The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission has fixed August 22, 2020 for local government elections in the state.
Yomi Dinakin, ODIEC Chairman, made the announcement in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday.
The commission had previously fixed December 18, 2018 and April 18, 2020 for the exercise but postponed it due to some factors including the outbreak of Coronavirus.
Thirteen political parties have shown interest in participating in the council elections out of a total of 18.
Dinakin said the election would be conducted in strict compliance with the guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
He said, “Contestants are enjoined to use social media, electronic, print, and others to canvas for votes within the stipulated period of campaigns.
“On the day of the election, the commission shall demand and enforce compliance with health protocols such as physical distancing, hand washing, use of sanitisers, face mask and other procedures.”
The ODIEC Chairman added that the accreditation of voters shall commence at 8:00am and close by 3:00pm while vehicular movement would be restricted except for those on essential duties on election day.
The Ondo State House of Assembly has approved N1.2bn for the electoral commission for the conduct of the exercise.
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The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission has fixed August 22, 2020 for local government elections in the state.
Yomi Dinakin, ODIEC Chairman, made the announcement in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday.
The commission had previously fixed December 18, 2018 and April 18, 2020 for the exercise but postponed it due to some factors including the outbreak of Coronavirus.
Thirteen political parties have shown interest in participating in the council elections out of a total of 18.
Dinakin said the election would be conducted in strict compliance with the guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
He said, “Contestants are enjoined to use social media, electronic, print, and others to canvas for votes within the stipulated period of campaigns.
“On the day of the election, the commission shall demand and enforce compliance with health protocols such as physical distancing, hand washing, use of sanitisers, face mask and other procedures.”
The ODIEC Chairman added that the accreditation of voters shall commence at 8:00am and close by 3:00pm while vehicular movement would be restricted except for those on essential duties on election day.
The Ondo State House of Assembly has approved N1.2bn for the electoral commission for the conduct of the exercise.
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One of the things that Nigeria has come to be notorious for is the endemic corruption that pervades every sector in the country. These maladies are the reasons for the continued migration of a good number of the population to other climes. It is bad enough that the situation of things in the country is degenerating but worse that many businesses are made to go through harrowing experiences in the hands of those who are supposed to make the system better. A good example of this is what is going on in the Apapa port and the harrowing experiences that businesses tied to this port have been undergoing and still undergo. From time immemorial till 2019, truck drivers, and clearing agencies have become the milking cow in the hands of the police and some conniving Ports Authority staff. It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eyes than for a truck to go into the port to load their consignments.
Early in the year, the Nigerian Ports Authority decided to decongest the traffic on the road as well limit the extortion of trucks and clearing agencies by police and so ordered that all trucks should come in through the Lilypond. From there, they are expected to process their call-up letter before leaving the garage. To process the call-up letter, you will send the truck number to load the delivery, the name of the driver of the truck, and the documents of the delivery to be taken. With the call-up letter which takes not less than two weeks to process, a truck driver is allowed to go into the port and take his delivery and this was going on well for less than two months. The NPA had to stop this because the police was frustrating their efforts. Some trucks and big clearing agencies whose trucks do not follow the laid down procedure pay the police between N120,000 and 150,000 to have their trucks go into the wharf just like that while those who have their trucks parked at the Lilypond are still forced by police officers on the road to part with as much as between N50,000 and 70,000. Should a truck refuse to play ball, he is turned back. Let me quickly say it that while a truck is waiting for the call-up letter, demurrage is piling up (N20,400 per day) and additional terminal charges of N12,250 per day, all these excluding the 7.5% VAT. This is aside many paying a tip off of at least N10,000 to facilitate the call-up. The implication of this is that many prefer to just pay the police whatever they will and save themselves the stress and accumulated payment of demurrage and terminal charges.
When the NPA, on hearing of the heavy extortion by the police, decided that it will henceforth not allow any truck without call-up letter into the port, the police also decided not to allow trucks with call-up letters and earlier parked at the Lilypond to come into the port. A truck is expected to part with money at different places. Just on top of the bridge, the crop of police officers will demand N30,000 and that is not negotiable. When you descend from the bridge down to airways just Area B Command, there are also police officers who demand between N10,000 and N30,000 depending on their bargaining power. The police officers whose checkpoint is around Eleganza and those close to Etisalat demand N10,000 each. When clearing agencies and truck drivers could no longer cope with these extortions, they decided to go inside the port through the barges but what did the almighty police do? They sealed up the jetties on the orders of the Commissioner of Police who also doubles as the Head of the enforcement unit of the Presidential Taskforce on Apapa gridlock in Lagos, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, who is also said to be acting on orders from Abuja. The trucks in the jetties were not released until each paid the sum of N55,000 and we are talking of way over a hundred trucks locked in the jetties. Suffice that this is not the first time that a thing as this will happen as truck drivers who truck were locked up in the jetties around late 2019 also had to pay N55,000 to secure the release of their trucks. While one cannot confirm the involvement of the senior police officer in this shameful act, the police officers give an impression that they are acting on orders from the top.
