Operatives of Ogun Police Command have raided drug dealers’ hideout in Abeokuta, and seized a cache of illicit drugs, machetes, and cash from the peddlers who have fled. The seizures – N2,722,750 cash and over N10m worth of hard drugs were recovered from the den named “Mayas,” an abandoned hotel at Lafenwa, Abeokuta.
The notorious hideout was said to be about 700 metres away from Lafenwa Police Station in the state capital. The state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, who briefed newsmen about the development at the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, described it as ‘big haul of seizure.’
Ajogun said the command’s tactical teams stormed the hideout in the early hours Tuesday 12th January 2021 and those who were present at the hideout fled into the nearby canal leading to Ogun River.
He added that the items recovered include N2,222,750.00, 110 parcels of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp, 55 packs of codeine, two packs of Emzoline, and six packs of Uniplex codeine.
According to him, other seizures are four packs of Pandeen expectorant, 12 packs of Rephnol, three packs of Backwoods honey, one carton of max cough codeine, battle axes, machetes, and dangerous charms.
He said efforts were being made to track down the dealers who escaped and their agents. Ajogun said, “The seizure is a big haul. We want whoever wants to lay claim to these illicit drugs and money, to come forward. “Effort is being made to track down the dealers who escaped with of their agents. Let me reiterate that Ogun State Police Command is committed to chasing drug barons, their agents and criminals associates out of business in the state. “We will not relent in our efforts until this goal is achieved.”
French Prime Minister Jean Castex has announced a new evening curfew will begin nationally across France starting at 18:00 (17:00 GMT) Saturday.
The move is a tightening of a curfew already in place since December, which restricts movement from 20:00-06:00.
Announcing the measure on Thursday, Mr Castex described the country’s situation as “worrying” with infections remaining at a “high plateau”.
He also announced new restrictions for people arriving into the country.
All those arriving from outside the EU will now have to test negative for the virus within 72 hours before their travel into France, and then isolate for seven days and test negative again, Mr Castex said.
The border controls are partly to limit the extent to which new mutant strains of the virus spreading abroad can become dominant in France. There is particular concern over the more transmissible variant first detected in the UK – which the French health minister says now accounts for about 1-1.5% of new cases nationally.
“We must do everything to prevent this variant from spreading in France,” Health Minister Olivier Veran told a Thursday news conference.
All shops and businesses will have to close at that time, except for emergency services. The tighter evening restriction was already in place in some hard-hit eastern regions of the country before Thursday’s announcement and, according to the French Scientific Council, has led to infection rates slowing.
The prime minister said Thursday that the situation in France is “under control compared to neighbouring countries but still fragile” with pressure on hospitals remaining high.
The curfew is seen as a way to avoid a full national lockdown, but Mr Castex said further restrictions would be imposed “without delay” if the situation deteriorated further.
The country will aim to carry out at least one million Covid-19 tests per month in schools to help keep them open, but indoor sport activities have been banned again.
The government is also aiming to have more than one million people vaccinated against the virus by the end of January, amid criticism of a slow rollout by some.
“The sooner we can vaccinate the most vulnerable, the sooner our hospitals will be spared the risk of being overwhelmed,” Mr Castex said Thursday.
Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are to perform at the inauguration ceremony for incoming US President Joe Biden.Lady Gaga campaigned for Mr Biden during the election, appearing with him on the eve of the presidential election last November.
She will sing the national anthem at the ceremony on 20 January. Lopez, who also endorsed Mr Biden last year, will give a separate musical performance. After the ceremony, Tom Hanks will host a star-studded televised special. Titled Celebrating America, the 90-minute prime-time programme will also feature US musicians Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons, and will be broadcast live by ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC.
Lopez and Gaga
Mr Biden’s inaugural committee said it would “celebrate the beginning of a new national journey toward an America united” and “showcase the American people’s resilience, heroism, and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild”.
