CRS: “You Have no Powers to Sack Us”, Auditors-General Tell Gov. Otu

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June 7, 2023

By Stanley Ekpenyong, South-South Bureau Chief

Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, appears headed for a collision course with two officials of his immediate predecessor who he sacked early this week.

They are the State Auditor-General, John Odey, and his Local Government counterpart, Mrs Franka Inok.

Both former officials who were appointed by the immediate past governor of the State, Professor Ben Ayade, were sacked on Monday by Governor Otu and asked to retire from the State’s Civil Service.

They have, however, faulted their sack, arguing that the Governor has no constitutional powers to do so.

Odey and Inok made this known on Tuesday in a letter addressed to the Chairman of Cross River State Civil Service Commission, Oko Inaku.

In the letter, they vowed to remain in service until their formal retirement age of sixty years or mandatory thirty-five years from service.

In the letter titled: “Re – Notice to vacate Office”, with reference number CRS/AGLG/81/Vol 11/565 the officials stated thus: “We wish to bring to your notice sections 127 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 42 of the Cross River State Audit Law number 2021 as amended regarding the removal from office of the Auditor General”

Meanwhile, Odey and Inok have both disregarded the Governor’s directives as they still report for duties in their offices.

Akume Sworn-in By Tinubu, Assumes Duty As SGF

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The Source

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June 7, 2023

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By Gideon Njoku

Newly appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, has assumed duties.

Akume assumed duties after he was sworn-in on Wednesday, 7th June, 2023, by President Bola Tinubu at a brief ceremony held at the Council Chambers, and witnessed by a number of people, including Akume’s spouse, Regina, who is a member-elect, House of Representatives.

Present at the ceremony were Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Head of Service, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, as well as some past and serving Governors.

The office of the SGF is the engine room of the Federal Government. Among other things, the SGF oversees:

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)
Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission
National Energy Council
National Hajj Commission of Nigeria
National Lottery Trust Fund
National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA)
Nigeria National Merit Award
National Lottery Regulatory Commission
Bureau of Public Enterprises
Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission
National Agency for the Control of Aids
New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD)
National Commission for Refugees
ServiCom
Federal Character Commission
Revenue Mobilization, Allocation & Fiscal Commission
Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI)
Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC)
National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission
National Pension Commission
Border Communities Development Agency.

There are also six (6) Offices in the OSGF (Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government). Each of the Offices is run and managed like a Ministry and they are headed by Permanent Secretary.

The Offices are:

>The Special Duties Office

>The Cabinet Affairs Office

>The Special Services Office

>The Ecological Fund Office

>The General Services Office

>The Political and Economic Affairs Office

Functions of SGF

Administratively, below are the key roles of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF):

1) OSGF handles matters related to the prerogative of mercy.

2) He handles petitions and appeals to the President.

3) He is charged with the responsibility of processing requests for duty tours and medical treatment of government officials abroad.

4) He coordinates, manages National Honours Awards.

5) OSGF is responsible for the supervision of some government agencies as directed by the president e.g New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

6) The SFG serves as the frontline advisory institution to the office of the President.

7) The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation monitors and coordinates the implementation of government policies and programmes in line with the programmes of the ruling government.

He ensures harmonization in the policies of the government.

9) The SGF evaluates the performance of the ministers and Permanent Secretary on behalf of the President.

10) He maintains mandate acceptance documents signed by Ministers on an assumption of office.

11) The OSGF serves as the Secretariat of the National Council of State, the Federal Executive Council and other Constitutional Councils which are chaired by the President or the Vice President as the case may be.

12) The Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government provides support services to Administrative Tribunals, Commissions and Panels of Enquiry.

13) He coordinates public safety matters and emergencies such as COVID 19 pandemic.

14) Represent the president when he’s delegated to do so.

15) He liaises with Secretaries to State Governments in a situation when FG’s policies have to be implemented at the state levels.

Akume is the immediate past Minister for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs. He was, also, a two-time Governor of Benue State.

During his tenure as Governor, he escaped death by whiskers in the hands of assassins while on his way to Abuja from Makurdi. His bosom friend, Andrew Agom, a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Airways, who sat by him in the car, was not lucky. He died in the attack, felled by bullets from the assassins.

Akume was on Friday, 2nd June 2023, appointed the SGF by President Tinubu.

Removal Of Subsidy: Obaseki Increases Minimum Wage From N30,000 To N40,000

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Akinwale Kasali

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June 7, 2023

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By Akinwale Kasali

To cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on Civil Servants, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N40,000.

