Reps urge FG to revisit over 60,000 abandoned projects.

Reps urge FG to revisit over 60,000 abandoned projects.

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, called on the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to revisit all abandoned projects spread across the country and complete them for the use of Nigerians.

The House at Wednesday’s plenary, lamented the number of infrastructural projects left uncompleted by successive administrations.

Leading the debate on the motion, ‘Need to access and fix abandoned Federal Government projects across the country,’ the sponsor of the bill and member representing Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Ogun Waterside, Joseph Adegbesan, described as disappointing the abandonment of projects in the country.

Adegbesan said, “Available statistics have shown that over 60,000 projects are abandoned in Nigeria, thereby obstructing citizens from utilising their tax proceeds and natural resources, with the total value of these projects reaching trillions of Naira.”

The lawmaker told his colleagues that the projects were initiated and designed to improve the standard of living of Nigerians through electrification, power improvement, provision of portable water, qualitative education, healthcare facilities, construction of roads and bridges.

The lawmaker added, “Successive administrations have been ignoring these projects on the premise that it was not initiated by their government or not within their policy direction, disregarding their importance to Nigerians and taxpayers’ money spent.”

Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Works to review all abandoned FG projects across the country including the “scope of work, commencement date, contract value, the amount spent, and stage of work through Ministries, Departments and Agencies with a workable plan to effectively complete the projects.”

The committee has four weeks to complete its assignment and report back to the House for further legislative action.

Reps demand probe of $2.4bn CBN invalidated contracts.

Reps demand probe of $2.4bn CBN invalidated contracts.

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, has ordered an investigation into the $2.4bn worth of forward contracts canceled by the Central Bank of Nigeria recently.

The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, last week told the National Assembly that about $2.4bn of the $7bn foreign exchange backlog he met upon resumption of office came from non-existing entries, requests without import documents, among other shady deals.

According to Cardoso, the discovery was arrived at following an audit report by consultants employed by the apex bank.

Coming under Order 8, Rule 5 of the House Standing Rules on the “Urgent need to avert the total shutdown of affected Nigerian companies,” sponsors of the motion, Zakaria Nyampa, Ojema Ojetu and Obed Shehu called on their colleagues to wade into the matter for the good of the nation.

Leading the debate, Nyampa who represents Madagali/Michika Federal Constituency, Adamawa State “The invalidated forward contracts were originally entered into about a year ago between various Nigerian manufacturing companies and the Central Bank of Nigeria to hedge against currency fluctuations and risks associated with exchange rates.”

He noted that “Having entered into these agreements, affected companies’ bank accounts debited in naira equivalents and letters of credits issued by the participating commercial banks, the Central Bark of Nigeria decided to dishonour the contractual obligations and cancelled the transactions, one year thereafter.”

The House added that the cancellation of forward contracts is coming at a time of worsening national economic challenges such as galloping inflation, unemployment, Increased poverty level and hardships, adding that if the cancellation is sustained,

“The said transactions will cause the widespread collapse of small and medium companies and the exit out of the country of large corporations with all the attendant consequences thereof.”

To this end, the House mandated its Committee on Small and Medium Enterprises to holistically investigate the cancellation of the forward contract deals.

It also urged the committee to invite Cardoso and the affected manufacturing companies “To examine their documents with the view to identify genuine companies with legitimate transactions.

The committee has three weeks to report back to the House for further legislative action.

Tinubu’s condolence visit to us, a big deal – Akeredolu’s widow.

Tinubu’s condolence visit to us, a big deal – Akeredolu’s widow.

Widow of the late former governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, Betty has thanked President Bola Tinubu and the Southern Governors for their contributions towards the burial of her late husband.

Mrs Akeredolu spoke after Tinubu’s condolence visit to the family in Owo, the late governor’s hometown on Wednesday.

She described the President’s visit as a big deal.

The late Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, who passed away in Germany in December 2023, during a protracted illness, was buried at his country home on February 23, 2024.

Akeredolu’s wife specifically thanked the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his contributions during the burial.

She disclosed that Sanwo-Olu single-handedly brought the remains of the late Akeredolu to Nigeria a few days after the demise.

She said, “As you are aware, the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, paid his condolence visit to my family. Present at the visit are my children and extended family members.

