PFN expresses concern for state of economy (Read full details)

Rev Felix Omobude<br />

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has expressed concern over the state of the Nigerian economy and the hardship being experienced by Nigerians. It calls on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to mitigate the pain of Nigerians, curb inflation, stem the tide of unemployment and find solution to the exchange rate that has eroded the value of the Naira.

The PFN also returned Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude as its National President for a second term of four years. At the 14th Biennial Conference of the Fellowship held in Benin City from February 7 to 9, 2017, PFN leadership and General Assembly expressed appreciation for the work done by the Omobude-led National Executive Council during its first term in office and voted for it to continue to lead the Fellowship.

A number of issues of concern to the Church and of national interest were discussed at the Conference and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria resolved on the need for the Federal Government to live up to its constitutional responsibility of securing live and property, especially in the face of terrorist activities by so-called herdsmen and the killings in Southern Kaduna.
 
The Conference, which was attended by many Christians from Nigeria and beyond, was also graced by the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Leaders of the Pentecostal Community in Nigeria, including Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Bishop David Oyedepo and others; Delegates from all over Nigeria and the Diaspora, as well as many other dignitaries.

Enugu government, former commissioner at loggerheads over access roads (Read full details)

Chimaroke Nnamani

Former Commissioner of Lands, Enugu State, Okey Ogbodo and the Enugu State Government are at loggerheads over access roads around Agbani area of the state.

While the state government vowed, yesterday, that it would pull down the perimeter walls put up by the former commissioner and enforce the necessary sanctions on him for encroaching into Umuchu and Umueze streets in  Agbani after the expiration of the grace period, the former Commissioner insisted that he would seek redress in court should anything happen to the walls he put.

Ogbodo, a commissioner during the Chimaroke Nnamani administration erected perimeter walls over Umuchu and Umueze Streets, thereby blocking access into them.

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and residents of the area wrote a petition to the Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority (ESCTDA). The petition signed by the Church’s Parish Priest, Aneke Pascal, some leaders of the church and members of the area, alleged that with perimeter erected by Ogbodo, residents and other citizens had been denied easy access to their homes.

But Ogbodo in a petition through his Counsel, S.M  Anyanwu, said the piece of land in question was an ancestral inheritance, bequeathed to him by his forefather.

Speaking on the matter, Commissioner of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Mr Chidi Aroh stated that the claims had been investigated and ascertained to be true, that the former commissioner blocked entrances to some streets by erecting walls over them.

Controversy trails customs’ seizure of military helicopters at Lagos Airport (Read full details)

Documents related to the controversial Bell Helicopters reportedly seized by the Nigeria Customs officials at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos show that there was communication regarding the transaction on September 2015.

•Amaechi accuses Wike of abandoning choppers

Documents related to the controversial Bell Helicopters reportedly seized by the Nigeria Customs officials at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos show that there was communication regarding the transaction on September 2015.

This was contrary to claims by the customs that the helicopters were impounded in November 2016 from unknown smugglers. Rivers State Government that has claimed ownership of the helicopters, however, denied buying the estimated N10 billion military-type helicopters.

The Guardian learnt that Rivers State Government had in a letter dated September 28, 2015 written to the Comptroller-General of the Customs seeking the release of the helicopters.

Apparently denied, the state government in another letter dated March 16, 2016 addressed to the Chief of Air Staff, Nigeria Air Force Headquarters, sought that the helicopters be released as gift to the Nigerian Air Force.

When The Guardian contacted the Customs Public Relations Officer, Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Thelma Williams yesterday, she refused to comment on the controversy.

Williams said: “I am sorry. I don’t make comments on official matters at weekends. As I am talking to you I am at home preparing food for my children.”

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of Nigerian Customs Service at the weekend claimed to have seized two civil model Bell helicopters imported into the country by unknown persons and handed them over to the Nigerian Air Force for failure by the unknown importers to produce end-user certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in contravention of Section 36 (2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike had in his reaction said the armoured helicopters were ordered by the Rotimi Amaechi administration. He explained that he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over the helicopters to the Nigeria Air Force, but he did not get any response from the Presidency.

Meanwhile, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, has accused Wike of abandoning two helicopters purchased by the state at the airport and playing politics with it.

Amaechi explained that the helicopters were procured by his administration to curb the wanton menace of criminals in the state but Wike decided to abandon and dump the helicopters, because he does not care about the safety and security of lives and property in the State.

The former governor recalled that when took over office in 2007, criminal elements were on the prowl. But with a strong political will to tackle these menaces and make the state a safe place, he initiated a lot of measures to deal with the menace.

According to him, purchasing these helicopters was one of the measures the Amaechi administration took to curb the clandestine and criminal activities in the state

Wike said he went to the Federal Government to “give us a waiver for us to clear the helicopters, but the Federal Government refused. I wrote a letter to the President and to assure him that the helicopters are meant for security purposes, it should be handed over to the Nigerian Air Force.”

He added: “I am surprised that they have started propaganda and political falsehood on the said armoured helicopters. What kind of country are they turning Nigeria into? We stated that we couldn’t pay the custom duties because the helicopters are not for commercial use. They are to be used to monitor the creeks and track criminals.”

“I wrote to the President to give the helicopters to the Air force. It is shocking that the custom would turn around to claim that they impounded the helicopters,” Wike explained.

Controversy trails customs’ seizure of military helicopters at Lagos Airport

Frivolity, duplications may mar budget plans (Read full details)

President Muhammadu Buhari (C) presenting copies of the 2017 budget documents to the National Assembly on Wednesday, December 14, 2016.

With considerations for the 2017 budget proposals about to begin by the National Assembly, the civil society groups and experts have said that the expected change in the economy may not be realised with the level of duplications and frivolity in the fiscal plan.

They also overviewed the national budgeting processes and its implementations, maintaining that the major traditions that have impinged on performance remain at large.

The consequence will be that while the economy continues to battle the recession, hopes that the 2017 budget will make the difference in ensuring growth and improved well-being of the citizenry have dimmed further.

At the just concluded 2017 Civil Society Summit on Federal Budget in Abuja, the Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, said from sustained late budget preparation, presentation, litany of questionable items in the document to return of oil as major revenue earner mean that nothing has been learned and changed.

“Government must resolve the contradiction between its mantra of cutting down waste, improving efficiencies and removing ghost workers from the payroll and the present rising recurrent non-debt expenditure in 2017 budget.

“Recurrent non-debt expenditure got N2.59 trillion in 2015 and moved up to N2.65 trillion in 2016. Now it has gone up to N2.98 trillion. These increments cannot be the sign of a system that is taking steps to remove waste and inefficiencies,” he said.

Dr. Olalekan Obademi of the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos, noted that there are assessed repetitions, frivolities and ambiguous terms in the 2017 budget, which could aid corruption and non-performance, pointing the Women Affairs Ministry’s proposal.

This observation has been a recurring issue over the years, while Nigerians had expected that these would have been part of the “change” administration.
For example, “Salaries and Wages” appeared twice, with N737.67 million each, followed by “Salary” with the same amount. Others include “Purchase of Residential Building at N30 million, Purchase of Surveying Equipment at N34.5 million, among others.

But in a swift reaction’ the Director-General of Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, refuted the assertion, saying that such repetitions have been done away with and any such trace could only be in the former document presented, not the one currently being considered by the National Assembly.

