Senior workers in Nigeria’s universities have threatened to embark on an industrial action any time soon against the decision of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to stop the funding of federal universities staff schools in the budget. The workers, under the umbrella of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and other non-teaching staff in universities notified President Muhammadu Buhari of their intention, seeking his intervention in the planned funding stoppage. President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke told reporters in a press conference at the headquarters of the association within the University of Abuja that the union has already mobilized all its members across board to prepare for a prolonged strike. The NUC reportedly issued a circular directing the management of all universities to stop the funding of staff schools from their budgets. NUC in this regard classified them as private schools. It also said that SSANU and other university based unions were aware of the decision taken on the issue and should know where to direct their grievances, adding that their grouse should be directed to the Salaries and Wages Commission. [myad]
The National President the Nigerian Optometrist Association (NOA), Dr. Damian Echendu has warned that more than 90 million people might go blind globally by the year 2020 excpet stringent measures are quickly taken. He posited that for now, over one million Nigerians above 40 years currently blind.
At a news briefing today to herald its 39th Annual General Meeting and scientific conference scheduled to commence on Thursday in Abuja, Dr. Echendu said that from a study carried out, it showed that about one million people are blind in Nigeria.
“And these are avoidable cases. Those mostly affected are above 40 years of age. By 2020, if actions are not taken to prevent those avoidable causes of blindness, which currently stands at 45, the number might double and will be 90 million.
“These cases of blindness are more prevalent in sub-saharan Africa. Poverty, lack of basic amenities and insensitivity of government to those that should take care of the people are among the main causes of blindness in sub-saharan Africa.”
Echendu called on government at all levels to set up optometry departments in both state and federal ministries of health and other tertiary healthcare institutions in Nigeria. [myad]
Aso Rock correspondent of Deutsche Welle, a German Radio and Television media group, Mallam Ubale Musa, who was barred from the Villa in the last days of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has been fully re-integrated back to his beat by President Muhammadu Buhari. On the directive of President Buhari today, the Villa Press Tag of Ubale Musa was restored to him. Presenting the Press Tag to the correspondent at the Presidential Villa, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said that Ubale Musa’s re-accreditation as a State House correspondent was in keeping with President Buhari’s commitment to correcting the wrongs of the past. “Part of the change promised by President Buhari is to correct things that were wrongly done before. Mr. Ubale Musa’s accreditation was wrongly withdrawn. To redress the wrong done to him by the withdrawal, we have returned his Villa Press Pass to him so that he can continue his work without hindrance,” Adesina said. In his brief remarks after receiving his Villa Press Pass, Ubale Musa thanked President Buhari and his media team for restoring his accreditation. He promised that he will continue to do his work as a State House Correspondent objectively, professionally and with due regard to the ethics of journalism. [myad]
The Managing Director of CGGC, a Chinese Construction Company that has been working on the Mambilla Power Project, Mr. Zhang Heng, has said that the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his government refused to pay the Nigerian counterpart fund for the project, thus reducing the capacity of the power sector to meet the nation’s need.. Heng, who led his company’s delegation on courtesy visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, emphasised that, work on the Mambilla project was being delayed as a rrsult of the failure of previous administrations to provide the counterpart funding specified in the agreement with the Chinese government. This was even as President Buhari made it clear that his administration will not joke with such project, stressing that he would give the highest possible priority to the rapid improvement of power supply across Nigeria. President Buhari said that it was quite regrettable that power generation in Nigeria had failed to keep pace with national needs over the years, saying that his administration will ensure that the Mambilla project and other unfinished hydro-power projects in the country are completed expeditiously to boost power supply in the country. “I am very much interested in Mambilla and other hydro-power projects, not only for the improvement of power but also for irrigation as both power and irrigation projects will help to improve the lives of Nigerians. “I am going to ask for details of the Mambilla Hydro-Power Project and others. Very soon, we will get together and redefine the project agreements for faster results.” The CGGC delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Villa by Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State. [myad]
