Ekiti Meets Benchmarks To Benefit From World Bank's $750millon International Development Association (IDA) Credit.

Ekiti Meets Benchmarks To Benefit From World Bank's $750millon International Development Association (IDA) Credit. 

Ekiti State Government has successfully met the criteria for the year 2023 to benefit from the $750 million International Development Association (IDA) credit made available to States under the World Bank State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme.

The State Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, made this known in Ado Ekiti while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.

Rt. Hon. Olatunbosun explained that the SABER is a three-year (2023-2025) performance-based intervention jointly designed by the World Bank and the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) Secretariat, with support from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning (FMFBNP), the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), and the State Commissioners for Finance Forum of Nigeria.

Olatunbosun added that SABER was designed as a Programme-for-Results (PforR) similar to the State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) to motivate and strengthen the implementation of business enabling reforms across the 36 States and the FCT, further consolidate and deepen gains from the implementation of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) reforms across the States, improve business environment of participating States and improve accountability of business enabling reforms.

He highlighted the eight disbursement links indicators (DLIs) of the programme to include improved transparency and sustainability in property registration and land investment process, improved business-enabling infrastructure, development of an effective PPP framework for States and improved investment promotion environment.

The Commissioner listed other DLIs as increased transparency of official fees and procedures, improved domestic and external trade competitiveness, simplification of State and Local business tax regimes and quick determination of commercial disputes.

Recalling that the index released last month by the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation had placed Ekiti State on top of its Index Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch list, Olatunbosun assured of the Governor Biodun Oyebanji administration’s commitment to performance and rapid development of the State. 

The Government’s spokesman said that the State Executive Council also approved the presentation of a revised Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) 2023-2025 and draft of 2023 Supplementary Budget (2) to the State House of Assembly for legislative processing and passage into Law.

He clarified that the MTEF and the supplementary budget were reviewed to accommodate the increase in revenue occasioned by the economic policy of the Federal Government which brought about the unification of the exchange rate of the Naira and the US Dollar as well as the fuel subsidy removal.

Olatunbosun said that to appropriate the additional revenue, there was need to review the 2023-2025 MTEF and the 2023 budget of the State Government in line with the Fiscal policy. 

He further explained that the new supplementary bill, which will enable the State Government implement critical and essential programmes that could not be included in the original budget owing to funding constraints, was prepared in line with 2023-2025 MTEF approved ceiling of N135,862,361,989.00.

The Commissioner gave the revised revenue projections for the period 2023 to 2025 using 2022 as base year as N152,011,064,800.00 for 2023; N171,485,045,124.00 for 2024 and N191,718,965,296.00 for 2025. 

Putting the total size of the draft supplementary budget at N144,733,403,166.24 with recurrent expenditure of N98, 767,639,961.31 and capital expenditure of N45,965,763,204.93 which translates to ratio 68:32, the Commissioner stressed that the revised MTEF document is in line with the State Development Plan (2021-2050) and the six pillars of the Biodun Oyebanji administration.

Gov Dapo Abiodun visits slain director’s home.

Gov Dapo Abiodun visits slain director’s home.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has assured the family of the slain Director of Finance and Administration in the Governor’s Office, Mr. Taiwo Oyekanmi and the citizens that the perpetrators of the killing would be arrested and brought to justice.

He said his administration would take full responsibility for the welfare and well-being of his family.

Prince Abiodun said this when he visited the home of the deceased yesterday.

Oyekanmi was killed on Wednesday within the Abeokuta metropolis while on an official assignment. 

An emotional Governor Abiodun described the deceased as diligent, hardworking, honest and God fearing.

He said the Governor’s Office and the entire state workforce were devastated by the killing, noting that everything possible would be done to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“How could we imagine yesterday morning that we will be here this morning condoling with this family?

“We are all heavily burdened, the pain not describable. He left us asking questions since yesterday afternoon.

“Taiwo was very hardworking, very dedicated, diligent, honest, unassuming, a man who loved God, who served God, very humble. He was very conscientious.

