Minister Considers Law To Reduce House Rent In FCT

April 6, 2016

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has indicated that his administration may soon come up with a law that would force downward, cost of accommodation in the nation’s capital.
The minister who spoke today, Wednesday when he received in audience, members of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV asked the body to find a viable solution to address the
high cost of accommodation in Abuja and to reduce their professional fee.
The Minister said that although the concept of Estate development is a very laudable one, but that the industry is facing many challenges in the territory, even as he questioned the rationale behind payment of rent on annual basis in the country.
Muhammad Bello emphasized that as a professional body that is primarily concerned with provision of houses, the NIESV has a responsibility to ensure that accommodation does not get out of the reach of the common man.
according to him, the present administration under the leadership of President Mohammed Buhari, is deeply concerned with the high cost of accommodation in the territory and is working on measures that would guarantee access to decent accommodation by the masses and less privileged.
“As a body, you must take deliberate steps to bring down the cost of accommodation through reduction of your charges and commissions. I know that you charge between 10-15% but I think that rate needs to come down or else at some point in the future, legislation will force you to bring it down.”
The Minister wondered why in developed countries such as United Kingdom and United states tenants pay rents on a monthly basis while here in Nigeria the reverse is the case.
“Why should we pay rent annually in Nigeria; why should we pay two, three years in advance? All the people you see here, including the Minister get their rent allowance on a monthly basis, only very few
organizations in Nigeria pay rent allowance annually in bulk. Why can’t we start asking our tenants to pay rent monthly even if they are in Asokoro, Maitama or wherever?”
He said that as part of efforts to bring down house rates in Abuja, the FCT Administration has put the necessary machinery in motion to ensure that all plots of land not developed within a stipulated period would be revoked and re-allocated to willing developers, adding that the number of uncompleted buildings and empty estate houses in the city is very alarming and a committee would soon be set up to look into the issue.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the FCT chapter of NIESV Mr. Emmanuel Alao asked the Minister to constitute the Land Use Allocation committee in line with the provisions of the Land Use Act in order to
check abuses in the land allocation process.
He appealed to the Minister to ensure that at least two Estate Surveyors are included in the committee, stressing that the NIESV remains a willing partner in moving the Federal Capital Territory forward.
High point of the event was the investiture of the Honorable as the Patron of the NIESV conducted by the President Olorogun James Omeru. The Permanent Secretary of the FCT Administration Dr. Babatope
Ajakaiye and other top officials witnessed the ceremony. [myad]

Ekiti Commissioner Of Works Resigns

Greenbarge Reporters

April 6, 2016

The Ekiti state Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Kayode Oso has resigned from the cabinet.
According to a statement in Ado Ekiti by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Modupe Alade, Oso, who is known to be one of the closest political associates of Governor Ayo Fayose, resigned on health grounds.
Alade said in the statement: “Mr. Kayode Oso has worked assiduously to add value to this administration going by his effort towards the development of our state.
“His letter of resignation has been fully accepted‎ by His Excellency, Mr. Ayo Fayose.
“Oso, in his notice to the governor, stated that he decided to resign to attend to his health challenges.
“We wish him quick recovery; the Government of Ekiti State will stand by him while he overcomes his health challenges.”
Mr. Oso served as Chief of Staff to the governor during the first term in office of Fayose and was later appointed Works Commissioner.
Oso, a native of Ado Ekiti, was again reappointed Works Commissioner on October 16, 2014, soon after the governor was sworn-in for a second term. [myad]

Abuja Disco And Its Apo Customers, By Moses Okpogode

Greenbarge Reporters

April 6, 2016

For some time now, I have not been able to make up my mind on what to write about that had not been written, though not in the same manner as the so-called children of rage and anger of the past. Is it the fuel queues that now form rings from aerial views and the associated pollution that the emission of gases is causing over such clusters of cars in filling stations? Or the unquenched taste for blood by Fulani herdsmen? Could I have written about the incomplete and rejected 2016 budget passed by the National Assembly or the call for true federalism and democratization of the nation’s economy to get moribund states and their governors cracking on avenues of creating viable economic opportunities for their citizens?

I should have probably discussed the effects of rising inflation and the collapse of the naira against the dollars and other foreign currencies or the pains that parents, who don’t have assets to sell, are going through as they strive to keep their wards in schools abroad since those in the country have become archaic, dilapidated and ill-equipped to provide an education fitting for the challenges of the 21st century.

