After surviving a poorly scripted ‘coup’ attempt , Senate President, Bukola Saraki is weighing options as to how best to fortify his hold on the Nigerian Senate and fend off future moves to unseat him. One of such options is to adopt carrot and stick approach in dealing with his opponents. To this end, reshuffling of the Senate Committees is in the offing.
It has been gathered that some of the Senators who plotted the failed ‘coup’ but now deeply remorseful over their action will likely be appointed Chairmen of new Committees to be created soon in addition to being named Vice chairmen and members of some lucrative Senate Committees respectively.
On the other hand, intransigent plotters who, it has been gathered have gone back to the drawing board to explore more options open to them are to lose their current positions as Chairmen and Vice Chairman of Committees. Also, the suspension Damocles hangs on them. Except they watch their utterances on the floor of the Senate, any of them whose comment is considered ridicule of, and in contempt of the upper chamber risks suspension.
Ekweremadu: His deft moves foiled plot
Senator Omo Agege, allegedly linked to the invasion is currently under suspension for making comments considered damaging to the Senate during the election re-ordering debate. The Delta state Senator has since denied leading the Mace snatchers to Senate but baffling was why the invaders walked directly behind him as he strolled into the Chamber despite being under suspension.
Saraki, The source, was informed, is determined to serve out his term, together with Ekweremadu , as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively before deciding whether to still remain in the APC or not.
Though ‘thugs’ have been blamed for the invasion of the Senate and stealing of its symbol of authority, the Mace last Wednesday, multiple National Assembly sources say it was actually a unsuccessful attempt to oust Saraki and Ekweremadu in the most grotesque manner. A successful execution of the plot would have resulted in the sealing up of the Senate by security agents.
Ike Ekweremadu was presiding when the invaders came calling as Saraki was out of the country on an official duty. Both men- considered in the presidency and by a faction of the APC as the main Senate arrowheads of opposition to the APC –led federal government- were the targets of the failed putsch. Though Senators behind the move are less than 30, tacit backing from a segment of the APC sympathetic to President Muhammadu Buhari and wants him re-elected and handful of key members of his kitchen cabinet aggressively pursuing the re-election bid would have resulted in two of the plotters “elected” as President of the Senate and Deputy President of the Senate respectively, had Ekweremadu adjourned plenary immediately after the invaders carted away the Mace.
The anti-Saraki/Ekweremadu elements in the Senate did not factor in the Deputy Senate President’s resolve to continue with plenary after the Mace theft and prompt provision of another Mace “even if it means staying here in the (Senate) till 6pm”. Sources swear the plotters had expected that the Senate to dissolve into disarray and hurriedly adjourned after the invasion and subsequent stealing of the mace.
According to sources, had this happened, the pro impeachment Senators would have, under heavy security escort, stormed the Senate, reconvene and pronounce Saraki and Ekweremadu impeached. Because of their number, the ‘impeachment’ would have become a subject of high voltage litigations. However, the ‘new Senate Leadership” would have enjoyed tacit executive recognition complete with full paraphernalia of office. The plan was to keep Saraki and Ekweremadu busy in the courts for the remaining part of their tenure fighting for restoration to office while Senators loyal to them are gradually blackmailed into accepting the illegality of their (Saraki and Ekweremadu) ouster as a fait acommpli.
Vice President Osinbajo: Briefed by Ekweremadu
With Ekweremadu sitting tight and seeing the plenary through to its conclusion, the entire plan not only collapsed but became impracticable. Matters further became complicated for the plotters when Ekweremadu issued a statement describing the invasion as an “attempted coup against an arm of government in Nigeria” and then dashed to the presidential Villa to brief the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo of the situation, in the absence of President Buhari who was in London for the Commonwealth meeting.
Shortly after Ekweremadu’s deft moves punctured the “coup attempt”, deluge of “condemnations” of the invasion, from the National Leadership of the APC and the presidency saturated the traditional and social media.
Several months after the passage of the Executive Order On the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF said the policy has failed to improve efficiency in ports operations. The Ease of Doing Business policy was signed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on May 14, 2017
But almost a year after the federal government passed the policy which it said will change the way government business are conducted , NAGAFF said it’s worried the policy has failed to address the problems plaguing ports efficiency.
For instance, the policy seeks to address the high cost of doing business in the ports, caused by inefficiency and slow manner in which export and imports documents are processed. The only way to address this, the government said is to create a single interface for all the government agencies and parastatals working in the ports to fast-track cargo clearance.
