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Tag: Governors

  • Paris Club refund: NGF to explore legal options to prevent illegal payment to consultants

    Paris Club refund: NGF to explore legal options to prevent illegal payment to consultants

    The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) says it will explore all legal options on the disbursement of the $418 million Paris Club refund and promissory notes to ensure resources meant for state governments are not illegally paid to consultants.

    The forum disclosed this in a statement issued by its Chairman, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, on Wednesday in Abuja after the teleconference meeting of the 36 state governors.

    “Regarding the $418 million Paris Club Refund and promissory notes issued to consultants by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office (DMO), the forum remains resolute in exploring all legal channels available to it in ensuring that resources belonging to states are not unjustly or illegally paid to a few in the guise of consultancy,” he said.

    Tambuwal said the forum had also instructed its lawyers to approach the Federal High Court on the proposed privatisation of 10 National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) by the Federal Government.

    “The forum, following its advocacy that the proposed privatisation of 10 NIPPs by the Federal Government should be stopped, instructed its lawyers to approach the Federal High Court which at present has issued a court order restraining all the parties in the suit from taking any step or action that will make or render the outcome of the motion on notice seeking for interlocutory injunction nugatory.

    “The effect of the order of the court is that respondents cannot proceed with the proposed sale of the power plants belonging to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHCL) until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction,” he said.

    Tambuwal added that sequel to discussions between sub-sovereigns at the recently concluded 2nd African Sub-Sovereign Government Network (AfSNET) Conference, the forum agreed to pursue support for enhanced dialogue, cooperation and collaboration between sub-sovereign governments around intra-African trade, investment, industrialisation and development.

    He said that such would be done through membership on the Forum of Regions of Africa (FORAF) and its partnership with the African Export–Import (AFREXIM) Bank.

    The governor said that the forum was also monitoring the flood situation across the country and working with the Federal Government to prepare emergency interventions to ameliorate the impact of the floods food security.

    Tambuwal said that the forum was working with the Federal Government through the National Economic Council (NEC) and in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).

    Others, according to him, include the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHDSD), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (FMFBNP) and the World Bank

    Members were also briefed by the World Bank Task Team Leader (TTL), Prof. Foluso Okunmadewa, on the desired restructuring of the $750 million Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme (CARES) programme to respond to Nigeria 2022 Flood Response following discussions with States and the National Economic Council (NEC) Ad hoc Committee on Flooding.

    “The restructuring will allow states re-allocate funding from the programme for immediate response for livelihoods, assets and basic services.

    “As the flood recedes, the states through the programme will be able to support the household enterprise recovery grants, short-term transfer of households displaced, labour intensive opportunities for unskilled labor, rehabilitation of basic services infrastructure, recovery of damaged agricultural infrastructure, rehabilitation of destroyed wet markets, amongst others.”

    Tambuwal added that forum received update on the implementation progress of the States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme which is in its last phase of annual assessment.

    He said that the update was received from the Senior Progamme Manager, NGF SFTAS Technical Assistance Programme, Olanrewaju Ajogbasile.

    “Members were also informed of technical assistance planned and ongoing to support sustainability of the reforms including support to ensure states publish their 2023 budget in line with the National Chart of Account (NCoA).

    “The forum assured the programme of its commitment to sustain the reforms and implement recommendations that could further strengthen their public financial management systems,” he said.

    He also said that the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, briefed the forum on the congestion of the custodial centres across the country and the digitalisation of immigration processes.

    “Members welcomed the report of the minister and committed to working with law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on the recommendations put forward as they relate to individual state jurisdiction.”

    Tambuwal also said that the NGF Senior Health Advisor, Dra Ahmad Abdulwahab, briefed the forum on the progress with polio routine immunisation highlighting that there has been an 85 per cent reduction in the number of Circulating Vaccine-Derived PolioVirus (cVDPV) in 2022 from 1,028 cases recorded in 2021.

    “Members were also provided update on the implementation progress of the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (CoPREP) and the recently launched Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge.

    “The forum reiterated its commitment to the Seattle Commitments and PHC strengthening, including the judicious use and timely release of counterpart fund where required.”

  • Jonathan debunks reports linking him with aggrieved PDP governors

    Jonathan debunks reports linking him with aggrieved PDP governors

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has debunked a purported media report that the aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors were loyal to him.

    Mr Ikechukwu Eze, the Media Adviser to Jonathan, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the office’s attention had been drawn to media reports linking his name to the current troubles in the PDP.

    Eze said that Jonathan would have ignored the strange tale, since it was obviously baseless.

    “However, we are offering this clarification because we have been reached by many Nigerians who are concerned that such fabrication, with a vague and suspicious attribution, could be given undeserved prominence on the front page of some national dailies.