But then again, maybe I have been overwhelmed by the issues of pipelines vandalism and the political criminality that necessitated the constructions of power generation plants in regions far away from where gas is in surplus supply just to appease a few without considering the economic and logistic case. Not to mention the sabotage occasioned by insecurity. If the builders had even thought it wise to hire the Israelis who are well known for securing networks of pipelines maybe incidents of vandalism would have been averted and a lot of money saved by the federal government. Nigerians would have also be talking less about vandalization of the pipelines and the attendant power shortages at this time. But no one attended to them all these while.

I will also not bore you with the cleaning of the Augean stables right now as even while the cleaning is ongoing, some government agencies are still neck deep in creating uglier dirts with reports substantiating the non remittance of over 814 billion naira to the federation account by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation in the six months through December of 2015. I believe the state governors know how to handle such issues as non remittances affects their monthly allocations from FAAC

There was no way I was also going to dissipate my energy on discussing the serial cases of armed robbery, banditry, pillaging, reported and unreported incidences of burglary all over adjoining settlements in the Abuja area, making a mockery of security and safety campaigns in the FCT. I didn’t also say nothing has been said about the influx of street urchins, lout activities and thuggery in the Abuja city centre or on the destruction of road shoulders by commuter vehicle operators who have harnessed to themselves portions of the Abuja metropolis, serving as their loading parks and bays. No one can make me delve into their activities that is now deconstructing the roads constructed with oil resources that are now scarce and are also in short supply.

However what had not been talked about is the inglorious audacity on display by officials of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, who have made life so unbearable for me, my family and residents of Zone E, in the Apo Resettlement Area, and other residents in different parts of Abuja.

Due to blackouts, it will be folly to stock perishables and other food items in our refrigerators. We have been unable to pump waters from our boreholes just the same way sleep has eluded us in the heat of the season. Our children’s faces, neck and bodies have been ravaged by heat rashes, with increasing cases of dehydration over a situation that is without an immediate solution. Nowadays, it’s perpetually dark all nights.

It is so depressing and absolutely appalling that despite AEDC’s estimated revenue of over 1.5 billon naira on fixed charges alone, and another estimated 12 billion naira being the regular monthly revenue from an average of N8000 bill per household, the AEDC has not seem and deemed it fit or necessary to replace or repair the transformer servicing my area in the past months.

They have also not satisfactorily responded to several calls to the company’s customer service center. Even visits with officials of the company by emissaries of residents of the area have failed to yield any action to rectify the problem thereby cutting us off from electricity grid for several days as a result of the general poor power generation and national transmission shortages.

This is not acceptable. It calls for caution and immediate action as the days of usurping the masses of their rights are over with the privatization of power distribution in the country. AEDC has no options but to sit up and provide basic electricity distribution services effectively to customers within its coverage area. It is disheartening to see residents of an area in this era of change, chasing after AEDC technicians to restart a transformer suffering overloads despite several feed backs to management from the field officers about the problem affecting just a single transformer that supplies electricity to around 40 homes.

The actions and inactions of AEDC management and staff have shown that they are not in tandem with President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s change mantra and if so, there is need for them to be reprimanded if they can’t fix the transformer as a matter of urgency.

Just as I was about to conclude this piece my March bill arrived and was up by over 300 percent tariff increment without corresponding electricity. I’m already off to lay my complaint before the Acting Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Twitter: @MOkoogode. [myad]

