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Nigerian Bar Association [NBA} Heal Thyself!

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Nigerian Bar Association [NBA} Heal Thyself!

By Stephen Kola Balogun

Introduction
The legal profession is a noble profession. It has existed in various forms through the ages. It is arguably, the most prominent professional body in almost every country of the World, and in Nigeria, it is no different. The Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) is the professional body of many prominent Nigerians. It’s past Presidents include Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN, Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, the rather popular and much loved Chief Alao Aka Bashorun (all of blessed memory), Dame Priscilla Kuye, the only female President in the history of the NBA so far, but to mention a few.

The NBA has long been regarded as the custodian of the democratic process, and bastion of the rule of law. It is therefore, an indictment and a sad day for the Nigerian Bar if those expected to be the guardians of our civil rights, liberties and freedoms cannot be seen to conduct free and fair elections amongst themselves, or like the equally respected physician, heal the several electoral malpractices that have plagued the NBA in recent years.

Non-SAN and the NBA Presidency
This particular NBA election, was billed to be different. The vast majority of members of the outer Bar had expressed through different media outlets and forums, their displeasure and discontent with their more eminent colleagues who make up the inner Bar and have been elevated to the prestigious rank and title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. (SAN) It was generally thought that the Senior Advocate had not been pulling his weight in initiating much needed reforms within the profession, and that the lesser revered Lawyer who either practices law as a Solicitor or as General Practitioner within the reaches of the Outer Bar, should be given a chance.

Many Lawyers who wouldn’t otherwise bother to vote, at least going by past experience of NBA elections, went through a tedious process of verifying their credentials and registering for the elections which duly held on 29th through 30th July, 2020, only to be let down by the Electoral Committee of the NBA ( ECNBA) who failed in its duty to provide many Lawyers with a voting link. It is therefore, not only disappointing but a paradox, that the much sought after reforms have not only failed to materialise, but instead appear to have got worse even before the beginning of a new dawn.

Particular Flaws in the July 2020 NBA Election
Bearing in mind these allegations, can the NBA in all conscience, continue to project itself as a credible voice for the rule of law and a respected observer of National/ State legislative and gubernatorial elections?

The ECNBA struggled to conclude the verification exercise of the nearly 30,000 eligible voters captured on its final list, and left several unresolved issues before voting commenced. Some Lawyers wrote the NBA asking for a postponement of the election, arguing that certain fundamental aspects that ought to be addressed in advance of polling day, such as missing names on the voters lists; voter list verification; voters eligibility and transparency of the process, left a lot to be desired. They argued that these glitches could effect the credibility of the elections, and they have been proven right.

The disenfranchisement of any voter due to technical glitches, cannot be excused. A technical disenfranchisement is still a disenfranchisement, and the situation is further worsened with a perception that it was perhaps, a deliberate ploy to manipulate the election results in favour of particular candidates.

My position is perhaps, symbolic of many other disgruntled voters. I am a senior member of the Bar, and although I am not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria , like many other Lawyers of my ilk and standing, I was disenfranchised and so was my wife (a specialist Aviation Lawyer ) – we both had different candidates. She wanted to vote for Dr Ajibade, SAN, while I intended to vote for Mr Olumide Akpata who eventually won.

Notwithstanding this fact, I am disturbed by the entire election process. Even those in a minority and in the losing camp, must be allowed to participate in the election process and cast their votes. As Lawyers, our primary duty and role is to defend the rule of law. Unfortunately, the election process was visibly flawed, leaving many to question our integrity as a profession.

Other particular issues of concern, centred on how the election technology worked. There were also concerns, about whether the server could easily have been hacked. Concerns about the identity of the service providers, and how secure the NBA website and membership portals were. Many others found their names on the voting registers in obscure places of the country, where they had neither visited or practiced. The failure of the ECNBA to address these fundamental concerns before the elections, has resulted in a failed and botched election process which has severely undermined and eroded confidence in a profession already on trial in many other respects.

