Any policeman checking vehicle particulars is on illegal duty–AIG

Mr Dan Bature, an Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police in Charge of Zone 11 comprising Oyo, Osun and Ondo states, says any policeman checking vehicle particulars on the highways is on illegal duty.
Bature said this on Wednesday in Ibadan during a two-day familiarisation visit to Oyo State.
He said that the duty of the police was not to check vehicle particulars but to ensure safer roads.
Bature warned policemen against blocking high ways, saying police patrol vehicles were not supposed to be toll gates.
He said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was committed to changing the negative image of the police and supporting the anticorruption war of the Federal Government.
Bature advised officers unable to key into the laudable initiatives of the IGP to resign from the force.
He said that a lot was expected by the public from the police, adding that this informed the monitoring of officers.
“The Inspector General of Police is determined to improve on your welfare and pursue the increment of your salary.
“But this can only be achieved when the people have good perception about the police, “Bature said.
Earlier, Sam Adegbuyi, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, said that the officers were dedicated and patriotic.
Adegbuyi said that in view of the population of Oyo State, the command needed to create three more Area Commands in addition to the existing four commands.
He commended the AIG, Oyo government and the Police Community Relation Committee for the successes recorded so far in the fight against crime. (NAN)

Reps reject national conference, referendum

Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara

The House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a fresh bid for the convocation of a national conference and a referendum where a new constitution for the country would be approved by Nigerians.

The Senate and the House are currently in the process of further amending the 1999 Constitution.

However, a member from Rivers State, Mr. Kingsley Chinda, and another lawmaker from Edo State, Mr. Peter Akpatason, introduced a bill on Wednesday seeking to provide for the convocation of a national conference.

Chinda is a Peoples Democratic Party’s legislator, while Akpatason is a member of the All Progressives Congress.

The long title of the bill read, “A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Convocation of National Conference for the People of Nigeria for the Purpose of Discussing and Adopting a New Constitution to be submitted for Consideration and Approval at a Referendum and for other Purposes Connected therewith.”

But, the House, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, did not allow the bill go far before it was rejected.

It said any procedure for amending the constitution that was either in conflict with the constitution or did not comply with the extant provisions for the amendment of the constitution was “illegal.”

The House position was highlighted by the Chairman, Committee on Rules/Business, Mr. Orker Jev. He raised a point of order to oppose the bill.

Jev said Section 1 of the constitution held the constitution to be the “supreme” law of the land, which was also binding on all Nigerians.

“Any law that is inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution automatically becomes null and void,” he stated.

Jev also argued that Section 9 of the constitution made clear provisions on how to amend it.

He added that the constitution did not include a referendum for the purpose of amending it.

“Any other thing other procedure is illegal.

“You cannot bring a bill here to amend the constitution,” Jev told the House.

Dogara quickly concurred with Jev before he rammed his gavel to rule out the bill.

Meanwhile, the House called for improved welfare for teachers in the country on Wednesday as they marked the 2016 World Teachers’ Day.

Many lawmakers suggested a separate salary structure for teachers and the provision of training facilities in schools.

‘22 top federal officials sacked over budget padding’

A total of 184 civil servants were disciplined for their different roles in the padding of the 2016 budget.
This was contained in Buhari’s authorised biography, ‘Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria’, written by Prof. John Paden and presented to the public on Monday.
Of the 184, Paden said 22 top officials were dismissed from service.
He said the President viewed the padding as an attempt to scuttle his administration’s innovations, hence his decision to wield the big stick against the culprits.
The author wrote, “Buhari himself was frustrated by earlier padding of the budget by bureaucrats in some of the ministries.
“This was interpreted by the Buhari team as an attempt to scuttle the innovations proposed by the President by inflating their costs.
“When Buhari found out, he was reported to be angry and ordered a purge of the ministries involved from the Director-General down.
“Twenty-two top officials were dismissed, including the budget director. In all, 184 civil servants were disciplined.”
He added that even after the budget had been adjusted downward by the National Assembly, the country would still have to borrow $3.5bn, as a result of the drop in oil prices.
In February, Buhari had while addressing the Nigerian community in Saudi Arabia, vowed that all those involved in the padding of the 2016 national budget, which led to the discrepancies in the document, would face severe punishment.
He had said the alterations, which he described as embarrassing and disappointing, made the document, being debated in the National Assembly at that time, completely different from what was prepared by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
Describing those responsible for the distortion of the budget proposals as entrenched interests, the President had said since he had been holding public offices, he had never heard about budget padding before the incident.
Buhari had added, “The culprits will not go unpunished. I have been a military governor, petroleum minister, military Head of State and headed the Petroleum Trust Fund.
“Never had I heard the words budget padding. Our Minister of Budget and National Planning did a great job with his team.
“The minister became almost half his size during the time, working night and day to get the budget ready, only for some people to pad it.
“What he gave us was not what was finally being debated. It is very embarrassing and disappointing. We will not allow those who did it to go unpunished.”
Reaffirming his government’s zero tolerance for corruption, Buhari said the war against corruption was a monumental task that he was determined to tackle successfully.