Details Of 2016 Budget Ready For President Buhari

Greenbarge Reporters

April 6, 2016

The long expected controversial details of the 2016 Appropriation Bill are ready and have been sent to the Clerk of the National Assembly for onward transmission to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.
In a statement jointly signed by the chairmen of the Appropriation Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, Danjuma Goje and Abdulmumin Jibrin respectively, the committees thanked Nigerians for their patience and understanding.
The chairmen said it took their committees extra weeks to get the details ready “so we could correct all the inconsistencies, errors, omissions and padding in the document submitted to them in December last year.
“Being the most important economic policy tool of government, the budget provides a comprehensive statement of our priorities as a nation.
“And as representatives of the people, the National Assembly remains the appropriate place to ensure that the details of such a document best match our national goals and aspirations.
“Therefore, what we have been doing in these past few weeks is to balance the projections for revenue against the estimates for expenditure based on the reality of our situation today.
“Unfortunately, that task has been made very difficult by the sloppy manner in which the 2016 Appropriation Bill was prepared by the executive such that many of the officials who came before our various committees practically disowned the inputs from their own departments and ministries.
“In most instances, and across several agencies, the bill that was initially presented to us failed in many respects to connect with the policy thrust of the government and the needs of our people.
“That is aside the fact that most of the figures simply did not just add up. It was one of the most controversial budgets that ever came to the National Assembly from the Executive.
“Fortunately, President Muhammadu Buhari, who we must commend for showing leadership, intervened and that helped in resolving what had become a serious logjam.
“Some officials in the executive branch have also been removed from their duty posts because of these glaring lapses. That happened because the president took direct responsibility and got involved in the process, not only to ensure synergy between the executive and the legislature but also so that we could both arrive at a budget that is implementable for the good of all Nigerians.
“However, it is important to stress that this is the first time we would have a transition from the ruling political party to the opposition, so some of these problems are understandable.
“We therefore believe that the executive will learn from the mistakes of this year, going forward. But we must also commend the leadership of the National Assembly as well as members of our own committees who have had to endure sleepless nights, especially in recent weeks.
“To the extent that the budget drafting phase is a long process, the committee stage provides the most significant opportunity for members of the public, including the media and civil society organizations to make their own contributions and we have taken into account all shades of opinions in arriving at the breakdown, which is now with the executive.
“Now that the 2016 budget has been passed, our next role is to add value to the process through legislative oversight functions that enable us to ensure adherence to priorities while monitoring effective allocation of resources. But there is a lesson that should not be lost on the executive given the current experience.
“We specifically urge the president to abide strictly with provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act which stipulates that the appropriation bill be presented early so that there could be sufficient time for interactive sessions between the executive and the legislature before the commencement of committee hearings.
“That way, we can avoid some of the controversies that dogged this year’s budget and add value to the entire process.” [myad]

Bauchi Governor, Again, Sacks Pension Board Management

Greenbarge Reporters

April 6, 2016

Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar has again sacked some management staff of the Bauchi State Pension Board, Local Governments branch. This is coming shortly after some key management staff of the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), were sacked.

The top management of the two organizations have been sacked for exhibiting nonchalant attitude to duties that resulted in delays in the on-going verification exercise and subsequent delay in pension payments to entitled pensioners..
Those affected are Mr. John Maina, Permanent Secretary, Alhai Idris Shehu Dajin , Director/Pension, Alhai Usman Sa’idu, Chief Accountant and Alhaji Aliyu Musa, Cashier.
A circular issued and signed by the Head of Bauchi State Civil Service, Abdon Dalla Gin said that the Management Staff had exhibited “nonchalance to their duties which resulted into delays in the on-going verification exercise and subsequent pension payments to entitled pensioners”.
The Head of Service said the affected management staff were not on their duty posts at critical moments when all hands were expected to be on deck to speed up the verification exercise and are therefore asked to handover to the next senior officers and report back to their parent organizations by 7th April, 2016 for further action.
Governor Abubakar has similarly approved the withdrawal from the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), of Alhai Korijo Buba – Education Officer, who has been found wanting and so directed to report to the office of the Head of Service immediately for further action.
Civil Servants in all MDAs are cautioned against negligence of duty, particularly as it affects the ongoing verification of workers and pensioners exercise as the Head of Service earlier stated in an earlier circular.
Government frowns at any untoward attitude of workers in this regard and views any negligence of duty and wanton disregard of official directives particularly regarding the ongoing effort to re-position the civil service as an act of sabotage and will attract severe punishment. [myad]

Why We Must Have Accurate Population Of Nigerians – Osinbajo

Greenbarge Reporters

April 6, 2016

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has stressed the importance of accurate population of Nigeria for proper national development planning, especially including some of the Buhari Presidency’s Social Investment plans.
At a meeting today with a delegation from the National Population Commission (NPC) in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Vice President insisted: “we must be able to honestly determine how many we are as a people.”
According to him, reliable harmonized data base will help socio-economic planning, including the homegrown school feeding programme and the conditional cash transfer, two of the several social investment plans of the Buhari Administration.
Professor Osinbajo tasked the Commission to conduct a reliable, cost-effective and acceptable census bearing in mind the irregularities that have trailed some of the previous census exercises.
“Technology has now made it possible to harmonize data. With technology, we can actually bring down the cost of data-gathering.”
He said that because of technology, data gathering has also become simpler, more efficient and cheaper.
The Vice President said that a single platform for data management in the country is very important for national planning and economic development.
In his presentation earlier, the Chairman of the Commission, Eze Duruheoma, said the Commission is working with other agencies and stakeholders such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to produce a single platform of data management for the country.
This, he said will reduce cost in the future and ensures authenticated identities as well as easy personal identification.
He said that the national population register which is being planned to be put up by the NPC would be the primary source of data, adding that it will give reliable identification of the citizens from the “cradle to the grave.” [myad]

