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Trash That National Water Resources Bill 2020 |The Source

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The Source
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By The Guardian Editorial Board

A recent reintroduction of the vexatious National Water Resources Bill, which was rejected in 2018 by the National Assembly (NASS) is curious at this time.

President Muhammadu Buhari, whose office returned the Bill, must have some inexplicable motive for pushing it at all cost. The surreptitious plot to ram it through the federal legislature speaks volume for some hidden agenda.

That Bill is suspicious. A Bill that is out to rob many people, in broad day light, of their means of livelihood cannot but attract resentment and condemnation.

It is inconceivable that indigenous peoples, especially, in the South and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria would accept to be alienated from their God-given water resources. The National Assembly would do well to once again, trash the Bill to save the country from avoidable conflagration. The representatives of the people had better let the sleeping dog lie to avoid another round of crisis in the already volatile polity.

The repugnant and detestable land-grabbing Bill, which obviously is suspected to grant Fulani herdsmen and Miyeti Allah cattle breeders unfettered access to land and water resources in Southern Nigeria, can only trigger national upheaval.

Coming at a time when Nigerians are clamouring for proper federalism that entails devolution of powers to the states and local authorities, the introduction of a Water Resources Bill by President Buhari, to further alienate the people is unfortunate. The president should withdraw the bill in public interest.

President Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari

When the Bill was first introduced in the 8th Senate, it generated controversy across the country, because of its desire to have the Federal Government take control of lands and water resources in the country. The perception by the public that the Bill was a decoy to advance the interest of the cattle herding Fulani population was palpable.

Though the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had reportedly raised concerns over the piece of legislation, by querying, “is this not the same Bill that generated controversy in the media,” he still allowed it to pass. And the question is why? Why did he not shut it down knowing the gravity of the implications of the Bill if passed into law?

The Bill, entitled “National Water Resources Bill, 2020,” was arbitrarily reintroduced in the Green Chamber, in breach of its rules, legislative convention and provisions of the 1999 constitution before the House adjourned for a two-month recess on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

It was therefore shocking that on Thursday, July 23, 2020, the House had, in referring to Order 12, Rule 16 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, 9th Edition, passed the National Water Resources Bill, 2020 and committed it to a “Committee of the Whole”, for third reading and final passage. The presentation of the Bill was done by the House Chairman on Rules and Business, Fulata.

Analysts say the referral of the Bill to the Committee of the Whole breached Order 12, Rule 16 of the Standing Orders of the House. Though the Order states that such a bill from a preceding Assembly be gazetted and clean copies circulated, reports say none of that was done.

The Bill seeks to bring all water resources (surface and underground) and the banks of the water sources under the control of the Federal Government through its agencies to be established by the Bill.

Section 13 of the Bill, states, “in implementing the principles under subsection (2) of this section, the institutions established under this Act shall promote integrated water resources management and the coordinated management of land and water resources, surface water and ground water resources, river basins and adjacent marine and coastal environment and upstream and downstream interests.”

Section 2(1) of the Bill, says: “All surface water and ground water wherever it occurs, is a resource common to all people.’’ The Bill is primed for passage by the House on their resumption from recess next month, which is September.

Reacting to the secret plot to pass the bill, the Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), called on Nigerians to be ready for a protracted resistance to the move by the lawmakers.

The authorities in Abuja should not ignore the warning statement by the Southern and Middle Belt Forum on this hot potato. In their statement: “The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum calls on all the communities opposed to the bill, meant to grab land around waterways for cattle herders, to use the break time to organize community special sittings for their representatives to explain the meaning of this latest move and their roles in it.” The Bill, if passed into law, will clip the wings of state and local government authorities as well as individuals from making use of the water at their backyard without permit from Abuja. This development will engender serious contentions across Nigeria. The result would be water wars, which would be more devastating than the contentions over grazing land and even oilfields.

The Guardian wrote this Editorial on the controversial National Water Resources Bill, 2020, before the NASS

Nigeria’s Exports Declined By 27% In The Last Six Months, Says NBS |The Source

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The Source
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NBS Logo

By Uche Mbah

The balance of trade between Nigeria and other countries declined by 27.3 percent in the second quarter of 2020. This means that Nigeria imported 27% more products than it exported within the last six months, said the National Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday.

