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Outrage as UK-based driver remains on FG payroll

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Outrage as UK-based driver remains on FG payroll

There was outrage on Sunday over a United Kingdom-based taxi driver, who remained on the Federal Government’s payroll despite migrating to the UK in 2022.

Civil society organisations who spoke to The According on Sunday said the report was an indication of how deeply-rooted corruption was in the Nigerian civil service.

President Bola Tinubu had last week ordered a crackdown on civil servants who were still collecting salaries despite migrating abroad.

“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected,” he said.

The BBC had on Sunday reported that a 36-year-old Nigerian civil servant, referred to as Sabitu Adams (not real name),  who moved to the United Kingdom in 2022,  was still collecting the salary of a civil servant.

‘Collecting N150,000 monthly’

According to the report, despite working as a taxi driver in the UK, Adams disclosed to the BBC that he continues to receive N150,000 monthly from the government job in Nigeria due to an understanding with his boss.

 He said, “When I heard about the President’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried.”

Adams said he thought he would probably return after spending some years abroad when asked why he refused to resign from his position after relocating to the UK.

“To be honest, I didn’t resign because I wanted to leave that door open in case I choose to go back to my job after a few years,” he said.

Corrupt civil service

Commenting on the case of the UK-based driver, civil society organisation emphasised the need for stringent measures to restore accountability and effectiveness within the civil service.

They called for the prosecution of those involved in unauthorised salary payments and urged the government to take decisive action to address this corruption.

The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa, raised alarm over the pervasive corruption and lack of accountability within Nigeria’s civil service.

Musa stated, “I think the lack of accountability in governance is the crux of the matter because if people who are not supposed to collect salaries are still collecting, it can mean that some people are coordinating to short-change the nation.

“This can only happen because of the bastardisation of the civil service system. Everything is corrupted. A lot of people are getting these salaries and allowances without appearing in the office. I think corruption has undermined the effectiveness of the civil service in Nigeria,” he said.

Musa called for a comprehensive audit of workers and urged that those involved in these corrupt practices be held accountable.

On his part, the Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, criticised the dereliction of duty by civil service leaders.

He stated, “It is an admission of dereliction of duty and it is enough for the Head of the Civil Service to be fired because it is her job to ensure that every civil servant is at his duty post at every particular time.

“They should supervise the supervisors, oversee the functioning of each officer, and render a performance index at the end of every day. The buck stops on her desk.”

Adeniran also called for accountability from the heads of agencies, departments, and key officials like the accountant general and auditor general. He stressed the importance of maintaining attendance registers and job performance records as references for salary processing.

He also said those who aided such practices should be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission for proper investigation and prosecution.

Also, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onwubiko, emphasised the need for consequences for those responsible.

He asked, “What is going to happen to the person that allowed it to happen? That is what the government should be asking. Extend it to those who benefited initially from the funds. If it is the Head of Service, the person should be dismissed. If the person is no longer in service, then appropriate actions must be taken.”

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Okechukwu Nwagunma, said the practice was unacceptable within the public service.

He stated, “If any public servant needs to travel out of Nigeria and stay away from work, there must be a permit.”

Biodun Sowunmi of the Think Tank Group, a democratic institute dedicated to ensuring the stability of democracy in Nigeria, attributed the situation to a total system breakdown.

Sowunmi urged the government to take decisive action to identify and punish those responsible for exploiting the country’s resources by taking advantage of the porous system.

 He said, “We now have a situation whereby we have workers both in the state and federal civil service, but in reality, some of them are based abroad. Either they went for a quick job or they relocated abroad without their salaries being discontinued. This is a mark of corruption within the system.

“The new payment system introduced by the Federal Government was meant to address this. What is happening now shows the weakness in the system. It has not been able to stop the milking of the resources of the country by those who have migrated.

 “It is not only these people who should be made to pay back but also those who are authorising the payment at the departmental level should also be made to face the music. How could they have been collecting salaries for a year and more without anybody not knowing?

 “Whoever is in charge of certifying the payment of workers should also be culpable. All of those within the service who collaborated with these people should be prosecuted. The government should go all out to fish them out; otherwise, those conspiring to cheat the country would not desist from doing so.”

 Also, the President of the Centre for Human and Social Economic Rights, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said individuals would keep exploiting resources as long as anti-corruption agencies remained selective in their efforts to combat the corruption crisis in the country.

 He noted, “That is what we are saying about how corruption has eaten deep into our policies, and the so-called anti-graft agencies are experts in selectiveness in the fight against corruption.