The Way Forward
What then is the solution? Can we redeem ourselves as a professional body, along with our dented image and pride ?
The declared winner of the NBA Presidential election, Olumide Akpata, now needs to show that he indeed, has the requisite leadership qualities. Justice as we often say, must not only be done, but must be perceived to be done, irrespective of whether or not there were wilful acts or omissions. You cannot conduct an election, by streaming live updates of votes being cast! It puts off the undecided voter. It could also lead to a band wagon effect in favour of the leading candidate at the time, with undecided voters possibly casting their votes in favour of the leading candidate. It’s not the same as exit polling, collated after an election has been declared closed.

Akpata needs to demonstrate why the NBA electorate seek change through him. He should rise to the occasion, and call for a rerun. Caesar’s wife, must appear to be above reproach. We must not allow others, to question our democratic process. We must encourage and breed confidence in our own democratic process, as a professional body. Akpata led throughout the day on polling day so he is unlikely to lose a rerun, but members of a professional body must not be disenfranchised. We must set the right example, for the rest of the country to copy and follow.

Conclusion
When a victor does a noble gesture, it carries weight and meaning. It shows that as a leader, he is more concerned about the integrity of the electoral process than just winning. It shows true leadership qualities. It shows a desire to unite various factions. Above all, it shows that the process was not all about him. Having said that, the other contestants should know what to do as well, if confronted with such a noble gesture. It is about the greater good of the profession. It’s about the NBA leading by example, and projecting themselves as such to the rest of the country. All things considering, I sincerely hope that we can revive the tenets of the profession which we love, cherish and honour. As for Olumide Akpata, I will stop short of congratulating him just yet, but when he is eventually sworn in as President of the NBA, I hope he will be able to leave a legacy and a system that works for all our members.

Stephen Kola Balogun, Lagos

Re: Gombe Area Court Law 2020: A Bold Step In Judicial Reform

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Re: Gombe Area Court Law 2020: A Bold Step In Judicial Reform

By Ahmad Abubakar Dubagari

My yesterdays editorial (available at https://thenigerialawyer.com/gombe-area-courts-law-2020-a-bold-step-in-judicial-reform/) although my ever shortest, but attracted a rich cornucopia of responses from bar, bench and general public. Some of the reponses wholeheartedly accepted our opinion, some accepted with some reservation and others rejected it in toto. There is no space to reproduce all of the responses here. So I will only respond to some issues which I considered ought to be addressed. On my table, I outlined three of them.

 1- Originality of the Bill

In the previous editorial, I have ascribed the then Bill (Now Law) to Hon. Ayala of Gombe State House of Assembly.  The honorable member upon seeing this, he immediately reached me and told me that he didn’t supponsor the Bill. Therefore, he didn’t kept mum and accept the credit of what he didn’t. I commend him on that. What made me to make such assertion was a misconception from me. I have heard the honourable member on air sometimes this year mentioning the Bill. Thus I thought it was his. I later learned that the Bill (now Law) was only committed to his committee on Judicial Matters as executive Bill No. GM/HA/06/01/12. I therefore apologized to the Executive, State House and my readers for this misconception.

2- Bias

I have also been accused of being biased and angled. “Much as I digested your write up on new area courts law, I find it angled, I don’t want to answer you on a public domain because I may be referred to as sided also because I happened to be an area court judge in Gombe.” This allegation came from one of the area court judges, who earned my so much  respect. Another senior lawyer in the state, have also disagreed with me over calling the judges ‘incompetents’ that lack ‘procedural knowledge’. However they agreed with me that there is so much abuse of power occasion from some of the lower court judges. Upon revisiting my statement, I also realized that, without intending to, I disproportionately and reluctantly generalized in calling them incompetent. While its undeniably some abuse powers given, it’s not for the writer to be so generic. There are many of them who have been there since before the writer was born. Some are qualified lawyers. As the writer quoted Holmes J in the previous editorial,  the learning of law has not alwas been logic but experience. There being in the system for this long period of time has equipped them with reasonable experience and qualification to make them ‘competent’. I felt that, when I rework the article in the future, I will correct this unintentional imbalance.