A bloc of House conservatives is opposing a waiver that would allow President-elect Joe Biden’s Defense secretary nominee to bypass a law barring recently retired generals from holding the civilian job.
In a memo its members and staff released Thursday, the Republican Study Committee, which counts most GOP lawmakers as members, argued granting a waiver for retired Gen. Lloyd Austin so soon after Congress granted one to President Trump’s first Defense secretary, James Mattis, would set a “new dangerous precedent.”
“Furthermore, regardless of the ‘waiver,’ Gen. Austin is not the right person for the job of secretary of Defense,” the memo added. “He lacks civilian experience, has no experience in countering China, and has a track record of failures as the [Central Command] head in Syria and Iraq and in the war on ISIS. For all of these reasons, conservatives should not vote to grant a ‘waiver’ for Gen. Austin.”
Under a 1947 law meant to ensure civilian control of the military, Defense secretaries must be retired from the military for at least seven years before they can take the job. Austin retired in mid-2016.
But Congress can approve a waiver to the law to allow someone within the cooling off period to lead the Pentagon and has done so twice: first for George Marshall in 1950 and then for Mattis in 2017.
In 2017, just one House Republican voted against Mattis’s waiver.
But after Biden named Austin as his pick for Defense secretary, some Republicans said they regret supporting a waiver for Mattis, including current Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Jim Banks (R-Ind.).
“Based on the lessons learned after the House made the unprecedented move of granting a waiver four years ago, the Republican Study Committee will oppose granting General Austin a waiver,” the caucus said in a statement Thursday.
The RSC’s position is not binding on its members, and Republican opposition alone would not sink Austin’s waiver in the House.
But with Democrats holding a slim majority in the House, Republicans opposing Austin en mass would leave little room for error in uniting Democrats around the pick.
Some Democrats have expressed a wariness to granting Austin waiver, but few have explicitly said they would vote against it. Most House Democrats opposed Mattis’s waiver after Trump would not let him testify before the House Armed Services Committee prior to the vote.
But some Democrats who voted against Mattis have said they will support Austin’s waiver, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.).
In addition to not wanting to stymy Biden’s agenda by blocking his nominees, Democrats are concerned about blocking someone who would be the nation’s first Black secretary of Defense.
The House Armed Services Committee is expected to hold a hearing Jan. 21 for Austin to testify about the waiver.
The Senate Armed Committee heard expert testimony on the waiver this past Tuesday and is scheduled to hold Austin’s confirmation hearing this coming Tuesday.
Lady Gaga speaks in support of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden during a drive-in campaign rally at Heinz Field on Nov. 2, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Penn. She’ll join Justin Timberlake and Tom Hanks at next Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) event.
Lady Gaga has joined the increasingly star-studded list of artists who will perform at next Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) inauguration of Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris. The Biden-Harris inauguration committee announced the news on Thursday (Jan. 14), revealing that Gaga will sing the National Anthem during the inauguration in Washington, D.C.
Gaga previously tackled “The Star-Spangled Banner” at 2016’s Super Bowl 50, and according to the Presidential Inaugural Committee she’ll have plenty of A-list company at the primetime Celebrating America special, which will be hosted by Tom Hanks and feature performances from Jennifer Lopez, Jon Bon Jovi, Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato and Ant Clemons, with more artists expected to join the 90-minute (8:30-10 p.m. ET) special that will be aired on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and MSNBC, as well as on the Committee’s social media feeds, Amazon Prime Video, Twitch and Fox’s NewsNOW.
T.I., John Legend, Common, Lady Gaga & More Encourage Georgians to Vote in Run-Off Election.
Timberlake revealed on Wednesday that he and Clemons wrote a new song, “Better Days,” several months ago, describing it as their way of “doing what little we could to encourage everyone to stay hopeful and to keep working towards a better future.”
