TheNewsGuru

Tag: Reps

  • Reps pass Petroleum Industry governance bill

    The House of Representatives, yesterday, passed the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB, which provides for the governance and institutional framework for the petroleum industry and for other related matters, after third reading.

    The 13 years old 191-page bill (a segment of the entire Bill), seeks to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, provides for the establishment of Federal Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated, Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Petroleum Assets Management Company and National Petroleum Company and Petroleum Equalisation Fund.

    Deputy Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Petroleum Industry Bills, Victor Nwokolo (PDP, Delta), who led the debate on the report, explained that the regulatory bill will bulkanise NNPC and create National Petroleum Commission which will take over the functions of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.

    He explained that some subsidiaries of the NNPC had also been merged into an entity to be known as the Nigeria Petroleum Regulatory Commission. According to him, the House Committee adopted the Senate’s version of the PIGB.

    When the bill was announced for consideration at the Committee of the Whole, only 30 members of the House of Representatives considered and passed the PIGB within 23 minutes (2:19p.m., to 2:42p.m).

    Copies of the 191-page PIGB report which was laid on resumption from Christmas/New Year recess on Tuesday, was slated for consideration barely 24 hours. Many of the lawmakers had no clean copies to read for a robust debate. The Bill is just a fragment of the entire Bill as this aspect is just the regulatory framework.

    The bill further provides that “Upon the recommendations of the new commission, the Minister of Petroleum Resources can grant, amend, renew, extend or revoke any licence or lease required for petroleum or production, pursuant to the provisions of the Act or any other enactment.”

  • Fuel subsidy: Reps summon Kachikwu, Baru

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC), Maikanti Baru over the reported payment of fuel subsidy by the commission.

    The lawmakers also summoned the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Company, PPMC.

    In a motion under matters of urgent public importance brought before the House by Karimi Sunday (Kogi – PDP), the trio are directed to appear before the House Committee on Finance and Petroleum (Downstream) to explain where they got authorisation to expend over N300 billion on subsidy payment in 2017.

    While moving the motion, Mr. Karimi expressed worry over the payment, against backdrop of the claim by the federal government that it has stopped fuel subsidy payments.

    He described the alleged payment of subsidy by the NNPC as illegal and contrary to the provisions of section 80(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which prescribes that no monies shall be withdrawn from the consolidated revenue fund or any of the federation accounts except as approved by the National Assembly.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had said the NNPC currently bears the burden of fuel subsidy and not the federal government, a claim that had generated backlash from some Nigerians.

    “NNPC is trading in fuel; the Federal Government is not, at the moment, paying for any subsidy. NNPC is trading. If you are buying and selling fuel, you would have to be able to pay for it,” Mr. Osinbajo had stated.

    “So, it’s not a question of government provision for subsidy, the federal government, at the moment, is not paying any subsidy.

    “And don’t forget that the way that the NNPC trades is that, in many cases, NNPC is actually giving fuel; there is 445, 000 barrels of fuel. So, really, what you are seeing, in many cases, is more or less an exchange for PMS. So, at the moment, NNPC is paying the cost,” Mr. Osinbajo told journalists in Lagos recently.

    However, while noting that the 2018 Appropriation Bill does not include any provision for such subsidy payment, the House further asked the Executive to make its provision in the appropriation bill, should it deem it fit to continue the payment.

  • Reps kick, set to probe NIA over another missing $44m

    House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja mandated its Committee on National Security and Intelligence to investigate the alleged missing 44 million dollars from the vault of the National Intelligence Agency.

    The committee was also mandated to probe the controversy surrounding the appointment of the new Director-General of the agency, Mr Rufai Abubakar.

    The resolution followed the unanimous adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance by Rep Diri Douye (Bayelsa-PDP).

    Moving the motion, Douye expressed concern that the NIA is enmeshed in another scandal barely two days after the new DG assumed office.

    “The nation is yet to recover from the shock of the `Ikoyigate Safe House’ scandal involving 43.4 million dollars, 23.2 million naira and 27, 800 pounds, the report of which is yet to be made public,’’ Douye said.

    The lawmaker also called for probe into the appointment of Abubakar as the new NIA.

    According to Douye, the identity, nationality, citizenship and competence of the new DG, have become subject of public speculation and controversy.

    “The controversy surrounding the appointment and the cash scandal paint a poor picture of the country’s national security and diminishes the reputation of the agency,’’ he said.

     

  • Reps calls for dismantling of multiple road-blocks

    Reps calls for dismantling of multiple road-blocks

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday, adopted a resolution, calling for the removal of multiple security checkpoints on roads across the country to facilitate the free flow of traffic.

    The house also urged security agencies to collaborate with one another in the discharge of their duties and avoid waste of resources through the erection of multiple makeshift roadblocks.

    The resolution which was unanimous adopted, followed a motion under matters of urgent public importance, sponsored by Rep. Obinna Chidoka (Anambra-PDP).

