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Senate threatens to cut down budgeraty allocation for 100 MDAs

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Group urges National Assembly against budget padding

The Senate has threatened to cut down the budgetary allocation of over 100 if they fail to appear before the Auditor General for the Federation.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, gave this warning on Wednesday while ruling on a point of order raised by the Chairman, of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide.

Urhoghide, under Orders 42 and 95 complained that the indicted MDAs have repeatedly ignored letters of invitation and summons sent out by the committee and have failed to respond to queries raised by the Auditor General.

“The agencies that have vehemently refused to appear before our committee, this list of agencies and the amount that is against their name are staggering,” Urhoghide said

“I crave your indulgence that we invite through your order either by way of warrant of arrest or anything so that these agencies can come and we can complete our report and submit it to this Senate. Coming under order 42, 95 which clearly explains the mandate of the committee of public account of the Senate.”

In his response, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said any NDA public officer who accepts to serve and use public funds, must be prepared to account for the funds. And anyone who feels he is above the law should quit.

Lawan said; “When they fail to appear, you give them a new date. When they fail to appear, we won’t give them any money. We hold their budget until they come.

“Any public officer must be willing to give an account before the National Assembly. If they feel too big, they should be willing to quit,

“Reading this list at plenary gives the agencies concerned the opportunity to now know if they were not aware before, for those that may claim ignorance and I am taking the opportunity here to advise that in the next one week if the name of any agency is here that agency should reach out to the Committee on Public Accounts of the Senate to sort out when the agency would appear before the committee.

 

READ ALSO:  JAMB registrar seeks review of civil service laws to address lacuna on retirement

 

“If there is no communication whatsoever and no cogent and verifiable reasons are given we will slash the 2023 budget of such MDAs.”

Some of the affected MDAs include Ministries of Interior, Finance, Health Information, Foreign Affairs, Women Affairs, Communications and Special Duties.

Others are the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, State House, AMCON, NHIS, NEDC, INEC, Debt Management Office, NEMA, NAFDAC, National Human Rights Commission, and Ministry of Works and Housing, among others.

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Police to partner NDLEA against drug abuse in Osun

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Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Lagos

The Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mohammed Abba, has pledged   collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in tackling the menace of drug Abuse in the state.

A statement by the Police Public Relation Officer, CSP Yemisi Opalaola, on Thursday in Osogbo, said that the commissioner made the pledge while playing host to NDLEA State Commandant, Adetula Lawal.

Abba expressed his readiness to further strengthen the healthy partnership between the two agencies.

The police commissioner said that the fight against drug abuse required collective efforts.

According to him, many of those committing crimes are doing so under the influence of dangerous drugs.

Abba promised to provide the necessary support to the NDLEA in the state.

The statement quoted Lawal as commending the police commissioner’s efforts in combating crime and criminality in the state.

He reiterated the agency’s collaboration with the police, as a leading security agency to tackle the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in the state.

 

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Customs’ 4% FOB levy will further increase inflation – financial experts

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Suspected drug smugglers kill two Customs officers in Kebbi

Financial experts have raised alarm that the implementation of the 4 per cent Free-On-Board (FOB) Levy on imports would exacerbate inflation in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Feb. 5 announced its introduction of the FOB levy on imports.

According to Abdullahi Maiwada, the spokesman of the service, the introduction of the levy was in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.

“In line with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of NCSA 2023, the NCS is implementing a 4 per cent charge on the Free On-Board (FOB) value of imports.

“The FOB charge, which is calculated based on the value of imported goods, including the cost of goods and transportation expenses incurred up to the port of loading, is essential to driving the effective operation of the service.”

However, a former Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun Chapter, Dr Wale Adegbite and Evans Osabuohien, a Professor of Economics, said that the levy would worsen the nation’s inflation rate.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ota, Ogun, Adegbite and Osabuohien of the Department of Economics, Covenant University, said that the policy would negatively impact the economy.

The former MAN chairman said that the 4 per cent levy by the NCS “is a disaster and will worsen an already bad situation with multiple devastating effect on the economy.

” Why would the government inflict more hardship on the population as this new policy will certainly lead to more price increase, thus further increasing the country’s inflation rate.

“In addition, the masses will suffer more because of the impending price increase without any corresponding increase in income.”

Also, Osabuohien said that though the new FOB policy by the NCS was meant to generate more revenue for the federal government, but it would negatively impact on the economy.

He said that the NCS action would increase the cost of living of households.

The economist explained further that the development would increase the cost of operations of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially those companies that depend on imported raw materials for their production.

“This additional cost to be incurred through the 4 per cent increase in FOB would be transferred to the consumers and it would automatically trigger increase in the nation’s inflation rate,” Osabuohien said.

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Trump plans 25% tariffs on steel, aluminium imports

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U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and aluminium imports into the United States, he said on Sunday.

“Any steel coming to the United States is going to have them, 25 per cent tariff,” Trump said, according to journalists travelling with the president. When questioned about tariffs on aluminium imports, Trump replied, “25 Per cent for both.”

Trump also confirmed his plan to announce further reciprocal tariffs in the coming week.

He spoke of an announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday.

“Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them, Trump told reporters, adding that the tariffs would go into effect almost immediately.”

U.S. tariffs of 10 per cent on Chinese goods took effect from Feb. 4.

The planned tariffs of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada were suspended for an initial period of 30 days following promises from the two countries to increase border security measures.

Trump won November’s presidential election promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods to reduce U.S. trade deficits.

He implemented a number of duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.

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