 3- Divestiture of Area Courts Criminal Jurisdiction

A group of area court judges have expressed to this writer that they were not wronged in any way by divestiture of criminal jurisdiction to area courts. However, one of them opined that “a lot need to be looked after for the law to pass the mark, if the law is meant to ease the wrongs alleged on the judges, then you are welcome to yet another marathon.” They further opined that, denying them to try even court contempt tend to downgrade courts of law to a mere market place, which lack decorum. They further reiterated that, this decision was not based on public policy.

A senior lawyer who have read the previous editorial has offered a brief but rich erudite submission on how to shape the area courts instead of completely divesting them the criminal jurisdiction at once. I found his opinion very welcoming. I therefore, decided to share it with you. Enjoy: “I know for sure that the Area Courts Judges in Gombe are fond of abusing their judicial powers and may be other states complain about the same. I was thinking that the new law should have been gradual, for example, that only Courts presided over by lawyers should exercise criminal jurisdiction even if they are Area Courts. This gradual approach would have given us the opportunity to examine the magistrates themselves. This is what is obtainable in the FCT and, in my view, is working well. Thank you.”

AHMAD ABUBAKAR DUBAGARI, IS AN ISLAMIC FINANCE ENTHUSIAST, WRITER AND POET, AUTHOR, WITH STRONG INTEREST IN CAPITAL MARKETS, ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, PROPERTY AND ISLAMIC COMMERCIAL LAWS. HE WRITES FROM AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LAW. HE HAS MANY PAPERS TO HIS CREDIT. HE COULD BE REACHED THROUGH HIS E-MAIL [email protected] OR HIS PHONE 0814 651 5644

COVID-19: Taxation Keeping Nigeria Afloat, Says FIRS

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COVID-19: Taxation Keeping Nigeria Afloat, Says FIRS

Tax revenues generated by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have kept the Nigerian economy going despite the ravages of the COVID-19.

Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Muhammad Nami, made this disclosure on Monday in Abuja during a live appearance on the popular morning show, Kaakaki, on Africa Independent Television (AIT).

According to him, “this belief that with oil money we are rich is false. What you see the federal, states and local governments sharing at the federation account meetings monthly comes from the taxes paid by Nigerians or body corporate.”

He added that “at the FAAC meeting in July, the total amount shared among the three tiers of government was N696 billion. From this amount 30% came from revenue generating-agencies like NNPC and Customs. The remaining 70% which is almost N500 billion, came from tax money that you paid, including stamp duty.”

“Without this money, there will be chaos everywhere. You are looking at issues relating to COVID-19 and the impact it is having on businesses today. People are actually losing jobs but it would be worse if taxes are not paid,” he said.

Consequently, Mr. Nami urged Nigerians and corporate bodies in the country to continue to pay their taxes as and when due.

The FIRS boss said: “nobody wants to pay tax but payment of tax is necessary. There is never a time that is appropriate for somebody to pay taxes. You can see it all over the world.

Mr. Nami stressed that there would never be a convenient time for citizens to pay their taxes, stating that bankable Nigerians have been paying stamp duty on their cheque books since the introduction of the stamp duty in 1939.

He disclosed that the renewed focus on stamp duty via the recent launch of an inter-ministerial committee on the recovery of stamp duty from 2016 till date has started to yield dividends,

His words: “before now remittance from stamp used to be an average of about ₦17 billion and ₦18 billion per year, Currently, it is in the region of ₦80 billion.

Nami disclosed that “a commercial bank which has not been remitting this stamp duty before now in the month of July alone remitted about ₦1.2 billion so we are not playing about it.”

“We know that oil revenue is not there. We know that we are in a serious economic crisis and the only way to ensure that Nigerians are happy with the government is to ensure that this money deducted from their hard-earned income but which is not remitted is remitted to government coffers.”

We’re Working To Ensure Nigerians Have Access To COVID-19 Vaccines – NCDC

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We’re Working To Ensure Nigerians Have Access To COVID-19 Vaccines – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says it is working hard to ensure that Nigerians have access to the coronavirus vaccines when available.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of NCDC, gave the assurance during the Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja.

