The Federal Government, States and Local Governments have shared N812.76 billion as revenue for November, boosted by taxes paid by private companies.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr Mahmoud Isa-Dutse said this on Wednesday in Abuja, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting.
Giving a breakdown of the revenue which accrued in November, Isa-Dutse said that the Mineral revenue reduced by N100.8 billion, from N522.6 billion recorded in October to N421.8 billion in November.
Also, the Non-Mineral Revenue increased by N68.2 billion, from N159.4 billion in October, to N227.7 billion in November
He said also that the Value Added Tax (VAT) collected for the month reduced from N100.9 billion in October to N88.3 billion in November.
“The gross statutory revenue of N649.6 billion received for the month was lower than the N682.1 billion received in the previous month by N32.5 billion.
“The revenue from the Companies Income Tax (CIT) increased significantly.
“However, revenue from Foreign Oil and Gas, Domestic Oil and Gas, Royalties, Petroleum Profit Tax, import and Excise duties and Value Added Tax decreased,” he said.
Isa-Dutse said in summary that the Federal Government received N280.9 billion, States N142.48 billion and N109.84 billion was received by the local governments.
According to him, N47.8 billion representing 13 per cent of the mineral revenue was shared to oil producing states.
Isa-Dutse announced that 2.246 billion dollars was withdrawn and shared to states as part of the Paris Club refund.
To this end, he said that the Excess Crude Account had gone down from 2.319 billion dollars in October, to 631 million dollars in the month of November.
“The deductions was for the final payment of the Paris Club Refund. The final payments to states have been made and the figure was deducted from the Excess Crude Account.
“A decision was taken to make these refunds and part of that decision is for the refund to be funded from the Excess Crude Account.
“All the required approvals were obtained from the President and Federal Executive Council,” he said.
The All Progressives Congress(APC) has condemned the heckling of President Muhammadu Buhari by lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party, during the budget presentation on Wednesday.
Publicity secretary of the APC , Malam Lanre Isa-Onilu said the disgraceful conduct and actions of PDP legislative caucus have succeeded in eroding the remnant of the public respect, that the Party has in the eyes of any respectable Nigerian.
“The PDP has further confirmed its unsavoury image in the eyes of well meaning Nigerians, that the party is largely populated by self-serving and unpatriotic members, whose sole aim in politics is to promote their self interests at the expense of the country’s interests.
“By law, respect for the office of the president or head of government in any clime is not a matter of choice but a civic obligation sanctioned by laws. Being an opposition party or critic is no licence for such wayward conduct by the PDP legislative caucus; most especially against the president of the country.
“Not even the admonition of the President to the PDP lawmakers that “You are on international TV, comport yourselves. The world is watching us; we should be above this,” failed to calm the unruly PDP elements.
“Nigerians are not oblivious of the actions and inactions of the National Assembly presiding officers, Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara while the President was being heckled by the PDP legislative caucus. Their failure to rein in their unruly PDP colleagues, while their show of shame lasted clearly confirmed that the PDP members’ action was premeditated and orchestrated to embarrass the President.
“When the APC was in opposition, Nigerians will recall statements by the PDP government that the immediate-past President Goodluck Jonathan did not personally present the national budget to the National Assembly based on fears that he will be heckled and embarrassed by the opposition federal lawmakers at the time. The fears turned out to be misplaced as that never happened when Jonathan eventually presented the national budget. Such shameful and undignified practice has no place in our progressive ideology.
“The PDP lawmakers and their conniving leaders have a lot of questions to answer. First, we wonder why they cannot stomach the evident and verifiable achievements of the APC-led Government in the areas of power, rail and road infrastructure, social intervention programmes as contained in the proposed budget.”
The APC commends President Muhammadu Buhari for remaining calm and focused during the budget presentation despite the provocation from PDP lawmakers, an act of statesmanship that has been acknowledged by Nigerians. We are equally proud of the APC lawmakers, who stood firm in defence of the President and our great party during the budget presentation.
We call on the National Assembly to rise above political and selfish interests by putting the country first in its consideration of the proposed N8.83 trillion 2019 national budget. The proposed budget provides a realistic and implementable framework that will spur the administration’s effort to achieve a a prosperous, strong and stable Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja inaugurated the new Terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in line with his administration’s promise to complete the project before the end of December.
At the event, Buhari gave the assurance that the Federal Government is committed to developing Nigeria to regional air transportation hub, thereby assuming its leadership in the aviation sub-sector in Africa.