More trouble for Samsung as phone catches fire on plane

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

A United States flight was evacuated prior to takeoff when a passenger’s Galaxy Note 7 — reportedly a replacement in Samsung’s global recall — caught fire, landing the company in new controversy.
Samsung has been struggling with a recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 handsets due to complaints of exploding batteries, a problem the replacement phones are supposed to fix.
But on Wednesday, a Southwest Airlines flight leaving Louisville, Kentucky was evacuated after a passenger’s new Samsung phone began emitting smoke.
Brian Green, the owner, told tech news website The Verge that the phone was a replacement, which he picked up on September 21. He also provided a picture of its box, which has a black square symbol indicating that it was a replacement.
Some 60 per cent of US consumers had swapped their devices for replacements by the end of last month.
The Verge reported Green had powered down the phone for takeoff, an account The New York Times confirmed through other eyewitnesses.
The heat damage from the apparent explosion was so severe that a fire official could not independently verify the model of the phone, according to ABC News.
“Until we are able to retrieve the device, we cannot confirm that this incident involves the new Note7,” Samsung said in a statement.
“We are working with the authorities and Southwest now to recover the device and confirm the cause,” the company added. “Once we have examined the device we will have more information to share.”
The unprecedented recall, the first involving Samsung’s flagship smartphone, has struck a blow to the reputation of the South Korean electronics giant, the world’s largest smartphone maker.
With ever-fiercer competition, Samsung is desperate to avoid a full-blown disaster that could hammer its reputation.
Meanwhile the recall could cost the firm $3bn in the long run, some analysts say.
“The continued news reports about the Note 7 aren’t good for Samsung, especially for its brand reputation,” Park Kang-ho, an analyst at Daishin Securities Co. told Bloomberg.
“If the noise continues even as phones are replaced, consumers will start raising doubts over the next Galaxy S model, so the faster Samsung settles things the better for its business.”
Southwest Airlines said in a statement that all customers and crew “deplaned calmly and safely via the main cabin door.”

LASTMA official, driver beaten to a pulp

• Scene of the clash Photo:

There was pandemonium on Wednesday at the Costain area of Lagos State as an official of the Lagos State Management Authority and a bus driver were reportedly beaten to a pulp.

PUNCH Metro learnt that officials of LASTMA had allegedly apprehended the bus driver at the Costain bus stop, for allegedly violating a traffic rule.

It was alleged that an argument ensued between the driver, his conductor and the officials.

In the ensuing scuffle, a LASTMA official allegedly punched the driver and he slumped.

A mob was reported to have barricaded the road in protest as the driver lay on the floor, foaming in the mouth.

The mob reportedly vandalised a LASTMA patrol car which drove into the protesters at the time, beating up the officials.

They were said to have mobilised and also attacked the LASTMA office in the area and vandalised vehicles in the yard before the intervention of policemen from the Iponri division.

A witness, Ibrahim Adisa, said the incident happened around 9am.

He said, “We saw that the LASTMA officials held the bus driver at the junction for breaking traffic rule. The man did not release the vehicle to them, which started an argument. The driver and the conductor then started fighting the LASTMA men.

“One of the LASTMA officials put his hand in the pocket and brought out a ring which he used to hit the driver. The man fell and started foaming in the mouth.  The officials then took his bus into their yard and left him on the ground.

“A mob barricaded the road and vandalised a LASTMA patrol car that came in that time. They beat up all the officials in the car. After that, they carried the man’s body into the LASTMA’s office and chased out the workers.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that the driver was later taken to a hospital after the police arrived to quell the unrest.

A motorcycle rider said the situation would have been worse but for the intervention of the police.

“Traffic was at a standstill and the hoodlums were looking for LASTMA officials or any government official to attack,” he added.

As of 3pm when our correspondent left the area, no traffic official was in sight as police patrol vehicles mounted surveillance in the area.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding investigations were ongoing.