One begins to wonder how a business is expected to thrive in this kind of condition where you are milked dry and the government still expects that you live up to your civic obligations of paying taxes after its agents have ripped you off on all sides. A lot of clearing agencies who cannot stand the heat have had to close shop due to this while others are heaving hard under the burden of the extortions. Interestingly, it seems the powers-that-be have their presence in the media as many attempts to put this out there have been stifled several times. As a country governed by laws, we should not let it get to the terrible situation where truck drivers resort to a strike and make a public shame of the country before drastic action is taken against this action. This is definitely not a good way to ensure the ease of doing business. There are a million ways to kill a business and this comes in the top three.
Nigerian students under the aegis of the Niger Delta Students Union Government have asked the Niger Delta Development Commission to begin payment of allowances to students studying abroad under the scholarship programme of the commission.
The students made the demand when they staged a protest to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday.
The students berated the commission for awarding scholarships to the students and ignoring them abroad.
SaharaReporters had reported that many scholars abroad were at risk of having their institutions terminate their academic programmes as the NDDC had refused to pay their tuition for about two years.
The students abroad said the commission refused to pay their mobilisation fee and tuition fees.
NIDSUG expressed dissatisfaction at NDDC, condemning the insincerity of the commission over the years to adequately fund and focus on educational development in the region.
"We express our displeasure against the policy if the NDDC that brought about the scholarship cannot pay for it.
"After two years they have been unable to pay them, enough is enough.
"The scholars are currently stranded in different countries abroad. They are stranded and suffering,” said Comrade N-epba Goodness, National President of NIDSUG, while speaking at the protest scene.
The Niger Delta students issued a five-day ultimatum to the commission to pay the students abroad or risk picketing from them.
They also said they were in support of the forensic audit of the NDDC from inception but requested that the audit be done by independent firms, and not be piloted by politicians, who are alleged to be implicated by the audit.
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Nigerian students under the aegis of the Niger Delta Students Union Government have asked the Niger Delta Development Commission to begin payment of allowances to students studying abroad under the scholarship programme of the commission.
The students made the demand when they staged a protest to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday.
The students berated the commission for awarding scholarships to the students and ignoring them abroad.
SaharaReporters had reported that many scholars abroad were at risk of having their institutions terminate their academic programmes as the NDDC had refused to pay their tuition for about two years.
The students abroad said the commission refused to pay their mobilisation fee and tuition fees.
NIDSUG expressed dissatisfaction at NDDC, condemning the insincerity of the commission over the years to adequately fund and focus on educational development in the region.
"We express our displeasure against the policy if the NDDC that brought about the scholarship cannot pay for it.
"After two years they have been unable to pay them, enough is enough.
"The scholars are currently stranded in different countries abroad. They are stranded and suffering,” said Comrade N-epba Goodness, National President of NIDSUG, while speaking at the protest scene.
The Niger Delta students issued a five-day ultimatum to the commission to pay the students abroad or risk picketing from them.
They also said they were in support of the forensic audit of the NDDC from inception but requested that the audit be done by independent firms, and not be piloted by politicians, who are alleged to be implicated by the audit.
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Ahead of the governorship election in Ondo State, students in public tertiary institutions across the state on Tuesday denied endorsing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for re-election into office.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had fixed the state’s governorship election for October 10, 2020.
Speaking through Students Union Government Presidents in the four tertiary institutions in the state on in Akure, the state capital, the undergraduates from the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Federal College of Agriculture Akure (FECA), Adeyemi College of Education (ACE) Ondo, and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECTH) Okitipupa, said they were more concerned about their education than the politics of the state.
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
Speaking on behalf of the students with SaharaReporters, Obagunwa Oluwasegun Daniel, SUG President of AAUA, explained that “some group of unscrupulous former students under the aegis of the Aketi Students Support Group” had been moving around to malign the image of all students in the state for their personal gains.
He said, “We (students) are, as a matter of urgency, refuting the claim that all student leaders in Ondo state have thrown our weight behind the re-election of Akeredolu. We have not and that is the truth.
“We have a series of requests on the table of the governor which have not been attended to and as student leaders we have the interest and welfare of our students by heart.”
He noted that the SUG leaders across higher institutions in the state were offered bribes to endorse Governor Akeredolu for a second term in office but turned down the offer.
According to him, the governor had refused to reverse the increment in tuition of all state government-owned tertiary institutions and might find it difficult to get the support of the students.
He added, “As students, we have been seeking the full reversal on the tuition increments across all campuses in the state and demanding that the visitor (Governor Akeredolu) to these schools implement all the agreements earlier reached with the students to uplift infrastructure on campuses.
“So, we are more concerned about getting a positive reply to all our requests on Mr. Governor’s table instead of being tangled between the politics of the day.
“We sought for peace among all students and we appeal to all politicians to take politics off our campus. We have not in any way or form, supported the re-election bid of governor Akeredolu or any aspirant from any political party in the state. If need be to endorse, we will consider our students interest first before doing it.”
He added that the student union leaders had also written a petition to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, to arrest those impersonating them.
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Ahead of the governorship election in Ondo State, students in public tertiary institutions across the state on Tuesday denied endorsing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for re-election into office.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had fixed the state’s governorship election for October 10, 2020.
Speaking through Students Union Government Presidents in the four tertiary institutions in the state on in Akure, the state capital, the undergraduates from the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Federal College of Agriculture Akure (FECA), Adeyemi College of Education (ACE) Ondo, and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECTH) Okitipupa, said they were more concerned about their education than the politics of the state.
