By EricJames Ochigbo

The House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on purchase of arms and amunition on Friday insisted that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim must appear in person to clarify issues on purchase of arms by Nigerian Army.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Bede Eke (PDP-Imo) at a public hearing in Abuja.

Ibrahim has sent a team of officers led by Maj.Gen. Charles Ofoche to represent him at the event.

Rep. Ifeanyi Mouma (APGA-Anambra) while raising a point of order at the hearing said that a written invitation was sent to COAS by the committee to appear in person.

For me as a member of this committee which is suppose to actually lay ground facts for the people of Nigeria on the objective that this committee was set up.

I do not think the representative of the Chief Army Staff can be held culpable or liable for the remarks made here because it is assumed that any remarks made here is made by the Chief of Army Staff.

So if he is not the one making the remarks, it makes it very easy for him to actually engage in culpable deniability since he is not the one making the remarks, he said.

Ofoche had tendered the apology of COAS for his inability to appear in person.

He explained that the COAS has been on tour of formations in the country to get first hand information on the state of troops.

He was in Ibadan and Enugu yesterday all for the same security needs; the country is embroiled in a lot of crisis so he is moving around, he said.

Source: NAN News

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, has disowned the report credited to him regarding alleged misappropriation of funds meant for procurement of war equipment by the immediate past Service Chiefs.

Monguno, in a statement on Friday, said that his interview with BBC Hausa was quoted out of contest.

He said that he did not categorically say that funds meant for arms procurement were missing under the former service chiefs as reported or transcribed by some media outlets from the BBC interview.

During the interview, the NSA only reiterated the Federal Governments commitment to deal decisively with insecurity and stated President Muhammadu Buharis continued commitment to providingall necessary support to the Armed Forces, including the provision of arms and equipment.

In the interview the NSA clearly informed the BBC reporter that Mr President has provided enormous resources for arms procurement, but the orders were either inadequate or yet to be delivered and that did not imply that the funds were misappropriated under the former Service Chiefs.

The NSA also informed the reporter that, Mr President is following up on the procurement process as is usual with contracts relating to military equequipmet.

In most cases the process involves manufacturing, due diligence and tedious negotiations that may change delivery dates.

As the NSA conveyed during the Aso Villa media briefing, questions relating to defence procurement should be channeled to the Ministry of Defence.

All security and Intelligence agencies are working together to bring an end to insecurity with the full support of Mr. President and stakeholders, including the media and civil society as part of a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach to address our security challenges, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Stanley Nwanosike

Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja on Friday in Enugu assumed office as the new General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.

Taoreed took over from Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, who had been redeployed to Defence Headquarters Department of Training and Operations as the Chief Defence Training and Operations.

Giving his farewell speech, Adegboye thanked officers and soldiers for their support during his stay as the GOC of the Division.

He called on them to give the new GOC maximum cooperation.

I implore you to extend the same cooperation to the new GOC and always be ready for deployment at anytime, he said.

The outgoing GOC said that during his leadership, the Division did all to keep violence and crime rate low within the Divisions Area of Responsibility (AOR).

In spite the security challenges, we were able to surmount most of them and keep the crime and violence rate low in our AOR.

I believe we are well motivated to forge ahead to deal with other remaining security challenge around us.

Even as we push forward to ensure we maintain our constitutional mandate in line with the Chief of Army Staff vision for the Nigerian Army, he said.

Adegboye urged officers and soldiers to continue to work in synergy with the Nigeria Air Force, Nigerian Navy and other security formations, adding that is the way forward.

The new GOC, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, did not make any comment, but however went into a closed door meeting with officers of the Division.

Highlights of the event were Adegboye handing over the insignia and flag of the Division to Lagbaja as well as inspection of the guard of honour by the two top senior officers. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Kadiri Abdulrahman, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2021 N13.588 trillion Appropriation and 2020 Finance Bills into law, saying the government deliberately chose to pursue an expansionary fiscal policy to accelerate the economic recovery process, promote social inclusion, and strengthen economic resilience.

He said that the government was intensifying domestic revenue mobilisation efforts so that adequate resources can be realised to fund the budget.

Revenue-generating agencies, and indeed all ministries, departments, and government-owned enterprises, must work very hard to achieve their revenue targets, control their cost-to-revenue ratios, as well as ensure prompt and full remittances, he said.

The amended 2020 Finance Act appears to be integral to the governments expansionary revenue generation initiative to fund the 2021 budget.

Provisions of the new law are in line with the governments agenda to improve the ease of doing business, promote investments and other key sectors of the economy.

Although the Act has other major amendments like exemption of low income earners on minimum wage or less from income tax and exemption of small businesses with less than N25million turnover from paying Tertiary Education Tax, the provision on unclaimed dividends and dormant bank accounts appears to have generated the most interest.

