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Senate Threatens To Scrap Non-productive MDAs

Published

2 years ago

September 14, 2022

Editor

The Nigerian Senate Committee on Finance Wednesday threatened that any agency of government that wouldn’t meet the target of its statutory responsibility will be met with the Stephen Orosonye report.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, stated this during a five-days interactive session on the 2023 – 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework”, in Abuja.

The “Stephen Orosonye Report ”, DAILY POST recalls, has recommended scrapping of numerous agencies and parastatals of government due to the lack of productivity and duplication of statutory mandates.

At Wednesday’s committee hearing, which made it the second of the five day event, Senator Adeola frowned at the supine attitude of some heads and Chief Executives of government owned agencies who could not appear before his Committee, but sent representatives who are bereft of ideas, saying that the parliament would not tolerate that anymore.

The lawmaker insisted that the upper and lower legislative Chambers would give effect to the ‘Orosonye report’ to scrap agencies that have outgrown their usefulness.

He said: “We are behind the Orosanye Report and will give it effect to scrap some parastatals that are not productive.

“These parastatals will be reduced to departments under their relevant ministries and this will help to cut costs.”

The lawmaker further expressed anger that some heads of government agencies were out to milk the nation dry by enriching themselves, noting that the parliament will stop waste and leakages at all costs.

He noted: “Many agencies of government are enriching individual pockets of Chief executives at all levels and that would be reduced drastically. I believe that will be the way out and we are seriously considering it.

“We make sure that in this year’s budget, we start something like this before the President brings his budget. If it will work, it will be the best for us.

“Many of you should prepare for our strongest recommendations that the agencies should pay all costs of collection. We are doing this to FIRS; we are doing it to Custom and nothing will stop us from doing it to other MDAs, NIMASA, NCC. We thought again to FIRS 4% and they still bring their internal budget to the tune of N265 billion. NCC, despite not giving them cost of collection, their total budget for the financial year is well over N600 billion.

“So, all of these, we have to try as much as possible to lower the temperature. It can no longer be business as usual. We have tried; we have assisted; we have called and appealed; we have done all we could to bring everybody to the table and let them understand the current situation of things in the country.

“But to our greatest surprise, nobody seems or wants to listen and it’s on that note that we as National Assembly are looking in that direction to take drastic action to stem the tide of wastage in the system.

“Also, we inform the government that the issue of granting waivers to the tune of N1.6 billion and we are borrowing the sum of N11 trillion, there’s no way we can cope with that.

“What the waiver mean is that some people will not pay duties or other charges and instead of making provisions for them not to pay the humongously amount of money at the detriment of Nigeria, and most those granted waiver ended up being traders rather than encouraging manufacturing and production and since the objective of granting waiver cannot be achieved, it is only right and proper to cancel anything waivers.

“Again on the pioneer legislation, a company that has been in existence in Nigeria and has enjoyed pioneer status for the past five years, after five years, the company returns to seek a pioneer status for another five years, it can no longer be possible.

“If you cannot meet your target within five years, pack your load and go. Enough of wastage, enough of leakages because we cannot grant pioneer status.

“I know many Chief Executives are too big to appear and they will look at us and say I have N5 billion to control and who is this Senator asking us to appear.

“Some people were in my office appealing that their Chief Executives are not around, that I should tamper justice with mercy and allow them to represent their absentee Chief Executives.

“This is a parliament. This is the highest law making body in the land. Most of these Chief Executives are cleared by us. Why are they now bigger and turned against us?”

The meeting continues on Thursday.

News

Shettima Launches NEDC’s School Enrollment Drive Programme

Published

6 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Vice President Kashim Shettima has launched the Accelerated Senior Secondary School Education Programme (ASSEP) initiated by the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in collaboration with the office of the VP to enhance child enrollment drive in schools within the North-East sub-region.

Speaking during the launching of the programme in Bauchi on Saturday, the VP said that consequences of the nation’s action and inaction were evident in all indices used to assess development.

He said while primary education provides a foundation, secondary education is a bridge, adding that the Northeast sub-region has been the victim of inability to enforce a uniform policy to drive school and the persistent cultural perversion to formal education in the country.

“We in the Northeast occupy a quantum of position in ranking of essential services. Education being a key sector of this country, this is especially pronounced in the post primary education, while the Northeast secondary school enrollment drive stands at 19 percent, far below the nation’s 39 percent,” he said.

Earlier, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said that the primary education completion level of 85 per cent in the Northeast is among the best in Nigeria, but secondary school enrolment is a mere 15 per cent, the second worst nationally.

According to him, due to the challenges in the post-primary education segment, JAMB UTME applications and admissions into tertiary institutions in 2019 were the lowest for the Northeast compared to other regions.

He added that, nationally, the Northeast has the lowest number of teachers and the highest percentage 55 per cent of those available are without literacy skills.

