Desailly Tips Nigeria for Semi final at 2018 World Cup

 

Marcel Desailly 

 

A former France international Marcel Desailly has rued the absence of Ghana from the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and has tipped the Super Eagles to be one of the surprise teams of the mundial.

 

Born in Accra, Ghana, the Chelsea legend was an important member of the French team that won the World Cup for the first time in their history in 1998 and captained the European powerhouse at the 2001 Confederations Cup.

 

“My native Ghana did not get into the final part. This is my spiritual wound. But other African teams are able to surprise,” Marcel Desailly told Sport Express Russia.

 

“And Nigeria, which has a strong squad, and the Arab countries - Tunisia, Egypt. Perhaps, the moment has come when a team from Africa will finally reach the semifinals.”

 

In their maiden appearance at the World Cup in 1994, Nigeria were a minute and forty five seconds away from qualifying for the quarterfinals, only for Roberto Baggio to equalize, before grabbing his brace in extra-time which knocked the then African champions out of the competition.

 

The Super Eagles also qualified for the second round in 1998 and 2014. 

HOW CRIMINAL ELEMENTS IN THE ARMY, OTHERS ARE SELLING ARMS TO BANDITS - DSS TELL REPS

The Department of State Security (DSS) has blamed the worsening insecurity in the country on corrupt members of the armed forces and other security agencies, who allegedly sell arms to criminals, Daily Sun reports.

Speaking at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives joint committee on Customs and Excise and National Intelligence, investigating the “frightening influx of small arms and light weapons into the country,” Director of Operations at the DSS, Godwin Eteng, claimed some agencies had, over the years, recruited former cultists and armed robbers, who get involved in illegal activities, including arms sales to criminals.

“We have conducted more than 27 operations and arrested more than 30 persons involved in the supply of arms and ammunition and some of them are serving security men,” he disclosed.

He said there was a case in one of the armouries belonging to one of the armed forces, where many pistols got missing with quantities of ammunition and all the pistols were new. “In the armoury, no place was broken into, but the weapons were missing. And we’re interested in knowing what happened.”

The director listed four states in the North-Central zone as the major sources of illegal arms.

“When we did our studies, we discovered that three-quarter of the arms used to cause the crisis in Southern-Kaduna, in Zamfara and Plateau states are coming from the following states: Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba and Plateau states.

“We found out that if you can carry out serious operations to affect the supplies, which is coming from these areas, it will seriously limit part of what is happening there,” the DSS director said.

On interventions to counter criminal gangs and prevent violent attacks, Ekeng disclosed that seven tactical teams were conducting the operation to apprehend culprits associated with the arms sales, an operation, which, according to him, is ongoing.

On how to solve the problem of illegal arms, he suggested legislations on prohibited firearms, more extensive vetting of those recruited into the security agencies, release of funds for logistics for border patrol personnel, electronic manning and deployment of cameras at borders and review of crisis management at local government levels.

Damgaiadiga Abubakar, Deputy Comptroller, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, disclosed that there were 1,100 illegal entry points into the country, with only 97 approved border posts.

He said the Customs was short of equipment needed to stem the flow of weapons into the country, revealing that 2,671 pump action rifles had been seized from January to date, just as Customs personnel found culpable in the import of 661 pump action rifles had been dismissed from service and handed over to the DSS for prosecution.



According to him, lack of operational vehicles, fast moving boats, cutting-edge technology and advanced scanning machines at airports, seaports and border points were limiting the effectiveness of the Customs.

BUHARI DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT RESTRUCTURING IS - AFENIFERE

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, and its northern counterpart, the Arewa Consultative Forum, on Sunday, disagreed on President Muhammadu Buhari’s Independence Day’s broadcast.

Buhari had, in the broadcast, said irresponsible groups had hijacked the restructuring debate, decrying what he called the folly of “hot-headed” youths.

The ACF said the broadcast was timely, but Afenifere said the advocates of restructuring meant well for the country.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Alhaji Muhammad Biu, told one of our correspondents in Kaduna that the broadcast was a scorecard of the President’s administration on security, economy and corruption.

He noted that the ACF advocated peaceful and meaningful dialogue on all issues of national importance and the use of democratic institutions to achieve better results.

The ACF’s spokesman stated, “The President’s independence anniversary speech was timely and appropriate considering the issues raised. It was a scorecard of the Buhari administration on security, economy and corruption which was the hallmark of his campaign promises.

“On the issue of restructuring, we totally support the position of the President which has been our position all along.

“Agitations that come with threats and intimidation have no place in our present democratic dispensation. The ACF will therefore support any restructuring that comes with clarity of purpose, just, fair and equitable to all sections of the country.”

But Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin said Buhari should distinguish between the two camps and take the necessary steps to salvage the nation.

He stated that Buhari was promoting those working for the break-up of the country by ignoring the demands of Nigerians for restructuring.

Odumakin added, “He should separate those agitating for restructuring from those calling for a break-up of the country. I think he is confusing restructuring with break-up.

“Those calling for restructuring are those working to avert the breakup of Nigeria while those opposed to it are the ones working for the break-up of the country.

“Let the President deal with restructuring; if he does not listen to the agitations for restructuring, he is promoting those who are working for the break-up of the country.”

A northern elder statesman, Dr. Junaid Muhammed, said the speech by the President was “not realistic,” noting that some of the claims of Buhari were not true.

Muhammed, a Second Republic member of the House of Representatives, said, “Frankly speaking, the speech is not realistic. There is nothing and there was nothing meant to be spectacular or unique about the speech of the 57th anniversary. It is celebratory. Where we have a leader who is articulate or is in a firm control of the government, the speech could have been an avenue to mobilise and regain the confidence of the people.

“As far as I am concerned, there is nothing in the speech to energise, galvanise or persuade me. The government muddled up a speech that should be about matters of national importance with personal reminiscences of being a young officer. This romantic lamentation does not have a place in this speech.

“Some of the claims the President made were clearly dishonest. For example, he claimed that his agricultural policies have been a success. As far as I am concerned, that cannot be true because I don’t even know the policies.

“If I don’t, I am sure millions of other Nigerians don’t know too. When you see the functionality of a policy, you know it is working.”

A civil society group, Concerned Nigerians, said the President’s actions and comments gave rise to the agitations for restructuring, insisting that Buhari’s appointments were sectional and promoted nepotism.

The National Coordinator of the group, Deji Adeyanju, attributed the agitations for secession by the South-East youths to Buhari’s style of governance and actions.

“The President should look all around him; the Director General of Department of State Services is from his village; the people in charge of INEC are his kinsmen and all the service chiefs are from the North.

“If he looks around him, he would find the answers to why people are making the agitations for restructuring,” he added.

Adeyanju called on the President to practise unity through his conduct, noting that he portrayed himself as a sectional leader by overlooking the ultimatum by the northern youths to the Igbo while coming down hard on Igbo youths calling for secession.