The special, which the PIC says is the “capstone” to the day’s events, was developed in part because the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many traditional inauguration events — such as live concerts, the inaugural parade and the raft of galas and balls — to be canceled. As a result, the organization is turning to less traditional ways to engage with Americans for the inauguration, including a public art display in Washington, and a memorial to lives lost due to the disease.
“This inauguration presents a unique opportunity to spotlight the resilience and spirit of an America united,” said PIC CEO Tony Allen in a statement. “We have witnessed countless heroes this past year step up to the frontlines and serve their fellow Americans, so we are telling their stories, spreading their collective light, and celebrating the best of our country and its people with this prime-time program. Our first priority is safety — so while many of us will be watching safely from our homes, we are creating real moments of connection that highlight a new inclusive American era of leadership that works for and represents all Americans.”
Tom Hanks Hosting ‘Celebrating America’ Inaugural Special With Performances From Demi Lovato & More
The emerging list of superstars performers for the inauguration special already stands in stark contrast to the modest line-up for one-term president Donald Trump’s 2012 pre-COVID inauguration. Though the former reality star boasted that he would have “the biggest celebrities in the world” marking his coronation, the final line-up was a mix of country stars, cover bands and mostly unknown acts, including Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down, The Piano Guys, Lee Greenwood, DJ RaviDrum, The Frontmen of Country, Big & Rich, Cowboy Troy, Tony Orlando, America’s Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho singing the National Anthem, standards cover act Tim Rushlow & His Big Band, Sam and Dave’s Sam Moore, the Rockettes, The Silhouettes, Circus 1903, Cache Olson and Pelican 212 performing at a variety of inaugural balls.
This world is full of self-centered persons and finding a truly selfless person who minds for the needs of others is very difficult. An 11-year-old boy named Liang Yao is among the individuals who fall into the category of selflessness.
This boy is from Shenzhen, China. Liang Yao was an exceptional student with high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creativity among others. When he was a little boy, he had two main goals in his life of which all were related to helping and he wanted to become either of them. The first was that he wanted to become a hero and the second was if he could not become a hero then he would become a doctor.
Unfortunately, when he turned nine years old, Liang Yao was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This little kid had to endure this deadly disease. Sometimes he could recover and even come back even stronger. He never gave up and continued to battle with this disease. To bystanders, this boy was a hero who never gave up.
When he was eleven years old the disease progressed and became severe. The surgeries and treatment no longer had any significant effect and this meant that there was little or no chance of recovery. Liang Yao had few moments to live the rest of his life. Most individuals who experience this go into a state of devastation and much worry but on the side of Liang, there came the opposite. He was call and cheerful as if nothing happened to him.
Before Liang passed away he told his mother that he would like to donate his organs to other children to save them. Indeed This boy did not want other people to go through the same pain he had been going through. As you would guess, his mother was amazed at her son’s decision and did not think a child could do this.
It is most probably that the boy read about organ donation and the shortage of organ transplantation and it is a major problem in China.Liang Yao left the world after this and doctors gave his livers and kidneys to children who needed them and the boy saved two lives in the process.
The doctors and all other staff were moved because of this boy’s selflessness and his courage and they bowed three times before his body to show their grief and utmost respect.
Though Liang’s dreamed never went true he did more than ever one can imagine. Now it is this to make your voice heard. What can you say about this boy? Let us know your thought in comments section
Both Pope Francis and his predecessor, former pope Benedict XVI, have received the coronavirus vaccine, the Vatican said on Thursday.
“I can confirm that as part of the vaccination program of the Vatican City State, as of today, the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has been administered to Pope Francis and to the Pope Emeritus,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office in response to journalists’ questions.
Pope Francis had announced during an interview with Italian television station Tg5 on Sunday that he planned to receive the vaccine this week.
The Pope referred to the vaccination as “an ethical action, because you are gambling with your health, you are gambling with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others.”
Private Secretary to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, Bishop Georg Gaenswein, had also confirmed that the Pope emeritus would be vaccinated.
A US pet food manufacturer is recalling several of its products following the deaths at least 70 dogs and illness in another 80.
