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Buhari challenges NIPSS graduants to justify government investments in the institute

 

The Eyewitness reporter

President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR has charged the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to surpass the best think-tank amongst policy Institutes in the world.

The President made the charge during the graduation ceremony of the Senior Executive Course No 44, 2022 at NIPSS, Kuru, Plateau State.

The President,who was represented by the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, said he was delighted to be at the ceremony because of the historic role the national policy think-tank has played in people’s lives and the potential it has to do better for the nation.

The President revealed that he was particularly impressed as the graduation loudly attests to the consistency that NIPSS stands for.

“This is an integral aspect of the dreams of the founding fathers of the Institute. It is also an assignment in which the Institute has never failed no matter the challenges, not even in the era of COVID-19.

“While I congratulate the Institute for being resiliently consistent, I also wish to remind the Institute of the other aspects of your mandate, which is to evolve ideas, new techniques, skills, policies, and new directions to guide policymaking at the highest level.

“In other words, you need to follow the global dynamics in policies and guide the nation on the application of global best practices.

“I use the opportunity offered by this special occasion to challenge the National Institute to strive to be at par or even surpass the best think-tank amongst policy Institutes in the world.

” We will do our best in supporting you to fulfill this charge and other mandates,” he said.

The President commended NIPSS and described the Institute as a strong and dependable ally of the government.

He said NIPSS’ effort at engaging the best brains on critical national issues hasn’t gone unnoticed just like its submissions on the issues have also proved to be very useful in resolving many issues.

“At this juncture, let me place on record that this administration, like the ones before it, find in NIPSS a strong and dependable ally.

“Your submissions on course themes every year have either evolved a new policy addressing a major national issue or resulted in a review of existing policies to accommodate current realities.

“We look your way in determining solutions to several issues as well as your recommendations in charting specific paths to achieving these solutions.

“I urge you to come up with more innovations, be more committed and remain focused on your mission of a better society,” he said.

Buhari further gave assurances that the government will continue to support NIPSS towards achieving sustainable development as a nation.

“As a responsible and responsive government, our foremost desire is to provide good governance at both the national and sub-national levels.


“Our very strong desire is for all government interventions to cascade to the local levels including permeating all strata of society.

“This informed the choice of the course theme for this year. It underscores our trust in you as a strong ally in our efforts towards sustainable development as a nation.

“To achieve this, we gave you the best as participants to be groomed and guided by your world-class faculty members and facilities,” he said.

The President also advised graduands to sustain the level of seriousness with which they handled the course themes as they are of great importance to the Government.

“To the graduands, the activities and your experiences through the duration of the course must have impacted positively on you.

“I am delighted to know that you are leaving the National Institute with a better understanding of our great country and better knowledge of issues and problem-solving skills to enable you to take on more responsibilities and perform optimally at your duty posts in the interest of our nation.

“Having invested so much in you, the nation expects you to bring to bear the novel ideas you have acquired from Kuru.

“I assure you that the findings and recommendations contained in your report will be promptly attended to and applied by my government and those to come after me for the good of our dear country.

“I congratulate you all and members of your family on your graduation and wish you the best as you resume to your positions or assume higher responsibilities in your various fields of endeavors.

“To the management and staff of the National Institute, I commend you. The government buys into your mission of working towards a better society and is ever willing and ready to support you in achieving it for our nation.

“Thank you for producing very excellent results even in the face of stiff challenges. Thank you and God bless you all,” he said.

The Minister later commissioned, on behalf of the President, the Nursery/Primary School, and e-learning center donated by the graduands to the children of the NIPSS staff and the Kuru community as well as a weather center established by the Graduands in collaboration with the NIMET.

He also congratulated the Honourable Minister whose younger brother, Bello Jaji Sambo, a Director with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was among the Graduands.

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House of Reps gives NIMASA green light to disburse CVFF –appoints audit firm to coordinate, monitor  disbursement

