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8 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2022 BRIEFING: From left, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji; his Deputy, Mrs Monisade Afuye; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Habibat Adubiaro and Head of Service, Bamidele Agbede, during the Day 3 briefing by Heads of MDAs, at the EXCO Chamber, Governor’s office, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday. DMO raises N3.2 trn from domestic market to fund 2022 budget •As Sukuk yields N612bn By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief THE DEBT Management Office, DMO, has raised a total of N3.23 trillion from the domestic market to finance the 2022 federal government budget. The Director-General of DMO, Ms. Patience Oniha, disclosed this, in Abuja, yesterday, while briefing the media on the N100 billion Sukuk now being offered to the Nigerian public for investment. According to her, DMO has raised the sum of N612 billion through Sukuk, the ethical debt instrument since it was introduced in September, 2017, with all proceeds dedicated to road infrastructure. She said: “We raised all of those monies for roads and bridges and there are signs around them so that Nigerians can see them and hold us accountable for the utilization of the proceeds.” Ms. Oniha, who expressed satisfaction that the product had become widely accepted to the investing, said: “The first time we did Sukuk, we had to undertake road shows to five states and held bilateral meetings to convince members of the public to invest in the product but since then, the instrument has become very acceptable to Nigerian public “The fact that people can see the roads and bridges that are being constructed by Sukuk when they drive around, has helped a lot. Sukuk has a product that is selling itself. “We are happy to reach a lot more people to invest in the Sukuk. We have a lot of products that are available to all investors, local and foreign, including retail investors but Sukuk has the added advantage that it is financing infrastructure. “We are driving retail investors and promoting financial inclusion, meaning those who have investible funds but having no securities that are acceptable for them to invest in find the Sukuk that product that they can invest in and earn some money. “So overall, we are specifically borrowing to fund infrastructure and developing the market and giving people more investment opportunities.” Why only N100bn The DG noted that Nigerians were asking for the product but that her team put N100 billion on offer because it was already very close to its domestic borrowing limit of about N3. 5 trillion for the current fiscal year. :Vanguard News According to her, there has been a lot of excitement around Sukuk because road infrastructure provided job opportunities and added value to the socio-economic development of the nation, describing it as a “win-win situation for all members of the public. By Fortune Eromosele ABUJA—THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has warned that Nigeria i s at risk of being grey-listed by the Financial Action Task Force, FATF in February next year. The commission also cautioned lawyers to desist from unlawful and corrupt practices, saying they are part of the factors that would aid Nigeria being grey-listed by the FATF. The Chairman, ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, stated this while hosting the new National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, on a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja yesterday. The Financial Action Task Force, FATF, as defined, is an intergovernmental policymaking body whose purpose is to establish international standards, develop and promote policies, both at national and international levels, to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Owasanoye who decried the alarming rate at how some lawyers undermined the profession, cited examples of lawyers who enmeshed themselves in questionable acts that had overtly rubbed off on the legal profession in the country. He said: “Many who claimed to be lawyers are not living up to the name and they embarrass all of us. Many of them undermine the integrity of the profession by betraying the very essence of our training. How do you explain why a lawyer would put forward or try to defend an illegal contract. “We have seen an agreement prepared by a lawyer for people to engage in illegal transaction. While the agreement was violated, a lawyer who we believe should know better wrote to ICPC to intervene. We all know it is wrong for someone to pay to get a job in public service and here we are seeing a lawyer drafting an agreement for the parties :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 The N100 billion to be raised from the current exercise, she said, would be applied on road infrastructure, under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Capital Territory Administration. Offer for the N100 billion Sukuk will close on Tuesday, next week Ms. Oniha said: “Our focus is those people who ordinarily won’t invest either for reasons of ethics or they are not even aware that their money, though not big, can buy Sukuk. Or some who say, ‘I want to give my money to the government but I want to see what they are doing with my money.’ Sukuk is just the right product.” She stated that funds borrowed from the capital market, at cheaper rates earlier in the year, had been very helpful in supporting the government in the implementation of the budget. Nigeria at risk of grey-listing by Financial Action Task Force next year —ICPC •Warns lawyers to desist from corrupt practices involved.” The ICPC chairman added that the unprofessional conduct of some lawyers were reasons the perception of the legal body was low in the country, adding that it could lead to Nigeria being greylisted by the Financial Action Task Force. “You may be aware that there is a mutual evaluation on the country by the Financial Action Task Force and Nigeria is currently at the risk of being grey-listed. One of the reasons for that is because the legal profession has been seen to be resistant to the anti-money laundering and financing autonomy requirements. “This may lead to the grey-listing of Nigeria by FATF in February next year. The implication of the grey-listing is that Nigeria’s economy is running on loans and when you are grey-listed, you will have to borrow at a premium. If your neighbour borrows at four percent, you will have to borrow at twelve to fifteen percent,'' Owasanoye said. The ICPC chairman stressed the need to educate members of the INDEPENDENT MARKETERS of petroleum products, yesterday, increased the price of petrol further to N240 per litre, from about N230 per litre as shortage persisted in Lagos and its environs yesterday. Checks by Vanguard indicated that the marketers currently lift the product from the depots at N200 per litre, unlike in the past when they lifted the product for N148 per litre. Consequently, the pump price of petrol has increased to N240 per litre, from the N165 per litre government regulated price, while the total cost hovered at N220 per litre, including transport and margins. However, the major marketers, NBA on the implications of their actions on the economy. He also urged the National Executive Committee of the NBA to push forward policies that would advance the course of the justice sector reform. Earlier in his address, the National President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN, expressed concern about the perception of the legal profession in the public, saying the profession was not as corrupt as the press would want to make the public believe. He stated that the NBA under his leadership, was on the same page with the ICPC in the fight against corruption and would make itself available for any form of collaboration with the commission to advance its course in reducing the menace of corruption in the country. Maikyau also suggested that cases of infractions by lawyers that had been noted by the ICPC could be forwarded to the NBA’s secretariat for necessary disciplinary actions by the body. $418m Paris Refund: Govs vow to stop payment to consultants By Henry Umoru ABUJA—GOVERNORS of the 36 states of the federation, under the aegis of Nigerian Governors' Forum, NGF, vowed,, yesterday, to explore all legal channels to pursue the $418 million Paris Club Refund and ensure that states’ resources are not unjustly paid to a few in the name of consultancy. In a statement after the 8th teleconference meeting of the NGF, Chairman of the forum and Sokoto State governor , Aminu Tambuwal said, “regarding the $418 Million Paris Club Refund and promissory notes issued to Consultants by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office, DMO, the Forum remains resolute in exploring all legal channels available to it in ensuring that resources belonging to States are not unjustly or illegally paid to a few in the guise of consultancies. He also said that the forum is continuing its quest to stop the proposed privatization of 10 National Integrated Power Projects, NIPPs, by the Federal Government. He said the forum had instructed its lawyers to approach the Federal High Court which at present has issued an order restraining all the parties in the suit from taking any step or action that will make or render the outcome of the motion on notice seeking for interlocutory injunction nugatory. Tambuwal said: “The effect of the Order of the Court is that Respondents cannot proceed with the proposed sale of the power plants belonging to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA—THE ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has kicked against the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS and the INEC Results Viewing Portal IReV, saying Nigeria is not ripe for the use of such technology. This was as the electoral umpire insisted there is no going back on the deployment of the technology. There had been allegations that the ruling party was sponsoring moves to oust the INEC Chairman because of his insistence to deploy greater technology to enhance the electoral process. APC National Chairman, Limited, NDPHCL, until the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.'' He noted that sequel to discussions between subsovereigns at the recently concluded 2nd African Sub- Sovereign Government Network, AfSNET, Conference, the Forum agreed to pursue through its membership on the Forum of Regions of Africa, FORAF. The Sokoto State governor, who noted that the Forum was monitoring the flood situation across the country and working with the Federal Government through the National Economic Council, NEC, said: “In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, FMARD, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, FMHDSD. “National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, FMFBNP, and the World Bank to prepare emergency interventions to ameliorate the impact of the flood crisis especially to sustain Food Security. “Members were also briefed by the World Bank Task Team Leader, TTL, Professor Foluso Okunmadewa, on the desired restructuring of the $750 million Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Program, CARES, programme to respond to Nigeria 2022 Flood Response following discussions with States and the National Economic Council, NEC, Ad hoc Committee on Flooding.