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed admiration for the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega whose tenure ends this week. Atiku said that the successful conduct of the 2015 elections with the introduction of Card Reader and Permanent Voters Card (PVC) had tremendously boosted Jega’s reputation and earned him the respect of Nigerians and the international community. A statement by his special adviser on media and publicity, Mazi Paul Ibe quoted as saying that Jega had disarmed even the worst pessimists that never gave him the slightest chance to produce free and fair elections in Nigeria. Atiku said that Jega had made a huge difference in the conduct of credible elections, and that he left no one in doubt that he deserved the appointment in the first place. According to him, Jega’s remarkable comportment, patience, calmness and presence of mind under very tense situations were very impressive. The former Vice President noted that Jega had set a standard that would require his successor to work twice as hard to maintain his record and build on it. In particular, Atiku recalled that some pessimists were already signing the requiem of Nigerian’s demise with the 2015 elections, the ominous deadline for the country’s alleged disintegration. He said that at every turn, Jega rose to the occasion even in the face formidable challenges. The former Vice President said it was not how many years an official spent in office that matters, but how he was able to make an impact within the scope of the opportunity he had to serve his country. The All Progressives Congress (APC) leader said that Professor Jega didn’t disappoint Nigerians, and that history would write a favourable verdict on his impressive record. He called on the person that will take over from him to keep the flag flying, especially by pushing for reforms that might strengthen the Electoral Act and deepen democracy. According to Atiku, reforming the Electoral Act would go a long way to consolidate our democratic gains, and build on the efforts to achieve credible elections. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari, today, inaugurated the National Economic Council (NEC) to be chaired by Vice President Yomi Osinbajo. Just before the formal inauguration, President Buhari cracked jokes with governor Nasiru el-Rufai of Kaduna state, Vice President Osinbajo to the President immediate right; governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo state to his left, Samuel Ortom of Benue state (to his far right), Aminu Masari of Katsina state (behind el-Rufai) and other governors at the Presidential Aso Villa, today. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has advised state governors whose workers have not been paid their salaries for some months to, as a matter of urgency, explore ways of liquidating such unpaid salaries which, he said, had brought untold hardship to thousands of families.
He also encouraged them to restrict themselves to projects that will meet immediate needs of the people, taking account of available resources.
Buhari spoke today when he inaugurated, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the National Economic Council (NEC), which is to be led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The council which has the 36 state governors and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria as members is saddled with the responsibility of advising the President on economic affairs of the country.
The President said that since the task of ensuring growth, job creation and equity, is enormous, leaders must kick-start the process by cultivating a culture of prudent management of resources at all levels of government.
This, he said, will entail looking inwards to secure sustainable ways of increasing Internally Generated Revenue and harnessing growth potentials of each state to supplement the Federation Account allocation to states.
“The states are also encouraged to embark on projects that will meet immediate needs of the people taking account of available resources.
“I therefore urge Council members to consider, as a matter of urgency, exploring efficient means of gradually liquidating all unpaid salaries of staff, which have brought untold hardship to thousands of families.
“I would like also, as a former Governor myself, to remind us the need for neighbouring states to cooperate closely on projects such as interstate and feeder roads, soil erosion, desertification and other developmental programmes.
“Our country is one and we who have the responsibility to run it must lead by example. As far as it is possible, there should be distance between politics and development programmes.”
Buhari said that on its part, the Federal Government, under his leadership, would abide by the provisions of Sections 80 and 162 of the Constitution and ensure more accountability, transparency and integrity in the distribution of the Federation Account.
He promised that all revenue generating agencies such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Nigeria Customs Services; Federal Inland Revenue Services; Nigeria Ports Authority; Central Bank of Nigeria; Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and Liquefied Natural Gas shall comply with stipulated financial regulations and administrative instructions in their remittances into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
On insurgency, in parts of the country, the President said the Nigerian Armed Forces have shown renewed commitment and made steady progress in the fight against Boko Haram.
