Information Sovereignty: Nigerian Press bodies urge FG, NASS to curb big tech dominance - ITREALMS

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Nigeria’s major media and journalism organizations have issued a unified, urgent call to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to protect the Nigerian press from the suffocating dominance of global digital platforms, reports ITREALMS.

This joint appeal, released under the banner of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), warns of a strategic national threat to the country’s information ecosystem, democratic stability, and economic independence.

Oil Production: NASS pledges support to NNPC - ITREALMS

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The National Assembly has thrown its weight behind NNPC Limited's ongoing efforts to boost Nigeria’s crude oil production and grow its reserves, saying it will consider stiffer consequences for crude oil thieves and vandals of the nation's critical hydrocarbon infrastructure.

This was made known when the National Assembly's Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) paid an oversight visit on the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), an upstream arm of the NNPC Ltd, at its headquarters in Lagos, on Tuesday.

Exposed! 12 fictitious ‘stakeholders organisation’ supporting NITDA controversial bill - ITREALMS

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Some 12 fictitious stakeholders’ organisations out of the 17 purportedly supporting the controversial Senate Bill for the repeal and enacting of 2023 National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA Act) also known as Senate Bill (SB-1082), are non-existence and not registered even with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), ITREALMS can authoritatively reveal.

ITREALMS also exclusively gathered that these 12 supporting organisations were mischievously conscripted and used to mislead Nigerians and particularly the National Assembly with the notion that the bill has sufficient stakeholders’ endorsement.

Sesan calls out NASS on heinous NITDA bill 2023, alleges falsehood in Oseni report - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian first-ever Information Technology Youth Ambassador and Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan has called out the National Assembly Senate Committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Cyber Security over false claims of stakeholders’ support for the proposed National IT Development Agency (NITDA) Repeal and Enactment Bill (SB 1082, reports ITREALMS.

Reacting to the recent report by the Senate Committee that 17 organisations submitted memoranda in support of the Bill while 14 opposed and used that argument to justify its request to the Senate to proceed with the third reading and passage of the controversial bill, Mr. Sesan these claims were not near the truth and fact of the matter.

Coalition commends Buhari for transmission of Whistleblower Protection Bill to NASS for passage - ITREALMS

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The Whistleblowing Advocacy Coalition (WAC) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for transmitting the draft whistleblower protection bill approved by the Federal Executive Council last December to the National Assembly for further consideration and passage before the end of this administration.

The coalition notes that a whistleblowing protection law for Nigeria is long overdue, being a conversation that has been on among different interest groups over the last two decades, and more importantly given that the whistleblowing policy which has been in operation for more than six years is not backed by a legal framework that should strengthen implementation and boost citizen confidence.

NITDA bill: Controversy looms over NASS secret public hearing - ITREALMS

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The Joint Senate and House Committee on Information Communications Technology (ICT) has been accused of clandestine move to pass a controversial bill concerning the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), reports ITREALMS.

This move by NASS, ITREALMS gathered has been decried by industry watchers with suspicious.

GOCOP rejects NITDA’s code of practice, says it tramples on media rights, usurps NASS powers – ITREALMS

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The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has rejected in strong voice an attempt by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to trample on media rights in the country and usurp the powers of the National Assembly (NASS) under the guess of ‘Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries,’  reports ITREALMS.

GOCOP also advised NITDA to immediately jettison this code in its entirety or be ready to face legal action.

NITDA partners NEPC, NASS, CFA to sustain socio-economic development - ITREALMS

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) National Assembly (NASS) and Cyber Future Academy (CFA) to ensure that Nigeria which holds the largest economy in Africa with over 41.5 million SMEs, take advantage of the paradigm shift in the technological advancement of the nation’s development.

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, while giving a keynote address at the Nigeria ICT Week critically highlighted the Nation’s roadmap to a digital transformation towards achieving a National Social and Economic development.

Election results: Tambuwal appeals to NASS, align with Nigerians - ITREALMS

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The former Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria and incumbent governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has appealed to the National Assembly to align with Nigerians on the need to transmit election results electronically, reports ITREALMS.

In a public statement personally endorsed by him and made available to ITREALMS, Tambuwal wrote in part:

Techpreneur faults FG, NASS on social media bill - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

A Lagos-based techpreneur, Mr. Ebenezer Dare, has faulted both the Federal Government and the National Assembly (NASS) and called on them to define what they really want to regulate in the name of proposed Social Media Bill, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking on the vexed issue of the plans by the Federal Government and National Assembly to gag the system, Mr. Dare, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Hostlag, a domain names and web hosting company, wondered if the Nigerian government truly wanted to regulate foreign applications developed by foreign companies or the people.

