Month: July 2023

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) as majority leader of the 10th Senate.

Akpabio made the announcement at 11. 29 a.m. on Tuesday at plenary after commencement of proceedings from the Eid-El Kabir break.

Akpabio also announced Sen. Mohammed Ndume (APC-Borno) as the Chief Whip; Sen. David Umahi (APC-Ebonyi), as the Deputy Leader and Sen. Lola Ashiru (APC-Kwara) as Deputy Chief Whip.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senate had adjourned sitting on June 14 for Eid-El Kabir

Akpabio said, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus of the Senate after consultations has emerged with their leadership which will be the fulcrum of commencing other businesses of the chamber.

” I’m happy to announce that by consensus the Senate Leader is Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele will be the Majority Leader.

” Sen. Mohammed Ndume (APC-Borno) will be the Chief Whip of the 10th Senate; Sen. David Umahi (APC-Ebonyi), by your your consent will act as the Deputy Leader and Sen. Lola Ashiru (APC-Kwara) will be the Deputy Chief Whip.”

A copy of Bamidele’s citation obtained by NAN indicates that he is currently a ranking senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters in the 9th National Assembly; Michael Opeyemi Bamidele is the Founder, Principal Attorney & Head of Chambers at the Law Office of Opeyemi Bamidele & Associates (with offices in Asokoro District, Abuja and Lekki Phase 1, Lagos) from where he is at the moment on leave of absence.

Bamidele is a New York Attorney, Member of the 7th House of Representatives and three-term Member of the prestigious Lagos State Cabinet between 2000 and 2011 when he served as Hon. Commissioner in differentMinistries and under two Governors. He had served as the Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 1992 when Tinubu was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, Appropriation and Currency.

He is a lawyer without border, licensed to practise in the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court; an Attorney and Counselor-at-Law of the State of New York, USA; and a Notary Public of Nigeria.

Bamidele graduated with honours in 1986, from the University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife with a Bachelor of Arts degree and, subsequently, from the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Degree with honours, in 1990.

After his call to the Nigerian Bar, Bamidele launched into a full-time legal career in 1992. He obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the World-renowned Franklin Pierce Law Centre in the University of New Hampshire Law School, Concord, New Hampshire, USA. He specialized in Intellectual Property Law, with bias in International Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law, including the Licensing of International Transfer of Technology.

A learned counsel of no mean stature, Bamidele is an active Member of the New York and Nigerian Bar, a Member of the American Bar Association and a Member of the International Bar Association.

He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Nigeria), the Chartered Institute of Management Consultants as well as the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration, Nigeria, among others.

In October, 2019, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele was appointed a Member of the prestigious Body of Benchers, Nigeria. He is a seasoned and multilateral legal practitioner, Civil Rights activist, a former Honourable Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development as well as Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy consecutively in Lagos State.

He was a former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research in the 7th National Assembly. He also served as the Chairman of the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) between July 2011 and June 2015.

In recognition of his significant contribution to the restoration, growth and development of democracy and good governance in Nigeria as well as his heroic exploits as a foremost political activist, seasoned legal practitioner, accomplished public administrator, quintessential lawmaker and consummate politician, the prestigious National Honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) was conferred on Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR in October, 2022.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Simeon Tanko, an ICT expert, has commended Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau on the appointment of Mr Datong Gwaman, as Director- General, Plateau Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (PITCDA).

Tanko made the commendation in a statement on Monday in Abuja, saying the success of any administration was largely dependent on the quality of personnel appointed to serve in it.

He said usually it is not usually an easy task to identify people who are ready to lend their intellect, time and energy to the governance.

He said through the appointment Mutfwang had demonstrated ability to identify the type personnel that would add value to his administration.

Tanko expressed optimism that Gwaman would ensure that PITCDA was run transparently and contribute his quota to ensure that the agency delivered on its mandates.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before his appointment Gwaman was Head, Business Relationship Management (Operations Directorate) at Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja

He had on several occasions deployed his proficiency as a Business Analyst on the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

His career at the apex bank also saw him head the Information Technology Infrastructure Operations and had also risen to management level at the Bank of Agriculture. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The recent removal of subsidy on fuel by President Bola Tinubu and its aftermath have become one of the most prominent issues in national discourse lately.

