The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State, has received medical equipment from TETFund’s N1billion Special Intervention for the establishment of Urology and Kidney Transplant Unit at ABU Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria.
The Director of Public Affairs Directorate of the University, Auwalu Umar, said today, August 18, in a statement, said the supply of the medical equipment has further strengthened the preparations for the establishment of Urology and Kidney Transplant facility.
He added that the first and second consignments of the equipment were delivered to the University in two months and that the last consignment would soon be delivered.
According to him, some of the medical items delivered to the University for the establishment of the facility include C-Arm X-Ray system, operating table, electric suction machine, anaesthesia machine, and virgor patient monitor.
“Others are lend vest (radiation protector), apron hanger and uretheroscope flexible (video).”
He said that the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kabiru Bala had inspected the items and expressed the University’s gratitude to TETFund and other key partners in the project.
Kaduna state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan has confirmed that the security agents have cleared the Lawal Kwalba camp in Chikun Forest in the State.
In a statement today, August 18, the Commissioner said: “Troops have made further inroads in the ongoing campaign against terrorists and armed bandits across the state. The troops cleared the camp of a notorious bandit, Lawal Kwalba, in Rafin Dawa in the Dende general area of Chikun local government.
“According to the operational feedback, the troops of Operation Forest Sanity conducted a patrol to the location following actionable intelligence. The troops after clearing the camp recovered some batteries and 27 bags of fertilizer. These materials indicate likely plans to manufacture Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), considering the bandits’ close alliance with terrorists.
“Furthermore, one motorcycle and two mobile phones were recovered as the bandits took to their heels before the troops’ arrival. The troops extended the search a short distance from the camp, and made some arrests. Investigations are ongoing on the intercepted suspects.
“The Kaduna state government received the report with satisfaction, and praised the sustained efforts by officers and men carrying out the operations.
“Security agencies have reported that three persons were rescued by troops conducting patrols around Ungwan Namama, along the Zaria-Kano road. The troops came in contact with migrating bandits in the area and engaged them, forcing them to abandon their three captives as they hastily escaped.
“The troops then rescued the victims, identified as follows: Abdullahi Lawal, Sadiya Salimanu and Fatima Salimanu (Sadiya’s 10-month-old child). Investigations revealed that the captives were kidnapped in a neighbouring state. Also recovered from the bandits were nine rustled animals, comprising one cow and eight sheep.
“The Kaduna state government thanked the troops for their valiant action in rescuing the kidnapped victims. The rescued persons have been reunited with their families, while the recovered animals were handed over to local authorities for proper identification and retrieval.
Popular Nigerian actress, Toto Dikeh has announced her decision to call it quits with the Nollywood industry to enable her concentrate on her political career.
The mother of one was on June 24 this year, picked by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as governorship running mate to Tonte Ibraye, the ADC governorship candidate in Rivers State. Tonto spoke today, August 18, in an interview with BBC News Pidgin.
“I have done like two films in 10 years, so you can’t tell me I’m still in the industry. I would always appreciate that it was the industry that my path started from, that my shine started from it. It is something that I respect, but it’s not something that has been in my life for a while now. So even after the election, it is not something I plan on bringing back.”
She compared her chances of winning to the duel between biblical David and Goliath, saying “anything can happen.”
The battle between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has taken a new dimension with ASUU insisting that before it calls of the strike, its members should be paid the salary of the five months they have been off the classrooms.
The Education minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, at a ministerial briefing of the newsmen today, August 18, at the Presidential villa, Abuja, said that the government has decided not to accede to such demand.
“We have done this before on compassionate ground and would not want to continue in a way that they would not take us for granted.”
Adamu Adamu said that the government is not doing what is not there, explaining that there international labour law of no work no pay.
The slap on the wrist given a notorious kidnap kingpin has exposed the underbelly of the criminal justice administration in Nigeria. It also underscores the seeming hopelessness of the national security situation. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, according to reports, last month sentenced Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, to seven years imprisonment for unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms and escaping from prison custody. Among the six others convicted with Wadume is Inspector Aliyu Dadje, station officer at the Ibi Divisional Police Headquarters in Taraba State at the time the crime was committed. Dadje bagged three years in jail for tampering with police records to conceal a crime. All the elements that have made our country unsafe today are present in this tragedy that has been treated so casually by the federal government. From kidnapping to criminal complicity by military/security agencies to inter-agency rivalry and the way life has become so cheap in Nigeria, this is one case that should have been used for the purpose of deterrence in our quest for peace and security. Sadly, not only has the case been cynically bungled, but we have also shown that lives of innocent people do not matter and accountability counts for nothing. Since Wadume has already spent some years in detention, he can be freed as early as 2025. And perhaps then granted presidential pardon (the way we roll in Nigeria) to contest for senate in 2027 on the platform of whichever party is in power at the time! I cannot but feel for the families of the slain policemen for whom the state cannot secure real justice. What is more confounding is the secrecy that has shrouded this trial whose outcome we only got to know more than three weeks later. The judgement was said to have been handed down on 22nd July with a statement released only last Sunday. The report also stated that ten military officers earlier charged with the convicts have had their trial “separated for departmental reasons,” whatever that means. These soldiers are Captain Tijjani Balarabe; Staff Sgt David Isaiah; Sgt Ibrahim Mohammed; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon; Corporal Marcus Michael; Lance Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra; Staff Sgt Abdulahi Adamu and Private Ebele Emmanuel. While we can assume that these were the soldiers who killed the police team, we do not know what the exact charges are against them. Meanwhile, this tragic story began on 6th August 2019 when a special operational team sent from Abuja arrested Wadume in Taraba State, handcuffed him and were driving toward Jalingo when they came under heavy bombardment from soldiers. In the process, four persons were killed on the spot while several others were injured. Those killed were Inspector Mark Ediale and two sergeants – Usman Danzumi and Dahiru Musa and a civilian by name of Jibrin. The soldiers then freed the handcuffed suspect, according to a statement by then police spokesperson, Frank Mba, who provided public updates on the matter.
