It’s Government Duty To Ensure Success of Made In Nigeria Product By Indigenous Firms

Innoson Car Factory In Nigeria

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said all arms of government have a duty to ensure the success of indigenous manufacturers as a way of rebuilding the economy and putting Nigerian youth to work.

Saraki while receiving a delegation from the Innoson Motor Manufacturing Company, Nnewi, led by Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the Chairman and founder of the company, in his office today (Monday) said government should use legislative actions and policy initiatives to protect the local industries as a deliberate way of reviving the economy.

Innoson Motors is the only Nigerian company manufacturing automobile of different ranges and it is based in Nnewi, Anambra State.

He said one of the actions government should quickly introduce is to ensure that local industries are patronized by government agencies so that Nigerian manufacturers can enjoy the advantages accruing from the big market that her population offers.

“That is why this eighth Senate is determined to amend the Procurement Law to ensure that government agencies patronize Made in Nigeria products. I am sure the House of Representatives is in support of this. It is our joint responsibility to ensure that you succeed. If you are successful, a lot more small and medium scale enterprises will draw inspiration from you and they will become successful.

“That will help to create jobs which is one of the mandate presented to us by the youths of this country during the last elections. We in the legislature will look at all laws and help to create an enabling environment for local businesses to thrive in Nigeria”, he said.

The Senate President said using laws to protect locally made goods is not peculiar to the country as it has been done in the United States under President Herbert Hoover in 1933 while India and China have also enacted similar laws in the past.

He lamented a situation where a company like Innoson only sold about 3,000 vehicles in 2015 when Nigerians buy about a million vehicle annually, adding that If Nigerians patronise Made in Nigeria cars it will force foreign manufacturers to set up plant here.

In his remarks, Mr Alfred Nwosu, said the Innoson Group started from manufacturing of motor cycles and graduated to tricycle before it is now producing different range of utility and luxury vehicles.

He said the Group has 7,000 Nigerians on its pay roll while there are 300 youths from the Niger Delta area undergoing training that were hitherto held abroad.

Nwosu commended Saraki and the Senate leadership for their prompt response to the request for audience sent by the company, an opportunity that had eluded the company in the past.

“In less than 48 hours of contacting the Senate President, we were told to come over. We are encouraged by your views on Made in Nigeria goods. What we need is the support, encouragement and inspiration from decision makers like you”, he said.

Also yesterday, the Senate President urged the South East Amalgamated Market Traders Association (SEAMATA) to look inwards in view of the present economic challenges facing the country.

He specifically charged members of the executive of the association who visited him in Abuja that it is time for them to find ways of producing locally most of the goods they have been importing into the country.

Earlier, the President-General of SEAMATA, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo had called for urgent measures by the Federal Government to ease their access to foreign exchange that is used to import the goods they sell.

Ezenwankwo said that 70 per cent of traders in the South East would be thrown into the labour market if nothing urgent is done to enable the traders access forex. He lamented a situation where goods imported by the traders since December 2015 are still lying at the ports accumulating demurrage simply because the clearing authorities are yet to receive confirmation from the countries of origin of the consignments.

He called on the Federal Government to fix an exchange rate for the Naira rather than leaving it at the mercy of market forces.

He added: “The $10,000.00 limit of what one can take across our borders is another major constraint to our business.”

We Will Secure Niger Delta, Rebuild The North East, President Buhari Promised

President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said Monday in Abuja that the Federal Government has begun mobilizing the military and task forces to stop the sabotage of oil facilities and kidnapping of citizens for ransom in the coastal areas of the country.

Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the United States Institute of Peace, President Buhari also said that his administration is giving the highest priority to the resettlement of displaced persons and rehabilitation of infrastructure in the Northeast.

The President assured the delegation that his administration’s ongoing war against corruption will be fought within the ambit of the law and that mechanisms have been put in place to ensure respect for human rights in the fight against terrorism.

“We attach great importance to human rights. If there are breaches, they will be investigated and dealt with,” he said.

