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Pass Anti-Terrorism Bill -Jonathan …Withdraws Mamman, Anka From INEC List
President Goodluck Jonathan has urged the Senate to pass the Anti-Terrorism Bill and Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill before the end of June.
In a letter dated April 29 and addressed to Senate President David Mark, Jonathan noted that the two bills were presented to the Senate in 2009 and were still awaiting consideration and passage.
He noted that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had identified strategic deficiencies in Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism regime.
The president said that the identified deficiencies included the absence of a comprehensive anti-terrorism law and the absence of standard provisions in the current anti-money laundering law in accordance with FATF Special Recommendations.
He said that the Inter Ministerial/Agency Team set up in October 2009 had since engaged the FATF Review Group and had submitted a National Work Plan to address the identified deficiencies.
“You may also wish to be informed that at the last face-to-face meeting with the FATF Regional Review Group in Bahrain in February, Nigeria made a commitment to the review process and guaranteed that the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill before the National Assembly would be passed on or before June 30, 2010, other things being equal,” he said.
Jonathan said that the FATF was determined to apply requisite sanctions if Nigeria showed no serious commitment to addressing the identified deficiencies.
The president noted the grave political and economic consequences of Nigeria being blacklisted again by the FATF if the deficiencies were not addressed.
He said that the consequences of Nigeria being blacklisted again would lead to international investors being scared to invest in Nigeria while “those willing to do will request for the most stringent conditions”.
“Some countries will not honour international financial instruments emanating from Nigeria, including Letters of Credit.
“Nigeria’s international image will be highly dented as a country without the political will to cooperate in the global war on terror.”
In a related development, President GoodLuck Jonathan has withdrawn the nomination of Major Gen. A.B Mamman (Rtd) (Zamfara ,North West) and Ambassador Mohammed Z. Anka (FCT, North Central) from the list of ten nominee- National Electoral Commissioners.
President Jonathan had in a letter dated June 17, 2010 to the Senate president, David Mark sought the indulgence of the senate to remove the two of them from the list earlier submitted to the upper chambers for confirmation.
According to Mr. President replacements for the duo will be forwarded to the Senate in due course.
Though no reason, by the letter was given by President Goodluck, a source close to the presidency has raised the issue of federal character ; the evident inbalance in the regional representation in the list as the major reason for the withdrawal of the two.
The list earlier sent to the Senate for confirmation of the Chairman and ten National Electoral Commissioners has Prof. Attahiru Mohammadu Jega as Chairman of the Commission (Kebbi- North West) ,Mrs Amina Bala Zakari, member(Jigawa – Nort West) and Ambassador Mohammed Z. Anka; member (Zamfara- Nort West).
Also in the list of members are Engr.(Dr) Nuru Yakubu (Yobe- North East), Col. M.K. Hammanga; (Adamawa- North East), Dr. Abdukadir Sulaiman Oniyangi (Kwara- North Central) and Major Gen. A.B. Mamman (FCT-North Central).
Others are Dame Gladys Nne Nwafor (Abia- South East), Mr Ismael Igbani (Rivers- South West), Mrs Thelma Iremiren (Delta- South South) and Prof. Lai Olurode (Osun- South West).
Briefing correspondents, the Senate’s spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze, said Mr President having sent them the list of nominees for confirmation, in accordance with section 154(1) and (3) of the 1999 constitution the Senate had considered this and resolved to screen the Chairman, Prof. Jega in a committee of the whole on live telecast instead of allowing the committee on INEC to do that and send them their report. This he, said will grant the entire the senate have the opportunity to ask the nominee as much question as possible while the live telecast , Wednesday will enable Nigerians have first hand view of the screening session.
Nneka Amaechi- Nnadi (Abuja)
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.