₦airaland Forum

Newmanluckyman:
... The injustice in this country is too much to bear. The omission of the South East/South South region in those projects is a deliberate efforts to buttress PMB 5% comments. This govt can't sideline a big and a major tribe like the Igbos without some consequences. Time will really tell.

mercichoco:
hahahahahahahahaha


hahahahahahahahaha


now dss will come after you

imhotep:
I thought they are from South Dakota ?

mercichoco:
Ok, lemme pray you, may God Manage your life the way fashola has manage the power sector. Amen Or Godforbid?

kin8744:
lol! How is power supply in your area?

mercichoco:
Hian, that is an incurable desease na

BanevsJoker:
Anyone notice how none of these projects is in the South-East? Wan Naijeriya.

nwabobo:
Beremx e be like na you get this memo.

agitator:
What was the zombies expecting, someone who said Abacha wasn't corrupt. There is always an antecedent.

See zombies mentioning journalist as if it is the journalist that cleared him. their baba can never be wrong.

Someone help me with the picture before the elections where zombies were hailing two guys for robbing the Central Bank. Baba carry go, we support you.

Newmanluckyman:
... Yes my dear. Their hypocrisy stinks. Same way the remain dumbfounded tacitly given their support to boko haram until it all backfires. History is a good teacher.

Newmanluckyman:
... Nonsense.

Qmerit:
Too long to read!

The Northern Governor’s Forum, NGF, says it has resolved to work with relevant stakeholders to secure Nigeria’s borders and register Fulani immigrants entering into the country to rear cattle.

The Chairman of the Forum, Kashim Shettima of Borno, disclosed this to journalists at the end of the forum’s meeting in Kaduna, on Tuesday

According to him, the governors observed that most of the herdsmen involved in issues of insecurity are immigrants from Senegal and Mali.

“We also mapped out new strategies that would be used by the local Fulani herdsmen to rear their cattle without having to move across the country,” he said.

The Chairman emphasised the need for every Nigerian to see security as his or her business, pointing out that the nation would remain backward if there was no peace.

On the indigene/settler dichotomy, the governor said that there was a push by the forum towards national integration and cohesion so that every Nigerian could conveniently settle in any part of the country without suffering any form of discrimination.

“Some of the past governors of Kano State, like the late Sabo Bakin Zawo, from Niger, and Ibrahim Shekarau, from Borno, were not indigenes technically, but were assimilated and even attained the highest office in Kano,” he observed.

He acknowledged that the country was experiencing lots of challenges, particularly in the northern region, but expressed optimism that things would get better.

The joint meeting, which had northern traditional council of emirs and chiefs in attendance, discussed issues of insecurity, the management of common assets and measures to move the region to greater heights.

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has queried the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola over the award of 10 road and bridge contracts worth N166 billion.

The BPP said the minister and his ministry violated the laws guiding contract awards in Nigeria in the manner they selected contractors for the projects.

The procurement agency is asking Mr. Fashola to explain, among other things, why the costs of some of the projects were inflated and why some were awarded to unqualified firms.

The construction of the roads and bridges, spread across the country, were appropriated for in the ministry’s 2016 budget.

The projects are the rehabilitation of Numan-Jalingo Road awarded to Deux Projects Ltd for N11.7 billion; replacement of substandard bridges along Gusau-Sokoto Road awarded to Triacta Nig. Ltd (N1.01 billion); construction of Ojutu Bridge in Ilobu, Osun State awarded to Halicass Integrated Ltd (N522.2 million); construction of Ohan-Moro Bridge on Ilorin-Igbeti Road awarded to Bonus Nig. Ltd (N942.6 million); and rehabilitation of Abuja-Kaduna Road awarded to CGC Nig. Ltd (N26.9 billion).

Others are the rehabilitation of Kaduna-Zaria Road in Katsina State awarded to Arab Contractors Nig. Ltd for N14.8 billon; rehabilitation of Zaria-Kano Road in Kaduna/Kano State awarded to Reynold Construction Nig. Ltd (N69.9 billion); and the construction of Burga-Dull-Mbatill-TadnumGpbiya-Badagari-Gwaranga-Sum, Bauchi State awarded to Rahama Civil Works Nig. Ltd (N10.9 billion).

The construction of Tudun Wuss-Wandi-Wandi-Baraza-Durr-Zumbul-Polchi-Dot-Kwanar Road, Bauchi State awarded to Dalum Construction Nig. at N12.2 billion and the construction of Pankshin-Tapshin-Gambar-Sara-Kai-Gindiri Road in Plateau State awarded to Metropolitan Construction Company Limited at N15.3 billion are also among the contracts slated for award by the ministry.