    “We are also not unmindful of the fact that, this being an electioneering season, bizarre tales are often contrived, propagated and weaponised to either smear others, or deliver cheap political advantage to the purveyors.

    “First, we would like to make the point that it is not out of place if there was crisis in a political party like the PDP, and a former president who served under the party’s platform, is called upon to intervene.

    “That being the case, we initially did not see anything wrong with the headlines in some papers indicating that the former President was being persuaded to help resolve the issues in the party.

    “However, we are dismayed that the seemingly purpose-minded headlines were only cast to mask the mischief of the sponsors of the story and hoodwink the unsuspecting populace.”

    Eze said the former president’s office’s attention was called to the provocative and insulting statements in separate, but similar versions of the story in different news media.

    He said the report, either claiming that “the whole thing we are seeing in the PDP … is orchestrated for President Jonathan,” or that “he (Jonathan) is encouraging governors Wike, Makinde, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and Ortom, to behave the way they are doing, knowing that these five governors are fighting his cause”.

    “We believe that such duplicitous statements could not have emanated from the camps of those who truly wish the party well.

    “It simply shows that the so called ‘sources’ of the story are not disposed to the peace and unity they pretend to be seeking in the PDP.

    “How could anybody turn around in 2022 to accuse Jonathan of bearing a grudge against the PDP when the former president had campaigned vigorously for the party and its presidential candidate during the 2019 elections?”

    Eze said those who insinuated that Jonathan was not happy with the PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, because of whatever roles he played ahead of the 2015 elections, had forgotten that the former president actively campaigned for him in 2019.

    “The fact that Dr. Jonathan stood out as an exemplary politician who, throughout his political career, abhorred treachery and mean-mindedness, and played politics without bitterness, needs no gainsay.

    “Unlike many of his detractors, the former President has, out of office, progressed to a higher level of statesmanship, faithfully applying himself to causes that promote peace, love, unity and progress, across the entire west African sub-region.

    “It is Dr. Jonathan’s wish that the PDP is able to resolve its internal crisis, unite all members and have a good showing in the forthcoming 2023 elections.

    “We wish to however point out that it will be difficult to achieve this aspiration if some forces in the party continue to engage in mudslinging, disinformation, and manifest tendencies that negate the values that are dear to loyal party members,” Eze said.

  • 18 govs are behind the scenes for Peter Obi – Ohaneze

    18 govs are behind the scenes for Peter Obi – Ohaneze

    The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has said about 18 sitting governors are behind the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.

    This was revealed in a statement made available on Wednesday by the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.

    Ohanaeze, while hailing the courage and the determination of Nigerians who are trooping out in the different parts of the country in support of Peter Obi, urged that the momentum be sustained.

    “This is a movement to take back Nigeria from the days of locusts, greedy and selfish politicians.

    “It is a movement to rescue the country from adversity, economic slump, ASUU strike, insecurity and corruption.

    “Nigerians have demonstrated readiness to take back their country through the ballot box and it behoves on the INEC to make the votes count,” he said.

    The Ohanaeze scribe while reviewing the ‘Obidients’ rally held across the country, stated that “the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and others are startled by the soaring popularity of the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, especially after the Obidients’ Independence Day rallies across the country cutting across ethnicity and religious lines. The mammoth crowd took the different cities of the country by storm.

    “As we speak, about 18 Governors from the North and the South, cutting across party lines, are behind the scenes putting up structures for Obi to win the 2023 election. In addition, some former Presidents and elder statesmen are in support of Obi’s candidature.

    “They are all convinced that Obi has something different from all the other candidates.

    “We are glad that for the first time in the recent past, Nigerians are united in the dethronement of misgovernance in Aso Rock. They are determined to make a political change through the ballot box with a third force presidency.

    “This is the first time we are seeing such a strong political movement in Nigeria that is not being sponsored by politicians, rather the masses own the project.

    “You have seen the mass movement across the country and beyond; you have seen even children, the persons with special needs, the aged, everyone is part of this movement.”

    He reiterated his call on the INEC not to truncate the will of the people.

  • Governors meet in Abuja over economy, security

    Governors meet in Abuja over economy, security

    The 36 state governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) are to meet on Wednesday in Abuja to discuss issues of economy, insecurity and other challenges confronting the nation.

    Mr Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, Director, Media and Public Affairs, NGF, said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said the state of the economy ‪will dominate the conversation when the 36 governors meet at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.‬

    “Worried by the economic woes that the citizenry has been complaining about and the hardship associated with it, several governors reasoned that it is high time to tell each other the bare truth by confronting each other on the situation and brainstorming on it.

    “This formed the basis for resorting to an in-person meeting which since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic been relegated by the states’ executives.