Ihekweazu said that the centre was working with the global community to ensure this access.

He informed that data on research and development of a vaccine against COVID-19 by the global scientific community showed that results on a possible vaccine were expected in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The DG, while noting that a vaccine was the best weapon in taming the virus, however, stressed that equitable access was key.

He added that the health agency was working together with other colleagues around the continent, through the Africa CDC, to start advocating for some of the trials to be done with African institutions in the short term.

“To do this, we have to build capacity, gather sufficient data and include African institutions in these efforts.

“We have to start preparing Nigerian population for vaccine delivery when it becomes available.

“Access is a very key issue when it comes to vaccines; that a vaccine is developed do not necessarily translate to being available to those that need it the most.

“So, through the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is working with GAVI to ensure that vaccines are available to countries regardless of their ability to pay.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that GAVI is an international organisation – a global Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.

“It’s a work in progress and we are all working with Africa CDC and GAVI to ensure that when a vaccine becomes available, Nigeria’s can have access to it,’’ NCDC boss said.

He also said that it was important to involve the private sector and academia in vaccination manufacturing.

Ihekweazu hinted that the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) would lead the distribution and planning.

The DG pointed out that campaign to enlighten Nigerians on the benefit of the vaccine was important.

This, according to him, is because a small part of the population resisted vaccines for different reasons.

“So, the time to start the risk communication about the benefits of the vaccine is now.

“As soon as a vaccine becomes available, it’s our collective responsibility to prepare Nigerians for the implementation of the vaccination campaign for whatever form they take.

“So, it’s important that we start thinking about this,’’ the DG said.

Ihekweazu stressed that a vaccine was the biggest weapon to get the virus under control and by far the most important medical tool known in history.

“Vaccine development normally takes 10-20 years, but we’ve made incredible development in the last six months,’’ he said.

EFCC vs. Diezani & CBN’s GSI Policy

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EFCC vs. Diezani & CBN’s GSI Policy

By Abubakar D. Sani

Introduction

The charges reportedly filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke appear to be potentially undermined by their seeming inconsistency with certain provisions of the 1999 Constitution. This is because (if news reports of those alleged charges are to be believed), all but one of them might be problematic, necessitating – possibly – their re-think by the prosecution. I will presently elaborate, but first, a brief over-view of the charges.

According to media reports, the 13-count charge filed on the 14th day of November, 2018, accused the former Minister as follows:-

  • Count 1: That on the 20th day of November, 2011, she took possession of the sum of US$20 million dollars, allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended in 2012, and punishable under Section 15(3)
  • Count 2: That, sometime between February 2012 and June 2012, she took possession of US$17.5million, allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of the Money Laundering Act, as amended.
  • Count 3: That sometime in September 2013, she acquired a property in Banana Island, Lagos through a proxy, valued at US$37.5million, allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary and punishable under the same provisions of the same law as in Counts 1 and 2 above.
  • Count 4: That on or about the 4th day of June 2012, she took possession of the sum of N650million, which was allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the aforesaid provisions of the Money Laundering Act, as amended.
  • Count 5: That on or about the 4th day of June 2012, she acquired certain property in Abuja, through proxies, valued at N650million, which consideration was allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the self-same provisions of the same law as in the previous counts.
  • Count 6: That, sometime in May, 2012, she took possession of the sum of N937million, allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of the MLP Act, as amended.
  • Count 7: That sometime in May, 2012, she acquired certain properties in Yaba, Lagos, through proxies, valued at the sum of N973million, which sum was allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of the MLP Act.
  • Count 8: That sometime in May 2012 she allegedly took possession of the sum of N928million which was the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of the MLP Act, as amended, as the previous charges.
  • Count 9: That sometime in May 2012, she allegedly acquired certain landed properties in Port Harcourt, Rivers state with the sum of N928million which fund was the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of the MLP Act, as amended.
  • Count 10: That sometime January 2011, she took possession of the sum of N805million, allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of the MLP Act, as amended.
  • Count 11: That sometime in May 2012 she acquired certain landed properties in Ikoyi, Lagos, through proxies, valued at N805million.
  • Count 12: That, sometime between January 2011 and December 2011, she took possession of the sum of US$2.2million, allegedly the proceeds of corruption, contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of the MLP Act.
  • Count 13: That, sometime between January, 2011 and December, 2011, she acquired a certain landed property in Old Government Reservation Area, Port Harcourt, through proxies, with the sum of US$2.2million which was allegedly the proceeds of corruption contrary to and punishable under the same provisions of Sections 15(2)(d) and 15(3), respectively, of the MLP Act, as amended.