A statement by the Government, stated that the increment was to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living on the Civil Servants in the State.

Governor Obaseki has also followed the footsteps of his counterpart in Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq by permitting the State workers to work from home twice a week and show up in the office three days per week.

The measures were taken as the State ’s immediate response to the stoppage of petrol subsidy payment by the Federal Government, which pushed up food costs and petrol price.

*In the statement personally signed by the Governor, the government said: “If more allocation accrues to our State from the Federal Government in view of the expected savings occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy, the work days will be reviewed.

“The Edo State Government shares the pains of our people and wants to assure everyone that we are standing with them in these very challenging times.

“We want to reassure our people that we will do all within our powers as a sub-national government to reduce the pains and ameliorate the sufferings our people are currently facing due to the current realities.

“As a proactive government, we have since taken the step to increase the minimum wage paid to workers in Edo State from the approved N30, 000 to N40, 000, the highest in the country today.”

On the reduction of the number of work days for civil servants, Obaseki said his government was aware of the hardship the removal of petrol subsidy has caused.

The Governor added that the policy has radically increased the cost of transportation, eating deep into the wages of workers in the state.

“Therefore, the Edo State Government is hereby reducing the number of work days that civil and public servants will have to commute to their workplaces from five days a week to three days a week till further notice. Workers will now work from home two days every week”, the statement reads.

Fidelity Bank Moves Trade, Creative Connect To Texas

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Tosin Olatokunbo

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June 7, 2023

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The Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe has disclosed that the commercial bank has successfully supported Nigeria’s export trade through various innovations and interventions such as capacity development for exporters.

The bank’s chief executive’s comment comes after the lender announced plans to host the second edition of the Fidelity International Trade and Creative Connect, FITCC, in Texas, the United States.

The first edition, the bank said was successfully hosted last November in London.

Onyeali-ikpe said “Fidelity Bank is very much invested in supporting export trade and has consistently demonstrated this by the interventions and innovations that we bring to the space.

“Beyond the instrument of financing, some of our key interventions in the space revolve around business management capacity development with initiatives like the Export Management Programme (EMP) which we host in partnership with the Lagos Business School and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and market access development initiatives like FITCC.”

Tagged FITCC Houston, the event would hold on Wednesday, 18^th, and Thursday, 19th October 2023 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, Texas 77010.

To promote Nigeria’s non-oil exports and facilitate integrations to global supply-chain networks, FITCC Houston will host leading businesses, entrepreneurs, investors and regulators operating in the commodity, service, creative, fashion and FinTech sectors in Nigeria and the United States. The participants would explore partnership, co-creation, and foreign direct investment opportunities.

Participating businesses will benefit from curated market access engagements, investment and partnership opportunities, extended brand exposure before a global audience as well as speaking and networking opportunities amongst a long list of benefits in FITCC Housto

Interested businesses and participants are encouraged to register for the conference at www.fidelitybank.ng/fitcc .

Pains As Bolt, Uber Drivers Embark On Strike

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James Orji

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June 7, 2023

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The Amalgamated Union of App-based Transport Workers of Nigeria, AUATWN, comprising drivers of e-hailing companies such as Bolt and Uber, today commenced a nationwide strike.

The drivers said the strike is a result of the recent increase in the price of petrol, contending that the low fare increase by the ride-hailing transport companies is not sustainable at this time.

They said in a statement that the increase by the app-based firms stood between 25 to 30 percent, which was far from the union’s demand for a 200 percent increase, and a 50 percent reduction in commission respectively.

The drivers said they cannot work under these conditions, appealing to the companies to reduce their commissions on the ground that they did not reflect industry benchmark commissions.

The drivers promised not to go back to work until their demands have been met.

According to the statement, “The union’s technical team is versed with the operation and technicality of ride-hailing companies and on our calculations, any app company can breakeven charging below five percent even though the union recommended a flat commission of 10 per cent or 50 per cent off their current commission during our last meeting, as we believe this will help us to cope with maintenance costs, spare parts and various overhead cost and the current fuel increase.

“We can no longer tolerate any act of dictatorial practices by any app company because we are workers and as an organised union, we have written several letters to these companies for a round table discussion where we can look at various areas of concern and dialogue but they have remained adamant with a deliberate intention to avoid responsibility.

“So, as a result of this insensitivity, the union is directing all its members across the nation to shut down their service on all ride-hailing applications from Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in protest against every dictatorial practice and lack of concern for welfare and security of App-Based Transport workers of Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, customers of Bolts and Uber have started feeling the impact of the strike. Some of them informed the magazine on Wednesday that the missed their appointments due to the strike.

