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Senate passes South-South Development Commission Bill

Published

1 month ago

October 25, 2024

The Senate yesterday passed the South South Development Commission (SSDC) Bill.

It also passed amendments to the Acts Establishing the North West Development, South East Development Commission, South West Development Commissions to make provisions for geopolitical representations.

The passage came less than 24 hours after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) renamed the Niger Delta Ministry as the Ministry of Regional Development to oversee Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Development Commissions in the six geo-political zones.

Yesterday’s resolution of the Senate followed its consistent and adoption of the recommendations of its Committee on Special Duties, chaired by Senator Kaka Shehu.

The resolution was on the Shehu-led committee report on the Bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to Establish South South Development Commission charged with the responsibility to receive and manage funds from the Federation Account Allocation and other sources, donations, grants, aids for the integration, development, resolution of infrastructural deficit, militancy, communal crises as well as tackle ecological, environmental problems; and for related matters, 2024.”

The Bill was sponsored by All Progressive Congress (APC) Cross River South Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong.

The Bill was co-sponsored by all Senators from the South South including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Sampson Ekong Akpan, Etim Aniekan Bassey, Sunday Benson Agadaga and Konbowei Friday Benson.

Others are: Henry Seriake Dickson, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, Eteng Jonah Williams, Ede Dafinone, Thomas Joel-Onowakpo, Munir Chinedu Nwoko, Neda Imasuen, Monday Okpebholo, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, Heacho Allwell Onyesoh, Ipalibo Harry Banigo and Barinada Barry Mpigi.

There was however heated arguments among senators on source of funding for the various zonal development commissions created by the National Assembly.

Besides, the Senate during the consideration, struck out provisions in Section 23 of the bills conferring operational immunity on board and executives of the commissions.

Arguments on approval of source of funding recommended for the commission among Senators arose during clause by clause consideration of the SSDC Bill.

The Senate Committee on Special Duties had in its report, recommended that 15 per cent of statutory allocations of member States in a commission, should be used to fund the commission by the federal government.

But some senators like Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP – Kebbi North), Wasiu Eshinlokun (APC – Lagos East) and Seriake Dickson (PDP – Bayelsa West) objected to the recommendation.

Specifically, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi said the provision would lead to litigation against the federal government from state governments as no state would like its statutory allocation to be tampered with in the process of funding a zonal development commission.

“The 15 per cent of statutory allocations of member states recommended for funding of the zonal development commissions would be litigated against by some state governments,” he said.

In a bid to quickly correct the meaning read into the 15 per cent statutory allocation of the state by Senator Abdullahi and many other Senators who indicated interest to comment, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, quickly rose to correct their impression.

Senator Barau in his explanation told the Senate that the 15 per cent statutory allocation of member states for funding of the zonal development commissions would not lead to any deduction from their statutory allocations.

“The 15 per cent of statutory allocation of member states recommended for funding of zonal development Commissions by the federal government, is not about deduction at all.

“What is recommended as contained in the report presented to us by the committee on Special Duties and being considered by the Senate now, is that 15% of statutory allocation of member states in a zonal development commission would by way of calculation by the federal government, used to fund the commission from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

“Each state has monthly statutory allocation, 15 % of which as contained in this report being considered, will be calculated by the federal government and removed from the consolidated Revenue Fund for funding of their development commission,” Barau said.

Despite Barau’s explanation, many senators, who were not swayed, indicated their interest to speak but were prevented from doing so by the President of the Senate who said the provision was in order as constitutionally supported.

He said: “We don’t need to be debating on whether 15% statutory allocation of member states in a commission would be deducted or not in view of provisions of section 162 (subsection 4) of 1999 constitution which empowers the National Assembly to appropriate from either the Consolidated Revenue Fund or Federation Account.

“Fifften15 % of statutory allocation of member states, has been recommended by the Senate and by extension, National Assembly, for funding of their zonal development commission by the federal government, anybody who want to go court over that may do so.”

Barau consequently put the question on adoption of the provision to voice vote and ruled that the ‘ayes have it’.

In his remarks after the passage of the bills, Akpabio thanked his colleagues for spending several hours on final consideration and passage of the SSDC Bill and amendments of the Zonal Development Commissions Acts which according to him, would serve as bedrock for the newly-created Ministry of Regional Development.

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Reps Quiz Federal Polytechnics Damaturu, Mubi, Monguno Over Infractions

Published

3 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has queried the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Borno State and Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Yobe State over series of administrative and financial infractions.

This was as Rectors and some management staff of the three institutions appeared before the house Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education, as part of oversight function to render accounts of their budget performances.

But the Committee found various infractions in the documents presented by the three institutions which ranged from abuse of Federal Character in employment, Extra-Budgetary spendings and recurring abandoned, uncompleted projects in one of the institutions.

During presentation by the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Dr. Abdulrahman Ishaku, the Committee discovered that projects that were to be completed in two to three years were not finished despite adequate release of funds in budget.

Specifically, the Committee was provoked by the non-completion of a staff quarters and an administrative block project by the institution for years.

Speaking, Rep. Emil Inyang who stood in for the Committee Chairman, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda at the meeting on Thursday, lamented that, the projects have not been completed and have been recurring in the budgets.

He said, “Physical Planning, can you show me where you rolled over the project to 2023? It’s not here. Is it in 2024? Why do you come here to lie? Where is it? That admin block, is it in use? Has it been completed? So, you have abandoned it.

