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Tag: Stakeholders

  • Ogoni stakeholders state conditions for resumption of oil exploration

    Ogoni stakeholders state conditions for resumption of oil exploration

    Ogoni ethnic nationality stakeholders in Rivers State have highlighted conditions for resumption of oil exploration activities in the area.

    The stakeholders on Sunday said they would not allow the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) or another company to resume oil exploration in the town without due consultations with them.

    They also raised the alarm over resurgence of cult killings in the area.

    The stakeholders lamented the visit of NPDC to the area without official notice.

    Emmanuel Deeyah, the President of KAGOTE, the apex socio-cultural organisation in Ogoni comprising the four councils of Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, flayed NPDC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC), for visiting Ogoni without following the right channel.

    He decried the recent cult-related violence that had claimed many lives in the area and called on security operatives to arrest and prosecute any cultist caught with a firearm in Ogoni.

    He said: “Lately, in Ogoniland, we have had this issue of cult-related killings, so we have come to say enough is enough.

    “We are talking with the relevant security agencies so that henceforth anyone caught shooting even crackers they should visit such person with the full weight of the law. They should do everything within their powers to apprehend such persons”.

    Deeyah said while the people were pondering on how to tackle insecurity in the area, they were again inundated with the report of the visit of NPDC and the company’s planned resumption of oil exploration.

    The Ogoni leader insisted any company that intended to explore oil in the area must meet with critical stakeholders, chiefs and opinion leaders, adding that Ogoni was not ready to make the same mistakes it made in the era of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

    Deeyah said: “The truth about it is that nobody in Ogoni owns the means of the facility to mine oil. We belong to the federation, that is, Nigeria and we are also bound by the laws of the country.

    “We can’t decide which company comes and which will not come. But we have a long history when it comes to oil exploration.

    “We believe that if the government is desirous of mining oil in Ogoniland, it should consult. There should be a process dialogue with the people.

    “We have our son, Senator Magnus Abe, who is on the board of NNPC, the parent company of NPDC. He is not in the picture of this development.

    “We also have Senator Bari Mpigi, also an indigene and others they are not in the picture of this development.

    “Those people who claim to come from NPDC, do they actually come from Nigeria? Don’t they come from places?

    “We even have a local government chairman on ground; we have never heard that any of the council chairmen was involve in any of those processes.”

    Deeyah disowned Ogoni Liberation Initiative, (OLI), the organisation that championed the visit of NPDC, saying the body did not have the mandate to speak for Ogoni people.

    He said: “I will like to say that the OLI as they call them don’t have the legitimate mandate to invite any group to come and mine oil in Ogoniland, and we want to say to them that henceforth they should stop all such activities.

    “In the next few days, we are going to call a broad-based meeting of Ogoni people of all seeds of opinion so that we chart the way forward. It is in that meeting we are going to agree on what we expect.

    “We rejected Shell, so if another organisation is going to come, we should know what others things they are going to do better than Shell.”

  • Stakeholders to FG: Social media ban stifling whistle blowing policy, anti-corruption war

    Stakeholders to FG: Social media ban stifling whistle blowing policy, anti-corruption war

    Stakeholders at a Radio Town Hall Meeting on Whistle blowing and Whistle blower Protection have joined calls for the Federal Government to restore Twitter operations in Nigeria, saying the ban of the micro blogging site amounts to disservice to the government’s fight against corruption and whistle blowing policy.

     

    The Federal Government had announced an “indefinite suspension” of Twitter operations in Nigeria last Friday.

     

    Speaking at a town hall meeting organized by the African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) in collaboration with the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG), Wednesday in Abuja, the Director of Programs at YIAGA Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu asserted that the ban on Twitter was misplaced.

     

    Mbamalu lamented that the clampdown on Twitter is causing distrust and will affect whistle blowing in Nigeria.

    She stressed that the government failed to look at the broader picture and benefits of the platform in the fight against corruption before slamming a ban on it.

     

    “Twitter was one platform where people were revealing and reporting incidences, it was one platform where people beyond the young entrepreneurs who conduct businesses earn a living. There were critical reports of violation, corruption, and demands for accountability, and they were all done on the Twitter platform.