FG Ratifies 6 Maritime Conventions And Protocols

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James Orji

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June 7, 2023

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The Federal Government has approved the ratification of six maritime conventions and protocols that promote cleaner marine environment, ship-breaking cri teria, global standard for fishing crew and response to oil pollution casualties.

The approved instruments for ratification are Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009; International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F) 1995; Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties (intervention protocol) 1973 and the Protocol on Limitation of Liabilities for Maritime Claims 1996.

Others are the Protocol to the 1974 Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 2002; and the protocol of 2005 to the 1988 protocol to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA PROT 2005)

The approval, conveyed through the Federal Ministry of Transportation to Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has kick started Nigeria’s preparation to align with the global maritime community in respect to the protocols and conventions.

Director General of NIMASA Bashir Jamoh, while thanking the Federal Government for the approval reassured industry players of the agency’s unflinching effort as designated authority(DA) to draw the gains of the various instruments closer to indigenous investors, professionals and all stakeholders in Nigeria

Jamoh said The Hong Kong Convention is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose risk to human health, safety or to the environment.

The DG said STCW-F is a treaty that sets certification and minimum training requirements for crews of seagoing fishing vessels with the goal to promote the safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment, taking into account the unique nature of the fishing industry and the fishing working environment.

He added that the International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties will see Nigeria taking action on the high seas to prevent, mitigate or eliminate grave and imminent danger to Nigeria’s coastline or related interests from pollution or threat of pollution of the sea by oil spillage.

On the Convention of Limitation of Liability of Maritime Claims, Jamoh said it will provide for an unbreakable system of limiting liability where shipowners and sailors may limit their liability, except if it is proved that an incurred loss resulted from their personal act or omission or commission with the intent to cause loss, or recklessly and with knowledge that such loss would probably happen.

The Athens Convention, according to Jamoh, establishes a regime of liability for damage suffered by passengers carried on a seagoing vessel. It places liability on the carrier for any loss or damage suffered by passengers where it is established to be the carriers fault.

He added that the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA PROT) will result in improved protection of oil platforms and sanction threats against such facilities which are critical to the country’s economic mainstay

He further sought the cooperation of all stakeholders with NIMASA while hoping to engage with them at various stages of implementation in the nearest future.

CBN: Emefiele Dodging Court Summons Over $53 million Judgement Debt

By

James Orji

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June 7, 2023

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to appear before it on 19 July over a 53 million dollar-judgement debt arising from the Pars Club refund.

Inyang Ekwo, who gave the order during the hearing of a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1193/2017, insisted that the court would not hear Mr Emefiele’s motion for stay until he appeared in court.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Mr Ekwo had, on 20 October 2022, ordered the CBN governor to appear in court on 18 January over his alleged refusal to obey the order of the court for the payment of the judgement debt in favour of a lawyer, Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.

However, the 18 January proceedings could not go on as scheduled. This prompted the court to adjourn the case until 20 March subsequently.

Agi had sued Linas International Ltd, Minister of Finance and CBN, to court as judgment debtors, following an application for garnishee made by him as judgment creditor in the case.

The suit is one in a flurry of legal actions associated with the federal government’s refund to states and local governments the amounts of funds said to have been over-deducted from their accounts to offset Paris Club and London between 1995 and 2002.

Linas International Ltd and its promoter, Ned Nwoko, had initiated the first significant suit, which culminated in a court judgement awarding them huge amounts of money for their roles in helping states and local government areas to discover the excessive deductions from their accounts.

Since then, countless entities, lawyers, and other professionals have surfaced, claiming to have provided one form of consultancy services or the other to recover the money for the states and local governments.

Agi, through his suit, seeks enforcement of a judgement that he obtained against Linas International Ltd for his role in helping the firm to secure the recovery of the funds.

Upon resumed hearing on Tuesday, Agi’s counsel, Ayodele Arotiowa, said Emefiele had yet to comply with the court’s order compelling him to appear in court.

Audu Anuga, SAN, who appeared for Emefiele and CBN, however, pointed out that the court did not sit on the previous date scheduled for a hearing.

Arotiowa said though they had been served with the processes, they had also responded.

Anuga told the court that they had a pending application to set aside those “order nisi,” the preliminary order usually issued by the court to set the stage for a final one in monetary judgement enforcement proceedings.

Ekwo then said that it was because of his order that Mr Emefiele should appear in court that prompted them to go on appeal “so that he does not appear in this court.”