He expressed the hope that 2017 budget will surely return the economy to growth path, assuring that the projections are based on research, consultations and outlook that has been affirmed by global financial institutions.

According to him, government has stepped up it strategies to engage militancy in the oil rich Niger Delta, as a way to realize production targets, adding that it was the same issue that affected Nigeria revenue target and budget implementation in 2016.

Again, Dr. Uzochukwu Amakom of the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nigeria, queried the rationale for the allocation of more than N1.33 trillion to the budget ministry.

He said it is startling to have N901.2 billion recurrent expenditure and N426.3 billion capital expenditure in a ministry that is more of service offering, than project execution and demanded a clear explanation to Nigerians.

Represented by Dr. David Agu, the economist also raised concern that fiscal information flow is slow, as he noted that there is no clear direction on what happens to funds on excess crude earnings in the budget.

“The proposed budget contained an inflation estimate of 12.92 per cent. Even though this looks realistic, there are pertinent issues. First, the gap between recurrent and capital expenditure in the 2017 budget is enough to trigger inflation.

“The budget has about 30 per cent as its total capital expenditure while the rest are distributed among non-debt recurrent, recurrent and statutory transfers. The proposed recurrent expenditure of 2017 budget is enough to trigger,” he said.

Also, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission has reiterated its concern for late budget, which it said should be approved before January 1 of every year to enable it run a full term and not in the present broken form.

The commission also decried the way some aspects of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework had to be reviewed to capture present realities in the system, even after the proposal was submitted to the lawmakers by the President.

The Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, FRC, Ola Tijani, who spoke for the commission, said government has laid a foundation for recovery and growth with the budget, adding that implementations of the proposals which have been the bane of successive regimes are the concerns.

He admitted that inflation and unemployment have been rising and that government needs to do more than riding the traditional rope of engaging every sector into action.

“I am also afraid that a lot of funds will be going into Service-Wide votes this year. One would have expected a tight budget where there should not be such avenues of funding frivolities. The moment there is any window for free funds, we have already devised means of free spending,” he said.

Frivolity, duplications may mar budget plans

Miss France crowned Miss Universe (Read full details)

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Iris Mittenaere (C) of France reacts after being crowned Miss Universe in the Miss Universe pageant at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on January 30, 2017. France was crowed Miss Universe on January 30 in a glitzy spectacle free of last year's dramatic mix-up but with a dash of political controversy as finalists touched on migration and other hot-button global issues.
TED ALJIBE / AFP

Miss Universe contestant Iris Mittenaere (centre R) of France is crowned the new 2017 winner by former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines (centre L) during the Miss Universe pageant at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on January 30, 2017. France was crowed Miss Universe on January 30 in a glitzy spectacle free of last year's dramatic mix-up but with a dash of political controversy as finalists touched on migration and other hot-button global issues.
TED ALJIBE / AFP

Iris Mittenaere of France (C) is crowned the winner of the Miss Universe pageant at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on January 30, 2017. France was crowed Miss Universe on January 30 in a glitzy spectacle free of last year's dramatic mix-up but with a dash of political controversy as finalists touched on migration and other hot-button global issues.
TED ALJIBE / AFP

Miss France was crowed Miss Universe on Monday in a made-for-television spectacle free of last year’s dramatic mix-up but with a dash of political controversy as the finalists spoke out on the refugee crisis and other hot-button global issues.

Iris Mittenaere, a dental surgery student from Lille in the north of France, beat 85 of the world’s most beautiful women at the event in the Philippines scheduled for primetime viewing in the United States.

Mittenaere, 24, edged out Miss Haiti, the first runner-up, and Miss Colombia the second runner-up.

In the final question round, Miss France highlighted the benefits of open borders when asked about the global refugee crisis.

“In France we want to have the most globalisation that we can. We want to have the biggest exchange of people that we can. Maybe someday that will change but now we have open borders,” Mittenaere said.

“Having open borders allows us to travel more through the world and to find out more about what’s out there in the world.”

Miss Kenya, another finalist, said Donald Trump’s presidency “may not have been the choice of many people” and divided the United States.

She also spoke out in support of former US president Barack Obama and said she backed Hillary Clinton to be America’s first woman president.

“I feel once he took up his position, he was able to unify the entire nation,” said Mary Esther Were, 27.

Miss Colombia appeared to allude to Trump when asked why violence was prevalent in the world.

“Although there are presidents who don’t get along with others, we work together to unite. Campaigns, respect and inclusivity to be able to have a social transformation that would educate our children,” said Andrea Tovar, 23.

Monday’s show was headlined by US performers including Grammy award-winning rhythm and blues group Boyz II Men and rapper and Grammy award nominee Flo Rida.

Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines won last year following a major blunder in which the host — Emmy Award winner Steve Harvey — mistakenly awarded the title to Miss Colombia.

Harvey corrected the error minutes later, apologising on air to Wurtzbach and Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez.

The mistake featured prominently on Monday’s show, with candidates and the home audience often ribbing Harvey about it.

“Steve, I never got to thank you but thank you for making me the most popular Miss Universe,” Wurtzbach told Harvey at the opening of show.

Harvey this year got through the closing moments of the ceremony smoothly.

– Pageant fanatics –
The Philippines agreed to host the pageant as part of efforts to draw tourists and investors.

Beauty pageants are also hugely popular in the Philippines, particularly among the tens of millions of poor who see the contests as a chance for their beautiful compatriots to live a life of fame and luxury.

But allowing the Philippines to host has proved controversial, with critics claiming the pageant would whitewash Duterte’s brutal drug war, which has left more than 6,000 people dead.

Environmentalists also hit out at pageant organisers for letting the bikini-clad contestants swim last month with endangered whale sharks.

Despite the controversies, excited fans from across the globe lined up before dawn to watch the pageant, which was held in the morning Manila time for the coveted prime American evening viewing audiences.

Fans dressed in evening gowns with a sash took selfies outside the seaside arena where the competition was held while others organised viewing parties in hotels and restaurants in the capital.

Miss France crowned Miss Universe

Reps grill police chiefs over loss of arms, officers’ deaths (Read full details)

Members of the House of Representatives at a plenary. PHOTO: TWITTER/DOGARA

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has grilled officers in the top echelon of the Nigeria Police over their handling of the deaths of policemen across the country. The deaths were reportedly caused by religious bigots, bandits, hoodlums and militants.

For hours, at the committee’s investigative hearing, members, led by their chairman, Kingsley Chinda wondered why the police authorities would delay reporting the deaths and taking necessary actions.

The investigation has shown the tardiness in the police authorities’ response to the welfare of their personnel. The delay in reporting the death of their personnel may partly be responsible for the delay in the payment of compensation for the families of dead police personnel .Through this deliberate delay, top police officers make money off the plight of those working under them . And by failing to produce timely and correct statistics of the arms and ammunition that are lost, they also enrich themselves .

The hearing followed a report of the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF) for the year ended 31st December, 2013. In the consideration of the report, the lawmakers found that at the time many of the deaths occurred, various arms and ammunition were carted away by the bandits. The committee members described as an act of negligence the failure of the police to report promptly the loss of the arms to the appropriate authorities for immediate action.