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
Speaking on behalf of the students with SaharaReporters, Obagunwa Oluwasegun Daniel, SUG President of AAUA, explained that “some group of unscrupulous former students under the aegis of the Aketi Students Support Group” had been moving around to malign the image of all students in the state for their personal gains.
He said, “We (students) are, as a matter of urgency, refuting the claim that all student leaders in Ondo state have thrown our weight behind the re-election of Akeredolu. We have not and that is the truth.
“We have a series of requests on the table of the governor which have not been attended to and as student leaders we have the interest and welfare of our students by heart.”
He noted that the SUG leaders across higher institutions in the state were offered bribes to endorse Governor Akeredolu for a second term in office but turned down the offer.
According to him, the governor had refused to reverse the increment in tuition of all state government-owned tertiary institutions and might find it difficult to get the support of the students.
He added, “As students, we have been seeking the full reversal on the tuition increments across all campuses in the state and demanding that the visitor (Governor Akeredolu) to these schools implement all the agreements earlier reached with the students to uplift infrastructure on campuses.
“So, we are more concerned about getting a positive reply to all our requests on Mr. Governor’s table instead of being tangled between the politics of the day.
“We sought for peace among all students and we appeal to all politicians to take politics off our campus. We have not in any way or form, supported the re-election bid of governor Akeredolu or any aspirant from any political party in the state. If need be to endorse, we will consider our students interest first before doing it.”
He added that the student union leaders had also written a petition to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, to arrest those impersonating them.
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Ahead of the governorship election in Ondo State, students in public tertiary institutions across the state on Tuesday denied endorsing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for re-election into office.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had fixed the state’s governorship election for October 10, 2020.
Speaking through Students Union Government Presidents in the four tertiary institutions in the state on in Akure, the state capital, the undergraduates from the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Federal College of Agriculture Akure (FECA), Adeyemi College of Education (ACE) Ondo, and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECTH) Okitipupa, said they were more concerned about their education than the politics of the state.
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
Speaking on behalf of the students with SaharaReporters, Obagunwa Oluwasegun Daniel, SUG President of AAUA, explained that “some group of unscrupulous former students under the aegis of the Aketi Students Support Group” had been moving around to malign the image of all students in the state for their personal gains.
He said, “We (students) are, as a matter of urgency, refuting the claim that all student leaders in Ondo state have thrown our weight behind the re-election of Akeredolu. We have not and that is the truth.
“We have a series of requests on the table of the governor which have not been attended to and as student leaders we have the interest and welfare of our students by heart.”
He noted that the SUG leaders across higher institutions in the state were offered bribes to endorse Governor Akeredolu for a second term in office but turned down the offer.
According to him, the governor had refused to reverse the increment in tuition of all state government-owned tertiary institutions and might find it difficult to get the support of the students.
He added, “As students, we have been seeking the full reversal on the tuition increments across all campuses in the state and demanding that the visitor (Governor Akeredolu) to these schools implement all the agreements earlier reached with the students to uplift infrastructure on campuses.
“So, we are more concerned about getting a positive reply to all our requests on Mr. Governor’s table instead of being tangled between the politics of the day.
“We sought for peace among all students and we appeal to all politicians to take politics off our campus. We have not in any way or form, supported the re-election bid of governor Akeredolu or any aspirant from any political party in the state. If need be to endorse, we will consider our students interest first before doing it.”
He added that the student union leaders had also written a petition to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami, to arrest those impersonating them.
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Ahead of the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has said the exercise would be a replay of what happened in the 2016 election, which he won.
Akeredolu said that even though he would be facing Mr Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, in an election for the second time, he would defeat him again.
He spoke at the National secretariat of the APC shortly after appearing before the Ondo State Governorship Appeal Committee of the party, noting that not even the defection of his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, to the PDP would stop his re-election.
While advising Ajayi to remain in the PDP with Jegede rather than jumping ship again, Akeredolu said he made a great mistake by picking him as his deputy.
He said, "We thought we could accommodate him (Ajayi) at the APC but since he returned to where he truly belonged, it is all well and good.
“From what I have been told, he has lost the ticket and I pray he won’t jump to another place but if he does, all well and good.
"However, for his own sake and as a big brother, I will advise him to stay with Jegede, support him very well.
"He has made a case that he helped me to win, let him help him to win and we will confirm that he is popular. What I know is that he is of no importance, he has no hold on any local government, I can assure you that will come during the election.
"I will defeat him in his local government and he will never recover from it. He is of no influence anywhere and we picked him because we felt we have someone from PDP coming to join us. We picked him to join us but he feels and tells people that he is grass-rooted.
"Let me advise him again to stay with Jegede and let us see what happens. Jegede is my friend. We are colleagues and both members of the inner bar,
"I don’t have anything against him and I just pray that our campaign should be issue-based without violence and I know that he knows that it will not be easy for him.
"Yes, it may not be easy for me to win, but by His Grace, I am going to win. I can assure that as it was in the beginning, so it shall be now and forevermore. We will win this election by the grace of God.”
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Ahead of the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has said the exercise would be a replay of what happened in the 2016 election, which he won.
Akeredolu said that even though he would be facing Mr Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, in an election for the second time, he would defeat him again.
