Prof Umar Garba DanbattaThe Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta has narrated how internet criminals emptied his bank account, a situation that is rampant and making the digital transformation of Nigeria into a network society a far distant cry.
Lagos PortReport of the Committee on the Impact and Readiness Assessment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement has concluded that African countries have been depending on countries outside the continent for over 85 percent of its total trade.
The report, which was formally submitted today, June 27 to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by AfCFTA Chairman, Desmond Guobadia, emphasized: “African countries depend on countries outside the continent for over 85% of her total trade.”
The report said that intra-African trade which is trade among African countries constituted only 14.6% of Africa’s total trade with the world whereas intra-EU trade during the same period was 69.8%, intra- American trade was 46% and intra-Asian trade was 59.6%.
It said that the low level of intra-African trade pointed to low production capacity of African countries, high tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. In order words, African countries are still far from achieving self-sufficiency across all sectors.
“Another factor is the preference of African countries to trade with countries outside of Africa due to colonial ties and other economic and political considerations.
“It is envisaged that the trade liberalization offered by the AfCFTA will make African goods more attractive and potentially cheaper than similar products from outside the continent.
“The AfCFTA therefore provides immense opportunities for Nigeria’s manufacturing and service companies to expand to Africa. Today, many Nigerian companies have developed capacity in some of these sectors and have long desired to expand to Africa but have been constrained by trade barriers which AfCFTA is expected to remove.
“Our study has shown that the AfCFTA is not without major risks and undesirable impacts. The most significant of which is the potential rise in smuggling and abuse of rules of origin. The risk is that it will provide incentive for traders to disguise goods imported from outside the continent as made- in-Africa goods, to qualify for duty-free treatment.
“This risk is high for Nigeria considering that 92% of Nigeria’s imports come from the rest of the world and smuggling, under-reporting of imports and other forms of abuse of rules of origin already constitute major challenges faced by Nigeria in ECOWAS.
“The risk is further complicated by the lack of capacity, resources and “will” on the part of some African countries, to enforce their borders. Tackling this threat will require collective efforts at the highest level of ECOWAS and the African Union.
“Our report recognizes that there will be significant adjustment costs to manage the negative impacts and to take advantage of the opportunities.
“The adjustment costs will include retraining workers in declining sectors to be able to take up employment in growing sectors, providing capital to business owners to retool their plants to remain operational and attracting investments to growing sectors in order to produce goods and services to export to Africa.
“The Committee proposed policies, programmes, projects and interventions which may position Nigeria adequately for the AfCFTA.
“We identified sectors which can act as arrowheads for Nigeria’s expansion into Africa, while efforts are intensified to attract private sector investments to the productive sectors.
“Our report shows that on the balance, Nigeria should consider joining the AfCFTA and using the opportunity of the ongoing AfCFTA Phase I negotiations to secure the necessary safeguards required to ensure that our domestic policies and programs are not compromised.
“Specifically, we recommend the following safeguards:
a. extension of the timelines to achieve trade liberalization and integration ambitions and possibly replacing them with a readiness criteria
b. introduction of explicit rules on import quota restrictions;
c. adoption of a common Market Access Offer for Trade in Goods and Trade in Services for ECOWAS, including synchronized Sensitive and Exclusive Lists;
d. adoption of the common Market Access Offer for Trade in Goods to replace and supersede the 2013 ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), which created vulnerabilities for Nigerian industry and manufacturing; and
e. adoption of appropriate continental customs cooperation and other mechanisms to tackle predatory trade.
“Considering the potential impact of predatory trade on her economy, Nigeria should consider championing the effort at ECOWAS and AU/AfCFTA to implement and enforce these safeguards.
“At the domestic level, we recommend that: A: a National Action Committee on AfCFTA be established to coordinate relevant ministries, departments and agencies to drive the implementation of the AfCFTA readiness projects and initiatives.
B the AfCFTA negotiation mandate should be updated based on the report of this Committee and submitted to Your Excellency for your consideration and further directives.
“We also recommend that the Nigeria Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN) be strengthened by enacting its Enabling Law expeditiously.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked new chairman and members of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to help his government in fulfilling the promise of raising 100 million from poverty level which he made in his speech on Democracy Day on June 12.