The new law provides that unclaimed dividends in a listed company and unuitilised amounts in a dormant bank account outstanding for six years or more should be transferred to a trust fund as a special debt to the federal government to be managed by the Debt Management Office (DMO).

The government expects to generate about N895billion from that particular provision of the act to fund part of the 2021 budget deficit.

While some analysts see the idea of generating revenue through unclaimed dividends and dormant bank accounts as creative and laudable, others urged caution so as not to deny innocent Nigerians of their property.

Mr Garba Abubakar,Registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) expressed support for governments plan to borrow the dividends to fund the 2021 budget deficit.

Abubakarbelieves that such funds would be safer for the owners if borrowed by the Federal Government.

It is better for government to borrow the money, especially for infrastructural development that will also benefit the people.

So long as the funds are in the hands of the government, the owners are safe and free to come forward anytime to collect what belongs to them.

But if the unclaimed dividends are reverted to the companies, there is every likelihood that the owners may lose out, he said.

A financial expert, Mr Okechukwu Unegbu, advised the Federal Government to observe due process in its plan to use unclaimed dividends and dormant bank accounts to finance budget deficit.

Unegbu, a past President of Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria(CIBN), said that the idea could deny the owners of their right of ownership.

He suggested that government should use the option of investment outlets to invest such dividends in bonds and make them profitable.

Government should not acquire them without due process. The law provides that if after 12 years the dividend remains unclaimed it should be reverted back to the company that issued the shares, he said.

He suggested the use of security to acquire dormant bank balances instead of using a trust fund, adding that the banks were to blame for leaving some accounts dormant instead of contacting next of kin of their owners.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) asked government to drop the plan, describing it as illegal.

In a letter to the Federal Government, SERAP said that borrowing the funds would hurt vulnerable Nigerians and ultimately lead to unsustainable levels of public debt

The group argued that the right to property extended to all forms of property, including unclaimed dividends and funds in dormant accounts.

The government, however, explain that the funds shall be available to the share holder or account holder at any time, together with yield.

According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the proposal by the Federal Government to set up unclaimed dividends and balances trust fund is not a bad one.

Head, Securities and Investments Services Department, Mr Abdulkadir Abbas, said this while making clarifications at a public hearing on the Act.

He, however, said that SEC should be allowed to continue to constructively manage the issue of unclaimed dividends for the development of the nations capital market.

We are not against the proposal to set up unclaimed dividends and balances trust fund. Our concerns are with respect to the governance structure of the proposed fund and that is why we are asking for reconsideration.

We are advocating modifications of the provisions with regards to management and governance of the trust fund to avoid possible harm to the capital market which is still struggling to survive, he said.

Nigerians largely agree that government needs to seek creative ways to generate revenue and reduce its dependence on foreign debt.

Most, however, urge government to deploy such funds more efficiently to bridge the infrastructure deficit in the country and enhance economic growth.

Mr Victor Ndakauba, Deputy Managing Director, Afrinvest, an Investment Banking Firm, advised government to consider the challenge of the investment climate in deploying the funds.

He called for a more effective collaboration with the private sector to build infrastructure that would help grow the business environment, while advising the government to step back from undertaking projects.

Though the financial reforms may have a positive effect on the Nigerian economy, the challenges of investment climate and fiscal rules are elements for consideration.

Government should act more from a regulatory perspective and allow the private sector to take the equity risk and leverage on that to drive efficiency, he advised.

As government begin to implement the 2021 budget, with the 2020 Finance Act as an important component, Nigerians expect that the positive impactof revenue generated would be visible on economic growth. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Afonne

Guinness Nigeria PLC on Friday in Abuja presented an app for e-learning to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to tackle drink-driving on Nigerian roads.

The Managing Director (MD), Guinness Nigeria PLC, Mr Baker Magunda, presented the app to the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on drink-driving.

Magunda said the technology was developed to assist the corps in training and testing of drivers and everyone who chooses to drive on Nigerian roads.

We work with the government and other partners like the FRSC to target specific issue such as drink-driving or excessive driving, with programmes that try to positively change behavior and reduce harm.

We took this approach because it is the right thing to do, and because it is in line with our business policy.

As Guinness, we are happy to be leveraging technology in tackling drink-driving including the adoption of an e-learning responsible training module which will complement the curricular for training and testing of drivers.

This new product will be deplored as an e-learning modules and everyone who wishes to get or renew their drivers license will be encouraged to undergo a short term educational tutoring on responsible drinking, Magunda said.

According to Magunda, the e-learning module will enable people who want to become drivers or those who are looking to renew their licenses an opportunity to learn about drink-driving, as part of their certification for their licenses.

