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Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 26 , 2019—35<br />
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />
AWARD: From left,<br />
Head, Retail and<br />
Lubricants Marketing,<br />
Forte Oil Plc,<br />
Mr. Samuel Eze;<br />
winners of Forte Oil<br />
Fot<strong>on</strong> 5 t<strong>on</strong> trucks:<br />
Managing Director,<br />
Ade De Young Auto<br />
Agency Limited,<br />
Alhaji Adeleke<br />
Lateef: Executive<br />
Director, Woopet<br />
Ogbus Ventures<br />
Limited, Mrs Chioma<br />
Anyanwu, Chairman,<br />
Elt<strong>on</strong> Ventures<br />
Nigeria, Mr Anth<strong>on</strong>y<br />
Nsitem; and Head,<br />
Corporate Services,<br />
Mr. Doyin Ogun,<br />
during the Forte Oil<br />
Lubricant Distributors<br />
Award, in Lagos,<br />
yesterday.<br />
Buhari w<strong>on</strong>’t dissolve cabinet May 22<br />
— Lai Mohammed<br />
•President to embark <strong>on</strong> 10-day private visit to UK<br />
•FEC okays N52bn for e-m<strong>on</strong>itoring <strong>on</strong> porous borders<br />
•Okays N656m for N-Power training, starter packs<br />
By Johnbosco<br />
Agbakwuru<br />
A BUJA—PRESIDENT<br />
Muhammadu Buhari<br />
will not dissolve his cabinet<br />
<strong>on</strong> May 22, according to<br />
Informati<strong>on</strong> Minister, Lai<br />
Mohammed.<br />
Briefing State House<br />
corresp<strong>on</strong>dents at the end of<br />
the Federal Executive<br />
Council, FEC, meeting<br />
presided over by Vice-<br />
President Yemi Osinbajo,<br />
Mohammed said the<br />
president was scheduled to<br />
hold a valedictory sessi<strong>on</strong><br />
with FEC members <strong>on</strong> May<br />
22 but was silent <strong>on</strong> when the<br />
cabinet would be dissolved.<br />
Buhari will be sworn in for<br />
a sec<strong>on</strong>d term <strong>on</strong> May 29.<br />
Mohammed said as<br />
directed by Buhari, cabinet<br />
members were already<br />
preparing their handover<br />
notes to be submitted to<br />
permanent secretaries in their<br />
respective ministries.<br />
“We will be having a<br />
valedictory sessi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> May<br />
22. The cabinet remains<br />
intact,” the minister said.<br />
On April 17, Buhari<br />
directed ministers to<br />
immediately submit a<br />
comprehensive status report<br />
of their policies and projects<br />
<strong>on</strong> or before April 24.<br />
Buhari is currently making<br />
plans to leave the country for<br />
a 10-day private visit to the<br />
United Kingdom.<br />
Meanwhile, FEC also,<br />
yesterday, approved N52<br />
billi<strong>on</strong> for e-border soluti<strong>on</strong> to<br />
m<strong>on</strong>itor the country’s porous<br />
borders.<br />
It also approved N202.6<br />
milli<strong>on</strong> augmentati<strong>on</strong> for the<br />
completi<strong>on</strong> of two dams in<br />
Katsina (Ingawa Dam) and<br />
Plateau (Mangu Dam).<br />
Besides, FEC approved<br />
N652,318,104 for the training<br />
and starter packs for 1,500<br />
beneficiaries in N-Creative<br />
Trainees in northern states of<br />
Nigeria and another<br />
N325,489 milli<strong>on</strong> for training<br />
and starter packs for 2,000<br />
beneficiaries for the southern<br />
states.<br />
FEC okays N52bn<br />
for e-m<strong>on</strong>itoring <strong>on</strong><br />
porous borders<br />
Briefing State House<br />
corresp<strong>on</strong>dents at the end of<br />
the meeting, Minister of<br />
Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman<br />
Dambazau (retd), said the<br />
N52 billi<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tract will cover<br />
86 border posts and all the<br />
1,400 illegal routes being<br />