He added that Nigeria, under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Republic of Benin, is collaborating with the Republics of Niger, Chad, Cameroun and Benin to consolidate cross-border and international efforts at eradicating the insurgency. [myad]
Facts have emerged to show that Nigeria is owing the highest amount to the World Bank Group, with a debt profile of 5.6 trillion dollars to the bank’s International Development Association and 89.4 million dollars to the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
This is even as the country’s external debt stock profile presently stands at 9.4 trillion U.S. dollars as at March 31, 2015.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), on it’s website today, Nigeria’s debt stock profile shows a decrease of about 300 million dollars from the 9.7 trillion dollars that the country had as its debt stock as at Dec. 31, 2014.
It said that Nigeria owed African Development Bank (AfDB) 200 million dollars and 513.7 dollars to African Development Fund (ADF), a debt incurred through AfDB Group.
Similarly, Nigeria’s indebtedness to Arab Bank Economic Development for Africa stood at 4.4 million dollars, while its debts to European Development Fund and Islamic Development Bank were 75.1 million dollars and 19.6 million dollars respectively.
The debt profile also shows that the country’s indebtedness through bilateral agreement to Exim Bank of China and French Development Agency were 1.2 trillion dollars and 140.2 million dollars.
It further said that Nigeria’s external debt stock through government’s issuance of Eurobond stood at a balance of 1.5 trillion dollars. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has formally appointed Colonel Hamidu Ali (rtd) as his Chief of Staff. Ali, was a former Military Administrator of Kaduna State and worked with the President as Chief of Staff during the last electioneering campaign.
He was also with him during his stay at the Defence Guest House.
The President is said to be satisfied with his military background, antecedents, modest lifestyle and anti-corruption profile. He is also convinced Col. Ali would do well in that office. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari may terminate the appointments of all those who were employed by the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan, and similarly terminate the contracts awarded by the same regime in the last 18 months, if the recommendations of the Ahmed Joda transition committee report are to be implemented.
The committee recommended to President Buhari to immediately terminate all dubious appointments in the last nine months, and review all contracts awarded by the Jonathan administration in the last 18 months, saying that such measure would help the new government to sidestep ineptitude and waste, and scale up its revenue base.
It noted that the recommendations are part of a portfolio of swift steps which President. Buhari must take within three months of assumption of power if he must save cost and “enhance liquidity.”
The 800-page report, which contained extensive analyses of Nigeria’s key challenges, with suggested responses for the economy and finance, governance and social welfare, also details a list of prompt, medium and long term decisions which President. Buhari must take, or authorise, within 30, 45, 60 and 90 days of taking office, to create immediate impact, reduce government liability, increase revenue and stabilise the polity.
To deal with crippling fuel crisis, and backlog of unpaid salaries by states and the federal government, the committee advised the President to “borrow immediately or use CBN (Central Bank) advances” for salaries and fuel subsidies to “avoid chaos.”
It stressed: “Non-strategic contracts that have not commenced or where no payments have been made can be cancelled,” the committee said, even as it advised the President to negotiate exits for projects where mobilisation payments have been made but work not commenced.
That move, the committee said, will save expenditure on non-strategic projects, and can free up cash flows for other vital initiatives.
The decision on contract is to be taken within 90 days from May 29, and should be handled by the Federal Executive Council and the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP.
As part of the measures to check waste and increase efficiency and accountability, the committee advised the government to quickly implement a single bank account, to be called Treasury Single Account, and to commence full implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act within 60 days, and chase up any outstanding funds from all government offices.
The committee said the handover notes from the Jonathan administration showed aggregate contractor liabilities of N4 trillion as at April 2015.
Of that amount, the Ministry of Education owed the most at N1.2 trillion, followed by the finance ministry which has N467.7 billion.
The committee warned President Buhari that it would be irrational to rely on the purported huge balances the former government claimed it left behind, because the numbers lacked key information to establish the authenticity of the contracts. [myad]
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