₦airaland Forum

Paentera:
For 11 DISCOs sold, government through BPE still controls 40% of each DISCO
For 6 GENCOs sold, government through BPE still controls 20% of each GENCO.

In other words, the government owes a responsibility to ensure that it keeps to its own side of the bargain by contributing its quota towards the success of the Privatisation program. So far, it has also fallen short of doing this.

Not ALL power infrastructure owned by the government was privatised, hence why there are agencies like NIPP (National Integrated Power Project - http://www.nipptransactions.com/) that ownership of all other infrastructure was vested in. NIPP still continues to receive huge sums of funding from the Federal government basically to improve infrastructural assets for the power industry. Recall the pole mounted HVDS 50kVa transformers installed in your areas?

These are NIPP projects and power plants such as Geregu II and many others are developed, owned by the FG.

In 2010, when the budget hit a shocking record sum of N154.2 billion, David Mark, Mr. Saraki’s predecessor, decided to block Nigerians from knowing details of how the National Assembly’s jumbo allocations were spent, especially how much members earned in allowances, thus wrapping up the federal legislators’ finances in utmost secrecy.

tit:
Clown, if you use this power to look for buhari asset declaration, you would have founded it.

18 months on, Saraki fails serial promises to disclose National Assembly budget

After 18 months in the saddle as President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly, Bukola Saraki has refused to honour repeated promises to Nigerians to publicly disclose the details of the lawmakers’ budget.

Mr. Saraki came to office with the pledge of accountability and transparency in June 2015; but ever since, he has reneged on every promise to open the budget of the National Assembly to the public.

With N23.347 billion in 2003, the National Assembly’s budget now stands at about N115 billion, representing over 492 per cent rise in 13 years. Until 2016, the budget had often gone as high as N150 billion.

In 2010, when the budget hit a shocking record sum of N154.2 billion, David Mark, Mr. Saraki’s predecessor, decided to block Nigerians from knowing details of how the National Assembly’s jumbo allocations were spent, especially how much members earned in allowances, thus wrapping up the federal legislators’ finances in utmost secrecy.

So, in one masterstroke of legislative brinkmanship, the National Assembly’s budget, hitherto open to public scrutiny, like those of ministries, departments and agencies, suddenly became secret after the body legislated, in 201o under Mr. Mark, to make itself member of an exclusive club of opaque agencies whose budget details are never disclosed but whose finances are deducted en-bloc (first-line charge) via statutory transfers.

Mr. Saraki clinched the Senate leadership in June 2015, days after Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated Nigeria’s president. In the spirit of the high hope that waste, corruption, impunity and opacity would be fought in the country’s public institutions, Nigerians reignited calls for an open budget of the National Assembly.

Apparently conscious of the popular wish, Mr. Saraki included in his inauguration speech the vow to “change from impunity and elite arrogance to a life of accountability,” and then circulated a text in which he named a committee “to review NASS budget, to make it open and more realistic.”

The said committee, as mentioned in the text, included Dino Melaye, Ben Bruce, Shehu Sani and Gbenga Ashafa.

With his initial promise of accountability yielding no result, on November 15, 2015, Mr. Saraki again promised to open the NASS budget.
“You will see what goes to the Senate, what goes to the House of Reps, you are going to see what goes to management, what goes to Legislative Institute, we are going to make all these open and clear. That is part of the openness we promised,” he said.
Then on February 2, 2016, Mr. Saraki again promised a detailed breakdown of the NASS budget while addressing journalists during the commissioning of the renovated press centre at the Senate.

“I can assure you that we are going to move away from the time of one item line National Assembly to National Assembly where there will be breakdowns according to the different sections,” he said.

On March 13, 2016, the promise was repeated. That day, Mr. Saraki in a statement promised the budget details would be released ‘next week’.
March 13, 2016 was a Sunday. Therefore, Mr. Saraki’s promise should have materialised between March 14 and 19, being the workdays within his ‘next week’. But again, he failed to keep the promise.

Towards the end of last year 2016, it was becoming clear Mr. Saraki was not sincere about his vaunted commitment to #OpenNass, thereby becoming a target of criticisms by Nigerians trying to hold him to account.
“We knew from our engagement with the leadership of the National Assembly that the budget doesn’t exist,” said Yemi Adamolekun of Enough is Enough, a civil society group.

But the National Assembly actually has a budget, though, it is so mysterious that many of the lawmakers do not know its details.
In March 2016, PREMIUM TIMES had a rare access to the general framework of the NASS budget and made it public.
Against the background of the renewed criticisms in December, Mr. Saraki through his media aide, Bankole Omishore, promised the budget details would be released in a “few days’ time”.

The last promise was made on December 20; but 15 days later, the promise is yet to be redeemed.
The National Assembly may commence work on the 2017 budget proposal by Mr. Buhari when it resumes next week without fulfilling the pledge to disclose details of its 2016 budget.

