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Tag: Government

  • Government at all levels failed Nigerians – Cardinal Okogie

    …Says Nigerians are hungry, angry and unemployed

    Former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Anthony Cardinal Okogie has said that Nigerians have been let down by public officials voted in all levels of government (local, state and federal).

    The former Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, in a statement titled, ‘Deprivation and Agitation: A Reflection on Nigeria’s Late 2017 Budget,’ decried the living conditions of Nigerians.

    Okogie said, “Some people do not want to hear of restructuring. However, for how long shall we fail to see the urgent need for far-reaching constitutional reforms in this country? The current arrangement is not serving Nigerians. The relationship between the government and the citizens places the citizen at gross disadvantage and the politicians at an undue advantage.

    “Our young people are the worst hit. They are unemployed, hungry and angry. They are venting their anger on one another while we, their elders, are silent. Could it be that some of us, their elders, are stoking the embers of violent disintegration?”

    The retired bishop stated that the level of poverty in the country was not acceptable.

    He charged Nigerians to question those who managed the resources of the country.

    “To say that the quality of life of the average Nigerian is low is to state the obvious. Whether one talks of education, medical service delivery, security or the economy, every aspect of our life in this country is in downward motion. The extent of poverty experienced by our people is simply unacceptable.

    “This country has more than enough resources to make life livable. If there is so much discomfort, we must interrogate those who manage the affairs of our country. Why is it that the government – federal, state and local – has failed Nigerians?”

    Okogie lamented that the 2017 budget was presented to the legislature in the twilight of the 2016 and was just passed on May 14, 2017, which was “more than five months into the year and close to six months after it was presented.” He said, “For a country that should be in a hurry to exit the Destitution Avenue, this is simply unacceptable. It is another instance of failure of governance. Failure of governance is when government fails to serve the people. Nigerians should be worried about the way the budgetary process runs in this country.

    “In the period when the budget has yet to be passed, how is government carrying out its functions? Who is accountable to who when it comes to how money is spent?

    “Does this reflect a country that really wishes to put an end to corruption? But while there was delay in passing the budget, there is an early bird approach to the politics of 2019. The budget was not passed but politicians were positioning themselves for the 2019 presidential elections.

    “Now, deprivation has turned into agitation. In the absence of a budget, the economic conditions in which we live continue to bite. Nigerians are hungry and angry. In their anger, they turn against each other on the social media, using unprintable language, threats and violence to sort out their differences. Young Igbo insult the Yoruba, young Yoruba insult the Igbo, the North and the South have suddenly realised that they cannot live together.

    “In all this, instead of facing their common enemy – politicians who abuse their offices and steal the wealth of the land, thus depriving us of decent living – young Nigerians tear each other apart in a society where civil discourse has become an unwanted alien.

    We have said it before that we live in clear and present danger. We said it when herdsmen went on the rampage and arms were being brought into Nigeria by ‘ghost importers.’ Now, we should ask ourselves: is there a correlation between illegal importation of arms into Nigeria and the drumbeats and dance steps of war we are currently witnessing?”

  • Norway to ban full-face hijab in schools

    The Norwegian government on Monday proposed a bill to ban the full-face Muslim hijab in all schools, from nurseries to universities says it prevent the effective flow of communication between students and teachers

    “We do not want clothes covering the face in nurseries, schools and universities,” Minister of Education and Research Torbjorn Roe Isaksen said in a statement, adding that ‘these clothes prevent good communication, which is important for students to receive a good education.

    It was also stated that when the bill is passed employees who insist on wearing a veil would risk losing their jobs, and students could face expulsion from the university.

    The bill was proposed by Norway’s minority government, a coalition of the center-right Conservatives and the populist Progress Party, who all believe the bill, which is expected to be passed in the spring of 2018, would find opposition support for the move.

    However, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria and the German state of Bavaria have all imposed restrictions on wearing full-face veils in public places.

    Source: BBC News

  • Macron names government, deploys supporters to key ministries

    Macron names government, deploys supporters to key ministries

    Newly inaugurated President Emmanuel Macron of France on Wednesday constituted his government, with close supporters taking key ministries but a centre-right politician appointed as economy minister.

    Jean-Yves Le Drian, who served as defence minister under Macron’s predecessor Francois Hollande, was named minister for Europe and foreign affairs under Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

    Gerard Collomb, the socialist mayor of Lyon, takes on the key portfolio of interior minister, responsible for internal security as France remains under a state of emergency after deadly terrorist attacks over the past two years.

