SA News

Nigeria loses N217bn annually as Senate proposes stiffer sanctions for gas flaring from 2021 The Senate on Thursday considered a bill which proposes stiffer sanctions for any person or corporate entity involved in gas flaring in Nigeria from January 1, 2021. The Gas Flaring (Prohibition and Punishment) Bill, 2020, which scaled second reading during plenary, was sponsored by Senator Albert Bassey Akpan (Akwa-Ibom North East). Clause 11(a) of the bill provides that, “Any person who flares gas after December 31, 2020 contrary to section 4 of this Act, commits an offence under this Act, and shall be liable on conviction to pay a fine which shall not be less than the cost of gas at the international market.” Leading the debate on the floor, Akpan recalled that though the Bill was passed by the 8th Senate in 2018, it failed to receive concurrence by the House of Representatives due to time constraints as it was close to the end of the legislative session. He s...

Senate moves to legalize electronic transactions, criminalize online fraud The Senate on Thursday considered a bill to provide enabling framework that would legalize all forms of electronic transactions undertaken in Nigeria. The bill, if passed and signed into law, will prohibit and criminalize online fraud, and also make it legally possible to admit evidence of electronic transactions between parties in court during proceedings. Sponsor of the bill, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (APC – Ogun Central), said the online transactions in the United States reached three trillion dollars in 2014 alone. According to the lawmaker, online transactions account for well over ten trillion dollars in sales of goods and service globally. Explaining the importance of enacting the necessary regime for electronic transaction in Nigeria, Amosun said that the European Union in the year 2000 approved a directive on electronic commerce which required member-states to implement same. ...

Lagos Police arrest deadly cult kingpin, eight others in Ikorodu Sikiru Samuel A suspected deadly Aiye Confraternity Kingpin, Sikiru Samuel also known as Samora and eight members of his gang have been arrested in Ikorodu area of Lagos. The Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants of the state police command also recovered one double barrel gun from the suspects. Spokesman of the command, DSP Bala Elkana said in a statement that the strike force was deployed by the state commissioner of Police, Hakkem Odumosu to sustain the ongoing onslaught on cultists and other social miscreants in Ikorodu, Imota, Agbowa, Owutu, Ijede, Ipakodo and Owode Onirin. CP Hakeem Odumosu According to him, "The operation, which is intelligence driven, has recorded another remarkable achievement with the arrest of a deadly leader of Aiye confraternity, Sikiru Samuel a.k.a Samora 24 years old, at Imota. Other members of his gang arrested are: Adegboyega Ismaila ‘m’ 19 years old; Sunkanm...

How Female Teacher from Abia State Bagged Accelerated Promotion, Cash Reward from Gov Zulum of Borno State The Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has donated a cash reward and offered an accelerated promotion to Mrs Obiagelli Mazi who had served as a dedicated teacher in the state for more than 30 years. Governor Zulum during an outing at 6:30 am on Friday to assess facilities at Shehu Sanda Kyarimi Primary school under Jere local government area had encountered Mrs Obiagelli already waiting for her pupils. Overwhelmed by Mrs Obiagelli’s dedication, Governor Zulum commended and rewarded her with personal cash of N100,000 nearly three times her monthly salary of N35,000 and later approved an executive order promoting her from class teacher to assistant headmistress. PRNigeria gathered that Mrs Obiagelli, a level 12 class teacher before the promotion, hails from Abia state in the South-East and has been teaching for 31 years in Borno State in the Nort...

Senate Wants Strict Fiscal Compliance For MDAs ...seeks introduction of sanctions, establishment of Fiscal Responsibility Council The Senate has initiated moves to ensure strict compliance with fiscal transparency and accountability by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government sequel to the consideration of a bill to repeal and re-enact the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. Sponsor of the bill, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC, Adamawa Central), in her lead debate, said there are “deficiencies that render implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the Act too administrative, especially without clear cut punitive measures” as consequence for violations. According to the lawmaker, in order to make the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) more effective, “there is need to make public consultation mandatory and not discretionary by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning.” She added, “There should be corporate debt limits clearl...

We Need To Revisit Power Sector Privatisation - Senate President President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Thursday said there is a need to revisit the privatisation of the power sector. Lawan made the statement when members of the executive committee of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja. "I think the privatisation has not worked. It has failed because the essence of privatisation is to create efficiency," Lawan told his guests who complained of the adverse effects of the sordid state of electricity supply in the country. "It appears most of the companies, the DISCOs (Distribution Companies), have no sufficient capital and probably the same thing with the GENCOs (Generation Companies)," Lawan said. The Senate President acknowledged the efforts of the government which, out of  desperation to create a better situation for the privatised sector, gave out so much money to the companies. "I ...

Nigerian Senate Constitutes 56-man Constitution Review Committee President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday announced the membership of a 56-man Steering and Constitution Review Committee. The announcement was made moments after the start of Thursday’s plenary. The composition of the committee had all Principal officers as members; one Senator from each State of the Federation, and two Senators selected to represent each geo-political zone in the country. Principal officers on the membership of the Constitution Review Committee include: the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege (Chairman); Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; Deputy Leader, Ajayi Boroffice; Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Deputy Whip, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha; Minority Whip, Philip Aduda; and Deputy Minority Whip, Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u. Lawmakers selected to represent each State include: Theordore Orji, Abia; Aishat Ahmed, Adamawa; Bassey Akpan, Akwa-...