He recalled that the promise to inaugurate the project was made on Oct. 25 when he inaugurated Port Harcourt International Airport Terminal in Rivers.
“You will recall that on the 25th October, 2018, I commissioned Port Harcourt International Airport Terminal.
“During the event, the Honourable Minister of State (Aviation) stated that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal, Abuja, would be completed and ready for commissioning before the end of the year.
“Today, that promise has been kept. I wish to commend the Honourable Minister and his team for a job well done.
President Buhari said that with the inauguration of the Terminal, Nigeria was moving towards achieving and meeting global aviation standards in facilitation, passenger processing and service delivery in tandem with international best practices.
“This Administration recognises aviation as a catalyst for economic growth and as such will continue to encourage and support the actualisation of projects that will place Nigerian Airports amongst the best in the world.
“This event today, reflects Government’s deliberate policy to sustain the development of Nigeria’s infrastructure.
Inside the terminal building
“We are gradually closing the infrastructural deficit bedevilling our country.” he said.
President Buhari expressed delight at the progress being made in both the airports and sea ports on the implementation of the Executive Order on the Ease of Doing Business.
He, therefore, challenged government officials manning these gateways at the airports and sea ports to sustain the momentum and ensure travellers in and out of the country have the best of experience as a necessary complement to the ultra-modern terminal.
The president said the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Terminal, Abuja, was the first airport terminal to be connected to rail transport system in the country and in the region.
“This has provided passengers and other airport users with a choice in the mode of transport to and from the city centre.
“I recall taking a ride from the City Metro station to the Airport on the day the rail line was commissioned,’’ he said.
The president commended the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Transportation (Aviation), the Government of the Peoples Republic of China and the China Exim Bank for their financial support and the various roles they played leading to the successful completion of the project.
He particularly lauded the contractor, Messrs CCECC, for delivering the project on time.
In his remarks, the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, said the new NAIA terminal was the second in the series of airport terminals to be inaugurated from the projects funded by the China-Exim bank loan of 500 million dollars with a counterpart funding of 100 millon dollars from the debt management office.
He said that from political and economic perspectives “this airport is very strategic to Nigeria not only because it is the gateway to the nation’s capital, but also because it the second busiest airport in the country.’’
Sirika said that the airport was also the fastest growing in passenger traffic in West and Central Africa with an average growth rate of eight per cent, while the world’s average growth was 5.8 per cent.
He said that the airport processed 5,709,012 passengers in 2017.
“This volume equals to about 13 times the total number of passengers recorded by Ghana as a country.
“The terminal building you are about to commission Mr President, has annual passenger capacity of 15 million covering a space of approximately 56,000m2.
“It also has the following facilities as well as capabilities – 72 check-in counters, five baggage collection carousels, 28 immigration desks at arrival and 16 at departure, eight security screening points and eight passenger boarding bridges,’’ he said.
Other facilities at the terminal, he said, included walkway to link the FCT metro rail, additional apron for remote parking of aircraft and linkway to domestic wing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Buhari, who inspected the facilities at the terminal, left the airport for Kano on one-day official visit.
President Muhammdu Buhari and the Nigerian military have been patted on the back for their concerted efforts towards ending terrorism in Nigeria.
This is just as latest report has scored the military high on human rights compliance in its war against insurgency.
Professor Ahmed Danfulani, Chancellor, Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CISS) gave the verdict on Wednesday, at the presentation of five year report on the war against terrorism in Nigeria.
The report, which covered the period between 2013 and 2018, specifically hailed for ensuring professionalism in the conduct of operational issues.
It also noted a wave of accountability in the finances of the military, successful rescue of hostages without harm, among other achievements.
Danfulani, while presenting the report, saultedt the current regime led by President Buhari and the military for rebuilding the confidence of the people in standing against the atrocities of Boko Haram.
The speech below:
There are certain fundamentals about reports. They document what has happened, what is happening and can also predict what will happen. Reports are in a sense history being documented with objectivity. They can reveal to us what is being done right, what is in need of improvement and what can be done differently.
These are positive attributes of reports. But in the contemporary world, reports are also being weaponized.
Reports have become active ingredients in the manufacture of consent, escalation of dissent, brainwashing entire generations and in so doing perverting history.
It is not surprising to have witnessed in recent years incidents of reports being released to make terrorists appear as saints and soldiers fighting them to appear like losers.
Entities that are part of the problem can easily pretend to be the solution under this arrangement.
Nigeria is the practical instance of how reports are manipulated to distort history.
This happens because the body of reports on the country’s war on terrorism have largely been foreign often with intents that cannot be verified for sincerity hence the loss of objectivity.
