TheNewsGuru

Tag: October

  • FG, States, LGs share N532.7bn in October

    The Federal, States and Local Government in October shared N532.7 billion which shows a decline of N25.3 billion when compared to what they shared in September.

    The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, said this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of the monthly Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC.

    Mr. Isa-Dutse attributed the decline to the decrease in revenue from export sales of $42.94 million due to a decrease in crude oil production by 1.25 million barrels.

    He said even though the average price of crude oil increased from $46.29 per barrel to $48.66 per barrel, it was not enough to make up for the loss in production.

    “Some of the issues that impacted negatively on crude oil production were attributed to ageing facilities which resulted to shut-ins and shut-downs of pipelines at various terminals for repairs and maintenance.

    “Petroleum Profit Tax increased significantly while Import Duty and Value Added Tax improved only significantly.

    “Companies Income Tax and Oil Royalty recorded slight decreases in the month under review,” he said.

    In summary, Mr. Isa-Dutse said after deductions as cost of collection by FIRS, Customs and DPR, the federal government received N205.7 billion, representing 52.68 per cent; states and N104.3 billion, representing 26.72 per cent.

    The local governments, he said, received N80.4 billion, amounting to 20.60 per cent of the amount distributed.

    Mr. Isa-Dutse announced that N40.8 billion representing 13 per cent derivation revenue was also shared among the oil producing states.

    He said that the country generated N317.2 billion as mineral revenue and N124.4 billion as non-mineral revenue.

    He said this showed an increase of N41.6 billion from what the country generated as mineral revenue and a decrease of N23.5 billion in non-mineral revenue from what was generated in the month of September.

    Meanwhile the Chairman, Commissioners of Finance Forum, Mahmoud Yunusa, has apologised for the lateness in holding the meeting, which was supposed to have taken place on November 23.

    He said the meeting was cancelled by the state governors due to discrepancies found in revenue figures presented by some of the revenue generating agencies.

    Mr. Yunusa confirmed that the NNPC had increased what they had initially presented to FAAC as what they had generated after the states showed their displeasure.

    He said that to avoid such occurrence, the states as a major stakeholder in NNPC, would henceforth keep “an eagle eye on the affairs of the NNPC”.

    “Going forward we will be fully involved in what the NNPC does to avoid this kind of errors in future. We will scrutinise their books,” he said.

     

     

    NAN

  • BREAKING: Notorious kidnapper, Evans pleads guilty, case adjourned to Oct 19

    The notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping before a judge of the Ikeja High Court.

    Evans and five others were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.

    SEE: Looking fresh: See photos of notorious kidnapper, Evans in court

    The judge ordered that all the male defendants be remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison while the female defendant, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, be kept at the Kirikiri Female Prison.

    He adjourned till October 19.

    Earlier on Tuesday, a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court adjourned till September 5 to hear arguments from Evan’s lawyer and police lawyers on why he should not deliver judgment on the fundamental rights application brought by Evans.

    Justice Abdulaziz Anka had initially fixed Tuesday to deliver judgment on the suit but a lawyer to the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force, David Igbodo, appearing for the first time since the hearing began, said he had filed a counter affidavit before the court.

    “It will be an injustice for judgment to be delivered without hearing our own side,” Mr. Igbodo, Commissioner of Police (Legal Section), said.

    Later, when he spoke to journalists outside the courtroom, Mr. Igbodo said police investigation into the Evans’ case was “almost complete.”

    “The case is a very controversial one, it is a sensitive case,” he said.

    “The Inspector General of Police devoted time, efforts, intelligence, and strategies to ensure that he was arrested. He beat strategies for the past six years. When he was arrested, it took time for the police to complete investigations and very soon, Nigerians will be made to know what is the next line of action for Evans.”

    Mr. Igbodo dismissed claims of the police not having the authority to detain Evans saying they had obtained a remand order from a federal court to hold the suspect in their custody for three months.

    “The Inspector of General of Police is a lawyer, in the first instance. He is somebody that respects the rights of every citizen,” he said.

    “He has been organising conferences and seminars for the Nigeria Police, both investigators and prosecutors, to make sure nobody is kept in custody beyond 24 or 48 hours without an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

    “The Inspector General of Police cannot keep Evans without a court order, there is a valid court order that is still subsisting as I speak with you for three months. You know Evans was arrested on the 10th of June; since when he was arrested till now, it’s not up to three months.

  • 2018 budget will be submitted to NASS in October – FG

    The Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Mr Ben Akabueze, on Monday said the 2018 Executive Budget proposal would be submitted to the National Assembly in October.

    He announced this at the opening of the National Training for Personnel of Ministries, Departments and Agencies on 2018 Budget Preparation, using Government Integrated Financial Management Information System in Lagos.

    Akabueze, who was represented by Mr Anslem Anyawu, the Director, Fiscal Policy Department, Budget Office, said that the 2018 budget was targeted to get passage latest by December 2017.

    According to him, the target is critical considering the commitment of President Buhari’s led administration to return to a predictable January to December financial year as prescribed in the constitution.

    Akabueze said that the decision was in line with the administration’s steadfastness in its effort to take the economy out of recession and place it on the path of sustainable growth.

    He, however, said that the main goal of the training was to equip the nominated personnel with knowledge, skills and tools required to prepare and submit the 2018 budget.