57 ACHIEVEMENTS OF BUHARI SO FAR

The Presidency on Saturday listed 57 achievements recorded by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the last two and half years.

The achievements, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande included Release of 106 Chibok girls, as well as over 16,000 persons in Boko Haram captivity.

Also on security was Tackling insurgency, decimation of Boko Haram in the North East.

Recovering 14 local governments and territories previously under Boko Haram control in the North East, rebuilding lives of citizens there; about one million displaced persons in the NE have returned to their communities in two years of this administration.

Curbing the incidence of kidnap across the country. (Arrest of kidnap kingpins and dismantling of kidnap cells across the country)

Restoring morale of the Nigerian military; re-organizing and better equipping the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Purchase of 12 Super-Tucano aircrafts worth $600 million to aid the Nigerian military’s current operations in the North East.

Ensuring continued peace in the Niger Delta through consistent funding of the FG amnesty programme for ex-militants.

Introduction of an improved mechanism for distribution of aid to IDPs in the North East through the establishment of the Special Intervention Programme of the Federal Government. (Door-to-door strategy)

On economy, the achievements are Implementing the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to aid economic recovery, taking the country out of her worst recession in 29 years, despite fall in oil prices.


N1.2 trillion expended on capital/infrastructure projects nationwide, a milestone in the nation’s history.

Effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account, and increasing government revenue by over N3 trillion as well as entrenching transparency and accountability.

Implementation of the Bank Verification Number (BVN), thus tackling corruption by plugging loopholes for siphoning of public fund and tracking of illicit funds through multiple accounts

Ease of doing business: the Federal Government signed into law two bills from the National Assembly (Acts are the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017 (otherwise known as Collateral Registry Act) and the Credit Reporting Act, 2017) which has facilitated access to more affordable credit for Nigerians, fast tracked budget submissions and promotes Made-in-Nigeria products.

Establishment of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum to enhance interaction and private sector participation in the development of the economy.

Institutionalizing E-governance setting the foundation for the creation of a truly digital economy.

Creation of opportunities for youths to leverage innovation in technology through the introduction of the Aso Villa Demo Day (AVDD) through which over N700 million has been disbursed to young entrepreneurs.
The revitalization of the Made-in-Nigeria campaign. (Emphasis on consumption of local products gain grounds)

Implementing reforms in the civil service which has led to the elimination of over 30,000 ghost workers, thereby saving the country billions of naira monthly.

Massive investments in agriculture, e.g, Anchors Borrowers Programme to improve local produce, improving fertiliser distribution and access across states through the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative.

Reduction in rice imports as a result of government’s policies that has encouraged massive rice production across Nigeria.

Improving transport infrastructure (rail and road); construction work ongoing on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, renovation of Abuja International Airport runway, completion of Abuja – Kaduna Railway among others.

Social Investment Programmes (SIP): N-Power Volunteer Scheme creating jobs for over 200,000 (and still counting) unemployed graduates in all the 36 states and the FCT.

SIP: Ongoing Government Enterprise and Empowerment (GEEP) Scheme; commenced in November 2016 in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, where soft loans ranging from N10, 000 to N100, 000 have been given to over 189,000 market women and traders across different states.

SIP: Home Grown School Feeding Programme, where almost three million schoolchildren have been fed, while tens of thousands of cooks have been engaged in their respective states.

SIP: Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme, under which about 25,000 less privileged Nigerians so far are now being funded with the monthly N5,000 stipend in 9 pilot States (Bauchi, Borno, Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo). More beneficiaries are expected to be added in more states.

The establishment of MSMEs Clinics, a small Business support programme to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in different states.

Establishment of One-Stop-Shops to support policies on Ease of Doing Business.

The take-off of the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Phasing out subsidy for petroleum products, elimination of fuel scarcity and queues in petrol stations.

Implementation of the FG Niger Delta new vision, a comprehensive road map to improve livelihood and social infrastructure.

Improved power generation nationwide adding $500million to Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund and about $87million to its excess crude account.

The creation of the N30billion Solid Minerals Development Fund.

Encouraging the patronage of local contents and increasing export in agriculture.

Signing of Executive Order 001 which is the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment – to ensure that public servants offer prompt service in a predictable and transparent manner, and sanction undue delays.

Signing of Executive Order 002 which is on prompt submission of annual budgetary estimates by all statutory and non-statutory agencies of the Federal Government including incorporated companies wholly owned by FG.

Bailout of cash crunch states; about N689 billion to 27 states of the federation to pay salaries in 2015.

Complete refund of Paris loan deductions to states (unprecedented).

Implementing the 2011 UNEP report for the ongoing Ogoni clean-up process after decades of oil spills and pollution.

Modification of the tax system so that it is more efficient.

Reforms in the airports (reconstruction of the Abuja airport runway and ongoing work at the Lagos airport).

Reforms at the nation’s seaports (Issues with cargo clearance at the ports addressed)

Improved duration (under 48 hours) for visa approval especially for investors.

Resuscitation of the nation’s refineries which are now working at 50 percent capacity for the first time in over a decade.

Eleven of the dead 33 fertilizer plants have been resuscitated while four others are to be revived shortly and this has profound impact on the ongoing revolution in the agricultural sector.

For the first time in more than 45 years, the Mambila Power Plant is set to take off with the allocation of $5.6billion for its realization and an expected 3,050 MW output upon completion.

Increasing external reserves to a 13 month high of $33 billion from $29.13 billion which has surpassed the ERGPs target of $30.56 billion despite global low oil prices and production challenges.

Cancellation of the Joint Venture cash calls with oil multinational companies operating in Nigeria (For the first time in the history of the industry) which has led to savings of billions of dollars lost to fictitious contract payments.

Release of N2 billion take off grant for the Maritime University as part of measures to address agitations in the Niger Delta region.

The new development bank of Nigeria (DBN) is finally taking off with initial funding of $1.3billion (provided by the World Bank, German Development Bank, African Development Bank, Agence Francaise De Development) to provide medium and long term loans to MSMEs.

On the anti-graft battle, the presidency listed the following as achievements: Improving Nigeria’s international image and regional cooperation with neighbouring countries in fighting insurgency.

Anti-corruption war: Prosecuting alleged corrupt public officers and recovering billions of naira of stolen public funds; the successful establishment of the whistle-blower policy.

Signing of Executive Order 004 – Voluntary Income Asset Declaration Scheme (VAIDS). This aims to increase tax awareness and compliance, and reduce incidence of tax evasion.

Signing of agreements with a number of nations to provide Automatic Exchange of Information.

Signing of the Extradition Treaty between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates (UAE) toward strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.

Establishment of PACAC – a think-tank that has provided leadership, direction and also built capacity of personnel in the fight against corruption.

Health achievements are Eradication of polio disease in the country.

