Following public criticisms that have greeted his appointment to the budget ministry, Seun Onigbinde has now turned down the appointment.
Mr Onigbinde, co-founder of BudgIT, a civic group committed to government financial transparency, announced his resignation on Monday.
Mr Onigbinde had last week announced his decision to accept a technical adviser position at the budget ministry.
Many Nigerians, particularly on social media, however criticised the appointment.
Some supporters of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, like the Buhari Media Organisation, also criticised the appointment based on Mr Onigbinde’s past criticism of the Buhari government.
See the post by Mr Onigbinde announcing his resignation below.
AN UPDATE ON MY RECENT APPOINTMENT
Friends,
Kindly recall that I sent out a note recently on my interest to seek new experiences and that I would be working as a Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning for a short period.
It is clear that recent media reports about my appointment have created a complex narrative, which I believe would engender an atmosphere of mistrust, as I planned to proceed.
Upon further reflections on the furore that has been generated by my new role as the Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, I humbly resign the appointment.
I am very grateful to the Honourable Minister, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, for believing in my expertise and I also thank everyone who sent his or her congratulations to me in the short period. I have also been humbled by the faith and belief that numerous persons have expressed in me.
My sincere interest is to see a Nigeria that grows and optimises resources for the benefits of all Nigerians.
My loyalty to the good cause of our nation, Nigeria compelled me to accept the call to provide technical skills and this experience has more than strengthened it.
I also want to wish the Nigerian Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, well. I will always be of help to the federal government in my capacity as the Director of BudgIT, a critical fiscal transparency group, as I have been to several agencies. I would also work to ensure that BudgIT continues to build civic awareness on the right of every Nigerian to know how public resources are managed.
Two drone strikes on Saudi Arabian oil facilities by Yemen rebels have reduced the country’s production by half and threatened to push up crude prices.
Some experts have warned that with the projected production shortage of 155 million barrels per month as a result of the strikes, oil prices could go as high as $100 — last seen six years ago.
Brent crude, the global benchmark and equivalent of Nigeria’s Bonny Light, closed at $52 on Friday.
A much higher oil price would be good news for Nigeria which is currently struggling to meet its revenue targets, but industry watchers have also told TheCable that the fuel subsidy regime could nuetralise potential benefits.
Nigeria reportedly spent $5 billion to subsidise imported petroleum products in 2018 as all its refineries are either down or performing poorly.
The benefits of higher oil prices hardly count as the government has to spend much of the extra revenue to keep the offical pump prices.
The 2019 budget was benchmarked at $60 but prices have fallen below the projection, and the government has been trying to make up for falling revenues by increasing taxes and borrowing both from foreign and local sources.
Saturday’s drone strikes, claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, cut 5 per cent of the daily global oil supply.
OPEC figures for August 2019 put the total Saudi production at 9.8 million barrels per day.
CNN Business quoted a source as saying Aramco, the national oil company, “hopes to have that capacity restored within days” — but the rebels have threatened to continue with the strikes in protest at Saudi support for the Yemeni government.
The Saudi interior ministry confirmed the drone attacks caused fires at the two facilities. In a statement posted on Twitter, the ministry said the fires were under control and that authorities were investigating.
“Abqaiq is perhaps the most critical facility in the world for oil supply. Oil prices will jump on this attack,” Jason Bordoff, founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, said in a statement.
Fidelity Bank Plc, top Nigerian lender has handed over a well-equipped, state-of-the-art Kitchen/Catering Laboratory for the use of students at the Girls Correctional Home, Idi-Araba, Lagos. The project, according to the bank, is a clear demonstration of its unwavering support towards enhancing the lives and wellbeing of less privileged members of the society.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Lagos recently, the bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nnamdi Okonkwo said that the decision to embark on the project is borne out of a deep-seated realisation that vocational education remains vital to the development of any society.
Okonkwo who was represented the bank’s Head of Legal Division, Kingsley Ohiri thanked the Ministry of Youth & Social Development for giving them the opportunity to partner with the State and hoped to do more in the future. He also mentioned the bank had, in the past, carried out some CSR projects in the State such as the Correctional Centre for Boys, Birrel Avenue, Yaba where vocational training tools were provided for the use of wards at the centre.