used for smuggling and other<br />
crimes.<br />
He stated that the pilot<br />
system had been installed at<br />
two border posts, adding that<br />
the informati<strong>on</strong> will be<br />
available real-time 24 hours<br />
a day and seven days a week.<br />
N656m for N-Power<br />
training, starter<br />
packs<br />
The Minister of Budget<br />
and Nati<strong>on</strong>al Planning,<br />
Senator Udoma Udo Udoma,<br />
said, Council approved two<br />
memos <strong>on</strong> Nati<strong>on</strong>al Social<br />
Investment Programme.<br />
He said: “The first was for<br />
the award of the c<strong>on</strong>sultancy<br />
service c<strong>on</strong>tract for the<br />
provisi<strong>on</strong> of training services<br />
and integrated supply of<br />
starter packs for N-Creative<br />
Trainees in the northern states<br />
of Nigeria in favour of<br />
Messers Patig<strong>on</strong> services Ltd<br />
in the sum of N652,318,104<br />
inclusive of five percent<br />
VAT.<br />
“The sec<strong>on</strong>d memo was<br />
also under the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Social<br />
Investment Programme for<br />
the award of c<strong>on</strong>sultants<br />
service c<strong>on</strong>tracts for the<br />
provisi<strong>on</strong> of training services<br />
and integrati<strong>on</strong> supply of<br />
starter packs for the N-Tech<br />
Software trainees in Southern<br />
Nigeria, in favour of UCH Ltd<br />
at the sum of N325,489<br />
milli<strong>on</strong>."<br />
ASUU, Okebukola kick as<br />
TETFund says majority of lecturers<br />
can’t write proposals<br />
By Dayo Asesulu<br />
& Joseph Erunke<br />
ABUJA—THE Tertiary<br />
Educati<strong>on</strong> Trust<br />
Fund,TETFund,has<br />
regretted that majority of<br />
lecturers in Nigerian’s<br />
tertiary instituti<strong>on</strong>s cannot<br />
write grant-wining<br />
proposals.<br />
The fund, speaking<br />
through its Executive<br />
Secretary, Prof. Suleiman<br />
Bogoro, also degraded<br />
Nigerian researchers,<br />
saying it was worried at<br />
their low capacity “to even<br />
write fundable research<br />
proposals.”<br />
To this end, TETfund<br />
said it had approved<br />
allocati<strong>on</strong> of N10 milli<strong>on</strong><br />
to each public tertiary<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong> to organise<br />
trainings for lecturers <strong>on</strong><br />
how to write research<br />
proposals.<br />
Bogoro, who disclosed<br />
this in Abuja, during an<br />
interactive sessi<strong>on</strong> with<br />
Directors of Research of<br />
Nigerian Universities,<br />
explained that granting of<br />
the amount became<br />
inevitable so tertiary<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>s could start<br />
organising training for<br />
their lecturers <strong>on</strong><br />
research.<br />
Bogoro particularly said<br />
between 70 and 80 per<br />
cent of research proposals<br />
submitted to TETFund<br />
were dropped at first<br />
sight as they did not merit<br />
the necessary tools of<br />
research.<br />
Hear him: "At<br />
TETFund, for the first<br />
time this year, in our 2019<br />
budget, I made N10<br />
milli<strong>on</strong> for all beneficiary<br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>s for capacity<br />
building training for<br />
research proposal<br />
writing.<br />
“It has never happened<br />
before and I am insisting<br />
that N10 milli<strong>on</strong> will be<br />
made available. The vice<br />
chancellors, rectors and<br />
provosts will give a weekl<strong>on</strong>g<br />
capacity building<br />
training or workshop<br />
annually to improve the<br />
capacity of our<br />
researchers in proposal<br />
writing so that we can win<br />