The introduction of the One Primary Health Centre per ward programme of the Federal Government.

FULL TEXT OF PRES. BUHARI'S INDEPENDENCE DAY BROADCAST

October 1st remains a special date for all Nigerians as this marks the day when we attained one of the most precious of human desires — freedom.

Over the years the country has gone through trials and tribulations, but October 1st is always a day for celebrations.

It is a day for thanks giving, reflection and re-dedication.

It is also a day for remembrance. We should remind ourselves of the recent journey from 1999 – 2015, when our country happily returned to democratic rule.


However, in spite of oil prices being an average of $100 per barrel and about 2.1m barrels a day, that great piece of luck was squandered and the country’s social and physical infrastructure neglected.

We were left with no savings and huge infrastructure deficit.

The APC Government’s Campaign rallying cry to restore security, re-balance the economy and fight corruption was not all rhetoric.

The country must first be secured. The economy must be re-balanced so that we do not depend on oil alone. We must fight corruption which is Nigeria’s Number One Enemy. Our Administration is tackling these tasks in earnest.

In the past two years, Nigeria has recorded appreciable gains in political freedom. A political Party at the Centre losing elections of State Governor, National Assembly seat and even State Assemblies to the opposition parties is new to Nigeria. Added to these are complete freedom to associate, to hold and disseminate opinions. Such developments clearly attest to the country’s growing political development. But like all freedoms, this is open to abuse.

Recent calls on re-structuring, quite proper in a legitimate debate, has let in highly irresponsible groups to call for dismemberment of the country. We can not and we will not allow such advocacy.


As a young Army Officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war costing about 2m lives, resulting in fearful destruction and untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a re-run were not born by 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict which we went through.

I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hot-headed youths what the country went through. Those who were there should tell those who were not there, the consequences of such folly.

At all events, proper dialogue and any desired constitutional changes should take place in a rational manner, at the National and State Assemblies. These are the proper and legal fora for National debate, not some lop-sided, un-democratic body with pre-determined set of objectives.

Government is keeping up the momentum of dialogue with stakeholders in the Niger Delta to keep the peace. We intend to address genuine grievances of the communities.

Government is grateful to the responsible leadership of those communities and will pursue lasting peace in the Niger Delta.

SECURITY

On security, Nigerians must be grateful to our gallant Armed Forces for rolling back the frontiers of Boko Haram’s terrorism, defeating them and reducing them to cowardly attacks on soft and vulnerable targets.

Nigeria is grateful to its neighbours and the international community for the collective efforts to defeat this world-wide menace of terrorism.

Not even the most organized and most equipped police and security forces in the world can escape the menace of modern day terrorism, as we have seen in recent years in Europe and other parts of the world.

But we are not letting up. Our Armed Forces in an effort to enhance the operational capability of troops of OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE have established Mobile Strike Teams in the North East. These will ensure the final push to wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram.

In addition, through targeted air strikes most of the leadership and identified logistics bases and routes of the insurgents have been neutralized. The Armed Forces have established a Naval presence in the Lake Chad Basin as part of the coordinated military efforts to curtail the movements or re-emergence of the sect in the area.

Government is working round the clock to ensure release of the remaining Chibok girls, as well as other persons in Boko Haram captivity. Government will continue to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies to fight not only terrorism, but kidnapping, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers violence and to ensure peace, stability and security in our country.

ECONOMY

With respect to the economy, the Government has remained pro-active in its diversification policy. The Federal Government’s agricultural Anchor Borrowers Programme, which I launched in November 2015, has been an outstanding success with:

· N43.92 billion released through the CBN and 13 participating institutions,

· 200,000 small holder farmers from 29 states of the federation benefitting,

· 233,000 hectares of farmland cultivating eight commodities, namely Rice, Wheat, Maize, Cotton, soya-beans, Poultry, Cassava and Groundnuts, in addition to fish farming.

These initiatives have been undertaken in close collaboration with the states. I wish to commend the efforts of the Governors of Kebbi, Lagos, Ebonyi and Jigawa States for their support to the rice and fertilizer revolutions.

Equally commendable are contributions of the Governors of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Cross River, Benue, Ogun, Kaduna and Plateau States for their support for the Presidential initiative for palm oil, rubber, cashew, cassava, potatoes and others crops.

With the abundance of rainfall last year and this year, agriculture has enjoyed Divine intervention.

Since December last year, this Administration has produced over 7 million 50Kg bags of fertilizer. Eleven blending plants with a capacity of 2.1 million metric tons have been reactivated. We have saved $150 million in foreign exchange and N60 billion in subsidy. Fertilizer prices have dropped from N13,000 per 50Kg bag to N5,500.

Furthermore, a new presidential initiative is starting with each state of the Federation creating a minimum of 10,000 jobs for unemployed youths, again with the aid of CBN’s development finance initiatives.

Power remains a huge problem. As of September 12th, production of power reached an all — time high of 7,001 Megawatts. Government is increasing its investment, clearing up the operational and financial log jam bedeviling the industry. We hope to reach 10,000 Megawatts by 2020.

Key priorities include better energy mix through solar and Hydro technologies. I am glad to say that after many years of limbo, Mambilla Power Project has taken off.

Elsewhere in the economy the special window created for manufacturers, investors and exporters, foreign exchange requirements has proved very effective. Since April, about $7 billion has come through this window alone. The main effect of these policies is improved confidence in the economy and better investment sentiments.

The country has recorded 7 consecutive months of lower inflation, Naira rate is beginning to stabilize, appreciating from N525 per $1 in February this year to N360 today. Broad-based economic growth is leading us out of recession.

Furthermore, in order to stabilize the polity, the Federal Government gave additional support to states in the form of:

·State Excess Crude Account loans,

·Budget Support Facility,

·Stabilization Fund Release

to state and local government as follows:

·N200 billion in 2015

·N441 billion in 2016

·N1 trillion in 2017

Altogether totaling N1.642 trillion.

This was done to enable states to pay outstanding salaries, pensions and small business suppliers who had been all but crippled over the years.

In addition, the Government’s current N500 billion Special Intervention Programme is targeting groups through;

· Home Grown School Feeding Programme,

· N-Power Job creation to provide loans to small-scale traders and artisans,

· Conditional Cash Transfer,

·Family Homes Fund and

·Social Housing Scheme

CORRUPTION

Fellow Nigerians,

We are fully aware that fighting corruption was never going to be a straightforward task. We expected corrupt elements to use any weapon to fight back, mainly judicial obstruction and political diversion. But we are determined to eradicate corruption from our body politic.