Northern Media Forum Mourns Veteran Journalist, Rufai Ibrahim

Greenbarge Reporters

April 6, 2016

The Northern Media Forum (NMF) has expressed shock over the death of one of its staunch members, Mallam Rufai Ibrahim. Rufai died of a protracted illness on Saturday April 2 and has since been buried in Lafia, his home town.
In a statement by an official of Forum, Danlami Nmodu described Rufai as calm and quietly spoken, saying that he made valuable contributions to the forum.
He said that the chairman and members of the Forum will sorely miss him.
“The forum commends his soul to the almighty God. May he find peace and eternal rest in his bosom.
“The Forum extends its heartfelt condolence to his family. May God give them the courage to bear the loss. The Forum urges the family to find solace in the contributions Mallam Rufai made to the development of our country. He would be remembered in and outside the news media as a patriot and a nationalist. Left large footprints in the sands of his time. May his soul rest in peace.” [myad]

Tiv Group Faults Buhari’s Silence Over Fulani Killings In Benue

Greenbarge Reporters

April 6, 2016

Abuja-based Club De Pals, a non-profit organization comprising young professionals from the Tiv extraction, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari on his failure to take decisive actions that will end the on-going killing of farmers and innocent citizens by Fulani herdsmen in Benue state.
The group also accused President Buhari of marginalizing and neglecting the Tiv people despite their overwhelming support for him and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections.
In an open letter to the President, Club De Pals expressed concern that it was becoming worrisome that despite the global attention which the genocidal attacks in some parts of the state have generated, the Federal Government continues to pay lip service to a crisis that has claimed several lives.
Over 3,000 people have reportedly been killed and property worth hundreds of millions of Naira destroyed since the crisis broke out in 2012.
According to the Tiv professional group, President Buhari and his APC-led Federal Government need to urgently treat the Benue crisis with the same seriousness being deployed to tackling the insurgency in the North-East, as the killings and destructions in Benue are as devastating as the Boko Haram operations in the North-East.
“The latest round of the crisis, which started in Agatu local government area with the killing of over 400 people in one single attack, has spread to Tarka, Makurdi, Guma, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Buruku, Gwer West, Ukum and Kwande Local Government Areas of the state,” the group stressed.
Club De Pals noted that the attacks on innocent farmers by Funali herdsmen who move freely with sophisticated weapons in the state were coming at a time the state Governor Samuel Ortom had just carried out an amnesty programme where dozens of arms were retrieved.
They therefore condemned the provocative comments by the spokesman of the Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah (Cattle Breeders Association), Alhaji Banire, that the Fulanis were responsible for the attacks in revenge for the killing of their cattle.
The group insisted that it was rather becoming clearer that the adventure of Fulanis into the state was a well planned scheme to destabilize Benue people and possibly snatch their ancestral lands by some expansionists who are only operating under the guise of Herdsmen.
“We state emphatically that the continued silence of Mr. President on this very significant national security matter, the response of the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Danbazzau to convene a ‘town hall meeting’ without any specific date, the comments credited to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase during his visit to Agatu community that he could not see the bodies of the 400 people massacred in 10 villages, have all combined to give us the message that we are not liked, unsafe and unprotected by the Federal Government.
“It is appalling that the Nigerian security forces delayed deployment of their Men and Officers to stem the blood-letting until hundreds of people had been killed by the Fulanis.
“The delay in mobilizing police and military action suggests to us that some certain elements in the security establishment were giving tacit or latent support to the armed invaders to achieve the territorial acquisition agenda in Benue State,” the group added.
Among other specific demands made, Club De Pals is calling on President Buhari to urgently direct the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS) to ensure an end to the continued killing of Benue people by armed militia under the guise of Fulani militia in the 23 local government areas of the State.
“We endorse the position of the Benue Caucus in the House of Representatives that we may resort to self-help if the national security establishment fails to protect us from these marauders as it is the case at the moment.
“We equally align with the demand of the Tiv, Idoma and Igede socio-cultural organizations, namely, the Mdzough U Tiv (MUT), Idoma National Forum (INF) and Omi Ny’Igede, respectively, that the Federal Government should immediately set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to launch a full- fledged investigation into the Fulani killings in Benue State.
Club De Pals have also lamented that non-appointment of Tiv sons and daughters in the Buhari Government was only a testimony to the fact of their neglect even in times of difficulty as being experienced in the Benue killings.
In the letter to the President, the group said, “it is curious that the Tiv have so far been totally neglected by this administration despite having voted massively for President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 11, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly election as well as in the April 28, 2015 Governorship and State Assembly elections.
“Indeed, two of the three Senatorial Districts in Benue State with a total of 14 LGAs, which are populated by the Tiv, were won by the APC,” the letter noted.
While assuring President Buhari of Benue people support for his government, Club De Pals however demanded the appointment of Tiv sons and daughters in federal positions, especially the Federal Executive Council and headship of Federal Parastatals and Agencies.
“We hereby state very strongly our objection to the creation of “Grazing Reserves and Routes” as this cannot be a panacea to the problem at hand in Benue state, with a population of about five million people – most of whom are farmers, depending solely on the same land. Alternatively, we support the call for the creation of ranches as is the practice in most countries for raising of livestock, the group stressed further. [myad]