While commissioning the project, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Olusegun Dawodu said that the kitchen would provide the children the means to learn a new vocation which they would use to benefit themselves and the society at large.
Dawodu also reiterated the resolve of the State Government to prioritise the needs of the teeming youth saying, “The Lagos State Government would continue to support and empower the children and youth in the State with relevant skills in order to play active roles in the Nigerian economy, thereby creating wealth and reducing the rate of unemployment and criminal activities among the youths and children”.
He specifically thanked Fidelity Bank for supporting the Government and especially the youths in the State by initiating and extending their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to ensure that the society is impacted positively.
On her own part, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Yewande Falugba, emphasised the need for well-meaning Nigerians and organisations to emulate Fidelity Bank by partnering with the State Government in ensuring the social well-being of the youths and children.
L-R: Head HRBP & Recruitment/CSR & Sustainability, Chris Nnakwe; Reps of the Governor of Gombe State, Perm Sec Ministry of Health, HRH Hassan Ibrahim; Branch Leader Gombe, Umar Bappi; Reps of the Speaker, Haruna Wambai; District Head of Lubo, Usman Mohammad during the official commissioning of the renovated Primary Healthcare Centre, Lubo in Gombe State.L-R: Reps of the Governor of Gombe State, Perm Sec Ministry of Health, HRH Hassan Ibrahim reads the text on the plaque during the official commissioning of the renovated Primary Healthcare Centre, Lubo in Gombe State as Head HRBP & Recruitment/CSR & Sustainability, Chris Nnakwe looks on.
Following the immense success of its drama series, The Men’s Club (TMC), REDTV is about to launch its own chat show, Red Hot Topics. The show follows a panel of young people discussing current and hot topics that affect everyday life. They will openly and frankly touch on topics ranging from equality to infidelity, sex, relationships, honour, business and the choices we all must make.
Take 12 exciting, energetic, hot young folks, ask them the most daring of questions and watch them thrash out opinions that will make you think long and hard.
Produced on set in the brand new studios of REDTV, Red Hot Topics will defy the norms and break down all barriers. The boys – T.J, Ihechi, O.D, Tayo, Ola , Martin and Farouq and the girls – Lolo, Ada, Coco, Bukky and Ariyiike are stunning, stylish, suave and ready to talk. If it’s honest, they will tell it. If it is taboo, they will uncover it. But most of all, if it’s forbidden and unchartered, – they will go all the way and bring the heat!
Speaking on REDTV’s latest series, Executive Producer of the Show, Bola Atta said ‘Red Hot Topics is a chat show that will change how people think and act, in a positive way. The conversations of the vibrant youths are as essential as they are interesting and engaging. The cast is fun, honest and fresh, all speaking straight from the heart, with no holds barred.’
Red Hot Topics will premiere on the 11th of September, 2019 on the REDTV YouTube channel. Follow all the REDTV channels across social media for more information and to watch the movement live!
REDTV is a fast paced lifestyle channel that puts Africa on the global stage. Proudly powered by the United Bank for Africa (UBA). The network is here to entertain and inform, with rich content that features the very best of Africa; focused on entertainment, fashion, news, design, music, sport, movies, travel and much more.
REDTV collaborates with the most talented visionaries, creative minds daring to believe in a New Africa, putting together content that reflects it. Feel the Heat on REDTV.
The Association of Professional Party Organizers and Event Managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN), is set to convene TEIC 2019, a 3-day transformational network of learning and cutting edge exponential conference for members of the association from September 18 to 22 2019.
Addressing the press in Lagos on Sunday September 8, Vice President of the association, Mrs Adefunke Kuyoro disclosed that the theme of this year’s conference, the third in a series, being ‘Stepping Up’; presented an opportunity for event industry practitioners to put their brands ahead if not at par with industry leaders and players in the event space.
“We call all eventprenuers/practitioners to ‘step up’ their game in the industry, because the more excellent our brands become, the better our event industry in Nigeria; be you a vendor, planner, venue owner, service provider in the event industry. It is time to step it up for good.” Kuyoro posited.
