A coalition of women groups stormed the National Assembly to protest the resolutions of lawmakers at the just concluded consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.
This is to register their dissatisfaction at the refusal of Senators to give nod to the Bill seeking to create special seats for women in the Senate, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly.
The report recommended the creating of one special seat in each state of the Federation and the FCT for women without prejudice to their eligibility to contest in the existing senatorial seats in each state and the FCT.
Speaking to newsmen at the entrance of the National Assembly, the President Women in Politics Forum, Ebere Ifendu stated that the rejection of the bills by the lawmakers was “against development.
“If there is no inclusivity, how can we develop. There is no level playing field.
“What we are asking for is 35 per cent of women in party executive. Surprisingly, they voted against it.”
On her part, the National President of Business and Professional Women in Nigeria, Mrs Yinka Ajibola pointed out that “we are not asking for favour; we are asking for our rights.
“The non passage of the bill was a disappointment and we have come to show our displeasure. We are dissatisfied.
“Incidentally, women are more than 50 per cent. Why should we be treated as second class citizens.It is so shocking that Nigeria in 2022 will be taking such a stance.”
To assuage the protesters, the leadership of the Senate led by Deputy Senate Leader Sen. Ajayi Boroffice said “we are here on behalf of the Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
“He has delegated us to represent him. Seeing us you have seen the Senate; you have seen the Senate president.
“We are going to listen to you. Even though we know what you are about to say. We are in agreement with your strategy, we are sympathetic with your intention but in a democracy, you cannot always have it your own ways,”Boroffice said.
Also speaking, Mrs Abiola Afolabi, Leader of the Women Group noted with displeasure that “last week, the wife of the President accompanied by the Minister of Women Affairs, came to the national assembly on behalf women to make our issues known.
“There were some commitments made by the Senate President about the gender sensitivity of the national assembly.
“We want to see them to explain to us what really happened and what can be done to address this wrong. We are demanding to see them.
“It is better they dignify us by coming to speak with us as we will not speak with the delegation.”
The House of Representatives has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the duplication of functions by agencies of federal government.
The committee is also to ascertain the root cause of the incessant bickering among some established Agencies, Departments, Boards, Parastatals and Corporations in the Nigeria.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Tahir Mohammed Monguno on the “Need to Investigate the Duplication of Functions of Agencies of the Federal Government”.
Monguno said that Section 153(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) established certain Federal Executive Bodies and Section 4(2) of the 1999 Constitution empowers the National Assembly to repeal obsolete laws and enact new ones for the good governance of the Federation.
He added that Nigeria has been gaining on the world index of Ease of Doing Business (EDB) rising from the 145th position in 2019 to 131st in 2020, hence there is a need to consolidate on this improvement.
Monguno while presenting his motion in the floor of the green chamber said that, with the existence of about 1,484 Agencies, Departments, Boards, Parastatals and Corporations in the country with the attendant duplication of functions and clash of interests, the lawmakers are worried that there is a likelihood of the latest World Bank annual ratings to slide considerably hence the need for an Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Duplications of these MDAs.
“The House therefore mandated its ad-hoc committee to investigate duplication of duties, overlapping functions and counter-productivity of established Agencies, Departments, Boards, Parastatals and Corporations in the country.
The panel is also expected to establish areas of mergers, synergies and justification of the existence of some established Agencies, Departments, Boards, Parastatals and Corporations, which are no longer needed in the country.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase who presided over Wednesday’s plenary put the motion to voice vote which was unanimously adopted and mandated the Committee to report back within six (6) weeks for further legislative action.
The former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, says Nigeria at the verge of collapse, as reckless politicians in the helm of governance are obviously running the country aground. Jega stated this in Abuja at the 2022 Workers’ Political Conference organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). He noted that considering the current situation in the country, 2023 general elections may make or mar the progress of the country. He therefore, said that all hands of progressive forces must be on deck to prevent Nigeria from imminent collapse.
“The sorry state of the socioeconomic conditions under which the Nigerian working people, indeed the overwhelming majority of all citizens live and work, the reckless misrule and mis-governance by a tiny, rabid and reckless band of elite, and the manner by which these myopic ‘elected’ so-called ‘leaders’ and their collaborators, have devastated the Nigerian economy, heightened insecurity, and virtually destroyed the basis for national cohesion and integration, Nigeria, as a potentially great nation, is crying for a rescue mission, before it is too late.
“Such a rescue mission cannot be serious, positive and successful, without the active engagement and involvement of the Nigerian workers through their genuine representatives in working class organizations and movements, in alliance with other progressive and patriotic Nigerians.
“While Nigeria may not have totally collapsed, it is in the process of collapsing, as reckless elite in control of the governance process are blindly running the country aground. And the 2023 general elections may be the ‘make or break’ epochal moment.
