TheNewsGuru

Tag: September

  • Accrued pension debt: LASG approves N711m for 287 retirees in September

    The Lagos State Government has disbursed the sum of N711 million as pension payments for the month of September.

    The Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) in a statement on Monday by its Head of Public Affairs Unit, Mrs Basirat Lawal, said the N711 million was released to pay 287 retirees for that month.

    LASPEC said Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, was represented by the Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Akintola Oke, at the Retirement Bond Certificates Presentation on Sept. 29.

    “The Agency in the month of September also released Insured death benefit cheques amounting to about N32 million to nine beneficiaries and next-of-Kin of deceased employees,’’ it stated.

    Ambode reiterated in the statement that Lagos State was committed by being up-to-date in Pension payments, and the administration advised the retirees not to live extravagantly.

    The statement quoted Ambode as saying that he has embarked on massive infrastructural development in the state that would, however, give great priority to those who have laboured and were now retired.

    “I understand the challenges facing the retirees and that the receipt of their pension dues will enable them face the future, as well as other goodies in the pipeline,’’ Ambode said.

    The Director-General of LASPEC, Mrs Folashade Onanuga, in the statement also advised the pensioners to spend wisely.

    “If you are in the evening time of your life, make sure you rest well, and do not do anything that will aggravate your health status.

    “Use your pension for your basic needs and make sure you eat well and in moderation.

    “The current economic challenges have affected the ability of youths to gain employment, such that in essence, many youths who should be taking care of themselves and their parents are still depending on them.

    “I also advise the retirees to consider using the lump sum received to empower any resourceful child to start a family business, which could end up creating jobs for others,’’ Onanuga added.

  • FG, States, LG share N637.7bn revenue in September

    The Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, has disclosed that the Federal Government, States and Local Governments shared N637.704 billion in September.

    Idris made this known at the end of the monthly Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said that the sum indicated a rise in the revenue shared by the three tiers of government of N169 billion for September compared to about N467.8 billion shared in August.

    According to him, the sum is inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT).

    “Total revenue statutory gross is N550.992 billion, there is also an element of VAT of N86.712 billion, making it a total of N637.704 billion.

    “And this figure is distributed among the three-tiers of government after deduction of relevant cost of collection due to the revenue generating agencies.

    “On the whole, the Federal Government out of the gross statutory revenue got N263.609 billion, States received N132.184 billion and Local Government received N101.908 billion.

    “On the whole, it is evident from the records and from what we have distributed today that the figure distributed this month is by far greater than the distribution for the previous month by N169,852 billion.”

    According to Idris, there is derivation to the oil producing states of N41.977 billion.

    He said there was also an element of value added tax that was generated to the tune of N86.712 billion which was distributed among the three-tiers of government.

    He said the Federal Government got N12.87 billion; State government got N41.622 billion while the Local Government got N29.135 billion, “making a total of N83.244 billion; that is after deduction of cost of collection’’.

    Idris said that the balance in Excess Crude Account (ECA) stood at 2.309 billion dollars as at Sept. 27, 2017, adding that, “there is also the excess Petroleum Pofit Tax (PPT) of 68 million dollars”.

    He said that during the period under review, there was a decrease in the average price of crude oil from 51.05 to 50.44 dollars per barrel.

    He said that there was a significant increase in export volume by 0.85 million barrels and an export sales revenue for the federation increased by 41 million dollars.

    “The perennial challenges of shut-ins and shot downs at terminals caused minimal negative impact on crude oil operations during the period.

    “There were significant increases in revenue from companies income and petroleum profit taxes. Also import and excise duties and VAT recorded marginal increases,’’ he said.

  • JAMB commences admission processes for 2017/2018 Sept.15

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, says the admission processes for 2017/2018 will commence on Sept.15 and close on Jan.31, 2018.

    The Head of JAMB Information and Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Bwari, Abuja, on Friday.

    Benjamin said that the direct entry applications for admission would close Sept. 15.

    He explained that students could only secure admission after they might have passed through the rudiments of admission processes.

    “We have come up with Central Admission Processing System this year.

    “This entails that once candidates are admitted and the institution approves, then JAMB will approve, the information about the candidates will be keyed into CAPS automatically.

