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Bill To Compel N’East States To Forfeit 15% Of Allocation For Development Underway

The proposed Northeast Development Commission (NDC) that is currently being legislated by the Nigerian
Senate, if passed into law, will get its funding from 15 per cent deductions from the monthly allocations of the six states in the region.

The six non-oil producing states, which are rated amongst the poorest in Nigeria, will have to part with 15 per cent of their income from the Federation Account to enable the new commission help them fix their states which had been destroyed by Boko Haram.

This is coming exactly two months after Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo disclosed in Maiduguri, Borno State, during a multi-sectoral stakeholders’ roundtable on North East that the Presidential Initiative for Northeast-Nigeria (PINE) will be spending the sums of N97 billion and N116 billion on the short term and long term basis respectively in the rebuilding and development of the Boko Haram-ravaged region within five years’ time frame.

The Nigerian Senate said it was determined to help in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the North East region after years of devastation by the Boko Haram insurgency.

It hopes that if the bill seeking the establishment of the NDC fully comes on board anytime in 2016, the commission would have to rely on the 15 per cent per cent of the six states’ grants as well as three per cent of the total annual budget of any solid minerals extraction mining company operating in the troubled North East states, including agricultural processing companies, as a source of the commission’ funding.

The bill also wants a chunk of the 50 per cent of the funds due to member states of the commission from the Ecological Fund to be channelled into the coffers of the new commission.

The 18 senators from the six North East states sponsored the bill as representatives of theirs states: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe Taraba and Yobe.

We learnt the Bill has gone through second reading and is awaiting a public hearing before the final clause-by-clause consideration and eventual passage into law.

The senators said the new proposed law is expected to give the people of the zone a sense of belonging through deliberate legal efforts to rebuild the region.

The bill says the commission, if established, will have such monies granted or lent to, or deposited with the commission by the federal government or a state government, any other body or institution whether local or foreign.

The bill also provides that the commission, when established, “shall in every year submit to the National Assembly, through the president of the country, an estimate of the expenditure and income of the commission during the next succeeding year for approval not later than September 30.”

When fully activated, the commission will be charged with the responsibilities “to receive and manage fund from allocation of the Federation Account and international donors for the settlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of insurgency as well as tackling the menace of poverty, literacy level, ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental challenges in the region.”

One of the co-sponsors of the Bill, Senator Danjumma Goje, told LEADERSHIP in an interview that the Bill was inspired by their collective concern about the development of their region.
“Like I said earlier, we need to rebuild that part of the country and give the people a true sense of belonging. It is not a fault of theirs that the activities of insurgents have destroyed their sources of livelihood, crippled the economy, lives lost, properties destroyed,” said Goje.


Leadership

Letter to President Buhari

A guide to PMB’s New Year Resolutions

Dear PMB,

This time last year when we witnessed the last Sunday of the year 2014, things were still somewhat fluid about who would lead our dear country, Nigeria. To the discerning few though, it was clear the then President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, would not return because of his abysmal failure to lead the country aright, as well as his government’s unholy romance with corruption. Some of us said so directly; some others did indirectly. Some others were too blind to see the handwriting on the wall. One thing was clear though; many of those who felt the former president would find his way back did not credit him with much by way of performance. Rather, they hinged their optimism mainly on what they termed the ‘power of incumbency’. Some of us felt well, if incumbency was that powerful such that we would not be able to remove a non-performing leader, then there was no point holding elections. We jolly well would have told the former president to carry on.

Then came the 2015 elections in which you roundly defeated your predecessor and he had to concede defeat in March. But President Jonathan did not lose the election the day he conceded defeat; he lost it the day you were successfully chosen as the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) presidential candidate on December 23, last year. Some of us told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) then to begin to pack its bag and baggage in readiness to vacate Aso Rock while the then president should join the unemployment queue. Former President Jonathan has since returned to his home town, Otuoke, in Bayelsa State, while your humble self has since May 29 taken his former position.