     

    “The whole conversation around sex for grade and having a bill to criminalize sexual harassment in tertiary institutions all started with a social media campaign, on Twitter platform in particular.

     

    “The platform remains an important platform to demanding accountability,” Mbamalu stressed.

     

    She called on citizens not to relent in holding the government accountable against all odds.

    She called for more education for citizens in the fight against corruption, noting that women will play a better role in the fight against corruption if they get more education.

     

    Similarly, Community Engagement Officer at Connected Development, (CODE), Mukhtar Modibbo condemned the suspension of Twitter operation in the country, saying that trust was lacking between the people and government.

     

    “Look at the reality of the country, you will be wondering if the citizens will be able to trust the system.”

     

     

    “How many people were protected after blowing the whistle? One of the persons was someone that collected the money and had to leave the country because his life was under threat”.

     

    Modibbo called on the government to do more in mobilizing citizens against corruption by being more responsible, and open for citizens to hold them accountable.

     

    On his part, The Team Lead, Tap Initiative, Martin Obono while expressing discontent on the Twitter ban disclosed that there are a plethora of benefits in using technology and social media to expose corruption, adding that it is high time Nigeria developed an App to fight corruption.

     

    “Government must look at the negative sides of banning social media. Technology provides grounds for tweet meet, short messages to document abuses and human rights.

     

    “There are a plethora of areas to use social media to fight corruption but in the absence of whistle blowing law, the creation of an App to expose corruption and protection of whistle blower’s identity is needed.”

     

    According to Obono, the steam of whistle blowing is dying because some people who blew the whistle in the past never got the incentive government promised them. He urged the government to demonstrate political will that they are really interested in fighting corruption, which will inadvertently make citizens act accordingly.

     

    Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons With Disability, Musa Mu’azu Musa pleaded with the government to immediately reverse its ban on Twitter.

     

    Musa who stated that persons with disability (PWDs) can play a major role in the fight against corruption but decried the spate of corruption in the country.

    He claimed that 99 percent of problems faced today by PWDs are caused by corruption.

     

    His words: “I am advising the government please, apart from the economic benefits there are social rights around it, we owe it to our government to get feedback on their policies and the only way we can give them that feedback is through those platforms (Twitter). So we want them to lift the Twitter ban and also encourage people to speak using the platform,” Musa stated.

     

    The Radio Town Hall meeting Series will initially run for eight weeks and alternate weekly between Ray Power 100.5 FM, Abuja, and 99.9 Kiss FM Abuja.

     

    It is a collaborative effort between AFRICMILL and PRIMORG, aimed at increasing citizen’s active participation and involvement, and encouraging the government to institutionalize the whistle-blowing policy.

     

    The project is supported by MacArthur Foundation.

  • Bad leadership promoting poor accountability in public sector -Stakeholders

    Bad leadership promoting poor accountability in public sector -Stakeholders

    Poor leadership and lack of integrity have been identified as major reasons why corruption is taking a great toll on the development of Nigeria.

    Retired Director of Mobilization at National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Chief Anthony Ani, made this known during a radio town hall meeting against corruption organized by Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, with the support of MacArthur Foundation Thursday in Abuja.

     

    Ani, while harping on the causes of low level of integrity in public service, stated that lack of leadership towards integrity and loss of value by the Nigerian society were also reasons the public sector continues to underperform. He, however, revealed that flawed mode of appointment, promotions, ethics and religious factors were responsible for 70 percent of low rate of integrity and corruption in Nigeria public sector.

     

    Ani admonished the parents to be the first in instilling integrity in their children, while calling Nigerians to prioritize the character and integrity of any person who wants to become a leader in the country.

     

    “If we get the right people with high levels of integrity in leadership, it is going to move down the line because those who are under any leader are watching and seeing the character of the leader.

     

    “If we are going to increase the level of integrity in our society and organizations, we have to look at who is the leader, what is the character of the leader and what level of integrity does this person have that you are appointing to lead others,” He said.

     

    The Director of Publications, Nigerian Pilot Newspapers, Chuks Ohuegbe lamented that lack of accountability has eroded every facet of Nigeria’s economy from the appointment of personnel to the management of resources, adding that the primary effect of the rot is that livelihood of the citizens is at the lowest ebb.