 “It is obvious that the EFCC and ICPC only go after those that don’t play ball or have a godfather because it’s only when the person involved is not among the untouchables. First, the person who is paying must know about it. Secondly, the ministry or MDAs he belongs to must be questioned.”

Japa syndrome

Supporting others, the Executive Director of Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative, Olusegun Elemo, highlighted that the japa syndrome was not limited to the federal level but affected various states and agencies.

“It is not particular to the Federal Government. I think there are multiple cases across different states of the federation and multiple agencies of government whether at the federal or state level.

“We cannot shy away from the Japa syndrome. It is affecting everybody and there are many young people in civil service as well,” Elemo remarked, stressing the need for comprehensive reforms.

He proposed that both federal and state governments, along with local authorities, should undertake thorough payroll audits.

These audits, he argued, are essential to identify discrepancies and ensure that public funds are properly managed.

Furthermore, Elemo suggested implementing performance assessments to evaluate the contributions of government personnel. This, he believed, would enhance productivity and accountability within the civil service.

“What the government needs to do; not just the federal government now but even the state government and local government, they need to conduct a payroll audit.

“Also, they can do some sort of performance assessment of the personnel that each of these charters of governments have to see who and who has been contributing to the pool of performance,” he said.

The issue of ghost workers in the federal civil service has been a persistent problem, with several notable cases highlighting the extent of the issue.

 In June 2022, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms announced that the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System had identified and removed approximately 70,000 ghost workers, saving the government at least N220 billion.

In July 2020, the Ministry of Finance announced that it had identified over 50,000 ghost workers on the payroll of various federal ministries, departments, and agencies.

Also in 2018, the Federal Government found that there were ghost workers among the beneficiaries of the N-Power scheme, a social investment programme aimed at employing young Nigerians.

The discovery was made through the use of the Bank Verification Number system, which helped identify multiple accounts linked to a single individual.

The government uncovered an additional 11,000 ghost workers during an audit of its payroll system in May 2017. The effort was part of a continued crackdown on corruption and inefficiencies within the civil service. The audit was conducted using biometric data and other verification methods.

In March 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration discovered over 23,000 ghost workers on the federal payroll. The removal of the ghost workers reportedly saved the government about N2.29 billion monthly.

Senate resumes probe as AGF submits N30tn loan documents

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Senate resumes probe as AGF submits N30tn loan documents

The Senate panel probing the N30tn Ways and Means loans secured from the Godwin Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria by the Federal Government has received more documents from the Office of the Accountant General, The According has learnt.

As a result, the panel is set to resume physical sitting after studying the documents.

The panel had written to the OAGF seeking additional documents to deepen its prone of the controversial N30tn loan obtained by the President Muhammadu-led administration.

However, multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter on Sunday, confirmed that the documents arrived at the National Assembly on Thursday.

“The documents from the Office of the Accountant General regarding the probe of the N30tn Ways and Means came on Thursday; the documents have been given to the chairman and the members of the panel,” one of the Senate sources told our correspondent.

Also confirming the development, the Chairman of the Panel, senator Isah Jibrin ( APC, Kogi East), said the AGF had sent the documents to the National Assembly.

He said, “ Yes, the documents have come from the AGF and have been distributed to all panel members. At the moment, we are all studying it and once that is concluded we will resume physical meetings hopefully by next week.”

He added, “Nigerians can be assured that we will ensure due diligence and see that we do not let them down.  Like I earlier said, we had never stopped working on the probe, we just needed more documents and now that we have them, nothing can hold us back.”

 On Tuesday, February 20, the Senate resolved to investigate the N30tn loan, citing that the alleged reckless spending of the overdraft from the CBN largely contributed to the current food and security crises in the country.

After its inauguration, the panel identified 13 infractions allegedly committed in the process of obtaining the loan from the CBN.

However, a media Report (Not According) had said that the committee had gone into limbo after finding out that the Ways and Means loans approved under Emefiele were about N7tn and not N30tn as claimed by the Senate.

Responding to the media report,  Jibrin clarified that the figures under investigation were not in dispute.

Showing proof of the letter sent to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Jibrin had said, “We have not gone into limbo; we only needed additional documents from the Accountant-General’s office to continue the interface. The amount under probe is N30tn. I don’t know why people are spreading falsehood to achieve a selfish purpose.”

