The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Failed Rail Contracts, on Wednesdya, uncovered 169 ghost companies registered as contractors with the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, for projects valued at N1 trillion.
Chairman of the committee, Johnson Agbonnayinman, (Ikpoba/Okha federal constituency) said the committee discovered the scam when they invited contractors to a meeting and no one showed up stating that efforts to reach them have so far proven abortive.
He added that so far, only the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, responded to the committee’s letter.
He said: “You are duty bound to produce the contractors. They are nowhere to be found; they are not faceless but yet they cannot be reached.
“You gave them the job, so you should produce them; we are holding you responsible.”
The committee also asked the corporation’s MD, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, to make available the agency’s record of Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, between 2010 and 2014, and to explain to the the committee what the IGR was used for.
In response, the MD said the IGR was used to augment the agency’s overhead budget
A Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital has ordered the State Commissioner of Police to arrest the former State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Temitope Aluko over alleged perjury.
Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye gave the order on Wednesday, upon a Motion Ex-parte number MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti State Government against Mr Aluko and the State Commissioner of Police, pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014.
In the Motion, which was filed and moved by the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, an order of the court was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Mr Aluko to be executed by the State Commissioner of Police for the purpose of committing him (Aluko) for trial for the offence of perjury. Chief Magistrate Adegboye said the order was granted as a means for the first defendant (Aluko) to attend the court for defence.
The matter was premised upon an application to the State Attorney General by a lawyer, Mr Sunday Olowolafe, calling for the prosecution of Mr Aluko for alleged perjury. The legal practitioner said; “I hereby apply to your office that Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko be arrested and sued for perjury in view of the interview recently granted on Channels Television by 8:00pm on Sunday 31 January, 2016.
In the affidavit filed in support of the motion ex-parte by Special Assistant to the State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, he said Mr Aluko, who was a witness before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sworn to a Statement on Oath on August 4, 2014 wherein he stated that the Election was not only free and fair, but devoid of violence, thuggery, hooliganism, snatching of ballot boxes, and related forms of electoral disorderliness.
Olayinka further averred that Mr Aluko tendered and adopted his Statement on Oath on November 12, 2014 and further gave evidence under cross examination.
He stated that all what Aluko said on Channels Television on Sunday, January 31, 2016 were contrary to and opposite in direction to his evidence before the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, has disclosed its desire to grow Nigerian manufacturing sector by 5 percent per annum within the next four years. They are currently collaborating with Manufacturing Partnerships for African Development (MPAD) to hold an Expo in Lagos,March,2016, where it hopes to meet thousands of industry experts as a way of realising that dream.
The Chairman Economic Policy Committee (EPC) of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Reginald Odiah, said, “My vision is to see a Nigerian manufacturing sector that is developing and achieving a GDP growth of 5% per annum for the next four years”. They however called for an enormous investment to take the Nigerian manufacturing sector to the next level.
Moreover, thousands of Nigeria’s leading manufacturing experts will meet for the third annual MPAD & inaugural Nigeria Manufacturing Expo (MAN Expo) in Lagos from 15-17 March, which will be launched in response to the government’s commitment to industrialisation and Nigeria’s need to diversify.
He argued that 2015 was particularly a difficult year for local manufacturers, “reason being that it is an election year and government attention was particularly drawn into electioneering and winning the elections. Very little attention was paid to other sectors of the economy, especially manufacturing as is usual at these times.
“We are hoping and looking forward to Government now giving more time to the Real Sector – Manufacturing and Agriculture. We hope to prepare ourselves working with Government towards addressing the challenges of moving the real sector forward in 2016.”
The Senate has condemned the N83 million allocated to meals and refreshment by the Standards Organization of Nigeria in the 2016 Budget proposal of the agency.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Senator Sam Egwu, said such amount was outrageous considering the dire economic situation of the country.
Egwu also queried the rationale behind over N100 million allocated for overseas monitoring and evaluation by the same agency.
