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State Of The Nation Bill Passes Second Reading
A bill seeking to provide a formal and mandatory platform where the President will present the account of his stewardship for public scrutiny passed second reading at the Senate.
The bill entitled; a Bill for an Act to Prescribe for An Annual State of the Nation Address and Other Matters Connected therewith, scaled its second reading in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who led the debate, said that democracy was not just about elections, irrespective of how free and fair they were.
Ekweremadu said beyond election was governance, the bill sought to uphold the right of the people to hold their President accountable, take stock of the nation and make governance more open and participatory.
He said that when the “State of the Nation Address Bill’’ became law, it would usher Nigeria into an old democratic convention in both advanced and fledgling democracies around the world.
“One of such is the United States of America which model we are copying and which has enjoyed the dividends of this address for over 220 years.
“The U.S Constitution in Article II, Section 3 provides that the president shall from time to time give to the congress information of the state of the union.
“It also provides that the president shall recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient,’’ he said.
He said that since the former US President, George Washington, delivered the first address on January 8, 1970; it had matured to a major international event which was watched live by millions around the world.
This, he said, was because it served as an opportunity for the president to account to the people through their representatives and unveil policy thrusts and other critical issues.
He also cited other countries where the state of the nation address was been practiced to include Russia, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mexico among others.
The deputy senate president said the world had embraced this value and Nigeria could not be odd, especially when it should be leading the way in democratic best practises in Africa and beyond.
Ekweremadu said the bill was not new to the Senate since he had sponsored it in the 6th Senate and it was passed by the National Assembly but unfortunately did not receive presidential accent.
He said the bill had to be reintroduced in the pursuit of what had become a democratic norm, especially the principles of accountability and transparency which were the fulcrum of democracy.
The deputy senate president explained that the bill was distinct from the Appropriation Bill and was in line with conventions in most democratic countries.
“One of the initial misconceptions about this bill is the wrong assumption that it is the same as the annual budget presentation hence that the budget presentation should suffice.
“For the avoidance of doubts, the budget presentation ritual is usually accompanied by a speech where Mr President throws light on the facts behind the figures, the policy thrust of government.
“The president also explains fiscal policies for driving such plans to realise government objectives, such annual speeches are at best a favour by Mr President to the National Assembly and Nigerians,’’ he said.
According to him, there is absolutely nothing in the 1999 Constitution that compels Mr President to present the budget himself or present a speech.
“Section 81(1) of the 1999 Constitution simply provides that the president shall cause to be prepared and laid before the National Assembly at any time in each financial year, estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the federation for the next financial year.’’
He said by this provision a president was at liberty to carry out the task by himself or delegate someone else to present the budget as was the case in 2008.
“This was exactly the case in November 2008 when the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Abba Aji, laid the budget on behalf of late President Musa Yar’Adua,’’
He said the cost implication of the bill would only involve recurrent expenses such as preparation of the address and fuelling the presidential fleet from the state house to the National Assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that a similar bill had been brought to the senate from the House of Representatives on Nov.22, 2012 for concurrence and had passed second reading after an extensive debate.
Based on this, there was no debate on the floor of the senate on this bill since it was agreed that it was similar to the earlier bill from the House of Representatives.
The Senate President, David Mark, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, for further legislative work.
The Committee is to submit its report to the senate within two weeks.
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.