    Chidoka said multiple roadblocks were causing unnecessary traffic congestion and hardship to road users.

    According to him, the security checkpoints mounted with used tyres, logs of wood and metal barricades are often abandoned on the highways after operations.

    He said the items often created hazards for unsuspecting motorists, especially at night.

    “And in some cases, the abandoned make-shift roadblocks and checkpoints are reportedly used by armed robbers who attack and terrorise road users at odd hours.

    “In most cases, these roadblocks are only two or three kilometres apart with one clearly visible from the other,’’ Chidoka said.

    While calling on the Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) to remove all abandoned vehicles on the roads, Chidoka also urged the corps to position ambulances and towing vans at major intersections.

    He said this would help in providing help to victims in case of road crashes.

    Contributing to the debate, the Minority Whip, Rep. Yakubu Barde, reiterated the need for the security agencies to deploy modern technology while dealing with motorists.

    According to him, the manual method of stop and search of motorists is obsolete, adding that in many occasions, motorists are harassed and intimidated.

     

    NAN

  • Reps ask Fashola’s ministry to halt N42bn varsity electrification projects

    The House of Representatives has asked the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to halt its Rural Electrification Access Programme in Federal Universities.

    The projects, designed for eight universities, were awarded for N42bn.

    A motion passed by the House in Abuja on Tuesday alleged that the contracts were not only inflated, but were also awarded to contractors who had no previous records of handling such projects.

    The motion was moved by a member from Abia State, Mr. Darlington Nwokocha.

    The lawmaker, who neither named the contractors nor the beneficiary universities, argued that the projects were initially designed to be sited in each of the six geopolitical zones.

    However, he alleged that only universities in selected zones took all the eight projects to the exclusion of others.

    Nwokocha added that from an initial appropriation of N9.5bn in the 2017 budget, the ministry eventually awarded the projects for N42bn in breach of the procurement procedure.

    The motion read in part, “The House notes that the Rural Electrification Access Programme in the Federal Universities is a pilot scheme designed by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to electrify eight federal universities in the first instance, and later replicate same across the remaining universities.

    “The House also notes that the sum of N9.5bn was appropriated for the projects in the 2017 Appropriation Act.

    “The House is aware that the projects, which were supposed to be spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country, were not evenly distributed, but mainly concentrated in some zones to the disadvantage of the others. This is against the principle of federal character enshrined in Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.”

    It added, “Also aware that the projects, which were initially approved at N9.5bn in the Appropriation Act, were later awarded at the total cost of N42bn in violation of the Public Procurement Act.

    “The (House is) concerned that the contracts were selectively awarded to two contracting companies that do not have any records of achievements in the fields, which is tantamount to further violation of the Public Procurement Act.”

    The House resolved that the ministry should stop all procurement processes connected to the projects pending the outcome of an investigation to be conducted by its Committee on Power.

    The session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, referred the resolution for investigation within three weeks.

  • PDP Reps protest, walk out over defection of Igbokwe to APC

    Members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are protesting the defection of a member Mr. Raphael Igbokwe, from its fold to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Igbokwe, who is from Imo State, first came to the House in 2011.

    PDP members immediately walked out in protest after the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, allowed the defection to stand.

    PDP members had argued that based on the recent decision of the Supreme Court, there was no division in the party.

    Imo State Governor, Mr. Rochas Okorocha, witnessed the defection of Igbokwe at the session.

    Igbokwe announced that he had since joined the APC in January when there was a leadership crisis in the PDP.

     

    Details later…

  • Reps approve 2018-2020 MTEF document, increase FG’s oil price benchmark to $47 per barrel

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, while also increasing the oil price benchmark proposed by the Federal Government from 45 to 47 dollars per barrel.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had shortly before presenting the 2018 appropriations bill to the National Assembly sent the document alongside the Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP, to the house.

    In a letter read by the speaker of the house, Yakubu Dogara, the President said that the MTEF and FSP were structured against the backdrop of “a generally adverse global economic uncertainty.”

    During the consideration of a report presented to the house by its committees on finance, appropriation, aids, loans and debt management, legislative budget and research and national planing and economic development, the house also approved an exchange rate of N305 to a dollar and projected 2.3 million barrels of oil production per day.

    Some of the key recommendations are as listed below:

    (i) that 2.3 million barrels per day be retained as proposed by the Executive for the 2018 Budget;

    (ii) that $47 per barrel as the benchmark for the fiscal year 2018 be adopted. This is in consideration of the current positive outlook in the global oil market and expectation that OPEC and other allied oil partnership countries will sustain oil production “cuts deep” into 2018;

    (iii) that ₦305/US Dollar as proposed by the executive for the 2018 Budget be adopted. It is also advised that CBN should adopt measures to close the gap between the parallel market and the official exchange rate;

    (iv) that the projected ₦5.279 trillion for non-oil revenue in 2018 be adopted. In addition, revenue generating agencies should intensify efforts on collections and measures that would reduce revenue loss. Specifically, Pioneer status and Tax incentives must be beneficial to the economy;

    (v) that ₦1.699 trillion new borrowing for 2018 as proposed by the Executive be adopted. However, borrowing must be project-tied. In borrowing more, government must remain focused and ensure it is used to fund critical projects that will increase productivity and contribute to financing such debt;

    (vi)that the National Assembly should amend the relevant Sections of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and other extant laws;

    (vii)that a 3.5% growth rate be adopted, especially with the latest figures indicating a doubling of growth rate to 1.4% in third quarter, 2017.