President Buhari welcomed the growing international support, especially from the United States and Europe, for Nigeria’s efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

The President also expressed happiness with the support of Nigerians for the cardinal programmes of his government, the security of the country, the war against corruption and revival of the economy, which, he said, will continue to be vigorously pursued.

Ms. Nancy Lindborg, who led the Institute’s delegation, applauded the progress being made by the Buhari Administration in ensuring greater security in Nigeria.

She promised the continued assistance of the Institute for the reconstruction and development work going on in the country.

Pope John Paul Letters Reveal Intense Friendship With married Woman

Hundreds of letters and photographs of the previous pope’s relationship with a married woman have been revealed.

The relationship between Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka and Pope John Paul II lasted more than 30 years.

The letters to Polish-born American philosopher, Tymieniecka, had been kept away from public view in the National Library of Poland for years.

The documents revealed a rarely seen side of the pontiff, who died in 2005.

There is no suggestion the Pope broke his vow of celibacy.

His Emotional Life

Pope John Paul II was one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century, revered by millions and made a saint in record time.

Nine years after he died, the BBC saw letters he wrote to a married woman,  Tymieniecka, that shed new light on his emotional life.

Mrs Tymieniecka was a great hoarder and she seems to have kept everything relating to her 32-year friendship with Saint John Paul.

The friendship began in 1973 when Mrs Tymieniecka contacted the future Pope, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, then Archbishop of Krakow, about a book on philosophy that he had written.

The then 50-year-old travelled from the US to Poland to discuss the work.

Image copyright Photograph provided by Bill and Jadwiga Smith Image captioned Tymieniecka at the time she met Cardinal Wojtyla.

Shortly afterwards, the pair began to correspond. At first, the Cardinal’s letters were formal, but as their friendship grew, they became more intimate.

The pair decided to work on an expanded version of the Cardinal’s book, ‘The Acting Person’. They met many times – sometimes with his secretary present, sometimes alone and corresponded frequently.

In 1974, he wrote that he was re-reading four of Mrs Tymieniecka’s letters written in one month because they were “so meaningful and deeply personal.”

Photographs which had never been seen before by the public revealed Karol Wojtyla at his most relaxed.

He invited Mrs Tymieniecka to join him on country walks and skiing holidays – she even joined him on a group camping trip. The pictures also showed her visiting him at the Vatican.

Court Warns FG, DISCOs Not To Disobey Subsisting Orders

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has warned the Federal Government and the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) not to disobey subsisting court orders on electricity tariff, according to Channel News.

The court also warned the government not to act in a way that showed disdain for the court in a constitutional democracy.

Presiding Justice, Mohammed Idris,  gave the warning while ruling in a suit filed by a lawyer and rights activist, Toluwani Adebiyi, over the recent hike in electricity tariff on Monday.

Justice Idris fixed Friday, February 19 to hear an application by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) seeking a stay of proceedings in the suit.

The judge fixed the date after listening to the arguments of lawyers representing parties in the matter over the order in which pending applications should be taken by the court.

Mr Adebiyi filed a suit seeking a perpetual injunction restraining NERC from implementing any upward review of electricity tariff without significant improvement in power supply for at least 18 hours a day in May 2015.

He also wants an order restraining NERC from foisting compulsory service charges on pre-paid meters until “the meters were designed to read charges per second of consumption and not a flat rate of service not rendered or power not used.”

Multiple Long-term Financing Approach

Mr Adebiyi wants the service charge on pre-paid meters not to be enforced until there is visible efficient and reliable power supply like those of foreign countries where the idea of service charge was borrowed.

He further asked for an order of court mandating the NERC to do the needful and generate more power to meet the electricity use of Nigerians, emphasising that the needful should include and not limited to a multiple long-term financing approach, sourced from the banks, capital market, insurance and other sectors of finance to power the sector.

Throat-cutting Bill

The lawyer also asked the court to mandate the NERC to make available to all Nigerians within a reasonable time of maximum of two years, prepaid meters as a way to stop the throat-cutting indiscriminate estimated bill which must be devoid of the arbitrary service charge, but only chargeable on power consumed.

