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A 19 Billion Naira Payment by The Budget Office Is to Be Investigated by The Senate

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THE SENATE ON TUESDAY COMMENCED INVESTIGATION INTO AN ALLEGED ILLEGAL PAYMENT OF N19BN

The senate on Tuesday commenced investigation into an alleged illegal payment of n19bn to four federal agencies, by the budget office.

Officials of the budget office did not appear before the senate public accounts committee.

Spac, relying on the 2016 report of the auditor general for the federation, alleged that the n19bn was paid to four agencies, through verbal directive by the director general of the budget office in 2015.

The chairman of the senate panel, matthew urhoghide, explained that the budget office was supposed to be number one on the list of the agencies expected to respond to the auditor general’s query, but failed to appear on Tuesday.

However, the budget office, in a written response to the query of the auditor-general, said, “the details of the MDAS under reference have not been provided to enable us to respond appropriately.”

The AUGF in the 2016 report said, “four MDAS were paid the sum of n19bn from the service wide vote without the approval of the honorable minister of finance.

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In conclusion the senate added that the director-general should provide evidence of approval from the ministry of finance for the expenditures or recover n19bn from benefiting MDAS.

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Customs Corner

CGC Joins Ministers, NRC Boss for Strategic Meeting to Improve Port Efficiency

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Author: Muhammad Bashir.

The Nigeria Customs Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, has, on Monday, January 15, 2024, in Abuja, spearheaded efforts to revolutionize the nation’s maritime sector.

Notable attendees at the meeting included Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola; Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria – who also joined virtually.

In a joint press statement, signed on Monday, January 15, 2024, by CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ismail Omipidan, Media Aide to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, revealed a significant step towards a more streamlined and technology-driven maritime future for Nigeria.

According to the statement, the focal point of discussion centered around leveraging Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology (NIIT) to enhance operational efficiency within Nigerian seaports.

Some critical resolutions that emerged from the strategic meeting aimed at reshaping the landscape of trade facilitation and port operations.

The statement said part of the critical resolutions made during the meeting include recognizing the crucial role of Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology (NIIT) in alleviating port congestion.

The meeting, however, mandated the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, to prioritize cargo scanning over traditional physical examination methods.

As for the repair and optimization of scanners, immediate actions were reported to have been endorsed to rectify and optimize existing scanners at major ports such as Apapa, Tincan Island, Onne, and PTML – while also deploying mobile scanners to expedite cargo inspections.

On the part of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the statement showed that the NRC had pledged ongoing commitment to freight cargoes to Inland container depots/dry ports, aiming to reduce congestion at major ports.

NRC’s prompt plans, according to the statement, were unveiled for efficient container evacuation from Port Harcourt to Aba while also envisaging substantial future extensions for Onne Port.

Deliberating on ‘Bypassing Fixed Scanner during Rail Track Construction,’ which aims to ensure smooth scanning processes during vital infrastructure development, the NRC agreed on a pragmatic approach, bypassing the fixed scanner at Apapa amid rail track construction.

It says, “This collaborative model aims to sustain efficiency and innovation in cargo inspection processes and will also address ‘Public-Private Partnerships for Scanning Installation and Maintenance’ to oversee the installation and maintenance of scanning technology.

The anticipated implementation of the resolutions is poised to positively impact port decongestion, trade facilitation, and overall operational efficiency and competitiveness.

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Newsroom

Electoral Act: Court orders Malami to delete Section 84(12)

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Electoral Act: Court orders Malami to delete Section 84(12)

Author: Eunice Johnson

The Abia State division of the Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia on Friday ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami to delete Section 84 (12) of the amended Electoral Act without delay.

Justice Evelyn Anyadike ordered Malami to delete the section of the Electoral Amendment Act “forthwith” because it’s unconstitutional.

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In her judgment, Justice Anyadike held that the section was “unconstitutional, invalid, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever and ought to be struck down as it cannot stand when it is in violation of the clear provisions of the Constitution.”

 

The section says: “No political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election”.

Read Also: FG Will Ensure Recovered Assets Benefit all Nigerians says Malami

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Education

Reps Urge States to Implement UBEC, Child’s Right Acts

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Reps Urge States to Implement UBEC, Child’s Right Acts

The House of Representatives has urged the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to implement the provisions of the Universal Basic Education Commission Act, 2004 and the Child’s Right Act, 2003.

The House urged the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the UBEC Act and the Child’s Right Act in the territory, while urging the UBEC to liaise with state governments, which had adopted the Child’s Right and the UBEC Acts for the enforcement of the laws.
The motion, which was moved by a member of the House, Bamidele Salam, at the plenary on Thursday, was titled, ‘Need to reinforce the provisions of the compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004 in the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country’.

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Salam made reference to a report by the Federal Ministry of Education in 2021, which stated that the estimated number of out-of-school children in Nigeria was 10.1 million, while the United Nations Children’s Fund put the number at 13.2 million.

The lawmaker said the figure appeared to be on the increase as the ministry had stated that there had been an increase of more than three million in the figure from 2020.
“The House is worried about the report from UNICEF that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa and in the world,” he stated.
While citing Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution, Salam stated that Section 15 of the Child’s Right Act provided that every child had the right to free, compulsory and universal basic education, and it shall be the duty of the government in Nigeria to provide such education.

According to him, the section provides that every parent or guardian shall ensure that his or her child or ward attends and completes primary and junior secondary school education, while any parent who fails in this duty commits a punishable offence.

He noted that 27 out of the 36 states in Nigeria had adopted and domesticated the Child’s Right Act.
Salam also cited Section 2 of the UBEC Act, which provides that every government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary, and that every parent shall ensure that his or her child or ward attends and completes primary and junior secondary school education.
The lawmaker further stressed that Section 2(3) of the Act compelled stakeholders in education in a Local Government Area to enforce the provisions of the section, thus ensuring that every parent or person who had the care and custody of a child sent such child for primary and junior secondary school education.

Salam stated, “The House is concerned that the provisions of the UBEC Act and Child’s Rights Act are not being implemented, considering the statistics of the out-of-school children in Nigeria and the presence of children on the streets hawking, begging and undertaking all other activities during school hours in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The House is also concerned that the neglect of children puts their future and the future of Nigeria in jeopardy, as they are exposed to getting recruited into kidnapping and robbery gangs, drugs and other crimes.

“The House is worried that the number of out-of-school children in the country is on a rapid increase and no arrest of defaulting parents or guardians are being made.”

Read Also: FCTA to Vaccinate over one Million Children against Polio

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