The lawmakers observed that it was the interest shown by the AGF in the matter in 2013 that prompted the police to generate reports on some of the occurrences that took place between 2009 and 2012.

The AGF had urged the lawmakers in the report to recommend sanctions for the police for violating relevant provisions of the Financial Regulations for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), 2004, which require that the loss of arms should be reported promptly to the appropriate quarters not later than three days.

As at November last year, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had announced that 128 police officers lost their lives to activities of criminals in various parts of the country in the past three months.

Representing the IGP to defend the allegation against the police, Assistant Inspector General, Accounts and Budgets, Abdul Salami Iyaji blamed the delay in reporting the incidents on technology. “It occurs sometimes that equipment meant to transmit signals could fail us,” he said.

Iyaji admitted an occurrence in 2009 that was not reported promptly by the police until 2013. “On 1st of August, 2009, Sgt Augustine Nathaniel and Sgt Yakubu Musa were attacked by armed robbers, who invaded Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) headquarters in Lagos. Musa died in the process, while Nathaniel was rescued. We apologise for reporting the incident late,” Iyaji said.

On the loss of ammunition, Iyaji said the police normally mete out sanctions to officers found to be negligent in the handling of arms. He cited an instance on November 10, 2011 when one Inspector Victor Nwabueze, who claimed to have lost the arms in his possession, was found culpable and demoted. In June of the same year, he said, eight rounds of ammunition were also snatched away from another police officer while on duty, prompting the police to investigate the situation.

Chinda fixed 7th February, 2017 for the continuation of the hearings and urged the secretariat of the committee to compile all infractions by the police from 2010 to 2012. The compilation, he said, would guide members on the next line of action.

Reps grill police chiefs over loss of arms, officers’ deaths

Gabon 2017: Egypt beat Morocco to end Renard dream (Read full details)

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Egypt's players celebrate a goal during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco in Port-Gentil on January 29, 2017.
Justin TALLIS / AFP

Egypt's players celebrate at the end of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco in Port-Gentil on January 29, 2017.
Justin TALLIS / AFP

Mahmoud Kahraba scrambled in the winner in the 88th minute as Egypt beat Herve Renard’s Morocco 1-0 on Sunday to reach the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

A tense last-eight tie in Port-Gentil seemed destined for extra time until Kahraba, on as a substitute, stabbed the ball over the line after the Moroccan defence had failed to cut out a corner.

The Pharaohs, record seven-time winners of the trophy, now advance to a semi-final against Burkina Faso in Libreville on Wednesday after claiming a rare victory against their north African rivals.

The 1-0 scoreline also means Hector Cuper’s side have still not conceded a goal in four games in Gabon.

“It was a very complicated match for both teams for 94 minutes. We both had chances but we were lucky to get the goal from a dead ball,” said Argentine Cuper.

Defeat for Morocco means Renard, following previous triumphs with Zambia and the Ivory Coast, will not become the first man to win a third Cup of Nations title here with a third different country.

“Congratulations to Egypt and their coach,” said Renard.

“They are a very, very strong team who on a difficult pitch managed to play football, so when they find themselves on a better pitch it will be difficult to beat them.”

Given the identities of the two coaches, this tie always looked likely to be a close-fought tactical battle and so it proved on a dreadful pitch in Port-Gentil that the tournament can be glad to see the back of.

Renard opted to play with three centre-backs, Romain Saiss joining Manuel Da Costa and skipper Mehdi Benatia in the middle of the defence as they looked to suffocate the Egyptian attack.

It was a largely successful tactic but the first half was almost totally devoid of real incident.

Egypt did threaten once when Nabil Dirar failed to clear at the back post and Trezeguet’s effort was saved by Munir Mohamedi.

At the other end, Saiss was unable to connect with Da Costa’s ball across the face of goal but then headed against the top of the bar as the Egyptians struggled to clear.

Cuper had lost Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny to injury earlier in the day and he then saw Marwan Mohsen limp off late in the first half, the striker the latest of many victims of the pitch over the last two weeks.

A livelier start to the second period saw the Moroccan ‘keeper produce a strong arm to block a Mohamed Salah effort before the pocket-sized midfielder M’bark Boussoufa struck the bar at the other end.

The bulk of the support in the stadium was for Morocco and the bulk of the chances were going their way too in their first knockout round appearance since 2004.

But striker Aziz Bouhaddouz, who scored in the group-stage win against Togo, somehow could not connect with Faycal Fajr’s driven ball inside the six-yard box and then headed narrowly wide.

Salah was the danger man for the Egyptians and when Abdallah El Said chipped a free-kick over the wall and into his path, the Roma star’s effort was spectacularly saved by Munir.

Extra time loomed but then Kahraba struck to spark wild Egyptian celebrations and break Moroccan hearts.

Gabon 2017: Egypt beat Morocco to end Renard dream

Ijaw youths warn Shell over planned relocation of headquarters to Lagos (Read full details)

PHOTO:AFP

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has condemned and described as insensitive and provocative the plan by Anglo-Dutch multinational oil company, Shell to move its corporate headquarters from Port Harcourt, in the Niger Delta region to Lagos, south west Nigeria.

The body warned the oil giant to halt what they described as its evil and anti-Niger Delta plan or be ready to completely move out of its offshore oil platforms located in EIA and Bonga.

A statement by IYC spokesman, Barrister Eric Omare, said it was disheartening that while critical stakeholders are making frantic efforts to restore peace to the volatile region, the company was making plans to worsen the security situation.

Industry watchers said the implication of Shell relocating its corporate headquarters from the Niger Delta to Lagos was enormous as the Niger Delta region would lose all the economic and other associated benefits that come with having a corporate headquarters in the region.

Not only that the Niger Delta states would not only lose revenue but even businessmen doing business with Shell had to move from the region to Lagos with the attendant negative economic effects.

Bayelsa State chapter Chairman of the Civil Liberty Organization (CLO), Nengi James, said such plan by the oil company would have a far reaching implication in the economic fortune, warning that the region will not tolerate it.

He said such move would be a slap on the Niger Delta people, especially doing at a time the people are calling on oil companies whose headquarters are elsewhere to come back to the region.

“We are calling on the Federal Government and the oil company to desist from such plan because it will engineer and re-create another conflict which the federal government cannot manage.

“As far as I know Shell is still running its operations in the Niger Delta they are still running their oil facilities in the Niger Delta, either in the sea or ocean which are very close to the jetties of the host communities, they are also running their gas plant in Bonny.

“So if they know what they are doing, the social-economic effects of what they want to do, I think it will be very grievous and Niger Deltans will not take it lightly.” IYC said the move by Shell was not only insensitive but capable of escalating the already volatile security situation in the Niger Delta region.

Ijaw youths warn Shell over planned relocation of headquarters to Lagos

APC yet to decide on participating in Ebonyi council polls, says Onu (Read full details)

PHOTO: Reuters

As preparations heighten for the conduct of council elections in Ebonyi State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to decide whether it will participate in the exercise.

A prominent leader of the party and Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, while fielding questions from reporters at his Uburu country-home during a courtesy visit by south-east traditional rulers yesterday, said that contrary to statements credited to a factional chairman of the party in the state, the APC will meet later to enable it take a stand on the exercise.