Defending the budget of N10.3 billion of the agency, the Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, said SON wished to optimally explore its revenue generating arm and would add about N120 million into the consolidated revenue account at the end of the fiscal year.
Odumodu also said there was a need to strengthen the states offices of SON for better efficiency and that SON also wanted to exploit the SON act of 2015, which empowered it to prosecute and send to jail all those involved in the manufacturing and importation of substandard goods.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Colonel Rabe Abubakar, has disclosed that the ship that was allegedly hijacked by pro-Biafra separatists is currently in Benin waters.
He noted that though the ship was intercepted by those with criminal intension, it is now in safe hands.
Abubakar, however, said that the ship was not intercepted by members of pro-Biafra agitators as alleged in many quarters.
It would be recalled that a defense ministry source, had stated that a vessel was seized on Friday, about 160 kilometers off Nigeria’s Bakassi Peninsula, along Nigeria’s south-eastern Atlantic Ocean coastline, near the border with Cameroon.
The shadowy militant linked to the hijack reportedly threatened to blow up the vessel with its foreign crew unless the Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Independent People of the Biafra (IPOB), is released within 31 days.
The ultimatum was reportedly given at the weekend by a militant identified under the assumed name of “Gen. Ben”.
The name of the ship, according to Colonel Rabe Abubakar, is MT LEON DIAS (9279927), a tanker.
Rabe reiterated that the ship is “presently in Benin waters, about 7.5 nautical miles off Cotonou Port, under the watchful eyes of the Benin Republic Navy.”
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has denied any link with the ship’s hijackers.
New leader of MASSOB, Comrade Uchenna Madu, vehemently denied working with any Niger Delta militant group or the hijackers who allegedly hijacked the Nigerian ship off the Bakassi Peninsula.
Madu said MASSOB did not believe in actualising Biafra through violence, and would remain non-violent in its struggles for the Biafra autonomy.
He said MASSOB would never resort to violence or take up arms against the Nigerian government no matter the provocations.
Madu accused the military of a deliberate ploy to link Biafran agitators with militancy as an excuse to declare war on them.
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and…hate it or love it, you should be on the love train. Good thing is that whether you want to declare your love, wow your secret crush, or just have a memorable time in Port Harcourt City, River State, there are plenty of opportunities to do so.
Ranging from spontaneous, to romantic or just simple, Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking site offers 5 fun things to do in Port Harcourt for Valentine. Even better, some of these ideas are not just for Valentine’s Day, they are also appropriate for each day of the year.
Weekend getaway at Le Meridien Ogeyi Place
Good news for all lovers of Valentine’s Day, the holiday for 2016 falls on Sunday, so this is the perfect excuse for a long romantic weekend. Whether you already live in Port Harcourt or are making a trip to the city from another location, a stay at Best Western Premier Hotel , would certainly spice up your relationship with your partner this holiday.
The hotel which is listed on Jovago.com, has a special valentine package from NGN30, 250 which includes 2 nights stay at the hotel, buffet breakfast at the Ororo restaurant, complimentary access to gym & Pool, complimentary Internet, raffle draw entry to win great prizes and more.
Set out on a pedestrian adventure
This is not the conventional way to spend valentine, but it’s sure a means to kill two birds with one stone as you not only spend quality time with your partner, but you also learn so much about the city when you walk through it.
Take your Valentine to a popular but safe neighborhood like Abuloma or Rumola and explore the environs, taking pictures and making memories along the way. You could actually keep things spontaneous and set out for an unknown destination. It would be such a rewarding experience when you finally get to the desired spot, perhaps a local restaurant or road side pub.
Sunday lunch buffet at hotel presidential
If you are not cut out for a long weekend stay in a fabulous hotel, you can at least settle for an exquisite lunch buffet at Hotel Presidential Hotel. An elegant location in the heart Port Harcourt, Sunday lunch buffet is offered at one of the hotel’s onsite restaurants, the Rivers Restaurant, every Sunday from 12:00pm till 3:00pm.