The letter dated June 19, 2024, and signed by Jibrin was titled: ‘Request for Submission of Additional Information’.

The According reports that during the Ninth Assembly, President Buhari, in a letter dated December 20, 2022, requested the restructuring of the accumulated N22.7 tn Ways and Means loans, alongside an additional N1 trillion primarily for funding the N819.5bn 2022 supplementary budget, totalling N23.7tn.

In his request, President Buhari explained, “The Ways and Means are advances from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the federal government for emergency funding due to delayed fiscal deficits. As of December 19, 2022, the balance of Ways and Means was N22.7tn.

“I have approved the securitisation of these balances under the following terms: Amount, N23.7tn; Tenure, 40 years; Moratorium on principal repayment, three years; Interest rate, 9 per cent. Your concurrence and approval are sought to allow for the implementation of the same.”

After the Ahmad-Lawan-led Ninth Senate passed the N23.7 trillion, the Tenth Senate, on December 30, 2023, also approved for President Bola Tinubu, the securitization of the outstanding debit balance of N7.3tn of the Ways and Means Advance in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government.

How I lost N30m truck to Ogun fire incident – Bizman

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How I lost N30m truck to Ogun fire incident – Bizman

A businessman, Mike Chuks, has said he lost a truck worth N30m used for business purposes to a late-night Saturday fire that burnt the Obasanjo Trailer Park in Ogere, Remo-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Chuks, in an interview with According Metro at the scene of the fire on Sunday, disclosed that the absence of firefighters to curtail the fire led to his truck getting burnt.

According Online reported on Sunday that one tanker and several makeshift shops were destroyed in the fire incident.

Our correspondent, who visited the scene on Sunday, gathered that the fire started at about 11 pm on Saturday.

The fire was said to have emanated from one of the shops before gutting the truck that was under repair at the park.

An eyewitness who identified himself simply as Musa told our correspondent that the combined efforts of occupants of the park brought the fire under control.

He said, “The fire started about 11 pm when we were already sleeping. I heard a loud blast, and before we realised what was happening, there was a fire.

“People around used buckets to fetch water from the gutter to quench the fire because there were no firefighters nearby.”

Musa added that efforts to get the state fire service to put the fire under control were unsuccessful as there were none within the area.

Narrating his loss, Chuks disclosed that he had brought the truck to the park for minor repair, after which he received a call from one of his boys who informed him about the incident.

He added that he was informed that the fire emanated from a nearby makeshift shop close to where his truck was parked.

“I lost my Aero 5 truck to the fire incident. I learnt that the fire caught one of the shops and extended to my truck. The truck is worth N30m. Two trucks were affected, but it was mine that got burnt completely.

“This incident will affect my business. I don’t know what to say and I’ve left everything in God’s hands. I am hoping I will get the necessary help to recover from this loss.

“There were no firefighters on the ground to curtail the fire incident, which could have prevented my truck from burning,” he said.

When contacted, the Director of the Ogun State Fire Service, Fatai Adefala, told our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Sunday that the fire service was aware of the incident and that firefighters were mobilised to the scene.

He, however, said further details were yet to be available.

“I know they went there at that time, but I couldn’t get further information because I am down.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, noted that injured persons at the scene of the incident were taken to Victory Hospital in Ogere while the fire was brought under control through a combined effort of members of the community, TRACE, and the police.

“According to an eyewitness, the injured persons had been taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere, by their family. TRACE operatives went to the hospital to confirm the numbers and sympathise with the injured, but were told that the victims had been discharged,” Akinbiyi added.

Toyota to launch three electric vehicles in Nigeria

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Toyota to launch three electric vehicles in Nigeria

Toyota Nigeria Limited has announced plans to roll out three electric vehicles in the country in the next three years as part of its support for the government’s green deal initiative.

Managing Director of TNL, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, disclosed this on Friday while speaking with journalists at the maiden edition of the Toyota Motor Show organised by the TNL.

He gave the Toyota hybrid electric vehicles coming to Nigeria soon as the Toyota Cross, RAV4 and Land Cruiser Prado.

Ade-Ojo said, “By the end of this year, we’ll be introducing our first hybrid electric vehicle, Toyota Cross. Next year, we’ll introduce the RAV4 hybrid. And late next year or early 2026, we would be bringing in the Land Cruiser Prado hybrid,” he stated.

He also said TNL would be lending its big network of workshops to support the Federal Government’s campaign for the use of Compressed Natural Gas-powered vehicles through conversion.