There are more than 10 government agencies involved in cargo examinations in the ports. They include, NAFDAC, Nigeria Customs Service, Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, Department of State Services, DSS etc.
“All agencies currently physically present in Nigerians ports have been directed to harmonize their operations into one single interface station in one location in the ports and implement by a single joint task force at all times.
“The Apapa Port shall resume 24-hour operations within 3o days from today and each port in Nigeria shall assign an existing export terminal to be dedicated to the exportation of agriculture produce within 30 days of this Order in order to jumpstart our international trade and economic activity,” the policy said.
But the Founder of NAGAFF, Boniface Aniebonam said the policy still remains the thespian paper tiger because things still remains the same at the ports almost one year after. Aniebonam disclose this in Lagos while featuring in the weekly roundtable organized by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN. He said the position of NAGAFF is that the policy has yet to address the problems.
The freight forwarder blamed various government agencies working in the ports for the failure so far recorded by the policy, noting that the policy was made by the federal government to correct the ills of extant laws that concerns ports operations.
“You know the position of NAGAFF on that policy, our position is very clear. When you come up with this policy of the Ease of doing Business that means you have identified that things are not working well. In other words, that means the laws are not being obeyed. What gives you a good society , is to the extent that laws are being obeyed and respected, where it’s not it’s enforced.”
He said the reason why the policy is not working is because of the refusal of those that are supposed to implement the policy to change the way they have been doing things.
If the existing laws have failed to address the problems, the government must expand its capacity to enforce its policies. The manner things are done in the past, he stated, led to “system collapse” and the reason for the government of raising the bar again with the law of Ease of Doing Business. And what are those obstacles, the human elements.”
He said the malaise of corruption must be first dealt with, as well as the need to change the orientation of Nigerians for the policy to work.
“People must begin to build their integrity and obey the law, and knock out corruption effectively, ditto for the leadership,” he said.
The unfolding drama involving Senator Omo-Agege at the senate has shown how desperate the Ahmed Bola Tinubu camp of the All Progressives Congress to get their pound of flesh by getting the current leadership senate out of the way has boomeranged in the latest attempt of a section of senators sympathetic to the second term of president to steal the show at he National Assembly. The saga is gleefully referred to as a failed coup in some quarters due to the intrigues surrounding the whole saga.
It will be recalled that senator Omo-Agege was spearheading the fight against the reversal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, decision to organize the presidential elections first in 2019, a decision opposed by the Senate leadership and a section of the red chambers. He was said to have declared that the position of the senate is targeted against the interest of the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari has declared his intention to contest the 2019 election, then promptly went to London and told the world that his interest is only handling the security situation in the country.
Omo Agege’s statement drew the ire of the Senate leadership, and he was forced to apologize to the house which he did. He then held a press briefing and made statements inimical to the Senate, warranting the senate to suspend him for 90 days. He headed to court to challenge his suspension, and allegedly sponsored some youths from Niger Delta, where he comes from, to protest his suspension.
On April 18, 2018, he walked into the red chambers with about five men who were well dressed, and many of who appear to be middle aged men. He walked into the plenary and sat down with his entourage, which a reputable online medium later identified as officers of the Directorate of Security Services, DSS. The presidency has since denied that allegation.
It was one of these that took the mace and walked out of the chamber with the senators looking and dumbfounded. With this, Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate president, who was presiding over the plenary in the absence of Bukola Saraki, the Senate President who was out of the country on official duties to the United States of America, wanted to move for adjournment but Senator Shehu Sani brought out his belt and suggested that they use it as a mace by fiat. In between, a mace suspected to belong to the Green chamber, which has adjourned sitting in solidarity with the senate was used and the meeting continued.
Part of the day’s deliberations was the issue of the election time table reversal and the issue of huge amounts that as budgeted for Helicopters but was not accounted for by the presidency.
Meanwhile, based on the order of the senate, the Inspector general of Police sent officers to arrest Senator Omo Agege, which they did. But within hours, allegedly due to high powered pressures from the presidency, he was released from custody, and immediately sent out a press release denying that he had anything to do with the mace snatchers. Unfortunately, the whole drama was enacted in the full glare of television Cameras.
This Magazine found out that, still smarting from the intrigues surrounding the emergence of Saraki as the Senate President, and Buhari having handed the structure of APC to Tinubu, the time was rife to make sure that they are paid in their own coins. Thus with he snatching of the mace, the calculation was that Ekweremadu will adjourn after the fiasco. This will enable the DSS and the Police to allow the faction supporting the INEC position to enter the Senate chambers and, using the Mace, effect an impeachment of the Senate leadership. Even if the impeachment did not hold water, it will be able to stir up enough confusion. Unfortunately, the non adjournment by Ekweremadu nipped the plan in the bud.