Spend quality time with your ‘boo’ enjoying the local foods of the city and savoring a taste of River State’s culinary culture. The hotel usually has special events as well as special offers which you can benefit from as long as you make early reservations.
Order in and have a takeout feast
Sometimes, spending intimate and quality time with your partner on Valentine’s Day is all you need. Waive the parties, buffets and outings and settle for an in-house feast of take outs. Make food orders from several different restaurants and assemble a palatable spread from all of the delivery spots- including local and foreign dishes. Indulge yourselves. Just ensure you know to avoid foods that you or your partner may be allergic to…and keep things interesting.
Record a love song together at a studio
Music according to Shakespeare is the food of love. Rather than just listen to music, it would be a romantic idea to go create one of your own. You do not necessarily need to know how to sing or have a sonorous voice to pull it off. Book some time in the studio and work with the resident producer, you will be surprised the outcome at the end of the day.
While you may not end up releasing the track, the song could become a symbol of your love and it can be played as the theme song for your wedding or anniversary, plus you can also share the story and love song with children in future.
Eko for show. This coming weekend will be one of fun, excitement and a benign exhibition of the tourism potentials of a state which is on its way to becoming a mega city. It’s not a surprise because Lagos has always been the pacesetter when it comes to novel events, remember the Lagos Countdown? And of course, it’s the economic heartbeat of Nigeria. Many will go as far as saying ‘No Lagos, no Nigeria’. Drums roll…welcome, the Lagos City Marathon which derbies on February 6th. A marathon hinged on bringing local and international athletes together to experience the hospitality, nerve racking hustle, entertainment, art, sport and the swashbuckling side of a burgeoning city. If you are participating in the marathon, here are some quick things you need to know. Get your trainers on Saturday and join over 40 international runners in the first Lagos City Marathon.
The route
This is perhaps the most important information that all participants should have at their finger tip. The start point (7:30am) is The National Stadium Surulere while the finish point is Eko Atlantic. In between, the runners will go through popular stops like Ojuelegba, Anthony, Maryland, Ojota, Ogudu, Third Mainland Bridge, and Federal Palace Hotel among other places. The distance to be covered is 42.195 kilometres which is less than three hours.
Running numbers
To be eligible for the race, you must collect your running number. You can collect it at the Teslim Balogun stadium which is a stone throw from the National Stadium. Don’t forget you need a means of identity and confirmation received via email to receive your running kits. The numbers can be collected between the hours of 10 am and 6 pm.
Registration closes on 4th February
For Nigerians that like to do things at the eleventh hour, they still have ample opportunity to register to run in the marathon. Go online and register. Registration is very simple. Put your money where your mouth is. No bragging!
$50,000.00 up for grabs
Converting 50,000 dollars to the black market rate of the naira will give you a staggering amount. But if this is not enough to motivate to participate, what about the sound of 1 million naira for the 1st male and female Nigerian to cross the finish line? It’s not about winning but participating. Notwithstanding, money has always been an excellent motivating factor in any engagement.
50,000 Marathoners are expected
Imagine the huge logistics that will go into organising the Lagos City Marathon in a city like Lagos. So, you have to forgive any hitches. On the part of the government, maximum security, refreshments, ambulance services and entertainment are guaranteed. For runners, it’s advisable to leave your car and other valuables at home, arrive early and follow instructions. You are assured of a pleasant time at the marathon!
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Olusegun Awolowo, Ondo State is strategic to the Federal Government’s initiative of achieving Zero Oil programme in its bid towards diversifying the nation’s economy. He said that the council would partner with the Ondo State government in a bid to boost cocoa and oil palm production which the State has relative advantage.
Awolowo noted that the nation’s over-dependence on oil and its decline globally has been causing a major set back to the economy of the country, hence the need to maximize other areas of comparative advantage for her survival.