How contracts were awarded

In line with the requirement of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, Mr. Fashola’s ministry had, in a letter dated November 7, 2016, requested the Bureau to issue it Due Process Certificate of “No Objection” for the award of the 10 contracts.

The ministry had earlier in June advertised the projects in some national newspapers as well as the Federal Tenders Journal edition of Monday, May 30- June 10, 2016.

An addendum to the advertisement was further placed in the same newspapers and Federal Tenders Journal of Monday, June 13-Sunday June 26, 2016.

On July 25, 2016, the prequalification documents were opened in the Conference Room of the Ministry in the presence of representatives of prospective contractors, non-governmental organizations, the Nigeria Society of Engineers and some member of the public as well as officials of the ministry.

In line with Part V, Clause 22, Section 4 of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, the Permanent Secretary/Chairman of the Ministerial Tenders Board constituted a Technical Evaluation Committee to evaluate the tenders received from prospective contractors.

The contractors successful in the technical evaluation exercise were “provisionally prequalified,” with their documents forwarded to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and banks for verification.

They were subsequently invited to submit completed financial tender documents.

The ministry then carried out a verification exercise on some of the claims made by bidders in their technical bids.

After the verification exercise, the ministry wrote to the BPP to request the certificate of no objection for the recommended contractors.

BPP’s response

However, the BPP objected to the award of the contracts citing various violations of the PPA Act.

The agency, in a report on the projects, exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, said it would not grant the ministry due process certificate until its concerns were “adequately addressed.”

The report was signed by the Director General of the BPP, Mamman Ahmadu.

In the 64-page report, the Bureau objected to the award of the contracts because “there are no evidence that feasibility and financial/economic studies were conducted during projects’ preparation.”

It also expressed surprise that the ministry failed to prepare Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the projects.

It said, “There are no evidence that the EIAs were prepared for the Projects and specifically no EIA Reports were submitted for this Due Process Review. The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing should note that Environment Impact Assessment is a very crucial aspect of project preparation.”

Furthermore, the BPP condemned the ministry for failing to submit the technical bids for the companies that participated in the pre-qualification exercise.

“The FMPW&H did not recommend the lowest bidders for most of the lots after prequalifying the firms,” the agency said.

“The Bureau further observed that FMPW&H appears to have erroneously categorized some critical projects in such a way that enables contractors that are not in the same category with similar technical and financial capacities to submit bids for such lots.

“This has made the benchmarking and value-for-money checks almost unfeasible and has opened avenues to subject the procurement processes to many frivolous petitions and counter-petitions that could likely delay the immediate commencement of the projects.”

More bashing

Commenting specifically on each of the 10 projects one after the other, the Bureau noted that although the ministry recommended the lowest contractor for the N11.7 billion Numan-Jalingo Road project, most of the companies that submitted bids for the project were not in the same category and ranking that would enable proper benchmarking.

“Besides, the capacity of most of the firms to upgrade and extend the quality of the design and standard of this road cannot be guaranteed,” it stated further.

The Bureau, therefore, advised the ministry to carry out post-qualification on all the firms that submitted bids for this Lot to verify their actual capacities and eliminates firms that do not have the technical and financial capacity to execute the project.

On the replacement of substandard bridges along Gusau-Sokoto Road, the Bureau said the ministry considered the submission of Messrs. China Zhonghao and Ric Rock Construction Ltd that submitted the third and fourth lowest bids non-responsive.

It, however, noted that the basis for their disqualification was not made known by the ministry.

It asked the ministry to carry out post-qualification on all the firms that submitted for this Lot to verify their actual capacities and eliminate firms that do not have the technical and financial capacity to execute this project.

On the construction of Ojutu Bridge in Ilobu, Osun State, awarded to Halicass Integrated Ltd for N522.2 million, the BPP said the ministry indicated that the rates of the lowest four tenderers were too low while two of the contractors submitted bid securities that were not up to two percent of the contract sum as requested.

It also said the ministry indicated that the submission of Messrs. Metropolitan International Limited was corrected from N704,089,909.48 to N122,430,000.00, which showed the firm lacked the understanding and capacity to execute a project of that magnitude and complexity.

The Bureau said it observed that the actual corrected sum of the company submitted as carried out by FMPW&H and verified by the Bureau was N700,761,140.33.