“The party will meet, look at all matters and then take a decision. And communicate it’s position to the public in due course”, he informed. The state’s Independent Electoral Commission had while releasing guidelines for the election announced April 22 as the date for the exercise.

Onu said the agenda of a closed-door meeting he had with the traditional rulers centered on their concern about the welfare of the five state’s in the south-east.

He said the meeting also looked into other matters, including how the Igbos can mobilize to support government. The minister who also reacted to reports that some South-East PDP governors were making moves to join the APC said the party will receive such decampees into it’s fold.

“We have seen a number of leaders from other political parties coming into the APC. The APC will welcome all those who finally decides. You can have an intention. But you may not be able to keep to that intention.’’

APC yet to decide on participating in Ebonyi council polls, says Onu

For the arts, recession is blessing in disguise (Read full details)

Ajayi

Every sphere of the is feeling the pinch of economic hardship as a result of recession. Not least is the visual arts sub-sector of the creative industry. However, a mixed feeling seems to be pervading the sector, as Nigerian arts continue to witness dramatic growth, a rise in art appreciation, and collection by individuals and corporate organisations.

Red Door Gallery’s Bola Ashiru told The Guardian that despite the recession, the price of artworks is likely to go higher because the market is not limited to Nigeria. According to him, “Art is not an everyday commodity; it’s a piece that has a lot of emotional connection. Globally, there is a high demand for Nigerian art. So, I don’t see any artist limiting himself to the Nigerian market. Art is one of the few commodities that can boost the country’s economy, apart from crude oil. Any artist who is looking at the recession and reducing the price of his work is only limiting himself. And if Nigerians are not willing to pay, it is their loss because there are other buyers out there.”

On the best option between renting a space and sharing per centage with artists, the representative said Red Door runs a representative gallery and its model is very different from other galleries, adding, “Our model has been promoting artists’ works both locally and internationally. Most of our clients are not based in Nigeria, which makes it more interesting.

“There were a lot of uncertainties in 2016, considering the fall in the value of naira, but art is a long-term investment. At Red Door, we have a 10-year plan that we are following, and we are continuously looking towards long-term goals.”

Founder of Nike Art Gallery, Mrs. Nike Okundaye, lamented that the price of art materials had gone up and it had become expensive to run a gallery.

Her words, “For us, we cannot stop creating art works. The collectors are scared of investing in art; the artists are suffering a lot with the current situation. In my gallery, we depend solely on generator power supply; we need to power the air conditioners whenever we are open. Artwork is a luxury item for healing; people use art to calm themselves from tension, depression, but today, many people find it hard to feed. All hands must be on deck to get Nigeria out of the economic crisis; we cannot depend on this government alone.”

On his part, an artist and founder of Iwalewa Gallery of Art, Femi Williams, said in terms of art sales, it has been really slow, adding, “For me, I have been able to explore other areas as well, like functional art to make ends meet. I have diverted a little into furniture making in an artistic way. This has helped me to survive the recession. The positive side of the recession is that it has helped me to diversify; I have also taken advantage of the foreign market, where I get paid in foreign currency. Of course, we know the exchange rate is an advantage. Recession to me is a blessing in disguise.”

Another artist, Olu Ajayi, also said the issue of pricing was not relevant considering that art is not a commodity. To him, “It is the question of value. How much value artists place on their work would make the buyers go the extra mile to purchase the work. If art was a mass commodity, we could consider quantity in the pricing.”

For the arts, recession is blessing in disguise

Blame me says Klopp after Reds crash out (Read full details)

Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS /

Jurgen Klopp accepted responsibility for Liverpool’s stunning FA Cup fourth round exit as Championship club Wolves earned a shock 2-1 win at Anfield.

Klopp’s line-up featured three teenagers and right-back Connor Randall starting his first game of the season, a selection which resulted in a third consecutive home defeat in the space of eight days.

A home loss to Swansea all but ended Liverpool’s hopes of catching Premier League leaders Chelsea, while Southampton won at Anfield in the League Cup semi-finals in midweek.

Liverpool must now face Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday, fixture congestion which goes some way to explaining why Klopp chose such a weakened line-up against Wolves.

But the Reds boss was criticised by pundits, including England legend Gary Lineker and Liverpool great Mark Lawrenson, for his team selection and he accepted the blame.

“I’m responsible, I feel responsible for this performance,” Klopp said. “I thought we could do better and obviously we couldn’t.

“I have to think about this, learn about situations, players and all games. It was an important game for us and we couldn’t deliver.

“I was asked if it is the low point of my Liverpool time until now and I don’t know if it is.

“But if it is, it’s a perfect point to turn around because it is not possible to go lower. It is absolutely right that it feels bad.

“I don’t feel that the players let me down. I am responsible for the line up. I saw them training and I thought that is the line up.

“I am responsible for the bad things. We could have played better. Each boy could have played better. For each single performance there is an explanation.

“I am never too harsh in criticism and you should not be too emotional.”

– Damning –

Lineker was particularly damning of Klopp’s approach to the FA Cup, a competition Liverpool have won seven times in their illustrious history.

“Don’t get Klopp playing his reserves with no European football,” said Lineker via Twitter.

“Shows a lack of knowledge of the depth in English football and respect.”

Liverpool’s hopes of winning silverware this season are in tatters.

But Klopp refused to be critical of any of his youngsters, or the handful of senior players who lined up alongside them.

“We played a Championship team at Derby in the (League) cup and they had not a percentage of a chance. That is not years ago,” Klopp said.

“It is not right to judge people in a very bad moment. It is not about not wanting, it is about not getting the right players in the transfer window.

“We have to go through the history of Liverpool, better sides lost against worse sides. We know what we have to change, only we have to show it.

“I cannot explain every single thing of today. I don’t look for excuses. Whatever you write, whatever you say is absolutely okay.”

Richard Stearman headed Wolves in front inside the opening minute before Andreas Weimann doubled Wolves’ lead before the interval.

Not until the 86th minute could Liverpool finally break down Wolves’ resilient defence, through Divock Origi, although the home side was unable to end their manager Paul Lambert’s record of never having lost at Anfield, as player or manager.

“I’ve never been beaten here – that’s with Celtic, Villa, Norwich – but that one is the best,” Lambert said.

“That surpasses everything because of the gulf in leagues, the gulf in players. But what we’ve got is incredible team spirit and really good young players.”

Blame me says Klopp after Reds crash out

Fayose: President Buhari has put Nigeria under siege (Read full details)

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State

For Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, Nigeria is under siege, with what he described as the dictatorial tendencies of President Muhammadu Buhari and his rejection of decision of the Senate on some issues of national importance. He said the process of uniting the PDP and repositioning it to reclaim power from the ruling APC has begun. In this interview with The Guardian, Fayose described PDP as a sleeping lion, just as he said he bears no grudges against former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom he described “as a bad man that can sleep in your house tonight and cut your head tomorrow morning.” He also gave reasons he decided not to attack PDP Senator, Prince Buruji Kashamu and his relationship with Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among other issues.

• If You Want To Sleep With Obasanjo, You Must Keep Two Eyes Open
• PDP Is A Sleeping Lion

As Chairman of PDP’s Governors’ Forum, what will be your major preoccupations and things you will do differently from your predecessors?
Let me appreciate my other colleagues for trusting me and giving me opportunity to lead them and to serve as the chairman of the Forum. I want to appreciate Governor Olusegun Mimiko for his contributions to the development of the party, as the immediate past chairman of the Forum. I want to assure the Forum that we shall put in our best. We will represent them well and we shall deliver.

