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Tag: Sanction

  • Buhari to revenue-generating MDAs: Deliver on targets in 2021 or get sanctioned

    Buhari to revenue-generating MDAs: Deliver on targets in 2021 or get sanctioned

    President Muhammadu Buhari has challenged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) saddled with the responsibility of generating revenues for government to work hard to meet targets or be sanctioned.

    The President issued the warning after he signed the 2021 Appropriation Bill of N13.588 trillion and the 2020 Finance Bill into law at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.

    He said: “We are intensifying our domestic revenue mobilisation efforts so that we can have adequate resources to fund the 2021 Budget.

    “Revenue generating agencies and all MDAs must work very hard to achieve their revenue targets, control their cost-to-revenue ratios, as well as ensure prompt and full remittance of revenue collections.

    “Relevant agencies are to ensure the realisation of our crude oil production and export targets. Heads of defaulting Agencies are hereby warned that they will be severely sanctioned.

    “I also appeal to our fellow citizens and the business community to fulfil their tax obligations promptly.’’

    Buhari expressed delight that despite disruptions occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic, 2020 Budget implementation passed previous thresholds.

    “In spite of the adverse impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s economy and government’s revenues, we have made appreciable progress in the implementation of the 2020 Budget.

    “As at Dec. 2020, we had released about N1.748 trillion out of a total of the N1.962 trillion voted for the implementation of critical capital projects, representing a performance of about Eight-Nine-Point-One Percent (89.1%).

    “The overall performance of the 2020 Budget currently stands at an impressive rate of 97.7 per cent.

    “This commendable outcome underscores the importance of our efforts, together with the Legislature, to return to the discipline of a January-to-December fiscal year,’’ he added.

    He announced that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning would provide further details on the 2020 Budget’s performance, in due course.

    The president commended the National Assembly for completing “the important appropriation process in good time.”

    According to him, the passage of the 2021 Federal Budget before the commencement of the 2021 fiscal year is in confirmation of his administration’s resolve to maintain a predictable January-December fiscal year, as provided for, in the Constitution.

    Speaking to State House correspondents shortly after the president signed the budget, Senate President Ahmad Lawan assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would approve any loan request made by the president in as much as it would be for the overall interest of the nation.

    He said that the National Assembly would continue to partner with other arms of government toward providing dividends of democracy to the citizens.

    “Let me thank the Almighty God for making it possible for the National Assembly to work on the 2021 Appropriation Bill and pass it before the end of December.

    “Alongside the Appropriation Bill 2021, we also passed the 2020 Finance Bill amendment.

    “Today, the President signed both the Finance Bill 2020 which is now an Act as well as the Appropriation Bill 2021 which is also now Appropriation Act 2021.

    “It is very important that the members of the National Assembly, Senators, members of the House of Representatives are commended for keeping this January to December budget cycle alive.’’

  • #ENDSARS: FG opens talks with UK over sanction threats

    #ENDSARS: FG opens talks with UK over sanction threats

    Following the United Kingdom parliament’s move to impose sanctions on government officials involved in the violation of human rights, including the shooting and killing of peaceful protesters, during the #EndSARS protests across the country, the Federal Government said it has reached out to the British government to present its own side of the story.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosed this to journalists at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

    The UK parliament debated the protest, the violence that trailed it and the alleged role of security agencies.

    Onyeama, while affirming that the lawmakers were not responsible for imposing sanctions, however, noted that it was necessary to give to the UK government Nigeria’s own position to enable them have a balanced perspective.

    “Yes, we have reached out to the UK government. The meeting that took place were parliamentarians and don’t speak for UK government…

    “So, we have been in touch with them and engaging with them. And of course, as in any democracy, the members of parliament are able to also air their view.

    “But what is important is that balanced picture is made available to them before they take any decision,” he said.

    However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has applauded the resolve of the British parliament.

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the main opposition party urged the British government to extend the proposed sanctions to include freezing of assets and funds belonging to such officials and their families in the United Kingdom.

    It also urged the United Nations and other international bodies to immediately list government officials indicted for crimes against humanity in the last five years.