“In my speech on June 12, Democracy Day, I informed Nigerians that this administration has laid the foundation for transforming our country and liberating our people from the shackles of poverty by putting policies and measures to integrate our rural economies to the national economic grid.
“One measure is to extend credit facilities currently available to be able to encourage and support domestic production of basic goods and reduce our reliance on imported goods.
“I set a target for our country to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years. This commitment is to further challenge the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to rise to its constitutional responsibilities and mandate.”
President Buhari, who inaugurated the Commission’s chairman and members today, June 27, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, advised the Commission to concentrate more on expanding the sources of revenue to the Federation Account and other non-oil sources including solid mineral. He asked members to use all legal ways and means to strengthen the Commission’s monitoring mechanism and block leakages of revenue from the Federations Account.
“All relevant laws and regulations on revenue collections and remittances should be fully complied with and appropriate sanctions visited on defaulters.”
President Buhari assured members that his government will continue to provide all the necessary support that will facilitate the achievement of the Commission’s constitutional mandate even as he called on the National Assembly to enact relevant enabling laws that will guarantee the Commission the legal ability to ensure that defaulters of revenue laws are appropriately sanctioned.”
He reminded members that the Commission is empowered by the Constitution to among other duties to monitor the accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account; review, from time to time, the revenue allocation formulae and principles in operation and advise government on the need for any changes, advise the Federal, State and Local Governments on fiscal efficiency and methods by which their revenue is to be increased;
Others, he said are to determine remunerations appropriate for Political/Public Office Holders, make recommendations and submit findings by a report thereto to the government of the Federation or of the State, as the case may be, regarding the formula for the distribution of the Federation Accounts and the Local Government Accounts and discharge such other functions as may be conferred on the Commission by Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this Act, or any other Act of the National Assembly.
“The mandate of the Commission is very wide and has an important role for our country’s economy. The Commission must be fair and just to the three Tiers and Arms of Government without compromising its core mandate.
The President said that the appointment of the Chairman and members of the Commission was carefully considered based on their proven track records of hard work and integrity.
He hoped that they will rapidly and systematically set to work to address all areas of the Commission’s mandates in a businesslike manner.
The Government of President Muhammadu Buhari has repudiated claims by a group styling itself as Northern Christian Elders Forum, who alleged that his administration is practicing bigotry and alienating Christians.
The response by the government is contained in a counter letter to the British Parliamentary Group, signed by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to UK, George Adetola Oguntade.
Two letters were addressed to Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, a former secretary of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and now Head, “Independent Review of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Support of Persecuted Christians, “and Baroness Berridge, the Chair of “All Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief. “
In the correspondences, the Nigerian government strongly dismissed as inconceivable and outrightly false, allusions to the effect that the Boko Haram terrorism served a government agenda against Christians.
“It would be useful for me to engage with this process to ensure that you are thoroughly briefed on the situation in Nigeria, “High Commissioner Oguntade wrote in the correspondences.
Responding to the interim report on Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians, Oguntade, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, told Rev. Mounstephen:
“The safety and security of all Nigerians, whatever their faith, is a fundamental priority of the Buhari Government. The government knows that Nigeria can only achieve its potential if there is religious tolerance and cooperation.”
The High Commissioner explained that President Buhari’s deputy is a Pastor, adding that the President “has befriended Church leaders and church groups both within and outside Nigeria.”
He added that the President’s cabinet is balanced between Muslims and Christians, noting that he himself was a former Chancellor of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
According to Justice Oguntade, Vice President Osinbajo has maintained regular contacts with Christian and Muslim leaders as part of efforts to build and sustain interfaith dialogue.
Stressing that the country’s security challenges had no ethnic and religious colourations, the High Commissioner said the farmers/herders clashes predated the Buhari administration, noting that such clashes bordered on the desire for pasture by the herders and the desire to protect crops from encroachment and destruction by the farmers.
Oguntade explained that these clashes had a long history and the Buhari administration is taking a major step to address the root cause of these crises and violent clashes pitting Muslim and Christian farmers alike against the herders.
According to the High Commissioner, “the issue of grazing routes is historically central to these conflicts and the Buhari administration is taking a holistic approach to the matter with a view to ending it once and for all, so that Nigerians can live in peace with one another.”
He assured the international community that the Buhari Administration would ensure that “the competition over scarce land is resolved peacefully for the benefits of all parties.”