My preoccupation is to ensure that the PDP, as a party, conquers the challenges that came after losing the general election in 2015. We have to ensure that the party is un-cowed. As it is now, most party members do not know how to face ‪tomorrow‬‬‬‬. They need all the encouragement and assurances. We need to lead them by example, and show them that losing the election is not the end of the world or the end of life. There are two ways an election could be won. An election could be won with the people. It is purely the business of the party, but what the incumbent ruling party fails to do is affecting people’s lives positively. Today, the APC is not representing the interests of Nigerians very well. As a result, the people can rise up to take the right given to the ruling party and give it to another party.

Our politics has suffered a major set back, since the advent of Buhari administration. Power can be retrieved from the ruling party, if Nigerians stand their ground and confront the ruling party, as we have seen in some African countries that rejected dictatorship and leaders perpetuating themselves in power. The small political parties came together to take the power. It is not only the political parties that have what it takes to take power.

Largely, my assignment is to put the party together, stand up for the party, and give hope to those that have lost hope in the party. I am going to work very hard, and provide good leadership. People fail not because they fell, but because they failed to rise after falling. Today, some members of our party are defecting to other parties, because they are cowards. They are fair weather politicians. They are not principled. A lot of people that were in the vanguard in the PDP before, and who are supposed to be the leaders to follow, have now become like chaff in the wind. They have lost their voice, and have become so weakened they cannot stand up for anything again.

In Nigeria, we have seen so many leaders come and go. Buhari came into power in 1984. We were here, when Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen Sani Abacha took over power. We cannot forget in a hurry the Obasanjo regime and his atrocities, the Halliburton scandal and the third term agenda. But they were all defeated, because the only thing that is constant in life is change, and above all, power does not come from man.

So, I will do all within my power to serve along with others. Where we are supposed to blow hot, we shall not hesitate to do so, and where we are supposed to expose the ruling party’s hypocrisy, we will. Our duty is to expose their recklessness. However, wherever we need to praise them, we shall do so, though we are yet to see anything commendable. This government has failed Nigerians and we shall not hesitate to let the whole world know the administration’s cluelessness.

Some people have been asking why it’s only me talking. But it is only Daniel that refused to compromise, just as it was only Shederach, Messach and Abedenego that dared to oppose the bad policies of the King and survived the burning fire. It was only Joseph during his time, and the Bible recorded their names for their bravery to fight for their people. Moses stood up for the children of Israel in captivity. Against all odds, and the paramount ruler of terror, he stood his ground. Why didn’t Pharaoh grant Israelites their freedom, until he perished with his army? He who the gods want to destroy, they first make mad.

PDP was in government for 16 years. How does feel to play in opposition?
The issue is not whether I enjoy the role of opposition. I am a straightforward person. I was a governor before; I fell and rose again. Some cannot live like an ordinary man. They cannot identify with the ordinary man on the street again. When some people leave office, they cannot survive without the paraphernalia of office. Personally, I am ready to ride on okada and can sleep with my friends in any house. I can ride on a commercial bus. I don’t consider myself above anybody, just because of office. This is my lifestyle.

Leaders were human beings before assuming power. The arrogant ones did not become so overnight. Those that are not accommodating were like that before assuming office. I am not one to look for relevance or praises from men. After leaving office, I lived among my people in Ekiti for eight years. I am not condemning anybody for living anywhere they choose to, I am only telling you my story.

My children were attending Olashore Private School, but after becoming Governor, I withdrew them from Olashore and enrolled them in a public school in Ekiti. There is nothing new to me and there is nothing new that I am looking for. The abundance of man is not in the material things he possesses. I must thank God for giving a second opportunity to consolidate on what I could not finish the first time.

What was the deal the party had with Senator Ali Modu Sheriff that made the crisis look unresolvable?
In every situation we find ourselves, we must thank God. My initial support for Ali Modu Sheriff was done in good faith, just as my backing out was also done in good faith. Yes, we might have raised his hope, but when we saw what we didn’t see before, we had to reappraise our stand. It is better to take a decision than to crash together. I never denied the fact that we were the ones that encouraged him, but with due respect to him as a former governor, there was no deal.

What can you give me as a governor? They said I wanted to be Vice President. How can, when I am yet to fully serve the mandate my people gave me? That is cheap blackmail. I have never seen a man that contested for the office of Vice President. It is God that puts a man in office. I want to say that despite all these challenges, the PDP is still a sleeping lion. We still have our structures everywhere. The harassment going on cannot last, the blackmail called anti-corruption war is losing its face, and people do not take them serious anymore.

Nigerians have seen through their hypocrisy. So, what is sweet today might not be sweet tomorrow, what appears oppressive today might become freedom tomorrow. Nigeria is a very dynamic country. The mountain you see today might not be a mountain tomorrow, after all. People should stop bothering themselves about what cannot endure. Let us watch how things will play out in our country.

As an elder statesman and professed man of God, why do you find it difficult to forgive former President Olusegun Obasanjo?
Honestly, I don’t like talking about OBJ. It is not a matter of whether I forgive OBJ or not. He is one man God gave another chance like me, and for that, I respect him. But he does not have permanent followers. Obasanjo can sleep on your bed today and cut your head tomorrow. If you want to sleep with Obasanjo, you must keep your two eyes opened, and not just one.

If you study his comments, you will see that he wants to be the only man to be heard and noticed in this country. If not that he knows the enormous power Buhari wields, he would have been running his mouth against him. But he knows the meaning of power and that Buhari and his men will deal with him. They will open his books and you know what that means.

Is it still possible for two of you to work together?
Working together as what? If at all we are in the same party, God forbids, he will be in his state and I will be in Ekiti State. Politics is played at local level and if you look at the likes of Obasanjo, they only have the voice, but they don’t have followers. Who are Obasanjo’s followers? If the man ruled Nigeria for eight years, out of 16 years of PDP in government, after all his atrocities, the Halliburton scandal, the library he built and he is still bent on destroying the party, what kind of a man is he? We should fear God. Obasanjo is a man who uses peculiar method to cover his tracks. He is not a good man.

A PDP Senator, Prince Buruji Kashamu sings Buhari’s praises more than APC members, and he is always attacking you in the media. What is the matter between the two of you?
Senator Buruji is my friend. I won’t join issues with him for one simple reason. I prefer to show maturity and leadership. That he is praising Buhari as a PDP Senator should be seen as his choice.

Is that good for the PDP?
That is not the issue. He has a choice. If he says he wants to dump PDP tomorrow, can you force him to remain in the party? If he chooses to praise Buhari today or even OBJ, I see it as his choice. Personally, I don’t care whether you praise or abuse me. I am very consistent, and I don’t run away from battle. If you challenge me to a fight, I will come and meet you wherever you are. We have signed the date of our death right from the day we were born, so nobody should be afraid at all. People are afraid because they think they will live forever, but who knows tomorrow? Events have shown us that we are mere mortals. The singer and the dancer, the praiser and the man they are praising, will all die one day.