Speaking further about the 3-day conference, Mrs Kuyoro said what informed TEIC (The Event Industry Conference), expected to assemble key professionals from across the country and a spectrum of events service providers, to share experiences, perspectives, insights and latest developments in the events industry, was the desire to mix international growing trends with existing traditions.
According to her, “events have always been a part of our culture, but in the recent past it has received a sudden boost, apparent by the increase in coverage received from the print and social media.”
“The 3-day conference is drawn up to provide technical sessions and poster sessions on cutting edge issues related to the event industry, and will also provide ample opportunities for networking and socializing with colleagues.” Kuyoro averred.
TEIC 2019 is expected to kick off on the 18th of September with a Masterclass scheduled for 250 participants, where evolving issues and trends in the industry will be learnt, culminating in a bonding after-party in what can best be called “Senior Lit of a lifetime”
Day 2 of the event will be devoted to Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR by way of easing motorists’ driveway through Lagos Island and mainland in a give back approach to law-abiding Lagosians.
To that extent the association has partnered with the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) to coordinate traffic in heavy-traffic-prone areas in super hyper traffic time between the hours of 7am-9am, with 350 members of the association expected to take part in the exercise. Next on Day 2 agenda will be a yardsale (a kind of compensation plan) to the industry where various valuable items will be circulated especially to new entrants, to boost their brand equity in the trendy event market space at giveaway rates.
The icing on the cake in regard to TEIC 2019, is its culmination on the last day of the event with a dinner and award night, where up to 500 guests are expected to attend the TEIC Award for the year, as the best practitioners in diverse categories of the industry will be appreciated.
Speaking to SMILE on the criteria adopted for the award, Mrs Kuyoro said nominations were done by members of the association on the different categories with 5 to 6 nominees in each category, while voting was done online to produce the list of recipients for the final awards, all in strict compliance to the best ethos.
With respect to some challenges in the industry cutting across relevant training, optimum service delivery, trust and abuse issues etc., Mrs Kuyoro told SMILE that APPOEMN has over the years been able to set the standard for operation in the industry which has made the association a credible force, saying the association is not just an all-comers affair, as prospective members are observed for up to two years before being registered in the organisation, while penalties which include suspension or dismissal, depending on the degree of rules infringement are also meted to erring members, all in a bid to make the industry attain and maintain standard global practices, assuring that such erring members would at the end of their penalty also have to reapply again, if qualified to. Training opportunities she added were also being constantly offered to members to ensure best practices.
APPOEMN is an association with a mix of seasoned events professionals that have been at the forefront of event planning and coordination in Nigeria, for the past 15 years. The association has risen to become a major player in the socio-economic space in the Nigerian polity contributing 55bn to the country’s GDP in budgets, appreciatively deflating the country’s unemployment balloon.
The Event Industry Conference (TEIC) is an annual event of APPOEMN and this year’s would be the third edition of the event.
Tickets to attend the event can be obtained via www.teic.live or 08033053529, 08033728555 while interested event practitioners can also join the association by sending such requests to appoemnnigeria@gmail.com
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday said that there was no case of inflation in the various contracts awarded by the Nigerian government in 2018.
The minister, who was reacting to allegations of contract inflation levelled against his ministry by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), asked the agency to publish its rates and “clear the air on the lingering issue of alleged contract inflation reported in the media last week”.
The minister was reacting to a report which revealed that the BPP saved over N26 billion for the government in the year 2018 by revising down “inflated” contract sums by government contractors.
Report
According to the report, the savings are from the review of contracts awarded to contractors by various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) before being given certificates of “No Objection’’ by the bureau.
The report showed that in 2018, 86 certificates of “No Objection’’ were given out by the bureau to MDAs for contracts initially totaling N1.4 trillion but was later reduced to N1.4 trillion.
Of the savings made, the highest amount of N22.2 billion was recorded from the erstwhile Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the report showed. The money was allegedly saved from an initial request of N877.4 billion.