“Nonetheless, the Bureau is amazed at the ministry’s comment on Messrs. Metropolitan International Limited for this project, whereas the ministry has recommended the firm for a bigger project of N15,385,310,166.29 [Pankshin-Tapshin-Gambar-Kal-Gindiri Road].”

The Bureau wondered why the ministry did not recommend Bilijoe+Berger Nigeria Limited for the construction of Ohan-Moro Bridge on Ilorin-Igbeti Road which was awarded to Bonus Nig. Ltd at N942.6 million despite its (ministry) claiming that the company’s price was reasonable.

The ministry, according to the Bureau, indicated that the rates of the lowest tenderer, Messrs. Blisswood Associates Limited were too low, while the submission of Messrs. Bilijoe+Berger Nigeria Limited, the second lowest tenderer, was considered reasonable.

It, however, wondered why the job was not given to the company even though their submission was lower than that of Messrs. Bonus by N2,228,052.75.

The Bureau said it was not able to verify the ministry’s claim that Messrs. Calipak Nigeria Limited and Fiphs Investment Limited submitted bid securities that were not up to two percent of the contract sum as requested because the bid securities were not forwarded to it.

The BPP expressed surprise at the ministry’s claim that it did not award the rehabilitation of Abuja-Kaduna Road awarded to Messrs. Gilmor Nigeria Limited because its jobs were mostly in irrigation and housing with very few district roads within Abuja and with no completion certificate.

The Bureau noted that from its own database, the company was categorized under category A with an average turnover of over N15 billion in the last three years contrary to the viewpoint of the ministry.

“Messrs. Gilmor Nigeria Limited has the necessary equipment, professional expertise, and personnel to undertake a project of over N10 billion,” it said.

“Messrs. Gilmor has contracts worth over N36 and N40 billion for the development infrastructure facilities for Guzape district I &II and Jahi district respectively.”

The Bureau requested the ministry to provide it with details of why Messrs. Dantata & Sawoe, Setraco Nigeria Limited, and RCC 7& CO Nigeria Limited were disqualified since it (ministry) did not give reasons for doing so.

The Bureau demanded explanation on why the ministry prequalified Messrs. Kaiba International Nigeria Limited and Olivec Ventures Limited for the rehabilitation of Kaduna-Zaria Road in Katsina State despite not having annual turnover of up to the required N10 billion.

It said the firms had an average turnover of about N250 million and ought not to have been prequalified.

On the rehabilitation of Zaria-Kano Road in Kaduna/Kano State awarded to Reynold Construction Nig. Ltd at N69.9 billion, the BPP expressed concern about the “excessive unit rates” posted by the company for the project, saying they were “not commensurate rates with similar rates posted by other contractors with similar ranking that submitted bids for similar projects.”

It added, “The Bureau is bemused why the cost of the Kano-Zaria axis that is about 78km. Furthermore, the cost of approximately 2.5 times the cost of Abuja- Kaduna that has about the same distance. The Bureau is not convinced that there was competition for this Lot.”

It, therefore, requested the Ministry to re-examine the submission of Messrs. RCC and ensure that the contract price was realistic that would give government best value for money.

The Bureau said Messrs. Rahama Nigeria Limited should not have been given the contract to construct the N10.9 billion Burga-Dull-Mbatill-Tadnum Gpbiya-Badagari-Gwaranga-Sum road.

According to the Bureau, the company with an average turnover of about N250 million entered into a joint ventures agreement with Messrs. F.I.K Global Limited to meet the N2 billion minimum turnover requirements.

“However, it was also observed that Messrs. F.I.K Global Limited also submitted tender separately for this same project. Messrs. F.I.K Global Limited tender in the sum of N11,225,398,261.78 was ranked fourth lowest bid,” it said.

“However, this action by the two firms amounts to bid-rigging and is contrary to section 58[10] of the public procurement act, 2007. This has rendered the submissions of both firms non-responsive.”

Nevertheless, the Bureau asked the ministry to carry out post-qualification on all the firms that submitted bids in this Lot to confirm the actual capacities and eliminate firms that do not have the technical and financial capacity to execute this project.

On the construction of Tudun Wuss-Wandi-Wandi-Baraza-Durr-Zumbul-Polchi-Dot-Kwanar Road, Bauchi State at Dalum Construction Nig. Ltd, the Bureau observed that the companies that submitted bids for this Lot were not in the same category and ranking to enable proper benchmarking.

It noted that the capacity of most of the firms to upgrade and extend the quality of the design and standard of this road could not be guaranteed.