“Ondo State accounts for over 40% of all cocoa export in Nigeria. We are here to exchange ideas with the governor on how to scale up production of cocoa because we need to set a target under our zero oil initiative so that we can meet the international demand of millions of metric tons. Nigeria used to boom in cocoa but now we are producing around 240,000 metric tons, Ivory Coast on 1.7m metric tons and Ghana 750,000 metric tons.
“But when you look at these countries, when you map them, you will see that Nigeria has expanse of arable land more than they have. We are ready to work with Ondo State, which is one of our targets even in the oil palm production”.
Mimiko, commended the initiative of diversifying the nation’s economy, calling on President Mohammad Buhari to spearhead the marketing of Nigeria before the international community, adding that his administration would assist the NEPC to enhance cocoa production for export and other products which the State has relative advantage.
Facebook hosted a roundtable with small and medium sized enterprises from Ghana and Nigeria on Tuesday this week as part of its effort to support entrepreneurship in West Africa. The session focused on how Facebook can help small businesses reach exactly the right customers – for less money and with greater returns.
More than 50 million small businesses around the world actively use Facebook Pages because they’re free, easy to use, and they work well on mobile. More than 2.5 million SMEs worldwide actively invest their hard-earned dollars with Facebook every month, a number that’s doubled in the past two years.
A growing number of them are in Africa – 54% of people on Facebook in Nigeria are connected to a small or medium business. But for Facebook, this is only the start of Facebook’s potential to help small and medium sized enterprises in West Africa to thrive.
Said Nunu Ntshingila, Head of Africa for Facebook: “Africa is home to some of the world’s most vibrant and exciting small businesses, and these enterprises are the backbone of the economy. These smaller businesses drive economic growth and create jobs that lift people to prosperity. The number one reason they succeed or fail is their ability to attract customers. As more and more people turn to smartphones and the web to discover and connect with businesses, Facebook is the best platform for African SMEs to promote their brands.”
Nicola Mendelsohn, EMEA vice-president at Facebook Mendelsohn, said, “Technology is driving real progress. When I visit Africa, this comes to life in every conversation and with every story I hear about entrepreneurs creating jobs and solving problems with technology’s help. We’re invigorated by how Ghanaian and Nigerian SMEs are using Facebook to grow brand awareness and boost engagement with their customers. We look forward to doing more to support entrepreneurs as they build their businesses.”
West African businesses are advertising on Facebook because it drives business objectives and sales. It’s measurable, affordable, mobile and easy to do. If an SME has a Facebook Page, it is a mobile marketer, able to post once and reach clients on desktop, mobile, any device, anywhere in the world.
Most small businesses can easily get going for a few dollars a month with lightweight solutions that they do with one click from their page – for example, boosted posts, promoted page likes and promoted links. Some examples of small West African companies that use Facebook to tell their stores include:
Jayosbie in Nigeria is an online brand and retailer for fashion-forward men. “Facebook is significantly cheaper than other channels. Actually, it’s not even comparable,” says Dejuwon Isola-Osobu, founder and CEO. One recent campaign delivered 14,000 clicks for just 260$.
Fabulosity Hair and Fabulosity Cosmetics deliver affordable and natural hair extensions and cosmetics for women who want to look fabulous. They attribute their growth to the flexibility of Facebook advertising. Chinenye Umeh, the founder, says she loves the flexibility and affordability of Facebook, especially the fact that she can easily turn spending up and down on a month to month basis.
Skin Gourmet Limited in Ghana is a female-led producer of organic, natural and chemical free skin care products. It reports a significant return on investment in the form of more engagement and brand awareness after posting and boosting posts on Facebook.
Accra Good Markets in Ghana is a pop-up event for vendors to sell their products. Facebook is its only marketing channel for reaching vendors and shoppers alike and it sees tremendous results through its posting and highly targeted advertising activity on Facebook.
In 2015, Facebook held 225 events across 19 countries, reaching over 200,000 small business owners with training on how to use its platform effectively to drive sales and marketing goals. Africa will be a focus region for such events for the rest of this year.