He spoke at the National secretariat of the APC shortly after appearing before the Ondo State Governorship Appeal Committee of the party, noting that not even the defection of his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, to the PDP would stop his re-election.
While advising Ajayi to remain in the PDP with Jegede rather than jumping ship again, Akeredolu said he made a great mistake by picking him as his deputy.
He said, "We thought we could accommodate him (Ajayi) at the APC but since he returned to where he truly belonged, it is all well and good.
“From what I have been told, he has lost the ticket and I pray he won’t jump to another place but if he does, all well and good.
"However, for his own sake and as a big brother, I will advise him to stay with Jegede, support him very well.
"He has made a case that he helped me to win, let him help him to win and we will confirm that he is popular. What I know is that he is of no importance, he has no hold on any local government, I can assure you that will come during the election.
"I will defeat him in his local government and he will never recover from it. He is of no influence anywhere and we picked him because we felt we have someone from PDP coming to join us. We picked him to join us but he feels and tells people that he is grass-rooted.
"Let me advise him again to stay with Jegede and let us see what happens. Jegede is my friend. We are colleagues and both members of the inner bar,
"I don’t have anything against him and I just pray that our campaign should be issue-based without violence and I know that he knows that it will not be easy for him.
"Yes, it may not be easy for me to win, but by His Grace, I am going to win. I can assure that as it was in the beginning, so it shall be now and forevermore. We will win this election by the grace of God.”
PoliticsNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2ZeUvV3
Ahead of the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has said the exercise would be a replay of what happened in the 2016 election, which he won.
Akeredolu said that even though he would be facing Mr Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, in an election for the second time, he would defeat him again.
He spoke at the National secretariat of the APC shortly after appearing before the Ondo State Governorship Appeal Committee of the party, noting that not even the defection of his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, to the PDP would stop his re-election.
While advising Ajayi to remain in the PDP with Jegede rather than jumping ship again, Akeredolu said he made a great mistake by picking him as his deputy.
He said, "We thought we could accommodate him (Ajayi) at the APC but since he returned to where he truly belonged, it is all well and good.
“From what I have been told, he has lost the ticket and I pray he won’t jump to another place but if he does, all well and good.
"However, for his own sake and as a big brother, I will advise him to stay with Jegede, support him very well.
"He has made a case that he helped me to win, let him help him to win and we will confirm that he is popular. What I know is that he is of no importance, he has no hold on any local government, I can assure you that will come during the election.
"I will defeat him in his local government and he will never recover from it. He is of no influence anywhere and we picked him because we felt we have someone from PDP coming to join us. We picked him to join us but he feels and tells people that he is grass-rooted.
"Let me advise him again to stay with Jegede and let us see what happens. Jegede is my friend. We are colleagues and both members of the inner bar,
"I don’t have anything against him and I just pray that our campaign should be issue-based without violence and I know that he knows that it will not be easy for him.
"Yes, it may not be easy for me to win, but by His Grace, I am going to win. I can assure that as it was in the beginning, so it shall be now and forevermore. We will win this election by the grace of God.”
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The Central Bank of Nigeria has been advised to stop coercing deposit money banks to keep giving out loans.
Agusto & Co said in its 2020 banking report that forcing DMB’s to grow their borrowing will encourage ‘weaker risk management practices.
The indigenous rating firm said a further slowdown in economic activities or a total lockdown would be crippling for the banking industry.
Predicting a rise in problematic loans, the firm said, “Our expectations are driven by the regulatory-induced growth in the loan book driven by the minimum loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) policy, which sanctions banks for non-compliance through additional CRR debits. Agusto & Co. believes that banks should not be forced to lend as this may encourage weaker risk management practices.”
While stating that it expects the Nigerian economy to shrink by six per cent in a worst case scenario, the entity said, “A further slowdown in economic activities and a total lockdown may worsen an already bad situation.”
The finance research firm is more troubled by the high rate of loans by commercial lenders that have worsened since they were issued.
Citing CBN data, Agusto and CO notes that 23 per cent of the loans held by Nigerian banks had depreciated from the default stage one to stage two.
“Agusto & Co. believes that the volume of stage two loans is a threat to the Industry’s asset quality and future profitability. Stage two loans primarily comprise exposures with an increase in the associated credit risk compared to when the loan was disbursed.
"The COVID-19 pandemic with its impact on businesses has elicited an increase in the volume of stage two loans," the report reads partly.
The rating company also notes that the loan portfolio of four banks already have more than 23 per cent of its lending classified as stage two loans. The threshold for concern is 23 per cent.
The firm also predicts that the decaying loans could threaten the capital base of the banking industry.
Citing CBN data, it said only seven per cent of stage two loans were planned for by the Nigerian banking industry.
Asides from dealing with the prospect of stage two loans, Nigerian banks are exposed to the troubled oil, gas and power sectors, all of which have dollar components.
Q1 2020 data shows that 26 per cent of the banks’ loans are tied to the foreign-denominated oil and gas industry.
This implies that the loans would swell up as a result of the naira devaluation.
Q1 data also shows that the bad loans held by Nigerian banks increased by 99 per cent.
The CBN had in July 2019 mandated all banks to give out 60 per cent of its deposit as loans.
When the September 30 deadline for compliance reached, N499bn was debited from the cash reserves of the defaulting banks domiciled with the CBN.