According to the Bureau, Nigerian trade stood at a total of N6.24 trillion in the second quarter of 2020.

The bulk of the trade from Nigeria may have come from crude oil. The main export product of the country, which suffered a setback due to the Oil crash occasioned by the COVID 19 pandemic, aside from the Organisation of Petroleum exporting countries, OPEC, trade war with Russia over the Gulf regional oil.

Nigeria sold little oil due to low demand during the period under review.

But Nigeria imported total goods and services worth N4.02 trillion within the last three months but exported only goods and services worth N2.22 trillion in the same period. This  resulted in an external trade deficit of N1.8 trillion.

“Consequently, the trade balance recorded a deficit of N1,803.3billion, marking the third consecutive quarter of negative trade balance.

“This compares with trade in the goods deficit of N421.3 billion recorded in Q1, 2020, and N579.06billion recorded in Q4 2019,” the NBS said.

In the first three months of the year, Nigeria’s exports declined by 45.64, while imports fell by 10.69 percent in the second quarter of the year under review.

“The value of total trade year to date amounted to N14,829.4billion, indicating a drop of 11.96 percent compared to half-year 2019,” NBS said.

This can be broken down as follows: import of Energy goods increased tremendously by 591.47 percent in the first quarter, Manufactured goods imports increased by 4.69 percent and imported Agricultural goods rose by 59.01 percent,  the NBS had said.

The import of raw material increased by 85.69 percent, Solid mineral imports increased in by 35.51 percent. Other oil products imports decreased by 82.32 percent while total exports were 45.64 percent lower in the second quarter.

Raw material goods export recorded a decrease of 56.2 percent in Q2,2020 compared to Q1, 2020 and 52.4 percent compared with the same quarter in 2019.

GT Bank Earns More Amidst Economic Turmoil |The Source

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Bayo Bernard
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By Fola James

GT Bank Plc has released its Half Year (H1) financials, ending June 30, 2020 to the Nigerian Stocks Exchange, NSE coming barely 24 hours after the bank notified the Regulator of delay in filing the report.

The bank, keen industry watchers insist is one of the few DMBs that have now filed their reports pursuant to the provisions of Rule 17:20 (g): Financial Reporting and Periodic Disclosure, Rulebook of the NSE, 2015.

The Segun Agbaje led Deposit Money Bank had earlier on Monday notified the Exchange that the lender will release report to the general public as soon as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN gave approval.

The reports indicate that gross earnings increased by 1.7 percent to N225.139 billion, from N221.870 billion while profit stood at N99.133.

The Bank had informed the NSE of the meeting of its board of directors on July 22, which considered the audited HI 2020 financial statements after which it was sent to the CBN for approval.

“Pursuant to the post-listing requirements of the Nigerian Stock Exchange for quoted companies, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc hereby informs you that the board of directors of our bank is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, to consider the audited financial statement for the half-year ended June 30, 2020. Issues relating to half-year dividend may also be discussed at the meeting,” the bank said in the notice to the NSE.

Recall that GTBank Plc reported a net interest income of N64.28 billion in Q1 2020 as against N53.58 billion in Q1 2019.

The tier-1 bank’s profit before tax, PBT also grew by 2.1 per cent to N58.2 billion, up from N57 billion in Q1 2019, while Profit after tax, PAT increased from N49.3 billion in Q1 2019 to N50 billion in Q1 2020.

The forward moving bank closed last week’s trading on the NSE with a share price of N20.80, according to figures obtained by The Source magazine form NSE.

Meanwhile, the bank has assured the general public that it will continue to invest in critical economic sectors to promote sustainable growth and development.

 

PDP Laments Hike In Price Of Petrol, Electricity Tariff, Says APC Government Is Punishing Nigerians Unjustly, MAN Laments |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Opposition Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned and vehemently rejects the fresh increase in the price of fuel to N151 per liter and electricity tariff from N30.23 to N66 per kwh under the All Progressives Congress, APC, led President Muhammadu Buhari Government. The party described the hikes as callous, cruel and punishing.

In a statement  its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan demanded an immediate reversal of the prices to avert a national crisis.