The pronouncement has drawn rage and applause from its proponents and opponents; it has also elicited threats of industrial action from labour unions who contend that their members bear the brunt of the new policy.

Nonetheless Tinubu has acknowledged the attendant variables of the policy, its micro and macroeconomic implications and multiplier effects although the initial its implementation may bring temporary difficulties.

“The decision to remove the subsidy is one decision we must bear to save our country from going under and take our resources away from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements”, Tinubu said.in his Democracy Day address to Nigerians.

Consequently, to address those initial difficulties, Tinubu directed the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Kashim Shettima, his vice, to produce palliatives measures to ameliorate the impact of the subsidy removal.

Taking the bull by the horn, in NEC’s first meeting under the new administration on June 15, subsidy removal, palliatives, among other issues were addressed.

Espousing on NEC’s deliberations and resolutions, Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State said the Council received a proposal from stakeholders for a consequential adjustment estimated at N702.9 billion to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on Nigerian workers.

“NEC has taken very far reaching decisions and deliberations on the issue of the removal of petroleum Premium Motor Spirit subsidy and its general impact on the economy, the federation and the sub nationals, including workers and everybody, that are vulnerable.

“Specifically on the issue of National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, NEC has received recommendations on the various ways and means that the country can use whatever increases that we have in the revenue to mitigate the impact that is going to make on the lives of our workers and all those people involved.

“They gave us a scenario recommending that there should be a consequential adjustment, estimated at N702.9 billion as part of the allowances that should be given as petroleum allowance to all workers and as well as a N23 or N25 billion monthly offer to cushion the effect on workers.

“There were other suggestion that will go a long way in making sure that there is review of salaries and wages”, he told State House Correspondents.

In addition to the palliative, he said, government looked at all the issues, the challenges and problems holistically.

According to him, consequently it set up a small committee to review and come up with a term of reference to organised areas, specifically where this palliative can go to and how it will be dispensed.

“And some of the recommendations that were made include that the states create platforms having strong capacity to handle the implementation of palliatives.

“Additional funding can be sourced from the Federal Government, World Bank, development partners as well as Nigerian private sector.

“In specific, the World Bank can be approached for additional financing on NG-Cares programme. Discussion can start as soon as possible. So these are the recommendations that were made.

“And, NEC will pursue these recommendations for the benefit of the Nigerian, vulnerable and the poor,’’ said Gov. Umar Radda of Kastina State.

One area of concern to stakeholders is the legality of any framework to alleviate the impact of the policy and Gov. Alext Otti of Abia said it also attracted the attention of NEC members.

According him, consequently, NEC recommended that there should be a legislative backing to the policy to avert litigations.

The governor said that the council reflected on the removal of petroleum subsidy vis-à-vis the floating of foreign exchange.

Otti said that the impact of the two actions definitely was increased prices; hence the need to find a solution to the shock they would trigger on the economy and individuals.

Energy experts say automobiles are at the centre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) consumption in Nigeria.

They argue that to ensure that more money is saved through consumption of less PMS some radical changes have to happen in the automobile industry as is presently going on in developed and even some developing nations.

The NEC meeting presented an opportunity for the leaders to brainstorm on the automobile industry through a presentation by the Director-General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu.

“It was that about six states in the country, including Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Kaduna and Kano that have benefited from domestic production of vehicles or assembling of vehicles by Nigerian companies operating in Nigeria.

“And these companies include INNOSON, Maikano, Dangote Peugeot, Peugeot automobile of Nigeria, Stallion Hundai, Honda, Elizade/Toyota, Coscharis and Ford, Kojo Motors, Jet Systems motors.

“At the moment, about 50,000 jobs have been created by this simple action of either assembling vehicles in Nigeria or producing them Nigeria.

“A great feat is that some of these companies have gone into the manufacturing or assembly of electric vehicles and vehicles powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

“The impact of this is that the pressure on the price of petroleum products particularly PMS will be reduced; the more we use electric vehicles and CNG powered vehicles.

