Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Presents Biggest Ever Budget Proposed By A Nigerian State

The Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Tuesday presented the 2017 budget proposal of N813 billion to the House of Assembly, assuring that the budget would be judiciously implemented to continue the infrastructural renewal and the enhancement of Lagos as one of the foremost tourism and investment destination in Africa.
Mr. Ambode, who tagged the budget “The Golden Jubilee Budget” as it coincides with the State’s 50th Anniversary, said it would focus on physical infrastructure, while social sectors especially health, education, youth and social development would get adequate attention.
“In the course of the 2017 Financial Year, we shall carry out fundamental reforms on all our modes of transportation – Roads, Water and the Walkways. In this wise, a Public Transport Infrastructure Bond will be issued in the course of the year,” Mr. Ambode said.
“The State Government will embark on the Urbanisation of the Marina axis, Waterways Channelization, establishment of more Parks and Gardens as well as the Community Sports Centres and Stadiums in different locations across the State.”
The 2017 budget saw an increase by N150 billion from the 2016 budget.
The budget is also the biggest for any Nigerian state ever.
Giving the key components of the budget, Governor Ambode said recurrent expenditure would gulp N300. 535 billion while N512.464 billion would be dedicated to capital expenditure, representing a Capital/Recurrent ratio of 63 percent to 37 percent.
According to the governor, road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance would be one of the key focuses of the budget, adding that efforts would be geared towards roads that will open up the hinterlands, improve connectivity in the State and reduce travel time.
He listed some of the road projects to include Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road from Oshodi, Agric-Isawo-Owotu-Arepo Road in Ikorodu, Igbe-Igbogbo Phase II- Bola Tinubu Way in Ikorodu, Ijegun Imore Phase II Amuwo in Ojo axis, Oke-Oso-Araga-Poka in Epe, Epe-Poka-Mojoda in the Epe axis and the completion of the Abule-Egba, Ajah and Pen Cinema flyovers.
The governor also said that within the course of the budget implementation, his administration would enter into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to execute some road projects including Oke Oso-Itoikin dualisation Project in the Epe axis, Okokomaiko-Seme Road Project in Badagry axis and Ikorodu-Agbowa-Itoikin-Ijebu Ode Road Project in Ikorodu axis, just as he disclosed that the Phase II of the 114 Local Government Roads project as well as the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge would also kick off in 2017.

“We will fully implement the Medical Health Insurance Scheme and deploy e-Health/ e-insurance Health Service solutions; and complete the on-going upgrading and extension work in the State General Hospitals and Ayinke House in Ikeja. Work will commence on our Medical Park in the 2017 fiscal year,” Mr. Ambode said.
On the revenue expected from federal allocation, the governor said a conservative approach was taken owing to the falling oil prices, which according to him, was about $41.98per barrel at the time of finalising the budget.
He, however, expressed optimism that the state would get an increase in Federal allocation through the 13 percent derivation from Oil and Gas in 2017.
“In view of our financing gap, we shall continue to sustain deficit financing in the short-to-medium term; enhance revenue growth throughout the year on several initiatives including automation and efficient revenue administration,” the governor said.
Giving a sectoral breakdown of the 2017 Budget Estimates, Commissioner for Finance, Akinyemi Ashade, said the governor earmarked N205.85 billion for General Public Services representing 25.32 percent of the budget, N36.43 billion to Public Order and Safety, representing 4.48 percent, while Economic Affairs received a lion share of N295.84 billion representing 36.39 percent.
In other sectors, the commissioner said Environment got N56.31 billion, representing 6.93 percent, Health got N57.29 billion representing 7.05 percent, while Education got N92.4 billion representing 11.37 percent of the budget.
The Commissioner also said the budget would be funded from a total revenue estimate of N642.849billion while the balance of N170.150billion would be funded through a N100bn Bond Issuance program and a combination of internal and external loans.
Receiving the Budget, Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, commended Mr. Ambode for keeping faith with the 2016 budget in the area of implementation, adding that Lagos has witnessed a quantum leap in the last one year.
Mr. Obasa, while assuring the governor that members of the House would give the 2017 fiscal document due diligence for the benefit of Lagosians, called on the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to furnish the House with all the necessary documents to enable it fast-track the budget approval process.
The Lagos Speaker also seized the occasion to call on the Senate to reconsider the Special Status Bill for Lagos State, saying there was no better time to accord the State such recognition.

Culled from Abiyamo in PREMIUM TIMES

N4.7bn fraud: Obanikoro returns N134m to EFCC, promises to repay N450m in 2017-Ameh Comrade Godwin

There are indications that a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, on Monday returned N30m to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The latest refund brings the total amount of money he has returned to the EFCC to N134m.
“Obanikoro came on Monday and presented a draft of about N30m. Initially we did not want to collect it because it is small compared to what he is supposed to have given us. However, the legal department advised us to collect it,” Punch quoted an insider as saying.

