell you authoritatively what this administration has done in that regards. The governor identifies human capital development as a process of mentoring the people mentally, financially, morally, etc. so that you have the capacity and audacity of purpose to be self reliant. He is the first governor in the present crop of governors to create a full Ministry to oversee human capital development. The governor began with a training for women and youths, at the end of which they were asked to come up with a business plan and 3000 persons with interesting plans were given a grant of N250,000 each totaling seven hundred & fifty million naira. He went to Lagos and noticed that most of the hawkers were Ebonyians so he profiled 520 hawkers and trained them. At the end of the training, he gave them a grant of N250,000 each, totaling one hundred & thirty million naira, in a program he called Street to Skill Empowerment Program. Today, the hawkers of Ebonyi origin in Lagos have drastically reduced. Before IPOB had issues with the leadership of South East, the government of Anambra accused Ebonyians of being the bulk of IPOB members and championing their activities. To abate that, the governor procured 450 tricycles and gave out to the youths that were previously barrow pushers. At a time 4,300 widows in Ebonyi were trained and given one hundred thousand naira each; this is in addition to the N5000 he has been paying each of these widows every month for the past 5years. For civil servants, the governor mapped out four billion naira for what he called Second Agro Scheme for civil servants to assess between N300,000-N1,500,000 for use in Agric related activities. For the clergy, irrespective of religion, he mapped out N508,000,000 to be used to for Agric related business. The governor also introduced what was called Wives of Security Officials Empowerment Program, not minding that most of the security officials are from the North and some from the West, and gave 403 wives of security officials a grant of N200,000 each to go into Agric related programs. The list is quite long; even the market women, he gave them about N150,000,000. All of these monies were given as grants, apart from that of the civil servants. We keyed into the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Program and every other FG intervention program because we enjoy a good relationship with the FG. Our governor respects the President as his Boss. Ebonyi doesn’t engage foreigners in most of the construction jobs done-we use our people- and of course, the governor’s definition of an Ebonyian is anyone who lives or does business in Ebonyi,

    irrespective of your state of origin. As part of the human capital development, the governor also introduced Mentorship programs. Ebonyi has the highest number of State Exco members, about 106 excos, in comparison to other SE states. International Best Practices may tell you this isn’t the best but there’s a reason the governor encouraged that. The idea is for these young men and women to understudy good governance as it is in the state today, through mentorship and participation. There are about 1000 Technical Assistants seriously working for the state by supervising different sectors and learning what service is really about; they are paid over N100,000 monthly as salary. As part of the human capital development, in Education, before this government came onboard, we were classified as being educationally less privileged. Since 2017 till date, an LG in Ebonyi has always had the highest number of matriculants in the 774 LGAs of the country according to a ranking by NUC. In maternal mortality ratio, World Bank has ranked Ebonyi state above average. Those who are saying the governor has abandoned human capital development just want to whip up sentiments. Human capital development can’t be seen but the impact is always felt so they think that because it is abstract, they can convince people against the governor. The impact of this sector has made Ebonyi the state with the lowest insecurity profile in the South East. The development in Ebonyi has boosted the confidence of the average Ebonyian whom hitherto felt inferior because he or she hails from Ebonyi and I think that this is the best achievement in the human capital sector. Governor Umahi creates wealth, he has a midas touch. As a deputy governor, the then governor always entrusted him with hard nuts to crack. As a PDP state chairman, he was the best party chairman in Nigeria and the chairman of the forum of party chairmen in Nigeria and he built the biggest party office in the whole of Africa for PDP. In addition to being the Chairman of the SE Governors Forum, he’s also the Co-Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum.

    PFM: Let’s look at Agriculture. Does Ebonyi state government have plans to engage in all year farming through providing facilities for irrigation?

    Commissioner: When we came onboard, we looked at areas of comparative advantage for Ebonyi and we selected Rice and Cassava as the primary commodities. We wanted to engage in the dry & wet season rice production but we had challenges arising from the issues of irrigation, river basins and all of that. We are working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Federal Ministry of Water Resources to see how to develop our irrigation facilities. We now had to invest heavily in processing facilities. To boost our rice production, we procured 13 bulldozers and 40 tractors to mechanize the process. We now have the highest numbers of rice processing mills in Africa. The state-owned rice mill produces 24 metric tonnes of rice per hour and this is responsible for the over 500,000 metric tonnes of rice we produce, ranking among the 3 highest rice producers in the country. We also have parboiling plants that turn out 32 metric tonnes of rice per hour.