What About the Law?

Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act, as amended, which the former Minister is alleged to have contravened, provides as follows:

“Any person or body corporate, in or outside Nigeria, who directly or indirectly acquires, uses, retains or takes possession or control of any fund or property (which he/it) (knows) or reasonably ought to have known that such fund or property is or forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, commits an offence of money laundering under this Act”

Section 15(3) provides that the punishment for contravening the provisions of Section 15(2)(d) of the Act is imprisonment for not less than seven years, but not more than fourteen years.

Analysis

It can be seen that, with the exception of the 3rd Count, all the other twelve Counts in the indictment accuse Mrs. Madueke of committing the acts which allegedly constitute violations of the MLP Act between January 2011 and June 2012. The sole exceptions are the acts alleged in Count 3, which purportedly took place in September 2013. The legal implication of this will presently be explained.

Legal Status of the Charges

It is not only in movies that – as thespians say – timing is everything. It is even more so in relation to criminal indictments. In other words, the date when an offence was allegedly committed is crucial in determining the guilt or otherwise of the alleged culprit, having regard to the provisions of Section 36(8) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulate, inter alia, that: “No person shall be held to be guilty of a criminal offence on account of any act or omission that did not, at the time it took place, constitute such an offence”.

In the context of the charges against Mrs. Madueke, at the time she allegedly committed the acts alleged in all but the third count (between January, 2011 and June, 2012), the provisions of Section 15(2)(d) of the MLP Act which she allegedly contravened did not exist; they were not part of the extant MLP Act, 2011 that was in force at that time; rather, they were inserted in the amendment thereto, the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012, vide Section 9 thereof, which took effect on the 21st day of December, 2012.

CBN’s GSI Guidelines and Bank Debtors

The circular recently issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) permitting banks to set-off the credit balances of customers in any bank against any debts owed by such customers with other banks, (called Global Standing Instruction – GSI) appears to be long over-due, given its glaring benefits to the pervasive incidence of non-performing bank loans.

However, I believe that the initiative overlooks the implications of the legal relationship between a bank and its customer, which is contractual in nature. At the heart of the policy is the separate contractual relationship which exists between each bank (the lending bank and the setting-off bank) and the customer, inter se.

It is trite law that only parties to a contract are bound by it and no one may enforce it except the parties themselves. In the context of the GSI, this means that any undertaking which a customer gives to a bank to set off any debt due from him to that bank against any money which he may have in another bank, is legally unenforceable (through litigation, at least) against the second bank – unless that bank was a party to the undertaking ab initio.

The apparent answer to this might be that the debtor is estopped by his undertaking from resisting the set-off. However – just like contracts – estoppel applies only to parties or their privies. In my view, this excludes the second bank, because it is not the privy of the first bank.

The import of the foregoing is that the policy is fraught with serious questions over its legality: simply put, does it have the force of law? This question is pertinent because, Section 44 of the Constitution bans the compulsory acquisition of any kind of property “except in the manner and for the purposes prescribed by a law”. The apex bank has justified the policy on the strength of Section 2(d) of the CBN Act. However, this provision merely enjoins it “to promote a sound financial system” in Nigeria.