“ 2023: APC kicks against deployment of BVAS, IReV •As INEC insists no going back Independent marketers raise petrol price to N240 per litre as shortage persists in Lagos By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor who have much capacity and access to the product continued to sell at N175 per litre. Long queues at the retail outlets of the major marketers were, however, noticed yesterday as many motorists and other users preferred to wait patiently for the product. Meanwhile, some illegal operators were seen in some parts of Lagos, including Ikorodu road, hawking the product in cans and bottles and sold in excess of between N250 and N300 per litre, depending on location. “Speaking in a telephone interview with Vanguard, the National Operations Controller, IPMAN, Mr Mike Osatuyi, said: “Unlike the past when our members used to lift the product at N148 per litre, they currently lift it at N200 per litre. It would be impossible for them to sell petrol at N165 per litre regulated price. “Our members pass through much difficulty to get the product at this time. The marketers also spend much to take the product to many parts of the nation because of the high cost of diesel, currently selling at about N800 per litre.” Similarly, the National President of IPMAN, Chinedu Okoronkwo, who confirmed the hike in price, put the blame on private depots owners. He said: “The real cause of the price hike is the incessant increment in price by private depot owners. A litre of fuel is being sold to us at the rate of N210 and N214 per litre. When you add transport and logistics, you can imagine what the figure will amount to.“ Senator Abdullahi Adamu stated this on Wednesday evening when he received a delegation from the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission. He said; "First, I was privileged to serve as a senator. Our concern is how ready are we to deploy some of these technologies as regards transmission because we are taking a major step in transmitting election results in real time. "To transmit results, every part of the nation Nigeria I'm not sure that the network covers it, I know that even in parts of Abuja there is no network and we have from now till February when in substantial parts of the country there is no electricity. "INEC must assure us 100 percent that as at when due in transmitting results they are ready because they spoke about recharging batteries but we had in previous elections when it says it can't recharge". National Organizing Secretary of the party, Ambassador Suleiman Argungu also kicked against the technology. He said; "As a rider to what the national chairman just said about INEC transmitting results directly during the coming election, apart from the issue of electricity that is unstable, a lot of the villages and communities bordering other countries for instance my state Kebbi that is bordering two nations during the previous elections the network of Nigeria for all the networks, Glo, MTN, Airtel you can't get them. If you want to get them you have to use the number of the other countries to reach them. So, during election I don't see how transmission of result will work. I see it coming".
Vanguard, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2022 — 9 PRESENTATION: From left— Head of Marketing, May & Baker Nigeria Plc., Mr. Obinna Emeribe; Executive Director, Pharma Sales & Marketing, Mr. Valentine Okelu; Winner of Professional Service Award, Prof. Ray Ozolua; Mrs. Nkiru Ozolua and Mr. Adeniyi Akinyandenu, National Sales Manager, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, at the presentation of the May & Baker Professional Service Award at the just concluded PSN National conference in Jos. :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 Oyo rally: LP Campaign, aviation authorities bicker over grounded plane •Our aircraft was grounded by ‘powers that be’, LP Campaign alleges •Crew of aircraft only made air return after noticing faults —NCAA •We aren't aware of it —FAAN •As Obi-Datti Campaign raises alarm over attempts to sabotage PVC collection By Prince Okafor & John Alechenu LABOUR PARTY Campaign Organisation and aviation authorities in the country disagreed yesterday over alleged grounding of the aircraft meant to take the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Ahmed, to Ibadan, Oyo State for the party's campaign rally. This is even as the Obi-Datti Media Office also yesterday raised alarm over reports that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, was not going smoothly in some centers across the country. The party had alleged that the aircraft was grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by those it described as ''powers that be'', but the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, which is the regulatory agency, said no plane was grounded, adding that the pilot of the aircraft only made an air return after noticing some faults in the plane. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigerian, FAAN, in its reaction, said it was not aware of any such grounding of aircraft meant to fly the Labour Party team. Diran Onifade, head of media for the LP campaign, said in a statement yesterday that the Obidient plane was grounded for “regulatory reasons”, and asked supporters of the party to ignore “mischievous rumours” suggesting the plane was impounded. “The Obidient plane was grounded today (yesterday) by the powers that be 'for regulatory reasons' only. Please ignore any mischievous rumour. Our massive rally in Ibadan is going on as planned,” the statement read. Obi is one of the leading candidates for the 2023 presidential election, alongside Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress, APC; and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.. Reacting to the allegation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, spokesperson, Sam Adurogboye, told Vanguard that the agency did not ground any aircraft as reported. He said: “I understand NCAA did not ground any aircraft today (yesterday). The aircraft being said to be grounded is mere sensationalism. “The reason is that the flight crew made an air return soon after takeoff and had issues they needed to come back and correct. “This is what is termed as safety precautionary flight. Let's be careful not to drag NCAA into politics in its operations. Our mandate is to ensure the safety of all aircraft operating in Nigeria airspace, regardless of whom they carry. “Presidential candidates of all parties in the country have been flying around and NCAA’s mandate is to ensure that every aircraft flying meets safety standard. “We have been grounding planes not fit for flying before now. When former President, Olusegun Obasanjo was campaigning for a second term, he wanted to use a particular plane donated by a Nigerian. We noticed that the aircraft was not fit for flying, we grounded it.'' Similarly, the spokesperson of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Faithful Hope- Ivbaze, said they were not aware of any flight being grounded at the Abuja airport. She said: “We are airport operators and not in charge of regulating flights movement. We cannot comment on political issues.” Obi-Datti Campaign raise alarm over attempts to sabotage PVC collection Meanwhile, the Obi-Datti Media Office Office has raised alarm over reports reaching it that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards is not going smoothly in some centers across the country. It said it’s attention was drawn in particular to Lagos State where in some identified areas, prospective voters wishing to collect their voter’s cards were being frustrated with all kinds of excuses to disrupt the PVC collection. The Media Office said in a statement issued in Abuja: “We are also aware of the large inducement to some personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Lagos to lure them into the dubious nefarious act. “When we recently charged President Muhammedu Buhari and the INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu to walk their talk of their promise to conduct free and fair elections in 2023, we expect that they should be concerned about all pre-election day activities. “Concentrating only on Election Day activities while the major rigging is taking place ahead of the election is counter productive and will defeat all the good intentions of the President and the commission. “There should be no preferential treatment of any area or individuals as being reported in Lagos state and where such exist should discontinue immediately and affected commission officials seriously reprimanded. “Obi-Datti Media Office expects the Commission even before now to have drummed it into the ears of their staff, the critical importance of this election to the survival of the country and the need to make their patriotic contributions at their various levels by religiously playing by the rules in all they do before , By Juliet Umeh SPOKESMAN of the Atiku/ Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Daniel Bwala, has said Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike’s non-support for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 presidential election would not affect its chances at the polls. Governor Wike and his allies in the G5 have been at daggers drawn with the leadership of the party since its presidential primary which threw up Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate. But speaking in an interview on Channels Television's breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, yesterday, Bwala downplayed Wike's influence, saying the party was poised to win next year’s presidential election. He said: “Our party is poised to during and after the election. “Also of curious interest to the Obi-Datti group is the large number of underaged voters registered by INEC officials and to demand that those Commission personnel involved in this should be identified, isolated and prosecuted as electoral offenders. “Not to do that immediately by the commission is to look at the presence of a rat in your kitchen and expect to have all your items intact.” The Obi-Datti Media Office claimed it was privy to credible intelligence that some politicians and political parties, aware that the BVAS voting arrangement might be difficult to manipulate, had resolved to start the election maneuvering from the stage of PVC registration and collection. It appealed to INEC and relevant security agencies to see any move to undermine the electoral process as a huge crime against the state and should be so treated. “We finally urge all Nigerians particularly the Obidient family to remain resolute and ensure they resist any anti democratic moves against free, fair and credible elections in 2023. Taking back Nigeria is an inevitable duty for all patriotic citizens,“ the statement added. PDP crisis: Wike’s non-support won’t affect Atiku’s chances, says PCC spokesman We’ve recovered $1bn looted funds since 2015 —FG •As FEC okays new anti-corruption strategy document By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA—THE Federal Government said yesterday it has recovered $1 billion, being looted funds, since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration till date. The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, affirmed that the recovered assets had been deployed to various sectors of the economy, including poverty alleviation. The AGF, while revealing that preceding government recorded only 