TheNewsGuru

Tag: Report

  • INEC presents final report on 2019 general election

    INEC presents final report on 2019 general election

    A total of 24,353 candidates nominated by 91 political parties contested the 2019 general elections, according to a report on the review of the election presented on Friday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The elections took place in 1,558 constituencies spread across 119,973 polling units and 57,023 voting points across the country.

    Besides, 821,686 ad hoc staff were engaged for the elections while the Commission accredited 71,256 domestic and international observers as well as 11,250 domestic and international journalists for the polls.

    The report which covers the outcome of internal debriefing meetings and external engagements with electoral stakeholders held from 28th May to 12th July, 2019, was presented to Electoral Stakeholders by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    He said the aim of the report was “to evaluate the Commission’s actions, processes and procedures before, during and after the election.”

    Following the conclusion of the elections, INEC constituted two committees each headed by a National Commissioner.

    The first Committee led by Barrister Festus Okoye, the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), was saddled with the responsibility of producing the official account of the conduct of the 2019 general election while the second chaired by Dr. Muhammed Lecky, Chairman of the Planning, Monitoring and Strategy Committee (PMSC), was charged with the responsibility of producing a report on the review of the election based on the outcome of the Commission’s Retreats and Stakeholder.

    The INEC chairman said the second report, which was presented yesterday, examines in detail the key activities, preparations and challenges associated with the conduct of the 2019 General Election ranging from registration of new political parties, conduct of continuous voter registration, monitoring of party primaries, candidate nomination process and party campaigns, the recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff and the accreditation of election observers and party agents.

    It also “focuses on the preparation and delivery of the election in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT” as well as challenges associated with the preparation and conduct of the election, lessons learnt and specific recommendations for addressing them.

  • BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu presents report on ‘Lagos destruction’ to Buhari [Photos]

    BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu presents report on ‘Lagos destruction’ to Buhari [Photos]

    The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday presented a report on properties damaged by hoodlums in Lagos to President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Villa, Abuja.

    The presidency in a tweet said, “President @MBuhari this afternoon met with Governor @jidesanwoolu of Lagos. The Governor presented a report on the extent of the destruction suffered by Lagos State in the aftermath of the ENDSARS protests. #AsoVillaToday.”

    Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Gawat Jubril, said the report presented by Sanwo-Olu contained images of facilities destroyed in Lagos State.

    The governor’s aide tweeted; “Governor @jidesanwoolu today, presented the report of the recent coordinated arson in Lagos State to President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. In the report were the images of public and private assets destroyed in the violence sparked by the hijack of #EndSARS protest.”

  • JUST IN: Presidential visitation panel on UNILAG crisis submits report to FG

    JUST IN: Presidential visitation panel on UNILAG crisis submits report to FG

    The Presidential Visitation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the crisis that led to the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe has submitted its report.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari on Aug. 26 inaugurated the committee to look into the leadership crisis in the university.

    Receiving the report on Thursday, the minister said:” I am very happy to learn that the panel worked very hard within the two-weeks given to it in order to arrive at recommendations which I hope will assist the visitor in taking an informed decision to solve the lingering crisis.

    “It is my hope that the panel directs all officials and all stakeholders who are supposed to contribute towards the resolution of the crisis in the course of his assignment in order to have a fair balance of issue at hand.

    ‘`The visitor of the university after due consideration of their report will take a decision on the matter as appropriate in order to resolve this and produce learning atmosphere in the university of Lagos and the university system as a whole,” he said.

    He commended the panel for taking out time to look into the crisis while assuring that the decision would be subjected to close scrutiny and justice in all area.

    Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the panel, Prof. Tukur Sa’ad, said the panel was instituted based on calls from different section on the legality of the removal of the vice chancellor by the council headed by Prof. Wale Babalakin

    “The president and visitor of the University of Lagos inaugurated a special visitation panel on the University of Lagos on the Aug. 26, 2020.

    “The panel looked into the crisis bedeviling the university and make appropriate recommendations to the government.

    ‘`Over the past one year, there has been considerable disquiet within the University of Lagos among management, council and some stakeholders.

    “This emanated from allegations against management which led the council to set up a sub committee to review the expenditure of the University of Lagos since May 2017.