He said that regulating the people for instance, will FG sit down with those social media companies in the process of making their regulations and if not, “how do they want to achieve the said bill?”

For him, both the FG and National Assembly must understand what they want to regulate and then come up in alliance with the application companies, insisting that no law is developed in a vacuum, especially in a democratic setting like Nigeria.
And if it is the applications they want to regulate, he urged them to rename the said bill and not call it social media bill.

“If software and websites will be included, that's no longer social media,” he objected, stressing that is relevant now is more education rather than regulation of any sort.

“What I think we need is more of education rather than regulation,” he said.

FG, Dare said, needs to appeal to the emotions of social media activists, youths and other social media users.

“We need to do something that will affect their psychology about the danger of sharing fake news or hate speech because an average social media user will only share news that affects his or her emotion without confirming the source or the genuinety,” Dare submitted.

Insisting that what Nigeria needs on this social media usage is education.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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Pix: Dare

What Lawan told Senators - ITREALMS

ForTheRecords@ITREALMS:

BEING ACCEPTANCE SPEECH DELIVERED BY PRESIDENT OF THE 9th SENATE, DISTINGUISHED SENATOR AHMAD LAWAN, PH.D,CON TUESDAY, 11TH OF JUNE, 2019, WITH THE THEME: A SENATE THAT WORKS FOR NIGERIANS.

My fellow Distinguished Senators, I am pleased and privileged to stand before you today to commence a historic journey of selfless service as President of the 9th Senate. This is an extremely special moment for me. I humbly and gratefully accept my election as the President of the 9th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am deeply grateful to all my Distinguished Colleagues who overwhelmingly elected me to lead the 9th Senate as first among equals and for their gracious concession, I declare myself your Humble Servant and you Distinguished Senators as my true bosses in every sense of the word.

I acknowledge and salute three categories of people: your families and friends for their support and sacrifice; your various political parties on whose platforms you stood for election, and our constituents for their invaluable trust and goodwill in electing us into this position.

To all my fellow contestants, I say this is our collective victory for it was a very hard-fought campaign. They all did well. Permit me to pay a personal tribute to Distinguished Senator Danjuma Goje and others who withdrew from the race and graciously endorsed me. I am deeply grateful. Senator Ali Ndume put up a dogged fight and gave the race added-value. You all have worked tirelessly over the years and in particular in the past few months and I owe all of you Distinguished colleagues a debt of gratitude for your sterling services to our country. I congratulate all of us for the friendliness and camaraderie that was demonstrated during the intensive but rancour free campaign.

The elections are over and we are all back together in the spirit of one indivisible Senate, united in our commitment to work for the Nigerian people. Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our institution and renewing the Nigerian dream. I’ve spent the last 20 years learning the ropes of how to make the National Assembly work better. In this humbling and extremely critical role you have all agreed to assign to me, I pledge to do my best to serve the best interest of the institution, its members and the good people of Nigeria.

Today’s epochal event is symbolic in many respects. It marks the beginning of another decade in the annals of the country’s federal legislature, recognizing that the Fourth Republic National Assembly was first inaugurated twenty years ago, on June 4, 1999. So, today, as we commence the 3rd uninterrupted decade of our National Parliament, we pledge to remake, reform and revitalise the Senate in line with our constitutional duties, the urgent expectation of our citizens and global parliamentary best practices.

Our determination is to evolve a well-resourced Senate with a vision and a great sense of commitment to securing a prosperous future for our great nation. I strongly believe that for the 9th Senate to live up to this declaration, it must be operated as an institution that is largely accountable, participatory, collaborative and responsive to the needs, aspirations, rights and liberties of the masses whose mandate we hold in trust.

Let me reassure my Distinguished colleagues that in the discharge of my duties as the President of the 9th Senate, I will be fair and just to all, irrespective of party affiliations, religious and ethnic extractions. I, therefore, solicit for unalloyed support of all my Distinguished Colleagues. Together, we can reinvent a vibrant, robust and result-oriented Senate.

In the 9th Senate no dream is too big to imagine, no challenge is too great to surmount. We will pursue our goal of a better and brighter future, we will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We will work with and collaborate with other arms of government to reclaim our country and restore our values. We will dream big, aim high and take bold initiatives. To this end, I will work with my colleagues to build actionable consensus around a robust legislative agenda that serves the best interest of majority of our people.