Hon. Legor Idagbo
The eyewitness reporter
The House of Representatives has given the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) a clean bill of health over the controversial Cabotage Vessels Financing Funds(CVFF) and consequently directed the agency to disburse the funds.
It would be recalled that the lawmakers, a few weeks ago, halted the planned disbursement after long and painstaking groundwork made by the Ministry of Transportation and NIMASA towards the disbursement process.
The House had raised concerns over the funds, said to be about #700m, and decided to ask its committee on Nigerian Contents Development and Monitoring to investigate the funds.
This followed a motion during its sitting last month on the matter and subsequently directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to stop the planned disbursement of the fund.
However, after concluding its investigation, the House found tenable the need to disburse the funds to the eligible indigenous ship owners.
Addressing journalists in Abuja Thursday, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Legor Idagbo said that its investigations indicated that due process was followed, informing that the disbursement can now be made.
“The House of Representatives at its sitting on Tuesday, 4 May 2023, deliberated on a motion on the Planned Disbursement of $700 Million Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund, and investigate the Total Accrual of the Fund, and referred same to the House Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring to, amongst other resolutions, investigate and urge the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to immediately stop the planned disbursement of $700 million to Nigerian citizens and companies and to lay before the floor of the House, an audited statement of account showing all monies that have accrued to the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund not later than fourteen (14) days from the date of this resolution.
“The Committee requested the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and the Ministry of Transportation to provide detailed information on the total amount accrued to the Fund and disbursements since inception.
“The Committee met with the Minister of Transportation and the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ({NIMASA) on Thursday, 11 May 2023 to find out about the details concerning the matter.
” After a thorough analysis of the various submissions on the matter coupled with the explanations given by the Ministry and NIMASA, the Committee discovered that due process was followed in the planned disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund.
“The Committee notes that the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) is a fund that was set up in 2003 by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act.
” The Fund was established for the purpose of developing indigenous ship acquisition capacity, and to provide financial assistance to indigenous shipping operators.
“The Committee further notes that there is a lack of Capacity amongst indigenous/ Domestic Coastal operators in Nigeria, thus the reason Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) still awards contracts to foreign shipping Companies in contravention of the Cabotage and Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
“Some of these awards have been previously investigated by the Committee which led to their cancellation.
“It was also discovered that the total funds of $360m in the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) represents 50%, while the remaining counterpart funds of 50% is from stakeholders and Banks which is 15% and 35% respectively.
“NIMASA should go ahead with the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF) in compliance with the extant laws and laid down guidelines for the said disbursement.
“To ensure the disbursement does not violate any of the extant laws made by the National Assembly, the following persons were nominated to supervise the disbursement process:
“Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Legor Idagbo  – Chairman ii. Hon. Henry Nwawuba – Member iii. | Mrs. Kehinde Bolade Olaiya – Committee Clerk.
“An Audit firm, Stratford Hill and Co. was appointed by the committee as the coordinating enforcement auditor for the CVFF.
“The Committee applauds NNPC for its commitment to awarding the shipping contracts to indigenous companies that have built capacity to the level where they can successfully execute these contracts.
“The Committee is grateful to the leadership of the House for the confidence bestowed on it to carry out the investigation”.
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President Tinubu appoints Gbajabiamila Chief of Staff

Gbajabiamila , Tinubu
 President Bola Tinubu has appointed Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as his Chief of Staff.

An authoritative source in the Presidency confirmed the development on Thursday.

The source said the president finally made the decision after wide consultations on the contending candidates.

Gbajabiamila has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2012 and has just been re-elected to the House in the last elections.

The choice of Gbajabiamila by the president is not a surprise to many political pundits as he has been a very close ally to the president.

They are part of the brains behind the formation of the All-Progressives Party (APC).

He will now have to forgo his seat in the House of Representatives if he accepts the appointment.

Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila CFR, is a Nigerian lawyer and foundation member of the APC.

He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2019.

Gbajabiamila was born in Lagos in 1962 and attended Igbobi College for his secondary education and the University of Lagos as part of his education.

He is married to Salamatu Gbajabiamila.

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Maritime media, NUJ mourn as Ray Ugochukwu passes on to glory

Ray Ugochukwu
The eyewitness reporter
The media confraternity of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council and the maritime media, was thrown into a deep shock and mourning Thursday at the sudden demise of Mr Ray Ugochukwu, a crack journalist of international repute.
The entire members of the NUJ and the maritime media, his immediate constituency, received the news of his death, which was broken by Mr Leye Ajayi, the Chairman of the NUJ Lagos council, in a terse message posted on the council’s WhatsApp platform, with mixed emotion of sadness, shock and disbelief.
Shell-shocked, most colleagues of the deceased, who thought the announcement was a joke taken too far, make frantic calls to the NUJ council officials who confirmed the unfortunate incident.
As the rude reality of the death of the erudite maritime journalist sank in, many of them paid glowing tributes to the man widely regarded as the encyclopedia of the maritime press and a repository of wise sayings.
In its statement on the death of Mr Ugochukwu, Leye Ajayi eulogised the huge reportorial qualities of the deceased who has practised journalism for over 30 years
“With heavy hearts, we mourn the death of a media giant, a versatile Unionist and a brilliant journalist, Mr Ray Ugochukwu who passed on on Thursday.

“The death of Ray came as a big shock to the union.

“We are going to miss his courageous attributes and mentorship.

“He was also one of the pillars of the Lagos Council of NUJ and served the union meritoriously in his capacities as the Chairman of, the Seminar Committee; and as a Member, the Committee on Milestone Recognition of Media Icons In Nigeria.

“He spent most of his life in ensuring the advancement of Maritime Reporting as well as the welfare of Journalists.

“He worked in several media houses.

“Among his giant strides, he was a former President of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN); President, Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN); and a former Chairman of the Daily Times Chapel of NUJ.

“The legacies of Ray are indelible and will exist forever.

“May God grant his soul eternal rest” the Lagos NUJ said in a statement signed by Leye Ajayi, the Council Chairman and Tunde Olalere, the Council Secretary.

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