    “Candidates can monitor their admission process through CAPS online and those who want to get admission letter can do so by printing such online.’’

    According to him, CAPS will make record gathering easy and give easy access to students to print their admission letters among other things.

    “What we are trying to do now is that we are looking at the perimeter realistically; we decided to come up with new strategy aimed at ensuring the actual data.”

     

    NAN

  • Recall: Melaye knows fate Sept 11

    Senator Dino Melaye will know on September 11, whether he can abort the process to recall him from the Nigerian Senate.

    TheNewsGuru.com that Melaye, who represents Kogi West, is facing a battle of his life to stop his recall by his constituents. The Independent National Electoral Commission was verifying the signatures on the recall documents, but Melaye rushed to the court to stop the process.

    Today, the Federal High Court, Abuja, fixed Sept. 11 for its judgment in the suit, The date coincides with the 16th anniversary of the terror attack on the World Trade Centre in New York.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba gave the ruling today, four days after consolidating the two suits challenging the recall.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba allowed the suits filed by Melaye and the All Progressives Congress to be consolidated, to avoid having conflicting judgments since the subject of both suits was similar.

    The application to consolidate the APC suit to the one filed by Melaye was brought by counsel for the party, Mr O.D. Atoyebi.

    Dimgba said that he was mindful to grant the application which was formerly before Justice John Tsoho, in order to avoid conflicting judgments.

    He, therefore, directed the APC lawyer to serve all processes on all the parties.

    Dimgba had earlier granted the application of some interested parties seeking to join the suit as defendants and plaintiff respectively.

    Mr. Olowo Cornelius, John Ajorin and Malam Yusuf Adamu (the petitioners) had sought to be joined as co-defendants, while Michael Olowoleyemo, applied to be joined as co-plaintiff.

    Ruling on the applications argued by Mr. Anthony Adeniyi for parties seeking to be joined as defendants, the court held that joining the parties was for “effectual and complete” adjudication of the matter.

    Justice Dimgba said that it was in the interest of justice that the parties be joined since the issue at stake affected their interests.

    INEC commenced Melaye’s recall following the receipt of a petition from members of his constituency demanding his recall.

    Melaye, however, approached the court seeking an order stopping INEC from going ahead with the recall process, pending the determination of a suit he had filed challenging his recall.

    Melaye, in the suit, alleged irregularities and fraud in the petition.

    The APC filed a similar suit, seeking to stop INEC from recalling Melaye, which was adjourned until September 29.

  • Reconstruction of Oshodi/Int’l Airport Road begins September – Ambode

    …Says New Modern Bus Terminals Coming In Marina, Ajah, Iyana Ipaja, Others

    …To Fix All Potholes End Of Rainy Season

    …Holds 8th Town Hall Meeting In Badore

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday said that work on the proposed expansion and reconstruction of the Oshodi-International Airport Road would commence next month.

    The Governor, who spoke at the Third Quarter Town Hall Meeting, the 8th in the series, held at the Badore Ferry Terminal, Lagos also disclosed that plans are already underway to commence the construction of 181 local government roads next month.

    On the Oshodi-International Airport Road, Governor Ambode said the construction, which has already been awarded, would see the transformation of the road from four lanes to 10 lanes from Oshodi to the International Airport with interchange and flyover that would drop commuters to the Local Airport.

    It would be recalled that in May 2017, Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo approved that the road be handed over to the Lagos State Government for total reconstruction.

    Governor Ambode, who had described the current state of the road as a national disgrace, said that work would begin in earnest come September.

    On the delay in the commencement of rehabilitation of 181 inner roads, Governor Ambode said the development was due to the fluctuation in dollar rate at the time the bid was last opened, but that a new bid would be opened in the next two weeks, while work would commence in September.

    “By the next two to three weeks, I will reopen the advert to get a new cost and all things been equal the job would start on the roads by end of September,” he said.

    Governor Ambode also assured residents that the State Public Works would seize the period of the break of the rainy season to fix all potholes across the State in order to improve drive time for motorists.