After #OpenNass, Mr. Saraki is currently preoccupied by #madeinNigeria on Twitter, promoting goods made in the country.

The Senate President’s spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Thursday morning justified his principal’s false statements.
“Are you people not tired of this thing,” said Mr. Olaniyonu when pressed for comment on his principal’s failure to make the NASS budget public.

“We are no longer in 2016; this is 2017.”
He said it was “not logical” to account for what was promised last year in the current year.
“It is like asking me to predict a match that had been played. Event has overtaken it.”
While Mr. Saraki continued to make unfulfilled promises to Nigerians, the Senate as a body does not appear to believe in the need to allow Nigerians see details of its finances.

When PREMIUM TIMES spoke with the spokesperson of the Senate, Aliyu Abdullahi, on Wednesday, he claimed that the Senate’s “budget has always been open as far as I am concerned”.

The repeated public demand for the budget is baseless, said Mr. Abdullahi, adding that, “the National Assembly does not have same budget structure with the Executive and it is not in the public interest to see everything in the budget (of the NASS).”
He was reminded that the budget of the NASS pre-2010, when Mr. Mark enthroned the culture of secrecy, had detailed breakdown like those of the ministries.

“I don’t know because I was not there,” he replied.

bensonlee770:
The Federal Government seems to have increased electricity tarrif nationwide. The increment in tariff is by almost 50% as confirmed by the meter units purchased from Benin Electricity Distribution Company this morning.
One of the staff of the BEDC spoken with confirmed the increment took effect on the 1st of January this year.
The new tarrif is now #31.27/unit .It used to be sold at #24.80k/unit.
It is surprising this was done without public knowledge.

Twinflakez:
That's not the problem. The problem rather is his incessant back and forth motion. The man is just not consistent.

careytommy7:
They will pretend not to have seen it.

Zombies are brain-dead and incapable of thinking.

ivandragon:
zero import duty on Cement?

did I just see/read zero import duty on CEMENT in that list?

cement that as at 2014, we were approaching self sufficiency on.

then they ban 'bagged cement'?

where are those nitwits that were praising the ban on some essential pharmaceutical products?

can they please come & clear up this contradiction of their twisted logic?

or is it going to be the usual "four legs good, two legs bad... four legs good, two legs better" chant?

The circular also reinforced the ban placed on the importation of some items .

Some of them are refined vegetable oil , cocoa butter , spaghetti /noodles , fruit juice in retail packs , bagged cement, soaps and detergent

Integrityfarms:
Hahhaaahhaa! I don't give a Bleep about the government. Am my self boss and I care less of your political rantings!

Happy New Year!

Integrityfarms:
Suffering and Smiling zombie!

tit:
buhari shuld just go away.
he is a useless dullard

Richy4:
Trust me I am old enough... But you are right I have never worked in Nigeria....You made mention of desperate job seekers taking an offer...what offer..oral offer of appointment or what?
I am asking all this because I find it hard to understand how someone can start a job without an employment letter no matter how small the Establishment is/was....Because a lot of things are at stake without that letter

Oluwasegun21:
Am nt saying d person should resign,just politely ask the HR 4 ur contract,its ur right.

Richy4:
Where in the world will someone commenced to work in an Establishment without an employment letter?
How will he get to know how much he's being paid....and all the dos and Don'ts of the establishment.....So he did not sign to indicate that he has accepted to work with them....

Oluwasegun21:
Ignorance is killing us in this part of d world. How do u work without an employment contract? No mata d form of employment,it is compulsory by law dat at max 3 months of employment,an employee should be given an employment letter. A contract is wat binds the employment lawfully which can be taken to the court when there is a breach of contract. How then do u negotiate employment contract if it is nt put to paper in ur firm?

realjoker:
agabusta
Please go through all these links.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-24/beijing-to-close-all-major-coal-power-plants-to-curb-pollution

http://grist.org/climate-energy/7-signs-that-china-is-serious-about-combatting-climate-change/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_phase-out

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/22/donald-trump-success-helps-china-emerge-as-global-climate-leader