To this end, we will focus on improving the institutional capacity and capabilities of the Senate for effective performance of its constitutional and political duties in the most cost effective and service enhancing manner. Issues such as bill and motion progression and tracking, enhanced internal operations and funding of committees, an open and ICT enabled Senate will be on our front burner.

We are going to work collaboratively with the executive arm of government to strengthen our planning and budget linkage that ensures effective service delivery and fulfilment of essential government obligations to the citizens, while taking care of the perennial delays in our annual appropriation bill passage and implementation.

We will embark upon a sustained pursuit of national ethical renewal, through legislative and political support for the fight against corruption and other major security challenges that Nigeria faces today, namely; rural and highway banditry; inter-ethnic conflicts; herdsmen and farmer conflicts, cattle rustling; kidnapping and all other forms of criminality in the country.

We have a plan to make Nigeria an economic growth hub and the most sought after business destination in Africa. This is to be achieved through legislative and policy coordination with the Executive Arm of Government to put in place the necessary reforms and legal instruments that promote the diversification and investment in the critical (real and service) sectors of the Nigerian economy.

We will frontally address the current high level of youth unemployment, underemployment and high use of illicit drugs as well as depression and high rate of suicide.

At the same time, we will collaborate with the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly, with a view to having legislative partnerships that address the existential challenges of corruption, insecurity, emerging criminal gangs, kidnaping, poverty, decayed educational system that has left Nigeria with an embarrassing reported figure of 14 million out of school children.

I want to seize this opportunity to tell the entire nation, particularly those that are in doubt, that the Senate and indeed the legislature is going to operate independently in accordance with its own rules, procedures and time honoured norms and best practices. While working closely with the executive arm to deliver the dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people.

Our legislative agenda must focus on enacting laws and strengthening existing laws to facilitate the reforms required to truly take our nation, our people and our economy to the next level.

Within us as a Senate, our leadership will commit to partnership rather than partisanship and between us and the executive arm of Government, we will choose unity of purpose over conflict and discord while also working towards further strengthening and guaranteeing our independence and that of the judiciary. We will sustain and strengthen our institutional working relationship with critical stakeholders especially the Civil Society Organizations, the Media and Development Partners within and outside Nigeria.

In conclusion, let it be said that we have come to this chamber conscious of the trust our constituents have reposed on us. Dear colleagues, we must not betray that trust. To this extent, in the next four years, we must drive a transformative Senate dedicated to serving the people with confidence, courage and patriotism. Indeed, the urgent task towards socio-economic reforms and transformation through legislative intervention has begun.

In so doing, we are convinced that our past was only a story told while our future can yet be written in gold.

I thank you all,

May God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, Ph.D; CON
President of the Senate, 

Federal Republic of Nigeria 

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Yayi 2019: Senator explains why NASS is probing sale of Etisalat – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Senator representing the Lagos State West Senatorial district, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, aka Yayi has explained why he sponsored the motion to investigate the near-collapse of former Etisalat, a mobile network operator (MNO), now trading as 9mobile, following the operators inability to repay multi-million dollar loan, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this to ITREALMS at the weekend during when 2019 campaign train stopped over at the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at a forum tagged Meet the Press Forum, Senator Adeola, said the motion became imperative because Nigerians have vested interest in the telecommunications companies existence and have invested heavily since it began operation in the country over eight years ago.

This, ITREALMS gathered is coming as the bills for upgrading of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba-Lagos and Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State to degree-awarding universities of technologies, have passed first readings respectively.

He told ITREALMS led to the ongoing investigations by a Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions.

Adeola, who also is the pioneer chairman of Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Local Content, told ITREALMS that he sponsored the motion to “investigate Revenue Generating Agencies over alleged leakages non-remittances and misuse of generated revenue by MDAs.”

Additionally, he sponsored motion for legislative investigation of “Local Content Elements and Cost Variation of the Egina Oil Field Project and other Related Matters.”

“It’s noteworthy that all these motions led to Senate resolutions for investigations to expose corruption or inefficiency which indeed is the hallmark of the role of a legislator in oversight duties,” he declared.

According to the Senator, he had sponsored some 15 bills in the last three years including the two seeking to upgrade Yaba Tech and Federal Polytechnic Ilaro to universities of technologies among others.

“So far, I have single handedly introduced 15 bills to the 8th Senate while co-sponsoring many others including the passed, ‘Sexual Harassment Bill and Special Status for Lagos Bill,’” he said.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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NASS, Presidency must sanction Foreign Affairs Ministry for violating FOI Act - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has urged the National Assembly (NASS), the Presidency and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) to strongly condemn the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for violating the Freedom of Information Act and deceiving Nigerians, reports ITREALMS.