Sultan Angry With Road Safety Marshals For Treating Big Men Drivers With Kid’s Glove

Greenbarge Reporters

April 5, 2016

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad III is angry with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for its failure over the years to arrest and prosecute drivers of big men in the society, who often engage in dangerous driving on the roads.

Speaking at the 6th Annual Lecture Series organized by the FRSC today, Tuesday in Abuja, Abubakar III said that convoy drivers of highly placed individuals in Nigeria are treated like sacred cows, as they drive dangerously on the roads, thereby endangering themselves and the lives of other road users.

The Sultan, who was the Chairman of the occasion, called for a new FRSC that would be alive to its statutory responsibilities on the roads even s he advocated capacity building for the personnel of the FRSC who work on the road to ensure safety.

He said that they should be trained both psychologically and mentally, adding that Nigeria has lost more lives through road traffic crashes than air crashes.

The Sultan noted that Nigerian citizens reserve the right to live safely, adding that all hands must be on deck to ensure road safety.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, expressed the commitment of the present administration to guarantee safety and security of Nigerians.

Lawal said that President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier directed the drivers of all Federal establishments to undergo training under the FRSC, saying that the administration would work assiduously to embark on massive construction of roads across the country in a bid to mitigate the spate of road traffic crashes.

He acknowledged that road safety is a shared responsibility, even as he called on the three tiers of government to collaborate to reduce the carnage on the roads.

In his lecture, Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor of Lagos State, who spoke on the “State Road Traffic Management Efforts: The LASTMA Experience,” called for the creation of enabling environment for law enforcement agencies to operate effectively.

Ambode, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, also advocated the provision of legal framework for the enforcement agencies to ensure effectiveness in the management of road traffic in the states.

Using the Lagos experience, Ambode said that Lagos lost N42 billion worth of labour on annual basis as a result of chaotic traffic situation in the past before the introduction of LASTMA. [myad]

Sabotage: Bauchi Governor Sacks 4 Management Staff Of Education Board

Greenbarge Reporters

April 5, 2016

Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar has approved the immediate removal of four management staff of the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) as a result of what was considered an act of sabotage. The affected staff members were fingered in the delay of the payment of staff of the Local education Authorities’ salaries in the State and the resultant restiveness created by the delay.

Those affected are the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ya’u Garba; Director Administration and Human Resources, Alhaji Haruna Bako; Director Finance and Accounts, Alhaji Umar Umaru Jaja and the Internal Auditor, Alhaji Adamu Mohammed.

Their withdrawal comes as the workers’ verification exercise comes to a climax with a clear manifestation of negligence of duty and uncultured behavior of the withdrawn management staff of the Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB.

A letter signed by the Head of the State Civil Service, Mr. Abdon Gin also says the affected management staff concealed some vital information to both the “new Chairman of the Board and some members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly while on oversight function”.

“This was pertaining to remittance of funds made to the Board for the payment of teachers’ salaries for which adequate funds were released by the Government for immediate payment to all the verified teachers under the Board”, Mr. Gin further explained.

The removal of the management staff therefore becomes pertinent considering the setback their actions have caused the Bauchi State Government’s commitment to ensure that all verified staff were paid their salary entitlements without delay.

The Head of Service, Mr. Abdon Gin advised all staff to ensure that they carry responsibilities assigned to them diligently and effectively as “doing otherwise will attract very severe consequences.” [myad]

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