“Given this, all hands of progressive forces must be on deck to prevent our country from imminent collapse, and to turn it around on to a trajectory of good democratic governance for beneficial democratic, socioeconomic development, and human security for Nigerian citizens.
“A broad alliance of progressive forces for national rescue and emancipation is absolutely required to get Nigeria out of the current unwholesome predicament in which it finds itself.
“The deliberations at this conference, guided by the lead paper presentation and panel discussion, should help us chart a course for a reinforced commitment to national emancipation and more active engagement participation of Nigerian workers in our current and future political processes.” Jega said
In his remarks, the President Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, charged INEC and Security Agencies to stamp out the menace of vote-buying and electoral violence during the 2023 polls.
He further stated that, Nigerian workers are ready to engage political parties across the country to ensure that a significant number of candidates who would vie for elective positions in 2023 subscribe to the provisions of our Charter.
Ayuba said that, it was a near absence and acute deficit of serious engagement with the existential political concerns that have provided the context for this Workers’ Political Conference.
“The 2022 NLC Workers’ Political Conference seeks to set the Labour Agenda as a guide to our affiliates and workers and for engagement with Nigeria’s political class at federal, state, local government and ward every level especially as we approach the 2023 general election and beyond. Our priorities are eminently captured in our charter of demands which seeks answers to the questions of development in Nigeria. To say that Nigeria is at political crossroads would not be a statement of alarm. It would be a factual construction of our reality”.
“With 2023 in view, there is a lot of politicking, intrigues and subterfuge in the political space. Every indication shows that the polity is once again being over-heated. Sadly, as it has become norm with our cycle of broken politics, the polity is not being heated with questions and answers on how the current political mandate has been used by political office holders. The polity is not being over-heated with concerns on how the current ruling elites have honoured the socio-economic rights of Nigerians in Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution. The polity is not being over-heated with new ideas of how politicians can meet the expectations of Nigerians who want constant power to power their potentials, motorable roads, adequate security that will keep us from always looking over our shoulders and living wages that will offer workers a chance at decent living. The near absence and acute deficit of serious engagement with these existential political concerns have provided the context for this Workers’ Political Conference”.
“We urge INEC and security agencies to stamp out the menace of vote-buying and electoral violence during the 2023 polls. INEC should also perfect the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System to drastically reduce resort to incidence forms and disenfranchisement of eligible voters. In 2023, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that all votes count”, he added.
The Theme for the event is” Commitment to National Emancipation and Development Through Effective Political Engagement by Nigerian Workers”.
The House of Representatives’ Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila has vowed to expose colleagues who voted against women’s bills during the Clause by Clause consideration of the Constitutional Review.
The Speaker also reminded his colleagues that women play a major role in Nigeria’s democratic process and should be given better opportunities.
The Speaker made this known when the bill seeking additional seats for women in both the National and State Houses of Assembly failed to get 2/3 majority.
During the determination of the clause, 208 members voted against out of 302, with just 81 voting in favour of the bill, while 13 members abstained.
Similarly, 35% Affirmative Action in Political Parties Administration for Women failed in House of Representatives during consideration of the bill as PDP lawmakers Bamidele Salam from Osun PDP and Dachung Bagos PDP (Plateau) suggested 15% respectively.
Earlier, Salam had moved a motion requesting for 35% to be reduced to 15% affirmative action and it was seconded by Bagos.
Meanwhile, after voting on the affirmative action bill, Gbajabiamila called for repetition of the process appealing to his colleagues to support the bill hence women were the ones that come out enmass to vote during elections.
“Following existing statistics it is women that come out enmass to vote. “It is the same women who come out enmass to vote for us . You are now here voting against their interest? I am going to publish those who voted against this particular bill”, Gbajabiamila stated.
Also coming to clause 68 which called for 20% slots for women in the appointment of federal ministers and state commissioners, the male dominated green chamber once against displayed its aversion for women’s political empowerment by voting against it.
At this point, the speaker emphasised the need to be circumspect in determining the outcome, saying that denying women the opportunity to serve in governance only speaks to how Nigeria as a country views her female population.
Deputy minority leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu at this point moved a point of order saying that “any society which downplays the significance of a group which makes up to 50 percent of its population is not such that would attain its full potentials”.
Okechukwu appealed to his colleagues to vote favorably with a view to passing the amendment.
However, during the vote, members rejected the clause as only 274 voted in favour, with over 60 voted against while others abstained.
The Speaker again called for a retake of the vote stressing that the clause required 4/5 (288) to pass.
When the second round of voting was called, the clause again fell short if the 288 mark by 4 votes as it garnered 284 votes.
The Speaker who is obviously disappointed by the resolve of his colleagues to frustrate the amendment, Gbajabiamila ignored the electronic votes and put the question on the amendment which he ruled as passed via voice votes.