"We call on all relevant authorities, particularly President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) to strongly condemn this conduct as unworthy of a public institution and make clear that such practices, namely violating the provisions of the Law with impunity and the blatant attempt to deliberately mislead and deceive the Nigerian public, will not be condoned by this administration," MRA said in reaction.

ITREALMS recalled that the Ministry had on Wednesday, November 14, through its spokesman, Mr. George Ehidiamen Edokpa, issued a public statement which claimed it complied with provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and condemned “in strong terms insinuations that the Ministry has consistently breached most of its duties and obligations under the FOI Act over the last seven years.”

The statement was apparently in response to an assessment by Media Rights Agenda (MRA) of the Ministry’s poor performance in the implementation of the FOI Act, as announced by Ms. Chioma Nwaodike, MRA’s Legal Officer, on Monday, November 12, 2018.

It is a matter of grave concern when a public institution like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, financed through public funds, violates our Laws with impunity. It is doubly worrisome when the same institution uses public resources to mislead and deceive the entire country, when it should be taking corrective measures to remedy its lapses. Such action shows a lack of remorse, insults the intelligence of Nigerians and erodes public trust and confidence in government.

Rather than respond to the specific issues of non-compliance which MRA raised, the Ministry has chosen to resort to an omnibus generalization, claiming: “The Ministry also engages in periodic and systematic dissemination of relevant information to the public, of its activities and programmes through regular press briefings, as well as press releases organised by the Crises Monitoring and Public Communications Division.”

MRA insist it was quite clear and specific about the aspects of the FOI Act that it accused the Ministry of failing to comply with.

For the avoidance of doubt, MRA reaffirmed "our position that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently breached most of its duties and obligations under the FOI Act over the last seven years, and provide the following particulars:

· "Section 2(3)(d)(v) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 requires every public institution to proactively publish “information relating to the receipt or expenditure of public or other funds of the institution”. We assert that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in breach of this statutory obligation and has consistently breached this duty over the last seven years and challenge the Ministry to provide any evidence that it is in compliance with this duty under the FOI Act or provide a link to any platform on which it has published this information.

· Section 2(3)(d)(vi) of the Act places an obligation on every public institution to proactively publish “the names, salaries, titles, and dates of employment of all employees and officers of the institution”. We insist that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in breach of this statutory obligation and has consistently been in breach of the obligation over the last seven years. We challenge the Ministry to provide any evidence that it is in compliance with this duty under the FOI Act or provide a link to any platform on which it has published this information.

· "Section 2(3)(f) of the Act places an obligation on every public institution to proactively publish “the title and address of the appropriate officer of the institution to whom an application for information under this Act shall be sent”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed in its statement under reference that “Contrary to the misleading report, there is a Desk Officer in the Ministry assigned to handle requests under the FOI Act.” We insist that the Ministry is in breach of this statutory obligation to proactively publish the title and address of such an officer, if indeed it has such a Desk Officer. We further insist that the Ministry has consistently breached this obligation over the last seven years and challenge the Ministry to provide any evidence that it is in compliance with this duty under the FOI Act and provide a link to any platform on which it has published this information. We note further that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, which has oversight in the implementation of the FOI Act, has, pursuant to his functions under the Act, repeatedly requested all public institutions to supply the Office with the names and contact details of the FOI Desk Officers and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently failed to supply the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation with the name and contact details or any other information at all relating to its supposed FOI Desk Officer, in consequence of which there is no FOI Desk Officer for the Ministry in the Database of FOI Desk Officers maintained and published by the Federal Ministry of Justice.

· "Section 13 of the Act provides that “Every government or public institution must ensure the provision of appropriate training for its officials on the public’s right to access to information or records held by government or public institutions, as provided for in this Act andfor the effective implementation of this Act.” We assert that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in breach of this statutory obligation and has consistently breached this duty over the last seven years. We challenge the Ministry to state the date or dates on which it has provided the required training for its officials, who attended the training, who conducted the training and provide any evidence that such training actually took place.

· "Section 29(1) of the FOI Act provides that “On or before February 1 of each year, each public institution shall submit to the Attorney-General of the Federation a report which shall cover the preceding fiscal year …”. As at February 1, 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ought to have submitted seven such reports to the Attorney-General of the Federation. However, in flagrant disregard of the provisions of the Act, the Ministry has to date only submitted one such report to the Attorney-General of the Federation, which was the report it submitted for the year 2013. We therefore insist that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently been in breach of this obligation over the last seven years.