“We are almost concluding arrangements with different partners to use our network of workshops for vehicle conversion to CNG-powered,” he said.

The TNL MD recalled that Nigeria sold about 10,000 new vehicles last year, with Toyota recording about 1,500 units.

He said that about 15,000 new vehicles were projected to be sold in Nigeria this year, adding that Toyota was on course to double its last year’s performance.

The exclusive motor show came with a number of activities such as a vehicle display, two new Toyota product launches, special after-sale packages, test drives, and, engaging interactions.

The three-day event (June 27-29) was held in Lekki, under a setting and ambiance akin to international auto fairs in Europe and America.

The cozy roomy space also accommodated the Body and Paint Section, the Spare Parts cubicle and the Service area.

Outside the hall but within the event centre fully decorated for the Toyota show was an international test-drive arena for customers willing to have a feel of any of the cars.

Apart from the TNL MD Ade-Ojo, other executives  of TNL were on the ground giving details of each of the vehicles displayed as well as after-sales advisory.

Ade-Ojo personally took corporate customers including top government officials, influential chief executive officers of major companies on a tour of the different sections.

Speaking with journalists earlier, he said, “This show is for all Toyota customers and other Nigerians interested in buying Toyota vehicles.

“While we’re still participating in other shows, this solo Toyota Motor Show will enable us to concentrate on our customers’ needs, giving them a view of our range of vehicles and letting them to know other things we can do for them in terms of after-sale service, spare parts availability and body and paint as well as other value-adding services.”

The show, he said, afforded the TNL team an opportunity to “have one-on-one interaction with our customers without any distraction; free diagnosis on customers’ vehicles and a test drive, all taking place in a quiet and comfortable environment.”

Ade-Ojo who also had a parley with the CEOs expressed satisfaction with the attendance and the outcome of the event.

He said, “It was a wonderful outing. Everybody enjoyed the ability to come and have a one-on-one interaction with our team.

“The after-sale area is one sector that has been of major interest to customers who have been coming. The free diagnosis has been well received.” The two models unveiled at the show are Belta and Rumion.

Man United offer Hojlund plus cash for Osimhen

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Man United offer Hojlund plus cash for Osimhen

Manchester United are keen on signing Victor Osimhen with the Red Devils reportedly plotting a player plus cash deal to sign the 25-year-old Napoli striker.

The Nigerian has been linked with clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG but a report from CalcioNapoli24 states that United are very much in the race as well.

According to the report, the Red Devils have offered cash plus striker Rasmus Hojlund in a deal for the Napoli man, and it will be interesting to see if the Italian giants are willing to accept such an offer.

Hojlund joined United last season and was quite impressive in his debut campaign in England. It would be quite surprising if they decided to sanction his departure. The Denmark international is a prodigious talent with a bright future, and he could develop into a key player for the club.

Napoli are prepared to cash in on Osimhen this summer despite being their leading top scorer for the past two seasons, including the Scudetto-winning 2022/23 campaign.

Having proven himself in Italian football, he could look to test himself at another league with the Premier League touted as his next destination.

After signing a contract extension with Napoli, the Nigerian’s release clause was pegged between €120m and €130m but that amount has been a problem for suitors, forcing the club to reduce Osimhen’s asking price to €100m.

Napoli have been anticipating offers from the likes of Chelsea, United and PSG, but according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, no official approach has been made.

The club also refused an offer of more than €200m for Osimhen from a team in Saudi Arabia last summer.

Osimhen was signed from Lille in 2020 for a fee of around €75m and the Nigeria international has gone on to establish himself as one of the most exciting strikers in world football.

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Hungry players helped El-Kanemi, says coach Zubairu

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Hungry players helped El-Kanemi, says coach Zubairu

Head coach of El-Kanemi Warriors Aliyu Zubairu has credited the team’s triumph in the 2024 President Federation Cup to the zeal and hunger of his youthful side, According Sports Extra reports.

The Maiduguri side won their third Federation Cup title on Saturday by outclassing Abia Warriors 2-0 in the men’s final at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos. They had won the title in 1991 and 1992.

Man of The Match and midfielder Nasiru Salihu, who missed a penalty in the opening stages of the game put their opponents to the sword with two goals (one in each half) to cap a dominant display from Zubairu’s men.

The Federation Cup title was the second achievement of the Maiduguri side under Zubairu, having led them back to promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League ahead of next season.

“When we started, the players I assembled were young and hungry, they want to make a name for themselves,” Zubairu said after the game.