    `The report of the subcommittee of the council in chronology of allegations by the council against the vice chancellor and members of management led to the removal of the vice chancellor of the University on Aug. 12, 2020.”

    The Governing Council of the University of Lagos had confirmed the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ogundipe from office.

    The Council said the decision was based on the investigation of serious acts of wrongdoing, gross misconduct, financial recklessness and abuse of office against Prof. Ogundipe.

    In a related development, Adamu also received a report from a panel set up to look into the administrative issues of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) from the Chairman of the panel, Prof. Nimi Briggs.

    The minister assured that the Federal Government would commence immediate action while providing the necessary need of the installation.

    An Administrative Audit Panel was set up on July 19, 2019 to submit report to address the ownership, financial management and administrative management of the institution.

    The AUST was established with the intention to be part of series of African institutions so that science and technology would be given a boost.

  • NNPC makes staff strength public

    NNPC makes staff strength public

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it currently has 6,621 staff strength both at its headquarters and across all its subsidiaries, division and offices nationwide.

    The corporation disclosed this in its report of compliance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s (EITI) Open Data requirements, released in Abuja on Monday.

    The report disclosed that the 6,621 individuals comprised its total staff strength as at April 20, 2020.

    This meant that the recently employed 1,050 fresh graduates were captured, as their employments were concluded in February.

    According to the report, NNPC has 13 divisions/Strategic Business Units nationwide.

    It said that while 5,410 of corporation’s workforce representing 81.7 per cent were male, 211 were women, representing 18.3 per cent of its total staff strength.

    The report further pointed out that the three refineries — Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri refineries — had 1,898 staff, representing 28.7 per cent of NNPC group’s total workforce.

    A break down of the staff distribution by the report showed that 1,869 staff, comprising 28.2 per cent of its total workforce, were involved in operations engineering across all the divisions and Strategic Business Units (SBU); followed by human resources, with 818 staff.

    This, it said, j0 comprised 12.35 per cent of its total workforce; while 684 staff were Health, Safety and Environment officers, representing 10.3 per cent of its total workforce.

    “Finance, Accounts, Audit, Tax and Insurance staff across all its divisions and SBU are 605; commercial staffers are 506; general engineering staff are 466 and supply chain management staff, 337.

    “Information technology personnel are 301; medical staff are 204; leadership staff are 196; while NNPC Group’s geosciences staff are 142,” it said.

    The report also noted that public affairs staff were 108; petroleum engineering staff 74; legal personnel 55; and well engineering staff 48.

    Furthermore, the report revealed that 27.2 per cent, comprising 1,801 NNPC’s staff were currently employed in the corporate headquarters.

    It said that 13 per cent of the NNPC group’s total workforce were employed in the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC); while 758 individuals wers currently employed in the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).

    This, it said, represented 11.4 per cent of the NNPC group’s total workforce.

    “The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), which is currently shut down and awaiting revamp, has 655 staff; Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) 550 staff; the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) has 485 staff.

    “NNPC’s commercial and investment subsidiary, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) has 426 staff; while the corporation’s downstream subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) has 255 staff,” it said

    In addition, the report noted that Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) has 254 staff; Integrated Data Services Limited, 175 staff; Crude Oil Marketing Division of the NNPC and Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) 152 staff each.

    “While National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO) has 64 staff in its employment.”

    Analysis of the corporation’s staff strength showed that of the total workforce, while one staff was in JS2, 527 others were in JS1 grade level categories respectively.

    It noted that 85 staff, 103 staff, 259 staff, 740 staff, 700 staff, 1,674, and 1,690 staff were in the grade level SS7, SS6, SS5, SS4, SS3, SS2 and SS1 respectively.

    Grade levels M6, M5, M4, M3, M2 and M1, which is the management cadre, had 408 staff, 238 staff, 143 staff, 44 staff, eight staff and one staff (chief executive) respectively.

  • FG receives report on community policing, pledges speedy implementation

    FG receives report on community policing, pledges speedy implementation

    The Federal Government on Friday received the report of the committee on recommendations for the establishment of State Policing.

    It also promised speedy implementation of the recommendations which include alternative funding mechanism and deployment of technology for intelligence gathering.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, received the report from the 14-member committee, chaired by Permanent Secretary, Special Services Offices (SSO), Dr. Amina Shamaki.