The Bureau further said the Lot might likely end up with series of petitions due to the outcome of the evaluation exercise.

It, therefore, asked the ministry to carry out post-qualification on all the firms that submitted bids.

On the Pankshin-Tapshin-Gambar-Sara-Kai-Gindiri Road in Plateau State, the Bureau said though the FMPW&H indicated that the rates of Messrs. CBC Global Nigeria, Well Town Stone Nigeria Limited, Hypertek Limited, Bonus Limited, Xedex Nigeria Limited and Duex Limited that submitted the lowest to the six corrected tenders were reasonable, the ministry did not however indicate why the lowest tenders of Messrs. CBC Global was not recommended.

The Bureau observed that the technical evaluations for all the projects were not carried out professionally and was, therefore, surprised that the ministry refused to recommend the lowest bidders after prequalification exercise which was an indication of credibility.

“This has cast doubt on the integrity of the technical evaluation process,” the BPP said.

“As the federal government is committed to improving the road network within the country with such huge resources allocated towards the projects, it has become necessary to learn from past failure so as to avoid repeated problems in the future that will result in a waste of the limited economic resources.

“The need to ensure that the scopes of works cover all major concerns and only competent contractors are recommended has, therefore, become very imperative so as to prevent loss of valuable lives, properties, and resources that always accompany such failure.

“Therefore, the FMPW&H is requested to furnish the Bureau with comprehensive details of the scope of work in the BEME for all the projects sufficient to demonstrate how the qualities were derived.”

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Hakeem Bello, the minister’s spokesperson, he declined to comment on the Bureau’s report, saying he does not speak for the ministry but the minister.

A staff of the ministry, who only identified herself as Grace told this newspaper on the phone that she was not aware of the report.

Some officials of the works ministry however wondered why the BPP asked the ministry to go through another process of post-qualification of firms after all award processes have been completed.

“What the BPP should have done is to compel the ministry to choose the most qualified contractor with the lowest bids,” an official said. “Allowing for any kind of post-qualifications is like changing the rules in the middle of the game.”

The senate yesterday condemned the alleged killing of 11 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital last Thursday by security agents. This is just as it mandated the Senate Committee on Police and National Security to institute a full scale investigation into the killings.

The resolution of the senate came through a motion by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP Abia North) on the gruesome murder of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

Senator Ohuabunwa who came under order 43 of senate standing rule bordering on personal explanation drew the attention of the senate on the incessant killing of members of the group, The lawmaker condemned the act of the security operatives as barbaric and lawless, adding that members of the group were harmless and innocent.

He said, “On Thursday 11 people were killed and 26 injured for no just cause, Mr. President , we are in a democracy and people must differ in opinion, that is the beauty of democracy, the killings is one to many , it happened in Onitsha, Aba and now Port Harcourt, it behooves on us to call the security operative to order.

The Senate tuesday said it would screen the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, in accordance with legislative procedures, but elected to stand by its resolution calling for the sack of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal.

The decision of the Senate was made known by its spokesman, Senator Sabi Abdullahi during a press briefing, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s letters requesting for the screening and confirmation of Magu and exonerating Lawal were read out by Senate President Bukola Saraki in the chamber.

Having read out both letters from Buhari, the Senate said it would screen Magu. The Senate spokesman, however, regretted that the president’s letter failed to address the allegations raised against Magu by Department of State Services (DSS), which led to his rejection by the Senate late last year.

Abdullahi also said notwithstanding the president’s position on Lawal, the Senate stood by its resolution, which indicted him of corruption.

But before the press briefing by the Senate, there was an uproar in the upper legislative chamber tuesday following the accusation made by the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in North-east, Senator Shehu Sani, that the presidency was full of lies and hypocrisy.

Sani was miffed by the content of Buhari’s letter read by Saraki, in which the president accused the committee chaired by Sani of denying the SGF of fair hearing by failing to invite him to defend himself during the investigation on the mismanagement of funds allocated to the North-eastern section of the country as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

The president, in his letter, also concluded that the ad hoc committee’s report was an interim one, obviously forgetting that the presidency had indicted and ordered the arrest and arraignment of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki in 2015, on the basis of an interim report submitted to it by a presidential committee set up to investigate the utilisation of funds for the procurement of arms by past administrations.

Sani described the letter as the funeral of Buhari’s anti-corruption war, pointing out that when the president wants to fight corruption outside the presidency, he uses a disinfectant but when it is within the presidency, he uses deodorant.