“Some of the decisions that we were taken include that legislative support will need to be given to these companies that are doing great things in Nigeria”, Otti said.

He said it was important to underscore the point that former president Muhammadu Buhari had made a commitment that by 2060 that Nigeria would join countries that would eliminate fossil fuel powered vehicles.

Otti said the commitment also entailed switching to electric vehicles in pursuit of the net zero emission that some of the countries in Europe, America and Asia had signed on to.

“So if that must happen, then we need to ramp up the production of electric vehicles and CNG vehicles.

“It is estimated that if we give legislative support to this company, that about a million jobs from the 50,000 jobs that exist in that industry would be created.

“It was also suggested that the funding that is required by most of these vehicle manufacturers and assemblers shall be made available to them; so that we begin reduce the dependence on PMS and other fossil fuel powered vehicles.

“It was also suggested that electric vehicle development plan, will fast track the development of electric vehicles should be supported wholeheartedly by the new government”, he said.

Experts in the petroleum industry say from every indication, including Tinubu’s body language, petroleum subsidy is here to stay so it is important that mechanisms are put in place to cushion its effects on the citizenry.

Given its projected positive implications for various sectors of the nation’s economy such as the automobile, it is important that all stakeholders should embrace subsidy removal and give support to alleviation mechanisms being worked out by the Federal Government. (NANFeatures)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to finding solutions to end load shedding.

Briefing media on progress in the implementation of the Energy Action Plan in Pretoria, Ramokgopa reassured South Africans that, working with a team of competent engineers at Eskom and the leadership of the Board, significant strides are being made.

“I want to give you confidence that we are going to resolve this, it’s an engineering problem. I eat, breathe and sleep [finding] solutions to load shedding and I’m confident that with the team that is helping us, we will be able to resolve load shedding,” he said.

“We will get out of load shedding and build a buffer and ensure that the South African economy is able to realise its potential,” Ramokgopa said.

Government had projected that in winter the country would hit the highs of 34,000 Megawatts, but it has not reached anything close to this. The Minister attributed this to a change in South Africans’ and industries’ attitude towards reducing their electricity demand.

Giving an update on the previous five-day average ending on 30 June 2023, Ramokgopa said the current available capacity was beginning to plateau at about 29,913 Megawatts, compared to 28,664 Megawatts of capacity which the country was sitting on from June 26.

“We are making significant improvements of about 1,300 Megawatts of improvement [and] what is encouraging for me is that we are beginning to maintain that,” Ramokgopa said.

He said South Africa was beginning to keep up with the demand and this had resulted in no load shedding for significant periods of the day.

However, the Minister emphasised that there was a need to ensure that generation far exceeds demand.

“In that way we would be able to pull a number of units through planned maintenance and we would be able to build a buffer, so that, as the South African economy continues to grow and recover, we would have sufficient generation capacity.”

The Minister said it was worth noting that in the midst of winter they were able to ramp up planned maintenance, which he said is “an illustration of a system that is recovering”.

Partial load losses was an area receiving attention, Ramokgopa said, adding that government was tapping into expertise outside of Eskom to go and work with General Managers at various stations.

“We are able to diagnose and determine the root causes of the failures from one unit to the other – what are the common failures that are responsible for the failing of that unit and/or responsible for the partial load losses? Then we know the biggest culprits on the units going out is boiler tubes, quality of the coal, us keeping to the emission parameters.

“We are very meticulous [and] deliberate. There’s is a degree of granularity on how we are beginning to understand the performance of these units and the kinds of skills and interventions that are required to help us to address this situation,” Ramokgopa said.

Meanwhile, the issue of transmission needs to be addressed.

The Minister said this remained a vulnerable area and required urgent attention as it undermines the ability to bring on board new generation capacity from renewable energies that give the best returns.

“If you have to do a wind atlas, the best areas for you to have wind is the coastal areas of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. It is exhausted in the Northern Cape, it is about to be exhausted in the Western Cape [and] it is not sufficient in the Eastern Cape, to accommodate the amount of energy that we want to introduce,” he said.

He said Eskom is working on a transmission development plan, but the issue is around finance.

Ramokgopa said this required an innovative plan

Source: Nam News Network