    Mustapha said Nigerians and indeed the present administration prides itself as having the political will to tackle the issues of insecurity occasioned by the activities of terrorists, kidnappers, bandits, militants which have remained serious threats to good governance, effective service delivery and overall economic development and wellbeing of Nigerians.

    He added: “I am delighted to note that your work covered the issues of policy, institutional and legal frameworks as well as the underlying factors that impede the capacity of our security agencies to adequately contain the various manifestations of insecurity in our dear country.

    “I equally note that your work touched on the need to deploy appropriate technology in the fight against the various dimensions of criminality, the context of coordinating internal security architecture, capacity development and professionalism of security personnel, citizens’ involvement in internal security management as well as innovative funding mechanisms of security agencies and their operations and not the least, welfare of personnel.

    “I am highly delighted that you worked assiduously hard to exhaustively examine the Report of the Executive Course 40, 2018 and proposed some far-reaching recommendations, including implementation strategies aimed at reinvigorating the Internal Security framework and Community Policing in Nigeria within a short time frame.

    “I have no doubt, therefore, that the outcome of your recommendations would enthrone a paradigm shift that will focus on Community Policing, re-orientation of citizens and building a sustainable conflict resolution process that would assist in solving the perennial security challenges in the country.

    “Let me assure you that Government will critically, and without any delay whatsoever, study your Report and speedily give effect to the recommendations therein.” he said

    Speaking earlier, Shamaki said: “The Committee has proposed innovative alternative funding mechanism to ensure the provision of infrastructure, equipping agencies with modern gadgets and weapons and for the welfare and wellbeing of personnel.

    “The Committee emphasised the deployment of technology particularly, for intelligence gathering, pre-empting incidences of crime and for resolving complex investigations.

    “We highlighted the need for the Security Committees at the State and Local Government levels, to be made functional and the involvement of all strata of the society including the integration of the informal security outfits into the Community Policing Strategy.”

    The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who witnessed the report presentation, said that the time has come for the community policing to be implemented.

    He said “We have been waiting for the report. Policing should be driven from community and not uniformed police.”

    The committee’s terms of reference were: To study and analyze the findings; Recommendations and implementation strategies of the Presidential Parley Report by NIPPS and come up with policy statement for the consideration of the President.

    Other members of the committee are: Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Agb, Mrs. Odunbanjo Adebisi, Sanusi Galadim, Brig Gen JO Ochai and Cdre J. N Mamman.

    Others are; Air Cdre AH Bakari, AIG David O.Folawiyo, Jimat Bakare, CP Olayinka Balogun, Dr. E.O. Adeoye, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, Prof. Sani Abubakar Lugga, Dr. Nasirudeen Usman, and Tukur Yahaya, who acted as Secretary of the committee.

  • Police quiz journalist over report on ex-lawmaker

    Police quiz journalist over report on ex-lawmaker

    Barely two weeks after Police stray bullet killed Precious Owolabi a corper reporter of the Channels TV opposite the National Assembly Complex, another journalist, Oke Epia, Editor in Chief of Order Paper has been detained by police attached to the National Assembly.
    Epia who honoured the police invitation over an alleged false publication in his publication was seen at the presidential gate police station being interrogated by detectives.
    Journalists who visited to know what was happening to their colleague were politely asked to remain outside until interrogation is concluded.
    The police in a letter dated July 26 had invited him to appear today at the NASS police station.
    Without further information on the complaint, the letter noted that the gesture to Mr Epia is a fact-finding invitation.
    Mr Epia in a statement, however, believes that the invitation is part of attacks on his media house by Tony Nwulu, a former member of the House of Representatives.
    The relationship with the former legislator started after a publication prior to the 2019 general elections. The social media post profiled Rep members vying for either governorship or deputy governorship positions.
    In profiling Mr Nwulu, Order Paper said it reached out to the lawmaker to account for ‘missing funds and projects for Zonal Intervention Projects in the 2016 budget, a claim he is yet to respond to.’
    In his reaction on Twitter, Mr Nwulu branded the newspaper as fake, alleging that it never made an assessment of his stewardship.
    “Fake medium. No sensible person should take you guys serious. Tribal bigots. At least your faceless promoters should try running for office and effect the change the desire and not just being pathetic armchair critics hiding under a useless medium to extort,” he tweeted on his handle @tonynwulu.