    PFM: Considering the education sector, you previously said that anyone who leaves in Ebonyi is classifies as a citizen but we have reports that the state university has a fee for indigenes, different from that of non-indigenes. How does one reconcile this with your earlier stance?

    Commissioner: I want you to get the facts straight. You must be comprehensive in your assessment. In primary and post primary schools, we have full control but in tertiary institutions we don’t have full control. What we give is intervention so we reduce school fees for indigenes by intervention- they pay a part and we pay the other part. So, when we say indigenes, we mean those resident in Ebonyi and you know that residency is established over a period of time. If you gain admission into Ebonyi State University, and you just come to Ebonyi to school, you are not a resident. Staying for a certain umber of years qualifies you as a resident of Ebonyi. See in Ebonyi, our governor does not discriminate. A native of Anambra is the Commissioner for Youths and Sports in Ebonyi state. We have much persons from other states holding one appointment or the other.

    PFM: There has been this much touted rumor of Governor Umahi wanting to run for President. Now that he has decamped to the All Progressives Congress, what do we expect, especially since he gave his reasons for decamping as being in the interest of the Igbo people?

    Commissioner: When we get to that bridge, we shall cross it but let me tell you one thing. I say this with tears of joy, that if we must get this country right, we should look for people like Governor David Nweze Umahi. This country is very wealthy and if you want the fortunes of this country to be turned around, look for his likes. The President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo said that the kind of character Governor Umahi has is such that what any other state will do with five naira, he will do with one naira. Is it not time we let such persons lead this country? If the governor touches the kind of resources in Nigeria, if he has such resources at his disposal, the situation will change that even U.S will marvel. So, when we get to the bridge, we will cross it but the truth must be said that this man is nationalistic. He is not doing these things in the state because of what he may want at the national level. He’s educationally sound, he has strong negotiation skills and he is so passionate. I remember traveling with him to China and while we were in the train, he was looking at the level of developments there. The next thing I saw was that my governor bowed his head and I heard him speak in tongues. In between the tongues, he said God help me transform Ebonyi state to be like this. In Ebonyi today, we have the highest number of water fountains in any state in the country. The kind of street lights we have in this state works for 12 hours non-stop, yet they are powered with diesel, even Abuja & Lagos doesn’t have them. He supervises projects round the clock and makes such that all projects are delivered professionally and up to standard. People who come to work in Ebonyi don’t come to amass wealth, they come to work and make modest gains. He was the first to procure electronic tricycles under the zero-oil economy. He had delivered a lecture on this at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In Ebonyi, we already have a college where we learn how to fabricate tricycles and we have empowered about 50 women with electronic tricycles.

    PFM: Honorable Commissioner, we were informed that since this year, the governor has paid salaries just once. Is the state government using the salaries of civil servants to do all these?

    Commissioner: I’m going to answer your question by calling a civil servant in this Ministry to provide the answer [presses his office bell. A civil servant steps in shortly to answer the bell with the following questions from the Commissioner following suit while the Team watches and listens;
    Commissioner: Accountant, have you received your salary for the month?
    Accountant: Yes
    Commissioner: Ah Ah! How come you didn’t inform me?
    Accountant: Everybody has received theirs too.
    Commissioner: Okay, you can go.
    At the end of this, the conversation continues with the Team.]
    I want to let you know that we used to pay our salaries by the 15th of every month but civil servants complained that receiving the salaries at the middle of the month left them empty by the month’s end. When it got to the governor’s attention, the date was changed to 24th of every month. He also pays the 13th month bonus. The governor is building an airport that is being fashioned after the Abuja and Lagos airports and he plans to complete this before the expiration of his tenure. He is achieving all these quietly without much noise. We are building an executive council that will be the highest in the South East. The governor is building a medical college in Uburu and all these things are done with the little resources the state has, but which are properly allocated.

    PFM: We appreciate the time.

    Commissioner: Thank you for finding time to report the activities of our state.

