News
APC May Hold National Convention, Dec
Barring last minutes change in the arrangements, the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would hold in the first weekend of December.
A source close to the party said that, according to the arrangements, after the State Congresses in October and the Anambra governorship election in November, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) would meet to rectify the timetable and schedule of activities for the National Convention.
“I can confirm to you that the APC National Convention will hold on the first Saturday of December this year which may likely be December 4. After the State Congresses in October, the party will set up Appeals Committee same month and concentrate on the Anambra State governorship election coming up in November.
“After the Anambra guber, according to the plan, the party’s NEC will meet to rectify and approve the timetable and schedule of activities for the Convention within the one month statutory stipulation.
“The meeting is just formalities because NEC has already given the committee the powers to conduct the convention. However, if they are to amend the party constitution, it requires the approval of NEC.”
“Before then, the party is also looking at setting up Zoning Committee that may be a 13-man membership to be drawn two members from each geopolitical zone and a chairman.
“I can confirm to you that convention is most likely to hold first weekend of December because the national leadership knows that shifting the event beyond December will deepen the crisis within the party,” our source said.
Meanwhile, unless urgent intervention comes from the presidency, there are strong indications that the ruling party may be enmeshed in a fresh crisis as the national leadership and hitherto loyal state caretaker committee chairmen have declared war on each other over the recently concluded Congresses and date for conduct of National Convention.
The love lost is hinged on what some of the state caretaker committee chairmen described as renege by the national leadership on the agreements reached with the forum.
They had specifically frowned at the situation where the national leadership endorsed the charade Congresses conducted in some states, lamenting that the national leadership ignored many of them that complained about the unfair treatment melted on them during the Congresses.
Confirming the situation, the Enugu State Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ben Nwoye, had stated that he has personally declared war against the national leadership, threatening fire and brimstone over their lukewarm attitude to the injustice melted on him by their member, Senator Ken Nnamani.
“You will recall that the national leadership recently ordered the state caretaker committee chairmen to conduct the swearing-in of the newly elected ward and local government executives, yet they could not address various complaints we took to them about certain party chieftains shutting us out of the Congresses. If we are not relevant during the Congresses how can we swear-in the exco we petitioned the leadership against their emergence?
“We had an agreement with the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee before the Congresses, but I was surprised that they endorsed the charade Nnamani did in Enugu.
“They allowed us to be in charge of our states during the membership registration but handed over the party structure to those they considered superstars during the Congresses. For instance in Enugu, they allowed Nnamani to take charge and even gave the result sheet to him to write whoever he wants to emerge as executive.
“After sidelining me, I am waiting and watching to see how they will run the party in Enugu State after giving the party structure to Nnamani. We are just starting the fight because the baby who said its mother will not sleep will not also sleep. If they think that somebody like me will back down, they must be dreaming.
“Let me tell you that what happened in Zamfara and Rivers states during the 2019 elections will be a child’s play to what will happen in Enugu in 2023.
“Whether they like it or not, they must hold Convention by December and hand over power to a new national leadership. We don’t have party again, what is keeping APC is President Muhammadu Buhari and by next year, all these stories of Buhari said this, Buhari did not say that will be over. And once Buhari story is over, people will do whatever they want to do,” he said.
Asked if the Forum of State Chairmen is no longer functional, he said, “They have killed the Forum. Many of the forum members are no longer interested due to the manner the National Caretaker Committee has endorsed some illegality in their states.”
News
Tinubu Urges Nigeria, S’Africa To Strengthen Ties For Africa’s Dev
President Bola Tinubu yesterday stated that Nigeria and South Africa share a collective destiny to collaborate for the betterment of the African continent.
He stressed that both countries must intensify cooperation across various sectors, adding that the success of the partnership lies in the implementation, not merely the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
Tinubu made this remark yesterday during his opening address as he co-chaired the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town, South Africa.
He said, “Our successive governments on both sides have recognised our shared history of collaboration and cooperation. We must ensure that the spirit of collaboration and cooperation between our two leading countries in Africa intensifies and deepens under the leadership of our respective nations. This is not a matter of choice but of destiny, which includes a historical responsibility to the African people.”
The Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission, established in 1999, aims to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two nations. The first Heads of State-level session took place in Pretoria in October 2019.
Tinubu noted that this year’s meeting coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Commission, disclosing that Nigeria and South Africa have signed about 36 MoUs that reflect their friendship and cooperation.
The President, however, stressed that MoUs alone do not constitute success and must be backed by consistent implementation.
“The BNC has existed since 1999, with approximately three dozen MoUs and agreements in operation. The BNC has come of age. I must, however, caution that we should not count our successes by the number of MoUs signed. They are mere pieces of paper until we implement them in both spirit and letter,” he explained.
Tinubu called for a special emphasis on strengthening the relationship between the youth populations of both countries, stating that Nigeria and South Africa, with their large youthful demographics, can significantly boost their economic development.
According to him, “My desire is that we accelerate youth development. Beyond natural resources, our most precious resource is our youthful population. These young people represent the future. We must invest in their skills and potential for the good of the continent. My administration has embraced an inclusive approach, placing young people in charge of key sectors of the economy, believing that the future must start now.”
The President also assured Ramaphosa of Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening the partnership between the two nations and warned against external forces that might be threatened by the alliance between Africa’s two largest economies.
“As the adage goes, ‘The glory of the eagle does not please the kite.’ Let us remain mindful of the overt and covert hostilities that our partnership may attract. If we remain vigilant, committed, and persistent, we will soar like eagles over the predators. We must stay united in purpose,” Tinubu stated.
He also called for the creation of an anti-illegal mining group, stressing that Africa’s natural resources should benefit its people.
“One issue I want the BNC to explore is the establishment of an anti-illegal mining group. Illegal mining is robbing our nations of precious resources that could foster development. Sponsored by powerful external forces, such mining is causing strife, poverty, environmental degradation, and undermining governance. We cannot allow this scourge to hinder our progress,” Tinubu said.
He urged South Africa’s support for Nigeria’s bid to gain full membership in the G20, BRICS, and the BRICS New Development Bank, adding, “Nigeria would like to join South Africa and the African Union in the G20.”
Earlier, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted Nigeria’s role as a host for several South African companies and reaffirmed his country’s openness to Nigerian businesses, citing numerous investments and operations in South Africa.
He acknowledged the need to remove existing barriers to greater investment.
Ramaphosa said, “We need to remove the remaining constraints to investment and address challenges faced by companies in both countries. We are encouraged by the steps being taken under your leadership to improve Nigeria’s business environment, which provides assurances to investors, including South African companies.”
He also highlighted measures to simplify visa processes for Nigerian business people, including five-year multiple-entry visas for eligible applicants and a streamlined process for Nigerian tourists.
Ramaphosa expressed hope that the 11th Session of the Bi-National Commission would solidify cooperation in critical areas and stressed the importance of implementing previously agreed-upon decisions and monitoring progress.
News
PENGASSAN Plans Showdown With Oil Firms Hiring Expatriates
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is preparing for a face-off with oil companies that are prioritising expatriates for job opportunities while neglecting to hire qualified Nigerians.
PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, gave this indication during his address at the union’s National Executive Council meeting, held in Abuja, yesterday.
Osifo said the growing trend by companies to employ foreigners, mainly Indians, is contrary to the local content regulations which seek to increase local content participation to 70 per cent by 2027.
He stressed that many companies have abused the expatriates quota outlined by the government, fuelling unrest and resentment among Nigerians who feel excluded from opportunities in their industry.
He said, “A pressing concern is the high number of expatriates in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, mainly from India. While skilled foreign workers contribute to economic development, the current situation demands attention.
“We have been calling names. We are not shying away from calling names. We called out a company called Indorama and others and the issue was fixed in the past.”
Osifo further called on the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and the Ministry of Interior to stop granting employment licenses to every foreigner who comes into the country seeking employment.
He said, “We are also holding to account a government institution called Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and the Ministry of Interior, these are the people that give permits for these expatriates to come. If you go to some of these companies, vulcanizers and conductors are Indians.