     

    Ohuegbe stated that legislators in states and at the federal level have failed in holding the executive arm of the government accountable, consequently the nation is now struggling with its set goals.

     

    “In the past ten years, we have hardly implemented 40% of our budget and nobody is asking questions. Every state has a legislator that has to keep an eye on the executive arm and their spending but it is never done.

     

    “The governors have pocketed the members of state assemblies and here at the national, people play party politics. The media has to do more in holding government at all levels accountable and the nation needs more campaigns from Non-Governmental Organizations,” Ohuegbe stressed.

     

    He also identified poor implementation of the law as a hindrance to bringing corrupt elements to book, while describing Nigeria’s judicial process as too slow and prone to being circumvented.

     

     

     

    On his part, the Executive Director, African Centre for Entrepreneurship and Information Development, James Ugochukwu had these to say: “organs of government like as SERVICOM are not doing enough to promote accountability in the public sector and lack of effective oversight on the part of the Federal Government have emboldened public servants to steal from Nigeria.”

     

    Ugochukwu called for persons of integrity to be celebrated but, however, blamed citizens for failing to hold leaders accountable and urged Nigerians to ensure credible election holds, which will in turn usher in a credible leader of integrity.

     

    Earlier, celebrated 2018 Integrity Icon awardee and Deputy Director at NYSC, Kehinde Aremu revealed that his upbringing was instrumental to the person he had become today. He also exposed that many public servants would have loved to be like him but fear being vilified by their contemporaries.

     

    According to Aremu, impunity is a major enhancer of corruption in the public sector, hence called on the federal government to do more against corruption in public service.

     

    He also revealed that NYSC was putting modalities on ground to institutionalize probity and support against extortion and other forms of corruption.

     

    The PRIMORG’s Town Hall Meeting Against Corruption series is aimed at calling the public and government attention to specific issues of corruption in Nigeria.

  • Scarcity: NNPC, other stakeholders debunk fresh fuel hike rumours

    Scarcity: NNPC, other stakeholders debunk fresh fuel hike rumours

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday allayed nationwide fears over alleged plans to hike pump price of petrol.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that some states including the FCT are experiencing scarcity of the product as some filling stations shut down. This has led to fears of a possible hike in the product.

    TNG also observed that stations adjusted their fuel pump prices from N162.50k to N165 per litre, while others went as high as N170.00 per litre.

    However, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, dismissed rumours about an imminent upward review of the product.

    According to him: “NNPC has not increased its ex-depot price. I am certain that NNPC is not likely to increase its ex-depot price in February.”

    He said the NNPC has a stock of petrol that can last for over 40 days.

    Obateru urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to clamp down on the marketers hoarding petrol.

    “We have sufficiency for almost 40 days. If people are hoarding or increasing their prices, it is for the DPR to look into it,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) urged the Federal Government to return subsidy to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as landing cost has soared to N180 per litre.

    IPMAN’s National Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Maiganidi said the government should either deregulate the product fully or subsidise it.

    Maigandi was reacting to the latest fuel scarcity in Lagos.

    Asked whether there was an upward review of the pump price, he said: “Most of the private depots are selling petrol for between N160 and N164 per litre instead of N148 per litre.”

    The Major Oil Marketers of Nigeria (MOMAN) denied that there was an increment in the pump price of petrol.

    It wondered whether any fuel marketer was getting supply from any source other than the NNPC

    MOMAN Chairman, Tunji Oyebanji, said none of his members has hiked fuel price, adding that all marketers currently source products from the NNPC.

    He said since the Federal Government claimed it has deregulated the downstream oil sector, marketers were at liberty to sell at any price reflecting their operational cost.

    He said if the unilateral fuel price hike had come from some of his members, the government would have wielded the big stick.

    Oyebanji said the Federal Government desired to deregulate the downstream oil sector, adding that if that had taken place, the price would have gone up astronomically.

    He said the government was in consultation with Labour to avoid a steep rise in petroleum products prices.

