Home Blog Page 3388

Affordable housing is possible

Editorial
-
0
Affordable housing is possible

BY EZE ONYEKPERE

The National Housing Fund was established during the Ibrahim Babaginda military junta with the aim of  facilitating the mobilisation  of the Fund for the provision of housing for Nigerians at  affordable prices; ensure the constant supply of loans to Nigerians for the purpose of building, purchasing and improving of residential houses;  provide incentives for the capital market to invest in property development and ensure the development of specific programmes that would guarantee effective financing of housing development, in particular low cost housing for low income workers. It is also to provide proper policy control over the allocation of resources and funds between the housing sector and other sectors of the Nigerian economy and provide long term lending to mortgage institutions for on lending to contributors of the Fund.

The resources of the Fund are expected from contributions by Nigerians in both the public and private sectors; investment in the Fund by commercial and merchant banks and registered insurance companies and financial contributions by the Federal Government for long term loans. Every Nigerian worker who earns up to N3,000 a year is expected to contribute 2.5 per cent of his basic monthly salary to the Fund and this is to earn interest at the rate of four per cent a year. However, over 20 years of the implementation of this Act, affordable housing has eluded Nigerians and the housing challenge is increasing by the day. The estimate is that Nigeria has a housing deficit of over 17million housing units which require N35trillion to meet; mortgages are not available and the average Nigerian will be lucky if his whole life savings will be able to afford a basic housing unit of two or three-bedroom flat. Housing is only available under a cash and carry basis and the cost is beyond the reach of the Nigerian who earns a minimum wage. Indeed, it is beyond the reach of most Nigerians who earn their honest income and refrain from being corrupt.

For over 20 years of operation, the total collections of the Fund cannot boast being in the trillion bracket. When you compare this “achievement” with the collections of the recent National Health Insurance and Pension schemes which have so far hit the trillion mark, it will be obvious that the Housing Fund has been mismanaged and has been faced with unintended and unnecessary challenges. Today, part of the advocacy by stakeholders is that some parts of pension funds should be made available to the Fund. This makes eminent sense but it is ridiculous that the Fund is now requesting the intervention of another scheme which it predated by over 15 years.  The government on its part has failed to make the necessary contributions to shore up the finances of the Fund as it pays lip service to affordable housing.

Clearly, there has been no attempt to convince Nigerians of the efficacy of the Fund and move collections beyond public servants and a few others who suffer compulsory deduction from their salaries every month. It is also apparent that successive managers of the Fund in the Federal Mortgage Bank simply see themselves as undertakers to share out whatever is available and not to expand the scheme to create new contributors and enlarge the Fund. For the managers, it is an appointment for business as usual. There is no vision of a bigger picture of affordable housing for all Nigerians. Pray, has the FMBN been able to meet its vision and mission of operating as a viable, robust and dynamic mortgage institution able to meet the challenges of developing the nation’s mortgage industry and to supply the mortgage and housing markets with sustainable liquidity for the advancement of homeownership among Nigerians anchored on mortgage financing?

The credibility of the Fund is also questioned by the fact that the majority of those who have suffered compulsory deduction have not been able to access the Fund after various applications and trials. Instead of contributors getting loans, estate developers who are not contributors to the Fund have become beneficiaries of. Contribution is the qualification for becoming a beneficiary and since estate development companies are not natural persons who earn a basic income upon which they are liable to pay its 2.5 per cent, it is not right that they should reap where they did not sow. Estate developers stand disqualified by all sense of reason, law and logic.  To worsen matters, they get loans and construct houses which they sell beyond the reach of the average contributor. The best way to establish credibility is to ensure that contributors benefit. That will be the best campaign and marketing strategy so that others who have not been contributing will be convinced beyond doubt of the benefits of contributing.  Further, many contributors who have retired have been unable to access their refunds as stipulated by the rules.

For the legislature, attempts to amend the Land Use Act and take it away from the Constitution have met a brick wall in the current and previous constitution amendment. The governors are opposed to the amendment. This is the paradox of a democracy where the demand of the electorate for basic needs is treated with levity by the elected leaders. Governors at the state level use their bureaucracies and the consent provisions of the Land Use Act to frustrate access to land documentation for certificates of occupancy and other land related titles. Apart from the long wait occasioned by unnecessary red tapes, state governments see land titling as pure commercial money making venture as land registration costs amount to 22.2 per cent of the property cost! In the process, they shut out the bulk of the population from documentation needed to satisfy mortgage applications. The Act through its debilitating fixation on the governor’s control and legal ownership of land frustrates housing and other socio-economic development and politicizes land acquisition and ownership. Other laws that need amendment include the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria Act; the laws relating to Insurance, Investment and Securities, Mortgage Institutions Act, Social Insurance Trust Fund, etc. This is in addition to new bills which need to be passed into law in the areas of Securitisation and Foreclosure. But in all these needs for amendments, reviews and new Acts, the National Assembly appears not to understand its historic duty to enact new laws to change the face of housing in Nigeria. Ministers supervising housing have not deemed it fit to push the new laws and convert the advocacy for their enactment into a national campaign for improved housing delivery. So, the status quo remains.