    The Economy Ministry goes to Bruno Le Maire, a former economy minister who like Philippe comes from the centre-right Les Republicains party.

    Macron loyalist Sylvie Goulard, a liberal member of the European Parliament, was appointed minister of the armies, responsible for defence.

    Francois Bayrou, head of the centrist Democratic Movement who rallied to Macron during the first round of the presidential election, was appointed justice minister.

    Elysee Palace secretary general Alexis Kohler concluded the announcement by saying that Macron would hold his first government meeting on Thursday.

    The meeting normally takes place on Wednesday but Macron and Philippe put back the ministerial appointments by a day, saying they wished to have extra ethics and tax compliance checks carried out on the prospective ministers first.

     

     

     

    NAN

     

  • ‘Government shouldn’t be involved in cases of domestic violence’-Mercy Aigbe’s estranged husband declares

    ‘Government shouldn’t be involved in cases of domestic violence’-Mercy Aigbe’s estranged husband declares

    Following his release from prison, Lanre Gentry, Mercy Aigbe’s estranged husband took to his Instagram page to narrate his experience in prison .

    According to him, the government shouldn’t be involved in cases of domestic violence.

    Hear him:”Government shouldn’t leave what they ought to do and start involving their-selves in domestic violence cases”

    The businessman also used the medium to advocate for prison reforms in Nigerian prisons.

    His fans on Instagram were not pleased with his opinions. They took to the comment section of his post to condemn him.

  • ‘We need to appreciate veterans’-Lari Williams

    ‘We need to appreciate veterans’-Lari Williams

    Veteran actor and playwright, Lari Williams, has appealed to the Federal Government to do more to immortalize artistes and other citizens who made the country proud.

    Williams, who will soon celebrate 50 years as an artiste, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

    Fondly called ‘Uncle Lari’ by his colleagues, Williams expressed dissatisfaction that some Nigerians who distinguished themselves internationally, were not immortalized.

    “The first Nigerian world boxing champion, Hogan Bassey, who died in 1998 after breaking world records in England and America, who knows where his grave is?

     

    “Others such as Dick Tiger Ihetu and Fela Sowande, died and were buried in America. Who knows their graves?

     

    “Professional actors who left the shores of the country such as Orlando Martins, England’s top 15 favorite actors in 1947 and Hollywood’s first Nigerian actor who died in 1985, who remembers him?

     

    “Pa Benedict Odiase, who composed the second Nigerian Anthem in 1978 but died at age 79 in 2013, was never rewarded, except with the Order Of the Niger (OON).

     

    “Let us appreciate our own veterans; if we don’t encourage the past, we don’t remember the present; so how can we assist the future,’’ the septuagenarian urged.

     

    The thespian, who studied theatre arts in the United Kingdom, said people from different parts of the world still visited and laid wreathes on the grave of English playwright, William Shakespeare, who died hundreds of years ago.

     

    “Can this be done in Nigeria?

     

    “There are so many talents in this country; if we don’t train them and encourage practitioners, we will not have a hope of encouraging future aspirants,” he said.

     

    Williams said that encouraging personalities in the entertainment industry would boost the economy.

     

    “Entertainment and tourism are playing a pivotal role in the nation’s economy just like in countries in Europe and the Americas.’’

    He, however, thanked the government for conferring on him Member of the Federal Republic years ago. Williams also appealed to theatre practitioners to make themselves relevant by producing worthy films and music that would make much impact.

     

     

  • Invest in government to promote economic growth, Osinbajo tells private sector players

    The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday advised private sector players to invest in government to promote the country’s economic growth.

    Osinbajo said this while addressing the third Quarterly Business Forum at the Conference Centre of the Presidential villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the crucial partnership plays itself out in many of the administration’s technology-driven ease of doing business initiatives.

    “What we think will work is to create that environment such that private investment in this particular area thrives.

    “Government simply cannot provide any or all of these services; most times it just has to be private-sector driven and we will do our best to provide the enabling environment to make that happen.

    “So we are doing the best options to deepen broadband internet penetration and we are also seeking the best partners in this respect.

    “So our plan of going forward is really quite simple, we will demonstrate our belief and commitment to this partnership by making ourselves as accessible to you as possible.

    “So that we are able to engage, even in between this quarterly business forum and talk and exchange ideas and hopefully be able to develop working relationships that will endure.’’

    The acting president noted that government had decided to work with a private sector broadband infrastructure provider to manage the problematic Corporate Affairs Commission’s online platform.