In this fight, the Government has:

·Empowered teams of prosecutors,

·Assembled detailed databases,

·Accelerated the recovery of stolen funds

The Administration’s new institutional reforms include:

·Enforcing Treasury Single Account,

·Whistle-Blowers Policy,

·Integrated Payroll Personnel and Information System

We have signed multi-lateral cooperation agreements on criminal matters with friendly countries. There are signs of increasing cooperation from the Judiciary. Recently the Chief Justice of the Federation directed Heads of all our Courts of first instance and Appeal to accelerate hearings of corruption cases and dismiss any judicial officers found to have been compromised.

Justice Salami has just been appointed to chair the Judiciary’s anti-graft committee. Government expects a lot from this Committee.

I commend the National Assembly for refocusing on its oversight committees. They should, in addition, ensure swift passage of enabling corruption laws. But fighting corruption is a bottom to top operation. I call on all Nigerians to combat corruption at every turn. By not asking for and refusing to accept a bribe, by reporting unethical practices or by blowing a whistle, together we can beat corruption. The government for its part will work for accountability at all levels – Federal, State and Local Governments. CHANGE will then be real.

As we enter the second half of our term of office, we intend to accelerate progress and intensify our resolve to fix the country’s challenges and problems.

Thank you and a happy holiday to all of you.

God bless our country

NIGERIA IS A FAILED ECONOMY - PETER OBI

A former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has said that Nigeria has failed as a country.

Mr. Obi stated this in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Saturday during the 2017 Independence anniversary lecture at the Akanu- Ibiam International Conference Centre where he was a guest lecturer.

The former governor spoke on the topic “Change and changing Nigeria through harnessing of investment potentials of Ebonyi state: yesterday, today and tomorrow”.

He expressed regret that the country was still operating in the past with no qualified leadership to revitalise the economy.

He blamed the country’s situation on the “cumulative leadership failure” from independence in 1960.

Agitations

Mr. Obi said more Nigerians are bound to agitate except the leadership challenges of the country are addressed.

He said the recent agitations by the Indigenous People on of Biafra and other groups indicate that more of such would be coming.





“Whenever they talk about Nigeria at 57, I refuse to talk. My opinion is that Nigeria is a failed country, period. And that is why you are seeing so many agitations you are seeing today. The agitation is not ending, it’s just beginning,” he said.

“It is a cumulative effect of leadership failure over the several years of this country and you can’t stop it because you now have millions of young people in their productive age doing nothing, you can call them anything.”

He spoke on the need to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth so as to stop them from further agitation.

“If you don’t have a job and you have not eaten food in the morning, afternoon and night, tomorrow you are a potential terrorist, quote me anywhere. The only way to stop that is to give them jobs,” he said.

“We are moving from baggage economy to knowledge economy. So, the country should stop dwelling on solid minerals because it is a baggage economy and nobody lives with it. This is what Nigeria is doing and we are still talking about oil which is already destined to finish one day,” Mr. Obi stated.

He called on the government to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals are mainstreamed in the development agenda of the country.

“Nigeria should queue into Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), not in signature. The country is there in signature and it is the only country that got involved in Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and did not achieve one goal because as soon as we signed the signature, we threw it away and came here and started doing things wrongly.

“China put MDGs in their developmental agenda, they mainstreamed it in their developmental agenda and they are targeting to lift 16million people out of poverty but I don’t know how many people Nigeria will lift in the next 10 years because there is no such measurable goals, everything is done in confusion,” he said.

“Our reserve is weak today and we are not talking about savings rather we are borrowing more. In 2007, all our debts were written off and we didn’t owe anybody. But in 2017, we have accumulated a debt of $69 billion and nobody is thinking how do we get over this because what we are doing is based on nothing. We just borrow money and share,” Mr. Obi stated.

RESTRUCTURING: THE NORTH WON'T GIVE ITS ADVANTAGES; NEF

Two northern groups, the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Northern Elders’ Forum, appeared to have softened their hard-line positions against the calls for the restructuring of the country.

The two bodies had consistently called for caution on such calls, arguing that such attempt might lead to the break-up of the country.

On Sunday, the NEF said the North was ready for dialogue with other regions of the country, but would not give up what it called its advantages.

On its part, the ACF gave conditions for supporting any call for the restructuring of the country.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Alhaji Muhammad Biu, who stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Kaduna, said the forum respected any view that would strengthen the unity of the country with equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.

The ACF and NEF said these while reacting to a statement by a former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The former governor, at a lecture organised by the King’s College Old Boys’ Association in Lagos, had stated that Nigeria needed restructuring for correct balance.

He had stated, “It would be better to restructure things to attain the correct balance between our collective purpose on the one hand and our separate grass-roots realities on the other. We must listen to what is being said so that we can determine what it really meant.

“We are like the bewildered couple who has got their marriage licence after a lavish wedding; yet, neither of them really understands the meaning of marriage or their roles as husband and wife in it.

“Legally, they are married but functionally, their union is a crippled one. This couple will be at loggerheads until somehow they forge an agreement on what type of home they want and what are their respective duties in making that home come into existence.”

The NEF said the North was opened to dialogue, noting that the region, because of its political and geographical advantages, would not be stampeded into taking decisions that would be inimical to its development.

The Chairman of the NEF, Mr. Paul Unongo, stated this during an interview.

Unongo argued that the acerbic rhetoric and threat of secession in the South-East were only making matters worse as dissenting views in the North (on restructuring) were becoming more united.

He stated, “The North is very open to dialogue. I am the chairman of the northern elders and nobody can say we will not encourage dialogue. We love Nigeria but we will not be stampeded into carrying out someone’s agenda.

“The uneducated North of pre-independence times was not the same North of today. Today, we have Ph.D holders in every discipline.”

Unongo disclosed that he and other members of the United Middle Belt Congress had a meeting with the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in 1957 where they demanded that Nigeria must be divided into several sub-regions before independence.

He said Awolowo argued that they should channel their energy into ensuring independence after which the nation would be restructured.

The NEF chairman said after independence, the Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, rejected the idea of creating more regions in the North as doing so would reduce the influence of the North.

Unongo added, “We told Awolowo to reject independence until Nigeria was divided into more equal parts. Awo said we shouldn’t worry and that once we gained independence, this would be done. I said I knew this would not be done. Today, Awo is dead and we are independent.

“We spoke in 1957 and today is 2017, that is about 60 years ago. Because I was a small boy carrying Tarka’s bag, they didn’t listen to me. Today, we understand the advantage of being a big region. So, if today, you don’t offer them anything and you say give us your advantage so that we can have a restructured Nigeria; and with the way the Igbos are doing their own agitation, I don’t think you will get many responses from the North.

“I think we need a dialogue. I will be prepared to do that and I will remind them of what I said in 1957 and how my prediction came true.

“It will not be easy for the North to say take away our advantages and give us nothing. They (southern elements) were the ones that allowed the British to do this.

“I told Awolowo that no one would allow you to create more regions after independence.”

On its part, the ACF said it would respect Nigerians’ views on a structure of government that would strengthen the unity and peacefully coexistence of Nigerians for equitable development.