“Let me assure you that we will do everything within my power to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book.

“I will not leave any stone unturned until these criminals are arrested and dealt with; that much I also promise.

“I want to assure members of his family, particularly his wife and children that we will not leave you.”

“We will take full responsibility for your welfare and well-being,” Governor Abiodun said.

He said the death of Oyekanmi was a painful reminder that life was a journey, adding that the deceased lived a life of impact, touched everybody, and was well respected by everyone.

Responding on behalf of the family of the deceased, his younger brother, Tayo Oyekanmi, thanked the governor for the visit, even as he said destiny had been shattered, dreams cut short, not only in the family, but the entire Ifonyintedo community in Ipokia Local Government.

He urged the governor to unravel the people behind the killing in no distant time, to assuage the pains of the family.

Lagos to deploy 1,000 EVs by 2025, says LAMATA.

Lagos to deploy 1,000 EVs by 2025, says LAMATA.

Lagos State Government has said no fewer than 1,000 electric buses (EBs) would be deployed on the roads in the next 24 months.

Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) said about one million passengers have boarded the Blue Line Rail, since it began commercial operation on September 4, 2023.

Disclosing this at a news conference marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the Managing Director, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, an engineer; said this is to further demonstrate the commitment of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to the Transportation and Traffic Management pillar of the THEMES+ agenda and to explore alternative fuel for urban mobility and improve air quality.

She said already, the government in collaboration with Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL), had deployed two e-vehicles (EV) to test-proof the concept and there were plans to increase this to 50 buses during the pilot phase, adding that “the plan is to increase the fleet to over 1,000 buses in the next two years.”

She said the state was also piloting the use of Clean Natural Gas (CNG) as auto fuel for its vehicles, adding that already, 10 CNG buses were being used on selected BRT corridors to test their adaptability to public transport.

She said these fits perfectly into LAMATA’s Strategic Transportation Master Plan where emission will be reduced and achieve the state’s vision to achieve net zero emission by 2050, through the deployment of eco-friendly rolling stock such as CNG, Biofuel and electric buses.

On the Lagos Urban Train Projects (LUTP), Mrs Akinajo said LAMATA had delivered on the Blue Line rail, a fully electric rail system, noting that work on civil works on the second rail project – the Red Line would be completed before the end of the year, with test running proposed to start by Quarter 1, 2024, while commercial services would begin by Quarter 2, 2024.

Mrs Akinajo, who was in company with other top management officials of the agency, among who were the Director of Rail, Olasunkanmi Okusaga, Technical Director, Corporate Planning and Investments, Agbonsegbe Osa Konyeha and Mrs Abiola Ajayi, said the last 20 years had seen LAMATA recording several milestones, adding that its vision for the next 20 years was the delivery of a more robust public intermodal transport system.

“As we begin another 20 years, our vision is to see a Lagos where all transport modes are integrated, and people do not need to put their vehicles on the road to get to where they want to go, a Lagos where emission will be reduced, she said.”’

She said LAMATA had played pivotal roles in developing integrated multimodal transport system for Lagos State, beginning with the implementation of the $200 million credit from the World Bank for the implementation of the Lagos Urban Transport Project known as the LUTP 1, a project which gave birth to the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, described by the World Bank as the first successful BRT in sub-Saharan Africa.

“LAMATA has also implemented LUTP 2, jointly funded by the World Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

She said LAMATA came up with the first Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) in 2009 for the Lagos Metropolitan Area, with a more elaborate one developed in 2014 to cover the entire State and four neighbouring local government areas of Ogun State.

LAMATA also rehabilitated 630km of federal, state and local government roads considered as germane to ease the daily commuting of Lagosians.   

Some of these roads include Akin Adesola, Idejo, and others in Victoria Island, Oba Sekumade Road, Ikorodu, Ayo Alabi Road, which connects Ajayi Road to Ogba in the Ikeja Local Government area of the State, Alaba Road, Ojo, WEMPCO Road, Ikeja, Ijegun Road in Alimosho and many others.