Obanikoro had in October returned N104m to the commission.
The ex-minister, who returned to Nigeria last month after spending about 15 months in the United States, was accused of receiving N4.7bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Obanikoro had said in his statement of oath at the EFCC that after receiving the money in 2014, he gave N1.219bn to the then governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, while N1.3bn was given to the PDP candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
He also confessed to giving Fayose a separate $5.377m at Spotless Hotel in Ekiti State in the presence of party leaders, including the then PDP Secretary, Mr. Tope Aluko.

Obanikoro was said to have kept about N785m for himself, which he allegedly spent while campaigning ahead of the PDP governorship primary in Lagos State. Mr. Jimi Agbaje won the primary.

However, the EFCC asked Obanikoro to return about N584m out of which he had already returned N134m.
At the EFCC office on Monday, Obanikoro promised the detectives that he would return the remaining N450m in 2017.
The source added, “About N450m is remaining and Obanikoro has promised to pay the rest in 2017. He will also be reporting at our office every two weeks.”
At the Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba last week, Mr. Alade Sunday, a manager with a commercial bank, narrated how Obanikoro delivered about N1.219bn to Fayose’s aide, Abiodun Agbele, for onward transmission to his boss.
He had also said it took the cashiers about 10 days to count the money.
Sunday had said Obanikoro flew with the cash to Akure Airport and the money was loaded into bullion vans.
He had said, “When we got to the airport, we waited for some minutes before the aircraft arrived. When the aircraft offloaded its passengers, one of them appeared to me to be Senator Musliu Obanikoro and the other one appeared to be his ADC, Adewale.
“Agbele walked up to them and had a discussion with them. Thereafter, he signalled me to bring the van. Bags loaded with cash were loaded into the van and Obanikoro’s ADC, Agbele and I drove back to the bank.”

Culled from Daily Times

EFCC arraigns judge, SAN for alleged corruption, forgery-Adebisi Onanuga

SOME OF THE CHARGES
•Obla offered Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia N5million
•Unlawfully enriching herself as a public officer
•Received $793,800 in several transactions from various sources between 2012 and 2015 ‘so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income’
•Forged a deed of assignment of County City Bricks Development Company Limited and Nigel & Colive Limited dated July 5, 2010
•Giving false information to the EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned a judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and a senior lawyer, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) for alleged bribery and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The judge and the senior lawyer were arraigned on a 30-count charge before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
The charges were read to them after Justice Oshodi ordered them to move from the court gallery into the dock.
“Unfortunately, you have to be in the dock,” Justice Oshodi told them.
The defendants were asked by the court’s registrar if they understood English language, to which they answered in the affirmative.
Thereafter, each of the 30-count charge was read.
The EFCC, alleged that Obla, while appearing in a suit before Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, offered a gratification of N5million to the judge to allegedly induce her to refrain from acting in the exercise of her official duties as a public officer.
Obla, the EFCC claimed, paid the money from the account of his company, Obla & Company Limited, with United Bank for Africa, to Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia through the bank account of Nigel & Colive Ltd in Diamond Bank Plc.
The EFCC claimed that the judge and the lawyer acted contrary to sections 64 (1) and 97 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, No. 11, 2011.
They both pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Obla was dressed in a blue suit, a white shirt and a blue tie to match. His co-defendant, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was in a black suit and a skirt.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, who had 24 out of the 30 counts preferred against her, was accused of unlawfully enriching herself as a public officer, contrary to the provision of Section 82(a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.
The judge was alleged to have received $793,800 in several transactions from various sources between 2012 and 2015 “so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income”.
According to the EFCC, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, by her actions, violated Section 82(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, No. 11, 2011.
The judge was alleged to have forged a deed of assignment of County City Bricks Development Company Limited and Nigel & Colive Limited dated July 5, 2010, which the EFCC claimed was purportedly prepared and signed by Charles Musa & Co.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.
In count 30, the EFCC accused Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia of giving false information to one of its operatives, Lawal Abdullahi, on October 19, 2016 by allegedly claiming on the telephone to be on admission at Gold Cross Hospital, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, while she was not there.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 39(2)(a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia pleaded not guilty to the charges.
EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo prayed the court for a trial date and for an order remanding the defendants in prison custody pending their trial.
But Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s counsel, Mr. Wale Akoni (SAN), and Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), for Obla, said while they had no objection to the prayer for a trial date, they were opposed to the application to remand their clients in prisons.
Both of them told the court that they had filed bail applications for their clients.
Akoni urged Justice Oshodi to grant Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia bail on self-recognition as a judge of the Federal High Court or to grant her bail on liberal terms, with a condition that the EFCC should not be the one to verify the bail conditions.
Adedipe also prayed Justice Oshodi to grant Obla bail on liberal terms, assuring that he would make himself available for trial.
“When he was allowed to travel to the U.S., he did so and returned and submitted his passport to the EFCC.
“He is one of them in EFCC. He prosecutes cases for them. Rather than pay him, they dragged him to court. He is a respected member of the Bar, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” Adedipe said.
Oyedepo opposed their requests and urged Justice Oshodi not to grant the defendants bail but to order an accelerated hearing of the case.
Oyedepo said if released on bail, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia would interfere with investigation and the prosecution witnesses.
He recalled that it was on that basis that the EFCC revoked the administrative bail earlier granted the judge.
After standing down the case for about two hours, Justice Oshodi, in a ruling, admitted both defendants to bail on self-recognition.
He ordered them to deposit N20m each and their passport to the chief registrar of the court pending conclusion of their trial.
Justice Oshodi warned that the bail would be revoked if the defendants failed to meet the conditions within seven days.
The trial began immediately thereafter, with the EFCC calling its first witness, Mr. Adedamola Oshodi, a Diamond Bank Plc official.
The case was, however, adjourned till January 9, next year for continuation of trial, following the submission of the defence counsel who said they were not prepared for the trial.