     

     

  • PIB: Critical stakeholders Want Speedy Passage

    PIB: Critical stakeholders Want Speedy Passage

    By Emman Ovuakporie
    Critical stakeholders in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas sector on Wednesday shared divergent views over the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), even as they agreed on the need for the speedy passage of the bill to drive the needed reforms in the sector.
    Organized Labour on the other hand ,cautioned against creating multiple regulatory agencies under the new law, insisting this may lead to unhealthy rivalry among the agencies which will not be healthy for the sector, some state government wants to be included in the boards of the agencies so created as well as the NNPC Limited.
    Labour wants a Nigeria Oil and Gas Commission created as the sole regulatory body in the sector, while Oil workers suggested the creation of Oil and Gas Regulatory Commission instead of the two commissions being created under the proposed law.
    Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timiprye Silva said the bill aim to establish good governance, competitiveness, global best practices and the ease of doing business within the Nigerian oil sector.
    According to him, the Bill is designed to guarantee early revenues for government, clarify roles and simplify administration of the sector, infuse transparency in regulation, ensure equity and fairness for all industry players and mandate the role space responsiveness of regulators.
    “Specifically the Bill seeks to achieve the following objectives: Promote economic growth to increase oil and gas production, stimulate economic growth through strong investments in mid-stream gas infrastructure to increase gas based oil generation and industries, enable frontier exploration and establish an effective management system.
    “It also aims to infuse transparency and non-confidentiality, transform NNPC into a viable commercially based and self-sustaining national oil company, institute a strong regulatory framework with increased emphasis on mid-stream development, create and effective mid-stream and downstream licensing system, mandate improved environmental measures and assist host communities in petroleum operation areas to achieve their aspirations”, Mr Sylva said.
    The Minister added that till date, several engagements have been held in key domestic and international industries stakeholders including industry players and operators with a view to generate some level of consensus in the national assembly.
    “While every care has been taken to accommodate different shades of opinion in the Bill, it cannot be complete without the input of the generality of the public which will ultimately enrich the document and put upon it the legitimacy and acceptance that is required to operate the law when passed.
    “Passing the law after all the relevant processes have been completed is only a means to an end, not an end in itself. The end thereof being to operationize the law in a manner that best achieves the aims and objectives detailed earlier.
    “This is why it is imperative that our participation today should be productive and focused, devoid of rancour, acrimony and disruption. I am confident that everyone gathered here shares the same passion for the passage of the PIB and the resolution that Nigeria must get it right with the law this time around”.
    The Chairman of the Adhoc Committee on the PIB, Rep. Mohammed Tahir Mongonu (APC-Borno) stressed that when passed, the bill is expected to address salient issues, especially in the oil producing areas of the federation.
    He said “Nigeria’s oil industry operates in a global environment that is constantly shifting in favour of countries with the most competitive, accommodating legislative instruments. The absence of these factors has resulted to the loss of significant amount of investments.
    “In an effort to address the present state of quagmire in our oil and gas industry, we must put in place a legislative instrument such as this, which establishes a fiscal framework to boost oil and gas output, enhance sector attractiveness for international investors.
    ”This will increase foreign direct investment, which will undoubtedly catalyse Nigeria‘s economic recovery. It also places strong emphasis on developing a domestic gas market in Nigeria by providing measures to encourage companies to explore and produce gas from discoveries, as well as a framework for gas tariffs and delivery,” he said.
    He said the bill has been in the making for over 20 years, yet efforts towards passing it into law have failed, adding that the bill was first introduced in the House December, 2008 and suffered criticism from major stakeholders such as International Oil Companies (IOCs), the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) and Host Communities.
    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said critical stakeholders in the oil and gas industry should be represented on the boards. This is against the backdrop of the numerous collective bargaining agreements (CBA) for oil industry remuneration and championed by the industrial Unions affiliates of Congress like NUPENG and PENGASSAN counterpart.
    Wabba also said that Labour should be represented in the performance of the function of the boards of the regulatory agencies, adding that the inclusion of Labour as critical stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, with volumes of successful negotiations, mediations, and dispute resolutions at their disposal will enrich the composition of the board.
    He argued that workers should not have their hair shaved in their absence whether in policy making affecting the workforce or the implementation of otherwise altruistic directives but which could be skewed to hurt the workers.
    He said Labour was opposed to the provision which grant the Minister power to incorporate under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, a limited liability company, which shall be called Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited).
    “Labour disagrees with this provision. There is ample grounds for worry in this provision. Indeed, incorporation under CAMA of NNPC Ltd has potential implications for adverse business manoeuvres, including winding up of the incorporated company by a petition. Therefore, creditors, hostile take-over bids and even minority shareholders could scheme the extant rules to the disadvantage of the Nigerian people.
    “We suggest that NNPC LTD should be incorporated in a more robust manner that would enable it to operate with minimum hindrance, free of potentially hostile encumbrances and be profitably managed. This robustness in the establishment of NNPC LTD should at least, ensure that no individual, a select few or hostile corporate bodies can disrupt its operations through petitions and take over manoeuvres”, Wabba argued.
    President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN), Comrade Festus Osifo who presented the position of the two unions said the National Assembly should rather conduct a study on how the laws they pass can help in redirecting the industry.
    He said with oil currently discovered in over 25 countries in Africa, “we must pass a PIB that will attract investment to Nigeria ahead of Angola, Congo, Gabon, Libya”, adding that the PIB to be passed must protect Nigerian workers and stamp out casualization in the industry. “Our members in DPR, PPPRA, PEF, PTI must be protected.”
    While opposing multiple regulatory agencies for the industry, the unions said only one regulatory to be known as Oil and Gas Regulatory Commission should be allowed in the industry as against the two contained in the bill, adding that creating two regulatory agencies may lead to unhealthy competition which will not be in the interest of the industry.
    In his presentation, Representative of Total Nigeria, Victor Bamidele said the business context in the sector has recently deteriorated, while uncertainties and concerns around the fiscal environment have arisen from the Deep Offshore & Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Amendment Act (DOAA) in 2019, the Finance Act in 2020, and versions of the PB that have negatively affected investor sentiment.
    According to him, this trend is evident in investment data, adding that over the 2015-2019 period, Nigeria attracted only 4% of the 70 billion dollars committed to Africa’s oil and gas industry despite having the largest reserves in Sub-Saharan Africa and several giant fields remain unsanctioned.
    He said the PIB should be able to reverse this trend and be forward looking, adding that “the global energy transition is shifting investment away from fossil fuels and into renewables and low-carbon energy sources.
  • Fidelity Bank announces N6.6bn profits in Q1, reassures commitment to safety of stakeholders