LAMATA was also able to solve the flood problem on WEMPCO Road with an underground drainage outfall into Omole Gorge.

The LAMATA chief said in the last 20 years, the agency built and operationalized the 13kmOshodi-Abule-Egba and 34km Ikorodu-CMS BRT Corridor,and implemented two of the six rail lines -Blue and Red, and with the support of parent Ministry, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation facilitated the development of the Lagos Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) policy, which the government approved in 2019.

“Under the Bus Reform Initiative (BRI), the Lagos State Government procured 920 environmentally friendly buses which we manage on behalf of the Government. As part of the BRT, we have constructed Modern Bus Terminals at Ikeja, Ojota, Ifako-Ijaiye, Yaba, Oyingbo, MMIA/Ewu, Ajah, Abule Egba etc.)

“We have implemented an Intelligent Transport System (ITS), and deployed an Automated Fare Collection System with the use of Cowry Card. There are over 4 million cards in use.”

The LAMATA Chief said the agency is currently implementing the phase 1 of the AFD and IFC funded Lagos State Strategic Transport Master Plan (LSTMPP1), which involves the construction of two Interchanges, eight Quality Bus Corridors, and implementation of various studies on the LSTMP Projects.

Mrs Akinajo thanked the all past governors in the state, beginning from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, (now Nigeria’s President), Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and the current governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for thinking outside the box in giving to Lagosians an agency that is making transportation seamless in the state.

She equally acknowledged all her predecessors in office, from the pioneer Managing Director, Dr Dayo Mobereola and Engr Abiodun Dabiri, as well as all past and current workers and all other stakeholders for their roles in the growth of LAMATA.

COP28: President Tinubu meets King Charles, Nigeria, others eye $261bn.

COP28: President Tinubu meets King Charles, Nigeria, others eye $261bn.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met King Charles III of England in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the venue of the COP28 Climate Summit.

Both leaders had arrived in the city to join the conference where leaders from over 198 countries are expected to participate.

Tinubu announced the meeting on his X account, describing the British monarch as a passionate climate advocate.

He stated, “I had a productive meeting with His Majesty, King Charles III of England who is also the Head of the Commonwealth, and a passionate climate advocate.

“The meeting was a significant step in strengthening the partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and I am optimistic about the positive impact our joint efforts will have on our planet’s future as we look forward to setting an equitable global standard for environmental stewardship at COP28.”

Thursday’s meeting became President Tinubu’s first engagement since he arrived Dubai in the early hours of the day.

Presenting the 2024 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly, the President revealed that he had directed relevant government agencies to diligently work towards securing substantial funding commitments that will bolster Nigeria’s energy transition.

He said Nigeria must seize this opportunity to attract international partnerships and investments that align with her national goals.

“I call upon our representatives to engage proactively to showcase the strides we have made in the quest to create an enabling environment for sustainable energy projects.

“Together, we will strive for Nigeria to emerge from COP28 with tangible commitments, reinforcing our dedication to a future where energy is not only a catalyst for development but also a driver of environmental stewardship,”

Meanwhile, Nigeria and other poor oil and gas countries whose climate and environment have been impacted by fossil fuel exploration by International Oil Companies will benefit from a $261bn climate fund.

The climate summit, which kick-started in Dubai on Thursday, saw donations from countries including $100m from the COP28 host United Arab Emirates, another $100m from Germany, at least $51m from Britain, $17.5m from the United States, and $10m from Japan.

The fund, a total of about $261bn will help nations impacted by climate change from fossil fuel exploration cope with costly climate disasters.

It is not yet clear whether or not more donations would be made before the end of the two weeks conference.

Nigeria and other poor oil-producing countries had demanded for a damage fund for years, and analysts say the donations could “help grease the wheels for other compromises to be made” during the two-week summit.

The fund became necessary following divestments by IOCs from fossil fuel to cleaner energies.