He added that the pilot scheme would be deployed first to appointed driving schools but that everyone would eventually be able take the training on their smartphone and tablet in the comfort of his or her home.

Magunda said the company was more interested in saving the lives of their consumer than making profits and such would not relent in educating people on the side effects of consuming too much alcohol.

It is only people that are alive that can buy our brands. So, keeping those who consume our brands alive and safe, is the only way we can sustain our business.

We have a moral duty as those who produce alcoholic brands to ensure that we educate people on the side effect of consuming too much alcohol, he added.

Speaking, FRSC Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, said plans were on to train 4000 tanker drivers through NUPENG, with the help of the new application from Guinness.

Oyeyemi said that a comprehensive vision test would also be carried out on all the articulated drivers in the country as 30 per cent of them failed a similar test carried out last year.

Guinness has offered to partner with the corps to carry out a comprehensive vision test for all the articulated drivers. The one we did last year showed that 30 per cent failed the test.

Hardly will you see an articulated vehicle driver wearing a pair of medicated glasses, so, does that mean that all of them have good sight than those of us who are wearing the glasses, no.

So, Guinness will be providing the necessary equipment so that we can do nationwide comprehensive test for drivers, he said.

Oyeyemi assured that theapp would also be used to raise awareness in respect to drink-driving, noting that any effort deployed to save one life was worth it since life had no replacement. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Rukayat Moisemhe

The Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) has called for a review of the law governing marriage to reflect current global realities that are favourable to the womenfolk.

Mrs Gbemisola Oduntan, National Women Coordinator, NASME, made the call at the NASME 2021 International Womens Day celebration with theme: Women, Family Law and Property Rights on Friday in Lagos.

Oduntan said the significance of the topic was very apt in the associations choice to challenge the current obsolete nature of the law guiding marriage in the country.

She noted that the uniformity of the laws must cut across all states of the federation irrespective of tribe, ethnicity or culture.

You struggle with a man for so many years and then due to some differences, you are sent out of the house without getting what is rightfully yours; this is quite disheartening.

We have to know what we are entitled to, where we stand in those laws.

They must be properly spelt out, and it must be uniform across board from Kwara to the any state in the East and even the Northern part of the country.

A womans right should not be hinged on whether or not she was able to have a male child in the marriage, it should be hinged on the place of honour for our role in creating a better society.

In asking for our equal rights which we are prepared for, we are not in competition with men, but, we are asking that our spaces right beside them, devoid of roadblocks and bottlenecks are preserved for us to succeed, she said.

Dr Lola Akande, Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, challenged the popularBeijing declaration for womens political empowerment in 1995 to the tune of 35 per cent.

The declaration requires governments, international organisations and civil society groups to take a range of actions to enhance womens political emancipation.

Akande, represented by Mrs Oluwakemi Ogunmodede, Director, Public Affairs of the Ministry, called for another declaration that would give women equal opportunities with the menfolk.

She urged for the removal ofstructural barriers to womens economic empowerment including the right to own and inherit land and property and to access credit.

According to her, women with strong property and inheritance rights earn up to 3.8 times more income than those without those rights, and their individual savings are up to 35 per cent greater.

Women with those rights are also up to eight times less likely to experience domestic violence.

All of us in this hall can lend our voices to a new order in the sharing formula between women and our men counterparts in the political, economic and other areas of our engagements in our society.

Basically, as a responsible and responsive government, Mr Governor with the Lagos State House of Assembly has a Ministry on Women Affairs .

And equally established an Office of the Public Defender (OPD) and a Directorate for Citizens Rights respectively, under the states Ministry of Justice.

The OPD offers free legal services to underprivileged women whose rights are threatened or infringed upon.

Central to this is addressing the rights and needs of women living in rural and urban areas who must not be left behind in development progress.

I urge our women to be aware of their rights and know the necessary steps for redress to take whenever their rights are infringed upon andmust avail themselves of the services of these agencies, she said.

In his remarks, Dr Adeyemi Agbelusi, Principal Partner, Berean Associates, also noted that the review of the Nigerian marital laws, which he said, was passed in 1970, codified in 2004, had not been reviewed since then.

Agbelusi urged women to be more inclined to emotional and cultural intelligence, to address the downsides of rights in the case of eventualities.

We belong to a society where men are given a higher status than women but this is not so in the constitution; this means the discrimination is of the mind and is not allowed in the constitutional reality.

However, there is need for a review of the law governing marriage as the last codification was in 2004 and does not address the current realities of time.

The law, which has largely been discretionary, should give specific provisions to what people should get with regards to a divorce, widowhood or other forms of separation, he said.

Also, Mrs Angela Emuwa, Chairman, Punch Newspaper, pushed for ease of access to loans and other financial services for women to remove a large number of them from below the poverty line.