Midwestern Pet Foods, based in Indiana, said the recall affected its Sportmix brand and other labels.
Tests showed the food had potentially unsafe levels of aflatoxins, a by-product of mould that grows on corn and other grains.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is carrying out an investigation.
“As of January 11, 2021, FDA is aware of more than 70 pets that have died and more than 80 pets that are sick after eating Sportmix pet food,” the agency said in a statement.
The company originally announced a recall of some of its Sportmix products in December following the deaths of 28 dogs, CBS News reported.
Tests by the Missouri Department of Agriculture found high levels of aflatoxins, according to the FDA.
The recall was expanded this week to include others brands after more deaths came to light.
Symptoms among animals poisoned by aflatoxins include vomiting, sluggishness and loss of appetite.
Midwestern said the product recall now included Sportmix, Pro Pac Originals, Splash, Sportstrail and Nunn Better dry dog and cat foods produced at its Oklahoma plant that had an expiration date on or before 9 July 2022.
“We continue a thorough review of our facilities and practices in full co-operation with FDA in an effort to better serve our customers and pet parents who have put their trust in us,” the company said.
In an alert on Monday the FDA said it was advising the public “about the potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins in Midwestern pet food products that may still be on store shelves, online or in pet owners’ homes”.
The family-owned company was founded in 1926 and is based in Evansville, Indiana. In its statement, it said it had never had to recall a product before.
Makinde says he hopes to get as many COVID-19 vaccines as possible for Oyo residents.
Oyo governor, Seyi Makinde, says he’s opening discussions with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to get a sufficient supply for residents of the state.
Nigeria hopes to kick off its vaccination campaign against the novel disease by the end of January 2021 with the supply of 100,000 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be focused on frontline workers.
According to the sharing formula published by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Oyo State will receive 1,848 doses of the vaccine.
Seyi Makinde
Makinde said during a media briefing on Wednesday, January 13 that the number allocated to Oyo by the Federal Government is grossly inadequate for the state’s need, prompting him to explore other methods. I have been advised that Astrazeneca vaccine is more suitable for Oyo State due to storage instructions.
“So we are opening discussions directly with the manufacturers to see how we can get as many as possible for our people,” he said.
Oyo is the fifth worst affected by COVID-19 in Nigeria where nearly 104,000 cases have been detected since last February.
A second wave of the virus kicked off in December 2020 with a sharp rise in the number of daily cases recorded nationwide.
Makinde said on Wednesday that the second wave in Oyo is not a thing because the curve was never flattened in the state to begin with.
“Rather, we had more people becoming complacent and acting as if the pandemic was over,” he said.
The governor called on residents to not let their guard down and continue to adhere strictly to COVID-19 safety protocols.
Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has said banning US President Donald Trump was the right thing to do. However, he expressed sadness at what he described as the “extraordinary and untenable circumstances” surrounding Mr Trump’s permanent suspension.
He also said the ban was in part a failure of Twitter’s, which hadn’t done enough to foster “healthy conversation” across its platforms.Twitter has been praised and criticised for freezing Mr Trump’s account.In a long Twitter thread, Twitter’s chief said he did not celebrate or feel pride in the ban – which came after the Capitol riot last week.
Nigeria recorded 1,398 new cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) as active cases being managed across isolation and treatment centres in the country rose to 20,062. The NCDC disclosed this on its official website on Wednesday.
The centre also confirmed nine new deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the nation’s death toll to 1,382. It stated that 1,398 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours across the country, bringing number of confirmed cases to 103,999. It added that 1,033,858 people had so far been tested since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was recorded on Feb. 27, 2020 in the country.