Meanwhile, Ekweremadu held a closed door meeting with the Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo over the issue, even though there is presently a power vacuum since the president did not transmit any letter to the Senate handing over to Osinbajo.
Within twenty four hours, the police paraded some young boys that they claimed were the thugs that went to steal the mace.It beats the imagination on how the paradees, who were younger that they ones in the full glare of National television, were able to pass through the tight security network into the senate chambers.
The police also claimed to have found the mace outside the city gate . According to them, a vigilant Nigerian saw it and alerted the Police.
If they “coup” had succeeded, the faction of APC that felt aggrieved with the emergence of Saraki and Dogara would have won the second round. It could have effectively neutralized the Saraki/Ekweremadu alleged presidential ambition, which explains why the desperate measure to stiffle them through those loyal to the presidency. And they found a willing tool in Omo-Agege, who is a new decampee to APC and who believes that the APC magic can make him realize his ambition
Muhammed Uba Garba, Mohammed Aliyu, and Jibril Musa, Comptrollers , Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Seme and Apapa respectively, appears to have entered into the good book of Hameed Ali, a retired Colonel and Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, because of their impressive performance in their respective areas of jurisdiction. The last but not the list was Baba-Musa, MA, Comptroller ,Tin-can Island Command.
Ali, who could no longer hide his deep feelings of appreciation of the Comptroller’s exceptional performance in the areas of anti-smuggling and revenue generation for the government in the first quarter of 2018 was said to have called them individually to thank them and urged them to continue the good work without relenting. The duo of Musa and Baba-Musa of Apapa and Tincan Island respective collected for the government about N82 billion and N77 billion respectively despite the low cargo imports through the ports. The Tincan Island Comptroller may be using his WCO and WTO background and experience in Classification and Valuation to block areas of revenue leakage in the Command. Jibril was said to used effectively the Customs Information Communication Technology, ICT, to checkmate what is happening at the port, thus doing away with the rots previously associated with the Apapa port.
Muhammed Uba Garba: Reads a Riot Act To Officers
But te Comptroller General, insiders said appears more enthused with the anti-smuggling efforts of Muhammed in the southwest geo-political region and Aliyu at the notorious Seme /Badagry axis in Lagos state which had results. This may earned the duo the planned additional responsibilities to sanitize Ogun, Oyo/Osun, Niger and Kwarra states seen as smugglers haven by the Comptroller General. . Aliyu was said to have sanitised Seme axis with the help of an antitracking devise, thus forcing many smugglers to relocate to Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Niger and Kwarra states.
The Seme Comptroller was said to known more of Kwarra and Niger states as a former Comptroller of the Command. At Niger/ Kwarra, he was said to have made things pretty difficult for smugglers of rice and vehicles from Republic of Benin through the Creeks or road to operate. He was described as an anti-smuggling Czar by the people.
Muhammed Comptroller of FOU, Zone A. may have got the highest accolade form the Comptroller General because he had shown the stuff , he was made of as an experienced anti-smuggling officer. He was said to have used all his contacts to tap information on how to track smugglers in the six states in the south west region. They are Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo and Osun states. This is evident going by the trucks load of foreign parboiled rice that had been intercepted by his Command in Oyo and Ogun states alone.
Under his guidance and direction, the Command Lagos Roving team had impounded nine trucks load for smuggled foreign rice in one operation and another three trucks load at Ogbomosho town. Prior to the Oyo state operation, and acting on credible intelligence, he had deployed the team to Idiroko in Ogun state to track a convoy of vehicles loaded with rice from Republic of Benin to Nigeria but the tactical withdrawal of the team to avoid casualty may have given opportunity to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Squad to step in and intercept the vehicles which was taken to their Dente Police Station, Idolo, Ebute Meta, Lagos Mainland , Local government. The most recent operation of the FOU, Zone A , Command , Customs boss which may have won the heart of the Comptroller General was said to be on April 16, 2018 at Illogbo Community, Lafenwa, Abeokuta, Ogun state.