The forum stated, “ACF respects the views of Nigerians on any structure of government that will strengthen our unity and peaceful coexistence for equitable development.

“ACF reaffirms its commitment to one united, indivisible and indissoluble Nigeria with equal rights and opportunities for all.

“We also support due process within our democratic institutions in effecting any structural change for the common good of all.”

FG'S EFFORTS YIELDING RESULTS IN ECONOMY, SAYS UDOMA

MINISTER of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udoma says the announcement that Nigeria has exited recession is an indication that the various policies of government towards reflating the economy, as set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), are yielding fruits, and confidence is returning to the Nigerian economy.

He said the second quarter GDP report was a testimony to the fact that government is moving in the right economic direction.

The Minister noted that two major objectives were in focus when the ERGP was launched by the President early this year – to get the economy out of recession and then put it on the path of sustained inclusive and diversified growth. “Now that we have accomplished the first task, attention will now be on growing the economy as rapidly as we can”, he said.

The minister noted that the 0.55 percentage growth is 2.04 percent higher than the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2016 (–1.49%) and higher by 1.46% points from the rate recorded in the preceding quarter (revised to –0.91% from –0.52%). Quarter on quarter, real GDP growth was 3.23%.During the quarter, aggregate GDP stood at N26,986,005.20million in nominal terms, compared to N23,547,466.91 million in the second quarter of 2016, resulting in a Nominal GDP growth of 14.60%

“We are happy that people are beginning to see the results of the efforts we have been putting through in the last two years to get the economy back on track and to place it on the path of growth and sustained development,” Udoma said; adding that as the economy continues to grow, the people will feel the impact of the growth.

The Minister pointed out that the major focus of government was to reflate the economy through spending in strategic sectors like infrastructure, agriculture, solid minerals etc., to galvanise economic activities and empower the people.

Efforts, he said, have also been concentrated on increasing revenue generation to meet with the challenges of the economy which was why government has been giving attention, among other things, to the challenges of the Niger Delta region.

The Minister, however, admitted that it was still early days as much more work needs to be done to ensure that the growth is sustained. Therefore, government will continue to pursue aggressively the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Government is also working on improving the ease of doing business to attract more investments.

While appreciating the efforts of all concerned in the drive towards the country’s economic recovery, the Minister said government will require the cooperation of all Nigerians to enhance the recovery rate and ensure the achievement of the objectives of the ERGP.

FG, STATES BORROW N7.5 TRILLION UNDER BUHARI

The Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari and the 36 states of the federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory have borrowed N7.51tn in the last two years, statistics have revealed.

As of June 30, 2015, just a month after the present crop of leaders took over the leadership of the country, Nigeria’s total debt stood at N12.12tn.

However, as of June 2017, the nation’s total debt had climbed to N19.63tn, according to the latest debt statistics obtained from the Debt Management Office.

The debt stock data released by the DMO revealed that the total public debt stock (external and domestic debt stock of the Federal Government and sub-nationals) as of the end of June was N19.63tn (about $64.19bn at N305.9/$1), made up of external debt stock of N4.6tn (about $15.05bn) and domestic debt stock of N15.03tn (about $49.15bn).

The DMO said in a statement posted on its portal on Sunday, “The domestic debt stock of the Federal Government and sub-nationals accounted for 76.56 per cent of the total public debt stock, while their external debt stock accounted for 23.44 per cent.

“Furthermore, the total public debt stock increased by 2.5 per cent from N19.16tn (about $62.54bn) to N19.64tn (about $64.19bn), during the period under review.

“The total external public debt stock of the Federal Government and sub-nationals increased by 8.98 per cent from $13.81bn in March 2017 to $15.05bn in June 2017, while the domestic debt stock of the Federal Government and the sub-nationals increased by 0.67 per cent from N14.93tn in March 2017 to N15.03tn in June 2017.”

However, an analysis of the debt statistics from the May 29, 2015, when the current leaders took over the reins of power, to June 30, 2017, showed that the country’s total debt had risen from N12.12tn to N19.63tn.

This means that the country’s debt rose by N7.51tn or 61.96 per cent within a period of two years.

As of June 2015, the domestic debt of the Federal Government stood at N8.39tn. Detailed breakdown of the domestic component of the nation’s total debt as of June 30 was not available as of the time of going to press on Sunday.

However, the Federal Government’s domestic debt stood at N11.97tn, while the domestic debt component of the states stood at N2.96tn as of March 31, 2017.

The external debt balance of both the federal and state governments stood at $10.32bn as of June 2015 compared to the $15.05bn recorded as of the end of June this year. This means that within the period, the country’s external debt portfolio had risen by $4.73bn or 45.83 per cent.

The increasing proportion of the foreign debt component reflects a new debt management strategy released by the DMO recently. It also reflects a strategy to reduce high interest payment occasioned by much dependence of domestic debts.

According to the DMO, the country’s new debt management strategy entails balancing the sources of debt to ensure that more resources are borrowed from external sources where the interest rate is seen as lower than interest rates on borrowings from domestic sources.

The Debt Management Strategy 2016-2019 targets the rebalancing of the debt portfolio from its composition of 84:16 (domestic to foreign) to 60:40 by the end of December 2019 (domestic to foreign).

“It supports the use of more external finance for funding capital projects, in line with the focus of the present administration on speeding up infrastructural development in the country, by substituting the relatively expensive domestic borrowing in favour of cheaper external financing,” the DMO said.

Our correspondent reported that the Federal Government spent a total of N1.88tn on domestic debt servicing between 2014 and 2015.

With foreign debt now accounting for 23.44 per cent of the total indebtedness, the Federal Government may achieve the goal of increasing the proportion it to 40 per cent by 2019.

In line with this strategy, the Federal Government recently unveiled a plan to borrow $3bn from foreign sources to refinance some maturing local debts.

The DMO had said that refinancing Federal Government’s maturing $3bn local debts would not only crash the rate of domestic borrowing, but also allow some borrowing space to the private sector.

It stated that borrowing from foreign sources to refinance the local debts would also allow the government time to repay the loans when the economy must have fully recovered from recession and diversified.

The DMO said the move was informed by the lower dollar interest rates in the international capital market, adding that Nigeria was expected to borrow at a rate not higher than six per cent, while issuances of the NTBs in the domestic market were at rates as high as 18.53 per cent.

According to the office, external borrowing is cheaper by about 12 points and will result in substantial cost savings for the Federal Government in debt service costs.

The DMO had said, “Besides reducing the cost of borrowing, the $3bn is expected to be raised for a tenor of up to 15 years, which is very long compared to the maximum tenor of 364 days for NTBs.

“This move will effectively extend the tenor of the government’s debt portfolio. The longer tenor enables the government to repay at a time when the economy would be stronger and more diversified to meet the obligations.”