The resulting subjectivity is not just an opposite of objectivity but has proven to be costly to the country and those fighting to liberate if from terrorists.
Events are recounted from the viewpoint of interests that see Nigeria as a means to an end and not a sovereign entity whose territorial integrity and aspirations must be respected.
The report being presented today therefore sets out present facts about the war on terrorism in their pristine form, untainted by any vested interest. The facts have been painstakingly collated over the said period so that there is a control to the myriad of other reports.
The implication of this is that Nigerians, indeed the world, now has a benchmark for assessing other reports. It is a matter of treating what is being presented here today as the master against which to verify other reports that can be treated as copies.
As part of the backlash from Amnesty International’s recently published fallacious report about Nigeria, some concerned indigenous groups have continued to show solidarity with the Nigerian Army.
At a time a bulk of the country’s so-called non-governmental organisations have formed an alliance with the UK-based organisation, the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has remained resolute, describing their contemporaries as “enemy of Nigeria.”
Instead of condemn the malicious report, several local groups and NGOs jumped in support of the A.I just for their selfish interests.
In a statement released on Thursday, through Adams Odoh, Executive Director, the SHAC questioned these groups and their motive despite Amnesty International’s apparent dangerous intentions.
The SHAC, however, advised these local groups to desist from colluding with Amnesty International and other affiliates in the name of foreign grants that are actually meant to promote neo-colonial agenda in the country.
“The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has noted with some measure of disappointment the manner some indigenous NGOs lend themselves to imperialists. The specific incident referenced is the eagerness with which some NGOs rushed to be the first to endorse the puke inducing report published by Amnesty International. This is even after the report, “Harvest of Death Three Years of Bloody Clashes between Farmers and Herders in Nigeria,” has been dismissed as a cross between the documentation of fertile hallucination and high fantasy fiction, “ Mr Odoh began.
“Without prejudice to the condemnation of the report by experts, SHAC is of the opinion that the report would have naturally been consigned to the dustbin of history but for the overzealousness of some these indigenous NGOs that practically parroted its content, rehash it and elevated it to the level of canon. It is a shame because it speaks to the deficit in self confidence that has left the country at the mercy of the whims and caprices of people that attempt to decide the fate of Nigerians from the plush lobbies of conferences and gala events in faraway lands.
“Those that inflicted poverty on us might have taken their pay cheques and left but Amnesty International that is supervising the spread of terrorism that is meant to decimate the land is still very much among us. It achieves its goals by publishing fictitious reports. The reports gain traction when indigenous NGOs fall over themselves to be more imperialistic than Amnesty International. Success for Amnesty International is to see the land drowned in blood. Amnesty International has blood on its hands and those that promote its reports or any of its works taint their hands with blood, blood of the innocent.
“Some persons with knowledge of Amnesty International’s strategy in other countries will tell their collaborators in Nigeria the truth, and they will do so for free. The whole friendliness and invites to estacode paying conferences will dry up once this criminal organization is allowed to destroy the country; none of the prospective proposals used for recruiting the local NGOs for its infamous cause will translate into visas or resident permits when the blowback of Amnesty International’s dangerous agenda hits us all.
“We want to make it categorically clear that only the enemies of Nigeria collaborate with Amnesty international. So anyone that partners with Amnesty International towards the realization of its destructive goals in Nigeria is an enemy of the country and must be treated as one. They would be named and shamed as those abusing the sacredness of NGO work to promote terrorism, which implies that like Amnesty International, they have blood on their hands.
“In a similar vein, we urge all self-respecting NGOs to begin drafting contingent plans for isolating Amnesty International from their folds. This will include turning down invitations to events organized by or being attended by Amnesty International, declining comments or inputs in documents being complied by the international NGO, not extending invitations to the NGO and flagging cases of falsification and lies told by the organization.
“For the Nigerians representing Amnesty International against the safety of humanity. Our fervent hope is that they have reconciled with their inner self for when the evil they are executing for their organization echoes back on their lives. That is the time they will know the anguish that their colleagues experienced in other countries to the point of committing without Amnesty International as their employer battling an eyelid or raising a finger even when the hints that haunted the deceased were done at its behest.
“The only way to not have blood dripping from one’s hands like Amnesty International is to distance oneself from the organization irrespective of what is on offer. We urge Nigerians and local NGOs to not be part of the problem. Don’t be part of the problem. Attempt to ride the shirttail of Amnesty International to greatness and ride it to hell.”