She said, “Yes, I can confirm that LASTMA officials impounded a vehicle and the driver and his conductor engaged the LASTMA officials in fisticuffs, which led to two losing consciousness. The two are the driver and a LASTMA official. They were both rushed to the hospital where they are currently recuperating. Investigation has commenced into the matter.”

The spokesperson for LASTMA, Mr. Mahmud Hassan, in a statement, denied that the driver was beaten by an official of the agency.

He explained that some hoodlums, who were attempting to free the driver’s bus, invaded the premises of the agency and vandalised vehicles.

He said, “The commercial bus was apprehended for illegal picking and dropping of passengers in the Costain area. The commercial bus was subsequently taken to the nearest yard of the agency at Iponri for booking.

“However, in a bid to circumvent the law and retrieve the vehicle from LASTMA’s yard, the driver mobilised friends and hoodlums, who attacked the Iponri office of the agency. They injured our personnel and damaged vehicles in the yard. However, when the driver’s action did not yield the desired result, he stripped himself naked and created a scene in order to draw the sympathy of unwary members of the public.

“When the act failed, his friends and hoodlums put him in a wheelbarrow with a clear intention to cause commotion and breakdown of law and order.”

Hassan said two of the hoodlums had been arrested and would be arraigned in court.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Bashir Braimah, according to the statement, said no amount of violence would make the agency to shy away from its statutory responsibility.

Buhari to face National Assembly on way out of recession

•Buhari

The Senate on Wednesday concurred with the House of Representatives resolution to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to brief members on plans to bail out the country from economic recession.
The House of Representatives had on Thursday 22nd September, 2016 passed a resolution to invite the C-in-C, to intimate members on government’s plans to save the country from recession.
Entitled “Concurrence to House resolution” the motion seeks to “Invite the President C-in-C, to address a Joint Session of the National Assembly to intimate it on plans to get the country out of recession to enable the House take further legislative action.”
Though the motion was not debated, Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, sought the approval of the Senate to concur with the House resolution.
The adoption of the resolution was unanimous.
However, no date was taken for the briefing apparently due to the necessity to consult with President Buhari on a convenient date.
Only last week, the Senate submitted to the President a 20-point resolutions on what should be done to make recession short lived in the country.
Saraki personally submitted the resolutions to President Buhari in line with the position of the upper chamber.
Part of the submission to the President was the resolution of the Senate that the proposed sale of some national assets should be dropped.
The Senate also “urged the executive to ensure constant meeting of fiscal and monetary authorities for harmonization of all policies, particularly lower interest rates for genuine investors in the real sector as well as medium and small scale farmers and processors.”
It said that “Government must engage in meaningful and inclusive dialogue with the aggrieved Niger Delta militants to avoid escalation of the unrest in the region and ensure protection of Nigeria’s oil and gas assets to facilitate increase in oil production and boost revenue there from.
“That the President should as a matter of urgency, appoint a Senior Special Assistant who should lead a team that coordinates the government’s engagement with all stakeholders in the region, specifying that the team should include Senators from the Zone.
“The President to reconstitute the Board of Central Bank (CBN) and all other critical agencies in order for them to operate in accordance with the enabling laws.”
Government to solve the age long problem associated with saving for the rainy day by the federal government.
The upper chamber adopted the recommendation seeking for the amendment of section 162 of the constitution to make it possible for the federal government to save money to that effect for the rainy day

Lagos Special Grants Bill sparks hot Senate debate

•Senator Tinubu

SENATORS were yesterday locked in a passionate debate of a bill which sought provision of Federal Government grants for Lagos State.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, banged the gavel several times for calm.

As the disorder persisted, Ekweremadu sprang up from his seat, pleading for calm.

“A Bill for an Act to make provision for Federal grants to Lagos State in recognition of its strategic socio-economic significance and other connected purposes” was sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central).

Senator Tinubu meticulously laid out the framework and the spirit behind the bill.  She noted that as a city which caters for the welfare of residents and visitors, Lagos is placed under a huge strain that affects its infrastructure.

The proposed legislation attracted unsavory comments from senators who felt Lagos State already had enough to sustain itself.

Three times the bill was put to voice vote and three times it appeared the nay sayers carried the day.

Senator Tinubu said: “Today Lagos serves as the commercial capital of Nigeria and its major nerve centre.

“The strategic importance of Lagos State is inherent in several sectors of the economy.

“Available statistics indicates that six out of 10 international passengers arrive in Lagos. Eight out of 10 depart from Lagos. This shows that Lagos is the window through which visitors travelling in and out of Nigeria leave the country.