It added, “The reduction in the level of the FGN’s borrowing from the domestic market will result in a reduction in domestic interest rates and free up borrowing space in the economy, particularly for private sector borrowers.

“The $3bn from the refinancing will also represent an injection of foreign exchange into the economy, which will boost the country’s external reserves.”

The DMO said that the approval of the National Assembly would be obtained for the proposed refinancing before implementation in line with the Debt Management Office Act, 2003.




CREDIT: PUNCH

BIAFRA AGITATION IS NONSENSE, SAYS EDWIN CLARK

ELDER statesman Edwin Clark yesterday condemned the Biafra agitation led by Nnamdi Kanu.

Clark spoke yesterday when the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt, Senator Shehu Sani, visited him in Abuja.

He also condemned the quit notice by the Arewa Group to the Igbo living in the North, saying it was worrisome.

He warned that secession or agitation was not the way to go on restructuring the country, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said: “When Kanu talks about Biafra, he is talking nonsense. We do not want a second war.

“America fought their civil war for a long time and they are not thinking of a second one. Kanu should drop the agitation.

“At the same time, it is arrogant and foolish on the part of some Northern youths to issue quit notice. You do not own the North. It is part of Nigeria and anybody can live there.

“The Igbo have been living in the North for over 100 years.”

The elder statesman emphasised the need for restructuring for equity and balance in the country.

He explained that though the call for restructuring had been loud in recent times, the country had been undergoing restructuring.

“We have been living together since 1914 and from time to time, we have been changing the way of our lives.

“In 1947, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe said the Richard Constitution was obnoxious; that it was anti-people. In 1950, we had the Macpherson Constitution, which created the three regions and in 1963, we had another constitution.

“During all these constitutions, the issue of the fiscal federation was very prominent. So, we have been restructuring this country and nobody talked about breaking up the country.

“The war between 1967 and 1970 was an unfortunate one.”

Clark said making necessary changes to allow for social justice was the way to go and urged the National Assembly to re-visit the issue of devolution of power upon resumption from recess, saying it was one of the ways to properly restructure the country.

According to him, the vote against devolution of power by the national assembly was borne out of the fear that it would whittle down the powers of legislators.

“We have reached a stage where states are not paying salaries and something has to be done to gear their minds to see what they can do in their own area to generate money.

“I am happy you believe in restructuring, which can be achieved within a short time but it may take up to 20 years if we do not agree among ourselves.

“So, once more I want to say that when you resume, the issue of devolution of power should be re-visited so that Federal Government will deal with foreign affairs, prisons, customs and a few other things.

On call to return to regionalism, Clark said “you cannot abolish the states now and say you want six regions. It is not going to be easy or possible now.

“I feel we should use the same states as federating units and the local governments should remain with the states.”

He called for the establishment of Revenue Mobilisation Commission to deal with funds that move between states and local governments to sustain them.

Clerk promised to convene a meeting of elder statesmen across the country to find a lasting solution to the problem of restructuring.

Sani said one of the reasons the devolution of power did not scale through in the National Assembly was the fear that state governments might abuse their powers.

He said: “The problem we have with the devolution of power is how to tackle some of the problems that come with it.

“For example, the present crop of governors might not be able to handle state police in a manner that people who disagree with them can be safe.

“Secondly, the manner in which elections are conducted by state independent electoral commissions where the ruling party in the state wins all positions is worrisome.

“So, if we devolve the police, we have to allay the fears of people on the implications. Those who are championing some of these issues need to make clarifications.”

On derivation and resource control, the lawmaker said it was in the best interest of the country to stop thinking about oil because it was becoming non-attractive globally.

Sani described the quit notice as “embarrassing”.

PDP'S SECRET PLANS FOR 2019

Defectors, hoping to achieve their presidential ambition on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) in the 2019 elections, may be in for a raw deal.

The PDP, according to top level sources, may shut its doors against presidential aspirants crossing from rival parties.

Some presidential aspirants from outside the PDP have been feeling the pulse of the party on their chances.

It was also learnt that PDP leaders are close to reaching a consensus on giving the vice presidency to the South East.

In return, the South East caucus has opted to forego any aspiration for key positions in the National Working Committee( NWC).

The only position the South East is seeking in the NWC is the National Organizing Secretary.

The office of National Chairman has been zoned to the South West,according to investigation. These secret deals are the highlights of the horse-trading that has been going on in the party over the last few weeks.

It was learnt that the PDP has been working on a formula which will re-integrate all parts of the country.

The “secret deals” seem to have been borrowed from the winning strategy of the defunct National Party of Nigeria( NPN) which ruled the country from 1979 to 1983.

A highly-placed party source told The Nation that PDP leaders “have been engaging in horse-trading in the past few weeks ahead of our next elective National Convention.

“These leaders have built some consensus on power sharing, including the shutting of our doors against defectors from other parties who are only interested in our presidential ticket.

“As an integrated party, we welcome defectors, but we may not concede an automatic presidential ticket to any of them. We want all those joining our party to learn the ropes and queue for a while.

“We believe in party discipline and supremacy; members must have faith in the party they are joining. No chance for gold diggers again.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “As part of the secret deals, it is taken for granted that the presidential ticket will go to the North. It is the candidate we are left with.

“As for the vice presidency, the consensus so far is in favour of the South East in order to address the marginalization of the Igbo. The PDP’s focus is on the unity and reintegration of this country. We want to create a sense of belonging for all.

“We have also discovered that giving the VP slot to the Igbo may solve the latest recourse to separatist agitations in the country.”

The source said “although the South South is serious in its demand for the VP slot, the fact that the geopolitical zone recently completed a five-year presidency in 2015 gives the South East an advantage.”

The source added that party leaders are also trying to “persuade the South South to have a rethink. We will skew the power formula in a manner that the zone may produce the President of the Senate and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or other leverage appointments.

“These are some of the ongoing secret deals in order to give the APC a good fight in 2019. All the six geopolitical zones will get a fair deal.

“The formula being worked out is similar to that of the defunct NPN and a little blend of former Social Democratic Party( PDP) which won the annulled 1993 presidential poll.”

On the fate of the South West, the source added: “The zone is certainly producing the National Chairman of the party with other juicy appointments on the cards.

“It is left to the leaders of the party in the South West to present a credible choice which will lead the PDP to victory in 2019.

“The National Convention will ratify the power sharing formula in December. We are not going to leave anything to chances.”

Some stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been rumoured to be interested in defecting to the PDP to fulfil their presidential aspiration in 2019.

Also, the fate of some PDP leaders to be either President or Vice President or National Chairman may have been subtly foreclosed.

Those allegedly jostling or pencilled down /recommended for the VP ticket in the PDP include Governor Nyesom Wike, Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu, ex-Governor Donald Duke and ex-Governor Godswill Akpabio.

For the National Chairman of the party, those being touted are ex-Ondo State military governor, Chief Olabode George, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, ex-Governor Liyel Imoke and a former National Organizing Secretary of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.