“At some point, we were playing in the NNL and the President Federation Cup which wasn’t easy but the initial intention of getting younger players paid off because they could persevere and we prevailed in the competition eventually.”

Aside from winning the Federation Cup, El-Kanemi Warriors will also play on the continent next season as Nigeria’s second team in the CAF Confederation Cup, alongside Enyimba.

Zubairu maintained that the crop of young players will be kept for their campaign next season.

“The reality remains that if the Europeans can believe in young players, what is stopping us from doing that?

“I’m not saying there are no experienced players that can go round the continent and do better, but don’t deprive the younger ones the opportunity. Age does not play football and the younger the better.”

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NDLEA partners Ondo SWAN to fight drug abuse

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NDLEA partners Ondo SWAN to fight drug abuse

The Ondo State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria has partnered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency as part of efforts of the agency to combat drug abuse among sportsmen and women.

Speaking at the sensitisation programme for sports stakeholders in the state, held at the indoor sports hall of the Ondo State Sports complex, Akure on Friday, the NDLEA Commander in the state, Kayode Raji, emphasised the urgent need to address the escalating issue of drug abuse within the sports community.

The programme, organised by SWAN, was themed, ‘Drug abuse: Battling a menace in Nigerian sports.’

According to Raji, drug abuse, which has destroyed many lives in the country, has infiltrated into the sports world. He added that there was the need for stakeholders to take action against the menace.

“We are not here to deliver speeches; we are here to save lives. Drug abuse has destroyed many lives, and it is no longer a distant issue but one that is now prevalent among us. The consequences are limitless. Drug abuse is gradually infiltrating the sports community, and now is the time to step in and sensitise athletes about its dangers,” Raji said.

He stressed that “preventive measures and support systems were in place and we are dedicated to ensuring that athletes have the resources and knowledge to avoid the pitfalls of drug abuse.”

While declaring open the sensitisation programme, the Ondo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, commended the organisers for putting together the event at a time when the world was preparing for the 2024 Olympics.

The commissioner, represented by his Special Adviser, Daodu Alex, said the state government was ready to partner with concerned stakeholders and agencies to have a drug abuse-free society.

In his remarks, the state Chairman of SWAN, Segun Giwa, stated, “Let us all work together to create a drug-free sports culture in Nigeria, a culture that values hard work, dedication and fair play, a culture that produces champions who inspire us with their talents, character and integrity.”

S’South section begins August as FG suspends new roads

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S’South section begins August as FG suspends new roads

The Federal Government has commenced the construction of the South-South axis of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway just as it suspended new road projects.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, declared that the Federal Government would not embark on any new road project in 2025, citing paucity of funds.

He said this during the stakeholders’ engagement on the proposed alignment for section 3A – 38km of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which took place at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar, on Sunday.

The stakeholders’ engagement was a follow-up to the one held earlier on Saturday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Umahi explained that the Federal Government would rather concentrate on inherited projects and the three legacy road projects of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Bola Tinubu administration.

Legacy projects

The legacy projects include the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway –a 1,000km highway connecting Sokoto to Badagry passing through seven states and connecting to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway at Ahmadu Bello Way, Lagos; the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway – a 700km coastal highway connecting from Lagos State to Cross River State through eight states; and the Calabar-South East-North Central-Apo Abuja 477km Superhighway, connecting Calabar to Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa states and terminating at Apo in Abuja.

He explained that construction works at the Calabar end of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would commence in August.

The minister said, “We will not be embarking on any new road project in 2025. This is because of the paucity of funds. We would rather concentrate on inherited projects and the legacy projects of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. These projects are dear to the President and he is desirous of delivering on these projects.”

The minister also reiterated the ultimatum issued to contractors handling government road projects that they either sit up or lose their contracts.

Speaking during the presentation of the routes of section 3A and the Trans-Africa Highway traversing Cross River through Ebonyi, Kogi, Nasarawa and Abuja, Umahi expressed dismay at the slow pace of work on the Akwa Ibom and Cross River-Calabar-Itu section awarded to three contractors.

Reiterating his earlier ultimatum, Umahi said, “If Julius Berger (Plc) fails to return to the site at the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued today (Sunday), we will terminate the contract. Sermatech Limited, an indigenous contractor, did a better job than Berger.

“Sustenance is based on the improvement of our roads. Contractors are playing tricks on our road construction; if we put one kobo in his hands he must give us an affidavit. The contractor must put his feet on the throttle. If you are climbing the hill, will you remove your leg from the throttle? No.”