Since then, there have been a few things you did which Nigerians felt you should have done otherwise, or you should not have done at all. Mr President, some of your comments have not particularly gone down well with many Nigerians. One was your statement to the effect that even without you doing anything, there has been noticeable changes in the country. In other words, your ‘body language’ has been working wonders. This was true to a large extent, at least initially. But, whether in terms of power supply which dramatically improved on your assumption of office, or fuel supply which similarly witnessed relative stability after the initial hiccups then, things have nosedived in both sectors as I write. Electricity supply has returned to its epileptic past even as fuel queues have not only returned but have done so with an uncommon obstinacy.  What these tell us is that ‘body language’ cannot last forever. It seems to have lost its potency  and it can only continually get eroded as more and more people notice this weakness.

Although you have apologised to Nigerians for the fuel scarcity and they have accepted your apology (I guess I am speaking the minds of many of them), but beyond the apology is what happens next. How do we get out of the fuel scarcity conundrum? That is the main issue now as we prepare to usher in a new year.

Aside the temporal efficacy of your ‘body language’, the import of your statement, Mr. President, is that the country is on auto-pilot and this did not go down well with many people. Even if it was true that a few things knocked themselves into shape when you assumed office, one would have expected such statement to come from the people themselves. I am not even sure it is something to celebrate by your top aides. I may be wrong here, though. But certainly the statement ought not to have come from you directly.

Mr. President, we are beginning to see what your policy thrusts are. Your maiden budget of N6trillion appears ambitious, given the downturn in oil prices. Your government’s intention to downplay oil in the government’s revenue profile is good, at least on paper. Whether it is realistic is a different matter entirely; but it is worth giving a trial because that is where we should be going. There are some salient aspects of the budget which appear good on the surface; again, whether they are attainable is the issue. For instance, the proposed creation of about 500,000 jobs for teachers is good, just as the social safety net of N5,000 monthly proposed for the indigent elderly. One can only hope that these have been well thought-out so they do not end the way of the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) of the PDP which was alleviating poverty in reverse by pumping hefty sums of money into the pockets of the party’s wealthy chieftains.

Many Nigerians are also not happy that your government’s major policies are announced abroad. It was in Iran that you first announced that some past public officials who stole public funds have started returning part of the loot.  You were also outside of the country when you said that Nigeria was broke and also that the Federal Government was considering negotiating with Boko Haram insurgents. The same thing applied to your announcement that you would appoint your ministers in September, 2015.

With regard to the anti-corruption war though, we are beginning to see some action, especially with the arraignment of some of the big suspects involved. It has been fascinating as it is revealing so far; but when we realise that the shared arms fund that has given us so much shock was only a fraction of what was stolen in the oil sector where Diezani Alison-Madueke held sway, then we can only see how callous some of our so-called leaders can be, given the millions that go hungry daily and the countless others that were dying and being displaced because some people had stolen the money that was supposed to be used to buy arms.

We are also hearing a lot of speculations about plea bargain. I guess with time, some people would start talking of state pardon, even as the case proper is yet to begin. For me, though, what is most important is the recovery of our common patrimony that was stolen. But that should not be a reason to start giving the impression that things have to be done differently only because those involved are big thieves. Will a poor man who stole a goat or cow have the opportunity of plea bargain if he returns that goat or cow? Although plea bargain is used in some parts of the world as a way to resolve disputes and save valuable time and money on litigation, it is not done the way we do it in Nigeria. So, the president has to be wary of the kind of plea bargain he would allow for the unconscionable looters. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to have been done.

Dear Mr. President, it is not that you are not aware of some, if not all of these issues; but it is important to put them together in a way that they would attract your attention and enable you decide which of them you may want to rethink in the coming year. You may also be compiling a list of your New Year resolutions. This may as well serve as a guide.

Happy New Year in advance, sir.

The Nation

Buhari mourns Nnewi gas victims

President Muham­madu Buhari has expressed deep regret over the loss of lives following Thursday’s gas explosion at an industrial complex in Nnewi, Anambra.

A statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, Friday by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the president was greatly shaken and shocked by such large-scale loss of human lives in a single industrial accident.

According to the state­ment, Buhari sympathised with the families of the vic­tims “who were looking forward to a joyous Christ­mas celebration’’.