    Fidelity Bank announces N6.6bn profits in Q1, reassures commitment to safety of stakeholders

    Fidelity Bank Plc has reassured that it will continue to take measures that will ensure the safety of customers, staff and other stakeholders during this period.

    This reassurance was given on Thursday during the bank’s 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

    Speaking at the annual shareholders meeting, Chairman, Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Ernest Ebi said the bank “remains committed to building a sustainable business, even in the midst of the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic”. Mr. Ebi, who was a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), revealed that the Board, in line with its oversight responsibilities, has been meeting virtually, to strategize on new opportunity areas to cushion the impact of the pandemic and to sustain the growth trajectory of the bank in recent years.

    These views were also affirmed by Fidelity Bank CEO, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo who said Fidelity Bank’s greatest strength its ability to adapt to change. According to him, the bank would explore new prospects that are opening up in the retail market, continue to focus on customer-centricity, innovation and digitization, whilst keeping its eye on governance, risk and liquidity. “We place a high premium on risk management and will continue to review our risk acceptance criteria in reaction to new market realities” he assured.

    The meeting which was held by proxy, in compliance with the Corporate Affairs Commission’s (CAC) issued guidelines on holding AGMs within the period, had in attendance very few shareholders, on account of social distancing and restriction of movement in Lagos as a result of COVID-19 preventive and precautionary measures. Others joined remotely via live streaming.

    The shareholders who spoke on the occasion, gave kudos to the Board and management for the 2019 performance which saw the bank delivering double-digit growth across key performance indices. Gross Earnings grew by 14. percent to N215.5 billion, driven by a 15.8 percent growth in interest and similar income. The bank’s Profit Before Tax (PBT) rose by 21percent from N25.1 billion in 2018 to N30.4 billion in 2019.

    The shareholders unanimously endorsed the payment of a cash dividend of 20 kobo per share, which translates to N5.793 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. Mr. Boniface Okezie, National Coordinator, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria applauded the dividend growth from 11kobo paid in 2018 to 20 kobo in 2019. “From all the indices, this is a superlative performance. The achievement of over N30 billion in profits is indeed worthy of commendation”, Okezie stated.