The Nigerian government also rejected attempts by the reporting group to link Boko Haram terrorism with official policy, stating clearly that these violent acts by the terrorist group predated the Buhari administration, like many others that were inherited on coming to office in 2015.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK said criminal groups such as the Boko Haram terrorists who kill Muslims and Christians do not represent Muslims.
“Boko Haram is a murderous death cult whose savagery has destroyed thousands of lives.
“The Government is totally dedicated to eradicating their stain from our land.
“Since the Buhari administration has been in power, Boko Haram has been significantly degraded – with the support and assistance of the UK Government. We shall not rest until this mission is completed and the people of North East Nigeria – both Christians and Muslims – can live in peace again.”
The two letters were each accompanied by a copy of an opinion article signed by the President and published on November 30, 2018, by London-based “Church Times,” entitled: DON’T POLITICISE RELIGION IN NIGERIA.
In the article, President Buhari, among other things, said Muslims and Christians can flourish together.
“These two great religions (Islam and Christianity) can not only peacefully coexist but flourish together. But we must first turn to one another in compassion. For as Amos teaches us: “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to meet?”.
“We must resist the temptation to retreat into our communities because if we do, our palette of possibilities will remain primary. It is only when we mix them together that we can imagine new and greater possibilities.
“As our constitution spells out, politicizing religion should have no place in Nigeria. However, it is all the more reprehensible when in doing so; it feeds fears and plays to man’s baser instincts.
“For it makes us turn away from one another; it makes us retreat into our communities and walk different paths; and it blinds us to each other’s God-given dignity, ” the President said in the article, published in Church Times.
The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and its Senatorial Candidate, Ekechi Doris Chinyere, have protested their exclusion from participating in the February 23 Senatorial election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and asked the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cancel the election.
The party and its candidate also wanted the Tribunal to nullify the declaration of Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda who was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the election on the ground that the election was not lawfully conducted.
In the petition marked as EPT/FCT/S/03/19, filed by their counsel, Aliyu Lemu, the two petitioners prayed the Tribunal for an order nullifying the return and declaration of Senator Aduda of the PDP as the winner of the election on account of their wrongful exclusion.
They prayed for another order compelling INEC to conduct a fresh election into the office of the senator representing FCT, Abuja within 90 days from the date of the judgment of the Tribunal.
hinyere also prayed the Tribunal to declare that she was validly nominated by the PDM but unlawfully excluded by INEC and that Aduda, being the candidate of PDP, was not lawfully or validly returned as winner of the February 23 election.
The petition was predicated on 27 grounds among which were that Chinyere is the person nominated by PDM as a registered political party but was unlawfully denied participation despite being validly nominated.
The grouse of the two petitioners was that the logo of PDM was not put on the ballot paper by INEC as required by law and was not credited with any votes at the election.
The two petitioners also averred that following the release of INEC timetable on the 2019 General Elections, the PDM on October 7, 2018 conducted its Primary Election monitored by officials of INEC and where the Senatorial Candidate emerged the winner.
They further claimed that the candidate, upon the submission of her name, picked INEC form CF001 and duly filled same and returned it to INEC in compliance with the Electoral Act.
They further averred that upon fulfillment of the requirements of the law, they proceeded to the polls with confidence and assurances of a clear victory only to discover that their name and party logo were missing on the ballot paper.
PDM and its candidate asserted that INEC, without any lawful cause, wrongfully excluded their names and logo from the ballot after they had invested resources on campaigning and mobilizing supporters throughout the senatorial district.
Alleging that the unlawful exclusion cost them immeasurable losses in resources and electoral fortune, the two petitioners complained that their supporters were disenchanted and politically apathetic on the grounds of the unlawful exclusion and therefore prayed the Tribunal to nullify the February 23 Senatorial Election in Abuja and order INEC to conduct a fresh one that would have their logo on the ballot paper.
Meanwhile, hearing in the petition has commenced before a three man panel headed by Justice Okechukwu. A. Ezoke.
President Buhari receives Report of the Presidential Committee on Impact and Readiness Assessment African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) Agreement in State House on 27th June 2019 | State House photoPresident Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that Nigeria will continue to support free trade as long as it is fair and conducted on an equitable basis.
Receiving the report of the Committee set up to assess the impact and readiness for the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement(AfCFTA), at the Presidential Villa today, June 27, Buhari noted that AfCFTA will have both positive and negative effects on Nigeria and African region.