Culled from Nation

Nigeria’s social security targets 50 per cent of citizens, says Ngige-Tony Akowe

•Minister promises more jobs
Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige has promised that 50 per cent of the citizenry will be captured under the social security net within the life of this administration.
He said besides the 200,000 graduates beginning work in December, more would be employed as part of a social intervention scheme.
Ngige, who spoke at the World Social Security Summit in Panama City, Panama, said the government’s decision to employ 200,000 graduates, despite teething economic challenges, was an expression of its commitment to lift millions out of poverty.
According to him, “social intervention is one of the cardinal progammes of the administration. Our objective is to tackle youth unemployment and restiveness through job creation, notwithstanding the tough economic challenges we face.
“Some of the programmes in our integrated social protection scheme are being implemented as evidenced in the 200,000 graduates, who will commence work next month.
“More jobs are in the offing. Our target is to ensure that millions of Nigerians are lifted out of poverty line while at least 50 per cent of the population is captured in the social security net.”
The minister, who spoke on the topic: “Evolving Role of Social Security in a Changing World”, stressed that despite teething economic challenges, the Federal Government remain undeterred in pursuing its social security goals.
He added that priority will being given to health care delivery to rural dwellers was core.
He said government would support operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme and that of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
Ngige said the activities of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) were enhanced to make it more responsive to achieving social security goals.
On the sidelines of the summit, the minister sought assistance of China in developing and deepening Nigeria’s social protection programmes.
In a bilateral discussion with the Chinese Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, Mr. Yin Weimin, Ngige said Nigeria would tap into the Chinese model of Social Security Academy to institutionalise social security practices in the country.
China won the best Social Security Nation for 2016, having captured 100 million persons yearly into its social security, totalling a billion in the last decade.

Culled from Nation

Presidency Kicks Off Job Scheme for Half A Million Unemployed Graduates

*200,000 Nigerians selected to start work as teachers, agric & health workers in their communities December 1
*Names of successful first batch participants to be posted on N-Power Portal

All is now set for the deployment of 200,000 unemployed graduates selected in the first batch of the Buhari administration's plan to hire half a million Nigerians.

While the 200,000 have been selected about two weeks ago, their names have now been sent to state governments and the FCT who would deploy them to their specific programme assignments. The names would also be published this week on the N-Power internet portal, while the participants would start receiving SMS messages informing them of their selection as from Monday November 21, 2016.

State governments and the FCT are also encouraged to post the names of the successful first batch applicants in their local government areas while there would be further public announcements.

Between now and the end of the month, the states and the FCT would be engaged in deploying the graduates who would formally start working and earning their stipends on December 1, 2016.

Of the 200,000 first batch, 150,000 of them would teach, 30,000 would work in the Agric sector and 20,000 in Healthcare delivery covering the three specific programme assignments.

The N-Power Volunteer Corps is an expression of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to invest in the human capital development of Nigerian citizens, particularly our young people. The N-Power programmme is also an innovative means to enhance ailing public services in the area of basic education and primary healthcare. Also in the agric sector, it is aimed at achieving self-sufficiency by giving our farmers relevant advisory services.

The Federal Government of Nigeria hereby congratulates all 200,000 successful applicants in the first batch, and they are encouraged to take this opportunity seriously by learning the skills that will brighten their future. They are also implored to serve their communities with commitment and dedication.

For those who have not been selected at this time, there is a waiting list based on the total number of applicants, and subsequent batches will absorb more of the qualified applicants.