The apex bank then increased the percentage of loans to be given out of a commercial bank’s deposit to 65 per cent.
By the end of December, an increased N650bn was taken out of non-complying banks’ cash reserves.
This policy has, according to observers, triggered spikes in the inter-bank lending rate, which in turn affects the interest rate the lenders are forced to add on loans given to the public.
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The Central Bank of Nigeria has been advised to stop coercing deposit money banks to keep giving out loans.
Agusto & Co said in its 2020 banking report that forcing DMB’s to grow their borrowing will encourage ‘weaker risk management practices.
The indigenous rating firm said a further slowdown in economic activities or a total lockdown would be crippling for the banking industry.
Predicting a rise in problematic loans, the firm said, “Our expectations are driven by the regulatory-induced growth in the loan book driven by the minimum loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) policy, which sanctions banks for non-compliance through additional CRR debits. Agusto & Co. believes that banks should not be forced to lend as this may encourage weaker risk management practices.”
While stating that it expects the Nigerian economy to shrink by six per cent in a worst case scenario, the entity said, “A further slowdown in economic activities and a total lockdown may worsen an already bad situation.”
The finance research firm is more troubled by the high rate of loans by commercial lenders that have worsened since they were issued.
Citing CBN data, Agusto and CO notes that 23 per cent of the loans held by Nigerian banks had depreciated from the default stage one to stage two.
“Agusto & Co. believes that the volume of stage two loans is a threat to the Industry’s asset quality and future profitability. Stage two loans primarily comprise exposures with an increase in the associated credit risk compared to when the loan was disbursed.
"The COVID-19 pandemic with its impact on businesses has elicited an increase in the volume of stage two loans," the report reads partly.
The rating company also notes that the loan portfolio of four banks already have more than 23 per cent of its lending classified as stage two loans. The threshold for concern is 23 per cent.
The firm also predicts that the decaying loans could threaten the capital base of the banking industry.
Citing CBN data, it said only seven per cent of stage two loans were planned for by the Nigerian banking industry.
Asides from dealing with the prospect of stage two loans, Nigerian banks are exposed to the troubled oil, gas and power sectors, all of which have dollar components.
Q1 2020 data shows that 26 per cent of the banks’ loans are tied to the foreign-denominated oil and gas industry.
This implies that the loans would swell up as a result of the naira devaluation.
Q1 data also shows that the bad loans held by Nigerian banks increased by 99 per cent.
The CBN had in July 2019 mandated all banks to give out 60 per cent of its deposit as loans.
When the September 30 deadline for compliance reached, N499bn was debited from the cash reserves of the defaulting banks domiciled with the CBN.
The apex bank then increased the percentage of loans to be given out of a commercial bank’s deposit to 65 per cent.
By the end of December, an increased N650bn was taken out of non-complying banks’ cash reserves.
This policy has, according to observers, triggered spikes in the inter-bank lending rate, which in turn affects the interest rate the lenders are forced to add on loans given to the public.
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The Christian Association of Nigeria has called on the Nigerian Government to begin a genuine intervention in putting an end to the incessant killings in Southern Kaduna.
The umbrella Christian body in the country chided the government for allowing the killings to continue through its inaction.
President of CAN, Samson Ayokunle, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, posited that killings in Southern Kaduna continue to rise despite assurances from both the federal and Kaduna State Governments to nip the crisis in the bud.
Ayokunle questioned why the crisis in Kaduna State was only in the Southern part of the state, wondering why security agencies are yet to confront the killers.
CAN President
The statement reads, “Why is it the predominant Christian Southern Kaduna all the time? Don’t we have Northern Kaduna?
“Where is the statistical evidence for that? Who are the politicians involved in this inhuman and callous act that the Federal authorities have failed to apprehend or name? Do they have the right to be doing this scot-free if it is true?
“While the present bloodbaths in the southern part of Kaduna state has been shown to be acts of criminality that should have attracted sanctions, the lacklustre disposition of the government in stopping further massacre of Christians and decimation of their communities by terrorist herdsmen speaks volumes on how government values human lives and genuine intervention. Should the gunmen and terrorists be more powerful than a legitimate government?
“Why couldn’t the Kaduna State Government with Federal authorities go into the bush where these herdsmen are and apprehend them? Why couldn’t they mop up the ammunition with which they are doing havoc?
“We equally observe that the government must redeem its image by addressing the constant murders and ethnic war going on in Taraba State, the constant herdsmen’s attack on people of Benue State and the senseless banditry in the Northwest of this country.
“The time is now for those God has committed leadership of this country to their hands to show more pragmatism and commitment. We have no other people to look up to for security than those of you in government. That was one of the reasons we put you there for all of us.
“People should not be allowed to result in self-help, but if this situation is not addressed, self-help might be the alternative because nobody would keep on watching for these nuisance to continue to be on the prowl and snuff life out of him or her.”
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The Christian Association of Nigeria has called on the Nigerian Government to begin a genuine intervention in putting an end to the incessant killings in Southern Kaduna.
The umbrella Christian body in the country chided the government for allowing the killings to continue through its inaction.
President of CAN, Samson Ayokunle, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, posited that killings in Southern Kaduna continue to rise despite assurances from both the federal and Kaduna State Governments to nip the crisis in the bud.