This discrimination against women, when they want to apply for loan, buy a property or rent a place must stop.

What has the question, where is your husband when applying for a loan or a house got to do with anything. This bias must be challenged.

We must challenge the way things are done now to take our rightful position by getting equal space to contribute accordingly, she said.

Prince Orimadedun Agboade, President, NASME, pledged the associations support for women owned enterprises to engender improved national Gross Domestic Product output and sustainable economic development. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has applauded Mr Amaju Pinnick, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), on his election into the FIFA Executive Council, the highest decision-making organ in world football.

The presidents congratulatory message is contained in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Friday.

The president expressed belief that by dint of hardwork, dedication and consistency, Pinnick had proven to be an efficient football administrator.

He noted that the world has taken notice of Pinnicks competency skills by electing him into the FIFA Council and one of the Vice Presidents of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

According to him, this feat of enhanced visibility and prestige of Nigeria in the international community is coming on the heels of recent elections of other well qualified and endowed Nigerians into strategic leadership positions in international organisations.

The president urged Pinnick to see his new assignment as an opportunity to enhance Nigerias reputation and identity as a football loving country.

He said Pinnick should also optimally utilise the role of sports, through football, as a driving force to engender development, peace and stability at the regional and international levels.

The Nigerian leader, an active supporter of the round leather game, joined other enthusiastic fans in Nigeria and acrossthe continent in wishing the NFF president the best in his new position. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Sephen Adeleye

Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Friday inaugurated the Kogi State Council For Information and Communication Committee, and urged members to disseminate right and accurate information about the state.

Bello. represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Afolashade Ayoade, said at the inauguration in Lokoja that Kogi was the first state in the federation to domesticate the information council at the state level.

He stressed that Kogi had been in the forefront of domesticating every policy of the federal government at the state level, and urged the committee to project Kogi in the right way as an information officers in the state.

Information officers are the people that project the state in the right way. We must be able to disseminate the right information to the public at all times.

It is mandatory for information officers to disseminate the right and accurate information about the state to the public, he said.

The governor urged the information officers to show capacity in their assignment as public relation officers.

He commended the states Commissioner for Information and Communication, for being proactive and always on top of his job.

There is need to project the state very well, to let the world know our achievements as a state. You must ask questions before you pass out any information to the public.

Dont pass out wrong information; you must be inquisitive in your assignment. You must be at alert to give the right information and defend the image of the state at all times, the governor said.

In his vote of thanks, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, thanked the governor for making the ministry a full fledged one and for always supporting it to carry out its mandate without interference.

Fanwo, who doubles as the Council Information Committee Chairman, commended the SSG for her immense effort and for always giving the right advice to the ministry which had ensured the inauguration of the Council.

We are the first state to domesticate the council, because we have the governor and SSG that understand the value of information.

I assure the governor, the SSG and the good people of Kogi State that the Council will not fail in its mandate of projecting the good image of the state and all its achievements.

We are doing a lot in the state, but a lot of people around the country and the world are yet to be aware of all the giant strides of His Excellency.

I assure the governor that the Council shall work together, collaborate and ensure that we deliver on our mandates, Fanwo said.

He appealed to the SSG to impress on all the Local Government Chairmen in the state to ensure that all the offices of PROs at LG level were well funded.

Fanwo emphasised that the proper funding of information offices at LG level would enable the officers to function effectively in projecting the good work of the governor at the grassroots.

He congratulated the council members for being privileged to be committee members, and urged them to be proactive in their assignment.

Mr Peter Stephen, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communication, will serve as the Secretary of the Council, while all the Ministrys Directors and PROs of all the Local Governments are members.

Source: NAN News

By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu

TheLagos State Government on Friday donated a GAC (GS4) utility vehicle to the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Secretariat to helpenhance the schemes operations.

Dr Tayo Bamgbose, Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter Governmental Relations, Lagos State, who made the presentation in Lagos reiterated Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olus commitment to place the scheme in an enviable pedestal.

Bamgbose said that the government would continue to partner the NYSC in the state to achieve all its plans and projects.

In his response, Mr Eddy Megwa, NYSC Coordinator in Lagos, expressed appreciation on behalf of the Director- General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, management, staff and the entire corps members deployed to serve in the state.

Megwa further thanked Sanwo-Olu for providing an enabling work environment for the operations of the scheme in Lagos state.

The coordinator who had earlier made a passionate plea for operational vehicle from the governor, promised itwould be put to immediate operational use.

He assured that the scheme would also continue to support all laudable activities of the government with its wealth of formidable manpower.

The handing over formalities was witnessed by top government functionaries from the ministry and NYSC. (NAN)

Source: NAN News