    “Two things will feature prominently in the conversation: the economy and security.”

    He dismissed as spurious, recent media reports that the governors had collectively advised the president to compulsorily retire civil servants aged 50 and above.

    According to him, the meeting will be the first to be held collectively by the governors on the nation’s economy in 2022.

    Bello-Barkindo said that the governors would launch the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Fund and the World Bank SFTAS charter before going into the meeting, expected to commence by 2pm.

    He added that the governors would receive update on the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus programme during the meeting.

  • Leave FG alone, mind your business – Former TUC President scolds governors

    Leave FG alone, mind your business – Former TUC President scolds governors

    Former Trade Union Congress President (TUC), Peter Esele on Sunday said that corruption was endemic at the state level and governors were getting away with it because Nigerians put so much attention on the president.

    Esele said this in an interview with newsmen while reacting to a suggestion by state governors that the Federal Government should offer federal civil servants who are above 50 years a one-off retirement package to exit the service.

    He noted that the biggest problem in the country was governors dictating to the president or The Presidency whereas they (governors) were the major problems in the country.

    According to him, it is uncalled for state governors to suggest or advise the Federal Government to retire civil servants above 50 years.

    “They should face their states and allow the Federal Government to come up with such decision on its own.

    “After all what have they the governors done in the areas of primary and secondary education which falls under their purview, even in the area of primary health care delivery,“ he asked.

    Esele, a former president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), noted that all the governors had done was to borrow so much and try to avoid repayment.

    “The governors are not telling us what they did with the money.

    “I don’t know how many states in Nigeria you can put side-by-side with the amount they have borrowed from the Federal Government and also from the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

    “Our attention has been on the president and that is why the governors are getting away with corruption because if we dig deep, corruption at the state level is unprecedented”,  he said.

    The veteran unionist, while noting that there was no money going to the local councils anymore, said that this was at variance with the country’s constitution.

    According to him, the governors do whatever they like, including wanting to decide who becomes the country’s president and what happens in the country, stressing that such should never be allowed.

    “In the country today, you can have a disagreement between the Federal Government and the National Assembly, but there is no single state in Nigeria where you have a disagreement between the state legislators and state executive.

    “Whenever the legislators and executive are in bed, know that the citizens are suffering or will suffer for it later.

    “That is what has been happening across the 36 states of the federation,” he said.

    Esele noted that members of the state assemblies who were expected to carry out checks on the executive were not doing so.

    He noted that even in terms of budget screening, state assemblies were complacent as the budget brought in were hastily passed in two days.

    “In all, the governors are our major problems in the country and cannot proffer solution to what they are the root cause or what they have not been able to tackle in their states,” he said.

  • 12 gold coins paid as Tinubu, Dangote, govs storm Shettima’s daughter’s wedding

    12 gold coins paid as Tinubu, Dangote, govs storm Shettima’s daughter’s wedding

    Maiduguri stood agog on Saturday as the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu led other dignitaries to attend the wedding ceremony of the daughter of his running mate Kashim Shettima.

    The presidency was represented at the wedding by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari and National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.

    According to reports, 12 gold coins were paid as dowry at the ceremony, witnessed by other dignitaries, including Senate President Amed Lawan, Aliko Dangote, Dahiru Mangal, Ahmed Indimi, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and his Jigawa counterpart, Gov. Abubakar Badaru.

    Govs. Mai-Mala Buni of Yobe, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, I-GP Usman Baba Alkali, and APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu also graced the event.

    The marriage rites were conducted at the Shehu of Borno’s Palace where the bride, Fatima was represented by Gov. Zulum of Borno, while the bridegroom, Sadiq Ibrahim, the son of former Minister of FCT/Abuja, Ibrahim Bunu, was represented by former Governor of Bauchi, Ahmadu Muazu

  • APC governors submit five presidential aspirants list to Buhari

    APC governors submit five presidential aspirants list to Buhari

    All Progressives Congress, APC governors have submitted names of five presidential aspirants from the South to President Muhammadu Buhari for him to select a consensus candidate from.

    The governors submitted the names in the early hours of Tuesday, in time to enable the president to make a suitable choice before the commencement of the party’s special convention.

    The names submitted included that of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State), Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, and Governor Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State).

    The governors had after meeting with the President said they will return to the villa after meeting with the party’s National Working Committee(NWC) and other stakeholders.

    “They picked one from South-East, one from South-South and three from South-West geopolitical zones in line with their position that power should shift to the South,” he said.

    The president is expected to pick from the list.

    The presidential primary of the party holds today and recall that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan was named as the consensus candidate by the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) recalls this was, however, punctured by the presidency after Buhari denied he never endorsed any candidate rather he advised the governors to liase with NWC.