‘Not true’ says Fashola
But in a statement by Hakeem Bello, Mr Fashola’s spokesperson, the minister said that there has been “misleading” report of the issue in the media.
“Being a department of the same government, ordinarily this should not warrant a reply; however the misleading nature of the reporting in the media and the statements credited to BPP compel a response for the purposes of clarification and enlightenment of the public,” the statement said.
“Any person who takes time to read the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, which created the BPP will understand that no contract can be awarded until BPP certifies that it has NO OBJECTION.
“Therefore there was no INFLATED contract because BPP clearly stated that it reduced the costs, and according to BPP she “… saved over N26 Billion…” And this is the heart of the matter, because BPP’s “ savings” can only be a SUBJECTIVE assessment based on rates quoted by contractors, reviewed by the Ministry , and sent to BPP for certification.”
The minister said that until BPP publishes its rates which the then Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, under his leadership, has demanded in writing, there can be no “objective” basis for determining whether any “savings” were indeed made “if only BPP knows its own rates for procurement.”
“Once rates are published and design is known, quantities can be ascertained and costs can be determined,” Mr Fashola said.
“This is the field of Quantity Surveyors and Construction Economists, and the Minister of Works and Housing has not made any secret about his call for a revision of the Public Procurement Act to resolve this and other gaps in the Law.
“Indeed, during the first term of this Administration, the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing had commissioned the compilation of a service wide Rate of major items of procurement from the largest to the smallest for BPP to consider, adopt or amend and publish.”
A landmark strike by British Airways pilots entered its second day on Tuesday with more travel chaos — and no end in sight to the long-running dispute overpay.
BA has decided to cancel almost all its flights for the second day in a row, it announced in a statement identical to the one issued Monday.
The carrier, which is owned by London-listed International Airlines Group, said it has cancelled nearly 100 per cent of its 850 daily flights, affecting the travel plans of more than 100,000 passengers.
However, the pilots’ trade union stood firm in its demands for greater salary and benefits.
The industrial action by pilots, which is the first in BA’s 100-year history, has seen flights axed for approximately 200,000 travellers, mostly from London Gatwick and Heathrow airports.
In advance of the strike, BA offered full refunds or bookings on alternative dates or flights with a different airline.
The walkout overpays by members of the British Airline Pilots Association trade union follows around nine months of failed talks.
With no talks scheduled, pilots will also stage another one-day strike on September 27.
“Pilots are standing firm and have shown just how resolute they are,” BALPA boss Brian Strutton said in a brief statement.
“British Airways needs to start listening to its pilots and actually come up with ways of resolving this dispute.”
BA has offered a salary increase of 11.5 per cent over three years, which it argues would boost the annual pay of some captains to £200,000 ($246,000 or 220,000 euros).
However, the union has rejected the proposal that was made in July, arguing that its members want a bigger share of the company’s profits.
BALPA estimates that the 48-hour strike is costing the airline a total of £80 million but BA has yet to give an estimate.
Nigeria’s leading financial institution, Zenith Bank Plc, is set to light up the social and entertainment scene this month with the announcement of the Bank’s “Aspire Music Festival”.
Dubbed as the most anticipated entertainment event of the year, the music festival holds on Saturday, September 21, 2019 by 8.00pm at the Harbour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The breathtaking festival promises to be a night to remember, as it will feature captivating and thrilling musical performances by some of Nigeria’s biggest artistes including Olamide, Flavour, Phyno, Niniola, Mayorkun and Rema.
The Aspire Musical Festival, which is a must attend event for music lovers, tourists and fun seekers, is one of a series of events lined up by Zenith Bank to usher in “Style by Zenith 2.0”, the bank’s annual lifestyle fair which will take place towards the end of the year.
Attendance at the music festival is exclusively reserved for Zenith Bank customers. However, non-Zenith customers can still participate by simply opening a Zenith Bank account and registering to attend at www.zenithbank.com/style.
Zenith Bank Plc is recognized as one of the most innovative financial institutions in Nigeria and was voted the most customer-focused bank in Nigeria for the Retail and SME segments in the 2018 KPMG Annual Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS).
