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Tag: ministers

  • Sanusi chides ministers for missing meeting with investors in Washington DC

    The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has lambasted Nigerian ministers for missing a meeting with investors in Washington DC despite some of them being in the US.

    Speaking to journalists on Saturday at an investment programme organised by the Nigerian Embassy, Sanusi said Nigeria might lose investors because of the attitude of the ministers.

    According to the emir, there was no reason for the absence of the officials and the challenges faced at the beginning of the event.

    Sanusi said, “We had a meeting today with investors, we were supposed to start by 9am; we started at 10. When I came in, they took me to the ambassador’s office to sit, when investors were waiting there. We had a list of people who were to be here, Vice-President, ministers, some of them are in town, but they haven’t come up.

    “You invite top investors, your ministers are in Washington and they do not come to talk to the investors about Nigeria. That is not how you attract investors. If you have this forum in the Rwandan embassy, I assure you President Kagame himself would be there telling people to come to Rwanda.”

    According to The Cable, some of the ministers, who were absent from the event, included the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu; and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    Others, who shunned the event, included the Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola; the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi; the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu; and the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh.

    The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Yewande Sadiku; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, and all governors were absent while only the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, was present.

    The emir added, “Sometimes, it is about how we market ourselves, how we package ourselves. There is absolutely no reason for the Nigerian embassy to arrange a ‘Nigeria is open for Business’ forum with ministers in town, with governors in town, and not have the coordination that they are actually here to meet with these investors.

    “There is no reason why we should start one hour late, and there is no reason why the public address system should not work. Because at the end of the day, this is the first point of the country.

  • What we are doing to end rifts between ministers, permanent secretaries – FG

    The Federal Government has explained that it is committed to ending rifts between ministers, permanent secretaries, directors and other top echelons of in the civil service.

    The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winnifred Oyo-Ita, disclosed this in her keynote address at an induction training programme organised for permanent secretaries in Abuja on Friday.

    Oyo-Ita said the induction was part of government’s deliberate efforts to rebuild mutual trust and confidence among parties concerned.

    This, she said, would enhance service delivery to Nigerians.

    She said, “Over time, my office has observed recurring tension between permanent secretaries and other stakeholders in public sector administration such as ministers and their aides, members of the National Assembly, heads of extra-ministerial agencies domiciled under them and organised labour unions.

    “It has been observed that there are gaps that need to be filled to minimise areas of conflict.

    “There is also an urgent need to build mutual trust and confidence amongst all parties concerned to enhance efficient service delivery to Nigerian citizens.”

    She noted that permanent secretaries’ three generic roles come with a lot of challenges especially in the present era of dwindling financial resources and escalating competing demands.

    She said the induction and other programmes have been designed to assist the permanent secretaries build their capacities to play their roles effectively.

    Describing it as the first in the series, Oyo-Ita disclosed that there are plans for a joint retreat of ministers and permanent secretaries in the future as soon as the required funds are available.

    The Acting Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Simon Etim, in his goodwill message identified disbursement of funds and procurement matters as major causes of the frictions.

    Etim said there was the need for constant consultation and dialogue between the permanent secretaries and ministers or other political heads.

    He said, “There are insinuations in some quarters that the manner in which some permanent secretaries have exercised their responsibility appear to generate friction and conflicts between the affected permanent secretaries and their political heads.

    “In most cases, the issues around such frictions are mainly on disbursement of funds and procurement matters.

    “Permanent secretaries often complain of the overbearing pressures from political heads to breach extant rules as accounting officers for which they will be held directly accountable to satisfy the financial demands of political heads.

    “Such situation requires tact and knowledge of extant rules which permanent secretaries should politely place at the disposal of such political heads.

    “Furthermore, there is need for constant consultation and dialogue between the permanent secretaries and their ministers/political heads on the disbursement of funds.

    “There should be flexibility rather than rigidity on both parties without infringement on the rules.”

    The chairman of the induction’s planning committee, Dr. Yemi Esan, noted that the event was coming at a time the nation was witnessing evolution of the civil service.

    She said it was the obligation of the civil service to drive the implementation of government’s programmes.

  • Looters’ list: FG compiles fresh names of former governors, ministers, others

    Indications emerged on Saturday that the Federal Government may release fresh names of people who allegedly looted Nigeria’s treasury under the former ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    Investigations revealed that the fresh list might contain names of those who have yet to be arraigned in courts for corruption.

    The list may also include names of former governors, ministers and even bankers.

    Recall that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had in the past said 55 persons stole N1.34tn under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Last week, he released 29 names, who he said took money from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sabo Dasuki (retd.).