“On behalf of my family, I appreciate Mr. President. We understood he couldn’t attend the burial ceremony due to the dictate of Yoruba culture. He couldn’t have attended the burial of his younger brother.

“Coming today (Wednesday ) is a big deal because we are in a better atmosphere. I also express my profound gratitude to the Southern Governors for their immense financial contributions to the burial. Most especially, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, who singlehandedly brought Aketi’s remains back to Nigeria. We appreciate this huge show of love and we are grateful and forever indebted to him.

“I requested that Mr. President see where Aketi has been laid to rest and he followed me. We are deeply grateful to Mr. President for coming. He is indeed, Aketi’s brother and friend.

“I told Mr. President, yes, Aketi has left but he lives because he left behind legacies. It is our wish that those legacies continue and are built upon where necessary.”

Japa: FG recruits 2,497 doctors, others in six months.

Japa: FG recruits 2,497 doctors, others in six months.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Alli Pate, on Wednesday, said the Federal Government has recruited 2,497 doctors, midwives, nurses, and Community Health Extension Workers in the last six months to bridge the manpower shortage in the health sector.

Prof Pate disclosed this on Wednesday at the third edition of the ministerial press briefing series initiated by the Ministry of Information in Abuja.

The briefing series was initiated to provide a platform for public officials to reel out their achievements and apprise Nigerians of the challenges of governance.

Nigeria with a low doctor-population ratio, is experiencing a massive exodus of physicians. The PUNCH reported that at the end of 2023, 1,417 resident doctors moved to the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria also stated that nine out of every 10 medical and dental consultants were leaving the country.

Poor remuneration, rising insecurity, inadequate diagnostic facilities, unconducive work conditions, and economic conditions are some of the reasons for the mass exodus.

Pate, however, said President Bola Tinubu had made remarkable strides made in enhancing healthcare accessibility, affordability, and quality.

He noted that the government has prioritised the revitalisation of primary healthcare facilities, and ensuring they are adequately equipped and staffed to provide essential services to communities.

“Through sustained investment and strategic partnerships, we have expanded access to vital healthcare services, particularly in rural and underserved areas, improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of preventable diseases.

“As a result of our efforts, we have recorded an increase in the proportion of women who attend antenatal care. Over 550,000 women now attend their first antenatal care and are armed with the right information and care to improve their pregnancy outcomes and reduce maternal and child mortality.

“The achievements we have recorded signal progress and improvements. To sustain and continue to build on these gains, in the last six months, the Government of Nigeria recruited 2,497 Doctors, Midwives/Nurses, and CHEWs to bridge the gaps due to attrition. An additional 1,400 health facilities now have Skilled Birth Attendants to assist in deliveries at the health facilities. This has increased the number of health facility deliveries to as high as 230,000 deliveries per month.”

The minister also announced the FG will be releasing N50 billion as the first tranche of the Basic Healthcare Fund, a significant increase from N25bn allocated in 2022.

“This infusion of funds will breathe new life into our primary healthcare facilities, ensuring that quality care is accessible to all citizens,” he said

Ghana passes anti-gay law.

Ghana passes anti-gay law.

The Ghana Parliament, on Wednesday, passed the bill on human sexual rights and family values, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill.

The bill, called the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, was introduced by Sam Nartey George, the MP for Ningo-Prampram.

GhanaWeb reports that the bill was a Private Members Bill led by Sam Nartey George, the MP for Ningo-Prampram.

The bill prohibits LGBTQ activities and makes it illegal to promote, advocate, or fund them, as reported by Citi Newsroom.

Local media also reports that individuals caught engaging in the activity could face a jail sentence ranging from six months to three years, while those who support or promote the activity may be sentenced to three to five years in prison.

This is coming after years of the bill being in parliament and going through various stages, facing backlash and efforts by opponents to block it or make changes.

In Ghana, homosexuality is currently prohibited by law and can result in a prison sentence of up to three years.

According to the new legislation, the maximum sentence will be extended to five years.

This proposal will also criminalise the distribution of materials that are considered supportive of LGBTQ rights.

According to Citi Newsroom, Parliament approved the bill one day after Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, the Board Chair of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, urged President Nana Akufo-Addo to reject it.