But in a bid to douse what he deemed to be strong and inflammatory remarks, Saraki attempted to stop Sani from having his say on the floor on the upper legislative chamber.

Saraki’s attempt to gag the senator, however, drew the ire of his colleagues who appeared to be enjoying the barbs thrown by Sani, as they shouted thunderously until proceedings were interrupted for some minutes, forcing Saraki to allow Sani to continue.

Buhari’s letters had cleared the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, and Lawal of corruption allegations.

The Senate had on December 14, 2016, accused Lawal of awarding a multi-million naira grass cutting contract in the North-east to his company and therefore called for his sack and prosecution.

The parliament also rejected Magu as the substantive chairman of EFCC on December 15, 2016, citing a damning security report.

However, Buhari had asked the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to investigate the allegations and revert to him with a report on his findings.

It was on this basis that Buhari cleared the SGF and the acting EFCC chairman of the corruption allegations and resubmitted Magu’s name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

But in his reaction, Sani said contrary to the claim of lack of fair hearing, a letter was sent to the SGF and was received and acknowledged by his office.

He displayed the acknowledgment letter by the SGF’s office as well as a full page advert published in the Daily Trust edition of December 2, 2016, where he said the SGF was listed among those invited to the investigative hearing.

He further accused the presidency of cultivating the habit of telling lies to cover up its shortcomings.

“It is shocking to me that such a letter can come from the presidency with such misinformation and outright distortions.

“They lied by saying that the committee did not invite the SGF. The committee invited the SGF and the letter was acknowledged by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the SGF, Mr. Aminu – spelling not sure?

“To make sure that we buttressed our point, we published a paid advert in three or four national dailies. This one was published on December 2, 2016, and the SGF was clearly mentioned as one of those that were expected to come and appear before the National Assembly.

“If they had the intention of simply reaching a pre-determined conclusion by covering up on the issues raised by the committee, that is one thing.

“Secondly, issues were raised that only three members of the committee signed that interim report. That was a second lie coming from the presidency. I have a copy of the interim report which was initially signed by seven members of the nine members of that committee and I am going to submit it to the Clerk of the Senate.

“Even if it was nine members, and then three people signed, we still had a quorum, but here I have seven persons.

“I will say also that I listened to the list of the names that were read and they omitted the chairman, which is myself.

“I know that I am not very big in frame, but I believe my name shouldn’t have been omitted. This shows clearly how the SGF and his minions in the presidency misinformed the president to sign this letter.

“Thirdly, I will state this clearly: This letter is a funeral service for the anti-corruption fight. Mr. President, when it comes to fighting corruption in the National Assembly, the judiciary and in the larger Nigeria society, the president uses insecticide, but when it comes to fighting corruption within the presidency, they use deodorant.

“I stand by the report of that committee and it was very clear to us. If we allow this committee’s report to be shredded into pieces, then l think it would be in order for us to open all the 138 prisons in this country for all the convicts and awaiting trial inmates to go scot free.

“As far as l am concerned, on behalf of myself and the committee, what we did was a thorough job. We invited all the companies concerned. We invited the SGF and he sent us the secretary of the Presidential Initiative on the North-east.

“The secretary testified under oath that he was competent enough to answer our questions. He came with tons and tons of documents which we went through and then we came out with our report.

“It is unfortunate that we have a political atmosphere where you have a saintly and angelic presidency and a devilish and evil society.

“We must in every respect fight corruption within the kitchen as we do in the verandah. If we don’t do that, then we are being hypocritical. This letter does not in any way reflect the spirit which we espoused as a people fighting to cleanse and fumigate this country of corruption,” Sani submitted.

In his letter, Buhari in his reaction to the Senate’s rejection of Magu as substantive EFCC chairman on December 15, 2016, said he had studied the resolution of the Senate and having listened to Magu’s response to the security report indicting him, he was satisfied with his response. He therefore implored the Senate to clear him.

“I have taken due note of the contents of the aforesaid resolution as it concerns the nominee, particularly the conclusion of the Distinguished Senate not to confirm the nomination of Mr. Magu due to a security report on the nominee issued by the Department of State Services (DSS) and addressed to the Senate via a letter dated 3rd October 2016.

“Upon receipt of this said resolution, I took administrative steps within the executive arm of government to ensure the speedy clarification of issues relied upon by the Senate in arriving at its decision.

“These steps included a request for the response of the nominee to the allegations contained in the report out of the desire to ensure that the credibility of our anti-corruption campaign is not compromised or called to question.