The Federal Government has given Nigerians returning from the war torn Ukraine waiver on the 48 hours pre-departure Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test requirement and others.
An All Operator Letter (AOL) by Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) with the reference number: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/339, dated February 28, 2022 to the Accountable Manager/Country Manager of all airlines operating international flights to Nigeria said that the waivers were necessary in view of the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.
Also, upon arrival in Nigeria, the government said the passengers would however carry out the Covid-19 PCR test, which must be done within 24 hours of arrival, but without cost to the passengers.
The AOL, which was made available to our correspondent, said that the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on Covid-19 directed that all airlines boarding passengers travelling to Nigeria with proof of having left Ukraine were covered by the new protocol.
Apart from the 48 hours pre-departure, the PSC also granted waiver from the requirement to all pre-departure filing of the Nigerian International Travel Portal (NITP), payment for repeat test in Nigeria and generation of permit to fly code.
It however said passengers would be required to fill the NITP upon their arrival in Nigeria with the assistance of the Port Health Services (PHS).
The AOL added: “Upon arriving in Nigeria, passengers will be directed by the Port Health Services to designated government laboratories for Covid-19 PCR test. The Covid-19 PCR test, which must be done within 24 hours of arrival, will be at no cost to the passengers.”
Members of the House of Representatives have just voted 209 against 91 for an attempt to move the collection of value added tax (VAT) from concurrent to the exclusive legislative list.
Clause 34 was on a “Bill for an Act to Alter Part I of the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List; and for Related Matters and approve the recommendations therein.”
The House also rejected clause 35 seeking to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Special Seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters and approve the recommendations therein”
The House voted 208 against while 81 vite in favour of the provision.
…As Senate Fails To Provide Special For Seat For Women Inspite Of Aisha Buhari’s Lobby
The upper chamber of the National Assembly move prisons, Railway and power generation from Exclusive list to Concurrent list.
Just as the review to include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List failed to scale through.
Bill on prison was to “delete prisons in the Exclusive Legislative List and Redesignate it as Correctional Service in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for Related Matters.”
The Bill on the Railway was “to move Railway from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative List ; and for Related Matters.”
The Bill on power generation was “to allow States Generate, Transmit and Distribute Electricity in Area covered by the National Grid; and for Related Matters.”
Inspite of the the wife of Mr. President, Aisha Buhari lobby the Senate to provide for special seat for women in the National and State House of Assembly fall on deaf ears.
The Trade Union Congress has frowned at the level of attitude exhibited by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who walked out of the discussion held with the leadership of the National Union of Nigerian Students, while expressing their feelings over the continuous face-off between the federal government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, over the incessant strike actions in the Nigerian universities.
In a statement signed by the TUC President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, and made available to journalists, the action of the Minister is not only an impunity, ridiculous, but discriminatory in some sorts, as the Minister who serves as the representative of government should have listened to the Students Union, instead of walking out on them. TUC who reminded Adamu of the fact that peaceful protest is a fundamental human right, gave the federal government two weeks to resolve all issues surrounding the strike action by ASUU. The labor body threatened that, failure of the government to resolve these issues within this stipulated time, the trade union congress will have no option than to embark on a solidarity strike with ASUU and the Students union. The statement added that government must engage ASUU in constructive negotiations to find lasting solution to their complaints without further delay.
“We find it ridiculous that the Minister, a public officer rather than listen to their plight and strive to intervene, walked out. This act in our opinion seems discriminatory of some sorts, amidst finding solution to resolve the Federal Government – ASUU impasse, which requires to be redressed immediately. Mallam Adamu should be reminded that peaceful protest is a fundamental human right, most especially for students whose academic calendar continues to be distorted as a result of the multiple recurring strikes, occasioned by governments non honouring of agreements”.
“We wish to stress unequivocally that we are together with the University lecturers and their students in this struggle. Everything must be done to dispense with this impasse within two weeks, to avoid a situation where the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria will embark on a solidarity strike with the University Teachers and their Students”, the statement added.
The 36 states governors and Minister of Power, Engr Abubakar Aliyu have raised objection against the Draft Electricity Bill 2022 being worked upon by the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The governors through a statement signed by the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Ekiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi, said the proposed legislation was unconstitutional in view of the federal status of Nigeria.
This is even as the Minister of Power expressed reservations on the Bill at a Public Hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Powers.
Objecting to the Bill, the governors said: “It would be unconstitutional and an unjustifiable act of overreach for the Senate to consider and pass a Bill that continues to treat the Federation as one single electricity jurisdiction or sector.
According to them, “While a single Electric Power Sector Reform Act may have been useful as a catalyst for the sector in the early years of the Fourth Republic, the States have all come of age, literally and metaphorically, and the arrangements must change in a way that accepts and respects the maturity of the states in electricity matters; a reality that this Senate Electricity Bill does not recognise and take account of but at best only pays the most cursory lip service.