The House of Representatives in Nigeria says the National Assembly will surely review the crude oil benchmark price for the 2016 budget.
The possibility of the review was made known on Wednesday by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Nigeria’s 2016 budget had been submitted to the National Assembly in December by the President, with a benchmark of $38 less than the current crude oil price.
This price per barrel has triggered comments about how realistic the budget proposal of 6.07 trillion Naira, with 2.22 trillion Naira deficit and a crude oil benchmark of $38 was.
But on Monday, the Minister of Budget and National Planning in Nigeria, Senator Udo Udoma, tried to allay Nigerians fears, assuring them that the falling crude oil price would not affect the nation’s 2016 budget submitted with the oil benchmark of $38 per barrel.
He told the lawmakers that there was a plan to cushion all shortfalls that may arise as a result of the drop in oil prices.
A breakdown of the 2016 Budget includes;
GDP Growth Rate Projection 4.37%
Revenue Projection 3.86 Naira
Deficit 2.22 trillion Naira (equivalent to 2.16% of Nigeria’s GDP)
Oil Related Revenues 820 billion Naira
Non-oil Revenues 1.45 trillion Naira
Projected Independent Revenues 1.51 trillion Naira
Capital Expenditure 1.8 trillion Naira (30% of total budget)
Works, Power and Housing 433.4 billion Naira
Transport 202.0 billion Naira
Interior 53.1 billion Naira
Special Intervention Programs 300 billion Naira
Education 369.6 billion Naira
Defence 294.5 billion Naira
Health 221.7 billion Naira
Ministry of Interior 145.3 billion Naira
Foreign and Domestic Debt Service 1.36 trillion Naira
Sinking Fund towards the retirement of maturing loans 113 billion Naira
Non-debt Recurrent Expenditure 2.65 trillion Naira
To address Nigerians concerns, however, the National Assembly is considering the review of the benchmark.
Mr Jibrin said that the new benchmark that would be arrived at, would be a practical figure.
The Chairman is also encouraging the executive to fully implement the Integrated Personnel Payroll System as a means of reducing the recurrent part of the country’s budget.
The House of Representatives has ordered all of its standing committees to ensure they retain the budgets of their Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) so as to avoid a situation where the 2016 N6.07 trillion budget proposal would be upwardly reviewed.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumim, however explained that the committees are allowed to adjust personnel budget only if there is evidence that it has been inflated.
“We are not really celebrating the 2016 budget, because we had hoped for a situation where the recurrent would reduce, but we have a situation where both recurrent and capital are increasing,” Abdulmumim said.
He included that the increase in the recurrent expenditure can be tackled if the Federal Government ensures that all its staff are captured in the Integrated Personnel Scheme.
Abdulmumim added that the House would adjust the $38 per barrel benchmark for crude to a more practicable figure; it would also engage the Central Bank of Nigeria to discuss the possibility of any adjustment to the exchange rate of the Naira to the dollar.
The acting director, Development Control in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hamza Madaki Tayed has warned owners of uncompleted buildings in the nation’s capital to quickly complete them as the administration will soon begin demolition of such buildings.
Tayed said that the FCTA has listed 665 of such abandoned buildings currently in the nation’s capital.
He said such abandoned building pose serious security risk, adding that owners of such building will be issued a final warning after which the government will go ahead to demolish them and as well as revoke the plot of land.
He said, “The owners of such structure are doing a disservice to the FCT. You start a building and you abandon it halfway. You don’t even care who is occupying it so, this is a very serious security issue and threat to FCTA.”
He said the administration is working with security agents to ensure that criminals do not take advantage of such abandoned building as a hideout.
He said, “we will not allow undesirable elements to occupy such buildings because they can use it as a hideout for criminal activities”.