grants.”<br />
Okebukola, ASUU<br />
react<br />
Reacting to the claim by<br />
Bogoro, former Executive<br />
Secretary, Nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
Universities Commissi<strong>on</strong>,<br />
NUC, Professor Peter<br />
Okebukola said: “I think we<br />
should look more <strong>on</strong> the<br />
matter of capacity deficit in<br />
writing grant-winning<br />
proposals by many staff in<br />
the Nigerian university<br />
system than the estimate of<br />
the proporti<strong>on</strong> of staff with<br />
such deficit.<br />
“It is not in doubt that a<br />
good number of staff in the<br />
system have challenges<br />
with grant-writing s<str<strong>on</strong>g>kill</str<strong>on</strong>g>s. I<br />
do not have data <strong>on</strong> actual<br />
proporti<strong>on</strong> relative to the<br />
populati<strong>on</strong> of academic staff<br />
in Nigerian universities.<br />
Speaking in the same<br />
vein, President of ASUU,<br />
Professor Biodun<br />
Ogunyemi said he<br />
disagreed with the statistic,<br />
querying the source of the<br />
TETFund data.<br />
He said: “I do not really<br />
agree with his positi<strong>on</strong><br />
because we need to<br />
establish the fact<br />
scientifically. In the past<br />
that we had challenges of<br />
accessing<br />
grants."<br />
TETFund<br />
Labour to state councils: Make<br />
payment of new minimum<br />
wage, pensi<strong>on</strong>, priority by states<br />
•As NLC, TUC, ULC hold joint May Day rally<br />
By Victor Young<br />
ORGANISED Labour,<br />
yesterday, directed<br />
its officials in the states to<br />
make the immediate payment<br />
of the new nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
minimum wage of<br />
N30,000 and review of<br />
m<strong>on</strong>thly pensi<strong>on</strong> by state<br />
governments a top priority<br />
Ṫhis came as leaders of<br />
Nigeria Labour C<strong>on</strong>gress,<br />
NLC; Trade Uni<strong>on</strong> C<strong>on</strong>gress<br />
of Nigeria, TUC;<br />
and United Labour C<strong>on</strong>gress<br />
of Nigeria, ULC,<br />
labour resolved to hold a<br />
joint May Day rally nati<strong>on</strong>wide,<br />
first of its kind<br />
since the crisis that followed<br />
the 2015 NLC delegate<br />
c<strong>on</strong>ference.<br />
The crisis led to the<br />
emergence of ULC two<br />
years after Joe Ajaero,<br />
who c<strong>on</strong>tested the NLC<br />
presidency with Ayuba<br />
Wabba, al<strong>on</strong>gside some of<br />
affiliates who supported<br />
him during the c<strong>on</strong>ference,<br />
broke away to form<br />
a facti<strong>on</strong> of NLC.<br />
The facti<strong>on</strong> later with<br />
other senior staff associati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
that share the same<br />
aspirati<strong>on</strong>s formed ULC<br />
two years ago.<br />
On the directive to state<br />
councils <strong>on</strong> the new minimum<br />
wage, Wabba, in a<br />
speech to the state councils<br />
of NLC, yesterday,<br />
said: “Well, the upward<br />
review of the nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
minimum wage is not so<br />
much a gift as it is the<br />
right of workers. This<br />
right was delayed for too<br />
l<strong>on</strong>g.<br />
"I urge the incoming<br />
leadership of our state<br />
councils to make the immediate<br />
payment of the<br />
new nati<strong>on</strong>al minimum<br />
wage of N30, 000 and review<br />
of m<strong>on</strong>thly pensi<strong>on</strong><br />
by state governments your<br />
top priority.”<br />
NLC, TUC, ULC hold<br />
joint May Day rally<br />
On joint May Day, Vanguard<br />
gathered that<br />
Wabba, Ajaero and President<br />
of TUC, Bobboi<br />