“As the Distinguished Senate, you will recall the prosecution of the anti-corruption war in all aspects of our polity is a programme to which my administration has committed itself since our inauguration on May 29th, 2015.

“In undertaking this campaign, we have been guided by the need for urgency, consolidation and improvement of our present statutory framework for addressing the scourge of corruption in our country as well as taking the benefits of institutional memory and present capacity in taking the campaign forward.

“It is in the above context you will agree with me that there’s a need to maintain the current momentum and capacity of the EFCC since May 29th, 2015. It is in the above context that I therefore request to crave your indulgence of this Distinguished Senate to favourably accept my re-nomination of Ibrahim Magu Mustapha for the position of the EFCC, having received adequate clarification considering the matter relied upon by the Senate in arriving at its decision.

“Mr. President of the Senate, I make this request for a favourable reconsideration by this distinguished chamber against the background of the critical role of the Senate in driving the anti-corruption campaign of the present administration through a proactive legislative agenda and adequate appropriation support for the important work of the agency such as the EFCC.

“I use this opportunity to reassure the distinguished senators of my determination to pursue a synergy between the executive and the legislative arms in our common mission to bequeath a more prosperous and value-driven country to the generation after us,” Buhari said.

On the SGF, he said he had also studied the Senate resolution on the report of the ad-hoc committee which indicted Lawal, describing it as hasty because it was an interim report.

According to him, the Senate should have waited for the final report of the committee before drawing its conclusions.

Buhari also said the report could not stand the test of time because it was only signed by three of the nine members of the committee which he said implied the support of a minority group in the committee for the report.

Buhari therefore told the Senate that in view of the flaws in the report, he could not honour their request for Lawal’s sack.

“Following a receipt of your letter, I setup a review team to consider the recommendations from the Senate committee. I have also conducted further investigations based on Engr. Lawal’s response to the allegations and issues raised in the Senate’s resolution.

“I have come to the following conclusion that I believe will guide the Senate in the proper review of its interim report and eventual resolution.

“The report forwarded to the presidency by the Senate which informed the decision that Engr. Babachir Lawal should resign and be prosecuted by the relevant authority was an interim report as against a final report which ought to have been presented to the Senate in the plenary for adoption as a binding and final report before submission to the presidency, given the weight of allegations made in the report.

“The Senate committee set up to investigate the mounting humanitarian crisis in the North-east comprised of nine members, namely: Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Mohammed Hassan, Senator Solomon Adeola, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Senator Theodore Orji, Senator Yahaya A. Abdullahi, Senator Mallam Aliu Wakili and Senator Issac M. Alfa.

“The review of the interim report showed that the interim report was only signed by only three out of the nine members, namely, Senator Solomon Adeola, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi and Senator Isaac M. Alfa

“The signing of the interim report by three out of nine members of the committee makes it a minority report of the Senate committee and not a committee report being an interim report, thus presenting a challenge for the presidency to determine the weight to attach to the report as currently presented.

“I have also observed that the Senate ad-hoc interim committee report and the votes and proceedings of the Senate have not in its own right established that Engr. Babachir Lawal was ever given an opportunity to appear before the committee and defend himself.

“It is also on record that the company linked to him, Rholavision Engineering Limited, was also not invited at anytime before the committee to defend itself against the allegations which eventually formed the fulcrum of the Senate’s case against the company.

“You are invited to note that the non-application of the principle of fair hearing by the Senate ad-hoc committee is a clear contravention of Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and against all principles of the rule of law as initiated in the Nigerian legal system, as well as the roles of the National Assembly committees on handling of public petitions.

“Consequently, I am of the view that baring other consideration that may arise as a result of subsequent investigation of Engr. Lawal by the interim ad-hoc committee, the current report as presented to the presidency in its own right, does not meet the principles of fair hearing and compliance with the Senate’s rules for conduct of investigations in matters relating to abuse of office by public officers.

“In replying to the foregoing, I am not able to approve the recommendation to remove and prosecute Engr. Lawal on the basis of the Senate ad-hoc committee report dated 15th December, 2016,” Buhari concluded.

AuroraB:
Na dem dey suffer am pass. I wasn't fooled like they were, that's something
And, ana'm aku oil, shaking adiro

AuroraB:
Will you be surprised to see them that day? Ever wondered where those 'empty-spaces' gleefully chanting his phantom precedents are? They've not only lost their voices but receiving the harsh end of their machinations, they've mingled with we the sane ones

idupaul:
I am really ashamed of myself I tell you . Buhari useless gan

The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, on Monday recommended death sentence for fake drug peddlers.