Foremost African financial institution, Guaranty Trust Bank plc, has been listed among the top 500 global banking brands in a study conducted by Brand Finance, one of the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
In the report, which is to be published in the February edition of the Banker, GTbank rises to 389th in the league table of the world’s biggest banks, 28 places from last year’s 417th position. It is one of only four Nigerian banks and tops in the country as the bank with the highest year-on-year brand value increase; from $213 million in 2015 to $243 million in 2016.
“We are excited to be named among the biggest banking brands in the world,” commented Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director/CEO of GTBank. “Our continued rise in the league of the world’s biggest banks is made possible by the passion and unwavering commitment of every member of staff, the management and the board to building a solid financial institution reputable for innovation, integrity, good corporate governance standards, and excellence in service delivery.”
Banks from five African countries made the ranking of which those from Nigeria cumulatively had the highest brand value increase of $249 million. Egypt came in second with a brand increase of $239 million followed by Togo at $134 million, while South Africa and Morocco both recorded brand decreases of $878 million and $213 million respectively.
GTBank has consistently played a leading role in Africa’s banking industry. The Bank operates from over 230 branches in Nigeria and has banking subsidiaries in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom. Reputed for its superior financial performance and best in-class product and service delivery, the bank has received numerous awards from industry watchers and analysts, among these are the “Best Banking Group of 2015, Nigeria,” by the World Finance Magazine and the 2015 Bank of the Year by leading international investment and communications group, Africa Investor (Ai).
We are basically fresh off of Christmas and it is already that time of year again – Valentine, the day set apart for love. Single, hooked or married, no matter your situation, there is a man in your life who needs that special expression of love.
Nigerian men tend to become materialistic around valentine and analyze the Valentine’s gifts they receive from their sweethearts. So, in order not to leave him unsatisfied with a tie and wine, Jovago.com has selected 5 top techie gift options. As the saying goes, you can never go wrong with a tech gift with a guy.
Xbox One 500GB FIFA 16 bundle
Offer a fusion of technology plus football, and you have the average Nigerian man’s fantasy gift! While this gift creates the risk of you losing even more of his attention, it proves to him that you really do love him and care that he has fun.
If you are smart, this gift can actually spice up your relationship! The brilliant Xbox One 500GB FIFA 16 bundle has options for multiple players and so you get the chance to beat him at his own game. All you need to do really is to continuously stick the pigskin past his goalie and into the onion bag. And when you are done thrashing him, you can make him tasty dinner and settle back on the sofa for an evening of romantic bliss.
BaByliss 7235U 10-in-1 grooming system
Most Nigerians are on huge on the “bear gang” trend at the moment, and while it is essential that you show your man that you fully support his choice, you need to help him keep the ‘fur’ on the face and other parts of his body under control with the BaByliss 7235U 10-in-1 grooming system.
Featuring a Turbo Boost mode particularly for thick hair, the kit is well suited for Nigerian men. It comes with a rechargeable multi-function trimmer featuring five interchangeable heads for his face and body, and two 5-position comb guides, enabling him to shave or trim to various lengths from 3mm to 15mm.
Powerbeats 2 Wireless Headphones
If your man is the health conscious type who goes out for a run every morning or visits the gym, you may want to get him the Powerbeats 2 headphones by Beats by Dre.
The headphones are the perfect piece for music while exercising. They are tough, sweat and water resistant, and the cable wraps around the back of the head; which means it will not get in the way of bicep curls or bodyweight exercises. The LeBron James-inspired Powerbeats which play tunes for up to six hours can also connect to a phone up to 30 feet away via Bluetooth, so he won’t have to worry about dropping a weight on his device. Think about it, If he is listening to music, he really will not have time to notice other girls.
Night Cable For iPhone or Android
This gift is actually more for you than him. Do you enjoy talking to him late into the night, but find that the call tends to cut every time his phone battery dies out because he hates fumbling for bedside cables? The Native Union’s Night Cable fixes all that. The cable is over nine feet long, so there is literally no place it cannot reach. It comes with a weighted knot that can anchor the cable to any flat surface. Plus, its retro styling makes is manly and fashionable, and he will certainly love to leave it out on display.