    Many of the names he released were, however, those already undergoing trial for alleged corruption while the names of members of the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, who had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress were conspicuously omitted from the list.

    The two lists contained names of those in the main opposition party, the PDP. The PDP had subsequently criticised the government, accusing it of being biased and diverting attention from its alleged incompetence.

    But a source close to the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the government, through the Ministry of Information and Culture, would soon release another list.

    He said that the next batch would be more comprehensive and would contain the names of those who either took money from the office of the former NSA or directly from the Federal Government before the 2015 elections.

    He said the government was aware of the controversy that surrounded the release of the first two lists, adding that the names of some persons considered to be close to the government could be in the third list.

    The source said, “Between you and me, I can authoritatively tell you that we are compiling a fresh list. We won’t release it until we are satisfied with it. We want to be thorough. People will be shocked when we release the fresh names.

    “Those who accused us of being biased will know that we know what we are doing. The first list was a fraction. When the second one came out, people were surprised. As for the next one, people will be shocked. I won’t say more than that,” the source explained.

     

  • Buhari directs ministers to inaugurate boards of parastatals

    President Muhammadu Buhari has directed all ministers to inaugurate the boards of various parastatals under their supervision.

    The president issued this directive on Monday through a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

    The circular directed all ministers to proceed with the inauguration of the boards on or before Friday, March 9.

    Reports of the inauguration exercise is expected to reach the Office of the SGF not later than March 16, the circular said.

    President Buhari had in December 2017 appointed 209 board chairmen and 1,258 board members.

    This was the largest set of appointments since President Buhari assumed office at the end of May in 2015.

    However, the appointments sparked a controversy as some deceased persons were among those appointed.

    A scrutiny of the names showed that at least three died after Mr. Buhari was sworn in as president on May 29, 2015.

    Mustapha said the directive was given following the approval of Mr. Buhari for the Federal Government to publish the membership of Boards of Parastatals under various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    He said the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation also went further to streamline the constitution of the boards in accordance with the statutes and had conveyed the lists of the chairmen and members to the various ministers.

    According to the circular, ministers must ensure proper documentation before the inauguration. The updated Curriculum Vitae (in soft, hard copy) and means of identification should be forwarded to this office for record purposes.

    “Where the law provides Institutional Representatives should be Civil Servants not below the rank of Director in relevant MDAs, for effective reporting,” the circular stated.

  • Over 30,000 Boko Haram hostages freed, leadership dismantled – FG

    Over 30,000 Boko Haram hostages freed, leadership dismantled – FG

    At least 30,000 hostages kidnapped by the Boko Haram have been freed by soldiers, the defence minister, Mansur Dan Ali, said on Monday.

    Ali stated this in Maiduguri at a Special Town Hall meeting organised for the military and security agencies.

    The statement of Ali and other officials who spoke at the event were reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.

    The retired brigadier general also reiterated the federal government’s commitment to promoting the welfare of soldiers battling the insurgents.

    Also speaking, the minister of interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, said the Boko Haram has been completely decimated, its structure degraded and its leadership dismantled.

    Earlier, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said the resumption of flights, bubbling nightlife, and football matches in Maiduguri are signs that normalcy has returned to the Borno capital.

  • BREAKING: Buhari to appoint more ministers, board members

    President Muhammadu Buhari will soon appoint more ministers into his cabinet. He will also make board appointments, a demand by his party members over the months.

    Buhari gave hints of the new appointments in a speech delivered today to the National Executive of the All Progressives Congress.

    The president at the moment has 36 ministers, with 14 of them being ministers of state. He doubles as the full minister of petroleum.

    He said he was having a trimmed cabinet to avoid waste.

    Now faced with demands by his party for more inclusiveness and patronage, he said he would be shifting ground soon.

    The “compressed Federal Executive Council”, he said, “will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government”. He did not indicate whether he will do a cabinet reshuffle.

    Similarly, the President also hinted he will be appointing more people to the boards of government agencies and corporations.

    “Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons.

    “Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.

    “On the other hand, I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the Grace of God, these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.”, he said.

  • SERAP sues FG over refusal to stop ‘double-pay’ for ministers, senators

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sued the Federal Government over its “failure to stop former governors and now serving senators and ministers from receiving double pay and life pensions, and failure to seek recovery of over N40 billion of public funds unduly received by these public officers.”

    The suit number FHC/L/CS/1497/17 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court Ikoyi followed the organisation’s request to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, urging him to use his “position as a defender of public interest to institute legal actions to stop former governors from enjoying emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their positions as senators and ministers.”