Ayokunle questioned why the crisis in Kaduna State was only in the Southern part of the state, wondering why security agencies are yet to confront the killers.
CAN President
The statement reads, “Why is it the predominant Christian Southern Kaduna all the time? Don’t we have Northern Kaduna?
“Where is the statistical evidence for that? Who are the politicians involved in this inhuman and callous act that the Federal authorities have failed to apprehend or name? Do they have the right to be doing this scot-free if it is true?
“While the present bloodbaths in the southern part of Kaduna state has been shown to be acts of criminality that should have attracted sanctions, the lacklustre disposition of the government in stopping further massacre of Christians and decimation of their communities by terrorist herdsmen speaks volumes on how government values human lives and genuine intervention. Should the gunmen and terrorists be more powerful than a legitimate government?
“Why couldn’t the Kaduna State Government with Federal authorities go into the bush where these herdsmen are and apprehend them? Why couldn’t they mop up the ammunition with which they are doing havoc?
“We equally observe that the government must redeem its image by addressing the constant murders and ethnic war going on in Taraba State, the constant herdsmen’s attack on people of Benue State and the senseless banditry in the Northwest of this country.
“The time is now for those God has committed leadership of this country to their hands to show more pragmatism and commitment. We have no other people to look up to for security than those of you in government. That was one of the reasons we put you there for all of us.
“People should not be allowed to result in self-help, but if this situation is not addressed, self-help might be the alternative because nobody would keep on watching for these nuisance to continue to be on the prowl and snuff life out of him or her.”
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction of Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mohammadu Mamu.
Mamu, a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian Air Force Holding Company and Air Force Commanding, Training Command, was pronounced guilty by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
This followed the appellate court’s reversal of his discharge and acquittal on corruption charges earlier pronounced by Justice Salisu Garba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, a statement by Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, said.
The three-man panel of the Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgment on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, convicted and sentenced Mamu to two years imprisonment in respect of one out of the four counts.
The judgment read by Justice Yargata Byenchit Nimpar, which also had Justices Abdu Aboki and Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, acquitted him on three other counts – one, three and four.
Mamu was one of the senior military officers accused of abusing their positions by the Presidential Committee on the Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement, which was mandated to look into contracts awarded for military procurement.
The EFCC filed a four-count charge against Mamu in 2016 and was tried before the High Court of the FCT, following which Justice Garba in a judgment on June 29, 2018 discharged and acquitted him on all four counts and held among others that the prosecution failed to prove its case, a decision EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, appealed.
Justice Nimpar faulted the trial court’s rejection of the confessional statement made to investigators by Mamu, which the prosecution tendered in evidence at trial, noting that, “The trial court failed in its duty by applying principles of law in a flawed manner, leading to the striking out of the confessional statement.
“He (the trial judge) erred. There was no legal basis for that action. Considering the evidence before the court, there was corroboration for the confessional statement particularly, the SEI Ltd’s payment for the cars, to the fertilizer company in which his (Mamu’s) daughters are directors.
“I find the confessional statement good to be evaluated for weight. I therefore disagree with the trial judge and find that the confessional statement was properly in evidence and must be evaluated along with other pieces of evidence before the court.
“The sum of $300,000 was not legitimate income from his (Mamu’s) employers. Mr. Hima Aboubakar was not the respondent's employer and had no business paying the respondent any sum as appreciation. This is coming at the backdrop of the admission by the respondent that he got more than he was allegedly entitled to.
“On count two, I find for the appellant that it proved the allegation beyond reasonable doubt. I find the respondent guilty on count two. On counts one, three and four, there was no direct admission and even though it was established that the respondents got cars paid for by SEI Nig Ltd (Hima Aboubakar) and delivered by Coscharis.
“Flowing from above therefore, the respondent is discharged and acquitted on counts one, three and four of the charge, but guilty of count two.
“Considering the circumstances and the facts in this appeal, particularly the fact that the respondent quickly refunded the sum of $300,000, there is no history of previous conviction before the court.
“Therefore, in exercise of the court’s discretion, the respondent is hereby sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and in the alternative, an option of N500, 000 fine.”
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction of Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mohammadu Mamu.
Mamu, a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian Air Force Holding Company and Air Force Commanding, Training Command, was pronounced guilty by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
This followed the appellate court’s reversal of his discharge and acquittal on corruption charges earlier pronounced by Justice Salisu Garba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, a statement by Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, said.
The three-man panel of the Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgment on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, convicted and sentenced Mamu to two years imprisonment in respect of one out of the four counts.
The judgment read by Justice Yargata Byenchit Nimpar, which also had Justices Abdu Aboki and Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, acquitted him on three other counts – one, three and four.
Mamu was one of the senior military officers accused of abusing their positions by the Presidential Committee on the Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement, which was mandated to look into contracts awarded for military procurement.
The EFCC filed a four-count charge against Mamu in 2016 and was tried before the High Court of the FCT, following which Justice Garba in a judgment on June 29, 2018 discharged and acquitted him on all four counts and held among others that the prosecution failed to prove its case, a decision EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, appealed.
Justice Nimpar faulted the trial court’s rejection of the confessional statement made to investigators by Mamu, which the prosecution tendered in evidence at trial, noting that, “The trial court failed in its duty by applying principles of law in a flawed manner, leading to the striking out of the confessional statement.