    The statement read in part: “We also call on other countries, including United States, France, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa among others to impose similar sanctions against indicted officials of the Buhari administration for human rights violations and crime against humanity.

    “Such sanctions should also be imposed on officials indicted for undermining our democracy and electoral system.

    “The international community must call out President Buhari, as the buck stops on his table, as the commander-in-chief, under whose watch, human rights violations including arbitrary arrests and detention in dehumanizing facilities, widespread extrajudicial killings, sudden disappearances of dissenting voices, disregard to rule of law, disobedience to court orders and foisting of siege mentality on the citizenry, have become the order of the day.

    “Indeed, the manifest use of brute force, including the deployment of the military with live ammunition, in addition to recruiting of armed thugs to attack and kill innocent Nigerian youths, who were in peaceful demonstration against widespread police brutality and other systemic injustices, underscores the horrible situation in Nigeria under President Buhari as detailed in earlier reports by Amnesty International and US Department of State among other international bodies.

    “Rather than providing answers to these troubling questions, the Federal Government is desperate to gag Nigerians, muzzle the press, shut down the social media and even threatening the international media including CNN for carrying out an investigative report on the Lekki killing while its officials continue to make contradicting claims on the matter.

    “Moreover, the administration had turned a deaf ear to the demand for an independent National Truth Commission on the killings. Such stance only points to desperation for a huge cover up in the face of demand for answers by Nigerians and the international community.

    “Our party, therefore, urges the international community not to relent in standing for the Nigerian people at this critical time in our national history, particularly in ensuring respect to the rights of citizens and the sanctity of our electoral system.”

  • NBC Sanction: Coalition threatens legal action against AIT, Channels, others

    NBC Sanction: Coalition threatens legal action against AIT, Channels, others

    The Coalition of Civil Societies for Police Reform and National Unity, has threatened to take legal action against Arise News TV, Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television if the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fails to revoke their licenses within 21 days.

    The National Coordinator of the group, Prince Mike Ekamon, issue the threat at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NBC had imposed N3 million sanction each on AIT, Channels and Arise News television stations, for alleged violation of broadcasting code in reporting the #EndSARS protests.

    Ekamon alleged that the unprofessional coverage of the #ENDSARS protest by Arise News Channel, AIT, and Channels TV incensed the public and contributed to the destruction of critical national and private assets, worth trillions of Naira.

    He said: “This Coalition will sue the stations concerned for purveying fake news during the recent nationwide #ENDSARS protest against police brutality in the country.”

    He further stated that the three broadcast stations ran foul of section 5.4.1 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code which deals with the coverage of crisis, emergencies and protests.

    “This sections stipulates that the broadcaster shall present news and commentary on a crisis, emergency and protest in accordance with the professional standards.

    “And must at all times ensure that the coverage of a disaster, crisis, emergency, protest is aimed at the overall public interest, safety, guidance.

    “And must provide authentic information, not broadcast morbid or graphic details of death, injury, pain, protest or agony and when necessary with due caution, not transmit divisive materials that may threaten or compromise the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a sovereign state.”

    The section also stipulates that a disaster and protest should not be reported in such a manner that ”violates or impedes national security.”

    Ekamon maintained that in reporting protests, the broadcaster should perform the role of a peace agent by adhering to the principle of accuracy and neutrality.

    He also stated that the three broadcast stations violated the Nigerian broadcasting code by broadcasting footages on the Lekki shooting by soldiers from unverified and unauthenticated social media sources.

    “This escalated the protest that engulfed Nigeria and gave the platform to hoodlums and other undesirable elements to wreck public peace and property,” he said.

    He implored the youth to embrace peace and dialogue as the government is making efforts to reform the police for the good of all Nigerians.

    He noted that the youth must always deploy their youthful energy to meaningful activities.

    Ekamon, who appealed to government at all levels to involve the youth in governance, advised the Federal Government to address the five-point demands of the #ENDSARS protesters.

    “This is the only panacea to the lingering problem of police brutality and enforcement of justice in Nigeria.”

    He urged the police to immediately commence investigation to the numerous acts of looting perpetrated by criminal elements masquerading as #ENDSARS protesters.