It was a very tough operation as the smugglers showed very strong resistance but the FOU, Zone A, elmsman, and was said to be in his office directing operation. The total quantity and making all the necessary contacts with Valentine Ntomchukwu, the Ogun state Commissioner of Police and the Army to provide reinforcement for his officers on the operation. He was also said to have reached out to counterpart at Ogun Command who may have been taken surprise but he did not hesitate in proving reinforcement for the team to rout the smugglers and dispossess of their smuggled rice in their make shift shanties. The total quantities of rice collected from the Illogbo makeshift shanties alone was 2,671 , ”50kg” bags of rice despite people stiff resistance.
It was therefore not surprising why the Comptroller was not happy that his absence in the Command on Saturday, April 14, 208, to attend to family matters at his home state created a big vacuum as one operation which was said to have been supervised by one Yahaya, the Deputy Comptroller, Enforcement ended up a flop. This is because of the drivers attached to the Lagos Roving team that went on the operation was abducted by the smugglers. At press time, the where about of the smuggler remain unknown.
Sources told the Magazine that the the Command be given a clue by an informant of a place at Sango Otta, the Commercial nerve center of Ogun state where about 400 smuggled exotic vehicles were parked including rice. Perhaps, Yayaya, wants to prove to the Comptroller that he could be counted upon when it comes to anti-smuggling operations, that he could not wait to get proper approval and plan on how to carry out the operation but quickly dispatched the Lagos Roving to the scene to evacuate the items. he got it wrong. This is because, information may have filtered out to the smugglers by fifth Columnists within the Command that FOU team are coming to raid the area.
Detained Oyo state government Prado Jeep
It was learnt that the team had successfully entered the area but seeing the crowd who were battle ready were forced to retreat to avoid casualties. One of the drivers of the operational vehicles was said to have entered Shoprite location at Otta to make U-turn but fell into the waiting hands of the smugglers. He was said to have been abducted while some officers who were with him in the operational Van were manhandled. They were however rescued by the combined team of the Customs, Army and the police and quickly rushed to hospital for treatment. It was the first major operational disaster that had been carried out by FOU, Zone A, since Muhammed was re-deployed from FOU, Zone C, Owerri, Imo state , to the Command in 2017.
The Magazine learnt that the FOU, Zone A, Comptroller on getting back to Lagos had stepped up the man-hunt for the abducted Customs driver. He was said to have mobilized some fierce looking officers armed to the teeth to Otta to assess the situation. Insiders told the Magazine, Ntomchukwu, the Ogun state police Commissioner was said to have given him about 10 additional policemen armed to the Army. The Brigade Commander at Abeokuta was not left as he deployed some soldiers to accompany the Customs Comptroller to the scene at Attack.
Many traders had taken to their heels and forcefully lock up their rice shops when they saw the security operatives invade Otta. But when they found out that the Customs top shot and the other security operative had not come to harass them , they kept calm but their shops were still under lock and key. An officer who was at the scene confirmed that the Comptroller saw hips of rice in one two uncompleted buildings he passed.
It was gathered that there was a directive from the Comptroller General urging Muhammed and his team to evacuate the smuggled foreign rice found in the area but was told that it was risky because the security operatives would be forced to shoot at the crowd. The Comptroller was also said to have told Dangladima, the Deputy Comptroller General , Enforcement and Investigation, the same thing.
Having assessed the situation on ground at Otta, insiders told the Magazine that there was virtually no work at the Command on Monday. April 16, 2018 to review the situation and the Command operational strategies. The Comptroller was said to have waited on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at a Management meeting to read the riot to the officers. He was said to have made it clear to the officers that on no account must any officer embark on any operation both within or outside Lagos no matter the confidence reposed on the informant without his approval. This is to avoid a repeat of the Otta incident. H e was said backed up the verbal warning with a written memo which was handed over to all the team leaders including the Lagos Roving and the Crack Squad. Many see it as a Coup against those officers who have been going out on operation on the orders of their team or Surveillance leaders without seeking the approval of the Comptroller.
As at Wednesday, April 18, 2018, the hard-line position of Muhammed on the officers was the talk of the day. The riot act dominated discussion of officers wherever they gather. Officer who knew Muhammed as younger officer at the old Gongola Command, now Adamawa /Taraba Command said he is a man of his words. They fears that any officer who dares to flout the directive would have himself to blame as he would not spare him.
While Muhammed , the FOU, Zone A, Comptroller is still robbing minds with other security agencies on how to rescue a driver attached to the Command abducted by smugglers, three Toyota Prado jeeps, 2017, driven by three police officers and other offices fully armed with an Oyo state government escort vehicle was said to have been intercepted by a team from the Command . The vehicles were suspected to have been smuggled with the government escort vehicle.