It is the lack of political will that holds back affordable housing and access to adequate housing for majority of Nigerians. The first step in this regard is the appointment of a minister who understands the terrain, has vision and is passionate about bringing change to the sector. The minister needs to reach out to Nigerians to seek their buy-in to proposed reforms. He should actively engage the National Assembly and other stakeholders for the amendment and enactment of new laws. Persons charged with the management of the Fund need to be given a performance contract with milestones known to all Nigerians. Finally, Nigerians who have been shortchanged by the system need to begin demands for their rights under the extant laws.

IBB, Abdusalami, Others Call For Peace At Eid-el-Kabir

Editorial
-
0
IBB, Abdusalami, Others Call For Peace At Eid-el-Kabir

By Nma Shekwolo -minna/Iro Babayola – Yobe

Former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, has sued for peace among citizens of the country in a message to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir in Minna, Niger State.

Speaking at the township Central Mosque after prayers led by the Chief Imam of Minna, Ibrahim Fari, Babangida urged Nigerians to be good neighbours to each other by safeguarding the collective interest of the community and by extension the whole country.

“Let everyone be his brothers keeper,” he said.

The state governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, former head of state, Abdulsalqami Abubakar and thousand other worshippers attended the prayers.

Abubakar, on his part said it was time to honour the tenet of Islam which calls for peace and hoped that the citizenry will contribute towards maintaining peace and ensuring security in the state.

Also speaking, the governor said the country needed peace and unity in any circumstance to attain its goal of sustained socio-economic development in all spheres of human endeavours.

Similarly, the Yobe State governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, has called on Muslims faithful not to relent in their prayers for the return of peace and stability to troubled parts of the country.

The governor, in a press statement, said all our citizens should continue to pray for peace and stability to reign in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

He said: “We should also pray for the continued well-being, prosperity and good health of all our people and for peace, harmony and unity to continue to prevail in our State in particular and in our dear country Nigeria at large.”

Gaidam further urged parents to “inculcate in our children the spirit of love, honesty, discipline and above all moral uprightness at all times”.

He went on to add: “we must make sacrifice to make the poor, orphans and the less privileged in the society happy in order to get the pleasure of our creator. We should always be good and show compassion to followers of other religions by showing natural inclination through the exhibition of respect, kindness. love, and peacefulness to all fellow human beings.”

His counterpart, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, noted that religious tolerance remained a vital ingredient for peace and development to thrive during and after the Eid-el-Kabir.

“This year’s celebration affords Nigerians another opportunity to correct the wrongs of the past and return the country to enviable position it has always occupied in Africa and beyond,” he said.

Najeem Salaam, the Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, urged individual and religious organisations not to relent in their prayers for the unity and stability of the country.

Najeem said Nigerians must be ready to make selfless sacrifice to ensure development.

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River congratulated Muslims on this year’s Eid-el Kabir and urged them to devote their energies toward the development of the country.

“As we celebrate this special season of Eid-el Kabir, I wish to charge you to direct your thoughts and energies in a positive way to help our nation realise its dreams of a better place for us all. Let us use the guiding spirit and philosophy behind the celebration to join hands with people of other faith to bring about peace in Nigeria,” he said.

The Eid-el Kabir celebration was marked peacefully across the country with no case of violence.

Gov Al-Makura Commissions Five Fire Fighting Vans, Trucks

Editorial
-
0
Gov Al-Makura Commissions Five Fire Fighting Vans, Trucks

By Godwin Ojoshimite

Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Almakura, on Monday in Lafia, commissioned five fire fighting vans, two vehicle towing trucks to assist the state fire service respond promptly to distress calls.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Almakura explained the reason for the donation, saying that “for many years before now, the whole state has been in dire need of an effective fire trucks that will handle the issues of fire across the state”.

“In the past we had fire brigades who have few vehicles to operate and we felt that at this stage, we should be able to prepare for the dry days and this informed why we acquired this fire trucks, to place them in vulnerable areas so that our fire service men will be able to come in handy at the appropriate time”.