A statement by Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers’ Organization, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, released on Thursday, emphasised the need for richer nations to consider the poorer nations in their decisions to phase out fossil fuel, which according to him, had formed the base for which they (richer countries) rode on its back to development

Shaibu free to contest Edo gov, says Obaseki.

Shaibu free to contest Edo gov, says Obaseki.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, declared on Thursday that his deputy, Philip Shuaibu, is free to contest for the state governorship in 2024.

Obaseki, who asserted that Shaibu had the constitutional right to do so, said nobody had a right to discourage the deputy governor.

He, however, sidestepped the question of whether he would support Shaibu, saying his lone vote could not determine Shaibu’s fate.

It was reported that Shaibu’s governorship ambition had pitted him against his principal, Obaseki.

The crisis between them degenerated into a court case, while Obaseki relocated Shaibu’s office out of the government house.

Notwithstanding Obaseki’s opposition, Shaibu dared his boss and formally declared his governorship ambition on Monday in Benin.

On Thursday, Obaseki spoke to journalists in Bauchi at the end of a closed-door meeting with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.

Obaseki, who was in company with a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom, told newsmen that the meeting with Mohammed was to discuss issues relating to the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum.

“We came to see Governor Bala and as you know, he’s our Chairman, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum; so we decided to come and see him this afternoon, to congratulate him on his victory and discuss some issues relating to the PDP Governors’ Forum,” he said.

Asked if their discussion had anything to do with his relationship with his deputy, Obaseki said, “That is part of it.”

“We also discussed many other issues relating to our party as a whole and the state of the country. And as you know, things are not as we want them to be. We will keep rubbing our minds to see how we can support the administration and save this country by reducing the suffering of Nigerians,” he added.

About his relationship with his deputy, Obaseki said, “The relationship, as you know, has been cordial. He (Philip) wants to run for the office I currently occupy and he is free to. I think as a Nigerian, he has the constitutional right to run, nobody can or should stop him.

“The party will decide and also members of the party will decide who will be the flag bearer of the party in the forthcoming governorship election.”

When asked whether he would support him, Obaseki said, “I’m only one out of millions of our party members in Edo State. I don’t think my vote alone will determine whether he becomes the party’s flag bearer.”

CBN fund: Senate threatens to order gas companies’ probe.

CBN fund: Senate threatens to order gas companies’ probe.

The Senate Committee on Gas Resources probing the N135bn Central Bank of Nigeria Gas Intervention Fund has said it will invite anti-graft agencies to join in the ongoing investigation.

The panel gave the threat when the affected companies, numbering 14, appeared before it on Thursday to defend the utilisation of the CBN loans they collected.

The lawmakers described as unacceptable, the alleged lack of synergy between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the CBN on the project.

They also queried the discriminatory disbursement of the funds to the beneficiaries and wondered why some firms collected more than the N10bn credit limit.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe, collected the records of the beneficiaries and the locations of their project sites for immediate investigations.

Jarigbe lamented that the funds released under the gas expansion and intervention fund were inappropriately accessed.

He said, “The task of the committee is to ensure that the companies actually expended the funds on what they collected it for.

“The observation of the committee is that there are inconsistencies in the process and the committee may not hesitate to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to recover the funds. Some of the beneficiaries did not follow the guidelines. For instance, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is not even aware that the funds have been released.

 

“The guidelines stated clearly without ambiguity that they are supposed to do evaluation at the ministry before the list of the qualified ones would be sent to the CBN for them to access the loans but that was not done properly.

“We have also discovered that some of the companies do not have anything on ground since they got the loan.”

“The committee would investigate all the observations and work on them and let Nigerians know the true position of things,” Jarigbe added.

However, the Legal Adviser to one of the beneficiaries, Lee Engineering and Construction Company, Mathew Agbadon, lamented the publication made by the committee had given the company negative publicity.

The Director of Gas in the ministry, Oluremi Komolafe, told the Committee that the Ministry was not aware of the disbursement of the fund even though it partnered with the CBN on the scheme.

She added that 150 applications were received and 69 companies were recommended and presently 16 applications were being processed.