    He said government expected that the provider would be fully operational in the next 30 days and that it guaranteed that up time would be 99 per cent.

    “We think that those kinds of partnerships and interventions are important.

    “The only way to make government work is if the private sector invests in government.

    “Not in investing its money but more investing in terms of time, attention and the kinds of partnerships that we are building here,’’ he added.

    Osinbajo mentioned that the issue of broad band internet penetration was one that the government had to deal with.

    He told the forum that government had created points of contacts to enable them to contact the administration to receive ideas and strategies and also give feedback.

    He thanked the business community for availing itself of the opportunity to dialogue with the government in providing solutions to the economic malaise.

    He noted that expertise existed in the private sector which the administration would tap from.

    The Budget and National Planning Minister, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, earlier noted that the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of government was to take the country out of recession.

    He also said that the plan was to move the country on the path of growth, adding that while progress was recorded a lot still needed to be done.

    Udoma said government was ready to remove the constraints hindering business development and economic growth.

    “We want to leverage the power of the private sector. The power of the private sector is unlimited and we want to ensure that Nigeria becomes an investment destination,’’ the minister added.

    Udoma said that the ERGP was hinged on science and innovation, adding that to drive competitiveness, the country needed to harness technology.

    An investor, Chief Paul Okonkwo, said the forum was okay but noted that some government policies discouraged investments.

    Okonkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of Pokobros Group in Onitsha, said the request for end user certificates before some raw materials imported into the country could be cleared at the ports should be reviewed.

    He suggested that government should inform manufacturers ahead of policy changes and ensure that it should also offer short periods for the release of clearance documents.

     

     

     

    NAN

  • Looters richer than 3-tiers of govt combined – FG

    Looters richer than 3-tiers of govt combined – FG

    The Federal Government on Sunday in Abuja said the recent clampdown on looters by the joint efforts of whistleblowers and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC shows that monies at the disposal of looters is more than that of the three tiers of government.

    The federal government noted that its whistleblowing programming has been very instrumental to the success so far achieved in recovering outrageous looted funds that can be used to better the lives of Nigerians.

    This was revealed in a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. The Minister noted that so far, Nigerians were pleased with the policy and the Federal Work will work assiduously to ensure it is sustained.

    The statement reads in part: “Since we inaugurated the whistle-blower policy, we have received immeasurable support from Nigerians.

    “Yes, there is monetary reward for any information that leads to recovery of looted funds, but from what we have seen, most Nigerians, who have come forward with useful leads, are driven by patriotism rather than reward.

    “Nigerians, fired by a fervid resolve to help banish corruption from their country, have daily inundated the offices of the appropriate government agencies with valuable information.

    “We have been told how looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in their backyards, in deep forests and even at burial grounds.

    Thanks to whistle-blowers, it is now clear that a rapacious few have pillaged the nation’s wealth through a vicious orgy of corrupt practices.”

    Mohammed believed that more loot in the possession of others in the country would be uncovered and seized .

    The minister stated, “It is now obvious that more funds are in the possession of looters than are available to government at all levels to meets their obligations, including paying workers’ salaries, providing social amenities, upgrading infrastructure and ensuring the security of lives and property.

    “As the looters continue to run helter-skelter, many of them are even abandoning their booty at unusual places, including airports.

    “We want to assure Nigerians that we will not abandon this policy for whatever reason. Instead, we will continue to rejig it to make it more effective as a tool for fighting corruption.”

    He said the recovered looted funds were safe, adding that as soon as the necessary reconciliation process and the litigation in some of the cases were concluded, the government would give a full account of the funds to Nigerians.

  • Osinbajo running government as directed by Buhari – Ojodu

     

    The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, on Monday said the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo is carrying on with governance as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari who is presently on a medical vacation in London.

    The president’s aid also criticized the trend in the social media of comparing President Muhammadu Buhari and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Speaking with State House Press Corps, Ojudu said that without the President there could not be the Vice or Acting President.

    “I think it is thoughtless. I also see it as a ploy by the opposition to cause unnecessary division. It is a joint ticket. The President and the Vice President were elected based on the manifesto of the party.

    “Since they were sworn in they have been committed to implementing that manifesto.

    “The same people who are saying that now are the ones who are saying that we never had an economic team; we have no policy, that we have nothing.

    “It is now that the policies that we are implementing are maturing that they are seeing the result.

    “It is not a question of one person doing better than the other person.