As of late, the idea of getting rid of coal in their own
national electricity grid has become a popular one among several major nations across the world. At 6 least major countries, including Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and now Finland, have all recently announced the imminent phase-out of all coal-fired power plants.
Several of the announcement have been made just in the past few weeks since the Paris Agreement became effective earlier this month.
Earlier this week, Canada, which has already significantly reduced its use of coal to about 7% of its energy generation, announced a phase of the resource by 2030. The country’s strong hydropower should keep dominating its energy generation, but the country has also been investing in wind and solar to make up the difference.
A week before Canada’s announcement, France announced a more aggressive timeline of 2023
for its own phase-out of coal, but it should be more easily achievable since they have already reduced the use of coal to 3% of their electricity generation – thanks to a strong local nuclear industry.
As of last week, Germany official approved its
Climate Action Plan 2050 , which technically includes a phase-out of at least half the coal-fired power plants by 2030 and the rest could follow by the end of the 2050 timeframe of the action plan.
Finland is the latest country to join the group, but it also announced a more aggressive solution of simply banning entirely the use of coal to produce energy by 2030. The country gets about 12% of its electricity from coal, which it has to import.
Peter Lund, a researcher at Aalto University, and chair of the energy programme at the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council, told New Scientist about the recently announced ban on coal:
“These moves are important forerunners to enforce the recent positive signals in coal use. The more countries join the coal phase-out club, the better for the climate as this would force the others to follow.”
Who’s going to be next? It’s unlikely to be the US, which gets about 33% of its total electricity generation from coal. President-elect Donald Trump was elected partly on his promise to “bring back coal jobs” and grow the industry rather than to phase it out. Though experts have concluded that his plan isn’t likely to have a massive impact
on the industry despite the scrapping of environmental regulations.
The growth of renewable energy is difficult to stop and reducing the use of coal in electricity generation also has the consequence of increasing the positive impact of electric vehicles since they become powered by cleaner energy
https://electrek.co/2016/11/25/6-major-countries-phase-out-coal/


And this
By Ethan Lou | TORONTO
Canada will speed up plans to virtually eliminate traditional coal-fired electricity by 2030, the government said on Monday, a stance contrasting sharply with that of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to revive the sector.
Canada's Liberal government ran on a platform to do more for the environment. Its coal-cutting plan would help it meet the emissions reduction targets of the Paris agreement, which Parliament ratified last month.
South of the border, the Republican Trump has vowed to ease the regulatory burden on all fossil fuel producers, including coal.
Globally, more than 2,400 coal power plants are under construction or being planned, with two-thirds in China and India, experts say.
Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said Canada's coal regulation, which accelerates an existing timetable, will take into account the positions of provinces, some of which have resisted federal plans to counter climate change.
The government will support the transition by using the Canada Infrastructure Bank public-private funding mechanism, according to McKenna's department, which did not disclose details.
Four provinces still burn coal for electricity: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Meeting the coal-cutting targets will be hard for some as the transition may be costly, even with the federal government's accommodation, said Joe Aldina, director for U.S. coal for PIRA Energy Group.
But certain industries will likely benefit as provinces look for energy in new areas or further explore existing ones, he said.
"British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba have really significant hydro resources," he said. "I'd expect a mix of natural gas and renewables to benefit."
Under Canada's plan, some plants will be allowed to stay open if equivalent emission reductions are achieved elsewhere, McKenna said.
"Our goal is to make Canada's electricity 90 percent non-emitting by 2030." she said.
Provincial responses were mixed. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia welcomed the announcement, with the latter's premier announcing a separate cap-and-trade system to regulate emissions, conforming with a federal plan on the matter.
Alberta's Climate Change Minister Shannon Phillips said the province is unaffected as it already has a coal-cutting plan with the same timeline.
Saskatchewan's Premier Brad Wall, who has long been resistant to federal plans for a price on carbon, said McKenna's government has violated a commitment to work with provinces on environment matters.
"Saskatchewan will be evaluating both the environmental and the economic impact on our province of today's federal government announcement," he said.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN13G1EK

Esseite:
Yes, lets the world see what they are going through, be it good, bad or otherwise...

We go on social platforms and scream our hearts out for our bad roads, lack of light. Some go on instagram and twitter to tell their stories first hand.. if the news about soldiers on drip in the dessert had not circulated, would the army have done anything?... their lives are at war-fronts.. why cant they tell their story?

They are humans and blood run through their vains

Esseite:
Wont the soldiers give a better account than the media houses?

And some people support this....
Some people are just brain dead... trust me, if you have families in the army you would reason otherwise..

They should die and be forgotten even after complaining..

No media house noticed the flag difference till date, but the soldiers did and raised red flag. Is it not their life that would be sacrifised.

realjoker:
so that you guys can start beating your shallow chest abi. The world is doing away with coal powered energy, get that into your head.

kcnwaigbo:
bros have you forgotten we did elections in march?.The no you are calling was before the march 19 elections

kcnwaigbo:
PDP 20 members before the last elections

kcnwaigbo:
are you the one that manufactured 10 seats for them?

kcnwaigbo:
PDP has over 25 members in the 32-man assembly.Is that 60% for you?

rhames:

Fashola does not control any thing under the power aspect of his ministry

Abujaexpress:
If consumers bypass prepaid meter, it is the Discos's fault. What stopped them from deploying a more robust technology to check mate meter bypassing?