For two reasons, I believe it will be stretching its language too far to use it to legitimize the GIS policy. In the first place, it would be unfair to debts which are the subject of litigation or arbitration, because it would amount to foisting a fait accompli on the court or arbitral tribunal, as the case may be, for the supposed creditor-bank to unilaterally purport to set-off the alleged debtor’s funds with another bank against the disputed debt.

Secondly, and more importantly, it would render nugatory the aforesaid constitutional provision. This is because, to the extent that the policy (and the CBN’s Circular which proclaimed it) are not laws, they do not qualify for exemption from the aforesaid provisions of the Constitution. I believe this is particularly the case with bank debts which accrued prior to the commencement of the policy (on August 1st, 2020), even assuming the policy is a law. The well-entrenched judicial policy is not to construe any legislation which affects vested rights, retrospectively: see OJOKOLOBO vs. ALAMU (1987) 3 NWLR pt. 61 pg. 377 @ 396.

Abubakar D. Sani, Esq. Writes from Kano

MY REACTION TO THE THREAT BY A GROUP KNOWN AS “EGBE AMOFIN”

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MY REACTION TO THE THREAT BY A GROUP KNOWN AS “EGBE AMOFIN”

I read a press statement credited to a group known and referred to as Egbe Amofin, relating to the just concluded NBA Election in which an overwhelming majority of lawyers cutting across tribe and religion, voted independently for Olumide Akpata.

Let me begin by emphasising that the NBA Constitution does not recognise any such group as Egbe Amofin. It is an illegal organisation, not known to law or the NBA. NBA is an Association made up of individual members and only such individual members, who are financially responsible, are recognised by the NBA to raise such concerns.

Kindly ignore this group as they do not represent the views of majority of lawyers in Nigeria, who spoke loudly through their ballot.

In the new NBA, there is no Igbo Lawyers, Yoruba Lawyers, Hausa Lawyers, Idoma Lawyers, Igala Lawyers, Eastern Bar, Western Bar, Northern Bar etc, there is only one NBA for all. In this new NBA, individual lawyers from all over Nigeria, are the determinant of our leadership choice, not tribal groups or forums.

NBA was not established to create ethnic, tribal or religious sections within its fold. The old clueless leadership succeeded in splitting the Bar to satisfy their primordial interests. That era is gone.

Lawyers who are Igbos, Yoruba, Hausa, Efik, Ikwerre, Urhobo, Igala and many others, voted for Olumide Akpata to emerge as President of the Bar. Therefore, a selected group that could not even field a unanimous candidate in an Election cannot claim or pretend to be speaking for and on behalf of the very wise Yoruba lawyers that i know to be very independent in reasoning when it matters most as they just did in the just concluded election.

I am an Igbo man and i have never recognised or subscribed to what the Eastern Bar Forum does in respect of deciding my choices when it comes to election – i will never be subjected to such an arrangement.

I call on my good friends and brothers from the southwest, on whose behalf this groul claim yo be speaking, to individually dissociate themselves from the rebellious action of this group.

The Bar is bigger than anyone or group or cabal. We have taken back our Bar and no vested interest can scuttle that.

Is Egbe Amofin speaking for you?

Silas Joseph Onu
Convener, Open Bar Initiative.

COVID-19: N523m Spent On School Feeding Programme During Lockdown – Farouq

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COVID-19: N523m Spent On School Feeding Programme During Lockdown – Farouq

The Minister Of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq has said N523,273,800 was expended on school feeding programme during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The minister, who stated this at the Presidential Taskforce briefing on COVID-19 on Monday, said “In recent days, there have been rumours and innuendos and speculations around one of our key interventions; the Home Grown School Feeding Programme which was modified and implemented in three states following a March 29th Presidential directive.

” It is critical at this juncture to provide details that will help puncture the tissue of lies being peddled in the public space.

“The provision of Take-Home rations under the modified Home Grown School Feeding Programme was not a SOLE initiative of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

” The ministry in obeying the Presidential directive went into consultations with state governments through the State Governor’s Forum following which it was resolved that Take Home Rations remained the most viable option for feeding children during the lock down.