The health agency said that the new infections were recorded from 22 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).It disclosed that Lagos recorded the highest toll with 542 cases, FCT 131, Oyo 120, Rivers 113 and Plateau, 111.Others were Kaduna (71), Kwara (71), Akwa Ibom (34), Sokoto (31), Benue (28), Ogun (27), Kano (26), Kebbi (17), Osun (12), Nasarawa (11), Delta (10), Gombe (10), Bayelsa and Borno (9) each, Edo (8), Ekiti (3) Jigawa and Katsina (2) each.
The NCDC advised Nigerians that “not every COVID-19 individual shows symptoms.“Everyone needs to maintain HIGHER index of suspicion for COVID-19, adhere to all preventive measures.”Always wear a face mask. Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water.
Lagos state government on Wednesday, January 13, sealed the popular Eko club event center in Surulere for violation of COVID19 protocols.
According to the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor of Lagos State on New Media, Gawat Jubril, the center was sealed for holding a packed funeral. Pictures shared online showed that the funeral was held in total disregard of COVID19 protocols such as social distancing.
”Lagos State Safety Commission and the Lagos State Task Force in a joint enforcement exercise, SEALED the Eko Club event centre in Surulere for complete disregard of Covid19 protocols at a funeral event which was held recently at the event centre.”Gawat wrote on Twitter.
A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory has stopped the prosecution of Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre, Burna Boy, Davido, Falz, activist Deji Adeyanju and others over the #EndSARS protest.
The High Court ordered a Magistrate court to immediately stop proceedings and stay action against 50 persons who supported the #EndSARS protests, following a criminal complaint filed by lawyer Kenechukwu Okeke.
Okeke in his suit alleged that during the riot, properties were destroyed and the defendants who promoted the #EndSARS protests must be held responsible for it and also brought to justice.
Justice Bello Kawu who delivered a judgement on the application filed by Activist Deji Adeyanju (one of the defendants) for a judicial review of the substantive matter before the magistrate, said;
“An order of this honourable court granting leave to the application to issue and serve on the defendant an application for judicial review against the proceedings/direct criminal complaint of Hon. Omolola Tolulope Akindele sitting at Chief Magistrate Court II, Wuse Zone 6 in the suit of Kenechukwu Okeke Vs Deji Adeyanju and 49 others in suit No. CR/49/2020.
“An order of this honourable court, that on the grant of the above orders herein, serve as stay of all proceedings on the direct criminal complaint Omolola Tolulope Akindele sitting at Chief Magistrate Court II, Wuse Zone 6 in the suit of Kenechukwu Okeke Vs Deji Adeyanju and 49 others in suit no. CR/49/2020.
“An order of this honourable court, that on the grant of the above orders herein, same order as granted by the honourable court shall restrain the Nigeria Police Force, 2nd and 3rd defendants from taking any further steps, arresting and or taking any unconstitutional/illegal steps in the form of any guise as it concerns the subject matters whatsoever before this court herein as it concerns all parties in the proceedings.”
The US House of Representatives has impeached President Donald Trump for “incitement of insurrection” at last week’s Capitol riot.
Ten Republicans sided with Democrats to impeach the president by 232-197.
But his trial in the Senate will not happen until after Joe Biden, a Democrat, is inaugurated as the new US president next week.
Mr Trump, a Republican, is the first president in US history to be impeached twice.
The Democratic-controlled House voted on Wednesday after two hours of impassioned debate as armed National Guard troops kept watch inside and outside the Capitol.
The FBI has warned of possible armed protests planned for Washington DC and all 50 US state capitals ahead of Mr Biden’s inauguration on 20 January.
In a video released after the vote in Congress, Mr Trump called on his followers to remain peaceful, without mentioning his impeachment. “Violence and vandalism have no place in our country… No true supporter of mine would ever endorse political violence,” he said, striking a sombre and conciliatory tone.
The Tower of London’s “queen” raven is missing and feared dead, according to staff at the fortress.
Merlina, who joined the flock in 2007, has not been seen for several weeks.
The Tower usually has six ravens at any time and, according to legend, if they ever leave then both the fortress and the kingdom will fall. There are currently seven in residence.