    Threat to life

    In a statement on Friday, Mr Epia raised an alarm that he and his colleagues have received threats to their lives.
    He alleged that himself and other journalists in Order Paper have received threat calls directly from Mr Nwulu and strange calls and text messages from persons some of whom refused to identify themselves.

    The journalist was later released upon interrogation and written statement.
  • Report doesn’t exonerate Trump of justice obstruction – Mueller

    Report doesn’t exonerate Trump of justice obstruction – Mueller

    By Dayo Benson, New York
    Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, yesterday restated that his report does not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice despite claims by the President’s to the contrary. Trump himself has described the allegation as a hoax and a political witch-hunt.
    Mueller affirmed this in his testimony before House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary over the 2016 Russia interference in the US Presidential election and obstruction of justice.
    In his response to a question, Mueller said “the report does not exonerate the President.”
    He reaffirmed the President attempted to “influence the report.”
    Mueller told the Committee that Trump refused to be interviewed and declined to provide answers to written questions.
    Mueller in his opening remarks informed the Committee that his testimony would be limited to the content of his report.
    He however contradicted the report when asked if collusion and obstruction conveyed same meaning.
    He confirmed Russia’s interference in the US 2016 presidential election which he said was to “benefit candidate Trump.”
    The ex-marine and former Director of FBI confirmed that President Trump put pressure on former Attorney General Jeff Session to unrecuse himself from the Mueller probe in order to protect the President .
    Mueller who hesitated and sometimes appeared uncertain in his responses confirmed President Trump attempted to fire him in the course of his investigation.
    He affirmed Trump was advised against such an action as it would lend credence to the allegation of obstruction of justice.
    The former special counsel stood by the content of his report that Trump wanted him fired because the President knew he was being investigated for obstruction of justice.
    Mueller whose responses were affirmation or denial of excerpts from the volume one of his 448-page report, said the President instructed former White House Counsel Don Mcgahn to deny he (Trump) ordered Mcgahn to fire the Special Counsel after the New York Times broke the story.
    A Republican congressman confronted Mueller with the fact that he went outside his brief on the issue of obstruction of justice.
    The former FBI boss was told he violated the Department of Justice (DOJ guideline) by reaching a conclusion on the President‘s culpability or not.
    The former special counsel was told that he failed to write a confidential letter to the AG on his findings as required by DOJ regulation.
    Mueller admitted a sitting President cannot be indicted according to DOJ guideline , hence the report neither indict nor exonerate the President.
    Republicans made repeated attempt to damage Mueller’s credibility during the testimony.
    Democrats were however consistent in their efforts to establish a crime of obstruction of justice against Trump. Mueller reiterated that the President’s act of asking the former White House Counsel to lie that he ordered him to fire the special counsel had the three elements of justice obstruction.
    Mueller was accused of selective prosecution which he denied.
    He resisted several attempts to be drawn into the facts, issues and conclusions outside his report
    Despite repeated attempts by the Republicans to absolve the President of obstruction of justice by not firing Mueller, the Democrats somewhat succeeded in establishing that attempts to interfere with the investigations amounted to a crime of obstruction of justice.
    While responding to the republicans allegation that his investigation and report were politically biased in terms of membership composition, Mueller emphasized that he hired people based on their capability rather than political affiliations.
    In his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee which lasted about two hours, Mueller reemphasized Russia’s interference in 2016 and future elections, saying “They are doing it as we sit here and they are expected to do it at the next campaign.”

  • 2019 polls: Presidency expresses worry over IRI/NDI report, insists Buhari won with wide margin

    The Presidency has welcomed with reservations, the joint report of the International Republic Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and recommendations for the 2023 general elections.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, made this position known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said: ”It is instructive that President Buhari clearly won this vote and the report in no way disputes that fundamental fact. President Buhari won by almost 4 million majority, with a 14 per cent margin.

    ”However, the most important thing in an election is that it reflects the will of the people which in our circumstances was acknowledged to have been a success by ECOWAS Observer Mission and YIAGA AFRICA whose parallel vote tabulation verified INEC’s presidential election result as announced. This we achieved.”

    Shehu noted that the nation had developed a tradition of improvements in its electoral process through enforcement of the electoral law which resulted in the prosecution and conviction of electoral officers that were found wanting in compromising the electoral process.