Ologbodiyan stressed that the increase will result in an upsurge in costs of goods and services and worsen the biting hardship being faced by Nigerians, who are already impoverished and overburdened  by the APC-imposed high cost of living in the last five years.

“Our party asserts that by increasing the price of fuel from the N87 per litre it sold under the PDP to an excruciating N151 while at the same time, allowing the hike in electricity tariff from N30.23 per kwh to over N66, the APC has left no one in doubt that its agenda is to inflict pain and hardship on Nigerians to satisfy their selfish interests.

“The unjustifiable increase in the price of these essential supplies, coming barely a week after the APC brazenly posted a support for fuel price hike, while attempting to rationalize the excruciating hardship being suffered by Nigerians under the Buhari administration, has further confirmed that the APC is at the center of the harsh policies of the Buhari Presidency.

“It is distressing that the APC administration increased the cost of essential commodities at the time the leadership of other countries are offering palliatives to their citizens to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is instructive to add that our nation is doomed under the APC watch.

“We know that the APC is an unfeeling party but it is indeed shocking that it could go to the extent of approving such a hike at this trying time, when many Nigerians are struggling to afford staple foods and other necessities of life.

“Our party challenges the APC and the Buhari administration to publish the parameters with which it arrived at the increase of fuel price to N151 per liter given that with the prevailing values in the international market, the appropriate price template for domestic pump price in Nigeria ought not to be above N100 per liter.

“Our party further challenges the APC-led Federal Government to publish details of its sleazy and over-bloated oil subsidy regime, including the involvement of APC interests in the claimed under-recovery for unnamed West African countries, running into trillions of naira, while Nigerians are made to bear the burden of high fuel costs.

The statement added that, moreover, the APC and its government have failed to allow an open investigation into allegations of fuel price overcharge as well as the fraudulent subsidy regime through which over N14 trillion had allegedly been frittered by unscrupulous individuals in the APC.

“Our fear is that the APC is pushing Nigerians to the wall with its obnoxious and anti-people proclivities and we caution that nobody should misinterpret the peaceful and law-abiding nature of Nigerians as a sign of weakness.

“Our party, therefore, restates our call on the National Assembly to save the nation by calling the APC and its administration to order before they plunge our nation into chaos”, Ologbodiyan stressed.

The Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Branch, Chief Adegbite, has also lamented the increase in the tariff of electrify, saying it would spike an increase in the prices of good stuff and all goods.

Pro Democracy Groups Set To Protest New Fuel Price |The Source

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Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni, Akure

Leading  Human Rights and pro democracy groups in Nigeria are set to protest the new fuel Price hike imposed on Nigerians by the federal government.

The new hike, announced on Wednesday raised the price of Premium Motor Spirit,(PMS) otherwise known as petrol from N150 to as high as N151.

The groups,  Campaign for Democracy (CD), and Conference of Nigerian Civil Rights Activists (CNCRA) have  met over the new fuel price and agreed to rescue Nigerians from the obnoxious pricing regime.

The meeting described the new fuel price as wicked, unnecessary, unwarranted, and condemnable.

In a conmunique, signed by Usman Baku and Ifeanyi Odili for CD, and Ayodele Adeyemi, for CNCRA, they agreed to coordinate and sensitize every Nigerian to get ready to determine how they want to live their lives, as well as remove the yoke and burden placed on them by their leaders.

It stated that Nigerians should be prepared for another round of struggle and coordinated mass action, apparently, a replay of campaigns against military rule.

They also called on “international community to caution Nigerian leaders on the need to see reasons why they should not take Nigerian masses for granted.

“Nigerians are in pains, they have been chained and have their mouths padlocked like the period of slave masters and period of apartheid in South Africa.

“There is panic in the land arising from merciless killings going on across Nigeria,” it added.

The communique further stated that members of the armed forces are quitting the military, while some are allegedly being prosecuted and tried secretly for speaking out against their oppressors.

Ondo: Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi In Allged Certficate Forgery Scandal |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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Agboola Ajayi

By Ayodele Oni, Akure

Still savouring the joy of picking the flag of the Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP) in October 10 Governorship election, the deputy governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi is  confronted with allegation of certificate forgery.

But the ZLP  has declared that its gubernatorial candidate is supremely qualified to not only contest, but govern Ondo State.

The Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Olatunde, in a statement, pointed out that it is aware of the attempt to create doubt in the minds of its ever-increasing members and indeed voters, “concerning our popular and widely accepted candidate, Mr Agboola Ajayi.”

“We just read a funny ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by someone who claims to be a lawyer, obviously acting on the prodding of some political adventurers.

“We are aware of the clout chasing effort of those behind the lawyer in this attempt to tout an ultimatum that is futile in its entirety.

“While we know that INEC is capable of taking care of itself and its operations, we state without any equivocation that our candidate was well aware of the preplanned effort now being executed, hence he submitted the minimum qualification required by law.”

The party insisted that “such distracting darts have little or no effect on the growing popularity of our candidate.”

It added, “Several efforts in the past to hinder the political rise of our candidate have failed woefully and the current effort to hinder him will equally fail.

“We urge our teeming members and supporters to proceed without any fear with the ongoing mobilisation and campaign efforts towards ousting the outgoing governor and the All Progressives Congress, APC.”

The ZLP assured that by the grace of God and the votes of the teeming majority who are tired of the underperformance and nepotism of the outgoing governor, it will win the forthcoming election fair and square, adding that “no rabble rousing litigant can change the course of history”

Ajayi had resigned from the All  Progressives Congress, APC, and defected to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, without resigning from the office of the Deputy Governor.

Within a couple of weeks, he also quit the PDP for the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, when he failed to pick the parties Governorship candidate.  He is now the candidate of the ZLP.

CAMA: Presidency Denies, Act Targeted At Churches, Mosques, Religious Leaders |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Senator Ita Enang

By Akinwale Kasali

The Federal Government has debunked rumours, beliefs and insinuations that the Company and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, is targeted at religious leaders and religious bodies.

Religious bodies have roundly condemned CAMA, since it was signed into law, insisting it is meant to annihilate  the Church, and for the government to reap where it did not sew.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, and Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, spoke at a meeting in Abuja, following the call by CAN for the Suspension in the implementation of the Act.

At the meeting organised to enlighten the Christian body on the provisions of CAMA, Enang swore to an oath to assure the Church in Nigeria that he would tell the whole truth about the new law.

The Presidential aide alleged that some politicians, especially those from opposition parties, had “wrongly characterised” CAMA as an anti-religious law.

He explained that the bill that birthed CAMA was initiated by a Senator and a member of the House of Representatives,  and not from the Executive arm of government as widely speculated. Enang added that the President had twice declined assent to the bill when it was passed by the 8th National Assembly.

He said: “Misconceptions have enveloped this Act with deliberate misinformation and falsehood by persons who may not have fully and in-fact, personally read and digested the provisions of the Act.

“First, the bill that gave birth to the Act was not an Executive bill transmitted by President Buhari to the legislature. It was initiated by two members of the National Assembly at the behest of the Corporate Affairs Commission and support of the Ministry of Trade and Investment. It was passed and transmitted to Mr. President for assent.

“Mr. President, in accordance with extant best practice escalated the measure to appropriate ministries, departments and agencies who made different inputs some of which lead to Mr. President declining assent twice to the bill in the entire tenure or life of the 8th Assembly.

“We want to declare as a fact, that the Act does not target churches or religious bodies as wrongly assumed.

“President Buhari has not introduced any matter oppressive to the Christian community or any religion or any matter discriminatory against any class of persons in Nigeria”

Ayokunle argued that reactions of public office holders have not helped matters.

His words: “We sincerely appreciate the courtesy of your invitation, we are however constrained from doing so on the following grounds: We are yet to be availed with the authentic version of the voluminous Act .

“From the reactions of stakeholders and a cross-section of the Nigerian-state, it is apparent that the Act either did not receive input from the respective various interest groups or failed to accommodate their views, sundry concerns and varying interests of the Nigerian people.

“Without prejudice to our observations, such a law ought to welcome and accommodate the sundry and varying interests of the Nigerian people.

“Furthermore, we are mindful that comments in public domain are beginning to indicate that CAMA, 2020 has the potential that can further undermine the faith of stakeholders in the Nigerian-state.

“The dominant schools of thought in the public domain, hold the view that should stakeholders of the Nigerian-state seek judicial intervention or amendment of the Act by the National Assembly, they shall achieve nothing much, as they consider such, as exercises in futility.