He warned contractors who think it was s ‘business as usual’ when handling government projects that the old order had changed, insisting that no amount of lobby would save them if they failed to perform.

He reiterated the resolve of the Tinubu administration to complete all inherited road projects and the three legacy road projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He added that other projects related to the three legacy projects would be assessed to know the extent of work and what needed to be done.

Umahi said “Construction will begin on the two sections of the road in Cross River State and one section in Akwa Ibom State simultaneously.

Stakeholders’ engagement

“After this stakeholders’ engagement, we get the design and start the procurement. We are very sure that in August, construction will start in this state.

“I will not allow construction to start only from Akwa Ibom, but ensure that construction starts in three sections –  two in Cross River and one in Akwa Ibom states, respectively.

“The projects are going to have a rail track; We started with the tracks in the the middle in section two, but we have redesigned it to have the tracks by the side.”

Umahi craved the support of relevant stakeholders in the state to ensure a seamless execution of the project.

The minister eulogized the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Basset Otu, for his cooperation with the Federal Government on the road projects.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Peter Odey, pledged further cooperation and collaboration of the state with the Ministry of Works in delivering the road projects on schedule.

The state Surveyor-General, Patrick Bassey, called for a robust collaboration amongst stakeholders, asking that no Certificate of Occupancy should be issued on the project route.

Stakeholders, including prominent traditional rulers, former deputy governors, politicians, religious leaders and other leaders of thought, solicited the Federal Government’s intervention on other important and key roads in the state, stressing that such an intervention would open up the state for economic prosperity.

The members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works accompanied the minister to the engagement.

The minister gave a breakdown of the project phases in Uyo a day earlier.

He said, “We are here to introduce sections three and four of the famous Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway. We started and awarded section one which started in Lagos and terminated at the deep port in Lagos which is at 47.4km.

“There is section two that is starting at Lekki Deep Sea Port and taking it to the famous Dangote Refinery. Section three has 27 km on Akwa Ibom land, 38km on Cross River State. While section four is entirely on Akwa Ibom, that is 80km, when you add 27 km and 80km, you have 107km. So, you are benefiting from maximising this coastal highway.

“When we complete the procurement process and award sections three and four, work will start in many sub-sections of this section all at the same time.

“Tinubu is a man who matches his words with actions. So, we are happy with the level of commendations and support we received from Nigerians and so many benefits of the coastal highway.”

Speaking at the event, the Senate President, Senator, Godswill Akpabio, expressed his appreciation to the President for listening to his plea to start sections three and four of the coastal highway in Cross River State to Akwa Ibom.

He called on the Akwa Ibom State governor to give maximum support to the Federal Government.

New Minimum wage may push states into bankruptcy — NGF report

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Cleric blames govs for over-dependence on federal allocations

As the nation awaits the new minimum wage promised to be sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, the burden of implementing the minimum wage may make many states bankrupt.

The Federal Executive Council, at its meeting last Tuesday, stepped down a memorandum on the report of the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage, to allow for more consultations among the federal and state governments on one part, the private sector and the labour unions on the other part.

Last Thursday, Tinubu met with the governors at the National Economic Council meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima. The meeting, which was expected to deliberate on the national minimum wage, was, however, silent on whether or not it considered the issue.

Also last Thursday, the Southern Governors’ Forum released the communiqué of its meeting held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with the governors asking that each state should negotiate minimum wage with its workforce.

The labour unions have, however, reacted to the stance of the Ni¬geria Governors’ Forum over their overbearing influence on the minimum wage negotia¬tions.

In a document, titled, “Analysis of State FAAC inflows and state expenditure profile,” of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat, the NGF report warned that implementing the new minimum wage could push states into bankruptcy due to increased recurrent expenditure.

According to the report, the burden of recurrent expenditure already left Abia, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, Kogi, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara in deficit in 2022.

The report predicted that if the recurrent expenditure increased by 50 per cent, 13 states would fall into deficit, with only 10 remaining financially stable.

The tripartite committee’s recommendation of a N62,000 minimum wage would necessitate over a 100 per cent increase from the current N30,000, potentially leaving only a few states like Anambra, Bayelsa, Borno, Ebonyi, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Lagos, and Rivers with positive net revenues, based on the 2022 fiscal data.

A net revenue is the deduction of recurrent expenditure from the total revenue of the state. When it is positive, it means a surplus, but when negative, there is a deficit.