A spokesman said Merlina’s “continued absence indicates to us that she may have sadly passed away”.
He added: “Merlina was our undisputed ruler of the roost, queen of the Tower ravens.
“She will be greatly missed by her fellow ravens, the ravenmaster, and all of us in the Tower community.”
image captionRavenmaster Christopher Skaife with a raven chick
“I know so many of you lovely folk will be saddened by this news,” he said in a social media statement.
“None more than me. Please excuse my absence for a few days.”
Tower staff added that they had no immediate plans to replace Merlina.
image captionA spokesman said Merlina’s “continued absence indicates to us that she may have sadly passed away”
Charles II is believed to have been the first monarch to officially decree that the birds must be kept at the Tower at all times.
When numbers fell to just a single raven guard, Winston Churchill ordered that the flock — known as an “unkindness” — was increased to at least six.
In 2018 the Tower launched a raven breeding programme after Historic Royal Palaces warned it was becoming “increasingly difficult” to source the birds.
One week after deadly unrest at the heart of the US government, photographs are going viral of National Guard troops keeping watch over the Capitol.
The images, showing a heavy security presence inside and outside the building, are a complete contrast to the scenes of chaos broadcast around the world last week.
At least 10,000 members of the National Guard will be in Washington DC by Saturday and police officials say that number could be more than doubled for Joe Biden’s inauguration day next week.
Mr Trump is accused by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in the House, of “incitement of insurrection” and some members of his own Republican party have indicated they will vote to charge him.
Many of the lawmakers voting today were caught up in the events of last week, when thousands of radical pro-Trump supporters broke into the Capitol complex as Congress voted to certify the presidential election results.
After the building was secured and rioters cleared, a large fence was erected and thousands of National Guardsmen were brought in to help protect Congress.
As of Tuesday, the Pentagon approved those protecting the Capitol to carry lethal weapons as well as protective equipment.
The highly visible show of force comes amid widespread criticism of the chaotic security situation last week and amid fears of further violence in the run-up to Mr Biden’s inauguration on 20 January.
The FBI, still hunting those responsible for last week’s violence, has issued warnings of possible armed protests and further unrest across the country in the coming days.
A proposed low-cost airline, Green Africa, is set to commence operations soon as it is on the verge of acquiring its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).
The AOC issued by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) authorizes an airline to commence flight operations.
It was learnt that the Green Africa Airways is on the final leg of the process of acquiring the AOC preparatory to launching into the domestic space.
Green Africa owned by Babawande Afolabi, has a leadership team which includes two well-experienced leaders in the global aviation industry; Neil Mills – President and Chief Operating Officer and Kiran Koteshwar – Chief Financial Officer.
The airline in a statement said it would soon be unveiling its crew uniform tagged “The Runway” which will be made public in due course.
Daily Trust reports that the airline in 2018 took the industry by storm with its order of 100 Boeing 737 Max but as at that time, it was yet to commence the process of acquiring the AOC which encompasses five rigorous stages.
But gradually, the airline is said to be fulfilling the requirements which would enable it join the league of nine scheduled domestic airlines.
Findings by Daily Trust indicate that no fewer than 25 AOC applicants are at various stages of processing with the NCAA while Green Africa has virtually completed the process.
In December 2020, the airline sent its pilots on a type-rating training. The pilots are Folu Oladipo (Chief Pilot), Victor Yem, John Ayerume, Stephen Okereke, Ladi Ogun, and Israel Eloho.
While Green Africa is yet to provide detailed information about its launch and routes networks, the public continues to speculate ahead of its launch which the company says is on track for this year.
The company continues to scale up the manpower required for the start of operations and some of the newly recruited cabin crew members (Adefolabi Ogunnaike, Rosemary Uagbor, Afolabi Modupe, Juliana Aku, Aderounmu Yetunde, Okere Ijeoma, Chieke Immaculate, and Abimbola Segun) were also recently sent for type-rating training.