    NWC also disowned chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu who earlier announced Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the party’s consensus candidate.

  • Convention: Buhari meets APC governors, Osinbajo absent

    Convention: Buhari meets APC governors, Osinbajo absent

    President Muhammadu Buhari has met behind closed door with members of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, was also part of the meeting, which lasted for about an hour.

    The outcome of the meeting, which was attended by the governors elected on the platform of the APC, was unknown to newsmen as at the time of filing this report.

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who is expected to be screened by the party’s presidential screening committee on Tuesday, was absent from the meeting.

    Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, who is also the Chairman of the forum, declined comment on the outcome of the meeting.

    It was gathered that the meeting deliberated on critical issues relating to the forthcoming National Convention of the party.

    The president used the opportunity of the meeting to discuss the forthcoming presidential primaries of the party, and the need to have a united position with all stakeholders of the party, including the governors.

    The APC National Convention has been scheduled to hold between June 6 and June 8, 2022.

  • Court dismisses suit to grant states power to manage LG funds

    Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by 36 states, challenging the legality of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, Guidelines, which came into effect on June 1, 2019.

     

    The suit marked (FHC/ABJ/CS/563/2019) was filed through their Attorneys General and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF.

     

    The NFIU 2019 guidelines required among others, that the States/Local Governments Joint Accounts should be used only for receiving funds and subsequently transferring them to Local government accounts only.

     

    The NFIU claimed that the guidelines, which also limit daily cash withdrawal from the State/LG joint account to N500,000 are intended to reduce “crime vulnerabilities created by cash withdrawal from local government funds throughout Nigeria effective from June 1, 2019.”

     

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that listed as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the NFIU and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

     

    They argued among others that the NFIU guidelines: known as “the NFIU Enforcement and Guidelines to Reduce Crime Vulnerabilities Crafted by Cash Withdrawal From Local Government Funds Throughout Nigeria,” particularly provisions 1 to 6 and the penalties prescribed are ultra vires the power of the NFIU under Sections 3 (1) and 23(2) (a) of the Nigerian Financial Intelligent Unit Act, 2018 and therefore unconstitutional.

     

    In the judgement on Monday, Justice Ekwo held that he is unable to see where the guidelines contradict the provisions of sections 7(1), (6) (a) and (b) of the Constitution.

     

    The judge added that the guidelines also did not conflict with the provision of Section 162(6) of the Constitution, which creates the State Joint Local Government Account, into which allocations to the Local Government Councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the government of the state are paid.

     

    He said that the guidelines did not contradict Section 162(8) of the constitution which prescribed that the amount standing to the credit of the local government council of the state shall be distributed among the local government councils of that state on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of the state.

     

    Justice Ekwo added that the provisions of the NFIU guidelines also do not contradict the provisions of the 4th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution which prescribes the functions of a Local Government Council.

     

    Noting that “ duty of the court is limited to expounding the law and not expanding it,” the judge said: “On the whole, I see the provisions of the guidelines of the 2nd defendant as seeking to direct the monitoring of accounts, transfers and any other means of payment or transfer of funds of local government councils as provided for in Section 3 (1) (r) of the Act of the NFIU.

     

    “It only limits cash withdrawal made from any Local Government Account anywhere in the country to amount not exceeding N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) per day.

     

    “Any amount higher than that can be done using other methods of banking transaction save cash.

     

    “Unless it can be shown that there is any provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which these provisions of the 2nd defendant’s guidelines have contradicted or conflicted directly and practically, then the issue of unconstitutionality cannot be said to arise.”

     

    Justice Ekwo said he found that there was no provision in the NFIU’s guidelines that has contravened the provisions of Sections 7(1), (6) (a) and (b), 162 (6), (7) and (8), and the 4th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

     

    “I also find that the case of the plaintiffs has not been established and I so hold. I find, in the end, that the case of the plaintiffs lacks merit and ought to be dismissed and it is hereby dismissed,” the judge said.

     

    Earlier, Justice Ekwo struck out the name of the NGF as a co-plaintiff in the suit on the grounds that it lacked the locus standi to file the suit.

  • Governors jeopardizing party’s progress-APC National Chairman, Adamu

    Governors jeopardizing party’s progress-APC National Chairman, Adamu

    The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu has alleged that some current and past governors of the party are bent on jeopardising the party’s progress with their actions and inactions.

    Adamu made his position known when giving his opening speech at the 11th National Executive committee (NEC) meeting held at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja

    The meeting is being attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and other critical stakeholders who are members of the NEC.

    He declared that state governors are leaders of the party in their states, saying the APC constitution does not have provision for dual leadership in the states.

    Adamu then acknowledged the position of serving governors as leaders in the respective states but begged them to accord the party all necessary respect that is due to it for progress to be made.