“After 71 years of sole and unchallenged central control of the electricity sector, we live with an electricity sector divided into two parts.
“One part is the FG-controlled and -regulated national electricity market that today is insolvent, bankrupt and delivers no more than approximately 4,000MW/96,000MWh daily to 220 million Nigerians, or an average of 18w/432watt-hours daily, barely enough to power two (2) 10-watt light bulbs a day.
“The other part of Nigeria’s electricity sector is the alternative/back-up market, whose estimated capacity is approximately 40,000MW so much so that Nigerian citizens are their own electricity providers in their homes, factories, schools, hospitals and places of worship.
“Our calculations indicate that if the 40,000MW of electrical back-up capacity owned and operated by Nigerians were to be delivered to them by licensed private IPPs and distribution companies through organised public electricity markets, Nigerian citizens and governments would have saved up to N17 trillion in 2021.
“Instead, this much money was burnt up via diesel and petrol generator operating/maintenance costs, instead of being saved and invested by private citizens and businesses and some of it captured by the States and Federal Government as tax revenues and levies. This has been the norm for decades and has worsened each year even as it seems set to continue in 2022 and beyond.
“It is in these circumstances that the Senate now has before it an Electricity Bill that does not address any of the challenges that threaten the sector and the nation. Rather, its key characteristics are a failure to recognise and provide for the rights of States to have their own electricity markets.
“The re-establishment of the same single national electricity market that has brought neither growth in capacity nor socio-economic development to the nation; and, as stated earlier, the continued absence of a clear path for the market to exit permanently from its long-running insolvent status.”
The Minister, however, observed that some of its provisions are watering down the powers of Power Minister as coordinator and overall supervisory authority over the sector .
He said: “Any such limitation on the power of the Minister has the potential to hinder efficient coordination of the Ministry and its agencies, impede the Minister’s ability for accountability as it hinders seamless reporting to the President.”
Earlier in their separate speeches, the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan and Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gabriel Suswam , said since the power sector reform Act 2005 is no longer sufficient for post privatization exigencies, a comprehensive legal instrument as envisioned with Electricity Bill 2022, is very necessary
The Public Account Committee, (PAC), of the House of Representatives has grilled the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo along with Heads of its Parastatals and top officials of the Ministry on several queries from the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation.
The issues ranges from issuance of capital allowances to several companies without proper documentation to back them up, non rendition of audited accounts, S well as expenditure from Service Vide Vote from 2013 to date.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) explained to the Minister that before the coming of the Finance Act, only Permanent Secretaries were being invited to answer such queries, adding that with the coming into effect of the 2020 Finance Act, invitations are now being extended to Ministers.
He clarified that the mission of the Committee was to bring Heads of agencies under the Ministry that have refused over time to respond to invitations to come and answer queries from the Auditor General, but rather consistently give one excuse or the other for their failure to honour such invitations.
According to him, “these people are appointees of the President through your office. By the provisions of the constitution, the President has often come to the National Assembly and yet, his appointees refused to come. IF they cannot do the job they are asked to do, they should resign because there are those ready to do the job.”
“We did not want to get to the level of issuing warrant of arrest for the Heads of agencies. We felt that if we invite you and ask you to come with them, they will respect you and come. We were right, today, they are here with you.
“We want them to come and explain to the Nigerian people how they spent public resources at their disposal. Is that too much to ask? If the President will come to the parliament, why wont his appointees? It is for accountability and transparency, the Parliament is not after anyone, even as you are here today physically, the Director General of the Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, is still not here, he has been avoiding the Committee, he has always been seeking for an extension of time for our invitations”,Oke said.
The Minister however appealed to the Committee to give him and his team more time to fine tune their documents and come back to them for proper defence of the audit queries.
He stated that the issues raised in the queries were just being brought to his notice at the hearing, stressing that he would need time to sit with his officials and the Permanent Secretary and prepare a more comprehensive answer to the queries.
The Minister assured that he would personally come back to the Committee with the Permanent secretary for the presentation. The Committee therefore obliged him in the spirit of fair hearing.
In the documents presented before the panel, it revealed that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had issued about 4,672 certificate of capital allowance worth about N7,865,186,245,398.81 to 2,203 companies between January 2017 and December 2021.
The documents also revealed that within the same period, the Ministry recorded what they described as disallowance (finding after an audit that a business or individual taxpayer was not entitled to a deduction or other tax benefit claimed on a tax return) of N101.553 billion.
Capital Allowance is the practice of allowing a tax payer to get tax relief on capital expenditure by allowing it to be deducted against their annual taxable income.
It is akin to a tax deductible expenses and are available in respect of qualifying capital expenditure incurred on the provision of certain assets in use for the purposes of a trade or rental services and effectively allow a tax payer to write off the cost of an asset over a period of time.