    Ekamon also stressed the need for the police to investigate the hoarding and misappropriation of Covid-19 palliatives across the country.

    “This will send a clear signal to criminal elements to abide by the law,” he said.

  • ECOWAS lifts sanctions imposed on Mali after military coup

    ECOWAS lifts sanctions imposed on Mali after military coup

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday lifted the sanctions imposed on Mali in the wake of an August 18, 2020, military coup, citing Mali’s “notable advances towards constitutional normalisation” as the reason for the relaxation of the sanctions.

    The regional bloc said, in a statement, that

    The lifting of the sanctions comes two days after the West African nation’s new government named veteran politician Moctar Ouane, a civilian and former foreign minister, as prime minister.

    ECOWAS had made it clear they would only consider lifting sanctions if a civilian was given the post of prime minister.

    The bloc also on Tuesday called on the interim government to release all military and civilian officials arrested during the August 18 coup to unseat former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and his government.

    ECOWAS further requested the dissolution of the military junta, the self-titled National Committee for the People’s Salvation (CNSP), which led the coup, according to the statement.

    Mali’s interim government is headed by transitional President, Bah N’Daw, who served as defence minister from 2014 to 2015 and held several other military positions, with the junta’s leader, Assimi Goita, as vice president.

    The transitional government is expected to hold elections within 18 months.

  • Just in : FG sanctions UK’s flight for violating Civil Aviation regulations

    Just in : FG sanctions UK’s flight for violating Civil Aviation regulations

    The Federal Government on Sunday said it has sanctioned Flairjet, a UK company after it was found to have violated the nation’s Civil Aviation Regulations.

    Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, had on 17 May said Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but was regrettably caught conducting commercial flights.

    “This is callous! The craft is impounded, crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve.” he had said.

    But on Sunday, Sirika said Flairjet had been sanctioned for violating the Civil Aviation Regulations and had been fined N1 million.

    He said the government ensured that the fine was paid that the organisation was for its callous misdemeanour to UK Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, MFA and the UK High Commission.

    “Flairjet were found to violate our Civil Aviation Regulations IS 1.3.3(a) Table 2(IV)7(a) and IS 1.3.3 (a) Table 2(VIII)(4). The maximum penalty for each is N500,000:00K.

    “We caused them to pay and reported their callous misdemeanor to UK CAA, MFA and the UK High Commission,” Sirika tweeted.

  • Iran decries U.S. sanctions as illegal

    Iran decries U.S. sanctions as illegal

    Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said that recent U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic are “illegal,’’ the Tasnim News Agency reported on Friday.

    “Their new sanctions, like previous embargoes are ineffective and lack any legal basis,“Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying.

    He said that these sanctions are “desperate’’ measures taken by the U.S. President Donald Trump administration.

    On June 24, Trump signed an executive order targeting sanctions on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his office and those closely affiliated with him.

    Washington also announced that it would sanction Iran’s foreign minister in July.

    Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said that fresh U.S. sanctions targeting the country’s senior officials are harmful to diplomacy as a means to settle prickly issues between Tehran and Washington.

  • Review Oando’s sanction, CSO tells SEC

    Review Oando’s sanction, CSO tells SEC

    A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch in Nigeria (ILEWN), has urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to review the sanction it placed on Oando Plc to give room for equity and justice.

    The group made the call in Abuja on Wednesday night by its Executive Director, Mr Splendour Agbonkpolor.

    Agbonkpolor regretted that SEC went ahead to stop Oando’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) even after a c0ourt had ordered that status quo be maintained.

    According to him, the disobedience to the order of court has questioned the integrity of SEC in the matter.

    Agbonkpolor therefore, criticised SEC over its decision to keep Oando Plc suspended in spite of its failure to make public its findings of the investigation it carried out two years ago.

    He argued that the failure of the Commission to make public its findings of the investigation before sanctioning the oil company created the impression that it was acting a script.

    He noted that the alleged infractions and penalties were unsubstantiated, ultra vires, invalid and calculated to prejudice the business of the company.

    “The SEC had recently directed Oando Plc to suspend its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and prior to the directive, it also ordered Oando’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Wale Tinubu and other affected board members to resign.