From all that transpired at the time, there was no dispute about the fact that Wadume was freed by the soldiers who killed the policemen. In his version of the event, the then Army spokesperson, Sagir Musa said that soldiers from 93 Battalion received a distress call that kidnappers had come to operate in their community, leading to the hot pursuit that culminated in the unfortunate killings. Musa, who accused police operatives of refusing to stop at the military checkpoint, described them as “suspected kidnappers who turned out to be an Intelligence Response Team…on a covert assignment from Abuja.” But he gave a convoluted account of how Wadume escaped unhurt from the hands of the military men. Evidently miffed by the attempt to cover up the crime, the police immediately countered by raising pertinent posers: “Where is the notorious kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume ‘rescued’ by the soldiers? How could a kidnap suspect properly restrained with handcuffs by the Police escape from the hands of his military rescuers? If Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume is a ‘victim of kidnap’ as claimed, and properly rescued by soldiers, why was he not taken to the Army Base for documentation purposes and debriefing in line with the Standard Operating Procedure in the Nigerian Army?” Insisting that their officers were murdered by the soldiers who they accused of colluding with the kidnap suspect, the police asked, “Why were the Police Operatives shot at close range even after they had identified themselves as Police Officers on legitimate duty as evident in the video now in circulation?” Indeed, the clear give-away in the video released by police after the killings was the question, ‘Where is their service pistol?’ Asked by one of the shooters, it is an indication they knew their victims were officers of the law. That a most wanted criminal suspect was set free in the process further confirmed the motive of the callous act that points to a clear link between officialdom and organised crime in our country. And to the extent that the insecurity that plagues our country today is the product of a justice administration that places criminals above the rest of society, it is no surprise that we have treated this unfortunate tragedy in a cavalier manner. Apparently embarrassed, President Muhammadu Buhari tasked the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin to investigate the incident and report back to him. The police of course went in search of Wadume who was later captured in Kano on 20th August 2019. They subsequently released the video of his confessional statement that corroborated their allegation that the soldiers who killed their men were working in concert with kidnappers. “I am Hamisu Bala also known as Wadume. The police came to Ibi and arrested me. After arresting me, they were taking me to Abuja when soldiers went after them, opened fire and some policemen were killed. From there, the soldiers took me to their headquarters and cut off the handcuffs on my hands and I ran away. Since I ran away, I have been hiding until now that the police arrested me again,” Wadume said in the video. Meanwhile, the joint presidential investigative panel headed by Rear Admiral T.I Olaiya with representatives from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), State Security Service (SSS) as well as the army, navy and police went mute. Although the panel was said to have presented a report to Olonisakin for onward transmission to the president, the APC broom has swept the matter under the proverbial carpet. Beyond what we are reading about “separated cases”, I am not aware that anybody in the military has been held accountable for executing three senior police officers and a civilian while on duty: No punishment for bad behavior, no justice for slain police officers, no lessons learnt. Case closed! I concede that I do not know the charges filed against Wadume and accomplices at the federal high court by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation. So it is possible that Justice Nyako merely applied the law. But when you run a system where the punishment does not fit the crime and there is no accountability even for lives lost, it is the larger society that is in danger. We can see the evidence of that in all facets of our country today – which is why we should be concerned.