    Chief Timothy Adesiyan, President of the Nigerian Shareholders’ Solidarity Association commended the improvements particularly in interest income, Non-Performing Loans (NPLs), Liquidity Ratio, Profit After Tax and Gross Earnings. Whilst lauding the bank for its digitization programme, he expressed optimism that the bank is truly positioned to take advantage of new and emergent opportunities on account of the bank’s comprehensive upgrade of its technology architecture.

    Meanwhile Fidelity Bank has begun the 2020 financial year on a positive note with the announcement of its unaudited results for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Gross Earnings for the first quarter of the year, grew by 5.7 percent to N51.2 billion from N48.4 billion in the previous year, whilst Profit before Tax (PBT) stood at N6.6 billion representing a marginal drop from N6.7billion recorded in the first quarter of 2019. Shareholders’ Funds the other hand grew by 3.6 percent from N234billion in 2019 to N242billion in the first quarter of 2020.

  • SEC Gives Stockbrokers Deadline to File Liquidity Position

    SEC Gives Stockbrokers Deadline to File Liquidity Position

    Brokers and dealers in the nation’s capital market have been directed to compute and file their monthly net liquid capital position not later than five days after end of the month.

    In a directive posted on its platform on Wednesday, the apex regulator in the country’s capital market said for the 2020 returns, the brokers must file their net liquid capital on or before February 5, 2020. The returns are required to be sent to the agency and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

    It was stated that failure to file the returns as required would attract appropriate sanctions and they must be submitted “in the manner prescribed by the commission from time to time.”

    According to SEC, the computation must reflect the true and fair position of all assets and liabilities of the broker/dealer, while material mis-statement or omission would be regarded as misleading the commission and shall attract appropriate sanction.

    “Where established financial claims against a broker have been omitted from the computation of the net liquid capital, the commission shall adjust the net liquid capital of the concerned broker-dealer;

    “Where a broker-dealer is suspended from trading as a result of a short-fall in its net liquid capital, the broker-dealer shall be subject to verification for compliance prior to the commission’s approval for lifting of the suspension.

    “Every broker-dealer is expected to comply with this guideline. Returns for January 2020 on net liquid capital are expected on or before 5th February 2020. The returns should be filed with the commission via brokers@sec.gov.ng, while the reporting template can be downloaded from the SEC website,” it said.

    The notice further said, “The commission may request for evidence of existence of assets or institute an asset verification exercise when necessary to substantiate claims. A broker-dealer is also required to avail the commission relevant evidence of significant changes in position of assets.”

  • Group recommends stakeholder outreach for credible, peaceful polls

    Group recommends stakeholder outreach for credible, peaceful polls

    The Working Group on Women, Youth, Peace and Security in West Africa and the Sahel (WGWYPS-WAS) an NGO, says early outreach to stakeholders is germane for successes of future elections in Nigeria.

    Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi, Co- Country Representative, Working Group, disclosed this during the launching of the FCT Working Group Campaign, in Abuja.

    According to her, Nigeria is unique, there is our colour, culture, but in the world of peace and security it’s also unique. It is one of the counties in West Africa with two Country Representatives because of its size.

    “We are here to launch the FCT campaign and the nature of the campaign is that we are able to carry out pre- election advocacy and outreach to stakeholders.

    “A crucial part of our work has been monitoring; something that most of you in civil society here today do so well.

    “We are also interested in post election observation, analysis and reporting,” she said

    She explained the objectives for enhancing the peaceful conduct of elections.

    “So there are three key objectives to enhance the peaceful conduct of elections. And I keep reminding people, we’ve just held an election but elections are cyclical.

    “Some of you know that I am famous for posing the question: “When did we know that 2019 elections were coming on board? Most people four years ago.

    “But we knew this from 1999, that elections will take in 2019 and yet our level of preparedness has been abysmal and we must improve on it.

    “Yes we know our elections are every four years but we have some off cycle elections and elections are not limited to one event but is a process .

    “The second objective is strengthening our capacity as women and young persons in the field of politics and in that field you have those who have the courage and all the will to participate.