    Speaking on the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) billed to commence next month, Governor Ambode urged the people to be patient with his administration as the plan which is an wholistic and comprehensive waste management policy was currently in its gestation period.

    He said once fully operational, waste would be collected in line with international best practices, while all parts of the State would be kept clean always.

    The Governor, however, urged residents to adopt new attitude to disposing waste and desist from dumping in drainages and canals, assuring that the Government would provide adequate bins to discourage indiscriminate dumping.

    In the meantime, Governor Ambode said all the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Chairmen have been mandated to ensure 24/7 cleaning of the environment, while officials of the State Government would be moving round to evacuate waste.

    As part of the initiatives to enhance commuting within the State, the Governor said new modern bus terminals would be constructed commencing from this quarter in Marina, Ajah, Ojota, Agege, Iju Ishaga and Iyana Ipaja, while as part of the integrated transport system, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) would be constructed to connect Badore Jetty to Ajah.

    He added that the Badore Road would be expanded at its entrance from Ajah Roundabout, while plans are afoot to construct Oke-Ira Nla Road as an alternative to totally eliminate traffic along the axis.

    Responding to complaints by a resident of the axis, Mrs Abiodun Dina on the activities of dredgers who are found of spoiling the road and parking indiscriminately on the road thereby subjecting people to avoidable Traffic snarl, Governor Ambode said in as much as government was not interested in shutting down businesses but he would have to wield the big stick if the dredgers fail to comply with rules of engagement.

    The town hall meeting had in attendance the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu I, members of the State Executive Council, members of the House of Assembly, top government functionaries, party chieftains, traditional rulers, among others.

     

  • Bayelsa new varsity, UNIAFRICA to commence operations in September – Dickson

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Monday gave an assurance that the newly established University of Africa, Toru Orua would commence undergraduate programmes by September.

    Dickson spoke with journalists during an unscheduled inspection visit to the permanent site of the university at Toru-Orua in Sagbama LGA of the state.

    The university is promoted by Bayelsa government under a public/private partnership arrangement with investors.

    Dickson, accompanied by former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Muktar Shagari and former House of Representatives member, Hon. Abba Lawan, expressed satisfaction with the quality and level of construction work going on at the site.

    He noted with delight that the hostel blocks were almost completed to enable the government achieve its target of flagging off the undergraduate programme with over a thousand students.

    The governor said the dream of the state government was to provide a world-class university to absorb students that would be produced from the 15 newly inaugurated model boarding secondary schools.

    He expressed gratitude to the host communities and people of the state for their understanding and cooperation.

    Dickson said that the school of foundation studies, which had already taken off at Bulou-Orua community with 500 students, was doing well.

     

  • Court rejects Melaye’s suit to stop recall, adjourns till September

    The embattled Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District Dino Melaye on Thursday failed in his bid to stop the ongoing recall process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Justice John Tsoho in an ex-parte ruling rejected Melaye’s motion for a temporary injunction restraining INEC from proceeding with the recall process until the determination of suit challenging his recall.

    Instead, the judge ordered parties in the case to “maintain status quo pending the hearing of the motion on notice.”

    Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued Melaye’s ex-parte motion.

    The judge adjourned till September 29 hearing of Melaye’s motion on notice and applications filed by three individuals, led by Chief Cornelius Olowo, who applied to be made parties in the suit.

    In the main suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/587/2017, with INEC as the only defendant, Melaye faulted the recall process, saying it was tainted with political malice and initiated by his political enemies.

    The Senator denied any wrongdoing and claimed he was being targeted for standing up for the oppressed in Kagi State and the many workers who have not been paid salaries by the state government.

    Melaye is praying the court to declare the petition submitted to INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, as “illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

    He also wants the court to void the recall process because it was commenced in breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the embattled senator had sued INEC to halt the recall process while also alleging that the names and signatures presented to INEC were those of the dead.

  • Lagos to host maiden `Ankara’ Carnival in September

    The Lagos State Government (LASG) will host the maiden `Ankara’ carnival in September as parts of efforts to resuscitate the moribund textile industry and create job opportunities for the unemployed.

     

    Mr. Olawale Oladunjoye who addressed a news conference in Lagos said that the carnival would hold between Sept. 2, 2017 and Sept. 9, 2017 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere in Lagos State.