The MD also revealed that the challenges in the post-primary education segment include weak quality indices and a wide demand-supply gap driven by economic and cultural factors.

“The Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme seeks to boost the post primary education rating across the North East region through improved enrolment into tertiary institutions.

“It’s also to improve skills development as well as the elevation of teacher quality. It would pay special focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and communication.

“These would foster creativity and critical thinking; motivates and inspires young people to generate new technologies and ideas to learn from inquiry-based tasks,” he said.

Alkali also explained that the programme would also raise awareness about after-school possibilities and the potential for diligent students to become successful and prominent contributors to the North East region and Nigeria at large.

He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government especially, the Vice President for the deep interest and commitment to human development in the North-East.

News

Edo Police Break Silence On Operatives Fighting Dirty In Viral Video

Published

39 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

The Edo State Police Command says a trending video showing two operatives of the command engaging in a fight is a handiwork of mischief makers.

In the video which has gone viral on the internet, two policemen are seen fighting themselves, while a voice commentary in the background claims they are from the Igueben Decisional Police Station headquarters in the state.

A writeup also attached to a version of the video sighted by Info Daily also claims that the policemen were fighting because of sharing formula of money collected from motorists on the highway. The writeup also claims that the incident happened yesterday, May 17th, 2024.

But reacting to the viral video in a statement issued by SP Chidi Nwabuzor, Police Public Relations Officer, the command said contrary to the claim, the incident happened in 2020, adding that disciplinary measures were taken against the erring policemen.

The statement which issued electronically to newsmen in Benin on Saturday evening partly reads: “Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that it’s aware of a video trending on the internet showing two policemen that engaged themselves in a fight in public spaces and wishes to state as follows that;

“The now trending video happened in April 2020 in a community called Ebelle in the Igueben local government area of Edo State.

“The two erring policemen, namely; (i) F/NO.491112 CPL Ozimeade Aidonojie and (ii) F/NO. 516384 PC Salubi Stephen were attached to Ebelle Police Divisional Headquarters.

“They defaulted, tried in an orderly and upon conviction dismissed from the Force for the offence of discreditable conduct contrary to Paragraph ‘E’ Sub Section 111 of the Police Act and Regulations 370 Cap. P19 of Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

Nwabuzor in the statement reiterated the state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, commitment to “making Edo State a desired secured state where the law abiding citizens and the general public go about their lawful businesses in making Edo State economic hubs of Nigeria without fear or intimidation.”

News

Excitement, Dance As ‘Looted Ancestral Stools’ Return To Oba Of Benin

Published

1 hour ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

It was a moment of joy, excitement and dance at the palace of the Oba of Benin as the revered monarch, Oba Ewuare II took custody of two looted royal stools from the German government.

They were handed over to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, NCMM on behalf of the Nigerian government by the German authorities in 2022.

The Director-General of
National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway made the presentation on behalf of the Federal Government on Saturday May18, 2024 in Oba of Benin Palace, Benin City.

According to history, the artefacts — Bronze and wooden Royal stools (Ekete), made during the reign of Oba Eresoyen and Oba Esigie several Centuries ago, were looted from Oba Palace during the punitive expedition in 1897.

Addressing the Benin Throne during the presentation of the artefacts, Mr Holloway, pledged on behalf of NCMM, to work-hand-in hand with the Benin Royal Court in uplifting and displaying Edo heritage.

He revealed that as the Benin Bronzes and other art works are gradually making their way home (Nigeria), “NCMM will join hands with the Royal Court to create a befitting destination for people around the world to come and appreciate these works”.

“What you see before us were originally taken away from the Royal family in 1897.

“We have a stool made of Bronze and a wooden stool.

“I speak for every member of my team, to say that we remain loyal to the Royal Court. And if there is anything we can do, we will do to support this laudable initiative.

“This heritage is not just Benin heritage, but Nigeria’s heritage.
When we speak of Benin heritage, there is nobody that doesn’t know the great works of ours.

“I appreciate you, we will always do what we can do with our powers to make His Royal Majesty lineage in memory”, he said.

After unveiling the repatriated Artefacts, Oba of Benin, who danced joyfully to Benin traditional rendition in dramatic dance steps, with excited Chiefs and members of the Royal family, offered prayers to Almighty God and his ancestors.

The traditional ruler, who was visibly overwhelmed with joy, appreciated the German government and the Federal Government and the NCMM leadership for their efforts.

The royal father, thereafter, in a historic move, sat in one of the royal stools (Ekete), and personally presented a chunk of white, which, according to belief, symbolizes peace and blessings to the Director-General of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr Olugbile Holloway.

Oba Ewuare II also prayed for Mr Holloway and his team, accompanied by the Curator, National Museum, Benin, Mr Mark Olaitan, Director, Legal Services, NCMM, Barrister Babatunde Adebiyi on the visit where Royal Drummers gave a good account of their stewardship.