The Senate leadership has met with Service Chiefs to review the fight against Boko Haram in the north eastern part of Nigeria.
The meeting between the Senate leadership and the Service Chiefs may be connected with the recent terrorist attacks in Dalori, Borno State where over 60 people were killed and many injured, though the meeting were held behind closed doors.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, the Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume, revealed that the Senate leadership held frank discussions with the Service Chiefs and reviewed the security situation in the northeast.
On January 30, suicide bombers launched an attack on Dalori village in Borno State, killing over 60 persons and there have been conflicting reports about the death toll.
The National Emergency Management Agency has put the death toll at 65 which is less than the earlier figure of 85, given after the attack.
The World Cancer day celebrated on every February 4 of each year is a day set aside by the United Nations (UN)/World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.
WHO has revealed that Nigeria is faced with significant increase in the incidence of deaths from cancer in four years. In 2008 breast cancer killed 30 Nigerian women daily; by 2012 this had risen to 40 women daily. In 2008, prostate cancer killed 14 Nigerian men daily; by 2012, this had risen to 26 men daily. In 2008, liver cancer killed 24 Nigerians daily; by 2012, this had risen to 32 daily.
According to the National Co-ordinator of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria), Dr. Abia Nzelu, “Over 100,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer yearly, and about 80,000 die (10 deaths every hour) with a dismal survival rate of 1:5. The situation is worse for some specific cancers. For example, the survival rate for certain blood cancers in Nigeria is 1:20 whilst at the Tata Cancer Centre in the Indian City of Mumbai, survivorship is 99:100 for the same condition. This poor survival rate in Nigeria is mainly due to inadequate infrastructure for cancer care and lack of well-organised system of prevention.”
Wife of Lagos State governor, Bolanle Ambode, has called on Nigerians to unite in the fight against the cancer scourge. She said although cancer had been a threat to the world claiming more than eight million lives yearly, all hope was not lost if everyone could unite to fight the scourge.
But speaking on the activities of Sebeccly Cancer Care, Omojole Adetoro, a board member, said the organisation was established to raise awareness on cancer, assist cancer patients for treatment and to empower survivors to live a happy and stable life after completing treatment
The Presidency, on Wednesday, disclosed that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has opened an Escrow Account into which funds recovered from those suspected to have looted the treasury would be paid.
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu, who disclosed it in a statement made available to the State House correspondents in Abuja, also regretted criticisms targeted at the President for not fulfilling promises that the spokesman said he never made.
Speaking on the strides made by the President so far, especially on corruption, the statement said: “He is making good strides towards improving governance, by tackling corruption. To-date a good number of persons believed to have collectively stolen billions from the taxpayer have been arrested, and are facing the courts; we are working with our allies across the world – from Britain and America to France and Germany to China and UAE to source, locate and repatriate misappropriated funds. So far, an escrow account has been opened for money that is being returned.
“This is only the start: the return of stolen funds is important, but it is just as critical to ensure those who seek to steal realise that no longer will there be such impunity in Nigeria. Only by ending belief in such licence we can we fully institute the rule of law.”
The statement specifically addressed criticism contained in an article by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDS) which it said was peddling misleading information about Buhari’s promises that were not fulfilled after seven months in office.
It advised the group to “rise above petty partisanship and stop misleading Nigerians with blatantly false propaganda and misinformation to serve ulterior motives.”
The Presidency said it was very mischievous to attribute to the President promises he didn’t make during the campaign, and now hold him accountable for them.
According to Shehu, any honest advocacy for democracy should not include distortion of facts and a misrepresentation of what President Muhammadu Buhari had promised to deal with during the campaigns.
He explained that it was misleading to invent issues to suit one’s political bias and prejudice, and blame the President for not attending to those issues within one’s mischievous and chimerical deadline in order to play down the significant aspects of what the President has accomplished within those seven tough months.