The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has expressed disappointment with the manner some indigenous NGOs work with the Amnesty International with the sole aim of creating tension and unrest in Nigeria.
The group specifically frowned at the eagerness with which some indigenous groups endorsed a recent report published by Amnesty International about the crises between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
Adams Odoh, Executive Director of SHAC said it was so sad that some local NGOs did not read in between the line before rushing out to endorse the documentary, which many had described as watery and unfounded.
According to Odoh, “Some persons with knowledge of Amnesty International’s strategy in other countries will tell their collaborators in Nigeria the truth, and they will do so for free. The whole friendliness and invites to estacode paying conferences will dry up once this criminal organization is allowed to destroy the country; none of the prospective proposals used for recruiting the local NGOs for its infamous cause will translate into visas or resident permits when the blowback of Amnesty International’s dangerous agenda hits us all.”
SHAC, therefore, called on all indigenous NGOs in the country to desist from colluding with Amnesty International in the name of foreign grants that are actually meant to promote neo-colonial agenda in the country.
Odoh, while addressing the media on Thursday, said, “We want to make it categorically clear that only the enemies of Nigeria collaborate with Amnesty international. So anyone that partners with Amnesty International towards the realization of its destructive goals in Nigeria is an enemy of the country and must be treated as one. They would be named and shamed as those abusing the sacredness of NGO work to promote terrorism, which implies that like Amnesty International, they have blood on their hands.
“In a similar vein, we urge all self-respecting NGOs to begin drafting contingent plans for isolating Amnesty International from their folds. This will include turning down invitations to events organized by or being attended by Amnesty International, declining comments or inputs in documents being complied by the international NGO, not extending invitations to the NGO and flagging cases of falsification and lies told by the organization.
“The only way to not have blood dripping from one’s hands like Amnesty International is to distance oneself from the organization irrespective of what is on offer. We urge Nigerians and local NGOs to not be part of the problem. Don’t be part of the problem. Attempt to ride the shirttail of Amnesty International to greatness and ride it to hell.”
This is the speech delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari to the joint sitting of the National Assembly
“This is my last Budget Speech to the 8th National Assembly.
“Today, we will review economic development over the last three-and-a-half years with emphasis on 2018. We will also highlight the budget for 2019.
“The last three-and-a-half years have been challenging both home and abroad. Both oil and non-oil markets have been volatile. There have been disruptions in oil production in the country.
“However, we have cause to be optimistic about the future. The economy has recovered from recession. We have done more work with less resources in Agriculture, Social Development and Infrastructure.
“We have intervened several times to support states in the payment of salaries. The Federal Government has also sustained its efforts to curb corruption through the comprehensive cooperation of the single treasury account.
“We have also made efforts to end the insurgencies in affected areas of the country. We thank the Armed Forces and Security Agencies for their efforts and sacrifices in protecting the nation.
“We have also made many efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in public service delivery. Inflation has declined from 18.2% in January to 11.28% in November. Foreign Capital Influence has also improved.
“Trading is a significant contributor to our country’s economy. But we must strengthen other areas such as Information Technology and Entertainment; all hands must be on deck to ensure the country succeeds.
“In Agriculture, we are seeing increased investments in all areas of the sector. Indeed, we are on course to achieve good security in the nearest future.
“We also prioritized the completion of already ongoing projects as opposed to starting new ones.
“We have included the implementation for the National Minimum Wage. I will be sending a Bill to this National Assembly, on this.
“To further support SME’s, we have set aside N15 billion, while the sum of N10 billion has been granted to BOI for this purpose.
“I hereby present and lay the 2019 Budget to the floor of the National Assembly for consideration and passage.
“We can all commit to the early passage of this Bill.
“I thank you most sincerely for your attention. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
*Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR*
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Chief Ademola Odunade, the President of a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, on Wednesday dissolved a three year-old marriage between Tawakalitu Adeoye and Hakeem over threat to life and ritual making.
Odunade held that the court does not joke with any issue that had to do with life, hence the need for the dissolution.
“It is also obvious that there is no more love between Tawakalitu and Hakeem as a result of their differences.
“In the interest of peaceful living, the union between the duo has ceased to be.
“Custody of the three-year-old child produced by the union is awarded to Tawakalitu and Hakeem shall pay a monthly allowance of N5,000 for the child’s upkeep in addition to been responsible for her education and other welfare”.
Narrating her ordeal, Tawakalitu, a fashion designer who resides at Academy area of Ibadan, said that her husband had stylishly embarked on a marathon sexual intercourse with her with the intention of using her for ritual.