The president extended his condolences to the families of the victims, the people and the government of Anambra over what he described as “this unfortu­nate tragedy on Christmas eve’’.
“My heart and prayers go to these grieving fami­lies at this difficult and painful moment,’’ the state­ment quoted the president as saying.

The statement revealed that President Buhari also commiserated with the Lamido of Adamawa, Alh­aji Barkindo Musdafa, over the death of his mother, Hajiya Adda Gombeji, who passed on at the age of 87.
“He has placed a call to condole with the Gov­ernor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, who has equally lost his own mother.

“The President person­ally made the phone calls to the Lamido of Adamawa and Emefiele to express his sympathy to the monarch and the CBN governor over the death of their mothers,’’ the statement added.
Buhari described a moth­er as, “an invaluable com­ponent of family life, and the pillar and comforter of the children’’.

He prayed to Allah to bless the souls of the de­ceased, and grant the Lamido, Godwin Emefiele and other members of their families the fortitude to overcome the losses.

Sun News

Governorship Election: Kogi Elders Urge Faleke To Accept The Will Of God

Kogi West Elders Committee has called on the Deputy Governor-Elect, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke to accept the outcome of the Kogi governorship election as God’s way of answering the prayers of the Kogi West people for power rotation.

Rising from an extra-ordinary meeting at Obajana, the committee said it was prepared to prevail on Faleke to work harmoniously with the Governor-Elect, Alh. Yahaya Bello to effect the desired change in Kogi State.

The Committee called on political stakeholders from both Central and West to accept and abide by the decision of the APC leadership which favours the age-long agitation for power rotation in the state.

“That the West and Central senatorial districts have agreed to stand on the path of unity and hold on the two positions of governor and deputy governor bestowed on us by God.

“That we declare our solemn and total support for the governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and ensure his success; otherwise his failure is ours and not his,” the committee said.

Kogi West is made up of Lokoja, Kogi/Koto, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Mopamuro, Yagba East and Yagba West Local Government Areas.


Information

Bayelsa: Gov Dickson Warns Against Minimum Wage Reduction

Bayelsa State governor Seriake Dickson has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of civil servants, saying that he will not subscribe to any move for the downward review of the present minimum wage of N18,000, in spite of financial hardship facing the state.

Speaking with journalists in Yenagoa yesterday, Dickson maintained that rather than reduce the minimum wage, as being advocated in some quarters, his administration would do everything within its reach to create a more enabling environment to discharge its duties effectively.

He restated his commitment to the training and re-training of public servants in 2016 to promote human capacity building, which is one of the cardinal points of his administration.

On the delay over the payment of December salary, Dickson empathized with workers on the development, explaining that up till the time of the press briefing, the state was yet to receive its monthly allocation from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

He, however, said the government was working round the clock to ensure the payment on or before next week by exploring other means, adding that, he has directed the state financial team to liaise with financial institutions to effect payment of workers and pensioners.


Leadership

Why Petrol should Be Sold at N50 per litre – TUC

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC)) yesterday, Thursday 24th December, 2015 faulted government’s retention of fuel subsidy, saying petrol should be sold at N50 per litre with adequate local refining capacity in the country.
 

President of the Congress, Comrade Bobboi Kaiýgama, said in a statement: “The price of crude oil in the international market has dropped drastically. This should have a direct effect on domestic consumption of the product”.
 

He advocated the need for a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss the subsidy and why it has become impossible to refine and purchase fuel at N50 per litre.
 

He further said the proposed deficit financing  at ₦2.22 trillion is certainly high, saying this could be reduced by the recovery of stolen funds . The union also faulted government’s decision to borrow N1.8trillion to fund the 2016 budget.
 

“We charge the federal government to as a matter of urgency warn the governors who want to sabotage the administration by saying they cannot pay ordinary N18,000 minimum wage. We dare them to try it”, he said. 

 

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), yesterday charged Christians and Muslims in the country to share whatever they have with their neighbours which is the very essence of humanity.
 

TUC also yesterday said the birth of Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed should bring tidings of good hope to Nigeria and the world, adding that since the two leaders symbolise peace, their followers should follow suit.

 

 

Daily Trust