Sources told the Magazine that exotic vehicles were re-routed to the Ikeja premises of the Command where the officers were disarmed. The Comptroller was said to have ordered that their names be taken, which was quickly done. Based on the names, he was said to have contacted the Oyo state government House to confirm that the vehicles were bought by the state government and the officers were acting on instruction to take it to deliver it at Government House , Ibadan.
the Oyo stae government officials may have thought that it is easy to armtwist Muhammed , the FOU, Zone A, Customs boss to get the release of the vehicles, they got it wrong.
A source at Oyo state government House told the Magazine that when it became obvious to the Oyo state contact person that the Comptroller is difficult to bend, he was said to have reached out to a close contact of the Comptroller who is an officer based in Ibadan . The government official was said to have told the officer to his friend that the state government was ready to pay the duties on the vehicles. the mention of the payment of duties on the exotic vehicles may have convinced the Comptroller that they were smuggled vehicles and therefore had no genuine Customs papers.
The sourced disclosed that the Oyo state government may be having difficulty getting the release of the Vehcles from Lagos because it is no longer within the powers of the Area Comptroller to use his discretion to do it. This is because Al, the Comptroller and Dangladima, the Deputy Comptroller General, Enforcement and Investigation had been informed about the detained state government Toyota Prado jeeps. This is an indication that Abiola Ajimobi, the Oyo state governor could only facilitate the release of the vehicles by getting the approval of Ali, the Comptroller General.
But the governor may find it an uphill task convincing the Comptroller General to release the vehicles because of his stance against smuggling of vehicles a into the country. Worried by the low patronage of Nigeria RORO terminal in vehicles import into the country, president Muhammadu Buhari, on the advice of Ali, the Comptroller General, had banned the importation of vehicles and rice through the land border on January 1, 2015. This is where Ajomobi may have to seek the intervention of Buhari on the matter as a serving governor on the ticket of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
There are indications in both officials and unofficial quarters that if the Ali agrees, on the orders of the President to release the vehicles, he may still insist that the buyers direct the FOU ,Zone A, Comptroller to the Cart mart where the vehicles were bought to do right thing. This is a warning to ther state governments which patronize smuggled vehicles to watch as the Customs personnel may be on their trail.
The embattled All progressives Congress, APC may be headed for a protracted crisis.If the schemes of loyalists of the out-going national chairman in the National Working Committee, NWC sail through, the coming national convention of the party will end up still born. Impeccable party sources revealed that Oyegun’s camp is putting measures in place to ensure that the convention is derailed. Part of these measures include securing a court injunction from a pliant judge two days to the convention restraining the NWC and convention planning committee from proceeding with the event.
Though APC governors, in a dramatic volt-face had aligned with Buhari against the initial elongation of Oyegun’s tenure by the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, The Source has it on good authority that eight of the governors are not giving up on their quest to see Oyegun remain in office beyond June this year when his tenure is due to elapse. Consequently, the said governors are deploying massive funds to aid the plot to have the embattled APC boss remain in office.
The days to come, the Magazine was told, will witness a rash of pro-Oyegun court cases against the party. Specifically, APC NEC will be sued on the ground that it lacks powers to enforce national convention. Legal correctness of the suit is not the main concern of those heading to the courts but to achieve a purpose: stop the convention and provide a leeway for Oyegun to remain in office as APC national chairman in acting capacity after the expiration of his tenure.
Barely 24 hours after the Senate President, Bukola Saarki, left for the United States of America for a business summit, the Mace, the symbol of Authority of the Senate, was carted away by thugs believed to be working for Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, in full view of the plenary presided over by the deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, a situation that saw the House of Representatives to shelve sitting in solidarity with their senate counterparts. They later converged at the Senate Chambers to follow the proceedings.
Omo-Agege has been suspended by the senate, which raised speculations hat Omo Agege is behind the mace snatch. “This action is an act of treason, as it is an attempt to overthrow a branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria by force, and it must be treated as such, says the Senate spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
The mace, however, has been replaced when the senate went into an executive session.
On April 12, the Senate suspended Omo-Agege during plenary session over his remarks on the amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act, which changes the sequence of elections set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Omo Agege has insisted that the senate position was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari. Omo Agege later addressed the press on the issue without recourse to the senate rules, which authorises the senate spokesperson to speak for the senate.
But delta state Apc had described the suspension as “Legislative tyrany”.