  • We won’t discard APC’s restructuring committee report – Reps

    The House of Representatives has said it won’t trash the report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) committee on True Federalism set up by the party to present its stand on the ongoing debate on restructuring and true federalism.

    The lawmakers said they will act on the recommendations of the final report to bring about stability in the country’s democracy.

    Speaking on the sideline of the ongoing public hearing by the APC Committee on True Federalism, spokesman of the House of Reps, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas assure that the lawmakers would not discard the report when it is presented to them.

    “We are products of this party. Every lawmaker came to the National Assembly on the platform of various political parties and this committee was put together by our own party. So, naturally we (APC Committee) will collate views of the people here and send it to the party and the reason why we are part of it is that no view can be said to be ‘independent’. It has to come through a legislation.

    “Even the President said in his speech that the only recognized group that can talk about this is the National Assembly. But the National Assembly too is a product of the people. You cannot on your own amend things to suit the people. You have to collate views from them.

    “So, when these views are collated and sent to us, I can assure you that we are going to work on it. I told you that I am a member of the National Assembly Committee on Agitations. We call it agitations but it is restructuring.

    “We realized after we voted that Nigerians are more interested in the devolution of powers and certainly, some of these states are not viable because they cannot get revenue on their own. If you devolve the powers to the states and probably restructure the revenue allocation (template), these states will be viable and they can generate revenue and pay their salaries,” he stated.

    Namdas hailed Nigerian women for coming of age, advising them to organize and translate their numerical strength into tangible political gains.

    Chairman of the committee, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state restated the commitment of the committee to be fair in compiling its final report as all shades of opinion expressed at its public hearings would be reflected.

    El-Rufai who was represented by a member of the committee and former governor of Edo state, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor APC said the committee has also resolved to forward the report to the lawmakers as well as forward a framework of its implementation to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    A cross-section of women groups at the hearing advocated the greater inclusion of women in Nigeria’s restricted and patriarchal political space, saying for every position occupied by a man, a woman must be made to deputize and vice versa.

  • Monkey Pox: Reps summon Health Minister over spread of disease

    The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to explain the measures taken by the Federal Government to tackle the outbreak and spread of the Monkey pox, aside containing other viruses.

    The invitation followed a motion moved by Rep. Diri Douye (Bayelsa-PDP) under matters of privilege.

    Moving the motion, Douye expressed concern over the spread of the disease to other states in spite of concerted efforts by the Bayelsa State Government since its outbreak in Yenagoa.

    He expressed worry that the outbreak of the disease was terrifying citizens since the first case was diagnosed involving an 11-year-old male patient on Sept. 22.

    Douye said that 14 suspected cases were now at different stages of recovery, with 55 close contacts identified and being monitored as at Oct. 7.

    The lawmaker urged the lower chamber to call on the Federal Government to provide funds and logistics to the state government to reach out to water-logged communities being threatened by the disease.

    He further urged the House to commend Gov. Seriake Dickson for paying attention to the welfare of monkey pox patients.

    The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

    Dogara, however, referred the matter to the House Committee on Health to investigate and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.

     

  • Uproar as two PDP Reps defect to APC

    There was uproar in the House of Representatives on Thursday as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara announced the defection of two members elected on the platform of the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

    The two lawmakers are Ahmed Tijani (Okene/ Ogori-Magongo Federal Constituency in Kogi State) and Zephaniah Jisalo, (AMAC/ Bwari Federal Constituency)

    The Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara who read their letters in the chamber at plenary quoted the lawmakers as citing crisis in their party as reason for the defection.

    Mohammed Bello, the FCT Minister led APC supporters to the chamber to receive the new entrants into the party.

    But the PDP members in the chamber did not accept the decision as a spontaneous protest began immediately the Speaker read the defection letters.

    This resulted in the plenary being held up for over thirty minutes due to the uproar.

    Yakubu Barde, the Minority Whip, via a point of order insisted that both defecting lawmakers must lose their seats.

    Barde, quoted Sections 68 of the 1999 Constitution which states that the seat of a Senator or Rep member be declared vacant should he/she defect to another party, without a division in his /her party.

    Also Nicholas Ossai ( PDP Delta) called on the Green Chamber to do the right thing by upholding the tenets of the Constitution, in other words, to ensure that both Jisalo and Tijani vacate their seats.