“That is exactly what you have done. So, we, the trial court, cannot do our job?

“I am not going to hear you on any application until Godwin Emefiele appears in court.

“Therefore, I am going to give a date for you to report to the court on compliance with the order of the court.

“Upon being aware that the motion for stay of execution is a live matter in this court, this court shall not hear that application unless and until Mr Godwin Emefiele, who has been ordered to appear in court, appears in court,” the judge declared.

He adjourned the matter until the 19 July report.

Background

NAN reports that the dispute stemmed from an alleged $70 million judgment against Linas International Ltd for the lawyer’s (Joe Agi) assistance with the Paris Club refund.

Emefiele was said to have only released $17 million, leaving an unpaid balance of $53 million.

The court had, on 23 January 2020, ruled that Emefiele must appear “to be examined on oath, since the date of the said garnishee order absolute, to pay the balance of 53 million dollars now due and payable under the said garnishee order absolute and also show cause why you should not be committed to prison for default in payment of the said sum”.

In October 2022, Agi, through his counsel Isaac Ekpa and Chinonso Obasi, filed another application against Linas International, the Minister of Finance and the CBN.

He sought an order directing the Inspector-General of Police to arrest Mr Emefiele and bring him to court alongside his lawyers, Damian Dodo, Audu Anuga, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and Ginika Ezeoke, Jessica Iyoke, Abdullahi Afolayan, and Olayemi Afolayan.

Subsidy Withdrawal: Gov Obaseki Advises Workers To Work From Home

By

Ayodele Oni

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June 6, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has told public servants in the state to explore possibility of working from home, in the wake of high transportation cost occasioned by subsidy withdrawal.

The governor has also joined his Kwara state government by reducing to three official working days in a week.

In a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, Obaseki stated that “In the wake of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government, fuel prices have increased astronomically leading to rise in prices of goods and services and overall cost of living.

“The Edo State Government shares the pains of our people and wants to assure everyone that we are standing with them in these very challenging times.

“We want to reassure our people that we will do all within our powers as a subnational government to reduce the pains and ameliorate the sufferings our people are currently facing in the wake of the current realities.

“As a proactive government, we have since taken the step to increase the minimum wage paid to workers in Edo State from the approved N30, 000 to N40, 000, the highest in the country today.

“We want to assure you that we will continue to pay this amount, while we hope to increase it even further, if more allocation accrues to our State from the Federal Government in view of the expected savings occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy.

“We know the hardship that has been caused by this policy which has radically increased the cost of transportation, eating deep into the wages of workers in the State.

“Therefore, the Edo State Government is hereby reducing the number of work days that civil and public servants will have to commute to their work places from five days a week to three days a week.

“Similarly, for teachers and parents, their commuting to school will be reduced as government is working on deepening the EdoBEST@Home initiative to create more virtual classes, thereby reducing the cost of commuting on parents, teachers and pupils. The Edo SUBEB will provide details on this initiative in the coming days.

“To lower the rising cost of energy on our people, we will continue to work with the electricity companies in the State to improve power supply to homes and businesses.

“Similarly, fibre optic connections are being made available to help our people work remotely, thereby reducing their cost of transportation.

“While government intensifies these efforts to alleviate the burden of the fuel price increase on the people during this very challenging period, we want to call on everyone to remain calm and go about their daily businesses lawfully.”

NADECO Writes Tinubu, Demands Return Of Nigeria To Pre Independence Constitution

By

Ayodele Oni

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June 6, 2023

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By Ayodele Oni

National Democratic Coalition,(NADECO) one of the pro democracy groups that fought for an end to military dictatorship in Nigeria, is clamouring for the return of the country to pre independence Republican constitution.

This was contained in a letter, signed by general secretary of the coalition, Ayo Opadokun to President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu was a member of NADECO and played prominent role in the struggle to ease out the military from dominating Nigeria’s political scene.

The letter states that “NADECO hereby formally congratulates you as you took the Oath of Office, sworn in and assumed office as the President of Nigeria. This is without prejudice to the democratic rights of your opponents who are contesting your victory at the election tribunal.

“NADECO is gratified that one of its most prominent Leaders who in fact contributed significantly to the titanic democratic struggle and campaign that the organization had to embark upon on behalf of Nigerians to restore democracy to Nigeria has by divine destiny become the elected President of the country of our birth.

“We like to remind you of the most important demand of our common and just struggle which was centred on the imperative necessity to return Nigeria to a Federal Constitutional Governance upon which we secured our independence.