“My lord, if I had listened to my parents’ advice that I should not enter into any marital vows with Hakeem, maybe life would have been pleasant with me today.
“It all began when Hakeem started requesting for sexual intercourse from me every morning and night without any particular reason, an act which he was initially not used to.
“Firstly, he takes his bath and then rush me to bed, sleeping with me.
“Each time he finished with me, I felt weak, subdued, restless and completely shattered physically and psychologically.
“Until I made the discovery, Hakeem had planted a charm (Tira) under my pillow for two good weeks without my knowledge and I had laid my head on it.
“Then, I reported him at Eleyele Police Headquarter in Ibadan, but he pleaded with the police to prevail on me not to implicate him.
“He also told my relatives that I lied against him and that I must retract the statement of which I accused him of trying to use me for ritual.
“Worst still, Hakeem derives pleasure in turning me into a punching bag at any slightest opportunity.
“These and many more are the reasons why I had to pack away from his home since Oct. 27.
“Please save my life from Hakeem because he is spiritually diabolic”.
In his counter argument, however, the respondent refuted all the allegations leveled against him while consenting to the divorce suit.
Hakeem who earned his living as an Alfa submitted that his wife merely cooked up what she said so as to get sympathy of the court
“I will like this court to take note of the fact that Tawakalitu is so adulterous and I have caught her several times in the act.
“In fact, she and her secret lovers usually chat in my presence every night.
“My mother had also advised me not to marry her from the onset because of her bad attitude.
“There is nothing I have not done to satisfy Tawakalitu.”
President Muhammadu Buhari and 40 other presidential Aspirants are expected to attend dialogue aimed at ensuring violence-free conduct of the 2019 General Election.
Ms Zahrah Audu, the host of the Presidential Summit Centre, organisers of the dialogue, said the one-day event with the theme, ‘Violence Free Election’, is to hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Friday.
Audu said: “We are passionate about Nigeria to deliver a credible and violence-free election next year, that is why the Presidential Summit Centre has put this dialogue together.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that it would use smart card reader and discarded the use of incident form for the 2019 election.
The electoral body used smart card reader in 2015 general elections as well as incident form.
Prof. Godswill Obioma, a Commissioner in INEC, revealed on Wednesday in Abakaliki at the end of a three-day training for implementers of the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC).
Obioma said that the decision was part of policy enunciations made by the Commission’s chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu recently in Abuja during a series of engagements with stakeholders, including the National Peace Committee.
“Smart card reader will be used in the election of 2019, that is the determining factor and that is to say that smart card will be used for first level of screening of those with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“The PVC has been configured as a biometric platform and smart card reader is supposed to recognise such biometrics.
“If you come with your PVC and it is your own, it is slotted into the smart card reader it will throw up your biometrics, including your physiognomy and your face and if that happen you move to the next stage of checking if your name is on the register.
“If your name is checked and found in the INEC’s voter register, you are given a ballot paper and that is the process we are going to use.
“But in the unlikely event that the smart card reader fails to identify your face and your name is on the register; such incident can happen, we don’t use incidence form as in the past because of all sorts of challenges associated with it.
“What we are going to do if such development occurs is to go to the register, identify your name and thick a box to show that you are the owner of the name and your thumb print will be picked in case of litigation to show that you are the one that voted,” Obioma said.
The resident commissioner commended participants to the workshop and noted that all strategic arrangements were in place for a credible, transparent and peaceful elections in Ebonyi.
He added that the training workshop was imperative for the successful implementation of the EMSC which he noted was an innovation introduced by the commission to enhance credibility of elections in the country.
According to him, the EMSC is an integrated support system for monitoring the implementation of the 2019 Election Project Plan.
He said that the EMSC initiative was an innovation by INEC to connect three components of the electoral processes which previously worked independently of one another resulting sometimes in role conflicts.
“INEC developed the EMSC to bring together the three components of the electoral processes which in 2015 worked independently.
“The three components are: election management system, election risk management and election operations support centre.
“Whereas the election operations support centre focuses on just before the election day and immediately after the elections, the election risk management focuses on risks, litigation, identifying flash points and areas that need more security.
“Election management system focuses on the entire election; so, all these components worked independently in 2015 and brought about role conflicts.
“They were not supporting one another and so the whole idea of EMSC is to bring these components together into one integral part for the effective conduct of the 2019 general elections.
“So, what the training has achieved is that we have assembled the implementers, trained them and equipped them with the necessary capacity needed to effectively function by understanding themselves as human persons”, he said.