So, it was a joint resolution of the ministry and the state governments to give out Take Home Rations and the stakeholders also resolved that we would start with the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states as pilot cases.”

She further explained that “Each take home ration is valued at N4,200 and that figure was not arrived at without proper consultation. It was not invented.

“According to statistics from the NBS and CBN, a typical household in Nigeria has 5.6 to 6 members in its household, with 3 to 4 regarded as dependent and so each household is assumed to have 3 children.

“Now based on the original design of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme long before it was domiciled in the ministry, every child on the programme receives a meal a day. The meal costs N70 per child. When you take 20 school days per month it means a child eats food worth N1,400 per month. Three children would then eat food worth N4,200 per month. That was how we arrived at the cost of the Take Home Ration.

” The agreement was that the federal government will provide the funding while the states would implement and to ensure transparency in the process we partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) as Technical Partners while we invited the EFCC, CCB, ICPC, DSS and a host of NGOs to monitor the process. TrackaNG monitored and gave daily updates validating the programme.

” In the FCT 29,609 households were impacted; Lagos recorded 37,589 households while Ogun state was 60,391 households making a total of 124,589 households impacted between May 14, 2020 and July 6, 2020.

” If 14,589 households received take home rations valued at N4,200 the total figure will be N523,273,800.

“And note this was not spent daily. Abuja commenced first, followed by Lagos before Ogun state. It was not daily.”

Our Target Is To Reduce Mortality Of COVID-19 By 1% — Ehanire

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Our Target Is To Reduce Mortality Of COVID-19 By 1% — Ehanire

The Federal Government has disclosed that its target is to reduce COVID-19 mortality rate to one percent.

This is even as it has reiterated its warning that the virus will spread more to rural areas across the country.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, made this disclosure at Monday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja.

While urging Nigerians to be ready for the pandemic as the nation prepares to open its economy fully, the minister said that the FG’s objective was to reduce Nigeria’s COVID-19 fatality case to one per cent.

“Our objective is to reduce case fatalities to less than 1% from present 2%, and we are working on innovative interventions with prospects of improving survival chances, especially for the elderly and those with co-morbidities.

“We will work with State governments to prepare necessary space and human resources at General hospitals or PHCs, to be trained for setting up at least one sample collection site at every LGA in due course, with efficient sample retrieval logistics to convey samples to laboratories.

“For patients with significant clinical symptoms, we also plan the designation of Holding rooms at General hospitals, with facilities for oxygen administration, such as oxygen concentrators or from oxygen cylinders. Some investment in this strategy, known in Lagos State as oxygen kiosks, will be required, but the benefit, in lives saved, will be significant.

“All this may sound ambitious, but we must face the stark reality that covid-19 will also spread to small towns and rural areas, and so begin to prepare structures to respond to the challenge.”

He added “COVID-19 will also spread more to rural areas, and we should be ready for that.

“It is too early to read meanings to the COVID-19 data in Nigeria.

“The testing for COVID-19 increased by 40, 000 between June and July.

“Our health workers should not be apprehensive over PPE as the country has a reasonable stock.”

Ehanire, said: “As the course of the disease becomes clearer, experts are hazarding cautious guesses. The Director-General of WHO has warned, for example, that COVID-19 could be with us for a long time. This means we are to consider adjusting to what has been described as the “new normal”, a way of life that is intended to reduce risk of infection, while allowing meaningful economic life to resume and citizens to restore their livelihoods. There will be increase in travels, human interactions, gatherings. In all of this, we must not forget our safety and the measures to protect ourselves and out families.”

The minister also said that the testing for COVID-19 increased by 40, 000 between June and July.

This is even as he yoke health workers not to be apprehensive over PPE as the country has a reasonable stock.

He said that as at Monday, the country recorded 43,841 confirmed cases out of a total of 286,091 samples tested so far, while 20,308 persons have been treated and discharged. He 888 persons have sadly been lost as a result of the COVID-19. No meaning can be read into this as yet.