Speaking to he press on the issue, spokesman for the group, Chief Adelabu Bodjor, said that by the letters and spirit of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Senate cannot nullify, tinker with, or suspend the election of a senator of our Republic
“The Senate cannot compel a senator to vacate his seat and, as a consequence, deny his people their constitutionally guaranteed right of representation. A senator can only vacate his seat by the reason of death, a recall by his constituents or if, without a division in the party on whose platform he was elected, he defects from that party, or otherwise by an appropriate judicial pronouncement. None of these is the case at hand.
“It is extremely offensive that the distinguished Senator Omo-Agege was purportedly suspended for his opinions on a controversial amendment to the Electoral Act regarding the sequence of general elections.
“The senator did not break any law of the land. Rather, his only alleged fault is that he said, ‘there is a perception out there that the proposed amendment is targeted at Mr. President (Buhari).’ But many share the truth, thoughts or sentiments expressed by our senator. Indeed, just two days ago, it was noted that the target of the reordering of the (election) sequence was the Presidency,” he said.
More facts have emerged why officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, with high expectation of wearing their new rank after last November promotion examination may have to wait for period of time to allow the Customs and Excise Board to meet to ratify the results.
The Source learnt that the results had been compiled and forwarded to Kemi Adeosun , the minister of Finance, since last January with a covering memo by Hameed Ali, a retired Colonel and Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, but the minister appears to be sitting it, in what officers described as a ”ministerial delay tactics”.
Sources at the Ministry had attributed the delay by the minister to give her nod to the Secretary of the Customs and Excise Board to arrange for a meeting to ratify the November 2017, Customs officers promotion examination because of the cat and mouse relation between Adeosun, the minister of Finance and Ali, the Customs boss, who are both political appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All progressive Party Congress, APC.
Kemi Adeosun: Sitting On Customs Promotion List
The Magazine learnt that the frosty relation beteen the duo started from the day the Ogun born minister of Finance was allocated ted the Ministry by Buhari. The ministry has the Constitutional mandate oversee the agencies under it including the NCS and the Federal Inland Revenue, Services,FIRS.
Going by the Constitutional provision, the President is to appoint the Head of the these ministerial agencies on the recommendation of the minister. But the reverse was the case in the case of the appointment of Ali, the Customs Comptroller General, thus putting his loyalty to the minister in doubt.
It was gathered that on several occasions the Customs boss had bypassed the minister to the president to secure approval for Customs requests. Some of these approvals may not have gone down well with the minister who may have considered as a gross insubordination. but that was how far she could go as she could not query him.
This is evident going by the release of the promotion examination which he had organised without ministerial approval. Many believe that he could release the results without ministerial approval because he had the backing of the President.
Insiders told the Magazine that the minister may have clipped the wings of the Customs with the inauguration of the Customs and Excise Board . the Board had the minister of Finance as the Chairman and the Customs Comptroller General as the Vice Chairman. The source disclosed that only the minister has the Constitutional mandate to call for the meeting of the Board to ratify promotions, appointments, retire or sack officers.
in spite of the fact that the Board had been inaugurated, Ali was said to have been carrying on the affairs of the government revenue collecting agency as if it does not exist. Officers and men of the Service have been retired and sacked unilaterally without the Board approval .
A source who spoke to the Magazine on condition of anonymity disclosed that if it is possible for Ali to release the Customs officers promotion results which is still gathering dust in the ministry , he would do it and dam the consequence. this is because he has released the results of the junior officers which is where his powers stopped.
The source disclosed that that Ali, is no longer finding it funny that the minister was still sitting on the Customs promotion results in spite of the fact that the list of the successful officers had been sent to her with a backup memo as a prelude for calling for a meeting of the Board to ratify it. For now, officers who sat for the promotion examination are still at the mercy of the minister to release it.
There are fears in both official and unofficial circles that the Customs officers promotion file may remain unattended to in the minister’s office as long as she wants it unless she changes her mind to order for the Board to meet if she is in the country. This is because she is always out of the country attending one meeting or the other at the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund, IMF, African Development Bank, ADB or renegotiating the country foreign debts with creditor nations.
While in the country, the minister is not as free as people may think of it as she is occupied by other official matters forcing her to shuttle between the ministry and the Presidency to give one explanation or the other to the President or Secretary of the Federation. This may have left with little or no time to pay special attention Customs matters.
Going by Ali’s plan, another promotion examination out to have been held not later than June this year for officers and men of the Service who are due for it.
Investigation by the Magazine shows that Police Corps who sat for their own promotion examination at the same that the Customs personnel did theirs had participated in another promotion examination and their results released but Customs officers are still waiting for the outcome of the one conducted last November because of personal interest.