  • Osinbajo demands sanction for corruption in government agencies

     

     

     

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed worry over a survey report that highlights persistent corruption, duplicity of functions, poor service orientation and other anti-business disposition in some of the Federal Government’s regulatory agencies.

     

     

     

     

    Osinbajo and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council therefore resolved to make the report available to the heads of the affected agencies.

     

     

     

     

    The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday titled,  ‘Osinbajo to regulatory agencies: Everything we do to grow the economy, change lives of Nigerians depends on conducive business environment.’

     

    According to the statement, the survey that returned damning verdicts on the unnamed agencies was conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

     

     

     

     

    The statement read, “The Cost of Compliance Report which was presented to the council at its first virtual meeting of the year on Tuesday revealed persistent corruption, duplicity of functions, poor service orientation, and several anti-business disposition in some of the regulatory agencies.

     

     

     

     

    “Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who presided over the meeting directed that CEOs and heads of such government regulatory agencies involved should be presented with the outcomes and interaction should take place regarding some of the worrying disclosures in the report of the survey conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, PwC.”

     

     

     

     

    Akande also quoted the vice president as saying that if the environment, on account of regulatory authorities, was difficult or expensive, such that people were discouraged to do business, then the nation was shooting itself in the foot.

     

    Describing them as human issues, Osinbajo said something serious must be done to address the issues.

     

    Speaking further about holding those responsible for the major lapses to account, the Vice President said, “I am in full support of holding our CEOs to account because they, in turn, must hold their staff to account. If there is systemic corruption, bribery and extortion, and nobody is held to account, there is a problem.”

     

     

     

     

    Others present at the PEBEC meeting on Tuesday include the Ministers of Industry Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the Vice Chairman of PEBEC; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed; Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Budget and National Planning (State), Clem Abga; Special Adviser on Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, representing the National Assembly among other top government officials and re presentatives from PwC.

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Nigeria imports goods worth N2.59tn from China

    Goods traded by Nigeria with other West African countries have been ranked as the least among the country’s global trade partners.

     

    Figures obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics’ foreign trade statistics for the third quarter of 2020 revealed that trade with Asian countries topped the list of Nigerian trade partners.

    Part of the report read, “During the quarter, Nigeria imported goods mainly from Asia, valued at N2.59tn.

     

    “Other major imports originated from Europe, valued at N1.8tn while imports from America and Africa amounted to N746.4bn and N175.4bn respectively.

    “Import from Oceania stood at N532.4bn while goods valued at N12.5bn originated from ECOWAS.”

    According to the figures, Nigeria’s imports, by country of origin, showed goods were imported mainly from China (N1.64tn or 30.51 per cent), United States (N482.3bn or 8.96 per cent), The Netherlands (N443.5bn or 8.24 per cent) and India (N354.1bn or 6.58 per cent) respectively.

    The value of exports in Q3 2020 stood at N2.99tn, showing an increase of 34.85 per cent compared to Q2 2020 but a decrease of 43.41 per cent compared to Q3 2019.

     

    Exports by section revealed that mineral products accounted for the largest proportion of exports, amounting to N2.78tn or 93.1 per cent.

    This was due to the crude oil component of this section.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • NDLEA confiscates 15,253.82kg of cocaine, cannabis, tramadol in Edo State

    Commander, Mr. Buba Wakawa, said 180 were males while 82 were females.

     

    He said 10 vehicles used in smuggling illicit drugs were equally impounded within the period under review, adding that 15 cannabis plantations measuring 11.82 hectares were identified and destroyed.

     

    Wakama noted that 86 drug-dependent persons were successfully counselled and reunited with their families, adding that eight drug traffickers were convicted while 220 cases were pending at the Federal High Court as at December 31, 2020.

     

    He said, “The Command recorded the achievement despite the COVID-19 lockdown and the EndSARS protest that led to the destruction of the State Command headquarters. Currently, we have 262 suspects in our net.

     

    “The various modes of drug concealment adopted by drug barons include use of silos, underground tunnels, cannabis warehouses as well as false compartments in trucks, buses and cars.”

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • SANs, Senior lawyers and politicians disagree with Buhari over fulani herdsmen forest reserve in Ondo State

    Three senior lawyers and groups, including Afenifere and the Yoruba Council of Elders, on Wednesday, criticised the Presidency over its stand on the Ondo State Government’s ultimatum to herdsmen in the state’s forest reserves.