Adamu and the Water Resources Bill On 3rd September 2020, I wrote a column regarding the controversial Water Resources Bill that had been effectively killed two years earlier by former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio before it resurfaced in the Senate. When the column was posted on an online chat group, I was surprised when the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu joined the conversation. I had no idea that he was on the platform. He wrote: “I would have loved to comment on this write up, if I had the assurances that Segun has actually read the contents of the draft bill and isn’t simply arriving at his judgment based on the ‘drama’ that transpired in the Senate two years ago. I would be happy to engage him and clear the air, sort of.” I responded to Adamu’s jibe: “Thank you very much Honourable Minister. Although I did not read the bill before I wrote my column, I read the full presentation of the Water Resources Committee chairman, Senator Ubali Shitu which highlighted and explained most of the clauses in the bill. So, I did not write out of ignorance. I never do that. But I also came to my own conclusion which has been reaffirmed after reading the full bill. I find nothing new that I did not already know. It is still the same 2018 bill, and the issues remain the same. For instance, I referenced attempts at power grab by the federal government at a time we should be devolving powers. That much is still evident in the bill. I am almost certain that the issues raised by Akpabio will still come up in the debate of this bill when the National Assembly resumes. And given the toxic ethno-religious environment in the country, partly helped by some of the choices made by this government, the bill will still generate a lot of heat at the National Assembly.” After thanking me for the explanation, Adamu also responded to an aspect of my column: “There is a schedule in the draft bill where the major rivers involved are listed. I bet more than 90% of the people shouting ‘foul’ have not read the Bill. That’s why I would rather discuss it with any individual after he/she would have read the draft. “This bill was drafted between 2006 and 2008. So, it’s not a ‘Buhari Water Bill’. The Bill went through six town hall meetings, in each geopolitical zone, as of 2008. When I came into office and was requested by Water Stakeholders to ensure its passage at a retreat in December 2015, I first circulated it to all 36 states and received their feedback. Observations were incorporated into the final draft which I then presented to the National Council on Water Resources meeting of May 2016, at which all 36 commissioners responsible for water resources endorsed it. Then I presented it to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in September 2016 where it was also unanimously approved. Every state is of course represented at FEC. Finally, it went through another public hearing in the House of Representatives in November 2017 and passed without any rancour. Yes, I agree with Segun, it was Akpabio who tried to kill it in the Senate. “By the way, the Water Resources Bill has nothing to do with inland waterways navigation. I will try and post a soft copy later today as passed by the House of Representatives. I really don’t understand the hysteria around it, other than just dirty politics. Unfortunately, many people have been sucked into it. And it’s not as if the Bill was brought back to National Assembly through the back door. The issue just got entangled with the 2019 elections and we ran out of time. With the good fortune that I returned as Minister of Water Resources for a second term, I was obliged to continue with the process, starting again from where we stopped. “Let me also say that the hysteria is totally unnecessary because the Bill is just a consolidation of four existing Water laws into a single statute. The existing laws are Water Resources Act 2004; National Water Resources Institute Act; River Basin Development Authorities Act, and Nigeria Hydrological Services Act. Other aspects of the Bill which deal with the concept of integrated water resources management whittle down the powers of the Minister and empower citizens within a catchment to have a say in any major water resources development. It means, for instance, that the Minister cannot approve a major dam, irrigation or hydropower project without a consensus among stakeholders. It also strengthens regulations that would make the Water sector more attractive to private sector investment. Another provision deals with empowerment of farmers to maintain secondary and tertiary irrigation facilities, plus a new section for the establishment of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Fund. “As Minister of Water Resources, I am contented with the enormous powers bestowed on me by the existing Water Resources Act. But as a technocrat and a professional who has been involved with water issues for the past 36 years, I consider it most appropriate at this time to update our water laws and make them more effective, in accordance with global best practices and international conventions Nigeria has subscribed to.” When others on the platform took on the Minister as to why Nigerians were not availed the information he was providing, he replied. “I do admit that our government has not been good at managing its public image, but on this score, we did everything possible to address the issue back in 2018. Honestly, we were taken by surprise at the negative expression that emerged from the Senate debate back then, as the Bill already had a smooth sail in the House of Representatives. However, although public perception matters a lot, I have taken the position that I would rather engage our legislators and other concerned individuals/interest groups/CSOs directly to explain and address their areas of concern. In the end, laws are only passed in the Legislature, not in the market square.” Well, what Adamu forgot is that opinions in the ‘market square’ often determine what happens in the legislature. Two years after our online conversation, the 36 governors have rejected the bill on grounds that it “does not adequately address the interests of the states and is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” according to a statement by Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman and Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi. Given my opposition to the bill, based on the same fears recently expressed by the governors, I met Adamu on Tuesday, at his instance. He took me through the history of the bill and explained that before it was sent to the National Assembly, inputs were received from renowned experts such as Prof Lanre Fagbohun, SAN, Prof Goldface Irokalibe (a specialist in International Water Law who was said to have done the initial draft) and Prof Lekan Oyebande (a well-respected hydrologist). Fagbohun, member of an independent team of experts put together by the federal government “to provide an assessment of the provisions of the Bill against the backdrop of implications for relevant constitutional provisions and State powers” has argued that the governors have nothing to fear in the bill that “applies to inter-state waters alone.” The bill, according to Fagbohun who echoes everything Adamu has been saying, is important to ensure that our water resources “are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in ways which take into account amongst other factors citizens’ right of access to safe water and basic sanitation; meeting the basic human needs of present and future generations; promoting equitable and affordable access to water and reducing poverty.” My session with Adamu was quite stimulating, even though we were meeting for the first time. Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Member of the American Society of Engineers (MASCE) and Council Member of both COREN (Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria) and ACEN (Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria), Adamu is obviously one of the few round pegs in round holes under the current dispensation. When he graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in 1984 at 21, Adamu was the winner of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) prize for the best final year student in Civil Engineering. He obtained his master’s in project management from University of Reading, United Kingdom. I now understand what Adamu is trying to do with the Water Resources Bill, but he still needs to address the concerns of all critical stakeholders, especially the governors. And Adamu must also understand that even with good intentions, when it comes to public policy, securing the buy-in of “the market square” also matters!
Amumara Mbaise traditional ruler, Eze Ositadinma Nwokocha, Umara ll conferred a Chieftaincy title of Enyioma Mbaise on Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State during the 2022 Iriji-Mbaise festival which held at Itu Ezinihitte Central School.