“Mr. President, from the foregoing, we are of the opinion that you should kindly issue the appropriate directives to suspend the implementation of CAMA 2020 and affirm a thorough reappraisal of the legislation that is in correlation with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, other extant legal and policy frameworks, the national economy, national security, national interest and the wellbeing of the Nigerian-state”.

A number of legal minds have advised CAN to go to the National Assembly, and ask for a repeal, or go to the Federal High Court, to stop its implementation.

Breaking: Ousted Malian President, Keita, Suffers Stroke |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

By Akinwale Kasali

Former Malian President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was ousted by the Military last month, has been hospitalised after suffering a brief stroke-like attack, a doctor said Wednesday.

75-year-old Keita who has not been seen in public since his August 18 ouster in a coup, was admitted to a private clinic in the capital, Bamako, on Tuesday evening.

“According to an analysis, the president was the victim of a transient ischaemic attack, but he is recovering well at the moment,” a doctor at the hospital said.

A transient ischaemic attack, a mini-stroke, happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted for a few minutes, causing stroke-like symptoms such as numbness on one side of the body, vision difficulties or confusion in understanding speech.

Although the symptoms are typically short-lasting, they are often a warning sign for future strokes, experts say.

Earlier Wednesday, an aide to Keita and a medical source had said the former president had been admitted to the clinic for a routine checkup and that he was expected to return home in the coming hours.

Asked how long Keita would stay, the doctor said: “It’s true, his return home was initially envisaged for today, but right now he is under observation.”

The president was ousted by young military officers who mutinied at a base near Bamako, before heading into the city, where they seized Keita and other leaders.

Hours later, Keita announced on national TV that he was stepping down.

He was released on August 27 by the new junta, who returned him to his residence in Bamako where, according to his entourage, he has limited access to a phone and the internet.

The junta said that Keita is authorised to leave the country for medical care if need be.

Keita, who was two years into his second five-year term, had been battling mounting protests fuelled by his handling of a bloody jihadist insurgency, and failure to turn around Mali’s failing economy.

Breaking: FG Increases Pump Fuel Price To N151.56 |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
Pump Price in Nigeria

By Akinwale Kasali

The Federal Government has, again, approved the increment of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol.

The commodity will now sell at N151.56 per litre, according to Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

In a statement , D.O Abalaka of the PPMC, stated: “Please be informed that a new product price adjustment has been effected on our payment platform.

“To this end, the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is now one hundred and fifty-one naira, fifty-six kobo (N151.56k) per litre.”

He added: “This takes effect from September 2, 2020.”

President Buhari Applauds Gov. Uzodinma, Says He Is Proud Of Him |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
President Buhari Praises Hope Uzodinma

By Akinwale Kasali

President Muhammadu Buhari has heaped praises on the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, on his giant stride since assuming office as the Executive Governor of Imo State.

The President commended Governor Uzodinma, saying that he is proud of him.

The President stressed that Governor Uzodimma has been proactive and steadfast following his giant and outstanding strides since his emergence as the Executive Governor of IMO State, both in delivering the dividends of democracy to the good people of Imo State and as well as his commitment towards the growth and strengthening of the party APC across the Nation, in the South East and Imo State in particular.

This was disclosed when the Imo State Governor met with the President at the State House, Abuja.

Recall that the Governor chaired the virtual commissioning of eleven completed projects for the Digital Economy Sector as executed by the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy. One of the projects is a digital emergency communication center in Owerri.

Uzodimma also chaired the Primary of the APC during which  Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (POI), emerged the candidate of the APC in the upcoming Edo State Gubernatorial election.

Other reasons for such humongous confidence reposed on the Governor by the President are manifest in the way the Governor has carried on as an ‘experienced driver’ since his assumption of office as the Chief Executive of the State since January.

To this end, the President expressed confidence in the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma in turning Imo State into a developmental cluster.

Highly elated Buhari could not hold back his excitement while drumming support from Ndi Imo to the Governor in his quest and resolve towards the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery of Imo State.

The President further charged Governor Uzodimma not to relent on the various people-oriented projects he’s committed to inorder to turn the fortunes for good.

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