    But the Northern Elders’ Forum directed the Fulani herdsmen to disregard the notice to quit forest reserves in the state.

    Also on Wednesday, the Ondo State Government said it did not tell herdsmen to leave the state or its forests, but forest reserves, which had become hideouts of kidnappers.

    Recall that the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had on Monday ordered herdsmen to leave the state’s forest reserves within seven days.

     

    The Presidency, in a statement by the President’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, faulted the governor, saying he should not act outside his constitutional powers.

     

    In a telephone interview with The PUNCH, the Secretary General of the YCE, Dr Kunle Olajide, described as unconstitutional, the reaction of the Presidency.

    Olajide said, “Any Nigerian is free to live in any part of the country in as much as he lives in peace with the people without engaging in violence or constituting a threat to the survival and wellbeing of others. But how do you explain a situation where you get to a place and engage in crime and criminality, killing and maiming of innocent people and plundering their farmlands and the likes?

     

    FG shunned S’West govs’ alarm on herdsmen’s attacks – YCE

    Commending Akeredolu, he stated, “The Presidency has turned a deaf ear to the calls of the people and governors of the South-West for protection from these herders in the last five years.

     

    “The herders in Yoruba land are Fulani. Therefore the issue of ethnicising crime does not arise.  The Federal Government ought to do the needful by calling  security officers to act and enforce orders issued by the lawful authority in the state.”

     

    Buhari shows no pretence representing Fulani – Afenifere

    The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere,  in a statement titled, ‘Ondo Forests: Fulani Presidency Again,’ issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin,  said the Muhammadu Buhari regime had again shown its non-pretence as representing the Fulani interests above other tribes in the country.

     

    Afenifere stated, “The intervention by what we mistakenly call the Federal Government of Nigeria on behalf of marauding Fulani in Ondo State against the lawful government in that state did not come to Afenifere as a surprise as it is in line with the non-pretence by this regime that it represents only the Fulani interests against those of Yoruba, Igbo, Junkun, Ijaw and other tribes in Nigeria.

    “That the Federal Government and its minion, Garba Shehu, could only hear Ondo State when Governor Akeredolu was very loud and clear about herders to vacate forest reserves in the state is symptomatic that this government has a serious problem with heating the rest of us when the issue involves its anointed Fulani.

     

    “The Fulani criminals have caused untold hardships in Ondo State and other Yoruba towns and cities in recent time and only an irresponsible government that wants to behave like our Federal Government will continue to fold its arms.

     

    “What has this government done to assure our people that it can protect our lives with the open murders of Mrs Funke Olakunri, the Olufon of Ifon and the Deputy Registrar of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, among many others?”

     

    On its part, the Coalition of Oduduwa Elders, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Dr. Tunde Aremu and National Secretary, Folake Ajasin, supported the quit notice given by the governor to Fulani herdsmen to leave forest reserves.

    Presidency doesn’t know meaning of forest reserves – Gani Adams

    Also, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, said Akeredolu had constitutional rights to give a notice to quit to illegal residents in the forest reserves.

    In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, Adams said the Presidency had failed to address the security situation across the country.

    He stated, “Garba Shehu/Presidency apparently doesn’t know the meaning of forest reserves. It’s not accessible except to authorised personnel/loggers. Apart from the place being a place for valued cash trees, it also means a haven of safety for protected animals against poachers. The herdsmen living in the forests are not only unauthorised, they also would likely cut down trees to make fires and must also kill animals for food.”

     

    Also farmers in Ondo State supported the governor and asked him to back up his ultimatum with a law.

    The Chairman of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities’ Association,  Mr Gbenga Obaweya, in an interview with The PUNCH,  urged the governor to sponsor a  grazing bill at the state House of Assembly to tackle the security challenges in the state.

     

    Don’t politicise security, SAN tells FG

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Tayo Oyetibo, in an interview with The PU NCH said Akeredolu had the right to ask herdsmen to leave the state government forest reserves, urging the Presidency not to politicise the matter.

    He said, “As the chief security officer of the state, the state governor has the power to say that those that are occupying the forest should come and register although I would have expected that law should have been passed to that effect to control the movement of people in the forest.