The new chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Muhammad Shehu has disclosed that Nigeria has not reviewed its revenue formula in the past 29 years.
Speaking to news men yesterday, August 17, at the Presidential villa, Abuja, the chairman said that this was despite that the Constitution makes it mandatory that the formula should be reviewed after a period of five years.
“Revenue allocation formula had not been touched for about 29 years. The Constitution says after a period of five years it can be reviewed, looking at the circumstances of the country, you know, more states have been created.”
The chairman admitted that there has been agitation for the review of the formula, recalling that the Commission had successfully done the review “sometimes I think, in February this year, and we have submitted our report to Mr. President.
“What he stated at that time was that he was waiting to see what the National Assembly will do in terms of looking at concurrent list and exclusive list and constitutional amendment.
“If he’s satisfied with what the National Assembly does, he will forward a recommendation and make it an Act so that it becomes a law.
Muhammad Shehu said that it is the responsibility of the Commission to take care of the salaries of political office holders, and judicial officers, as enshrined in the Constitution “that had not been reviewed since 2008.”
“And also, our other responsibility, like monitoring of CBN, monitoring of Ministry of Finance, customs, NNPC; those are huge task for the Commission. And of course, don’t forget that revenue mobilization is also a statutory member in the joint tax board, local government joint account and others.
“So my task is to get our members respond to the task that Mr. president gave them in 2019, when he swore in the new board that thye should try as much as possible to get more revenue and strengthen the monitoring mechanism. That is what we are going to do with all the stakeholders FIRS and NNPC, Federal Ministry of Finance and every revenue generating agency. We have to collaborate to be able to assist Mr. President get more revenue before he leaves office. This is a task that should be done by every meaningful member of the Commission.”
Governors of the 36 States of Nigeria have collectively pledged to commit themselves towards strengthening primary health care system in the country, having being inducted into the Seattle Declaration in November 2019.
Speaking on behalf of the governors, at the launch of the Primary Healthcare Leadership Challenge Initiative yesterday, August 17, in Abuja, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi said: “on behalf of all of us, the 36 state governors, and members of the Nigerian Governor forum, this is our statement of commitment to strengthening primary health care system in Nigeria.”
He emphasized: “the Nigerian Governors Forum, representing the 36 states of the Federation, hereby affirm our commitment to strengthen the primary health care system in the country. We therefore adopt and confirm our commitment in line with the Seattle Declaration as outlined below.
“1. improving the governance of the primary healthcare system as a sub national level by fully implementing the primary health care under one roof policy, and providing active leadership for primary health care through regular engagement with relevant Primary Health Care stakeholders, and quarterly Primary Health Care performance review at the State Executive Council meetings
“2. to promote progressive increase in primary health care funding by ensuring efficient budgeting that is aligned to annual operational plans, promptly releasing approved budget to the state primary health care board, and primary health care facilities and ensuring that there is a mechanism in place for basic health care provision, fund implementation and oversight at the state and facility levels.
“3. recruit requisite health workforce to ensure that all primary health care facilities have the minimum staffing requirements appropriate for their level in line with the state’s minimum service package.
“4. institute a culture of use of evidence for decision making, by ensuring that the data quality across all primary health care facilities is progressively improved.
“5. develop a state led and state on local government area levels, Primary Health Care leadership challenge for local government area chairmen, for sustainability and strengthening the commitment of the local government area chairmen to primary health.”
The Country Director of Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation, Jeremie Zoungrana, recalled that in November 2019 and following the Seattle’s visit, all the 36 Governors endorsed the Seattle Declaration with key commitments towards improving primary health care and agreed to include PHC as a standing agenda item in your monthly NGF meetings.
She said that in order to support these commitments, the PHC Leadership Challenge Fund was initiated to fill critical leadership gaps in primary health care systems development in Nigeria, adding that the gaps have resulted in inefficiencies, underfunding, lack of prioritization and resulting in poor outcomes for women and children and communities.
“The PHC Challenge Fund represents a unique opportunity to motivate and publicly recognize ownership and leadership at the sub-national level. The PHC health indicators will be tracked to support the NGF build Governor-level accountability, improve performance management, and enhance investments in critical areas of PHC. The Challenge Fund will also leverage other BMGF investments that focus on improving state level data ownership, analysis, quality, and use.
“Under the Challenge, all 36 states are eligible for monetary grants awarded to one best performing and one most improved state within each of the country’s six geopolitical zones demonstrating the most progress against all indicators as per the agreed performance results framework as well as one state nationally displaying the most improved performance (total of 13 awards).
“The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is fully aligned with the Government of Nigeria’s determination to reform and revitalize PHC through the current effort by the Ministry of Health and the National Primary health Care Development Agenda. We are encouraged by recent reports showing improvement in routine immunization, Skilled birth attendants, Nutrition, Malaria coverage indicators and declining cases of CVDPV2. This is encouraging and you all should be proud of this achievement.
“As the team continues to engage key stakeholders and the independent verification team to collect and verify the data that will be used for the awards, I would like to draw your attention to the MICS 2021 result released yesterday. These results while encouraging as they show improvement in key indicators, should also spur us to further action.”
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Shamsunna Ahmed has thumbed up for most State governments in Nigeria for what she called “very strong performance” in all the key Results Areas of Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme.