    Akabueze said that the two-week training, which commenced a week ago, would take place in the six geopolitical zones for 800 MDAs nationwide.

    The training is simultaneously holding in Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, Uyo, Enugu and Ibadan for 4,250 participants with that of Abuja.

    He said that the office embarked on the usage of technology and automation tools for improving the quality of its budgeting process.

    Akabueze said, “To improve the quality of our budgeting process, we are committed to making the use of technology and automation tools.

    “For the 2017 Budget, MDAs prepared and presented their budgets online and in real time using a Zero Base Budgeting web-based application.

    “It was the first time that MDAs were using online system to prepare and submit their budget with no manual intervention.

    “The use of the web-based application helped eradicate a lot of the challenges encountered in previous years.”

    He said that for 2018 budget preparation, the office intended to improve on the experiences of the 2017 budget preparation, thereby simplifying the ZBB structure.

    Akabueze said that all programmes, sub-programmes, activities and sub-activities had been mapped into the GIFMIS.

    He said that the introduction of the GIFMIS would enhance the smooth and seamless linkage between budget preparation, submission, execution, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, compared to when it was pre-GIFMIS.

    “We have assembled a team of external and internal experts to help with the training on using the GIFMIS budget preparation module.

    “They will bring their wealth of experience in Public Finance Management, Budgeting, GIFMIS and technology to bear on this programme.

    “The desired outcome of this training is to enable the participants to acquire the knowledge, develop the skills and have access to the tools required to prepare and submit the 2018 budget on time.”

    Akabueze said that the office counted on the participants’ support, cooperation and commitment to achieve the goal.

     

    (NAN)

  • FG orders take off of Maritime University in October

    FG orders take off of Maritime University in October

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta said in Abuja on Friday that the Maritime University would commence academic activities in Okerenkoko in October.

    The governor announced this to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in the Presidential Villa.

    According to him, a committee headed by the Minister of Education in which Delta State Deputy Governor is a member has been inaugurated to ensure the smooth take-off of the university.

    “We are also aware that a committee has been set up led by the Minister of Education; my deputy is part of the committee to work out the processes to enable the maritime university take off in October.

    “It is a step in the right direction. So, I came to appreciate (Vice President) him and to discuss some other issues with him’’, he added.

    Okowa commended the vice president, whom he said had ensured peace in Delta in particular.

    “If you notice, in the past few months, there has been peace in Delta state. So, I wanted to appreciate his visit to Delta state because that definitely helped us in the peace process.

    “And just yesterday, the Bill for the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, passed third reading at the Senate. That is definitely a very strong plus for us.’’

    On the prospects of revenue earnings from modular refineries in Niger Delta, the governor expressed the hope that such refineries would complement other regular refineries in the country.

    The Federal Government had given its nod for the Gbaramatu Modular Refineries (GMR).

    However, policies and regulatory frameworks that would ensure a friendly environment for the operations of all the refineries are being considered by the government.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that there are indications that government is projecting at least 20,000 barrels per day production capacity from the first modular refinery that would be licensed to operate.

    Okowa said a committee comprising Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, some management staff of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, and Deputy Governor of Delta, were drawing up blueprint for the modular refineries.

    “I think the processes are being put in place. President Buhari talks a lot about it and I believe the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the NNPC management have been working in that direction.

    “Modular refineries are not something that you can just bring up all in one day or in one month.

    “I believe that the processes are being put in place to ensure that we have some of them in some of our communities in the creeks in the Niger Delta.’’

     

     

     

     

    NAN

  • Internet users in Nigeria drop to 93.2m in October – NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday said the number of internet users in Nigeria’s telecommunications networks had reduced to 93.2 million by October.

    The telecommunications industry umpire made the disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for October in Lagos.

    The data revealed that internet users on both Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks had decreased by 391,679 in October.

    It showed that of the 93.2 million internet users in October, 93.1 million were on GSM networks, while 38,309 users were on CDMA networks.

    Also, the GSM service providers lost 378,015 internet customers after recording 93.1 million users in October, as against 93.5 million it recorded in September.

    The CDMA operators lost 13,664 internet users, after recording 38,309 in October, against 51,973 recorded in September.

    The data revealed that MTN had 32.4 million subscribers browsing the internet on its network.

    It explained that MTN recorded a decrease of 306,480 internet subscribers in October, after recording 32.7 million in September.

    According to the data, Globacom has 27.2 million customers surfing the net on its network in October, giving an increase of 297,623 users, from the 26.9 million that surfed the internet on the network in September.

    Airtel had 18.8 million internet users in October, the same it recorded in September.

    The data also showed that Etisalat had 14.7 million customers who browsed the internet in October, revealing a decrease of 369,158 users against the 15.1 million users recorded in September.

    The NCC data revealed that the CDMA operators, Multi-Links and Visafone, had a joint total of 38,309 internet users on their networks in October.

    It showed that the only two surviving CDMA networks in the country recorded a decrease of 13,664 internet subscribers in the month under review from the 51,973 users they recorded in September.

    According to the data, Visafone has a decrease of 13,664 customers surfing the internet in October, as it has 38,305, compared to the 51,969 users in the month of September.

    Multi-Links had just four internet users in October, same as the users recorded in September.

    The decrease in the use of the internet in October showed that more Nigerians needed to embrace data, as the next revolution.