     

    “I think the Presidency is misunderstanding the governor, everybody in Nigeria should support the safety of anybody living in any part of Nigeria. So if those living in the forest are committing crimes, government, whether federal or state, should see to the discovery of those that are behind the crimes. This I think is the motive of the governor of Ondo State and I don’t think that issue should be politicised at all.

    “They (the FG) should meet with the state governor and see what is happening in Ondo State to nip it in the bud before it’s a mess.  I don’t think it’s a matter for politics at all.”

     

    Akeredolu acting within his powers – Yusuf Ali

    Similarly, another senior advocate, Yusuf Ali, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said the state governor had the right to determine whatever he wishes on the land in the state.

    He said, “Any land within each state of the federation is given in trust of the governor for the citizens of the state, so technically speaking, it means the land in the state belongs to the governor and somebody who owns something has a right to determine the use of that thing.

     

    “If truly the Land Use Act had vested all the lands in the state to the state government then the governor has the right to determine how the land would be used, who may have access, who may not have access.”

    Another SAN, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, also faulted the Presidency.

    In an interview with The source, the senior advocate said the Presidency misinterpreted sections of the constitution.

    Adegboruwa said, “I salute the courage of the governor. He displayed rare statesmanship and courage. I think it is a lesson for all governors to take hold of their territories and safeguard the lives and property of people.

    But another SAN, Mike Ozekhome, in his position, stated, “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered) provides the right to freedom of movement throughout Nigeria of a citizen, and to reside in any part thereof. Section 41 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in very clear and precise words, provides as follows:

    “Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereto or exit therefrom.”

    According to him, the Presidency has every right to call the governor of Ondo State to order.

    Order not notice to quit, we only asked herdsmen to leave forest reserves, not forests – Ondo

    Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government on Wednesday insisted that the Federal Government’s opposition to  notice to quit  would not change its position.

     

    Speaking to one of our correspondents, Akeredolu’s Special Adviser on Security Matter,  Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, said the government was serious about the issue.

    In the same vein, the government also stated that the governor’s order was in the interest of the residents of the state, including the Fulani herdsmen.

    It warned that the governor’s directive should not be misinterpreted to mean notice to quit for the Fulani that reside in the state.

     

    The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation,  Mr Donald Ojogo stated these on the Channels Television, programme, monitored on Wednesday.

     

    Ojogo saidInsecurity is a national issue and no part of the country is exempted. Now kidnapping and banditry are now becoming a pandemic so to say. If actually Garba Shehu issued the statement, then he owes the nation explanation to let people know why he must take up the fight of criminal elements. I  do not believe that with his pedigree, he might want to offer himself as spokesperson for the people masquerading as herdsmen and committing crimes.

     

    “Government did not say Fulani people should leave Ondo State.  Some herdsmen have occupied the forest reserves and in this case, the forest reserves are different from the natural forests. Government has not come out to say that the Fulani should vacate all the forests in Ondo State. The focus here is the forest reserves.

     

    “There are specific purposes that forest reserves have been earmarked for. There are thousands of hectares of land in the thick forest. Unfortunately, some of those criminal elements have gone to mingle with Fulani herdsmen who have occupied portions of these forest reserves and settlements. In any case, anytime victims are kidnapped, they take them into the depth of forest reserves, and security agencies have had enough evidence to show that victims are taken into the forests.

    “So what government is trying to do is to clear the mess by a way of regulating the activities of herdsmen and not only Fulani people are herdsmen. The governor ( Akeredolu )  was explicit in his directive.”

     

    Disregard Akeredolu’s order, NEF tells herdsmen

    But the NEF  asked the Fulani not to leave the forest reserves, describing Akeredolu’s order as provocative.

    The NEF Director (Publicity and Advocacy), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The statement reads, “It has, however, become necessary to speak at this stage and offer advice before mischief makers capitalize on the issue to compound our existing challenges around security and co-existence.

    “Governor Akeredolu is a senior lawyer who should know that the constitution does not give him the power to deny any Nigerian the right to live where he chooses if he does not break the law in the process.