    The suit brought pursuant to Order 34, Rules 1 and 3 of the Federal High Court Rules 2009 and the inherent jurisdiction of the court argues that, “Public function should be exercised in the public interest. Double emoluments promote private self-interest or self-dealing. By signing double emoluments laws, which they knew or ought to know that they would be beneficiaries, these former governors have abused their entrusted positions, and thereby obtained an undue advantage, contrary to article 19 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”

    The suit is seeking the following reliefs:

    An order granting leave to the Applicant to apply for Judicial Relief and to seek an order of Mandamus directing and or compelling the Respondent to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states’ laws permitting former governors, who are now senators and ministers to enjoy governors’ emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices; and to identify those involved and seek full recovery of public funds from the former governors.

    The organisation is also arguing that “Senators and ministers should not be receiving salaries and pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements. National and international laws implicitly forbid public officials entrusted with public resources from granting to themselves emoluments for life while serving in other public offices including as senators and ministers.”

    The suit read in part: “Taking advantage of entrusted public offices and positions to enact laws to grant double emoluments and large severance benefits to serving public officials amounts to not only an abuse of office but also incorrect, dishonourable and improper performance of public functions, as per the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 8 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.”

    “By virtue of Sections 150 and 174 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 26 (2) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, the Respondent as the Chief Law Officer of the country and the defender of public interest is constitutionally and statutorily empowered to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person in Nigeria in respect of any offence created by or under any Act of the National assembly in superior courts in Nigeria.”

    “The Federal Government has a responsibility to stop former governors from receiving double pay at the expense of workers and pensioners. This position is buttressed by article 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Laws of Treaties, which provides that no state can justify the noncompliance with an international treaty with reference to internal law, including even the constitution.”

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

    It would be recalled that following SERAP’s letter to Mr. Malami, Senate President Bukola Saraki told the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja yesterday, that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension “the moment I saw that SERAP allegation.” He said, “No, I’m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.”

    So far, Kayode Fayemi Minister of Mines and Steel Development and his counterparts in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola have denied ever receiving double payments and retirement benefits as former governors in addition to other roles in public office.

    SERAP’s letter to Mr. Malami read in part: “Under the Lagos Pension Law a former governor will enjoy the following benefits for life: Two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja estimated to cost between N500m and N700m. Others are six brand new cars replaceable every three years; furniture allowance of 300 percent of annual salary to be paid every two years, and a close to N2.5 million as pension (about N30 million pension annually); free medicals including for his immediate families; 10 percent house maintenance; 30 percent car maintenance; 10 percent entertainment; 20 percent utility; and several domestic staff.”

    “In Rivers, state law provides 100 per cent of annual basic salaries for ex-governor and deputy, one residential house for former governor anywhere of his choice in Nigeria; one residential house anywhere in Rivers for the deputy, three cars for the ex-governor every four years; two cars for the deputy every four years; 300 per cent of annual basic salary every four years for furniture; 10 per cent of annual basic salary for house maintenance.”

    “In Akwa Ibom, state law provides for N200 million annual pay to ex-governors, deputies; pension for life at a rate equivalent to the salary of the incumbent governor/deputy governor respectively; a new official car and utility-vehicle every four years; one personal aide and provision of adequate security; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5m per month and N2.5m for the deputy governor. Others are: free medical services for governor and spouse at an amount not exceeding N100 million for the governor per annum and N50m for the deputy governor; a five-bedroom mansion in Abuja and Akwa Ibom and allowance of 300 percent of annual basic salary for the deputy governor; 300 per cent of annual basic salary every four years and severance gratuity.”

    “Similarly, the Kano State Pension Rights of Governor and Deputy Governor Law 2007 provides for 100 per cent of annual basic salaries for former governor and deputy; furnished and equipped office; a 6-bedroom house; well-furnished 4-bedroom for deputy, plus an office; free medical treatment along with immediate families within and outside Nigeria where necessary; two drivers; and a provision for a 30- day vacation within and outside Nigeria.”

    “In Gombe State, there is N300 million executive pension benefits for the ex-governors. In Kwara State, the 2010 law gives a former governor two cars and a security car replaceable every three years; a well-furnished 5-bedroom duplex; 300 per cent of his salary as furniture allowance; five personal staff; three State Security Services; free medical care for the governor and the deputy; 30 per cent of salary for car maintenance; 20 per cent for utility; 10 percent for entertainment; 10 per cent for house maintenance.”