“Lagos is home to the major ports that serve Nigeria. It accounts for over 90 percent of all maritime exports. The state delivers much of the funds, charges that go into the coffers of the federal government. It is incontrovertible that Lagos State generates much of Nigeria’s income outside its oil sector.

“According to a Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) report in 2008, 86.2 per cent companies income taxes were collected in Lagos alone while 56.7 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) was collected in Lagos.

“Key sectors of the economy, namely manufacturing, construction, telecommunications, financial institutions and insurance, are domiciled in Lagos. Lagos also plays a major role as host to sporting, entertainment and cultural events. It is also the home of hospitality, given the numerous hotels and restaurants located within the state.

“Compared with the rest of the country, Lagos has the smallest landmass of about 3,671square kilometer and the highest population density at about 2,649 persons per square kilometer.

“Although the National Population Census, according to its 2006 figures, named Lagos the second most populous state in Nigeria, evidence shows that the state is also the transient state which plays host to millions of transient citizens of other states who commute to Lagos for commercial transactions on a daily basis.

“As a city which caters to the welfare of residents and visitors, Lagos is placed under a huge strain that affects its infrastructure and welfare implications for residents and transient citizens of other states in Nigeria.

“Many Nigerians travelling to Lagos experience traffic congestion because of pressure on the road.

“Other problems faced in Lagos include overcrowding, emergence of slumps, over stretched healthcare facilities, decreased productivity because of hours lost in traffic, environmental challenges.

“It is obvious that Lagos State has been left to deal with these pressures on its own at huge cost… “

She went on: “Irrespective of its contributions to the economy, Lagos receives statutory allocations like other states. These often translate into meagre sums when compared with other states generating oil sector revenue.

“The bill aims to remedy the remaining problems faced by residents and visitors in Lagos by empowering the federal government to make provisions for economic assistance through grants as provided for under section 164 sub-section (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“The bill allows the grants payable to be determined by the President and Commander-in-Chief on the recommendation of the Governor of Lagos State with the proviso that recommends the modest amount not less than 1 percent of the share of the revenue accruing to the federal government. The amount is payable upon appropriation by the National Assembly.

“This grants will be utilised in meeting the public infrastructural need of Lagos State. For example, improving on rail infrastructure to decongest the roads and for promotion of the conducive social economic environment for federal institutions as well as increase the State’s capacity to continue to play host.

“The bill also establishes a joint committee host members both the President and the Governor of Lagos State appoints. The committee will present an annual report to the president for information outlined in the bill.

Distinguished colleagues, this bill definitely has financial implications. The compendium shows what the financial implication that is the recommended one per cent of the share of the revenue accruing to the Federal Government is attached.

“I urge you to support this bill because Lagos is our collective heritage whether we live in it as residents or pass through as visitors.

“We would all benefit from investments in infrastructural development and perhaps like the former capital of the republic of Germany, Lagos is service to many international agencies that will utilise her former federal duties.”

Senators Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), Solomon Adeola (Lagos West), Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East) Fatima Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti Central) Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central), supported the bill.

Senators Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North), Hope Uzodinma (Imo West) Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), James Manager (Delta South) opposed the bill.

Ashafa described the bill as “most important” and urged his colleagues to be sympathetic to the cause of Lagos State.

He noted that over 95 per cent of the lawmakers have one form of link or the other to Lagos, adding that what happens in Lagos affects the country.

“The bill is asking for just one per cent of Federal Government allocation for building of roads and other infrastructure,” Ashafa said.

Adeola noted that the bill is seeking special assistance for Lagos State, adding that “any assistance for Lagos, every Nigerian will benefit from it.”

The Lagos West lawmaker said that what they were asking for is for the residents of Lagos State, including Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and others.

He recalled that when New York ceased to be the capital of the United States, the city was not abandoned by the US government.

He said: “ I want to plead that the bill be allowed to go for second reading at which stage issues involved will be addressed adequately.”

Gemade said it was normal for parliamentarians to seek for special grants for their constituencies.

He posited that “the bill is certainly not out of place as proposed, especially when the federal government controls large proportion of the federal revenue.

Gemade added that the bill became even more necessary when it is recognised that there are no institutions left for states to generate revenue for their upkeep.

He said: “ Supposing the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) is an institution that Lagos city is running, Lagos would have been making some revenue from it.”

To Senator Raji-Rasaki, the bill is long overdue and seeks to give to Lagos what is due to it.