With the ongoing horse-trading, the presidential ambition of Governor Ayo Fayose appears threatened.

The source said: “Fayose’s candidacy cannot fly at all. He is only trying to enrich the selection process. To us, he is merely playing to the gallery by exercising his fundamental rights to aspire to any political office and contest.”













SOURCE: THE NATION

NIGERIAN POLICE DEPLOYS MORE OFFICERS TO ARREST NNAMDI KANU

  

The police have increased the numerical strength of their personnel in the South - East and South- South zones of the country as part of measures to prevent a breach of the peace , which may result from the activities of Biafran agitators ahead of the upcoming Anambra State governorship election, Saturday PUNCH has learnt .

And apart from the Mobile Police Force operatives, the force told

Saturday PUNCH on Friday that it had deployed the Counter - Terrorism unit , the Intelligence unit and other conventional policemen, who would work with the state commands in the South - East and South- South zones.

Biafra : Group advises AGF against re -arresting Kanu

In addition , top sources in the police told Saturday PUNCH that the security agency had placed the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra , Nnamdi Kanu, under surveillance to prevent him from fleeing the country should the court revoke his bail and order his re - arrest for allegedly flouting his bail conditions.

The Federal Government had last week asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail granted to Kanu, who is being prosecuted along with others on treasonable felony charges .

The government had accused the IPOB leader of flouting his bail conditions and filed an application asking the court to revoke his bail and direct security agencies to re - arrest him .

GOV. FAYOSE COMMENDS NNAMDI KANU'S 'HUMILITY AND COMMITMENTS TO PEACE''

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has charged the Federal Government to look into political solution for the agitations by ethnic-based groups in the country rather than the employment of what he described as “brute force”.

In his statement he also hailed governors of the South East states for their meeting with leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu saying 'the meeting has provided a veritable platform, which all Igbos must key into otherwise they will remain guinea pig as long as this country exists'.

He appealed to the Federal Government to “allow political solutions to agitations by Nigerians as against the use of brute force,” which, he said had “become the hallmark of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government.” According to him, he remained “committed to the call for full and total restructuring of Nigeria through dialogue and negotiation because it is too late for Nigeria to disintegrate.”

NIGERIA YET TO RETRIEVE $15 MILLION SEIZED BY SOUTH AFRICA

NIGERIA’s $15m seized in South Africa during the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration is yet to be retrieved – no thanks to diplomatic intricacies and the long process.

Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami said such hindrances also accounted for why the government was yet to record appreciable success in its efforts to repatriate looted funds.

“As it relates to the money in South Africa and other countries, my reaction to recovery generally is that it is a process; a process involving mostly nations whose legal systems differ.

“The process in respect of diplomatic consideration equally plays a key role over and above international convention and best practices. So, when multiplicity of legal systems is in issue, multiplicity of diplomatic engagement is in contention, delay is naturally bound to set in.

“But, one thing I want to state categorically is that the government is doing whatever is possible to ensure the recovery of moneys that relate to Nigeria in all jurisdictions and not necessarily limited to South Africa,” he said.

Malami, who spoke in Abuja yesterday while reviewing the activities of his ministry in the last one year, however declined to answer a question on the rift between him and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, over the country’s suspension from the Egmont Group.

He also declined comments on whether or not his directive that the EFCC provide him with a status report on on-going high profile cases had been complied with.

Malami said the Federal Government planned a committee on how to defray the N113billion judgment debt pending against it and its agencies to avoid its assets being attached.

He said the Judgment Debt Verification Committee, to be headed by the AGF, will, among others, ensure compliance with enforcement of court judgments and orders against government and its agencies.


Malami said memos on the recommendations of the Senator Ken Nnamani-led Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee would soon be presented before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for deliberation and adoption, following which Bills relating to the recommendations would be sent to the National Assembly.

The minister, who could not confirm if members of the Nnamani committee had been paid their allowances, said he was aware the Federal Government has approved the payment and that the approval had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance.

On the prosecution of Boko Haram suspects being kept in custody, Malami said a speedy trial had been planned.

He said some judges have been assigned to handle the prosecution. He declined to give further details, citing security concerns.

Malami also hinted of plans for prisons decongestion, which he said would be electronically driven and last for the next two years.

The AGF, who praised his ministry for a successful outing in the last legal year between 2016 and 2017, said it concluded 7,119 criminal cases, including 4,709 petitions and 325 civil cases in the last legal year.

Malami, who highlighted various plans to be executed in the new legal year, said a coordinating centre would be created in his ministry for among others, ensure coordination of all criminal justice agencies.

The unit will enable the office of the AGF to “have a first-hand information of the status of all criminal investigations/trials in the country”.

Malami also spoke about a plan to create an investigation unit in the ministry to address the “want of legal expertise in the conduct and process of investigation by the various security agencies and to address such anomalies leading to the consistent rejection of vital evidence in the course of prosecution.”

The AGF is relying on his constitutional powers and the provision of Section 105(1) and (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to create the unit, it will coordinate and form part of every investigation to ensure robust investigation and successful prosecution of cases, Malami said.

ASUU GIVES GOVT 6 NEW CONDITIONS: SHUNS MEETING WITH FG

University teachers have presented six new conditions for calling off their two-week old strike.
But the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, yesterday pleaded with the lecturers to embrace peace for the sake of innocent students.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) is to discuss today the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and chart the way forward.

Some of the options include:
bringing back ASUU to the negotiation table;
allowing the Wale Babalakin Panel to conclude its assignment;
suing ASUU to either the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) or the National Industrial Court (NIC); and
referring all issues to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, in line with the Trade Dispute law.

According to a source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, the six conditions were not part of the previous demands referred to the Babalakin Committee for arbitration.

The new conditions are that:
the Federal Government should immediately accept payment of shortfall in salaries of universities;
universities to manage their IGR the way they like and exemption from TSA;
exemption of Endowment Funds, JV cash from TSA;
payment of University Salary Scale to teachers in primary schools in universities;
release/implementation of guidelines for the retirement of Professors in line with 2009 FG-ASUU Agreement; and
waiver/ government fiat to set up Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company

The source said: “ASUU has brought proposals different from the agreement they reached in the Senate with the Federal Ministry of Education.

“They are asking the government to take over the shortfall in the salaries of universities when there were glaring cases of abuse of recruitment process and non-compliance with Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS).

“They want the government to accept liability for the shortfall in spite of the fact that universities acted arbitrarily in increasing their wage bill.


“The lecturers have also asked the government to manage their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) henceforth instead of remitting such to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in line with their demand for autonomy for universities.”

But, according to the source, the government does not want to waive the TSA policy for universities. It, however, expressed readiness to exempt Endowment Funds and Joint Ventures Funds from TSA.

“In their new demands, the lecturers asked for the issuance of a fiat to the Pension Commission to register the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company.