There is rumour making the rounds that you, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu are in a political deal yet to be made known to the public. Is this true?
Rauf Aregbesola is my friend and we are very close. I make bold to say this. We may be in different parties today, but that does not affect our relationship. At our level, we must think above party lines for the good of our people. If Aregbesola is coming to Ekiti tomorrow, I will roll out a red carpet. We might not agree on some issues, but we are not enemies. When they needed me to fight for Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Rauf Aregbesola was part of the negotiation in 2009. History will not be kind to those that forget or pervert history. Aregbesola and I were often referred to as Irin tutu (raw iron).

I don’t want to talk about Tinubu. My references to him are very clear and I am glad that his position in the Yoruba nation is that we must not forget our leaders. Who knows what would happen to Nigeria after Tinubu? Or what would happen, if he were not allowed to play his roles, how many generations will suffer? I speak beyond party lines, and I will continue to respect him as a Yoruba leader. There is nothing he can do for me. I don’t need anything from anybody. However, the little Chief Obafemi Awolowo did is what we call Oduduwa Group of companies today. Yoruba men and women in both APC and PDP are beneficiaries of Awolowo’s vision and legacy.

Are you looking forward to working with Tinubu politically?
I explained to you that when Fayemi needed my support, I made it very clear that we would collaborate, but I wouldn’t join their party. I was in the Labour Party then. What I am saying in essence is that everything is not about party; rather, it is the good man in you.

You mentioned Fayemi now, but why is your approach to political economy diametrically opposite? Is there any personal issue?
There will be many governors after me. If I had issues with Fayemi, how would I have built a Women Centre and named it after Fayemi’s late deputy? A lot of things I did were for posterity. Fayemi removed Engr. Segun Oni’s picture from the Government House and said the court did not recognise him as a governor of this state. When I came, I restored Oni’s picture. That is statesmanship, which goes beyond politics. Posterity will judge me. Even if I say my enemy should die, but God does not kill him, what will I do?

Yes, our economic ideas may be different. I didn’t commit this state to a burden of financial debt in my first tenure and I won’t do so now. I live within my means. God knows I am doing a good job.

How would you explain PDP losing in Ondo State?
They should know better in Ondo. We have major crises, some of which started long before the election. It had to do with the outgoing governor going to the PDP, which split the party. The crisis forced some Senators and big wigs to leave the party. Houses are built on pillars, and when the pillars are challenged, there is a possibility of the house crumbling. Since the candidate and the governor have conceded, what is my own?

What implication will losing Ondo have on Ekiti State in 2018?
Whether they lose or win, we know APC will still come here with their thuggery and rigging strategy, but God will defeat them.

Don’t you see the same crisis manifesting in Ekiti PDP, with the Federal High court judgment, which sacked your party Exco and recognised Sheriff’s faction as the authentic Exco?
Don’t worry yourself about that. A thousand years is like a minute before God. We only see today, tomorrow will take care of itself. People assumed that Governor Wike would be thrown out of the Government House, the same with the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, but God restored them. The G-19 thought I should have been impeached by now, but we do not see by sight. Be assured that I am destined and nobody can stand on my way.

How would you put into context the fact that whenever a Pastor visits Ekiti State, controversy ensues? You personally foiled an attempt by the DSS to arrest Apostle Sulaiman Johnson on Wednesday morning, Pastor Adeboye’s visit also turned political. What is happening?
Nigeria is under siege. We are as good as a people in police state. I said it earlier that the press will be gagged, and is it not happening now? They will graduate from harassing politicians to the press and the church, to the judiciary. Even lawyers will not be spared. A dictator is like a scavenger, and until God defeats a dictator, everybody must be praying. We are being governed by a dictator. Let me narrate the story of a rich man, who went to buy a lion and kept it in his house. Some cautioned him against it, but he promised to tame it. ‘We will domesticate it, we will not allow it to taste blood,’ he said. But his neighbours were not comfortable. Eventually, the lion grew and developed claws. Before the rich man returned home one day, the lion had eaten his children. But the lion did not stop there; it jumped out of the fence, took over the street and also attacked all the neighbours.

The neighbours suffered because they were not courageous enough to challenge the rich man and say, ‘no, you cannot rear a lion in the midst of people. That is the story of Nigeria now.

As a strong opposition voice in Nigeria, if you meet President Buhari, how would you advise him?
I won’t advise him, because he does not listen. Let me tell you why. In a space of three months, the Senate rejected President Buhari’s Magu; The Senate has APC as majority members. The Senate also rejected the use of Kaduna Airport for international flights. This is the Senate that is largely constituted by members of Buhari’s party, rejecting many things from him, including financial policies, such as MTEF. The Senators represent different constituencies, which means that Nigerians are the ones rejecting what Buhari is doing.

Senate said some people are thieves, but the President said they are saints, flawless. If Ekiti Assembly rejects somebody as Commissioner, and they give reasons and damning reports, since they represent the people from the grassroots, what capacity do I have to go ahead? The President has made up his mind and has proved that he would do anything he wanted to do, whether National Assembly supports or not. So, why bother wasting your time advising him? I won’t cry in front of a person that will stop me and ask why I am crying.

Would you say the implementation of the Ekiti anti-grazing law has finally put a stop to the perennial farmers/herdsmen clash in the state?
The law has shown that we have the will and capacity to face our challenges. You cannot take any major step without having a legal framework, which we put in place. And that is why it is easy to arrest and detain offenders. Where there is no law, there is no offence. Our success did not come only from the implementation of the law, but from a sustained dialogue. We formed various committees comprising representatives of the herdsmen, farmers, government and traditional rulers. We came together to discuss and ensure nobody is oppressed. Laws are not enough. The implementation, orientation, discussions and collaboration to ensure the law is respected and enforced also matter a lot.

How are you coping with criticisms from the opposition APC in Ekiti State?
The APC in Ekiti State is too weak to give me any headache. They are small fries, what can they say? APC in the state would have had the courage to talk, had Buhari been performing or doing something tangible. People are hungry and angry with the Federal Government. Besides, APC members here are hungry, they are like orphans. If they see the yam peels, they will rush to eat them. They are scavengers. Who is their leader? Their situation is so bad. But they have to defend their party, and that is why they are there. There is nothing for them. Where are they holding meetings?

They cannot do anything to me, because I am careful in everything I do. The last time they lied that I diverted the bailout money, but the NLC told them that they were being economical with the truth. I bring everything to the table. Have you ever seen where recession affects Government House? Why should I worry myself? If hunger is everywhere, there will be food in the Government House. What do I need? The truth is that APC in this state cannot pull strings. They are nothing to me.

Ekiti governorship election will hold next year, what is your succession plan?
I can assure you that the Lord will choose for Ekiti people. On my own part, I am considering three or four people for the office, though the party has not decided on whether we are going to zone it or not. Naturally, we are already looking for the best candidate. But let me tell assure you that I will successfully succeed myself.

What does that mean?
I mean somebody from my side will take over from me.

Fayose: President Buhari has put Nigeria under siege

Help! stench from dumpsite choking us, Calabar residents cry out (Read full details)

Ikot Effanga Dumpsite in Calabar Municipal Council

Over 10 years after it was first opened, residents of Ikot Effanga Community in Calabar Municipal Council of Cross River State, have cried out to the state government not to compromise their health.