“As Africa’s largest economy and most populous country, we cannot afford to rush into such agreements without full and proper consultation with all stakeholders.”
President Buhari noted that intra-African trade is only 14 percent of Africa’s total trade whereas the consumption is mostly of goods imported from outside the continent.
“For AfCFTA to succeed, we must develop policies that promote African production, among other benefits.
“Africa, therefore, needs not only a trade policy but also a continental manufacturing agenda. Our vision for intra-African trade is for the free movement of “made in Africa goods”. That is, goods and services made locally with dominant African content in terms of raw materials and value addition.
“If we allow unbridled imports to continue, it will dominate our trade. The implication of this, is that coastal importing nations will prosper while landlocked nations will continue to suffer and depend on aid.”
The Nigeria leader stressed that many of the challenges facing Africa today, “whether security, economic or corruption are rooted in our inability, over the years, to domesticate the production of the most basic requirements and create jobs for our very vibrant, young and dynamic population.”
He said that henceforth, Africa will that it negotiated agreements create business opportunities for Africa’s manufacturers, service providers and innovators.
“The AfCFTA we aspire to have should therefore not only create wealth for investors but also jobs and prosperity for our vibrant and hardworking citizens. The benefits of economic growth must be prosperity for the masses.”
The African Union Heads of States, had over a year ago, adopted the Phase I Agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at its 10th Extraordinary Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, on 21st of March 2018.
Since then, a lot has been said about Nigeria’s decision to conduct a detailed study on how this agreement will impact us as a country.
Former Information minister, Alhaji Lai MuhammedProsecutors from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), said the immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed will appear before a Federal High Court, Abuja, to explain his role in the alleged misappropriation of N2.5 billion Federal Government Digital Switch-Over (DSO), programme.
The Commission said that Alhaji Mohammed admitted in a statement to the ICPC that he was misled by the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo Kawu.
Spokesperson of the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa said that the former Minister’s involvement had come under questioning following the discovery by ICPC during investigations, that a government White Paper that governs the execution of the DSO programme was allegedly flouted by the NBC, a parastatal under the ministry of information.
ICPC had filed a 12-count charge before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa, against Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa and Dipo Onifade, the Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Pinnacle Communications Limited respectively, saying that the NBC director general misled the former Minister into approving government funds to a private company.
A witness said that the payment of N2.5 billion from NBC to Pinnacle Communications Limited, as seed grant was suspicious because the ICPC found out through its investigations that only government-owned company was approved to benefit from the grant according to a White Paper. “The court also heard that the processes that led to the final payment of the fund to the private company were shrouded in secrecy as revealed by the minute from an NBC emergency board management meeting, where issues of carriage fees owed Pinnacle and not seed grant was discussed, said Okoduwa.
“He told the court that 47 suspicious transactions were originated by the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications, Omoluwa, immediately after the receipt of the funds on June 2, 2017,” she added.
She said the transactions include payments of N363 million to one Idowu Olatunde, N274.4 million to one James Segun and N127 million to Dipo Onifade, the Chief Operating Officer of the company.
The ICPC informed the court that Omoluwa refused to explain the reasons for the payments to Olatunde and James when asked by ICPC, but Onifade explained that he received the N127 million as legal fees he rendered to Pinnacle Communications Limited.
Source: Per Second News.
The Federal Government has established a Degree and Diploma awarding National Institute For Security Studies (NISS) to train middle and top-level managers of security as part of efforts to advance the best practices in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution.
The Federal Government has established a Degree and Diploma awarding National Institute For Security Studies (NISS) to train middle and top-level managers of security as part of efforts to advance the best practices in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution.
Speaking to newsmen today, June 27, at the Directorate of State Security (DSS) headquarters in Abuja, the Spokesperson of the DSS, Peter Afunnaya said that the establishment of NISS Act 2019 has empowered the institute to among other things, contribute uniquely and viably, to the promotion of inter-service, inter-agency and international cooperation, collaboration and harmony among intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies locally and globally in order to achieve national security and global peace.
The DSS spokesperson said that part of the objectives of the Security Institute is to serve as a critical centre for research and dialogue where distinguished academics, policy initiators and implementers meet to cross-fertilize ideas on national and global security issues.