    “In Zamfara State, former governors receive pension for life; two personal staff; two vehicles replaceable every four years; two drivers, free medical for the former governors and deputies and their immediate families in Nigeria or abroad; a 4-bedroom house in Zamfara and an office; free telephone and 30 days paid vacation outside Nigeria. In Sokoto State, former governors and deputy governors are to receive N200 million and N180 million respectively being monetization for other entitlements which include domestic aides, residence and vehicles that could be renewed after every four years.”

    “The abolition of such laws therefore is a necessary first step towards delivering on the constitutional promise of equal protection and equal benefit of the law for a distressingly large number of Nigerians. Otherwise, public officials will remain seriously out of touch with a major source of poverty and discrimination in the country.”

    “According to our information, those who reportedly receive double emoluments and large severance benefits from their states include: Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Kabiru Gaya (Kano); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Theodore Orji (Abia); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara); Joshua Dariye (Plateau), and Jonah Jang (Plateau). Others include: Ahmed Sani Yarima (Zamfara); Danjuma Goje (Gombe); Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi); George Akume (Benue); and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).”

  • [BREAKING] Osinbajo assigns portfolios to new ministers

    The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday assigned portfolios to the two new ministers he inaugurated about 22 days ago.

    The two new ministers are Stephen Ocheni (Kogi) and Suleiman Hassan (Gombe).

    The Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, announced the development on his Twitter handle.

    Akande stated that there are now two Ministers of State in Power, Works & Housing Ministry.

    Ocheni was named Minister of State, Labour and Employment; while Hassan was named Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing.

    “There are now two ministers of state in Power, Works and Housing ministries,” Akande said.

  • No more room for failure, Osinbajo tells ministers, others

    Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration will no longer accept failure or any form of excuses from its officials at whatever tasks or duties assigned to them.

    The acting president spoke Thursday at the Cabinet Retreat on the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) and the 2018 Budget preparation at the State House, Abuja.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo said: “After listening to Dr. Idris Jala all I can say is as the opposition leader in Malaysia said, this is what I have been saying for the past 50 years!

    “But seriously he is so right; the challenge is this, the discipline to be unreasonable in our targets and objectives. The discipline of attending the labs diligently and accepting to be locked in a room for as long as it takes to iron out what it is that needs to be done.

    “I like the point also that Dr Jala made that the excuse that it won’t work here, the Nigerian factor, or some say exceptionalism, or the acceptance of failure before you even start is certainly not tenable any more.”

    Osinbajo went on: “We simply have to accept that there is nothing Nigerian about failure, because as we know in our personal lives, failure and success are commodities on offer to everyone all over the world and every individual and every country makes a choice of which to buy and I will say on our behalf that we will choose success.

    “Dr Jala, I have heard motivational speeches, but this is one I think that challenges our whole legitimacy as persons entrusted with leadership.

    “I think it goes beyond motivational speech. I think it really challenges the core of our relevance as leaders and I am challenged and I know that many of us here are and I think that we will do what we need to do to make sure that we see through the labs that we have to identify specific areas where we will do this labs. We must see to it that this works.

    “I want to thank you again for this exceptional moment you have taken us through and to thank all of you also for taking the time to come. So the work has just begun.”

    Permanent Secretaries and heads of Ministries Departments and Agents (MDAs) attended the retreat at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    The retreat, which is on the Implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the 2018 budget preparation. It was with the theme: “Building Synergy For Effective ERPG Implementation”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had on Wednesday approved the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

    At the end of the retreat, Minister of Budget and National Planning Udoma Udo Udoma told reporters: “It was basically about the ERGP and preparations for the 2018 budget and linking the plan with the budget and we will be briefing cabinet members about the linkages between the plan and the budget.

    “Basically, we have to keep on reviewing at every stage. So, this is review about where we are, what needs to be done and what steps we need to take in areas that we need to fast track.

    “We are moving ahead in terms of the modalities that have been defined. This is not the time to actually say what stage and so on. We will be giving briefings.”

    On when the MTEFF will be sent to the National Assembly, Udoma said: “National Assembly is on break, so, nearer the time they will resume in September but ours is to follow the Fiscal Responsibility Act which has some timelines and we are trying to keep strictly by those timelines.”

     

  • In photos: Osinbajo inaugurates new ministers despite denial by presidency

    Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday finally inaugurated Stephen Ocheni (Kogi) and Suleiman Hassan (Gombe) as ministers over two months after their nominations were confirmed by the Senate.

    The inauguration took place inside the Council Chambers of the National Assembly at the commencement of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council.