The Customs Area Controller, Ogun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Wanidu Multafu on Wednesday said that the command generated N536 million in January.
Multafu made the disclosure at Idiroko, Ogun, on the sideline of the visit of the Zone `A’ Coordinator of the NCS, Mr Eporwei Edike.
The command generated N1.2billion between January and February 2015.
He said that he had designated some officers to mount surveillance in some of the bush paths in the area, while some officers were designated to be at the checkpoints.
He urged officers not to compromise the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired, Col. Hameed Alli on zero tolerance for smuggled products.
Multafu said that he had closed the border three times since his resumption in the last few weeks due to illegal operations.
On his part, the zonal coordinator urged the officers to cooperate with the controller to enable them benefit from his experience.
He commended the officers for the “huge’’ success recorded by the command in 2015 in terms of revenue, adding that the officers should work harder and generate more revenue in 2016.
The zonal coordinator, however, urged the controller to thoroughly supervise the junior officers in order not to end up in trouble while discharging their duties.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered N4.380, 295, 866.00 ($14 million) as unpaid royalty from a multinational oil and gas company.
Some oil firms are also under probe for evading payment of royalty to the government. It was learnt that the anti-graft agency may arrest and prosecute tax or royalty evaders.
An EFCC source said: “The commission has recovered over $14 million USD (about N4,380, 295,866.00) for the Federal Government, being crude oil royalty which was supposed to have been paid between 2011 and 2012 by an oil and gas company operating in the upstream sector.
“The money was paid into the Federal Government’s account with JP Morgan Chase on January 29, after EFCC waded into the matter of recovering taxes due to the Federal Government.
“The investigation of tax defaulters in the oil industry is continuing, warning that those who failed to pay up stand the risk of arrest and prosecution for tax fraud.”
The Acting Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, had, at NEITI-Companies’ Forum in Lagos in December, said 42 oil and gas companies paid $293 billion to the Federal Government between 2006 and 2012.
The cash came from the companies as taxes, royalty, dividends etc to government during the period. The breakdown is as follows: $44.7 billion (2006); $43.7 billion (2007); $60.4 billion in (2008); $30 billion( 2009); 2010 ($44.9 billion); $68.4 billion (2011); and $62.9 billion (2012).
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in March 2015 alleged that independent oil and gas companies had been defaulting in royalties and taxes.
In a 146-page report, the Nuhu Ribadu Committee on Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force said oil ministers between 2008-2011 handed out seven discretionary licences, but about $183 million in signature bonuses were missing.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has pledged to partner with the National Assembly in order to ensure efficiency and transformation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, gave the information when he received the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream at the NNPC’s office in Abuja on Wednesday.
Dr. Kachikwu noted that the NNPC had complied with the Federal Government’s directive on the Treasury Single Account.
In a statement issued by the NNPC’s Group General Manager on Public Affairs, Mr Ohi Alegbe, the NNPC boss called on the lawmakers to enact legislation to support the growth and development of the petroleum sector.
Dr. Kachikwu noted that the Petroleum Industry is currently undergoing fundamental changes in the face of dwindling global crude oil prices and sued for the support of the lawmakers to allow the NNPC solicit for funds from private local and international investors to execute its capital projects.
The Minister said that the compliance with the directive on the Treasury Single Account (TSA) would promote accountability in the day-to-day operations of the Corporation.
He informed the lawmakers that some of the subsidiaries of the NNPC were being unbundled in order to guarantee energy efficiency and security.
“Despite the challenging environment especially in the area of pipeline security, the NNPC is mandated to ensure steady supply and distribution of petroleum products such as Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), Automative Gas Oil (diesel) and Dual Purpose Kerosene (kerosene) across the country.
“The NNPC is going into joint venture partnership with State Governments and private companies to expand its retail outlets across the country in order to meet national energy emergency needs,” Dr. Kachikwu stated.
He urged the members of the National Assembly to enact legislations that support the growth and development of the Petroleum sector in order to make the industry work well.
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