    “His duty to protect and improve the security of citizens and all people in Ondo State cannot be challenged. Indeed, all governors need more support to improve their responses to security challenges which citizens face. Nonetheless, no Nigerian has the power to take punitive action against citizens on political grounds

    “The forum urges the Fulani community in Ondo to stay where they are and continue to be law-abiding. They should collaborate with all legitimate authorities to police their communities against criminal elements, but they should resist moves to be labelled entirely as criminals.

    Meanwhile, the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that no individual or group has the right to initiate forceful eviction of the Fulani from the state.

     

    Makinde gave the warning in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday in reaction to the ultimatum that was given a popular businessman and activist from Oke Ogun axis of the state.

    The governor while reiterating his determination to uphold the nation’s constitution, said the common enemies of the people were not the Hausa/Fulani, but the hoodlums, cultists, armed robbers, kidnappers and bandits.

    Makinde said, “We cannot overlook the fact that there had indeed been instances that caused concern. The fragile peace between the herdsmen and farmers in Oke Ogun is being threatened. Individuals who are not authorised are going around chasing people from their homes and causing mayhem. This assault on residents of Oyo State is not the way to further the Yoruba cause.”

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Finance: FG owes CBN N9.8tn debt

    Part of the report read, “Sustained use of direct monetary financing could raise risks to macroeconomic stability – given the current weak institutional safeguards – but we expect the FGN to reduce its use of the facility in 2021.

     

    “The FGN directly borrowed 1.9 per cent of GDP from the CBN to fund its fiscal deficit in 2020, estimated by Fitch at 3.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.

     

    “A number of emerging markets resorted to central bank deficit financing in 2020 against a background of urgent spending needs and temporary market dislocations associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

     

    “However, the use of central bank financing in Nigeria predates the pandemic shock.”

     

    The report added, “We estimate that the balance of the government’s WMF with the CBN was around N9.8tn (6.7 per cent of GDP) at end-2019, up from N5.4tn (4.2 per cent of GDP) at end-2018.

     

    “Unlike the government, we include this balance in our metrics for Nigeria’s government debt. Borrowing from the facility accounted for 30 per cent of the FGN’s debt at end-2019, on our estimates.”

     

    ‌

    Fitch Rating stated that repeated central bank financing of government budgets could raise risks to macro-stability in the context of weak institutional safeguards that preserve the credibility of policymaking and the ability of the central bank to control inflation.

     

    The CBN’s guidelines limit the amount available to the government under its WMF to five per cent of the previous year’s fiscal revenues.

     

    However, it added, the FGN’s new borrowing from the CBN had repeatedly exceeded that limit in recent years, and reached around 80 per cent of the FGN’s 2019  revenues in 2020.

     

     

    Source: wwwpunchng.com

  • 35 years old man gets electrocuted in delta State

    35-year-old man has been electrocuted by Christmas decorations mounted on the Nnebisi Road, Asaba, Delta State.

     

    The victim, popularly called Jaja, was said to have been engaged by the contractor to the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency on beautification to dismantle the decorations when he was electrocuted and died on the spot on Monday.

     

    An eyewitness and fellow worker told our correspondent that the victim was disconnecting the decorations when one of the wires on the street light poles fell and electrocuted him.

     

     

    “Jaja climbed the pole with a metal ladder to disconnect the street light. One of the wires suddenly snapped and touched the ladder he was standing on and he was electrocuted,” he stated.

     

    The street lights were initially powered by generators during former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration, but were connected to the national grid in 2015 by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

     

    A source, who lamented that the disconnection crew could not rescue the victim, who died on the spot, said the corpse was deposited in the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.

     

     

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said the case had not been reported at any police divi sion in Asaba.

     

    Source: www.punchng

  • Lagos State University Deputy Vice Chancellor kidnapped in Nasarawa

     

    The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Anchor University, Lagos State, Prof. Johnson Fatokun, has been kidnapped.

    Anchor University is a faith-based institution in Ayobo, Lagos, owned by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry.

     

    PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim left Lagos on Sunday to drop off his two children, who were schooling in the North.

     

    He was said to be returning on Monday when his vehicle was attacked by the gunmen in Nasarawa en route to the airport to return to Lagos.

     

    A source said the assailants were in police uniform.

     

    The source said, “The professor had dropped his son at the Deeper Life High School in the morning. He also went to drop the daughter at a federal university in Jos.