 Also, the total revenue of states is calculated from the monthly revenue from the Federal Account Allocation Committee, internally generated revenue, aids and grants and constituency development funds.

 According to the documents, sighted by The According, Abia, with an employment size of about 58,631 workers, pays N5,837,899,980.40 as wage monthly. Anambra has a 20,541 employment size and pays N1,824,851,308.96 monthly as wages, apart from N894,480,399.62 as pension obligation and N579,694,680.33 for debt servicing.

 Bayelsa boasts of 48,213 workforce, paying N5,802,435,178.58 monthly, with N1,194,528,784.40 as pension obligation and N3,535,787,992.48 as debt servicing, totalling N10,532,751,955.46 as total recurrent expenditure monthly.

Benue has about 13,366 workers in its workforce and pays N2,040,184,471.85 as monthly wage, N76,838,634.62 for pension, and N64,685,126,826.08 for debt servicing, totalling N66,802,149,932.56 monthly.

Delta has about 50,871 workers, offering N8,973,081,853.50 as wages, N1,499,886,303.39 as pension, and N72,417,433,139.00 as debt servicing, accumulating to N82,890,401,295.89 in a month.

Jigawa has about 44,831 workers in its employ and pays N2,795,662,113.02 as wages, and N345,987,843.12 as a pension, totalling N3,141,649,956.14 monthly on recurrent expenditure.

Katsina, Kwara and Niger have 19,062, 36,048 and 22,225 workers, with accumulated N139,294,944,565.27, N4,457,268,675.54 and N2,653,614,213.35 monthly recurrent expenditure respectively.

 According to the document, Abia has a total recurrent expenditure of N111,983,979,958.62, against a total revenue of N147,637,730,867.73.

For Adamawa, the recurrent expenditure stands at N70,369,399,885.57, against a total revenue of N109,722,949,684.65, while Akwa Ibom boasts of a high revenue of N444,288,683,000, with recurrent expenditure of N235,144,539,000.

Of the states, Lagos has the highest total revenue, amassing N1,243,778,878,170 in 2022, with a recurrent expenditure of N621,043,036,000, followed by Delta, with N702,020,717,460.08 and a recurrent expenditure of N377,905,100,451.83.

Rivers amassed N525,588,159,714.88 in 2022, with recurrent expenditure of N186,974,715,774.87; Kaduna had a total revenue of N222,349,875,000 and expenditure of N95,987,999,472.10; Ogun, N297,249,009,626.83, recurrent expenditure of N178,519,010,628.42 and Oyo, with total revenue of N247,156,776,739.70 and recurrent expenditure of N152,077,804,384.65.

Kebbi State had the lowest total revenue in 2022, raking in N92,132,444,588.16 and spent N57,601,464,374.96 on recurrent expenditure, followed by Taraba, with a total revenue of N101,177,283,069.87 and recurrent expenditure of N75,055,201,412.62.

Aside from FAAC allocation, some states recorded poor IGR in the 2022 data compiled by the NGF Secretariat.

Zamfara State generated N6,513,960,477.20; followed by Kebbi, with N8,630,767,122.96; Taraba, N9,744,331,840.01 and Yobe State, with N9,940,554,642.00.

The IGR of Katsina (N12,821,119,042.64), Adamawa (N13,175,774,969.53), Niger (N14,427,373,136.00), Benue (N15,021,223,729.38), Plateau (N15,927,001,739.90) and Imo (N16,711,346,111.18) also showed a poor revenue standing.

The According reported on October 19, 2023, that 15 states have yet to implement the N30,000 minimum wage for their workers since it was signed into law in 2019.

According to BudgiT, though the 15 states were yet to implement the minimum wage of N30,000, the 36 states of the federation grew their cumulative personnel cost by 13.44 per cent to N1.75tn in 2022 from N1.54tn in 2021.

The civil society organization, in a release, ‘The States of States Report 2023,’ highlighted that the 36 states of the federation grew their revenue by 28.95 per cent from N5.12tn in 2021 to N6.6tn in 2022.

“Put together, the IGR of the 36 states appreciated by 12.98 per cent from N1.61tn in 2021 to N1.82tn in 2022, denoting a strengthened domestic revenue mobilisation capability.

“Nonetheless, the IGR to GDP ratio remained very low at 1.01 per cent. The increase in IGR did not reflect across the board as 17 states experienced a decline in their IGR from the previous year, while 19 states recorded positive growth,” BudgIT said.

The Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Chris Onyeka, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on minimum wage and its implementation, claimed that many state governors were flouting the Minimum Wage Act and listed the states of Abia, Enugu, Bayelsa, Delta, Nasarawa, Gombe, Adamawa, Niger, Sokoto, Imo, Anambra, Taraba, Benue, and Zamfara as defaulting.

Reacting, the Enugu State chairman of TUC, Ben Asogwa, said the state commenced payment of N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment in February 2020 for state government workers, while local government workers and primary school teachers were paid 25 per cent consequential adjustment.

He, however, said Governor Peter Mbah, on assumption of office, approved the full implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for both the LG workers and primary school teachers in the state.

The According reports that the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, announced during a meeting with the leadership of the labour unions that the state would begin payment of N30,000 minimum wage effective June 2024.

FG withdraws five oil blocks from 2024 bid round

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FG withdraws five oil blocks from 2024 bid round

As investors begin registration for the 2024 Licensing Round, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has removed five oil blocks from the ongoing licensing round due legal disputes.

The five oil blocks are said to be under various litigation.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission confirmed the development.

The affected assets are PPL3008, PPL3009, PML51, PPL267, and PPL268.

The According reports that the five blocks were among the 12 initially announced by the NUPRC Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, at the Miami International Roadshow for the 2024 licensing round hosted by the NUPRC in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria and Zetse Advisory & Consulting.

The 12 oil blocks initially listed by Komolafe were PPL 300-CS; PPL 301-CS; PPL 3008; PPL 3009; PPL 2001; PPL 2002; PML 51; PPL 267; PPL 268; PPL 269; PPL 270; and PPL 271.

However, while announcing that the assets on offer would be increased, the NUPRC said five others were removed because of legal disputes.

“Due to newly acquired data from the Multiclients, the Assets on offer in the ongoing Licencing Round will be increased.

 “However, PPL3008, PPL3009, PML51, PPL267, PPL268 have been removed from the Bid process due to ongoing litigation,” the NUPRC said in a notice.

The NUPRC added, “Also, in accordance with the published guidelines, we have earlier indicated that some of the assets on offer should be applied as a single unit, namely: PPL 300-CS & PPL 301-CS, PPL 2000 and PPL 2001.”

Officials of the commission did not reply to inquiries from our correspondent on who the litigants are and the reasons for the litigation.

Our correspondent reports that the commission did not indicate whether or not the five affected assets are out of the 17 on offer.

Meanwhile, the NUPRC boss had in a statement announced the addition of 17 deep offshore oil blocks to the 2024 licensing round.

“In pursuit of the commission’s commitment to derive value from the country’s abundant oil and gas reserves and increase production, the commission has been working assiduously with multi-client companies to undertake more exploratory activities to acquire more data to foster and encourage further investment in the Nigerian upstream sector.

“As a result of additional data acquired in respect of deep offshore blocks, the commission has added 17 deep offshore blocks to the 2024 Licensing Round,” Komolafe said in a statement recently.

The NUPRC boss also stated that to allow interested investors to take advantage of the expanded opportunities, the 2024 Licencing Round schedule had been amended.

He said, “Registration/submission of pre-qualification documents which was initially scheduled to close on June 25, 2024, has been extended by 10 days and will now close on July 5, 2024.

“Data access/data purchase/evaluation/bid preparation and submission which was initially scheduled to open on July 4, 2024, and close on 29/11/24 will now start on July 8, 2024, and close on 29/11/24 as previously scheduled.

“All other dates in the published 2024 licencing round schedule remain the same unless otherwise communicated.”

During the pre-bid conference held recently in Lagos, it was announced that President Bola Tinubu had reduced the signature bonus payable by successful bidders from around $200m to $10m.

According to Komolafe, the NUPRC surveyed what other countries like Brazil demand as signature bonuses from would-be investors and discovered the need to slash that of Nigeria.

 Komolafe maintained that a heavy signature bonus is a front entry barrier in the Nigerian oil sector and the reason many have not been able to develop assets awarded to them.

Henceforth, the NUPRC disclosed that an investment in deepwater will now attract $10m as a signature bonus while shallow water and onshore will attract $7m.

To qualify for the bid round, the NUPRC Assistant Director, Multiclient Surveys and Regional Studies, Ahmad Abdullahi, disclosed that interested bidding organisations must possess a financial capacity of about $200m for deep offshore and $150m for shallow water and onshore.

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