    He, however, maintained that there are improvements that must be made in the process for the future, noting that the sheer size, terrain and remoteness of certain regions did posed serious logistic challenges.

    ”They also pose a problem for electoral observers: across a country of over 190 million, only 40 observers were deployed to observe just 16 states + the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria has 36 states).

    ”It was unfortunate that the election was postponed yet imagine if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had gone ahead unprepared. The delay undoubtedly resulted in a lower turnout.

    ”Because they are registered to vote in their place of birth, and not where they live, many Nigerians could not make arrangements to travel back again.

    ”But the fact still remains that major democracies of the world have equally recorded worst turnout in modern history.

    ”The effect of voter turnout, at any rate, is a two-way traffic that affected both sides equally.

    ”To pretend otherwise is wrong considering that in 2015, the INEC postponed the election by six weeks under a PDP President, whom – as an incumbent – it was said to help at the time.

    ”It didn’t make a difference. Similarly, neither did it aid the sitting President in 2019,” he said.

    Shehu also described as ‘amazing’ that the electoral observers recommended that electoral laws were enforced, and perpetrators of crimes punished ”and at the same time implicitly criticise the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria for failing to disclose his assets as required by law. Which would they prefer?

    ”The law is a matter of principle that takes its course regardless of time and circumstances.

    ”It is never a matter of convenience and indeed remains functional, operational and enforceable without due regard to the electioneering process.

    ”As we have already said, we are committed to reviewing our electoral laws and processes, like every democracy across the world should.”

    The presidential aide stated that government intended to build on the innovations of the election that would facilitate inclusiveness and participation, ”such as providing braille for blind people to cast their votes among other innovations.

    ”This election was won by the candidate who received the most votes. We value the report’s recommendations. We can assure they shall be assessed and evaluated.”

  • Senate invasion: Court restrains Saraki, Dogara, others from considering ad hoc committee report

    Senate invasion: Court restrains Saraki, Dogara, others from considering ad hoc committee report

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Bwari has restrained Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and eight others from considering the report of the Senate’s ad hoc committee set up to probe the April 18, 2018 invasion of the Senate by some unidentified hoodlums.

    In a ruling on Monday, Justice Othman Musa said the restraining order shall remain, pending the determination of a suit filed by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

    The senator is challenging the legitimacy of the ad hoc committee constituted by the Senate’s leadership on April 25, last year, in the wake of the invasion when the Senate’s mace was also stolen.

    Justice Musa said: “Leave is granted to the applicant to serve the first to the 10th respondents by substituted means, by serving the originating motion and other processes in the suit on any responsible clerk or staff at the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly at the National Assembly complex, Three Arms Zone, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, or publishing same processes in any national daily with national circulation.

    “Reliefs iii, iv, v, vi are not granted as prayed. In its place, the first to 10th respondents are ordered and admonished not to obstruct the cause of justice and abide by the authority in the Supreme Court decision in UBA Plc vs. Ajabule 2011, LPELR 8239 SC and Military Governor, Lagos State vs. Ojukwu.

    “To this end, the respondents, their servants, agents, officers, privies, sergeants-at-arms or whosoever are restrained from taking any further action on this subject matter, and to maintain the status quo as of today, pending the hearing of the originating motion.

    “The originating motion and all pending applications are fixed to May 13 for definite hearing.

    Case is adjourned till May 13 for definite hearing.”

    Listed as first to 10th defendants are: the Senate President, the House of Representatives Speaker, the Deputy Senate President, the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate Leader), Senator Bala Na’Allah (Chairman, joint ad hoc committee investigating the Invasion of the National Assembly on April 18, 2018 and the theft thereof of the mace) for himself and on behalf of all other members of the committee.

    Others are: Betty Apiafi (Co-Chairman Chairman, joint ad hoc committee investigating the Invasion of the National Assembly on April 18, 2018 and the theft thereof of the mace), the Clerk of the National assembly, the Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

    Omo-Agege averred that Saraki, before setting up the ad hoc committee, told the media that he (Omo-Agege) was responsible for the invasion.

    He argued that by so acting, the Senate President had prejudged the outcome of the investigation by the committee.