Takyiwaa Manuh, a senior fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, mentioned to CBS News that Akufo-Addo has not approved any previous privately sponsored bills for legal reasons related to the country’s constitution.

According to Manuh, the speaker of the parliament did not conduct the necessary analysis of the bill.

She believes that if the bill becomes law, it will significantly impact the judiciary, police, and other areas of society.

“I am sad, disappointed and surprised that our commitment and democratic principles in this country appear to be so shallow.

“This bill represents a real danger to our country, and we are looking to the president to uphold the values of our country and constitution,” she said.

The bill will need the President’s approval to take effect.

It remains uncertain whether President Akufo-Addo will approve the bill.

In 2021, the United Nations expressed concerns about the potential impacts of the proposed law, Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, warning that it could lead to state-sponsored discrimination and violence against sexual minorities.

In May 2023, Uganda implemented strict anti-LGBT legislation, which includes severe penalties such as the death penalty for certain homosexual acts.

Reps to probe Multichoice of alleged N1.8tn, $342m tax fraud.

Reps to probe Multichoice of alleged N1.8tn, $342m tax fraud.

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Finance to investigate the alleged non-remittance of tax revenue by a South African entertainment company, Multichoice Group.

The resolution of the House was a sequel to the adoption of a motion titled, “Need to investigate the alleged unremitted N1.8tn and $342m tax revenues owed the Federation by Multichoice Group.”

Invited to lead the debate on the general principles of the motion, the sponsor and member representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, Niger State, Saidu Abdullahi, said the power of the House to probe Multichoice is derived from Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitutions (as amended).

Abdullahi noted that Multichoice, “A prominent multinational corporation operating in Nigeria, has been accused of non-remittance of tax revenues due to the Federation, as evidenced by the suppression of information discovered from the submissions in their home country.”

Cognizant that the Federal Inland Revenue Service had engaged a consultant in 2021 under a Whistleblowing contract to carry out an audit of the tax obligations of Multichoice Nigeria and MultiChoice Africa to ascertain the company’s tax indebtedness to the country, the lawmaker said that their findings led to a back audit and investigation carried out by the FIRS from 2011 to 2020.

The House, “Cognizant of the previous attempts by FIRS to recover the unpaid taxes through legal means; including court proceedings and the subsequent resolution to settle out of the court by both parties has not yielded the desired result,

“Observes that the systems audit and investigation revealed enormous indebtedness to the tune of over N1.8 tn in back total taxes for MultiChoice Nigeria, and $342m in Value-added tax, for MultiChoice Africa that had never paid any taxes since they started business operations in Nigeria. Both amounts were levied upon the Multichoice Group by the FIRS,” he added.

That said, Abdullahi alleged that “there are ongoing arrangements to sell Multichoice Nigeria and Multichoice Group subsidiaries in Nigeria to a foreign interest, while tax indebtedness is outstanding.”

According to Abdullahi, “If urgent actions are not taken to recover the tax revenues from the Multichoice Group, Nigeria may lose huge revenue that can inject life into the economy.”

This is just as the House agreed that there is a need to thoroughly investigate the allegations and take appropriate action to safeguard the interests of Nigerians.

Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Finance to investigate the non-remittance of tax revenues by the company “with a focus on the suppression of information discovered from their submissions in their home country and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.”

The House further cautions potential buyers of Multichoice Nigeria, Multichoice Africa and other subsidiaries of Multichoice Group operating in Nigeria “to be aware of the alleged outstanding indebtedness which may have been covered in their papers.”

Release Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho Begs FG.

Release Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho Begs FG

Renowned Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, passionately urged the Federal Government to immediately release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). 

Igboho's plea, conveyed through a viral video on Tuesday, coincided with Kanu's ongoing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Kanu, who appeared in court on Monday, February 26, 2024, for the first time following a Supreme Court ruling on December 15, 2023, has been in custody since June 2021.

Igboho emphasised Kanu's innocence and called for an end to political maneuvers, noting that Kanu should be released to reunite with his family. 

In the video, Igboho said, “Release Nnamdi Kanu. Stop politics. This guy didn’t do anything. Today is February 27, 2024. Release him, let him go and stay with his family. 

“This guy just fights for his people in the Southeast like me that I’m fighting for my people in Yorubaland. 

"Release him, let him go. Stop these political games. Release Kanu, let him go home, please release him.”