“Even operators are Indians. And that should not go. So, rising from this NEC meeting, we are going to resolve that we will do everything possible to hold them to account.
“This is not the first company where this has been done. In the company where I work, for example, Total Energy, in 2015, it was a battle. It was war. We took it to them, and we ensured that the expatriate index was greatly reduced. So, we have done it before. We can also do it again. Because the more you send these expatriates away, the more, the management of these companies will open up the system and employ more Nigerians. It is so bad that our institutions are weak.
“The people that fight for the workers in Angola are not even trade unions. They are government institutions. If you work in Angola for a while, you must go back to your country and reapply again. And they ensure that the jobs that they give you in Angola are those technical jobs. So, our government must sit up. Our institutions must sit up.”
“NCDMB, Ministry of Interior, they must sit up and do what they ought to do. So, it is a battle that we are much more prepared to fight. And very, very soon, we will confront it head-on and frontally.”
Osifo also requested clarification on the proposed tax reforms bill, particularly in relation to the revenue collection mandate by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Igerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
The association asked the government to extend the tax exemption level to persons earning N150,000 per month.
“On the issues of tax reform, we are currently examining the bill. So, one of the areas that we have seen in the bill that is quite okay is to give tax relief to people who are around minimum wage. What is there in the bill today is about N800,000 per annum.
“And also, for businesses whose turnover is about 50 million Naira, we found that most of the nano and micro businesses fell within that range of 50 million. So, it’s quite good. But, what we have been advocating is that that N800,000 is too small. The government should expand it to persons earning N100,000 to N150,000 per month. So, we are studying the bill, and we are looking at those provisions that are salient. These are what we will bring up at the public hearing.
“So, when we are done with all these, we will send you a copy of our position as PENGASSAN. And in addition to what I just said, there is also a particular area that we are looking at. Today, we have NMDPRA. We have NUPRC. So, they largely pay our members from the cost of connection. But today, they want to replace that with the Nigerian Revenue Service.
“The service will be collecting revenue across the board, both from the oil and gas and customs. So, we are currently studying that provision. We would still need clarification on these issues. We are asking when these are going to form our proposal to the National Assembly during the public hearing,” he added.
When asked if any workers became unemployed as a result of the recent divestment by international oil companies, Osifo said, “We can confirm to you that as of today, there is no single job that has been lost in any of these companies as a result of divestment.
“This is because we realise that our primary function is how to safeguard jobs for our members. First, you safeguard jobs, then you start talking about pay enhancement. If the job is not there, you won’t be able to talk about pay enhancement because what are you enhancing? So first, you safeguard the job.
“So in each of the agreements that were signed, it was clearly stated, all our jobs will be safeguarded.”
News
NAFDAC Busts Fake Alcohol Factory In Lagos
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismantled a makeshift factory in the Oke Arin market, Lagos Island, where counterfeit alcoholic beverages were being illegally produced.
According to a statement via its X, yesterday, the agency, acting on a complaint, conducted a raid that led to the arrest of three men and the seizure of counterfeit drinks, empty bottles, and packaging materials.
According to NAFDAC, the seized products, which included fake versions of popular alcoholic brands, were valued at over ¦ 180 million.
The main suspect, Mr. Tochukwu Henry, confessed to refilling bottles labelled as Rémy Martin with ST-Rémy contents.
He also admitted to employing two other individuals to assist in the operation.
The statement said, “NAFDAC has raided a makeshift factory in Oke Arin market, Lagos Island, following a complaint about the illegal production of alcoholic beverages. Three men were apprehended and various counterfeit alcoholic drinks, empty bottles, and packaging materials were seized.
“The products, valued at over ¦ 180 million, included fake versions of popular brands. The main suspect, Mr. Tochukwu Henry, confessed to refilling bottles labelled as Rémy Martin with ST-Rémy contents and employing two others to assist in the illicit operation.
“All suspects are currently in custody for further investigation. NAFDAC calls on the public to remain vigilant, especially during the festive season, and to report suspicious activities and products to the nearest NAFDAC office.”
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