Hameed Ali: CG, Customs, Excise And Tariff
There This is where are fears that some officers whose names had appeared on the retirement lists this year on account of the mandatory 60 years age limit or who had put in 35 years of Service, according to the Civil Service rule but who sat for the promotion examination may retire without being decorated with their new ranks.
”this is where the Army, Navy and Air Force are quite different from the NCS”, an Army officer remarked. The officer confirmed that once an officer partakes in a promotion examination and retires before the promotion was released, he would still be given his appropriated rank and backed dated to be at the level with his Course mates at the Nigeria School of Infantry, Kaduna. The Customs Authorities my have to take a cue from the Military as a way of encouraging the officers and men of the Service while still in the Service.
Analysts said the mister of Finance could be pardoned because she may have been occupied with securing Presidential approval for an enhance salary structure for officers and men of the Service as a revenue generating agency. They felt claimed the minister may have paid more attention to the salary matter than the Promotion result as she could easily handle the later on her own with the meeting of the Board. It would be recalled that at the last World Customs Day Celebration at the Customs Training College, Gwagwalada, She had promised of improved salary structure for the Service, forcing Customs personnel to jump in uproar. Charles Edike, an Assistant Comptroller General in-charge of the Customs Training College could not hide his joy on the mention of the enhanced salary package as he danced uncontrollably on stage while Ali, the Comptroller General and the senior officers watched. ” officers are still optimistic that the minister would release the Customs last year promotion results to facilitate the conduct of the next examination as well as the release of the enhanced salary package for the Service.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on the recommendation of Ngozi, Okonjo-Iweala, a former minister f Finance and Coordinator of the Economy appears to be a former who had taken into consideration the contribution of Customs in revenue generation for the government that he approved a 7 percent Cost of collection for the Service and 4 percent Cost of collection for the FIRS, which Staff strength across the country was not up to that of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja.
On Saturday 14th April 2018, the vanguard Publishing Limited amid glitz and glamour gave awards to some of the country’s personalities in government and Business, the event was held at the expo convention centre,Eko Hotel and suite.
Eight person receive life time award, five governors received governor of the year and two award were given in business, following are the personalities present at the event by Uche Nwosisi.
Ibrahim Dankwanbo,Gombe state governor,Darius Ishaku,Taraba state governor,Seriake Dickson,Bayelsa state governor and Okezie Ikpeazu,Abia state governorSam Amuka- Pemu and Ibrahim AliyuChief Ade Ojo and wifeAyodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state and Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia stateSeriaka Dickson, governor of Bayelsa State and Chief Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun StateDarius Ishaku, governor of Taraba state, Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, and Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia stateSenator Mao Ohabuwa and Professor Grace Alele WilliamsPrince Uche Secondus,PDP, Chairman and Ibrahim Dankwanbo,governor of Gombe stateFidelis Anosike and Prince Uche SecondusRt. Hon.Victor Ochie and Emmanuel UduaghanMohammed Abubakar,governor of Bauchi state and Eng. Rabiu Sulaiman BichiOkezie Ikpeazu,governor of Abia state(middle) receiving his award from Sam Amuka-Pemu
Nigerians know that it is ‘One Week, One Trouble’ in the power sector. They know that the cause of the darkness experienced in most parts of each day is either that there is shortage in gas supply because the Niger Delta militants had either blown up gas pipelines or vandalised them.
They also know that it is because the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) cannot transmit the generated electricity to the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) because of rusty and outdated transmission network. Nigerians also know that the DISCOs are neither efficient nor effective in making electricity reach the final consumers, because they are only out to collect revenue by hook or crook, and do not have the capacity to invest in the sector to boost distribution infrastructure and maintain them.
What again? Nigerians know that the water level is always and mostly very low to allow increased power supply, including the fact that there are always systems breakdown. There are myriad reasons for making Nigeria ‘a Nation in Darkness’.
However, Nigerians are tired. There is something they don’t want to hear and know from government and the stakeholders in the power sector. They don’t want to hear and know about these alibi’s and lame excuses to justify their failure to boost the power sector.
In a chat with Taiwo Akinjide, a civil servant in Lagos state, he not only expressed anger but pity and disappointment at the rate government is quick to defend its failure to make the power sector work. This followed recent information by government that the power sector had lost about N108 billion in the first quarter of this year due to water, gas, and transmission constraints.
“ Is government not tired of all this blame game? Don’t they think that Nigerians are tired of the lots of reasons to justify their failure? What the people need is light, electricity to boost their businesses and enjoy improved lifestyle.