    “The stakeholders’ of Oando Plc demanded for the content of the investigation report which took place two years to compile but the Commission refused to oblige them access to the investigation report.

    “This invariably implies that there are cookies in the investigation report thus it could be inferred that the Commission may be acting differently from the content of the report that supposedly indicted the chief executive and the second in command of the company.

    “The clarification needed by the public and Oando stakeholders’ has yet to be made available by SEC.

    “We also made effort as a Civil Society Organisation to get the report in line with Freedom of Information Act, but it was not made available and this brings skepticism to the entire processes and procedures that were followed during the course of investigation.

    “SEC is highly revered by all that knows the capacity that it carries and it must not be seen as being unprofessional in a manner that paints the Commission in a negative light,” he said in a statement.

  • Ninth Assembly Elections: Oshiomhole threatens to sanction APC lawmakers who voted against party choices

    The National chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole as said the party will appropriately sanction lawmakers who went against the party’s position on the election of the National Assembly leadership held on Tuesday.

    The party’s choice candidates for the four elective positions – Ahmed Lawan and Ovie Omo-Agege as Senate President and Deputy Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila and Idris Wase as House of Representatives Speaker and Deputy Speaker – won convincingly.

    Lawan was challenged by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) contested against Omo-Agege. Umaru Bago squared up against Gbajabiamila and John Dyegh, who insisted on vying for the Deputy Speaker’s slot but surrendered at the eleventh hour.

    Speaking yesterday after the leadership election had ended in the National Assembly, Oshiomhole said: “We have rules. We expect people to obey the rule and the rules of democracy are clear. When we have taken a position as a party, we expect party members to comply.

    “We will look at the constitution and we will see what it says about people who resort to deviant behaviour.

    “I am convinced that no system; particularly a voluntary system, can be held together if the rule of discipline is not enforced. A system must have the capacity to use the carrot and stick and balance the mix.

    “If there is no stick, as they say ‘you spare the rod, you spoil the child.’ I am a believer in discipline. Even when I was in NLC, there was discipline. When we say we are going on strike, you don’t go and breach the picket line.

    “The elite must understand that if we use the party platform to climb to a position, when there is a debate, not imposition; we have all discussed, the governors have agreed, leaders of the party have agreed across board; you can’t say you know more than everyone else. Unless you want to do independent candidate, then you go and amend the constitution.

    “But don’t ask me if my child doesn’t behave well in school; just wait first whether there is any child who will not behave well.

    “Today (yesterday) is a day to celebrate God’s blessings. If God has stood by us and gave us victory, what are my bitter about, but of course, bad behaviour will not be rewarded.”

    He said he will not change overnight because of criticism.

    The party chair said: “Particularly, when you go back to the recent sponsored attacks on my person. I am not going to borrow another person’s style. I am not a pretender.

    “I don’t seat on the fence. I have strong conviction and I am driven by my conviction, not by the voices in the market; and what has happened today shows that those visions are well-pursued consciously with good heart, God bless the outcome.”

  • NCAA sanctions four airlines

    NCAA sanctions four airlines

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has sanctioned four erring operators for violations.

    Its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, who stated this yesterday, did not identify the operators.

    But, he said they are scheduled and non-scheduled operators.

    Adurogboye said infractions by the airlines were discovered during on the spot inspections carried out by NCAA Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI).

    NCAA inspectors, the NCAA spokesman said, found out a number of deficiencies on the airlines, including non-implementation of training programmes of maintenance personnel as required, irregularities concerning helicopter flight identification, deliberate violation of regulations, performing maintenance programme without necessary approval and using outdated manual.

    These, he said, were found to be in violation of the civil aviation regulations.

    Consequently, the various operators were sanctioned with fines ranging from N1.5 million to N2 million.

    One of the operator involved in deliberate violation of the regulations had its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) suspended for 180 days.

    However, he said the authority has ensured that the affected personnel in question in the employment of one of the airlines are trained accordingly.

    Adurogboye reassured stakeholders that NCAA would keep ensuring that Standard Operating Procedures [SOPs] are strictly followed.

    But, aviation unions – Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) – have vowed to declare a state of emergency in NCAA from tomorrow, if their demands for staff promotion are not met.