She said none of the firms whose applications were being processed made the list of the beneficiaries of the scheme.

Some of the firms that claimed that they had no business with either the ministry or the CBN were rebuked by the committee.

Federal Government pays N585m fines, begins nationwide prisoners’ release.

Federal Government pays N585m fines, begins nationwide prisoners’ release.

The Federal Government, on Thursday, said it had raised N585m towards the settlement of fines for inmates in a bid to decongest correctional centres across the country.

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, represented by an Assistant Director in the ministry, Dr Anayo Romanus-Nzekwe, disclosed this on Thursday in Kano, during the release of 150 inmates, whose fines were settled by the Federal Government.

It was reported that the interior minister had repeatedly lamented that no fewer than 4,000 inmates were languishing in detention over their inability to pay fines.

Tunji-Ojo had promised that the Federal Government would clear the fines, estimated at about N500m, and free the inmates.

On Thursday, 150 inmates were freed from the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Janguza in Kano State.

The minister, speaking through Romanus-Nzekwe, said the 150 inmates were among the 4,068 nationwide that the government intended to free in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The Federal Government wants to decongest custodial centres and make them humane for proper reformation and rehabilitation of offenders to take place.

“The released inmates were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment with the option of fine and compensation and could not afford to pay their fines and are languishing in custody.

“The sum of N13.4m was spent in Kano State out of the N585m raised by philanthropic individuals, groups and corporate bodies, as part of their corporate social responsibility, for this purpose nationwide.’’

He explained that all inmates in the custodial centres who have fines and compensation not exceeding N1m were qualified to benefit from the gesture.

“We have given the inmates requisite training aimed at impacting their lives functionally and equipping them with the knowledge and skills for their self-reliance upon discharge,” he added.

Each of the freed inmates was given N10,000 to enable them to return to their various homes and villages.

The minister commended the Controller-General of Corrections and the staff of the Nigerian Correctional Service for providing the needed platform and mechanisms towards the safe and humane custody of inmates.

He called on the public, and communities to receive the returning inmates with open arms and refrain from stigmatising them as it could drive them back to committing crimes, which would further endanger society.

He urged the inmates to see the initiative as a second chance to make things right again.

“Stay off crimes and join hands with our father, President Bola Tinubu, to make Nigeria a great nation.

“Abide by the instructions and training you have received while in custody and be good ambassadors in your communities,” he said.

In his remarks, the Controller General of Corrections, Mr Halliru Nababa, commended the minister for securing the release of 150 inmates.

The CG, who was represented by the Controller of Corrections, Kano State Command, Suleiman Inuwa, said the gesture made a significant impact on the lives of numerous inmates across the country.

Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of Gombe State, Justice Halima Mohammed, also on Thursday pardoned and freed 185 inmates in five custodial facilities across the state.

The CJ said the release of the inmates followed the recommendation of the Criminal Justice Reform Committee.

Speaking on Thursday after three days of working visit to custodial facilities in the state, Justice Mohammed, said, “A total of 141 inmates were released from the Gombe Minimum Custodial Centre.

At the Billiri Custodial Centre, 10 inmates were released, 20 were released on bail, and 11 others were released because they were found to be of good behaviour. Making a total of 41 inmates to be released from Billiri Custodial Centre. At the end of the exercise, across five custodial centres in the state, a total of 182 inmates were released through the Criminal Justice Reform Committee.”

She, urged the ex-inmates to be of good character, in order to benefit from the good gesture of the criminal justice reform committee, calling those awaiting trial to be patient and be of good behaviour while waiting for their sentencing by the courts.

“Criminal Justice Reform Committee commends the Gombe State Government for supporting the committee’s exercise, which is geared towards decongesting the custodial centres,” the CJ said.

The Comptroller of the Gombe State Command of NCoS, Lawan Gusau, lauded the Chief Judge and the Criminal Justice Reform Committee.

“We are grateful for this exercise, and it is the first time a total of 182 inmates are being released because of the compassion and service delivery of Justice Halima Mohammed,” he said