“PENCOM has expressed its readiness to register Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company, if ASUU and other stakeholders can quickly address the lapses already highlighted in the registration process. PENCOM is insisting that the guidelines in the 2005 Pension Reforms Act must be fully complied with,” the source said.

The the government is said to be shocked by ASUU’s fresh request that the Federal Government should pay University Salary Scale to primary school teachers in varsity staff schools.

It said: “They are saying that the staff school should be allowed to continue to collect tuition fees.”

“The government has a different approach to the staff school. Apart from retaining its policy that primary education is free under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Scheme, the government is of the opinion that teachers in varsity schools be either paid by the Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC) or be placed under the salary scale of the Federal Ministry of Education or Federal Salary Scale,” the senior government official said.

“Another demand from ASUU is the release of the guidelines for the retirement of professors in line with 2009 Agreement.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “We believe that ASUU is trying to be difficult with the new conditions after the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, had conceded N23billion to pay earned allowances of the lecturers.

“The ASUU strike will be tabled before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday (today). The FEC will weigh options and chart the way forward.”

Contacted last night, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige said: “They have brought some proposals different from the demands we are already addressing. I want ASUU to toe the path of peace for the sake of the innocent students in our universities.

“I am asking ASUU to know that this dispute is already apprehended by this ministry. And when we apprehend a dispute, it is necessary for parties to come for talks and consideration of issues.

“Going by Section 3 of the Labour Dispute law, any further discussion on ASUU demands should be done with the Federal Ministry of Labour.”

JAMB IS SILLY FOR REDUCING CUT-OFF MARK TO 120 - BEN BRUCE

The decision by JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) to drastically reduce the cut off mark of students seeking University admission continues to generate more reactions from Nigerians. Senator Ben Bruce is the latest to react to it and he had some very strong words as he tweeted, 'It is silly for JAMBHQ to say they reduced cut off marks to stop Nigerians going abroad. Only Increased education funding will stop that'.

1-It is silly for @JAMBHQ to say they reduced cut off marks to stop Nigerians going abroad. Only Increased education funding will stop that.

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) August 28, 2017

2-If @JAMBHQ reduces cut off mark and govt doesn't increase spaces available in universities we only create problems instead of solving them

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) August 28, 2017

3-As long as the FG has not increased the capacity of our universities to absorb more intake, reducing cut off marks won't have any effect!

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) August 28, 2017

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FG DECLARES FRIDAY AND MONDAY AS PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The federal government has declared Friday, September 1 and Monday September 4, 2017 as public holidays to mark Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated Muslims and all Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country’s democracy.

Mr. Dambazau further urged all Nigerians to join hands with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in its avowed determination to build a peaceful and harmonious country, where the rights of every citizen, are protected and guaranteed, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The minister assured citizens of their safety in all parts of the country, emphasising that security agencies have been directed to maintain the peace and protect lives and property.

He condemned in strong terms the prevalence of hate speeches in the country and warned that the government would henceforth deal with perpetrators according to the law, while emphasising that the government would continue to foster peaceful coexistence, national cohesion and stability in its march towards actualising the full potential of Nigeria.

The minister wishes all Nigerians a most rewarding and Happy Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

BUHARI SAYS HE'S PLEASED WITH STATE OF THE ECONOMY

President Muhammadu Buhari says he is pleased with Nigeria’s economic situation.

The president received briefing from the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma; the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

This was disclosed in a state house press release Monday.

According to the statement, signed by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and publicity, the Ministers and CBN Governor informed the president of the updates in the implementation of the 2017 Budget, preparation for the 2018 Budget, revenue strategies, combined cost reduction and debt management and on the improving state of the economy.

The statement said the president reminded the ministers and CBN governor that reviving the economy was one of the major planks on which the campaign of his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, was based.

He expressed gladness that things were looking up after two years of governance and urged them to keep at it as the main aim of government was to bring comfort to Nigerians across all walks of life.
Also discussed were monetary policy strategies and their economic impact, among others.

President Buhari arrived Nigeria on Saturday after nearly four months in the United Kingdom where he received medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

Monday’s meeting with his economic team is believed to be the president’s first since his return.

BRAVO! NIGERIA IMMIGRATION BANS CASH PAYMENTS AT PASSPORT OFFICES

The Nigeria Immigration Service has banned cash payments for passport processing as part of efforts to eliminate corruption at all passport offices nationwide.‎

NIS spokesperson, Sunday James, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja.

He‎ said that the Comptroller General of the NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, has directed that henceforth all payments for passport processing must be done online and through designated banks‎.‎

He said that the NIS boss had, in a circular, directed‎ all passport control officers not to allow cash payments in any of the passport premises.
‎
“All payments in respect to passport processing are to be done by applicants through banks to generate application ID and reference number on the NIS portal and not through an individual or touts,” James said.
‎
According to him, the NIS CG has also ordered an‎ investigation into allegations of passport racketeering at some passport offices in Lagos with a view to sanitising the system.‎

James, therefore, urged passport applicants to ensure that all categories of Nigerian passports fees were done online. ‎

“Passport applicants are therefore strongly advised to visit the NIS website www.immigration.gov.ng to confirm the approved fees for all categories of Nigerian Passports and age groups before making payments,” he added.

He said that the management of all passport offices have been directed to paste all information required at the premises to guide applicants in line with the executive orders.
‎
He urged Nigerians to direct any complaint or enquiries to 07080607900 and the email address nis.servicom@nigeriaimmigration.gov.ng.
‎
The spokesperson advised applicants against patronising touts or agents‎ in order to ensure efficient service delivery.
‎
The NIS boss had vowed to stamp out corruption in the operations of the NIS as part of efforts to reposition the Service and ensure efficient service delivery.

UPDATED: COURT ORDERS FINAL FORFEITURE OF DIEZANI'S N7.6 BILLION LOOTED FUNDS

Nigerian court seized $21 million on Monday from bank accounts linked to a former oil minister accused of corruption as investigators continue to claw back her fortune.

Federal high court judge Abdulazeez Anka ordered the immediate forfeiture of 7.6 billion naira ($21 million, 17.9 million euros) allegedly held in local bank accounts by Diezani Alison-Madueke, who was once one of Africa’s most prominent female politicians.
 
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accuses Alison-Madueke of corruption, argued in court that she had illicitly laundered the funds with the help of top oil officials.

Since leaving office in 2015, Alison-Madueke has been implicated in bribery, fraud, misuse of public funds and money laundering cases in Nigeria, Britain, Italy and the United States.

The former president of the global oil cartel OPEC, the first female to hold the post, Alison-Madueke has always denied the allegations which involve billions of dollars syphoned from oil deals and state accounts.

The ruling followed two applications by the EFCC which earlier this month successfully seized properties worth $44 million that Alison-Madueke allegedly purchased with the proceeds of corruption.