    The unions stated this at the weekend in Lagos, claiming that the NCAA management has taken them for granted on issues of promotions for the agency’s workers.

    Chairman, NCAA Joint Action Committee and NUATE Chairman, NCAA branch Lucky Izebhokun said the agency’s management would be looking for trouble, if they do not promote the workers.

    Izebhokun, who said a lot of people have been highly discouraged in the system, added the aggrieved workers were ready for showdown on January 2, 2019.

    On his part, Chairman, ATSSSAN NCAA branch Comrade Ayodele Sofola confirmed that the issue has been delayed for long.

    Comrade Sofola said: “We have been on this issue for the past one year and we have not seen any good result. We have given the NCAA management ultimatum to either get this promotion done or we declare a state of emergency.”

    In his reaction, Adurugboye said NCAA is known for industrial harmony and that management and the unions have always been on the same page.

    According to him, he believes that both parties would reach a compromise very soon because from 2000 till date, the unions and management always sit down together and discuss.

  • U.S. to hit Russia with new sanctions on Aug. 22

    U.S. to hit Russia with new sanctions on Aug. 22

    Russia-U.S. confrontation is extending to the economic and trade field as Washington is poised to hit Moscow new and powerful sanctions on Aug. 22.

    Russia views the move as a declaration of “economic war”.

    The U.S. State Department said that Washington would impose new sanctions on Russia on or around Aug. 22 over the alleged poison attack on ex-Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in the British city of Salisbury in March.

    According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the U.S. restrictions will possibly include a ban on foreign assistance to Russia and sale of military and dual-use items to the country, as well as renunciation of providing state loans and other financial aid.

    U.S. State Department officials estimated that the sanctions might affect hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports, dealing a blow to about 70 per cent of the Russian economy.

    It might also result in approximately 40 per cent fall in workforce.

    “All I can say is if they ban banking operations or the use of any currency, we will call it the declaration of an economic war,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday.

    “And we’ll have to respond to it – economically, politically or in any other way, if need be. Our American friends should make no mistake about it,” he warned.

    News about the upcoming U.S. sanctions has thrown Russian ruble to a record low since 2016.

    The currency traded 67.72 per U.S. dollar on the spot market at the Moscow Exchange on Friday.

    Russian stocks also tumbled on Friday, with the ruble-denominated MOEX Russia Index falling 1.5 per cent and the U.S. dollar-denominated RTS Index dropping 3.68 per cent.

    Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attributed the ruble depreciation partly to the new U.S. sanctions.

    But he added that the unstable situation on developing markets were also to blame.

    In spite the volatility, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s financial system was “fairly stable”, adding that it had proved its resilience in difficult times.

    Peskove said that Russia’s broader economy was recovering from years of recession.

    The Russian federal service for state statistics said on Friday that the country’s GDP grew 1.8 per cent in the second quarter of the year, up from 1.3 per cent in the first three months.

    Russia’s trade surplus surged 78 per cent year-on-year in June to reach 15.5 billion dollars, the Russian Central Bank said on Friday.

    On Aug. 5, Russia started imposing additional import tariffs of 25-40 per cent for a range of U.S. goods, including road construction, oil and gas industry, metal processing machinery as well as fiber-optics.

    The volume of the new Russian tariffs, in retaliation for U.S. extra tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and of 10 per cent on aluminum starting March 23, will amount to 87.6 million dollars a year.

    The U.S. also seeks to contain Moscow’s energy sector, which the Russian economy heavily depends on.

    Medvedev on Friday criticised Washington for forcing European countries to buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) and complicating the construction of a new Russian gas pipeline to Europe.

    Russia’s Nord Stream two will expand the existing Nord Stream main gas pipeline by linking Russia and Germany via the Baltic seabed, bypassing Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other eastern European and Baltic countries.

    U.S. President Donald Trump lashed the German government for agreeing on the project in July at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in Brussels, saying that the pipeline would make Germany dependent on Russia.

    Peskov said Trump’s criticism was aimed at promoting sales of U.S. LNG to Europe and the Kremlin considered this to be a manifestation of unfair competition.

    Xinhua/NAN