Al-Makura in Fire truck Fire Trucks
The governor who also commissioned 13 refuse trucks explained that they would be used to help make the state refuse free and ensure health for its inhabitants.

As for the towing vehicles, Al-makura said they would help rescue vehicles that have been falling in ditches along the road, particularly the Akwanga federal road that has claimed many of lives.

He also disclosed that state has renovated five emergency hospitals which will help give immediate attention to accident victims and called on citizens to support his government in order to reap more dividends of democratic rule.

Abducted Father Of Cross River Deputy Governor Released

Editorial
-
0
Abducted Father Of Cross River Deputy Governor Released

The Cross River Police Command on Monday announced the release of Etubom Essien Cobham, father of the state’s deputy governor, Efiok Cobham, who was abducted by unknown gunmen on Friday

A statement by Hogan Bassey, the police public relations officer, in Calabar said that Cobham was released by his abductors on Sunday.

He did not give details as to how the elder statesman was released or whether any ransom had been paid.

“Pa Cobham has been released; he was released due to pressure from the police,” Bassey said.

Gunmen took away Cobham around 2.a.m. on Friday from his Creek Town’s country home in Odukpani local government area of Cross River.

The deputy governor’s uncle, who was also abducted by the gunmen, has also been released

NANS Stages Peaceful Protest In Kano Over ASUU Strike

Editorial
-
0
NANS Stages Peaceful Protest In Kano Over ASUU Strike

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Kano State, against the on-going strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

The association had threatened to hold peaceful protests across the country and also institute a legal action against the union if it failed to call off its four-months-old strike action.

“We want ASUU to accept the N130 billion offered by the Federal Government since there is room for further negotiations. ASUU is not being fair on its demands; it’s time to let the whole world know that their demands are unrealistic,” President of NANS, Yinka Gbadebo, said.

He noted that the lingering strike had negatively affected students across the country and also appealed to the governor of the State, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, to intervene in efforts to persuade ASUU call off its strike.

READ ALSO:

“I want to appeal to our father, Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso, to intervene in this lingering crisis by prevailing on Dr Nasir Fagge to call off the strike. We also hope Dr Fagge will assist us by talking to all ASUU members to return to the classroom,” he said.

Hundreds of university students staged the peaceful demonstration at the premises of the Federal College of Education, FCT, Kano and security personnel were on hand to monitor the protest to guard against any breakdown of law and order.

NLC Pledge Support For National Dialogue

Editorial
-
0
NLC Pledge Support For National Dialogue

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said on Sunday that it was not against the Federal Government’s proposed national dialogue.

Chris Uyot, the NLC’s acting general secretary, noted in a statement that the union’s participation in conferences dated back to colonial times, and that it therefore had no reason to shy away now.

According to him, the NLC is not opposed to any form of national dialogue, conference or conversation, as long as it is meant to improve the living standards of Nigerians.

He further said that the NLC was not opposed to any conference that would strengthen existing bonds of unity, advance democracy, build the economy and create an enabling environment for Nigerians to express their shared values and common heritage.

Uyot recalled that the union played a significant role in the national conferences or dialogues organised under various military regimes as well the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Congress believes Nigerians should regularly talk to themselves, as well as talk to one another. The constituent parts should as often as practicable sit down to talk, to address the ills that plague our politico-socio-economic well-being,” he said.

Opposition parties in Delta call for cancellation of bye-election

Editorial
-
0
Opposition parties in Delta call for cancellation of bye-election
By Jessica Tamaradonye, Asaba

Opposition parties in Delta state have called for the cancellation of Saturday’s bye-election for Delta Central Senatorial District.

The declaration of Emmanuel Aguariavwodo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the senator-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), attracted condemnation and severe criticism of the electoral umpire by all opposition parties in the state.

Aguariavwodo allegedly won the election with 263,024 votes as against the 29, 075 and 29, 055 polled by O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Ede Definone of the Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP) respectively.

Delta State Chairman of the DPP, Tony Ezeagwu who rejected the result, called for outright cancellation of the results, maintaining that it was not a true reflection of what transpired during the bye-election as it was a mere allocation of votes to the respective candidates, just as the interim national publicity secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had in a press statement issued in Lagos, condemned the manner in which the election was conducted and also rejected the declared result.

Both the APC and DPP alleged that the election was not in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The DPP state chairman said “there were no elections in Delta central on Saturday as far we are concerned and I wonder where INEC manufactured those results from. The exercise was a sham and a complete failure. So we are calling for a total cancellation of the exercise.”