     

    He said that the aim of the event tagged “Lagos Ankara’’ carnival was to give facelift to the “Ankara’’ fabric, which had gained popularity in the global fashion scene.

    Oladunjoye said that the “Lagos Ankara’’ Carnival 2017 would be an avenue to facilitate the exposure of Nigerian designers to the world.

    He said that it would also be an annual event with the capacity to establish many profitable companies and provide jobs to millions of Nigerians.

    “We are confident that the advent of the “Lagos Ankara’’ carnival will strengthen the “Ankara’’ local market and open Lagos up to the world fashion stage,” he said.

    He said that the carnival would not be limited to Lagos alone; but would be taking to other parts of the country and the West African sub-region.

     

    Oladunjoye stated that, “Ankara fabric is popular in Nigeria and in its neighboring countries such as Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin and Senegal.

    “Its history dates back to the 17th Century before the coming of the colonial masters when the fabric was known as wax,’’ he said.

    The carnival would feature Ankara exhibition, award presentation to the ‘Omidan Ankara’ and a carnival night.

     

    Its high point will be the emergence of “The face of Ankara Lagos”. The winner of the `The face of Ankara Lagos’ will initiate Ankara-related-pet projects aimed at skills development, cultural re-orientation and learning.

     

    It would also include the empowerment of youths and producing entrepreneur

  • CBN to sell N1.24tr Treasury Bills by September

    CBN to sell N1.24tr Treasury Bills by September

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plans to sell N1.24 trillion ($4.1 billion) worth of treasury bills (T-bills) from June 15 to August 31, the regulator’s debt calendar for the third quarter has shown.

    The bank aims to auction N226.64 billion in 91-day bills, N311.32 billion in 182-day and N698.64 billion in 364-day debt.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the apex bank sells treasury bills twice a month to help fund the government’s budget deficit and support commercial banks in managing liquidity.

    Nigeria, grappling with its first recession in 25 years after a slide in global oil prices and due to the impact of attacks on energy facilities in the Niger Delta, has set out a budget plan worth N7.44 trillion for this year.

    Nigeria expects to face a budget deficit of about N2.21 trillion for the year as it tries to wriggle its way out of recession. It expects to raise money to cover more than half the deficit through domestic borrowing.

    The bills’ maturities range between three months and a year and would be raised on Monday, according to the CBN. They are marketable short-term money market securities that serve the purpose of raising money for the government and also help in monetary policy management of the CBN.

    The CBN on August 3 last year, raised N245.18 billion ($773.44 million) worth of T-bills to settle short-term obligations. It also issued N45.18 billion in three-month debt, N80 billion of six-month paper and N120 billion of one year bills in a Dutch auction, Treasury Bills traders said.

    Indicative rates for the auction are 16 per cent for three-months, 18 per cent for six-months and 18.5 per cent for one-year bills. The auction’s results will be published a day after the sale.

    The main investors in government securities are mainly pension funds and commercial banks, which control more than 60 per cent of the market, followed by insurance funds and a few micro-finance institutions.

    Yields on fixed income securities have been rising in recent months with the CBN mopping up naira liquidity to try to lure back foreign investors, who sold naira assets following the plunge in the price of oil, Nigeria’s economic mainstay.

     

  • Nigerian Army University takes off September – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has announced that the Nigerian Army University, Biu in Borno State, will take off next September.

    Buratai made the disclosure shortly after receiving the certificate of occupancy from Kashim Shettima, governor of the state.

    Buratai said the army had already reached out to the National Universities Commission (NUC) to secure approval for the university.

    According to him, army engineers had also commenced construction work at the site.

    While thanking the Borno government for the allocation of the land, the army chief said funding for the university project was captured in the 2017 budget and commended the federal government for its commitment to the take-off of the institution.

    He added that the university was being designed as a unique and specialised institution that would serve as solutions center especially to specific challenges facing the Army and north-east.

    Responding, Shettima said the state government would provide necessary support towards take off of the institution.

    The governor expressed confidence that when fully operational, the university would be a reference point for other universities in Africa.