According to a source at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) who is well aware of the plans of the new carrier, he mentioned that “the airline is serious, they mean business and could start soon, as they are close to acquiring the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC)”.
Green Africa, ahead of the scheduled commencement of operations, has given out 24 (Twenty-Four) free tickets during the December 2020 promotion tagged “Tis the season to gIFT” which was featured on its social media pages.
In October 2020, Green Africa formed a strategic partnership with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), which yielded $31 million in a combination of standby letter of credit and rolling working capital.
Green Africa is anchored by a group of senior industry leaders led by Tom Horton, former Chairman & CEO of American Airlines, Wale Adeosun, Founder & CEO of Kuramo Capital, William Shaw, CEO of InterJet, Virasb Vahidi, former CCO of American Airlines and Gbenga Oyebode, Founder & Chairman of Aluko & Oyebode.
The Federal Government has disbursed another round of performance-based grants to States in the sum of N123.348bn ($324.6m) under its States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme for Results.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, who disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr. Hassan Dodo, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations on Wednesday in Abuja, explained that the disbursement followed the achievement of results by the States in the just concluded 2019 Annual Performance Assessment (APA).
The assessment was carried out by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) and approved by the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.According to Mrs. Ahmed, the disbursement included N91.048 billion (USD239.6 million) of performance-based grants for the 2019 APA results achieved by 32 Eligible States across various Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) covering fiscal transparency, accountability, expenditure efficiency, revenue mobilization and debt sustainability.
States received grants in accordance to the number of results achieved, with Sokoto State receiving the highest amount of N6.612billion while Kano State got the lowest amount of N1.710billion.
“Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers and Zamfara States got zero allocation due to their inability to meet the 2019 eligibility criteria which required States to publish online approved annual budgets and audited financial statements within a specific timeframe,” she said.She further noted that the 2019 APA results were a significant improvement on the 2018 APA results where the total performance-based grants of N43.416 billion (USD120.6 million) were received by 24 Eligible States, demonstrating the substantive progress States have made on fiscal reforms.
She disclosed that the second part of the disbursement involved a new COVID-19 response DLI: The implementation of a tax compliance relief programme for individual tax payers and businesses by States by 30 September 2020 where 34 out of 36 States (only Anambra and Zamfara States missed out) were able to achieve the results for this new DLI for the total of N32.3 billion (USD 85 million) of grants.
The disbursement came after the recent one in November, 2020 by the Federal Government where the sum of N66.5billion (USD175 million) was granted to 35 States which achieved results under another new COVID-19 response DLI: the passing of an Amended COVID-19 Responsive 2020 Budget by 31 July 2020.
The Minister observed that since the first disbursement in April 2020, the Federal Government has thus far disbursed the total sum of N233billion(USD620.6million) to the States under the US $750 million World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.
Mrs. Ahmed reiterated that the World Bank-assisted SFTAS Programme was principally meant to strengthen fiscal management at the state level so as to ensure effective mobilisation and utilisation of financial resources to the benefit of their citizens in a transparent, accountable and sustainable manner, thereby reducing fiscal risks and encouraging a common set of fiscally responsible behaviours.
She noted that the SFTAS programme could not have come at a better time, given the dwindling government revenue occasioned by oil price volatility and coupled with the current impact of COVID-19 which has further intensified the need for improved practices in fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability as enunciated in the SFTAS ideals.
The Minister stressed that with the disbursement of the total sum of N233.264 billion (USD620.2 million) since the beginning of the Programme for Results, “we have thus far successfully adapted and implemented the SFTAS Programme to provide timely support to States with a view to strengthening their fiscal capacity for responding to numerous fiscal challenges in their respective domains.”
“The increase in the number of benefitting States and results achieved is indicative of the wider acceptance of SFTAS ideals by all States of the Federation and this would herald a new era of transparency and accountability in fiscal governance at the sub-national level”.
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