Candidate of DPP, Ede Dafenone, while expressing his displeasure over the announced result, noted that there was very serious concerns for the progress of our nascent democracy and diminishing hope for peace, unity and good governance of Nigeria now and in the immediate future.

Dafenone, in a press statement released to journalists in Warri, said that the significant confidence brought into our elections in 2011 due to visible improvements on the 2003 and 2007 elections was completely wiped off with the conduct the bye-election.

He alleged in the statement that his party agents “were openly shot at and maimed yesterday, as it was in 2003 and 2007, we are able to say that the days where elections are gun wars are back.”

“We are here today to tell the world that the people of Delta Central were yesterday violently denied the right to choose a senator of their own. The proposed election to elect a senator was a complete sham,” adding that “there was no election, as defined by our laws.

“The scale of impunity, assault, molestations and violence by the PDP, thugs/cultists and the supposed security agents was just unimaginable. The lopsided and partisan involvement of state security apparatuses in supporting the PDP and the brazen use of thugs to unleash violence and mayhem on our party members and the electorate is unprecedented,” Dafenone said in a press statement.

He said the PDP and the government have sent “in no uncertain terms, a strong message that the security apparatus of this nation will foist the PDP on the nation at every cost. As was demonstrated yesterday in Urhobo land, security forces and the government will turn a blind eye to open violence and crimes against citizens and a section of the electorate perceived to be supporting other parties outside the PDP.”

“Because INEC did not release or issue out election result sheets and other sensitive election materials in most places but ‘results’ somehow managed to emerged in favour of the PDP, we are able to say that the so-called results were made to suit the PDP even before any election.

“Because few electoral materials appeared as late as 3.30PM in the few places where a few INEC officials managed to reach, we are able to say that our people were deliberately excluded from the election since accreditation was meant to end by 12.00Noon. There was just no election as defined by our laws and common sense,” he said.

While noting that Nigerians “do not expect perfect elections,” Dafenone said “we do expect that there will be improvements on past performances. This is just not the case here. What we had was resort to brute force to suppress the will of the people of Delta Central. Yes, it is often said that politicians tend to find faults to justify unsuccessful outcomes of the electoral bids. Ours is just clearly different. We did not lose an election. There has to be an election before we talk about winners and losers.

“This is a clear case of naked criminality; not an election. It is a clear case of the government imposing Chief Emmanuel Agwariavwodo on Delta Central in the same manner and style he was imposed on his party. This is impossible with a truly independent INEC. Herein lies a clear and imminent danger for our democracy.

“Therefore, we reject whatever result announced by INEC as it is not a true reflection of the democratic will of our people. We call for an outright cancellation of the said election and any fake result arising from same,” he said.

Also commenting on the bye-election, Delta state chairman of Labour Party, Emeka Nkwoala said “it was a flawed election, characterised by intimidation and harassment of voters, ballot snatching and no election in some wards. This election cannot stand; we shall contest it at the tribunal.”

He expressed worries that if the 2015 general elections are also marred by such flaws, the doom prediction of Nigeria’s disintegration might come to pass and therefore urged INEC and security officials to be “very careful so as not to truncate this democracy.”

On his part, candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), David Omoru, said the bye-election was a disgrace to the Urhobo nation, maintaining that “Aguariavwodo was never elected but imposed on the people by the use of force and intimidation. We are going to the tribunal to prove our case for cancellation. My legal team is ready with overwhelming evidence against the PDP.”

 

 

Comply With FOI Act, Court Tells EFCC

Editorial
-
0
Comply With FOI Act, Court Tells EFCC

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, in a case filed by one Ikenna Ejezie, a lawmaker at the lower arm of the National Assembly, against the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, held that the refusal of the anti-graft agency to furnish the applicant with information amounted to non-compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

Ejezie had written to the EFCC using the Freedom of Information Act requesting for the total number of criminal cases filed by the commission from 2003 to 2012, total number of criminal conviction secured and how much has been paid as professional fees to external solicitors in the same period.

He also sought to know how much of the N10. 6 billion which represents total allocation approved by the National Assembly for the commission in 2012  was finally released and how much of N3 billion which was allocated for the construction of a new EFCC Headquarters complex was released, as well as who the Contractors for the project were.

The applicant observed that the sum of N357 million was budgeted for the Agency for Local travels and transportation, another N100 million for international travels, N73 million for local training and another N130 million for international training and demanded that EFCC provide payment vouchers on how it spent these sums, including a list of officers who attended the international trainings and travels and the venue of these travels and trainings.

