Federal Government to increase pay package of Custom officials to check bribery

Federal Government says the country will cease to loose funds through corrupt Custom officials if their welfare package is enhanced.

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, stated this during the ministry's budget defence, today in Abuja.

Adeosun stated that the practice which is currently functional in the Federal Inland Revenue Service, may be applied to the Custom Service to dissuade officers and men from taking bribes.

National Assembly postpones passage of 2016 budget

The passage of the 2015 budget earlier slated for February 25 has been postponed due to errors and controversies surrounding the document.

Addressing newsmen Tuesday in Abuja, Chairmen of the National Assembly Committees on Appropriation more time is needed to work on the document, insisting that legislature will not be rushed to produce an ambiguous budget.

Chairman House of Representatives committee on Appropriation, Aminu Jubrin enumerates some of the problems noticed in the 2016 budget.

The Senate and House of Representatives Committees however denied any disagreement with the executive on the issues raised by the budget.

FG Urged To Ensure Steady Power Supply Not Increase Tariffs

The Federal Government has been urged by the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria to ensure steady power supply before increasing electricity tariffs.

A statement issued in Kaduna by the Secretary General of the Union, Issa Aremu, said the group support the planned picketing of electricity distribution companies by the organised labour.

Aremu advised President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently revisit the report of the 2014 National Conference and implement the holistic recommendations for the power sector. He said that the Federal Government should not allow the increase in tariff “by the underperforming generating and distribution companies.”

Nigeria hopes to cut down on borrowing, graft due to better cash management: finance minister

Nigeria's decision to collect government payments in one bank account will help limit state borrowing, reduce payment delays and curb corruption, its finance minister said on Monday.

Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the merger of state accounts into one "single treasury account" at the central bank to reduce graft and a practice where the government borrowed back its own funds from lenders at an interest.

Nigerian government ministries and other state bodies operated more than 10,000 bank accounts with commercial lenders in the past, an official said.

Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said the government had so far channelled over 2.2 trillion naira into its treasury account.

MTN Must Pay Its Fine – FG Insists

The Federal Government is insisting that telecommunications provider, MTN must pay its N1.04 trillion fine over non-disconnection of improperly registered subscribers before any out of court settlement can be reached. This was made known by the Minister of Communications Technology, Adebayo Shittu, while addressing newsmen in Lagos yesterday said the MTN violated extant laws, accepted responsibility and also wrote a letter of apology promising to be a responsible corporate citizen. He expressed shock that the telco turned back to go to court after government had listened to its plea and reduced the fine. According to him, “MTN begged for a revision of the sanction which Mr President graciously acceded to, but the telco turned around to say it had no money to pay.

Etisalat sues MTN over use of frequency in Nigeria

 

Etisalat Nigeria has filed a court case against rival MTN over the use of a new frequency band which MTN acquired when it bought internet provider Visafone, it said on Monday.

South Africa's MTN bought the privately held Nigerian firm Visafone last month to improve its broadband services in its biggest market, giving it access to the use of 800 MHz frequency band on CDMA technology.
MTN operates 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands which the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) renewed last November, similar to frequencies operated by Etisalat and India's Airtel that use GSM technology.

"The action is considered necessary to challenge the use of the spectrum by MTN at this time," the local arm of Abu Dhabi-listed telecoms firm Etisalat said in a statement.

"The use of the 800 MHz spectrum to deploy broadband services ahead of its competitors ... will further entrench MTN's dominance in the Nigerian telecommunications sector".
Etisalat said it was in contact with the NCC to understand the logic of its decision to approve the MTN deal despite declaring the South African firm a dominant player in Nigeria's wholesale and retail voice markets in 2013.

MTN and the NCC did not respond to requests for comment.
The legal challenge is the latest headache for MTN in Nigeria, which contributed more than a third of the company's total revenue in 2014.

Nigeria's telecoms regulator fined the South African company $5.2 billion last year for failing to disconnect unregistered lines on time, before reducing the penalty by a quarter in December. MTN is contesting the fine, which is greater than its past two years of net profit. 

Arewa to join NLC/TUC against electricity tariff

 

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has urged Nigerians to join the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to resist and reject the 45% hike in electricity tariff.

Arewa Youth President, Yerima Shettima, who made the call, in Kaduna, said the group is ready to join the organised labour in mobilising Nigerians against the hike in the electricity tariff.

Shettima, who noted that there is no justification for the increase in tariff, said Nigerians still sleep and wake-up on a daily-basis in darkness.

He also warned the Federal Government to prepare for the implications of rolling out harsh and anti-people policies, saying Nigerians are generally facing hard times.