Ifunnaya said that the Institute, which is a contemporary of National Defence College (NDC) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies(NIPSS) will be a centre for the award of Postgraduate Diploma and Degree in the field of intelligence and security management as it will collaborate with Universities or similar institutions which share its objectives in the achievement of global peace and security.
He said that the Institute has functions and powers to conduct courses for middle and top level policy makers and executors drawn mainly from the security and law enforcement agencies both national and global including civilians from related institutions to broaden their security outlook and mainstream human security perspectives into public policy processes in order to influence and guide decision makers within Africa and beyond.
According to him, the institute will also receive endowments, donations including professional chairs from interested and philanthropic individuals or organizations who share the institute’s peace and security objectives, apart from elevating Ph.D. holders to the rank of Professors in their respective areas of specializations.
Speaking at the event, the Director and chief Operating Officer of the Institute, Ayodele Saheed Adeleke said the institute has the mandate to award certificates on completion of courses which shall authorize a participant, to use the designated title of ‘Fellow of Security Institute’(fsi) and the certificate so awarded shall be at par with those awarded by NDC and NIPSS and other similar institutions worldwide.
Adeleke further stated that the institute may withdraw participants who, by their academic or moral conduct, the Board in its judgement, considers unworthy of the award of the fellowship of the institute.
Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has formally condemned the coup attempt in the Amhara Region and the tragic events in the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, on Saturday 22 June, 2019.
The body cautioned all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any action that could undermine the peace, unity and stability of Ethiopia.
In a statement today, June 27, the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, expressed deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the coup attempt and to the people and Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
“We reaffirm the imperative for the adherence to relevant African Union Instruments, principally the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Lomé Declaration on the Unconstitutional Change of Government.
“We are committed to the ideals of the African Union on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance adopted at the Eighth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2007.”
ECOWAS boss stressed that at this trying period, the body is in full solidarity with the people and Government of Ethiopia even as he reiterated the respect of member states for the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Ethiopia.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently scrap fuel and electricity subsidies before they ground the country’s economy.
Sanusi, who is a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), made this point in an address he delivered at the ongoing third National Treasury Workshop, organized by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in Kano.
Sanusi recalled that in 2011, when he was CBN governor, Nigeria made $16 billion from petroleum sales, “and we spent $8bn importing petroleum and spent another $8.2bn subsidising the product…and I asked, ‘Is this sustainable?
“The country is bankrupt and we are heading to bankruptcy. What happens is that the Federal Government do pay petroleum subsidy, pays electricity tariff subsidy, and if there is a rise in interest rates, the Federal Government pays. What is more life-threatening than the subsidy that we have to sacrifice education, health sector and infrastructure for us to have cheap petroleum?
“If truly President Buhari is fighting poverty, he should remove the risk on the national financial sector and stop the subsidy regime, which is fraudulent.”
He asked the President to tell Nigerians the facts about the economic situation and act promptly to address it, saying: “we need to ask these questions: why are there high mortality rates, malnutrition, high rate of out-of-school children, among others, while the national treasury goes to petroleum sector?
“In 2016, we were told that we are consuming 28 million litres of petrol per day and just a few weeks ago, we were told that it has jerked up to 60 million litres daily; what went wrong? Since I have decided to come here, you have to accept what I have said here. And please, if you do not want to hear the truth, never invite me.”
The Emir expressed worry about the state of public finance in the country, saying there were a number of very difficult decisions that must be made.
“We should face reality. His Excellency, the President, said in his inaugural speech that his government would like to lift 100 million people out of poverty. It was a speech that was well received, not only in this country but worldwide.
“The number of people living in abject poverty in Nigeria is frightening. By 2050, 85 per cent of those living in extreme poverty in the world will be from the African continent, and Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo will top the list.
“Two days ago, I read that the percentage of government revenue going to debt servicing had risen to 70 per cent. These numbers are not lying. They are public numbers. I read them in the newspapers. When you are spending 70 per cent of your revenue on debt services, then you are managing 30 per cent.
“And then, you continue subsidising petroleum products and spending N1.5tn per annum on petroleum subsidy! And then we are subsidising electricity tariff. And maybe, you have to borrow from the capital market or the Central Bank of Nigeria to service the shortfall in the electricity tariff. Where is the money to pay salaries? Where is the money for education and other government projects?”
Source: PUNCH.