“Nigeria remains a country not a nation till date because the military had without Nigerians democratic approval truncated, illegally suspended, abrogated and replaced our negotiated independent constitution and replaced it with Unitary Constitution till date.

“The deceptively choreographed, 1979 & 1999 Constitutions which preserved all the grave damages which successive military governments have forcefully imposed upon Nigeria remain the bane of Nigeria’s backwardness, stunted growth and unacceptable level of poverty.

“NADECO is more than convinced that a return to the Independence/ Republican Constitution will restore responsive and responsible government in the minimum as we grapple with the business of reconstructing our country which was successively overran/ damaged for the narrow personal interests of politicians in military uniform since January 15, 1966.

“All the many aberrations-political, legal, and structural which the different military dictators whimsically imposed on Nigeria can then be strategically corrected overtime.

“Mr. President, you were part of the Patriots who suffered deprivations, dehumanization, and hounding along with us as we spoke truth to the powers that forced themselves on us.

“Fortunately, your own party, established the Governor El-Rufai Committee which recommended that the APC government should immediately fulfil its promise to return Nigeria to a Federal Constitutional Governance as contained in your Manifesto.

“All that we are requesting you to do is to use your good auspices and commit yourself to be faithful to the promise upon which your party was elected into office.

“NADECO on behalf of the silent majority of Nigerians expects you to make Nigeria respond to her manifest destiny of providing leadership to the black race which is looking up towards us to take our rightful place in the global diplomatic leadership in order to prove that black civilization is consequential and important as the others for the growth and advancement of humanity.

“We pray that the good Lord will grant you robust health, empathy and divine wisdom to providing unprecedented productive and impactive leadership which will in quick time enhance the standard and quality of lives of our people who have endured unbelievable economic deprivation, neglect and poverty in a country like Nigeria with the abundant human and material endowment and resources.”

Obi Never Directed Us On Who To Vote As Speaker, LP Caucus.

By

James Orji

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June 6, 2023

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Afam Ogene, Caucus Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives, has debunked the rumour that the Presidential candidate of the party, in the just concluded general elections, Peter Obi, directed the Labour Party Members-Elect on the candidate to vote as Speaker.

This clarification was contained in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, June 6, by the Labour Party House of Representatives caucus.

Ogene described the rumour as the handiwork of Fifth Columnists, who are out to cause rancour within the ranks of the Labour Party Reps and also embarrass the party’s respected leaders, Obi, and his Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Yusuf Baba-Ahmed.

The Labour Party members-elect said, in a statement signed by Hon. Ogene, leader of the caucus, that “Nothing can be farther from the truth, as the allegation is a lie from the pit of hell,”

Ogene said further in the statement, “On my honour, if Mr. Peter Obi as much as gave any such order, we would have gladly carried it out, and offer a robust defense of the decision as a Party, but in the instant case, he never did, so why the splitting of hairs?

“In fact, the insinuation that Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party(LP), is coercing Members-Elect of the House of Representatives to vote for a particular candidate in the Speakership race is a lie which is beneath contempt.

“Yes, as a Caucus, we met last night, but not at Mr. Obi’s behest. The notice of meeting was sent out by the National Chairman of Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure, and Mr. Obi was only invited as National Leader of the Party.

“After virtually all 27 Members-Elect present at the meeting had taken turns to speak, Mr. Obi, who was the first to leave because of another engagement, advised members to ensure, as much as possible, that they are united in arriving at a decision regarding who to vote for as Presiding Officers. Is this a crime, or an advise too weighty to offer?

“Even in advocating this unity of purpose, Mr. Obi never mentioned any candidate by name, only electing to remind the members-elect that Nigerians place huge expectations on the Labour Party to dare to be different, in conduct and stance on national issues.

“Everything must not be about what you can gain as individuals, but rather your place in history as you begin your sojourn in the National Assembly,” Obi had said.

“As a matter of fact, we make bold to reiterate that, not once, throughout his about 15-minute speech, did Mr. Obi mention any aspirant by name. On the contrary, he urged the members to continue talking amongst themselves, under the guidance of the National Chairman and the Caucus Leader on the issue of Speakership.

“In deed, for the records, Mr. Obi had in his first official interaction with the LP Members-Elect – soon after they collected their certificates of return in March, 2023 – urged them to decide for themselves who to vote for,” Hon. Ogene said.

In his words at the time: “You are the ones elected, so the onus rests with all of you, to interface with others to choose your leaders. As for me, several aspirants, both in the Senate and the House have been trying to reach me, but I prefer to allow you people take your fate in your own hands.”