She paid special tributes to President Muhammadu Buhari, for introducing laudable and enduring reforms in the Public Finance Management among which is the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme for Results.
The minister, who spoke yesterday, August 17, at the launch of the States Charter to sustain Fiscal Financial Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Reforms, commended the State Governments for the demonstrable high level of ownership, active peer learning and peer competition.
According to Zainab Ahmed, the commendable performance of such State Governments has resulted into increasing fiscal transparency and accountability; strengthening domestic revenue mobilization; increasing efficiency in public expenditure and strengthening debt transparency and sustainability.
“Indeed, the very high level of political visibility and implementation structures created across the 36 States contributed largely to the successful implementation of the Programme over the period 2018 to 2022.
“As we gather this afternoon for the launch of the Charter, we are pleased to note that the Programme has achieved its objectives and made the following impactful deliverables: instilled a common set of fiscal behaviour and standards and facilitated the widespread adoption of good practices in fiscal and public financial management across the States while respecting their fiscal autonomy through preparation of Citizen -based Budgets, timely preparation and publication of Annual Budget and Audited Financial Statement as well as adoption of National Charts of Account.
“To date, twenty-eight (28) States have passed their Audit Law in line with internationally acceptable standards and all the thirty-six (36) States have passed their 2020 Audited Financial Statements before 31 July, 2021.”
Parts of the minister’s speech is reproduced here:
Also, 32 States prepared and published Local Governments’ Audited Financial Statements (AFSS) for FY2018, FY2019 and FY2020 including all allocations and actual receipts of State-Local Government Joint Account Allocation Committee (SLJAAC) transfers for each LG.
It has strengthened fiscal transparency by improving overall budget transparency and accountability to help build trust in government, enhance the monitoring of fiscal risks and improve accountability in public resource management. All the 36 States prepared Year 2022 budget in line with the National Charts of Account.
Improved accountability through the deployment of measures such as BVN in the Payroll Systems and implementation of Treasury Single Accounts to minimize leakages in the system and promote efficiency in resource management. To date, 31 States have linked BVN to payroll while thirteen (13) have adopted the Treasury Single Account. Also, 30 States had conducted biometric registration of at least 90% of their civil servants and pensioners on the payroll and addressed identified payroll fraud.
Also, many States have been able to increase their IGR significantly by reducing IGR leakages through the implementation of State-level Treasury Single Account (TSA), and intensifying efforts in IGR collection. Twenty-seven (27) States passed their Consolidated State Revenue Code (CSRC) by 2020 and 18 States were able to record a nominal IGR collection in 2020 that was equal to or higher than their 2019 nominal IGR collection. In addition, twenty (20) States have shown very strong commitment in establishing institutional arrangements focussed on laying foundation for State Property taxation which is a significant potential revenue source.
To date, twenty-nine (29) States have passed Public Procurement Laws and all 36 went ‘live’ on an e-procurement platform by 31 December 2021. This will improve procurement practices to enhance value for money and reduce opportunities for corruption and misuse of public resources, thereby increasing efficiency of public expenditure.
vil. It has strengthened fiscal sustainability through increased efficiency in spending, and debt sustainability to prevent further fiscal crises and enhance the fiscal space for productive spending aimed at supporting growth and public service delivery. Currently, thirty-three (33) States have passed State Debt Laws.
viii. The implementation of COVID-19 responsive indicators freed resources for effective response to COVID-19 at the peak of the Pandemic. All the 36 States had passed credible, fiscally responsible, COVID-19 responsive Amended 2020 State Budgets which significantly revised revenues in line with realistic projections, reduce non-essential overhead and capital expenditures with a view to protecting social expenditures. This significantly strengthened national response to COVID-19 and aligned efforts at both federal and State levels.
It successfully encouraged peer learning and competition amongst States and further enhanced delivery of good governance.
I am pleased to state that a total sum of N471.9 bn has so far been disbursed by the Federal government as grant to States under the $1.5bn World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme for the results achieved following various annual assessments carried out by the Independent Verification Agents. It is gratifying to note that beyond benefitting from the grants, all the 36 States in the Federation have fully domesticated the fiscal reforms in their public financial management system through the adoption of appropriate processes and practices as well as legal and regulatory frameworks which are already yielding positive outcomes.
At this juncture, permit me to specially recognize the Chairman, Governors’ Forum, the Ekiti State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, his able Deputy, the Sokoto State Governor, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and their Edo State Counterpart, Governor Godwin Obaseki who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum SFTAS Committee. The trio have indeed played major roles in institutionalizing SFTAS Programme not only in their States where they recorded outstanding achievements but in all the States of the Federation. The speedy adoption of this Charter bears great testimony to their unrelenting efforts in entrenching SFTAS ideals in government processes at the State level.
In the same vein, let me also commend all critical Stakeholders involved in the implementation of SFTAS for their untiring efforts towards the successful implementation of the programme thus far. In particular, officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Consultants in the Programme Coordinating Unit, the World Bank Task Team for their Technical Support; the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation who serves as the independent Verification Agent, the Governors’ Forum Secretariat, the Debt Management Office of Nigeria, the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, and the Open Government Partnership Secretariat for their various roles and contribution towards the successful implementation of the Programme.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as we launch the Charter today, its my hope and prayer that current administrations in the States and those that will come after would continue to sustain the ideals of SFTAS as enshrined in the Charter and build on the successes already recorded. Let me also express the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to support the States in the implementation of the Charter as we work together to further deepen on-going reforms in Public Finance Management. I wish to also use this opportunity to implore our friends in the media and the Civil Society as partners in development to join hands with the States to ensure the sustainability of SFTAS ideals.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has assured Nigerians that the federal government is taking fiscal and monetary measures to tackle the rising inflation rate in the country, considered to be the highest in 17 years.