The Ekiti Central lawmaker insisted that it is wrong to treat Lagos like every other state without considering its contributions to the wellbeing of the country.

But Senator Wamakko who flatly opposed the bill, said that its timing was wrong.

The Sokoto North lawmaker said that the bill could not pass when many states could not pay worker.

Senator Gershom Bassey (Cross River South) said that for the bill to pass, Calabar, the Cross River capital – should also be considered for special grants. Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West) contended that the criteria given for the passage of the bill were wrong.

Senator Philip Aduda (FCT) said he would support the bill only on the condition that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would receive the same consideration.

Senator Abdullahi Adamu cited constitutional impediments to the bill and concluded that the National Assembly lacked the jurisdiction to make a law on how money should be removed from federal government allocations.

He said: “ The Federal Government can give grants to states but the bill is talking about a certain percentage to be given to Lagos State from federal revenue.”

Senator James Manager said that though the bill is good and appealing, “the constitution prescribed how grants should be given to states.”

The Delta South lawmaker particularly cited Section 164(1) that stipulates how grants should be given to states by the Federal Government.

Senator Adeyeye also supported the bill but said that the same Section cited by Senator Manager should be looked into.

Tension rose when Adeyeye insisted that just like in the case of oil producing areas that receive 13 per cent derivation, 13 per cent derivation should be set aside for revenue collected from VAT.

The Osun Central lawmaker also underscored the need for the country to implement full scale fiscal federalism as the way out of financial difficulties being experienced by states.

When he described the FCT as “a rotten pampered child”, there was uproar in the chamber.

The Senator representing FCT, Senator Aduda, particularly, took offence over the reference to FCT as a “rotten pampered child’ and sought that Adeyeye withdraw the reference.

Even when Adeyeye prompt withdrew the comment, the withdrawal did not pacify some senators.

Adeyeye said: “I rise to support most of this bill and to oppose an aspect of it. And the aspect I oppose is the same aspect that James Manager attempted to highlight. But in doing so, I want to point out that they are doing so because I don’t even believe that one percent is enough for Lagos.

“I think what we need to do is to be fair to every part of this country and to say that we must not kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

“We have already from Independence and subsequent alteration to the Constitution, what he has referred to as grundnorms, in which we say whatever revenue you get from oil by the principles of derivation, a certain percentage must belong to that community.

“By the same token, whatever you get from VAT, a certain percentage should belong to that community. We have among us a governor who made a law that banned the consumption of alcohol. That’s what the people want. I supported it. He has the right to make the law. However, if my own people consume alcohol and pay VAT on it, he should not take a penny of what my people have for VAT on alcohol.

“In Lagos, all of us pay tax. And all of these VAT is taken to Abuja. What we need to do is to say  whatever is good for the goose is good for the gander. If it’s 13 percent for Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers for oil, let it also be 13 percent to Lagos for the VAT paid there.

“Mr. President, you led us to Washington DC on fiscal federalism. We were told that when we see federal roads in the US, it’s federal only in name. It’s federal only because the Federal Government of the US provides 80 percent of the money and the state government provides 20 percent. But all of the money is given to the Federal Government on that road. Until we have fiscal federalism, Lagos will not work, Calabar will not work, the FCT will not work. By the way, the FCT is a rotten pampered child.”

At this stage, there was uproar in the chamber.

Some northern senators were particularly irked that Adeyeye spoke about states withholding VAT raised in their states.

Ekweremadu intervened and asked Adeyeye to withdraw the comment on FCT.

Adeyeye said: “I have already withdrawn it. Mr. FCT (referring to Aduda) I’ve withdrawn it. Having withdrawn it and having been forgiven by my brother Phillip, my friend, an apology is an apology.”

But The rowdiness in the chamber persisted.

It appeared Senator Aduda, who apparently felt injured by the contributions of Senator Adeyeye, especially the reference to FCT as “rotten pampered child”, was ready to fight Adeyeye.

Aduda sprang up from his seat but was prevailed upon by his colleagues.

Adeyeye continued: “My point remains that for everyone who lives in a house in Lagos, you pay tax. Abuja we don’t pay tax and therefore the FCT is being subsidised by the Federal Government. That must end! I won’t apologise for that. The FCT is not paying sufficient tax.”

There was loud murmuring.

Amid the ensuing confusion, Ekweremadu said: “Now, we will put the question. Distinguished colleagues, those in support this bill be read the second time say aye.”

After three times of putting the question, it was obvious that the majority were against the bill.

Ekweremadu ruled that the “nay” had it.