News
FG Withdraws N1.9trn From ECA To August Revenue Shortfall

R-L: Mrs. C.N. Nwokocha, Deputy Director Maritime Labour Department NIMASA, Mr. Peter Mgbemena representing the DG/CEO of NIMASA, Mr. Anthony Ogadi, Coordinator Eastern Zone of NIMASA and Mr. Charles Wame, MD Charkin Maritime & Offshore Training Centre at the celebration of the Day of the Seafarer organised by NIMASA in Calabar recently.
The Federal Government withdrew a total sum of N1.99trillion from the Excess Crude Account within the 2013 fiscal year, documents obtained from the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) have revealed.
The BOF in its 2013 consolidated budget implementation report jointly signed by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Director-General, BOF, Dr. Bright Okogu said the amount was used to settle various obligations of the Federal Government owing to its inability to meet revenue targets.
The withdrawals for 2013 are marginally lower than the N2.07trillion taken in the 2012 period by N800million or 3.86 per cent.
It said while N1.99trillion was the total outflows from the ECA, the government was able to ensure that within the 2013 period, the sum of N855.41million was transferred into the account.
However, the total inflow for 2013 was lower than the N2.30trillion received in 2012 by N1.29trillion or 56.19 per cent.
The report, a copy of which was obtained exclusively by our correspondent said, “The ECA was set up to serve as a stabilization and savings account. Inflows into the ECA in the fourth quarter of 2013 amounted to N156.03billion.
“The inflow into this account in the fourth quarter was lower than the N181.34billion and N474.8billion recorded in the third quarter of 2013 and fourth quarter of 2012 by N25.31billion and N318.77billion respectively.
“Similarly, the total inflow for 2013 was lower than the N2.30trillion received in 2012 by N1.297trillion (or 56.19 per cent).
“A total of N510.98billion was withdrawn from the account in the fourth quarter of 2013 to bring the cumulative drawdown from the account as at 31st December 2013 to N1.99trillion.
“The report said of the N1.99trillion withdrawn in 2013 from the ECA, the sum of N1.08trillion was used to augment statutory revenue to the three tiers of government, while N505billion was used to settle payment of petroleum product subsidy.
It added that the balance of N405.6billion was transferred into the special intervention fund.
Giving a breakdown of how the N1.08trillion revenue was augmented among the three tiers of government, the report said the sum of N485.02billion was withdrawn in the first quarter of 2013.
For the second, third and fourth quarters, the report put the augmentation made to the three tiers of government at N434.82billion, N12.02billion and N154.75billion in that order, respectively.
On how the payment for petroleum subsidy was made, it stated that N50billion was paid to oil marketers in the first quarter while second, third and fourth quarters had N110billion, N110billion and N235billion, respectively.
For transfers into the special intervention fund, the report said the sum of N71.1billion was moved into the account in the first quarter while N106.65billion, N106.65billion and N121.23billion were paid into the account in the second, third and fourth quarters in that order.
The nation experienced huge revenue shortfall within the 2013 fiscal year which saw the ECA experiencing massive withdrawals by the government in order to augment the depletion in revenue.
For instance, crude oil sales which accounts for about 90 per cent of government revenue recorded a decline of N1.43trillion of 33.69 per cent from N4.24trillion in 2012 to N2.81trillion in 2013.
Similarly, findings revealed that gas sales of N255.12billion and rent of N180million fell below their corresponding annual projections of N359.58billion and N880million by N104.46billion (29.05 per cent) and N0.70billion (or 79.67 per cent).
The drop in crude oil revenue, according to the BOF was due to massive crude oil theft, illegal bunkering pipeline vandalism which persisted during the period under review.
Similarly, the non oil revenue receipts recorded huge decline of N637.93billion (or 22.37 per cent) to N2.21trillion as at December 31, 2013, below the annual projected estimate of N2.85trillion.
For instance, Value Added Tax of N795.60billion, Company Income Tax of N985.52billion and Customs and Excise Duties of N432.64billion all fell short by N149.68billion (or 15.83 per cent), N6.52billion (or 0.66 per cent) and N360.31billion (or 45.44 per cent) when compared with their annual projections of N945.28billion, N992.04billion and N792.95billion.
News
Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit

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
News
Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis

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.
-
Sports5 days ago
NBBF Releases D’Tigress Provisional Roster
-
News5 days ago
Court Arraigns Rivers Traditional Ruler Over Impersonation, Other Charges
-
Niger Delta5 days ago
Monarch Hails Diri’s Developmental Strides … Alleges Neglect By Oil Firm
-
Politics5 days ago
Church Bans Political Speeches On Pulpits
-
Business5 days ago
Ministry, Firm Sign Pact To Boost Digital Trade
-
Sports5 days ago
Ajunwa Blames Poor Leadership For Athletes’ Exodus
-
Business5 days ago
FG Commits To Port Automation
-
Niger Delta5 days ago
PDP Chieftain Faults A’Ibom Gov’s Defection To APC