Nigeria’s inflation rate has surged from the previous month’s 18.60 per cent to 19.64 percent in July 2022, according to the latest data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The data showed that the increase inflation rate was driven by increases in the food and core indexes.
The last time Nigeria’s inflation was above 19.64 percent was in September 2005 when it rose to 24.32 precent.
According to the NBS, the rise in food inflation was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, food products, potatoes, meat, fish, oil, and fat.
Breakdown of the report shows that the urban inflation rate rose by 2.08 percent to 20.09 percent in July 2022 from 18.01 percent recorded in July 2021, while the rural inflation rate hit 19.22 percent from 16.75 percent recorded in the corresponding period of 2021.
“On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in July was 2.04%, this was a 0.01% insignificant decline compared to the rate recorded in June 2022 (2.05%).
“This decline is attributed to a reduction in the prices of some food items like Tubers, Maize, Garri, and Vegetables.
Answering reporters’ questions today, August 17 after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), in the Presidential villa, Abuja, Lai Mohammed said: “I wish my colleague the Honourable Minister of Budget, Finance and National Planning, was here and she will probably tell you both the fiscal and monetary measures government is taking, especially in the area of the medium term fiscal measures.
“But what I can tell you is that inflation is a global issue. And I think it reflects, you know, a lot of things going on, globally. But what government does to stem inflation varies from government to government.
“Sometimes it is the way you adjust your interest rate or the way you introduce certain fiscal measures that would allow you to bring down the inflation. But like I said, I wish the Minister of Finance was here she will be in a better position to tell me exactly what measures we have been taking to ensure that inflation does not continue to soar.”
This was even as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, said that government will soon constitute the board of the NDDC support the smooth working of the ministry.
Umana said that the board would have to wait until the forensic report about the audit of the commission is out.
“Government is at the stage of concluding on that and I can very conveniently say that the constitution of the board will follow immediately thereafter. Nobody is trying to stall the constitution of the board.
“I want the board in place because it will make my work run smoothly. But we must also follow the due process, conclude on this report and the white paper is issued. So that is the position.”
Umana said that FEC has approved additional costs of carrying out the forensic audit.
“You will recall that for this exercise a lead consultant was appointed who had to work with 16 other field auditors and the initial contract zone which covered the lead consultants and the field forensic auditors was N1.786 billion.
“These auditors have since concluded their work but in the cost of carrying out this work, it was discovered that they had to deal with many more projects than were initially envisaged and the exercise also took an additional seven months.
“The total number of additional projects considered by the auditors was 3,773. So for reasons of the additional number of projects and the additional time taken, Council today approved a revised additional sum of N765,974,975.50 to cover the additional works done by the forensic auditors.”
Umana took over the Niger Delta Affairs ministry from Senator Godswill Akpabio who resigned in June to run in the presidential primary of the ruling All Progresives Congress (APC).
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The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Kaduna State, has received medical equipment from TETFund’s N1billion Special Intervention for the establishment of Urology and Kidney Transplant Unit at ABU Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria.
Kaduna state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan has confirmed that the security agents have cleared the Lawal Kwalba camp in Chikun Forest in the State.
Wadume And The Nigerian Tragedy, By Olusegun Adeniyi
The slap on the wrist given a notorious kidnap kingpin has exposed the underbelly of the criminal justice administration in Nigeria. It also underscores the seeming hopelessness of the national security situation. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, according to reports, last month sentenced Hamisu Bala, popularly known as Wadume, to seven years imprisonment for unlawfully dealing in prohibited firearms and escaping from prison custody. Among the six others convicted with Wadume is Inspector Aliyu Dadje, station officer at the Ibi Divisional Police Headquarters in Taraba State at the time the crime was committed. Dadje bagged three years in jail for tampering with police records to conceal a crime.
All the elements that have made our country unsafe today are present in this tragedy that has been treated so casually by the federal government. From kidnapping to criminal complicity by military/security agencies to inter-agency rivalry and the way life has become so cheap in Nigeria, this is one case that should have been used for the purpose of deterrence in our quest for peace and security. Sadly, not only has the case been cynically bungled, but we have also shown that lives of innocent people do not matter and accountability counts for nothing. Since Wadume has already spent some years in detention, he can be freed as early as 2025. And perhaps then granted presidential pardon (the way we roll in Nigeria) to contest for senate in 2027 on the platform of whichever party is in power at the time!