He said in comparison, the total number of positive covid-19 cases recorded in July was 17,457, out of a total of 154, 454 samples tested, with a positivity rate of 11.3%, as against the June 2020 figures of 19,149 positive cases from a total of 111,052 samples tested with a positivity rate of 17.2%.

The minister said: “Although it is far too early to draw conclusions, it is noteworthy that testing increased by over 40,000 in one month and the number of positive cases dropped by more than 2,000. But we must rest on our oars: it is just suggestive of the fact that our strategy is not failing, and we must continue to sustain efforts.”

APC To PDP: Account For $460m CCTV Project, $2bn China Loan

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APC To PDP: Account For $460m CCTV Project, $2bn China Loan

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to account for status of the failed $460 million Abuja Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) awarded by the immediate past PDP led administration in August 2010.

It also asked the opposition to account for the over $2billion China loan the administration took between 2010 and 2013 alone; $16billion spent on power; fuel subsidy rackets and counter-insurgency funds allegedly diverted.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had faulted the standard sovereign guarantee and sovereign immunity clause embedded in loan agreements with China to fund the ongoing national railway projects by the present administration.

The ruling party, in a statement on Monday in Abuja by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, described Atiku’s comment as “unresearched, unintelligent and pedestrian.”

The governing party noted: “As the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has explained the guarantee/clause in the loan deals is standard irrespective of the country granting the loan.

“Perhaps, Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could redirect their energies to explaining to Nigerians the status of the failed $460 million Abuja Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) awarded in August 2010 by the immediate-past PDP administration.

“Also, they should explain the over $2billion China loan the PDP administration took between 2010 and 2013 alone; $16billion spent on power with no electricity; fuel subsidy rackets; counter-insurgency funds that were diverted and shared to political cronies among other shocking heists.

“Recall that the failed CCTV installation project was initiated by late President Umaru Yar’Adua and awarded in August 2010 by former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to help security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory check the growing insecurity.

“Since the agreement became signed, Nigeria has been servicing this loan to China while Nigerians are yet to attest to the visibility of CCTV project and unable to explain the status of the video surveillance project. The matter is subject to a legislative probe.”

APC maintained the PDP “remains a corrupted and damaged product” and cautioned “Nigerians must continue to reject the party at all levels of government.

“In the area of fiscal discipline, prudence, curbing leakages, are we currently getting it right? An emphatic yes!

“Every kobo expended on infrastructure counts. Verifiable evidence abound in the fast expanding national railway projects, airport remodelling among other critical infrastructure projects being undertaken by the President Muhammadu Buhari government.

“The days of phoney contracts as institutionalised by successive PDP administrations are fast fading.”

Illegal Detention: Businessman Sues Lai Mohammed, IG, Others For N500m

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Illegal Detention: Businessman Sues Lai Mohammed, IG, Others For N500m

An Aba, Abia State-based businessman, Mr. Bright Chinyere Anaga, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to compel the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, Commissioner of Police, Federal Investigation Bureau and two others identified as Prince Jeff of the Federal Investigation Bureau and Superintendent Alhassan Emmanuel to pay him the sum of N500 million over illegal arrest and detention.

In the fundamental rights enforcement suit before Justice A.R. Mohammed, lawyers to the businessman, E.H Ugochukwu Chambers also asked the Court to order his unconditional release from detention or grant him bail pending when a formal charge is filed against him.

In the application filed before the court, the businessman alleged that he was arrested by agents of the IGP under instructions from the Minister of Information and Culture on Saturday, May 2 in Aba, Abia State and he has been in detention since then without being informed of his offence, charged to court or granted bail.

In an affidavit he signed and deposed, one Mr. John Okorie, the applicant’s brother, said Anaga has suffered untold hardship at the hands of the respondents as a result of the unlawful incarceration.

He also swore that he (Bright) did not commit any offence and will not commit any offense if his application for freedom is granted.

Counsels for the applicant led by Ugochukwu Ezekiel Esq. in a written address in support of the application stated that the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Bright Anaga is a violation of his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement as enshrined in section 35, 36, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

The suit is scheduled for hearing on Thursday.

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