  • Lagos Assembly receives report on 2019 budget, steps down debate

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has stepped down debate and passage of the state’s 2019 Appropriation Bill after receiving report of its Committee on Economic Planning and Budget.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the House Committee on Economic Planning and Budget, on Friday, presented its report after about 80 days that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode laid the 2019 budget proposal of N852.316 billion before the assembly.

    There were rumours that the House would pass the budget on Friday, but the lawmakers stepped down the approval during plenary that commenced at about 4.30 p.m.

    The budget, submitted by Ambode, had a Capital Expenditure of N462.757 billion and a Recurrent Expenditure of 389.560 billion, while the capital to recurrent ratio of the budget stood at 54:46.

    Meanwhile, the House, after receiving the report and recommendations of its committee, headed by Mr Gbolahan Yishawu (APC-Eti-Osa II), premised the stepping down on the voluminous reports.

    Yishawu, while presenting the report, said the committee observed, during extensive deliberation with various ministries, departments and agencies, the need to move some funds from one sector to another.

    According to him, the total revenue proposed for 2019 is believed to be realistic but the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) Order needs to be reduced as the empirical reports do not support level of collection.

    He said that this should be reduced from N91 billion to at best N60 billion

    Yishawu, who highlighted areas where revenues, subventions and expenditures needed to be reduced, increased or included from one sector to another, recommended that all MDAs must operate within the enabling appropriation law.

    Presenting the summaries, Yishawu said: “The sum of N395,993,387,020 be approved as the total recurrent expenditure for the year ending Dec. 31, 2019.

    “The sum of N478,866,073,705 be approved as the total capital expenditure for the year ending Dec. 31, 2019.

    “The sum of N874,859,460,725 be approved as the total budget size for the year ending Dec. 31, 2019,” he said.

    On policy issues, Yishawu recommended for the house to direct that the abandoned Lagos State Metropolitan Development and Governance Project were completed before the end of the year.

    He added that the ministry of economic planning and budget should ensure that accountants and planning officers across MDAs were retrained on the budgeting exercise.

    The chairman said that the audited account of the state for 2018 should be submitted to the house.

    “Henceforth, the commissioners for the ministries of economic planning and budget and Finance as well as the Accountant General should forward quarterly reports on the financial status to the house of assembly.

    “The House should caution accounting officers of MDAs that appropriate sanctions will be meted out for the contravention of the provisions of this law.

    “The commissioner for finance and the state accountant general and the permanent decretaries should ensure release of funds to MDAs as at when due and also forward the quarterly report to the house on the financial status of the state with respect to revenues, expenditure and debts and the release of funds to MDAs in accordance with the appropriation law,” he said.

    According to him, the House should direct all MDAs to submit project status reports on or before May 15.

    The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, commended Yishawu and members of the committee for thorough scrutiny of the budget, saying “we can see that you did a lot of jobs with the report”.

    The Majority Leader, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, who said that the reports was technical and required proper debate, moved that the deliberation on the report be moved to another day.

    “I wish to move that further debate on this report be stepped down for another day,” Agunbiade said, and he was supported by Mr Olusegun Olulade (APC-Epe II)

    Earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Mr Yinka Ogundimu, presented a report of the House of Assembly Bill Number 59 entitled “Public Procurement Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

    The House, after deliberations on the bill, read for the third time, passed into law “A Bill for a Law to Amend Lagos State Public Procurement Agency Law CH.L.56 VOL.6 Laws of Lagos State and for Connected Purposes.

    The house also read for the third time and passed into law: “A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Registration of Domestic Staff Service Providers in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes”.

    It also read for the third time and passed into law: “A Bill for a Law to Amend the Lagos State Public-Private Partnership Law CH.P.18 VOL. 9 Laws of Lagos State 2015 and for Connected Purposes”.

    A Bill for a Law to Amend the Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission, Law CH. L34 Vol. 5 Laws of Lagos State 2015 and for Connected Purposes was equally passed into law.

    A Bill for a Law to Amend the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law, 2016, for the Regulation and Control of Neighbourhood Safety Corps Activities and for Connected Purposes was also passed into law.

    The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni, to forward clean copies of the bills to the governor for assent.

    NAN reports that yesterday marked the first time the House would hold plenary session on a Friday since the inauguration of the eighth Assembly on June 8, 2015.

    The House adjourned till Monday.