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Jonathan Moves To Amend 2013 Budget …Allays Fears Of Diplomatic Row With US
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday requested the Senate to review some clauses in the 2013 Appropriation Act to ensure the ensure hitch free implementation of the budget.
However , the amendment being requested by Mr President is perceived as capable of springing up new issues between the Presidency and the lawmakers.
Mr President had observed that some clauses in the 2013 Appropriation Act are contradictory to the theory of seperation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature while some may delay the implementation of the budget , if left as it is.
Faulting the clauses, President Jonathan, in a letter to the National Assembly through the Senate President, David Mark and read at the plenary by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the day’s sitting, described the said clauses as injurious.
The letter entitled, “Submission of the 2013 Amendment Budget Proposal and the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Amendment Budget Proposal” reads in parts:
“Furthermore, the 2013 Appropriation Act includes clauses which may be injurious to the spirit of separation of powers, and which could hamper the work of the executive arm of government, I therefore request that these should be reviewed.
“The relevant clauses are Clause 6(ii) states that, the Accountant-General of the Federation shall forward to the National Assembly full details of funds released to the government agencies immediately such funds are released”, while Clause 9 states that “all accounting officers of ministries, parastatals and departments of government who control heads of expenditures shall upon the coming into effect of this Act, furnish the National Assembly, on quarterly basis, with detailed information on the Internally Generated Revenue of the agency in any form whatsoever. Both clauses run counter to the established chain of reporting.
“Clause 7 states that, “the minister of finance shall ensure that funds appropriated under this Act are released to the appropriate agencies and or organs of government as and when due provided that no fun ds for any quarter of the fiscal year shall be deferred without prior waiver from the National Assembly.”
“This requires the minister of finance to seek a waiver from the National Assembly each time the Ministry of Finance cannot make full funds releases to MDAs when due. As you are aware, the nation experiences a shortfall in revenue once in a while and if the minister seeks a waiver on each occasion, the practice would tie down budget implementation, as this would involve the minister writing a formal letter to the National Assembly to be presented in plenary and sent to the relevant committees for discussion. These would create delays and constraints on the budget implementation.
“Clause 10 states, “all revenue, however, described including all fees received, fines, grants, budgetary provisions and all internally and externally generated revenue shall not be spent by the Securities and Exchange Commission for recurrent or capital purposes or for any other matters, nor liabilities thereon incurred except with Prior Appropriation and Approval by the National Assembly.
“Considering the fact that the budget of SEC does not form part of the core 2013 Federal Budget as presented to the National Assembly, I believe that this clause ought not to have been inserted in the 2013 Appropriation Act in the first place.
“Secondly, the import of the clause is tantamount to shutting down the business of the commission with potential negative impact on the capital market.”
President Jonathan had stressed that the clauses, if not amended, could derail the work of the Executive arm of government.
He also noted that the clause, which provides that SEC budgetary allocations and revenue shall not be spent by the Securities and Exchange Commission except with prior appropriation by the National Assembly will only cripple the commission.
While it is expected that Mr President ‘s request may not go easy with the lawmakers , it could be confirmed that those clauses were articulated by the lawmakers to ensure closer grip on the budget implementation procedures and that Securities and Exchange Commission be tamed for once.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has dismissed the prospect of a diplomatic wrangling with the United States and other western nations over a controversial state pardon granted ex-corruption convicts last week.
Foreign Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, said on Monday that the amnesty granted by President Goodluck Jonathan will not strain bilateral relations between Nigeria and other countries, less than a day after America’s richest man, Bill Gates, pulled out from a planned anti-polio campaign in Nigeria.
The pardon of former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and former Managing Director of the defunct Bank of the North, Shettima Bulama, both jailed for huge fraud, has infuriated many Nigerians, and has drawn scathing criticisms from the US, which has warned of sanctions.
The US said it viewed the decision as a “setback in the fight against corruption”.
Federal Government rejected that assertion and immediately summoned the U.S Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy in Abuja, on Friday, in protest. The foreign ministry described the US remarks as “undue interference and meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of Nigeria’’.
The Federal Government on Monday played down the prospects of drawing severe consequences over its decision to free Messrs Alamieyeseigha and Bulama.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ashiru, gave the assurance while addressing newsmen on the sideline of the inauguration of newly-appointed Foreign Service Officers.
Ashiru said arising concern over the presidential decision, will be resolved, and denied the Jonathan administration was abdicating an already shaky anti-corruption campaign of his government.
“The misunderstanding would be resolved,’’ the minister said. “I can assure you that we will resolve the misunderstanding; the fight against corruption is ongoing and I believe we all have a part to play, the government and the people.’’
The minister had earlier charged the newly-appointed foreign affairs officers to have “a profound understanding and appreciation of Nigeria’s national interests’’ as they undertook tasks ahead of them.
He also urged the officers to promote and protect the interests of the country at all times.
He advised the officers to take advantage of the five-day induction course organized by the ministry, stressing that it would enable them to compete favourably globally.
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.