Ejezie also asked the commission to provide total amount received as grants and aids from international agencies, diplomatic missions and other donors since 2004, among other requests.

The EFCC however had refused to provide the requested information arguing that the case was a frivolous one and they are not willing to give out any of such information to the public.

However, in ruling on the matter, the presiding judge, G. O Kolawole, squashed the provision of order 34 rule 3(4) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2009, which states that the only way which a court can grant such application is after ascertaining “that the applicant has a sufficient interest in the matter to which the application relates” or that the application is frivolous.

Citing the section 1 (2) of the FOIA which states that “an applicant under this act need not demonstrate any specific interest in the information being applied for”, the judge noted that the act establishing the FOI Act supersedes the Civil Procedure Rules

The court held that Ejezie was right in asking for the information as the Act was “a conscious legislative instrument to ensure probity and good governance in the management of finance and other resources of the state”, stressing that the applicant’s demands were not frivolous.

Justice noted that there was no justifiable reason before the court on why the EFCC should deny the applicant his request and advised Ejezie to seek for an order of mandamus (a mandate which orders public agency or government body to perform an act required by law when it has neglected or refused to do so) and serve on the commission.

The case was adjourned to October 23.

Efforts to reach the EFCC acting head of Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, to find out how the commission was reacting to the ruling, proved abortive as his phone lines were switched off. He also did not reply a mail sent to him.

Late Registration, Poor Voter Turnout In Delta Bye-Elections

Editorial
-
0
Late Registration, Poor Voter Turnout In Delta Bye-Elections

Voting period at Saturday’s bye-election for the Delta Central Senatorial Zone was extended for some hours following the late arrival of electoral personnel and voting materials at the polling centres.
 
Voting should have commenced at noon after the accreditation of voters, but this was not to be as electoral personnel and voting materials did not get to some the polling units until noon, forcing accreditation to begin late and voting to be delayed.
 
Tracy Eluemunor, the electoral officer at Otujeremi Ward 3, Ughelli South local government area, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that officials had been instructed by INEC to extend the time.
 
Euemunor said she was optimistic that all the voters in the ward would cast their votes following the time extension.
 
However, there were no electoral officials and materials at polling units at Amakpo Ward 1, Ighrokpokpor Ward 2 and Pipeline Ward 6 in Ughelli North.
 
In Ogharisi Primary School Ward 7 and Otowvovo Ward 9 in Ughelli South and Agbarotor Ward 12, there were no personnel and materials as at noon.
 
The situation resulted in poor turnout of voters as some had to leave the voting centres disappointed since no official was present when they called.
 
The security situation in the areas monitored was peaceful except at Ewu in Ughelli South.

Some angry voters had held members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, deployed to the polling units hostage for some minutes.
 
However, there was a restriction on the movement of persons in Ughelli, and only a few petrol stations were open for business.
 
NAN gathered that voting materials were sent to Ughelli on Friday by INEC to avoid any form of delay in the conduct of the bye-election.
 
The bye-election followed the death of Sen. Pius Eweridoh, who represented the senatorial district in the Senate until June 30.

NDE Trains Over 30,000 Youths In Edo

Editorial
-
0
NDE Trains Over 30,000 Youths In Edo

The National Directorate of Employment, NDE, says it has trained over 30, 000 youths in Edo State, as part of efforts to check the rate of unemployment in the country.
 
Co-ordinator of the agency in Edo State, Ayo Edegbai, disclosed this to journalists in Benin, the state capital during an orientation ceremony for newly recruited trainees for the National Open Apprenticeship programme of the directorate.
 
Edegbai explained that the NDE intervenes directly through employment counselling service; skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development training; provision of transient jobs and enterprise creation for trained beneficiaries.
 
“Everyone needs skills in the modern world we live in, be you graduates, under-graduates, the unemployed and everybody in the society,” she stressed.
 
While congratulating the trainees, she urged them to utilize the opportunity provided by the Directorate to improve their lives, noting that NDE centers across the State have good equipment, as well as the necessary manpower.
 
“I urge you to make the best use of this opportunity and transform yourselves for the better,” she said.
 
Also speaking at the occasion, chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Edo State, Ijogbe Solomon, hailed the programme, while noting that the skills acquisition was far more important than merely having certificates.

“What NDE gives to people is what will be useful in life till one dies. Skill acquisition is the key for success,” he said.
1...3,3873,3883,389...3,439Page 3,388 of 3,439