Obiano made the recommendation during the presentation ceremony of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation certificate to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, South-East zonal Laboratory at Agulu, Anambra State by the United States Pharmacopeia Convention.

He described the activities of fake drug peddlers as evil.

“It’s the worst criminal act to humanity. Fake drug is the worst crime anybody can commit. There is no need jailing such people; they should be killed”, the governor stated.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke, said the state was making efforts to partner the Federal Government to check the influx of fake drugs into the Onitsha Bridgehead market.

The governor said that to prevent the people of the state from falling prey to fake drug sellers, a health insurance scheme was being put in place to treat the people centrally.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, in his comment, paid tribute to the former Director- General of the NAFDAC, the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, for her achievement.

The minister also praised the husband of the late NAFDAC DG, Dr. Chike Akunyili, for encouraging his late wife to serve the country at various capacities.

He said, “I would want to recognise the presence of the husband of the late Prof. Akunyili. Today is a day for celebration for you. Akunyili’s name is immortal. Posterity will ever be grateful to her for what she did in this agency and for the country.”

The minister asked NAFDAC to continue to maintain standard that earned it the international certification.

He told the agency that it was easier to get the accreditation of the International Organisation for Standardisation/ International Electro-technical than to sustain it.

The minister assured manufacturers of pharmaceutical products in the country of government’s encouragement through favourable policies, especially in taxation.

In her welcome address, the Acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, noted that the process for the accreditation of the agency’s south-east zonal laboratory started in 2015 with assessment of facilities and personnel by a team of experts from the United States Pharmacopeia.

She said the accreditation, ”implies that the laboratory can undertake the testing of all classes of pharmaceutical products and raw materials .”

Another hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) may be imminent, as petroleum marketers have proposed a new pump price of N165 per litre for the product, saying that the subsisting price of N145 per litre is no longer sustainable due to the scarcity of foreign exchange to finance fuel importation.

They lamented that the current price is driving them out of business.

In a letter submitted by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to the chairman, House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on review of pump price of premium motor spirit, the marketers argued that in May 2016 when the price of petrol was reviewed from N97 to N145 per litre, the exchange rate was based on N285 to a dollar.

They noted that from June 2016 till date, the exchange rate had been fluctuating between N305 and N490 to a dollar, and argued that the cost of product with freight charges and other cost elements in the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) template will bring the landing cost to N145.09 per litre at the official rate of N305 per dollar, or N222.23 per litre using the parallel market rate of N490 to a dollar.

The marketers therefore proposed N165 per litre to cover the cost of forex required for products importation, as the free fall of the naira against the dollar is seriously impacting on the pump price.

They said: “The recent appreciation in the prices of crude oil at the global oil market is another argument favouring the upward review of PMS in Nigeria. The gradual increase in the global oil price impacts the pump price since most of the local consumption is imported. Crude oil is refined and imported to Nigeria from other countries, which made the business to be dollarised.

“However, the PPPRA keeps assuring the public that the existing price band of N135-N145 per litre was still okay and, therefore, no basis for increase in the pump price of PMS. The NNPC equally assured there is no immediate plan to increase the pump of price of petrol.

“As much as we are stared in the face with the above facts, we believe that this is not the right time to review the pricing template of PMS due to the following reason: the country is currently consuming about 40.32 million litres of petrol on a daily basis. Prior to now, marketers used to import 70 per cent of petrol while NNPC imported 30 per cent of the local needs. The major challenge now is that NNPC is the sole importer of petroleum products,” it said.

The marketers however acknowledged that the economy was biting hard on all Nigerians and that any attempt to further review the template will aggravate the suffering of ordinary Nigerians as the additional price will be transferred to the end users of the product and negate government’s effort to revert the present recession.

The marketers, however, stressed the need for all an all-embracing stakeholders’ forum to holistically look into the issues raised by all parties in order to find a solution to the challenges without hurting the masses.

In a related development, House of Representatives attributed the current pump price of petrol (N145) to “unnecessary charges” by the PPPRA.

The ad hoc committee on the review of the price of PMS at a public hearing yesterday, said the N145 per litre pump price was causing Nigerians “great pains and suffering.”

The legislators said for instance, 30 kobo, which was meant for “administrative charge”, was provided for in the 2016 budget but Nigerians still pay for it.

The lawmakers said there is also similar provision for such charges in the 2017 budget proposals.