“He (the trial judge) erred. There was no legal basis for that action. Considering the evidence before the court, there was corroboration for the confessional statement particularly, the SEI Ltd’s payment for the cars, to the fertilizer company in which his (Mamu’s) daughters are directors.
“I find the confessional statement good to be evaluated for weight. I therefore disagree with the trial judge and find that the confessional statement was properly in evidence and must be evaluated along with other pieces of evidence before the court.
“The sum of $300,000 was not legitimate income from his (Mamu’s) employers. Mr. Hima Aboubakar was not the respondent's employer and had no business paying the respondent any sum as appreciation. This is coming at the backdrop of the admission by the respondent that he got more than he was allegedly entitled to.
“On count two, I find for the appellant that it proved the allegation beyond reasonable doubt. I find the respondent guilty on count two. On counts one, three and four, there was no direct admission and even though it was established that the respondents got cars paid for by SEI Nig Ltd (Hima Aboubakar) and delivered by Coscharis.
“Flowing from above therefore, the respondent is discharged and acquitted on counts one, three and four of the charge, but guilty of count two.
“Considering the circumstances and the facts in this appeal, particularly the fact that the respondent quickly refunded the sum of $300,000, there is no history of previous conviction before the court.
“Therefore, in exercise of the court’s discretion, the respondent is hereby sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and in the alternative, an option of N500, 000 fine.”
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The Presidential Investigative Panel headed by former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, is being used by Nigeria's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to frustrate some high-profile cases handled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission he has personal interest in, SaharaReporters has gathered.
The panel is investigating corruption allegations against the suspended Acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu.
Magu’s travail followed a memo by Malami accusing him of grave malfeasance and mismanagement of recovered loot.
He was also alleged to have sold seized assets to associates and refused to subject himself to the supervision of the office of the AGF.
Abubakar Malami
Arrested on July 6 by a combined team of security personnel including officers of the Department of State Services and policemen before being taken to Aso Villa to face the investigative panel, Magu was detained for 10 days at the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja before being released on bail.
He has since denied all allegations levelled against him, describing them as baseless.
Magu has also accused Malami of always interfering with the EFCC's investigations and working with others to strip it of its statutory powers.
Giving more insight into the situation on Monday, a source, who spoke with SaharaReporters, disclosed that Malami had already been using the Presidential Investigative Panel to kill a number of high-profile cases handled by the EFCC.
Without prejudice to his ongoing corruption trial, the AGF brought a former Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Dauda Lawal, to appear before the panel to testify against Magu with a promise that the money laundering charges against him will be dropped.
Lawal is currently standing trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly receiving $25m out of the $153m loot traced to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The EFCC had frozen Lawal’s accounts and applied for the permanent forfeiture of his funds, which the ex-banker challenged.
In a counter-affidavit he deposed to which formed the basis for his invitation by the panel, Lawal said the EFCC detained him for 11 days in 2016 and promised to release him only on the condition that he return some funds.
On how he received the $25m, Lawal said he received a call from a friend, Stanley Lawson, in March 2015 to help collect the money, which he subsequently paid into an account provided to him.
SaharaReporters gathered that another witness, which Malami promised to discontinue his case using the Presidential Investigative Panel, is a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), who is currently standing trial on money laundering-related charges involving about N400m.
The case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017, is before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Adoke was accused of among others receiving the dollar equivalent of N300m from Abubakar, paying the dollar equivalent of N367,318,800 to one Usman Mohammed Bello, and allegedly using the sum of N300m, which was alleged to be part of the proceeds of unlawful activities all in violation of various provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
He was also accused of making “structured cash payments in 22 tranches” amounting to N80m, another of such structured payments in 13 tranches summing up to N50m into his Unity Bank account.
EFCC alleged that the funds were not only part of the proceeds of unlawful acts but they also exceeded “thresholds outside a financial institution” and that the payments were done with the intention of concealing the origins of the funds contrary to section 15(2(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same law.
Meanwhile, a letter from the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited in 2017 seen by SaharaReporters, commended the suspended Acting EFCC boss for the commission’s diligent handling of the recovery of debts from oil marketers.
There were media reports that the investigative panel probing allegations of corruption against Magu raised the issue of alleged misappropriation of the NNPC funds.
However, the commendation by the PPMC may have countered that argument.
“Further to our previous correspondences to your office in respect of the above subject matter, please note that till date, the debts recovered from major marketers include N87,028,851,268.17 and N242,121,256,468.03 for legacy and current debts respectively leaving a balance of N20,604,109,123.90 (broken down into N4,426,439,240.00 - legacy debts and N16,177,669,883.90 - current debts).
“These amounts have been agreed with the marketers that they shall be deducted and paid from their outstanding entitlements or payments due to the marketers from the Federal Ministry of Finance and which will bring to an end the debt recovery effort.
“We wish to express our profound gratitude for the successful collaboration between EFCC and PPMC/NNPC which largely resulted in the huge recovery of debts from the marketers, from the inception of the recovery exercise in 2016 till date. We appreciate your commission’s professional and diligent handling of the recovery of debts from the marketers throughout the period and we look forward for further collaboration,” the letter signed by Umai I Ajiya, Managing Director of PPMC, read.