     

    “He was returning from Jos to Keffi, Nasarawa State, late in the evening when they encountered the gunmen on the road. The driver, however, manoeuvred his way and sped through them. The gunmen started chasing the vehicle and shooting.

     

    “There was another set of kidnappers right in front of them. They succeeded in stopping the vehicle. They beat up the driver, who managed to escape. The professor begged them for mercy, because those people were angry. That was how they whisked him away.”

     

    Our correspondent learnt that the kidnappers had been speaking with some leaders of the victim’s church in Nasarawa.

    It was gathered that the gunmen demanded N20m as ransom.

     

    “They are talking to his colleagues and some leaders in the church. The negotiation is ongoing. We hope he will be released soon and unhurt,” the source added.

    An official of the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development.

    He, however, said prayers were being offered for the safe release of the professor.

     

    Fatokun is a professor of Computational Mathematics and Numerical Analysis, and was the pioneer Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, before joining the services of Anchor University in 2017.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Amending the constitution without restructuring is a waste of time – Jang

     

    A  former Governor of Plateau state, Jonah Jang on Tuesday said amending Nigeria’s constitution without restructuring will be a waste of time.

    He blamed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) for the nation’s current socio-economic problems.

     

    Jang said this while speaking on the state of the nation in an interview with journalists in Jos. He described the constitution as a document “full of injustice and imbalance” which should be dumped.

     

    The former Governor further said, “The Military cannot create a Constitution for a civil and democratic society. The 1999 Constitution (As Amended), is problematic because it gives some people undue advantage over the others.

     

    “Such Constitution, as we have now cannot stand and no matter the amendments, it will not work because our experience has shown that those saddled with the responsibility would only pick some portions that do not suit them to amend while those that suit them are left untouched even when the issues are detrimental to the survival and wellbeing of other Nigerians.

    “For instance, in Plateau state, the population in Jos South Local Government Area alone, is three or four times the size of Wase LGA. Yet, Jos South is joined with another LGA to form a federal constituency while Wase alone stands as a federal constituency.

    “You will find such abnormality and injustice against the people all over the country with the backing of the constitution. It should not be like that. The Governor as the chief security officer in his state cannot give certain orders to the commissioner of police his state without the officer first, getting clearance outside his domain in Abuja which is also abnormal

    “As a result, what we have presently is an unfortunate situation where state governors who are supposed to protect the people and drive the developmental aspirations of their people in their respective states without necessarily seeking clearance from Abuja, have now become captives due to the flaws in the constitution

    “The Government must allow people to deliberate, debate and discuss the issues and questions that have arisen out of the Constitution.”

     

    Jang insisted that “restructuring the country’’ and the enthronement of a new constitution agreed by Nigerians is the only way to move the country forward.

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Okorocha calls for new political Alliance

     

    Rochas Okorocha

     

    The pronouncement by former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha that a new political platform is in the offing to wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday elicited a mixed reaction from several opposition politicians.

     

    While some most of those spoken to in separate interviews on Tuesday, agree that Nigerians enjoy the freedom of association and can form political parties to pursue their interests, opinion is divided as to whether there is a need for a new political platform.

     

    The Mega Political Movement being promoted by Prof. Pat Utomi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, and others are more concerned about electoral reforms.

     

    Spokesperson for the group, Olawale Okunniyi said, “What we must do as a people is first and foremost pursue a popular reworking of our constitution for us to have a nation which will work for all of us.

     

    “This will also involve political reforms because whatever political party you form using this currently faulty template will be consumed by the bad system currently in place.”

     

    Speaking in a similar vein, an Edo State Chieftain of the APC and former Commissioner for Information, Kazim Afegbua, said, “Nigeria needs to learn the hard way to be able to develop her democracy to fit into best practices. The idea of contemplating a new political block or movement or party is to me an exercise in overkill.

     

    “We have reduced political participation to bread and butter. We have enough political parties that can be retooled, reformed, rejigged and repositioned to assume their pride of place in the democratic equation.

     

    “The problem of Nigeria’s democracy is not about the proliferation of political parties but the characters that man them. There are bad losers everywhere as well as bad winners. The culture of winner takes all has its own telling impact in the leadership emanations across the political spectrum in the country.”

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com