I cannot but feel for the families of the slain policemen for whom the state cannot secure real justice. What is more confounding is the secrecy that has shrouded this trial whose outcome we only got to know more than three weeks later. The judgement was said to have been handed down on 22nd July with a statement released only last Sunday. The report also stated that ten military officers earlier charged with the convicts have had their trial “separated for departmental reasons,” whatever that means. These soldiers are Captain Tijjani Balarabe; Staff Sgt David Isaiah; Sgt Ibrahim Mohammed; Corporal Bartholomew Obanye; Private Mohammed Nura; Lance Corporal Okorozie Gideon; Corporal Marcus Michael; Lance Corporal Nvenaweimoeimi Akpagra; Staff Sgt Abdulahi Adamu and Private Ebele Emmanuel. While we can assume that these were the soldiers who killed the police team, we do not know what the exact charges are against them.
Meanwhile, this tragic story began on 6th August 2019 when a special operational team sent from Abuja arrested Wadume in Taraba State, handcuffed him and were driving toward Jalingo when they came under heavy bombardment from soldiers. In the process, four persons were killed on the spot while several others were injured. Those killed were Inspector Mark Ediale and two sergeants – Usman Danzumi and Dahiru Musa and a civilian by name of Jibrin. The soldiers then freed the handcuffed suspect, according to a statement by then police spokesperson, Frank Mba, who provided public updates on the matter.
From all that transpired at the time, there was no dispute about the fact that Wadume was freed by the soldiers who killed the policemen. In his version of the event, the then Army spokesperson, Sagir Musa said that soldiers from 93 Battalion received a distress call that kidnappers had come to operate in their community, leading to the hot pursuit that culminated in the unfortunate killings. Musa, who accused police operatives of refusing to stop at the military checkpoint, described them as “suspected kidnappers who turned out to be an Intelligence Response Team…on a covert assignment from Abuja.” But he gave a convoluted account of how Wadume escaped unhurt from the hands of the military men.
Evidently miffed by the attempt to cover up the crime, the police immediately countered by raising pertinent posers: “Where is the notorious kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume ‘rescued’ by the soldiers? How could a kidnap suspect properly restrained with handcuffs by the Police escape from the hands of his military rescuers? If Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume is a ‘victim of kidnap’ as claimed, and properly rescued by soldiers, why was he not taken to the Army Base for documentation purposes and debriefing in line with the Standard Operating Procedure in the Nigerian Army?” Insisting that their officers were murdered by the soldiers who they accused of colluding with the kidnap suspect, the police asked, “Why were the Police Operatives shot at close range even after they had identified themselves as Police Officers on legitimate duty as evident in the video now in circulation?”
Indeed, the clear give-away in the video released by police after the killings was the question, ‘Where is their service pistol?’ Asked by one of the shooters, it is an indication they knew their victims were officers of the law. That a most wanted criminal suspect was set free in the process further confirmed the motive of the callous act that points to a clear link between officialdom and organised crime in our country. And to the extent that the insecurity that plagues our country today is the product of a justice administration that places criminals above the rest of society, it is no surprise that we have treated this unfortunate tragedy in a cavalier manner.
Apparently embarrassed, President Muhammadu Buhari tasked the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin to investigate the incident and report back to him. The police of course went in search of Wadume who was later captured in Kano on 20th August 2019. They subsequently released the video of his confessional statement that corroborated their allegation that the soldiers who killed their men were working in concert with kidnappers. “I am Hamisu Bala also known as Wadume. The police came to Ibi and arrested me. After arresting me, they were taking me to Abuja when soldiers went after them, opened fire and some policemen were killed. From there, the soldiers took me to their headquarters and cut off the handcuffs on my hands and I ran away. Since I ran away, I have been hiding until now that the police arrested me again,” Wadume said in the video.
Meanwhile, the joint presidential investigative panel headed by Rear Admiral T.I Olaiya with representatives from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), State Security Service (SSS) as well as the army, navy and police went mute. Although the panel was said to have presented a report to Olonisakin for onward transmission to the president, the APC broom has swept the matter under the proverbial carpet. Beyond what we are reading about “separated cases”, I am not aware that anybody in the military has been held accountable for executing three senior police officers and a civilian while on duty: No punishment for bad behavior, no justice for slain police officers, no lessons learnt. Case closed!
I concede that I do not know the charges filed against Wadume and accomplices at the federal high court by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation. So it is possible that Justice Nyako merely applied the law. But when you run a system where the punishment does not fit the crime and there is no accountability even for lives lost, it is the larger society that is in danger. We can see the evidence of that in all facets of our country today – which is why we should be concerned.
Adamu and the Water Resources Bill
On 3rd September 2020, I wrote a column regarding the controversial Water Resources Bill that had been effectively killed two years earlier by former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio before it resurfaced in the Senate. When the column was posted on an online chat group, I was surprised when the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu joined the conversation. I had no idea that he was on the platform. He wrote: “I would have loved to comment on this write up, if I had the assurances that Segun has actually read the contents of the draft bill and isn’t simply arriving at his judgment based on the ‘drama’ that transpired in the Senate two years ago. I would be happy to engage him and clear the air, sort of.”
I responded to Adamu’s jibe: “Thank you very much Honourable Minister. Although I did not read the bill before I wrote my column, I read the full presentation of the Water Resources Committee chairman, Senator Ubali Shitu which highlighted and explained most of the clauses in the bill. So, I did not write out of ignorance. I never do that. But I also came to my own conclusion which has been reaffirmed after reading the full bill. I find nothing new that I did not already know. It is still the same 2018 bill, and the issues remain the same. For instance, I referenced attempts at power grab by the federal government at a time we should be devolving powers. That much is still evident in the bill. I am almost certain that the issues raised by Akpabio will still come up in the debate of this bill when the National Assembly resumes. And given the toxic ethno-religious environment in the country, partly helped by some of the choices made by this government, the bill will still generate a lot of heat at the National Assembly.”