Specifically, they want the government to take steps towards shielding them from an imminent epidemic that may arise from the ever-expanding Lemna Dumpsite in their domain, and obnoxious stench emanating from it.

Since it was created, refuse collected from all parts of Calabar Municipal Council, and Calabar South Local Council, by the Cross River Urban Development Agency (CUDA), have been disposed of there.

But of late, residents of the area are expressing worries over the long-term effect that the stench, which wafts steadily across the area would have on their health.

Uwem John, a shop owner, who also resides within the area lamented the horrible time he had when he lived in the Ikot Effanga Community.

“The odour that comes out of the dumpsite makes residents of the neighbourhood fear for their lives. During the rainy season, rainwater soaks the dumpsite seriously. And after the rains, the sun heats up the refuse so much that it emits very strong stench. During the early hours of the day, and on particularly sunny days, we are usually starved of clean air to breathe. That is why we fear for our lives.”

John added that matters are made worse because decomposing bodies are also deposited at the dumpsite by CUDA in total breach of standard health practices.

His views are corroborated by Matthias Okafor, another resident of the area, who equally raised serious concerns about the location of the dumpsite and the state government’s lack of concern over the their plight.

Okafor said on many occasions, the residents have tried without success to bring government’s attention to the health hazard the facility poses, and the need for it to be relocated to another site.

According to him “The community has tried to get the government to relocate the site but to no avail. There was a time the trucks were dumping the refuse on the road making it impassable and dirty, but the community had to move against that. Now the trucks are disposing their bins inside.”

On a recent inspection visit to the dumpsite, Governor Ben Ayade, got a taste of what residents of the area undergo.

On the governors arrival, about 30 trucks were on queue to dispose their bins and buffeted by the heavy stench from the massive refuse dump, Ayade said: “It is unacceptable and totally unhealthy for both waste and human beings to coexist side-by-side as we have witnessed here today. I am sure that when this place was designated a dumpsite, nobody was living here. But now that it is sharing the same environment with human beings, we have to consider an alternative place for a new dumpsite.”

The governor appealed to Cross Riverians to be patient with him as he holistically addresses the issue of proper waste disposal, in line with the “Clean and Green” mantra of his administration.

In his words: “Once more, I want to plead with you for your understanding as my team and I aggressively seek to address the challenge of waste disposal. We are concerned about your interest, health, welfare, safety and security. They are key to me. Have a little patience and this waste will soon be a thing of the past.

“What we have as a critical solution is to ensure that we still do what we can to manage the dumpsite and that is why we have brought in a lot of bulldozers to see how we can push the waste further into the ravine and suppressing it with a lot of compaction.”

Ayade added that: “The Lemna Road where we have our traditional refuse dumpsite is completely filled. We are trying to see how we can push back the refuse further down, but it appears that the dumpsite has reached its maximum carrying capacity.”

He pointed out that refuse collection was not a challenge, but its proper disposal, hence the need for his administration to partner with a team from Israel and Dublin, to do the proper waste management that entails segregation and optimal utilisation.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to contain the current dumpsite, which is bursting at the seams, the state government has deplored caterpillars to the refuse dump.

The caterpillars are clearing the path for the trucks to venture deep before offloading their contents, and also pushing the debris towards the ravine.

Help! stench from dumpsite choking us, Calabar residents cry out

CBN to increase list of banned imported items (Read full details)

Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIP OJISUA

• Insists On Regulated Forex Floatation
• Expert Says Multiple Exchange Rates
• Encourage Rent-Seeking, Round Tripping 

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, has insisted on regulated foreign exchange regime to ensure that the naira does not go beyond a certain band in the exchange market.

Also, the Apex Bank said it has no intention of becoming reckless with the nation’s foreign reserves, which increased from $24b it was three months ago to $29.8b last week.

According to the bank, the foreign reserves would not be deployed for the importation of goods that cannot be sourced locally, pointing out that increase in foreign reserves shows that the economy is healthy.

On the agitation for floating the exchange rate, Emefiele described proponents as blackmailers, pointing out that floating the exchange rate carries with it the consequence of a further devaluation of the naira.

The CBN boss who spoke last week at the Monetary Policy Committee [MPC] meeting, said the bank would tighten the forex management knob or strategy by introducing more items to the list of banned goods, to deter their importation to the country, as a way of boosting local production, creating employment and growth, as well as, diversifying Nigeria’s sources of income.

Some stakeholders and experts have in recent times attacked the CBN for the scarcity of forex in the country, resulting in the high exchange margin between the naira and other frontline currencies like the Dollar, saying the monopoly of the apex bank in the exchange market was what was responsible for the disinterest shown by other players in the forex market.

One of the experts, a renowned Economist and avid critic of the CBN policies, Mr. Henry Boyo pointed out that the forex situation, particularly the Dollar/ Naira market will continue to degenerate until the CBN’s overbearing and monopolistic presence in the market is abrogated, pointing out that the apex bank alone supplies 80 per cent of the dollar needs in the market, hence it continues to distort and control the market, making it unattractive to other suppliers, with the attendant rent-seeking and round tripping clusters the development has created because of scarcity.

However the CBN in a sharp reaction at last Friday, defended its position claiming that the real reason some people were oppose to its forex policy was everything, but patriotic or nationalistic.

Its Acting Director of Communications, Mr. Isaac Okorafor in a statement said: “ Intelligence reports at the disposal of the Bank reveal the involvement of some unpatriotic elements funding the push to have the CBN and the Federal Government reverse its forex policy, which is aimed at conserving foreign exchange, stimulating agriculture and manufacturing, and also promoting exports.

“The present economic challenges that we face have been worsened by our past practice of frittering away huge earnings made from oil sales, over the years. As we have explained severally, our decisions on forex management are prompted by the challenge posed by the level of depletion of the country’s reserves, arising from issues such as a drastic reduction in oil earnings, speculative attacks and round tripping.”

But Boyo insisted that the panacea to a competitive forex market in Nigeria is for the withdrawal of CBN from the market.
His words: “ Once you remove the monopoly of the CBN on the foreign exchange market, you will get a much more harmonious exchange rate regime. The situation where Central Bank supplies over 80 percent of the total dollars or forex sold in the market must be a monopoly.

“Therefore, if CBN has a monopoly of the Dollar market, then it means the dollar-naira market must also be subject to abuses and distortions which are inevitable wherever you have monopoly. That is the reality. If you want to now ensure that the band between the official and the unofficial market rate are narrower in the market to reduce the distortions of monopoly, then of course what you have to do is to ensure there is some equity within the market.”

CBN to increase list of banned imported items

Buhari asks Senate to review stand on Magu, Babachir (Read full details)

The Senate during a plenary

Court fixes Feb. 13 for suit against EFCC chief

President Muhammadu Buhari has allegedly pleaded with the Senate to reconsider its rejection of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

It was learnt at the Senate that the president has equally asked the lawmakers to review their stand on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal.

If the Senate approves Magu after initially rejecting him, the Executive, the Senate, the anti-corruption campaign and the Department of State Services (DSS) may face credibility problems since the allegations against Magu have not been adequately addressed.

However, if the senate rejects Magu again, this could stoke the frosty relationship between the executive and the Senate. The same credibility crisis will face the Senate and the Executive if Babachir is allowed to stay in office unless he is sufficiently cleared of the allegations of corruption against him.