Kaigama, met and agreed<br />
<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>e May Day rally by<br />
workers nati<strong>on</strong>wide, including<br />
a nati<strong>on</strong>al <strong>on</strong>e in<br />
Abuja.<br />
At the meeting, it was<br />
resolved that Chairmen<br />
and Secretaries of NLC,<br />
TUC and ULC May Day<br />
committee should meet a<br />
fashi<strong>on</strong> out the details of<br />
the programme.<br />
Shaibu lauds Auchi Poly<br />
Governing Council chair@ 80<br />
EDO State acting gov<br />
ernor, Mr Philip Shaibu,<br />
has described the chairman<br />
of Auchi Polytechnic<br />
Governing Council, Prince<br />
Mike Oloyo, as a special<br />
gift and patriot, adding that<br />
his dedicati<strong>on</strong> to service is<br />
unparalleled.<br />
Shaibu pour encomiums<br />
<strong>on</strong> Oloyo in a c<strong>on</strong>gratulatory<br />
message to mark his<br />
80th birthday celebrati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
He recalled how the octogetarian<br />
as a member of<br />
the then Bendel State<br />
House of Assembly, was in<br />
the forefr<strong>on</strong>t of the agitati<strong>on</strong><br />
for a better society through<br />
legislative activism.<br />
He said: “It is no gain saying<br />
the fact that your life<br />
has been fully dedicated to<br />
the patriotic service to the<br />
humanity and the country.”<br />
The cerem<strong>on</strong>y, which took<br />
place in Benin City, was<br />
well attended by traditi<strong>on</strong>al<br />
rulers, top government<br />
functi<strong>on</strong>aries and captains<br />
of industry.<br />
In his remarks, chairman<br />
of the occasi<strong>on</strong>, former Edo<br />
State Governor, Chief John<br />
Oyegun, recalled with nostalgia<br />
the good old days of<br />
Prince Oloyo as a lecturer<br />
at the University of Ife, now<br />
Obafemi Awolowo, where<br />
he helped to mould lives<br />
and impact knowledge to<br />
young generati<strong>on</strong>, some of<br />
whom now occupy top level<br />
positi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
The average Nigerian business<br />
pays 48 taxes, says Elumelu<br />
T<strong>on</strong>y Elumelu, chairman<br />
and founder of Heirs<br />
Holdings, says Nigeria<br />
would be unable to keep its<br />
investors and entrepreneurs<br />
if the issue of multiple taxati<strong>on</strong><br />
is not abolished. The billi<strong>on</strong>aire<br />
noted that the average<br />
Nigerian business pays<br />
48 taxes.<br />
Delivering the keynote address<br />
at the 21st annual tax<br />
c<strong>on</strong>ference of the Chartered<br />
Institute of Taxati<strong>on</strong> of Nigeria<br />
(CITN), Elumelu said<br />
the country needs far-reaching<br />
tax reforms and an urgent<br />
need to pass the executive<br />
tax bill.<br />
Describing the plight of the<br />
average Nigerian entrepreneur,<br />
Elumelu said the average<br />
business is a local government<br />
authority providing<br />
his own electricity, water and<br />
waste disposal method.<br />
He said the government<br />
can make life easier by creating<br />
favourable tax policies<br />
that support SMEs. “Until<br />
there is a reducti<strong>on</strong> in what<br />
SMEs pay as tax, eliminati<strong>on</strong><br />
of multiple taxati<strong>on</strong>, the<br />
aboliti<strong>on</strong> of minimum income<br />
tax and excess dividend tax,<br />
it will be difficult for us to attract<br />
investors into this country,<br />
and it will be difficult for<br />
us to retain the <strong>on</strong>es already<br />
in the country. It will be difficult<br />
for us to mobilise our<br />
SMEs to help create employment<br />
that we need so much<br />
in this country,” he said.