All together, the N-Power will engage and train 500,000 young unemployed graduates. It is a paid volunteering programme of a 2-year duration that engages graduates in their immediate communities, where they will assist in improving the inadequacies in the education, health, and agriculture sectors.

The 500,000 graduates under the N-Power Corps programme will be trained in skills that will enable them exit after two years to economically viable job and business opportunities.

As part of the programme, the participnts would own tablets that will contain information necessary for their specific engagements, as well as information for their continuous training and developments.

Participants will be provided teaching, instructional, and advisory solutions in 4 main focus areas, and will be paid a monthly stipend of N30,000 during the programme. The 4 main focus areas are in basic education, agriculture extension services, public health and community education (civic and adult education).

Besides the N-Power programme for undergraduates, there are other schemes for non-graduates. These are: N-Power Knowledge, which would select 25,000 young Nigerians and N-Power Build 75,000, all of whom shall be trained and paid during the duration of the scheme.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity
In the Office of the Vice President

Kachikwu seeks early repairs of refineries -John Ofikhenua and Nafisat Jimoh

•Dr. Kachikwu

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, yesterday advocated for the speedy rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries, to skip their being sold as scraps.

  He warned that if urgent measures were not taken before the  Dangote Refinery becomes operational,   the nation’s four refineries might be sold as scraps in 2019.

Kachikwu, who gave the warning at the the stakeholders’ consultative forum on the draft National Gas Policy and National Oil Policy in Abuja, said the only option opened to the country was to ensure that the refineries work within the shortest possible time.

He said: “Refineries would have to work; it is really not an option anymore. And not only should it work, it has to work very quickly. The reality is that if we do not privatise and we do not concession — which is not what we are doing —then we have a responsibility to find private capital to get them to where they should be.

“This is because if we do not get them to work, in 2019, I can assure you that if Dangote system works well, we would have scraps, we won’t have refineries, because by then it would be too late to do anything.”

The minister however sought efforts to address the issue of cost of production in the petroleum industry, to bring down the cost to a reasonable and manageable level.

He said that crude oil is still produced at $27 per barrel in Nigeria, adding that no decent country would produce at that amount at a period when oil price is unpredictable as it is now.

He said: “They are lots of things we still need to address. Cost is a key issue. We are still at $27 per barrels. No decent country would produce oil at $27 per barrel at a time when the pricing is unpredictable. Again, we are going to try to get those figures below $18 per barrel.”

The minister noted that the Federal Government is committed to fully deregulating the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. He said while the process have started, and since it is a continuing process, the government would continue fine-tuning  it until it gets to where it should be.

“At every given time in the history of every country, you will always have partial deregulation. The reason been that you have to catch up each time and make an amendment, and even if it is just one day, you might have some level of subsidy for that one or two days before it is removed.

“What is important is the goal post; where are we headed; where we are headed is to try and free the industry, so that it can do its own rules, set its own prices itself,” he said.

Souce: Nation

Charlie Sheen's Ex Brooke Mueller Accused Of "Beating Her Kids," According To Police Audio

Brooke Mueller seems to be going on a downward spiral, and she's taking her kids with her …

On Tuesday night, Charlie Sheen's ex wife was seen at a bar in Salt Lake City, Utah with her twin sons, Bob and Max. According to TMZ, the troubled real estate agent was reportedly barefoot at the SLC bar, looking "disheveled" and trying to bum a cigarette from a fellow bar fly. She then popped up at several area hotels, looking for a room. Huh?!

Sadly her boys were there for all of it. As if that wasn't disturbing enough, the night didn't seem to end there …

At around 6 AM on Wednesday, the outlet reports that Mueller, who just did an interview in which she said she was on "good terms" with her ex and was bored living in Park City with her boys, tried to drive her SUV off after police were contacted about a woman swinging violently at her children. We guess that's one way to spice up your "boring" life -- but probably not the best way to do that!

A witness says he and friends pulled over to confront her and she immediately started yelling at them. The witness says he eventually recognized Mueller and she seemed "high as a kite." He also said that Bob and Max were wearing their PJs and did not have shoes. The witness says that one of boys begged, "Don't call the cops, they are going to take my mommy away!" They then called the police.

In keeping with the report, audio obtained of a police dispatcher has an eyewitness calling in and describing a woman matching Mueller's beating her two sons at a car wash.

Law enforcement sources claim that Utah's state police spoke to the erratic mother on the phone and confirmed that the children are no longer in danger. The authorities also said they are not arresting her since she did not commit a crime.

On Tuesday night, Sheen was alerted to the trouble and wanted the Salt Lake City police to a welfare check on his sons. After the children were found, the wild actor commented about the ordeal, "I'm just trying to get my kids home safe. I have no other details that relate to the ongoing event."

We hope those kids are safe and away from Mueller -- she needs major help! No one seems to be #winning in this scene ... 

 

Culled from x17