According to the chairman of the committee, Nnanna Igbokwe, “In the 2017 budget, which is before us, PPPRA has a proposal of another N500 million for regulation, monitoring and supply of petrol. This budgetary provisions have already taken care of the purpose for which you charge 30 kobo on the template, yet Nigerians continue to bear the burden by paying N145 per litre.

“This has left Nigerians in a situation whereby they still pay for lightening services for smaller vessels that go to Cotonou or Lome to offload products from mother vessels. PPPRA will then add the cost to the pump price and ask Nigerians to pay.

“Can Nigerians be paying the cost of capital by importers and dealers? Can Nigerians be paying for lathering services when there are agencies whose duties are to dredge our sea? How effective and transparent is the bridging claims?”

Responding, exewcutive secretary of PPPRA, Victor Shidok, told the committee that the 30 kobo administrative charge was used for data capturing and monitoring of staff deployed to depots across the country.

Investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s oil industry waning – OPEC

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has warned the President Muhammadu Buhari administration against the declining confidence of investors in the country’s oil and gas industry, saying that if the administration fails to fix the problems in the sector, it will take the blame for any negative outcomes.

The oil cartel disclosed this in its bulletin for November-December 2016, in which it said that Nigeria needs to combat insecurity in the Niger Delta region and to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in order to lure waning investors.

“Nigeria’s action plan can convert the present challenge into an opportunity — failure to do so will be targeted at the President Buhari regime,” OPEC said.

The document stated that the country’s reforms, encapsulated in the ministry of petroleum’s ‘7 BigWins’ roadmap, are being greeted with mixed reactions from industry players.

“Operators are waiting to see how the road map will materialise and were unwilling to publicly comment on it,” OPEC said via the bulletin.

Industry expert reactions were mixed, with one senior banking source telling the OPEC Bulletin: ‘I do not believe the new road map (which is a rehash of previous ones) will make an iota of difference on the sector. It remains to be seen what, if anything, will actually be done by this government to improve the tragic situation in the Delta.’”

Josh Holland, senior energy analyst at IHS, said that the plan’s mere publication was a step in the right direction, as this showed transparency.

He demanded more details about structural changes in the hydrocarbons sector, particularly the NNPC; the government’s plans for forging a political consensus and overcoming vested interests to ensure that reform moves ahead, and Nigeria’s relative competitiveness compared to other oil and gas investment destinations.

OPEC noted that “investor confidence in the petroleum industry has fallen with the coalescence of insecurity in the Niger Delta, the delay to pass the PIB, and failure to meet contractual obligations in the services industry.

“A major reform of fiscal terms and effective institutional governance, the PIB has stalled in the legislative process for over seven years. A divergence of interests has derailed its passage: oil companies are opposed to fiscal terms, arguing they undermine investment plans, while the government has countered that the fiscal terms are competitive.”

Meanwhile, the minister of state for petroleum resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has urged International Oil Companies (IOCs) to invest in building refineries in the Nigeria.

Speaking at a presentation to top executives of ENI in Rome, Italy, yesterday, Dr. Kachikwu enjoined the group to move beyond just the business of crude exploration to firmly supporting the vision of enhancing local production of petroleum products in Nigeria by building refineries in the country.

He stated that the major plan of the federal government was to stop the importation of petroleum products in the long term, adding that it would be expedient that every IOC invest in building a refinery with a chain of distribution outlets.

Kachikwu further assured the IOCs that they could build the refineries and within a short period of time recoup their investment by direct sales model.

He gave a historical background of the challenges of the sector,stating that the investment is necessary now more than ever considering the fact that Nigeria’s refineries, which were built in the 1970s and 1980s, are presently working at sub-optimal levels and cannot sufficiently cater for local needs, hence the country is heavily dependent on product importation which creates instability in supply and price of products in the country.

According to a press statement signed by the director of press, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Idang Alibi, the meeting is in furtherance to the minister’s commitment to the full implementation of the 7BigWins, which is the roadmap that focuses on the short and medium term priorities to grow Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The meeting was rounded off with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the ENI and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), with ENI committing to the refurbishment of the Port Harcourt Refinery, building of Phase 2 of the Okpai Power Plant and further investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry worth several billions of dollars.

The statement noted that, in continuation of the ongoing investment drive in Italy, Kachikwu will be meeting the ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economic Development of Italy to formalise this new trend of cooperation between oil majors and Nigeria.

He will also meet with 10 other oil and gas companies in Italy to further expand the partnerships and investments in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, it added.