The Presidential Investigative Panel headed by former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, is being used by Nigeria's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to frustrate some high-profile cases handled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission he has personal interest in, SaharaReporters has gathered.
The panel is investigating corruption allegations against the suspended Acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu.
Magu’s travail followed a memo by Malami accusing him of grave malfeasance and mismanagement of recovered loot.
He was also alleged to have sold seized assets to associates and refused to subject himself to the supervision of the office of the AGF.
Abubakar Malami
Arrested on July 6 by a combined team of security personnel including officers of the Department of State Services and policemen before being taken to Aso Villa to face the investigative panel, Magu was detained for 10 days at the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja before being released on bail.
He has since denied all allegations levelled against him, describing them as baseless.
Magu has also accused Malami of always interfering with the EFCC's investigations and working with others to strip it of its statutory powers.
Giving more insight into the situation on Monday, a source, who spoke with SaharaReporters, disclosed that Malami had already been using the Presidential Investigative Panel to kill a number of high-profile cases handled by the EFCC.
Without prejudice to his ongoing corruption trial, the AGF brought a former Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Dauda Lawal, to appear before the panel to testify against Magu with a promise that the money laundering charges against him will be dropped.
Lawal is currently standing trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly receiving $25m out of the $153m loot traced to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The EFCC had frozen Lawal’s accounts and applied for the permanent forfeiture of his funds, which the ex-banker challenged.
In a counter-affidavit he deposed to which formed the basis for his invitation by the panel, Lawal said the EFCC detained him for 11 days in 2016 and promised to release him only on the condition that he return some funds.
On how he received the $25m, Lawal said he received a call from a friend, Stanley Lawson, in March 2015 to help collect the money, which he subsequently paid into an account provided to him.
SaharaReporters gathered that another witness, which Malami promised to discontinue his case using the Presidential Investigative Panel, is a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), who is currently standing trial on money laundering-related charges involving about N400m.
The case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017, is before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Adoke was accused of among others receiving the dollar equivalent of N300m from Abubakar, paying the dollar equivalent of N367,318,800 to one Usman Mohammed Bello, and allegedly using the sum of N300m, which was alleged to be part of the proceeds of unlawful activities all in violation of various provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
He was also accused of making “structured cash payments in 22 tranches” amounting to N80m, another of such structured payments in 13 tranches summing up to N50m into his Unity Bank account.
EFCC alleged that the funds were not only part of the proceeds of unlawful acts but they also exceeded “thresholds outside a financial institution” and that the payments were done with the intention of concealing the origins of the funds contrary to section 15(2(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same law.
Meanwhile, a letter from the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited in 2017 seen by SaharaReporters, commended the suspended Acting EFCC boss for the commission’s diligent handling of the recovery of debts from oil marketers.
There were media reports that the investigative panel probing allegations of corruption against Magu raised the issue of alleged misappropriation of the NNPC funds.
However, the commendation by the PPMC may have countered that argument.
“Further to our previous correspondences to your office in respect of the above subject matter, please note that till date, the debts recovered from major marketers include N87,028,851,268.17 and N242,121,256,468.03 for legacy and current debts respectively leaving a balance of N20,604,109,123.90 (broken down into N4,426,439,240.00 - legacy debts and N16,177,669,883.90 - current debts).
“These amounts have been agreed with the marketers that they shall be deducted and paid from their outstanding entitlements or payments due to the marketers from the Federal Ministry of Finance and which will bring to an end the debt recovery effort.
“We wish to express our profound gratitude for the successful collaboration between EFCC and PPMC/NNPC which largely resulted in the huge recovery of debts from the marketers, from the inception of the recovery exercise in 2016 till date. We appreciate your commission’s professional and diligent handling of the recovery of debts from the marketers throughout the period and we look forward for further collaboration,” the letter signed by Umai I Ajiya, Managing Director of PPMC, read.
The Nigerian Government has initiated a negotiation meeting with the National Association of Resident Doctors to address its concerns and demands.
SaharaReporters had reported that the resident doctors threatened to embark on a fresh strike action to force the government to meet their demands.
The doctors gave the Nigerian Government three weeks to either meet their demands or face total strike action.
File Photo
The ultimatum will elapse on August 17, 2020.
The meeting, which started on Monday, had in attendance Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and the leadership of the resident doctors led by its President, Dr Sokumba Aliyu.
At the end of the meeting, Ngige said the government through the Federal Ministry of Health and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation will resolve the 20 per cent top up.
The meeting will continue next week Thursday as both sides seek to find a meeting point on the issue.
PUBLIC HEALTHNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
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The Nigerian Government has initiated a negotiation meeting with the National Association of Resident Doctors to address its concerns and demands.
SaharaReporters had reported that the resident doctors threatened to embark on a fresh strike action to force the government to meet their demands.
The doctors gave the Nigerian Government three weeks to either meet their demands or face total strike action.
File Photo
The ultimatum will elapse on August 17, 2020.
The meeting, which started on Monday, had in attendance Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and the leadership of the resident doctors led by its President, Dr Sokumba Aliyu.
At the end of the meeting, Ngige said the government through the Federal Ministry of Health and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation will resolve the 20 per cent top up.
The meeting will continue next week Thursday as both sides seek to find a meeting point on the issue.
PUBLIC HEALTHNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
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