109 convictions before 2015, said the Buhari administration has convicted over 3,000 offenders and recovered about $1b to date. He expressed government's concern over sundry cases of budget padding, describing the development as worrisome. While noting that necessary measures would be explored to address the menace, Malami announced the council's approval of the new anticorruption strategy document to strengthen anti-graft fight in the country. He said: “FEC approved validation extension of the National Anti- Corruption program to 2026. A new policy which resulted from cooperation amongst Justice." He noted that the anticorruption initiatives had helped the government to recover about By John Alechenu ABUJA—THE British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Cateriona Laing, has said the United Kingdom, like the rest of the international community, would be watching the 2023 general elections in Nigeria very closely. This, she explained, is because of the important position occupied by Nigeria in Africa and the rest of the world. Laing, who stated this during a meeting with the National Working Committee, NWC, of win the election. Wike’s nonparticipation would affect a little bit of the margin. So, if we are supposed to win with nine million votes or eight million votes, that may reduce to six million votes or something like that. “But this victory is destined by God and I can tell you that there can be conspiracy and collaboration or anything. We know the Electoral Amendment Act and what it brings. ''We saw it in Osun where some members of our party even worked against the party in that state. But what happened? The ‘dancing senator’ (Ademola Adeleke) danced his way to victory because the people spoke and their voices were heard. ''This is how we are going to be looking at this election because the bigger picture is what we are looking at. Have you not seen the multidimensional poverty index?” Bwala also claimed that the Rivers State governor “chased” the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Governor Dave Umahi, and others out of the PDP. He, however, maintained that Atiku is committed to uniting Nigeria, despite the crisis in the party. Bwala also noted that former President Goodluck Jonathan is on the side of Atiku Abubakar, dismissing claims by Wike that the former president was against his principal. ''Recall that when our candidate and his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, visited President Jonathan recently, he addressed Okowa as incoming vice president. This will tell you that he (Jonathan0 knows that our presidential candidate will win the election,'' he added. $1billion stolen funds from the public coffers, adding that “the new anticorruption strategy will strengthen the war against corruption between 2022 and 2026.“ Malami, while responding to question on budget padding, decried the menace allegedly carried out by Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs. Specifically, Malami’s position is coming on the heels of several revelations from the ongoing MDAs budget defence in the National Assembly. Recall that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Saddiya Farouk, had blamed the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, for adding N206bn to the humanitarian ministry’s budget. Farouq, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Special Duties on Monday to defend the 2023 budget, claimed that the ministry requested some projects for the North East Development Commission and the National Social Safety Net Project in the 2022 budget, which were not released, but was surprised to see an inflated amount in the 2023 budget of the ministry. Elisha Abbo, the APC senator representing Adamawa North senatorial district, had asked the minister about the inflated N206 billion in the budget. The minister said: “Yes, we made mention of the projects for 2022 that were not released, and part of it was for the NEDC." Malami, while responding to questions on the revelations alleging budget padding, stated that the federal government was studying the details and would do what was necessary to address it. 2023: UK is watching closely, says British High Commissioner, Laing Peoples Democratic Party, at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja, yesterday, said: “This election is very important to Africa and the rest of the world, so the spotlight will be on Nigeria and the UK will be watching closely. “We engage in so many ways, we have spoken with INEC, civil societies, we don't support any political party, it is for the people of Nigeria to decide who will lead them at the federal level and state levels. In that spirit, we are meeting all the main political parties. “I met with the chairman in February, this is our second meeting and I will be meeting all the other chairs of the main political parties.” Speaking about her concerns for the elections, she said: “The few things that are on my mind, just to make sure that the elections go very well, number one is security, and we have been really concerned about the recent events. ''52 election violence-related issues in 22 states, including an attack on the PDP convoy in Maiduguri, is a real concern, and we want to exchange our thoughts on what you can do as a political party to ensure that the elections are as peaceful as possible. “When people feel intimidated, they can't get out to vote, the election itself will not be credible, that is why violence is of great concern. On the issue of electoral violence, you can make a statement about the last election, as well as we do have positive support, since we do have sanctions in the form of our visa program.
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