    “There is nothing that has been done in this administration or since the Vice President started acting that is not something that started far back in the past.

    ‘’A good example is the Niger Delta initiative.

    “The President called the Vice President and gave him the mandate to go to the Niger Delta and meet with everyone who is a stakeholder there, the communities where oil is produced, all the leaders of the place, talk to militants and make sure to resolve this problem to the benefit of Nigerians.

    “We are losing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, all the gas pipelines powering the turbines are being blown up and the President said that unless and until we solve this problem we will not come out of recession.

    “The VP took up the mandate and went to the Niger Delta.’’

    According to Ojudu, the Niger Delta dialogue is the initiative of the President, not that of the Vice President.

    He said it was mischief makers who did not wish the country well that are promoting that kind of divisive ideas.

    The presidential aide said that the Acting President was consulting the President almost daily in running the country.

    According to him, there are things that the Vice President needs to consult the President, especially on major decisions because he is acting.

    He noted that “the Acting President is in charge at present but the President is still the President no matter what’’.

    He said it was incumbent on the Acting President to call on the President where there were major issues to be decided on to get his opinion.

    He said the consultation did not also mean that the Acting President was not independent, adding that Osinbajo would ensure that the country was well administered.

    “Again one other thing you have to see is that if you give someone a responsibility, he must also be able to show to the President that the fact of his not being around he is not going to create any vacuum.

    “Even, he can then decide not to have a sleep at all through the time that the President may be away just to let him know that he is capable of ensuring that Nigeria goes on well while he is away.

    “And the President could also have given a mandate, `let nothing go wrong, I believe in you, I appointed you as my Vice President, you must make sure that you do this.

    “If you have somebody who is your boss and gives you an assignment, you want to impress him and you want to impress Nigerians as well.

    “That for me is what has happened, not in the sense that one person is better than the other, certainly not. ’’

    On the alleged propagation that the President was poisoned which appeared in the social media, the aide described the report as untrue.

    He advised the media men to be careful about the information they got from the social media as there was a fake factory for fake news in Nigeria.

    He said the publication about some imaginary money kept somewhere by the President which the alleged poison maker wanted to inherit was untrue.

    He noted that Nigeria had a President whom no one could question his integrity in all his public and private lives adding that none could succeed in tarnishing his image.

     

  • Stop blaming celebrities for government’s failures-Peter Okoye warns

    Stop blaming celebrities for government’s failures-Peter Okoye warns

    In recent times, celebrities have been bashed on social media for not being part of the #IStandwithNigeria protest. One of the Psquare brothers, Peter Okoye took to his Instagram page to express his dissatisfaction over the criticism meted out to celebs.

    He urged fans to make the government accountable , rather than blaming the celebrities.In his words:” Celeb dis, celeb that! Like seriously? Face the government. We no thief the money wey we dey enjoy, we work so hard for am. Enough is Enough! Blaming celebrities for government’s failures,is that not insanity”?

    His statements rocked the boats of some of his fans, they took to the comment section to express their grievance. However, Peter Okoye disabled the comments.

  • Government needs to march their words with action, says Mbanefo-Obiago

    Art aficionado, Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago, has urged all tiers of government to develop focused skills platforms for the youths to harness their talents for national growth.Mbanefo-Obiago said such efforts would allow most of the youths to fend for themselves.

    According to her, the present generation of youths in the country is in a haste to make money, as such appropriate platforms should be created for them to earn a living through hard work.

    “Making money has to be from working hard and with different platforms and support from government it can bring about a change of attitude for them to grow.

    “The youths should be made to be serious about things, but because of neglect they enter into various vices and seem not to care about progress or helping themselves,’’ she said.The curator noted that the youth could be engaged in various trades such as shoe making, auto mechanic, barbing, hairdressing, beads making and host of others to support themselves.

    She believed that when the youths were fully engaged and nurtured to fend for themselves, the society would be the better for it.

    Mbanefo-Obiago suggested that school curriculum be reviewed to make products of the school system enterprising and responsible, so as to engineer the kind of change required in the country.

    “Government need to match their words with action by focusing more on the youths; and universities should also teach crafts instead of only academics.

    “If there are platforms, we will make a head way but if there is none, I am afraid,’’ she said.

    According to her, such initiative would help reduce existing gaps between leaders and youths in the country.

    “We have to begin from the local base; we are lagging behind very much because we have not given the youths the chance to express themselves.

    “We need to wake up if we want to move forward and allow the young generation do things that can help the growth of the country, through technology,’’ she added.