A source at the Senate said: “The Senate president is the only one who can give you details about the matter of nomination of Magu. All I can tell you is that it is true that the president has reached out to the Senate on the matter again. Not only on the nomination of Magu, he has also written another letter on the SGF. He simply wants the Senate to reconsider its stand on the two.”

It was learnt that Buhari discussed the matter with the Senate President Bukola Saraki during their informal meetings.

Some senators who spoke on the condition of anonymity were divided in their views.

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator from the South South said the credibility of the anti-corruption crusade was gradually being eroded by the insistence of the presidency on Magu.

He noted that all the dirty revelations that had been brought to light about Magu by the DSS were enough to make the president look for another person to replace him.

According to him, no propaganda would convince Nigerians and even the international community to have confidence in Magu again.

On what will happen should the Senate insist on not confirming Magu for the EFCC job, another lawmaker, who is an All Progressives Congress (APC) member from the North West said the upper legislative chamber might not be able to stop Buhari from having his way because he might have lobbied the leadership very well.

According to him, the scenario that has played out on Magu’s nomination is enough to show the whole world that the Buhari presidency is not a united team.

The Senate had refused to consider Buhari’s nomination of Magu as substantive chairman of the EFCC following a letter sent to it by the Director General of the DSS, Malam Lawal Daura in which Magu was alleged to have engaged in some corrupt practices.

On Babachir, the Senate had in December last year reviewed the knotty issues arising from alleged mismanagement of funds donated to the internally displaced persons in the North East and submitted that the SGF should immediately resign and face prosecution for alleged abuse of office, misappropriation of funds and inflation of contracts.

The Senate took the decision after adopting the interim report of its ad hoc committee which investigated the mounting humanitarian crisis in the North East occasioned by hunger, disease, squalor, deprivation and want amongst the lDPs.

The report which was presented by the chairman of the committee, Shehu Sani, disclosed that all contracts from the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE) were awarded under the principle of emergency situation as stipulated in Section 43 (i) & (ii), but with absolute disregard to Subsection (iii) & (iv) of the same Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

The section stipulates: “All procurements made under emergencies shall be handled with explanation but along principles of accountability, due consideration being given to the gravity of each emergency; that immediately after the cessation of the situation warranting any emergency procurement, the procuring entity shall file a detailed report thereof with the bureau which shall verify same and appropriately issue a Certificate of ‘No Objection.'”

Buhari has since asked the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to investigate the allegations against the two government officials, a task which the AGF said he had completed and a report submitted to Buhari since two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed February 13 to hear a suit filed against Magu, challenging his continued stay in office as EFCC chairman.

A lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, had urged the court to restrain Magu from parading himself as acting chairman of the commission.

In his new suit filed on January 16, Adegboruwa is also asking the Senate not to entertain any further request for the confirmation of Magu as chairman.

Buhari asks Senate to review stand on Magu, Babachir

Government loses N1.2tr tax revenue to crude oil price dispute (Read full details)

Crude Oil Production

The lingering pricing dispute between the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the Federal Government has resulted in a revenue loss of over $4.04 billion (N1.232 trillion at N305-$1) in eight years, according to the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

There are indications that the Federal Government may not be able to recover the money as the IOCs have adopted strategies to evade payment.

Over the years, the IOCs have used the Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT), which has the final say on any tax issue, to avert the payment of huge revenue accruable to the Federal Government from oil production.

The Nigerian government is almost solely dependent on oil revenue to execute its programmes. The $4.05 billion would have ameliorated the financial challenges created by the economic recession, including funding of the budget for the development of the country.

As at September last year, the funds trapped in various divisions of the tribunal that had not been adjudicated were estimated at over $5 billion or N1.5 trillion, almost the value of the N1.8 trillion 2016 capital expenditure.

Responding to The Guardian’s enquiring on the issue, the spokesperson for the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the industry regulator, Dorothy Bassey, said: “The industry has gone beyond this. However, I will send you the current status.” But she never did.

It was learnt that there is a long-standing dispute between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and oil- producing companies on the price to be used in valuing crude oil for the purposes of calculating the petroleum profits tax liability of international oil companies operating in the country.

In an effort by the DPR to resolve the dispute between the Federal Government and Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), in consultation with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and FIRS, it said in 2013 that a realistic price should be used as fiscal price from January 2008 to June 2010. The agency also said that the Official Selling Price (OSP) should be used as fiscal price from July 2010 to December 2012, but the companies objected to the directive.

The IOCs had said that the applicable price of crude oil for calculating taxes was the Realisable Price (RP) as defined under a Memorandum of Understanding entered into with the Federal Government, as opposed to the OSP of crude unilaterally imposed by DPR.

The Guardian learnt that the Tax Appeal Tribunal had ruled in favour of some IOCs that RP was the appropriate price to adopt in making the required calculation for the tax years in dispute, and that the RP was consistent with the provisions of the Petroleum Profits Tax Act.

Specifically, on January 23, 2015, TAT ruled that the RP, and not the OSP, should be used for the tax years during which the relevant MoU between the government and the oil companies remained valid.

NEITI, in its latest 2014 Oil and Gas Audit report, said the price differentials continued as government and the IOCs could not reach a mutual agreement on the pricing methodology to be adopted.

The agency added that the disputes between the DPR and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), persisted as both parties continued to compute royalty liabilities on different rates. While SNEPCO applied one per cent for the OML 118 (Bonga), DPR applied 1.75 per cent.

NEITI explained that the royalty payable on crude oil by companies is a function of its value, which in turn is determined by the price.

The agency emphasised the need for the Minister of Petroleum Resources to compel the DPR to finalise the appropriate pricing methodology for royalty computation, adding that the controversy over the new pricing regime of 2013, and the court ruling of 2015 on the application of OSP should be speedily resolved.

NEITI urged the DPR, FIRS and NNPC to conclude the ongoing discussions on pricing methodology. It suggested that an adequate pricing framework should be clearly defined in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Speaking on the issue, SNEPCO stated: “The reason for the difference between the royalty rate applied by the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) in the tax return filed on behalf of the contract area and the rate applied by the contractor, SNEPCO, in the tax computation is due to the fact that negotiations between DPR and SNEPCO are yet to be concluded regarding the compromise/mutually acceptable royalty rate that should be applied for the purposes of royalty computation and payment.”

The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Waziri Adio urged the government to strengthen its laws and institutions, especially in the oil and gas sector, so as to achieve maximum results in its revenue collection.

He stated: “Nigeria had an MoU with the oil companies which expired. There is a procedure for renewing the MoU. While that is going on, there is also room for certain things. There are two pricing methodologies; there is what is called the realisable price which the oil companies prefer. There is the official selling price, which the government prefers.”

He blamed the discrepancies on lack of political will and the inability of successive governments to implement recommendations on remediation in the nation’s oil and gas industry.

The President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Chief Mark Anthony Chidolue Dike, said the Federal Government would have to cancel the MoU, which allows the IOCs to use RP to determine the price of crude oil when it was no longer profitable to them.

He said it was wrong for the IOCs to insist on working with the old MoU when the government is insisting they adopt the OSP.

Dike urged the IOCs and the relevant government agencies to jointly agree on the price methodology that will be favourable to them.

Government loses N1.2tr tax revenue to crude oil price dispute