“Gentlemen, I don’t know what to say to these kinds of people. Construction of staff quarters, Item number Nine under 2022 capital projects. Have you seen it Rector? What is the state of that building? Is it completed? It is completed, that’s what is shown here, and you are saying it is still remaining fittings. Is fittings not part of completion?

“You people are just disgracing yourselves. We are just killing this country from various directions. From our various positions we are just killing this country. Let me ask a question on this staff quarters. In 2022, the amount appropriated was N57.9 million, N28.9 was utilized was released, so remaining N28.9 that’s half.

“But, by 2023, appropriation was 88 and the entire amount has been released. So, is it the same project?If it is the same project, when this appropriation was done, does it mean that, the other 28 that was not done, not utilised that time, is it kept somewhere?”

The Rector however informed the Committee that, the fund was later mopped up.

In his ruling after the submission, the Chairman stated, “What I will tell you now is that, instead of going through this your document that does not satisfy anything, please, you will.list all the abandoned, all the structures you have not completed. When it started, How much was appropriated, How much you have put in till date, the state of those projects one after the other in the entire school.

“Not just in. your regime. From inception till date.So that, we will include them in your 2025 budget. You will not do any new thing as capital. You must complete these abandoned. You have turned some of these projects to conduits of putting money into them and not completing them. Even the ones you have written as completed here. You used your own mouth to tell us here that, you have not installed fittings. That is what you said.

“So, this is why it is necessary for us to go there and see things for ourselves.Because what you are doing here, you are just wasting governments’ resources. These abandoned projects or the state of the jobs especially constructions, let’s have it in one week time. How much you have put in there, at what stage are they, how much you will need to complete”.

Similarly, the Committee criticized the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu over using Insecurity as an excuse for financial malfeasance and other infractions as well the abuse of Federal Character in employment.

Chairman of the Committee noted that, the institution has carelessly spent its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) according to the records presented to the Committee.

In his presentation, the Acting Rector, Dr Ibrahim Babale Gashua said, the institution is faced with the challenge of low IGR as a result of the insecurity being faced in the state, which according to him, has reduced students intake and other activities.

He said, “We that are residing in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, we have three different high institutions. We have to lower our tuition fee because not everybody will come from outside the state. Even those in the state, it is only the course that is not available in their places that they come for in Damaturu because of the insurgency”.

The Committee however discovered that, despite the insurgency claim that reduced the institutions IGR, there was no commensurate reduction in its spending which the Committee said cannot be justified.

Another member of the Committee while commenting on the matter said, “Everybody comes to claim insurgency. Students don’t want to come to the schools. But it doesn’t stop them from spending the whole money.IGR, you blow it, Overhead, and yet, there is insurgency. So, it’s funny. You see, if I have a house and I am supposed to have 10 people occupying it. If 10 people are not occupying it, it means that my NEPA.payment, my PHCN money will reduce, because consumption of power supply will reduce. My water consumption will reduce. My number of cleaners will reduce because I don’t have full occupation. You understand what I am saying? My security personnel will reduce in terms of numbers.

“So, these are the issues.Most of the Polytechnics in the North come here brandishing this insecurity issue as the major reason for non performance. You are not performing on students admission, but you are performing on your expenditure profile”.

Speaking, Chairman of the Committee said, “Ok, this insurgency is a big excuse. Once you mention it, you will all close our mouths.Look at your Nominal Role, a federal Institution. Open to page 47 and 48, you will see how you have obeyed the law of the land, the Federal Character. Have you seen it Acting Rector? That’s the best you can do? You think from all those Zero-Zero states, if you offer them employment they wouldn’t come?”.

The Rector however reacted saying, “Some of them don’t come. Even those that we have left. I am telling you Sir”.

But a member of the Committee, Rep. Adebayo Adepoju faulted the Rector’s claim and said, it was not justifiable.

He said, “You cannot defend it, because if you are trying to defend it, saying that you’ve done everything in your powers and Nigerians have refused to come to your school, at that point, you say you have done the most you can do.

“But, when you did not even given Nigerians the opportunity to apply. We know what goes on in Federal Character. We know. I am telling you, if you go there and you want to apply, everybody has an interest, they give you. And before you know, they give you Certificate of Compliance.

“That Certificate of Compliance, we have shredded it so many times. Give yourself the opportunity to be fair to Nigerians.People want jobs in this country. We have so many jobless people and you will agree with me, there are many that will say, I won’t mind to go to Borno to teach.Please let’s give them an opportunity”.

The Rector and Management of the Polytechnic were directed to remedy the anomalies in their employment and henceforth advertise all vacancies in national dailies in order to give all Nigerians equal opportunity.

Similarly, after a presentation by the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Prof. Garba Mohd, the Committee directed the institution to also be diligent in its observance of Federal Character and other issues as the Committee discovered a skewed empolyment in the institution in favour of a particular section of the country.

It reminded the Rector and members of his management that, as a federal institution, it is required by law to treat all parts of the country in terms of employment and other considerations.

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Obasanjo narrates how he escaped becoming drug addict

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict.

He spoke in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.

Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.

The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.

“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.

“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.

“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.

He cautioned against stigmatization and urged individuals who are already addicted to psychoactive drugs to get help.

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We saved $20bn after Petrol Subsidy Removal and FX Rate Reforms, Says Finance Minister

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”