After thanking me for the explanation, Adamu also responded to an aspect of my column: “There is a schedule in the draft bill where the major rivers involved are listed. I bet more than 90% of the people shouting ‘foul’ have not read the Bill. That’s why I would rather discuss it with any individual after he/she would have read the draft.
“This bill was drafted between 2006 and 2008. So, it’s not a ‘Buhari Water Bill’. The Bill went through six town hall meetings, in each geopolitical zone, as of 2008. When I came into office and was requested by Water Stakeholders to ensure its passage at a retreat in December 2015, I first circulated it to all 36 states and received their feedback. Observations were incorporated into the final draft which I then presented to the National Council on Water Resources meeting of May 2016, at which all 36 commissioners responsible for water resources endorsed it. Then I presented it to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in September 2016 where it was also unanimously approved. Every state is of course represented at FEC. Finally, it went through another public hearing in the House of Representatives in November 2017 and passed without any rancour. Yes, I agree with Segun, it was Akpabio who tried to kill it in the Senate.
“By the way, the Water Resources Bill has nothing to do with inland waterways navigation. I will try and post a soft copy later today as passed by the House of Representatives. I really don’t understand the hysteria around it, other than just dirty politics. Unfortunately, many people have been sucked into it. And it’s not as if the Bill was brought back to National Assembly through the back door. The issue just got entangled with the 2019 elections and we ran out of time. With the good fortune that I returned as Minister of Water Resources for a second term, I was obliged to continue with the process, starting again from where we stopped.
“Let me also say that the hysteria is totally unnecessary because the Bill is just a consolidation of four existing Water laws into a single statute. The existing laws are Water Resources Act 2004; National Water Resources Institute Act; River Basin Development Authorities Act, and Nigeria Hydrological Services Act. Other aspects of the Bill which deal with the concept of integrated water resources management whittle down the powers of the Minister and empower citizens within a catchment to have a say in any major water resources development. It means, for instance, that the Minister cannot approve a major dam, irrigation or hydropower project without a consensus among stakeholders. It also strengthens regulations that would make the Water sector more attractive to private sector investment. Another provision deals with empowerment of farmers to maintain secondary and tertiary irrigation facilities, plus a new section for the establishment of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Fund.
“As Minister of Water Resources, I am contented with the enormous powers bestowed on me by the existing Water Resources Act. But as a technocrat and a professional who has been involved with water issues for the past 36 years, I consider it most appropriate at this time to update our water laws and make them more effective, in accordance with global best practices and international conventions Nigeria has subscribed to.”
When others on the platform took on the Minister as to why Nigerians were not availed the information he was providing, he replied. “I do admit that our government has not been good at managing its public image, but on this score, we did everything possible to address the issue back in 2018. Honestly, we were taken by surprise at the negative expression that emerged from the Senate debate back then, as the Bill already had a smooth sail in the House of Representatives. However, although public perception matters a lot, I have taken the position that I would rather engage our legislators and other concerned individuals/interest groups/CSOs directly to explain and address their areas of concern. In the end, laws are only passed in the Legislature, not in the market square.”
Well, what Adamu forgot is that opinions in the ‘market square’ often determine what happens in the legislature. Two years after our online conversation, the 36 governors have rejected the bill on grounds that it “does not adequately address the interests of the states and is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” according to a statement by Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman and Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi.
Given my opposition to the bill, based on the same fears recently expressed by the governors, I met Adamu on Tuesday, at his instance. He took me through the history of the bill and explained that before it was sent to the National Assembly, inputs were received from renowned experts such as Prof Lanre Fagbohun, SAN, Prof Goldface Irokalibe (a specialist in International Water Law who was said to have done the initial draft) and Prof Lekan Oyebande (a well-respected hydrologist). Fagbohun, member of an independent team of experts put together by the federal government “to provide an assessment of the provisions of the Bill against the backdrop of implications for relevant constitutional provisions and State powers” has argued that the governors have nothing to fear in the bill that “applies to inter-state waters alone.”
The bill, according to Fagbohun who echoes everything Adamu has been saying, is important to ensure that our water resources “are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in ways which take into account amongst other factors citizens’ right of access to safe water and basic sanitation; meeting the basic human needs of present and future generations; promoting equitable and affordable access to water and reducing poverty.”
My session with Adamu was quite stimulating, even though we were meeting for the first time. Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Member of the American Society of Engineers (MASCE) and Council Member of both COREN (Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria) and ACEN (Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria), Adamu is obviously one of the few round pegs in round holes under the current dispensation. When he graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in 1984 at 21, Adamu was the winner of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) prize for the best final year student in Civil Engineering. He obtained his master’s in project management from University of Reading, United Kingdom.
I now understand what Adamu is trying to do with the Water Resources Bill, but he still needs to address the concerns of all critical stakeholders, especially the governors. And Adamu must also understand that even with good intentions, when it comes to public policy, securing the buy-in of “the market square” also matters!