“ Nigerians are tired of these lame reasons for poor electricity supply as government continues to justify the DISCOs ripping-off electricity consumers in so many ways without providing the required/paid services, while defending and protecting them from the wrath of the helpless people with so much jargons, indices and statistics which the people do not understand. What the people need is light not bags of reasons for darkness.
“You know that in this part of the world where people still have their indigenous languages on ground, the lingua franca, English language, is best means of telling so much lies to confuse the people who do not really understand it,” he said.
The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) recently revealed that the powers sector lost about N108 billion during the first three months of this year due to several constraints inhibiting the regular supply of electricity in the country, including water, gas and transmission constraints.
Released data from the agency revealed that the power sector loses between N1.2 billion to N1.5 billion monthly to water, gas and transmission line constraints.
For instance, on January 25, 2018, average power sent was 3,971mw and 2,302.8mw was not generated due to unavailability of gas. About 417mw was not generated due to unavailability of transmission infrastructure, while 290mw was not generated due to high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure.Therefore, on that day, the sector lost an estimated N1.584 billion due to insufficient gas supply, distribution infrastructure, and transmission challenges.
In his speech, Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, while reiterating Federal Governments commitment towards ending the quagmire in the power sector, acknowledged that the power sector is plagued with structural issues in all key areas- generation, gas supply, transmission and distribution, while the operational capacity of the country’s power plants is less than a third of their installed capacity.
Chronic vandalism has crippled oil and gas pipelines, creating gas shortages at power plants and underinvestment in maintenance and infrastructure has constrained the transmission grid.
“While it is no longer news that we have reached a 7,000MW generation capacity, and have a 5000MW distribution capacity, what is newsworthy is that last month we met with Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), DISCOs, and GENCOs “on how to implement the Eligible Customer Policy and increase connectivity to the 2000MW that is available,” he said.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had secured the World Bank’s approval for $486 million Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) transmission expansion funding, while progress is being made with the same bank for the Rural Electrification and Distribution Expansion Funding.
He expressed joy that in ‘many parts’ of the country connected to the grid, Nigerians are enjoying more light, even though all the problems are not solved. “Citizens acknowledge more power in dry weather, reduced hours of running their generators and reduction in fuel (diesel and petrol) purchase to power generators,” he added.
In his reeaction, Jane Abdul, a University graduate who operates a provision store within Ketu axis of Lagos state, in a chat with the Magazine said: “ Government should know that we are tired of these their watery reasons for poor performance. They were elected to solve these problems, some of which may be true.
“ My fears are that the NESI did not say how they have been trying to surmount the problems which are not new. Now, government has collected a whooping $486 million loan to boost the transmission network ‘as election approaches’. Who will monitor the right disbursement of this money?
“ Please, what Nigerians need is constant light and not the darkness we are forced to pay for. Whether they like, they should go and collect loan and do it, or find ways of increasing water level or gas supply. What we want is light.”
A major player in he Nigerian political scene, former president Ibrahim Babangida, popular as IBB, has in recent times shown that he has not completely lost his grip on the Nigerian power equation. His less than usual vocal nature reared its head recently where he was reported to have sought justification of June 12 1993 presidential election, adjudged the freest and fairest in the country since independence. He annulled the election before the result was announced.
Despite the fact that he has openly supported the coalition movement spearheaded by his fellow musketeer and former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, Babangida recently hosted the National working committee of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP, in his Hilltop Mansion in Mina. The committee was led by the recently elected Chairman, Uche Secondus, and comprised the PDP spokes person, kola Ologbondiyan, the women leader, Hajia Maria Waziri, among others.The meeting, it was gathered was not unconnected with the 2019 presidential election and the selection of the party’s flag bearer. Already, Obasanjo has been in the limelight of charting a new course on the issue, though hey have only one ares of agreement: Buhari should not continue. Babangida has in recent times championed the course of youths taking over the leadership of the country. His call has resulted in some youths, regarded as political green horns-for example, the publisher of Sahara reporters, Sowore, who is believed in some quarters to be fronting for a political gladiator- since the known names are old names in the game.
He had hosted the the newly formed Northern elders forum,
led by Alhaji Tanko Yakasai a day after he
he received a delegation of YES Nigeria Movement, led by its convener, Ali Soyode..
It will be recalled that the current onslaught against the ruling APC government started with a closed door meeting of the Quartet of Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Theophilus Danjuma. Subsequent meetings had Garba Wushishi , another powerful retired General in attendance.