    “They are also those of us who are the electorate. There is the umpire’s umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission Commission (INEC) and then they’re those of us who want to observe and report on what is happening.

    “So how can our capacities be strengthened.

    Lastly knowledge improvement and sharing of information,” she said.

    According to her, information is key, information is power and how do we share it in order for it to be of benefit to you and to all of us.

    “But through ‘The women Youth Peace and Security Working Group for West Africa and the Sahel of the Nigerian Branch, we are working with candidates, voters and political parties.

    “The operative word through the entire process, is peace,”she said.

    Also, Mrs Esther Uzoma, National Coordinator, Proactive Gender Initiative, a Non-governmental organisation, said that there was need to integrate the feminine gender in governance.

    According to her, it can not happen in an environment of restiveness.

    “As women, we need to unite our voices, reach out to your sisters, close those gaps as there are no differences between us.

    “We suffer the same things, marginalisation is a feminine thing, poverty bears a feminine face, so it is necessary to close those gaps by reaching out.

    “Let us send messages to the government by speaking with one voice for the sake of posterity,” she said.

    Similarly, Dr Doris Amaka, senatorial candidate for FCT 2019 Election on the platform of Africa Action Congress said she was determined to contest and did not limit herself though it was her first time.

    “I did not allow the gap of contesting for the first time to limit me as I worked on, moved to villages, went to Kwali and other places to campaign,” she said.

    She therefore, called on women not to limit themselves but to come out and participate in elections.

    “I know that many women came out to contest the 2019 elections but lack of funds deprived them.

    “We have to come out and contest for elections. As the right time to start thinking of it, is now.”

  • 2019: Engage With Stakeholders to Neutralise PVC Buyers, Saraki Tells INEC

    2019: Engage With Stakeholders to Neutralise PVC Buyers, Saraki Tells INEC

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has advised the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately call a meeting of stakeholders in the next month’s general elections with the sole aim of formulating plans and ideas on how to render useless the intention of politicians who he claimed are buying Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

    Saraki, while reacting to a statement credited to Prof. Yakubu that some politicians were already scheming to purchase PVCs, urged the INEC boss not to stop at raising the alarm but immediately devise water-tight arrangement to make futile the efforts of such unscrupulous politicians.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President said the development constitutes a major threat to the successful conduct of the 2019 Polls, as it can become the single factor to decide where victory swings in the election.

    “We have continued to maintain that manipulation of election results does not start and end on Election Day. It starts long before the day and goes on even after the declaration of results. That is why we have to continually be vigilant and once we identify any threat to free, fair and transparent conduct of a credible election like the INEC chairman has done, all stakeholders must put heads together to block the loopholes.

    “All stakeholders must come up fast with a solution to render useless the antics of those who intend to procure voter’s cards. We all need to put our heads together and I am sure that such a stakeholders’ meeting will not only nip in the bud the looming danger, it will also engender general confidence in the system and create a system in which all stakeholders become problem solvers”, he stated.

    He added that in the next six weeks, preceding the first set of elections and immediately after the elections, it was important for INEC to devise an arrangement in which it would constantly consult with stakeholders to identify issues affecting the process and how to find joint solutions to them.

     

  • I’ll sign Petroleum Bill when I get it, Buhari tells stakeholders

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday declared that he would sign the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill into law once the bill was presented to him.

    Buhari spoke at a lecture to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers in Abuja.

    The President said the bill, when signed into law, would address most of the challenges of oil workers.

    Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, urged the oil union to support his administration towards ensuring better welfare for workers.

    He also urged the oil workers to dialogue with government and other employers of labour on issues instead of shutting down the country while in a dispute with their employers.

    “He (Buhari) is a president that respects the rule of law and the law of the land. He promised to sign the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill once it is brought to him,” Ngige told the workers.

    In his address, the President of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, decried the rise of casual workers in oil companies.

    He said the union would always fight for better working condition of the members.

    Akporeha said, “There are enormous challenges confronting our union, most especially with regards to the employers, government and the general public perception of our enormous powers, influence and ever constant solidarity.

    “We know that most often many employers are scared of relating with us and this wrong perception is sometimes responsible for the hostile attitude to our efforts in organising their employees.”