In an affidavit in support of the suit personally deposed to by the applicant, the lawyer lamented that despite the motto and mission of NERC which were expressly stated as “keeping the lights on and to meet the needs of Nigeria for safe, adequate, reliable and affordable electricity,” most communities in Nigeria do not get more than 30 minutes of electricity supply, while the remaining 23 hours and 30 minutes were always without light and in total darkness.

“Nigeria’s poor masses are paying an estimated and indiscriminate residential bill ranging from 5, 000 Naira to 18, 000 Naira, spending an average of 15, 000 Naira to 20, 000 Naira for fuel to maintain generating set.

“Businesses had collapsed, industries had closed down, and residents cannot sleep comfortably at night due to inefficiency of our power industry.

“Companies and commercial houses are groaning under throat-cutting power bill which they are paying for, yet not getting the benefit for such payment,” Adebiyi stated.

Poor Power Supply

He stressed that the proposed increase in electricity tariff came amidst the tangled web of poor power supply with no reasonable proof of improvement.

“The situation is self evident, it readily speaks for itself because everyone is suffering from poor power outrage.

“Bringing further increase amidst this tangled web of hardship and without any improvement in power supply will be highly unjustifiable and will be an economic burden on Nigeria populace. It is totally absurd and not for the good of the people and therefore must be stopped,” Adebiyi submitted.

Justice Idris had made an order directing parties to maintain status quo and for NERC to suspend all actions relating to any increment in electricity tariff pending the hearing and final determination of the suit.

But while the suit was pending, NERC in conjunction with the Electricity Distribution Companies commenced the implementation of the new electricity tariff on February 1.

Protests by labour unions had since trailed the new power tariff.

At the proceedings, the plaintiff drew the court’s attention to an application seeking to commit the NERC’s Chairman and the CEOs of the Distribution Companies (Discos) to prison for allegedly flouting the order.

But NERC’s lawyer, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), said he had filed an appeal against the order by Justice Idris.

He also said he had a pending application for a stay of the proceedings pending the determination of the appeal.

Mr Idigbe mentioned that the plaintiff had not effected service of the contempt proceedings on the alleged contemnors.

The two lawyers were divided on which application should be heard first.

Mr Adebiyi said the contempt charge should be heard first since NERC had undermined the court’s authority, but Mr Idigbe said the application for stay of proceedings should take precedence since an appeal had been lodged.

In a short ruling on the issue, Justice Idris, held that it was in the interest of justice to first hear the defendant’s application for a stay of proceedings pending the determination of their appeal against the court’s order.

The plaintiff then asked for a short adjournment to enable him file his response to the application.

Justice Idris subsequently adjourned till Friday for the hearing of the application for a stay of proceedings.

President Buhari Sacks 20 Heads Of Federal Agencies And Parastatals

The Presidency has issued the following statement announcing the removal of 20 more heads of federal parastatals and agencies.

The list adds to the six heads of agencies under the Ministry of Information and Culture that were sacked earlier today.

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate disengagement of the following Chief Executive Officers of the underlisted Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.

He has also approved that the most senior officers in the Parastatals, Agencies and Councils oversee the activities of the organizations pending the appointment of substantive Chief Executive Officers.

(i) Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)

(ii) Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN)

(iii) Voice of Nigeria (VON)

(iiii) News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

(v) National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)

(vi) Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)

(vii) New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

(viii) Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)

(ix) Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board(NCDMB)

(x) Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN)

(xi) Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)

(xii) National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)

(xiii) Petroleum Equalization Fund

(xiiii) Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC)

(xv) Bureau of Public Procurements (BPP)

(xvi) Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)

(xvii) Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA)

(xviii) Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON)

(xix) National Agency for Food and Drugs
Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

(xx) Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC)

(xxi) Bank of Industry (BoI)

(xxii) National Centre for Women Development (NCWD)

(xxiii) National Orientation Agency (NOA)

(xxiiii) Industrial Training Fund (ITF)

(xxv) Nigerian Export-Import Bank

(xxvi) National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP)

Mr. President, however, thanked them for their invaluable services to the Nation and wishes them well in their future endeavours.