· "Section 29(2) of the FOI Act states that “Each public institution shall make such report available to the public, among other means, by computer and telecommunications, or if computer and telecommunications means have not been established by the Government or Public Institution, by other electronic means.” We therefore challenge the Ministry to state where and how it has made its annual implementation reports available to the public.

· "We challenge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to state how many applications for information it has received every year over the last seven years, the number of such applications for information that it has processed and granted as well as the number of such applications for information it has denied or ignored.

In the face of these facts, there can be no doubt that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently breached most of its duties and obligations under the FOI Act over the last seven years.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Pix: Chairman of the National Assembly, Senate President Bukola Saraki

ArikAir data leak: Paradigm demands data protection enactment from FG, NASS - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

 

Following the alleged data leak by ArikAir, an international social enterprise, Paradigm Initiative, has demanded from the Federal Government (FG) and the National Assembly (NASS) to enact a data protection law for the citizens, reports ITREALMS.

Reacting to the recent data breach which exposed some Arik Air passengers’ data stored on Amazon S3 Bucket, Paradigm Initiative described it as vulnerable and unprotected in a press statement made available to ITREALMS.

Also, ITREALMS recalls that on 30th October, Justin Paine, an internet security expert and head of trust and safety at Cloudflare, had alleged discovery as a serious data breach that had rendered some Arik Air passengers’ data stored on Amazon S3 Bucket exposed vulnerable and defenseless.

This data included information such as their names, email addresses, phone numbers, travel schedule, and even card details.

Paradigm Initiative, ITREALMS gathered, is compelled by this event to, once again, call upon the Nigerian government, particularly the legislature, to enact a data protection law for its citizens and residents in line with international best practices.   

Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria expressly states that “The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected.” Data protection is, therefore, an inherent responsibility where privacy has been granted.

Proper care must be taken to protect every information submitted to data custodians and processors, but much more than that, the Nigerian government must clearly and expressly mandate every data holder or processor to secure data in their care. This must be done by the enactment of a law in which all necessary legal and technical standards are laid out.

As it stands, Nigerians are extremely vulnerable and exposed by the absence of the country’s firm stance against the poor protection of data. And as data breaches occur in the country, there is no legally stipulated process, redress or resort for the aggrieved, no laws detailing data protection responsibilities on the data holders, no real laws to guide the judiciary.

Although there are some data protection Bills at the National Assembly namely; Data Protection Bill (HB02), Protection of Personal Information Bill (SB 310), and the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill (HB 490) which is closest to becoming a law. The Bill which has been passed by both houses of the National Assembly, contains provisions for data protection. These provisions align with internationally recognized principles of data protection and are clear and unambiguous.

The Digital Rights and Freedom Bill (HB 490) has however not been transmitted to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his assent. It has been over 7 months since the National Assembly passed the Bill. We call on the national assembly to immediately transmit this Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Paradigm Initiative also calls on the federal government to ensure that the alleged data leak is not swept away but rather thoroughly investigated. Nigeria cannot afford to continue to miss important learning opportunities and wakeup calls such as this one. Appropriate actions have to be taken, and they must be taken now.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Why NASS passed Electronic Transactions Bill - Saraki - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Nigerian Senate has adduced reasons why the National Assembly (NASS) considered and passed the Electronic Transactions Bill within the 8th Senate, reports ITRealms.

The National Assembly is made up of the Senate and Federal House of Representatives, with Senate President as the chairman of the NASS.

The current status of the Electronic Transactions Bill, ITRealms gathered is that the Senate at its plenary session of Thursday, May 18th 2017 passed the Electronic Transaction Bill.

In his foreword to the 8th Senate Report entitled “Reviving The Economy, Creating Opportunities For Nigerians” made available to ITRealms, Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki said there is need to validate e-commerce transactions as fraudulent activities online, commercial disputes arising from sale and delivery; and other undesirable outcomes are on the rise.

He also said in the 44-page report that an estimated 60 per cent of micro and small businesses advertise and sell their wares online, either through their own sites or using social media.

“This has also opened up a floodgate of fraudulent activity online, commercial disputes arising from sale and delivery; and other undesirable outcomes,” he said.

Also, he said, large businesses have also taken advantage of the ease offered by technology to conduct and transact their official businesses online.

“Contracts and agreements are being concluded without parties being physically present. But conversely, extant laws provide inadequate protection for e-commerce businesses and consumers,” he declared.

He pointed out that the Electronic Transactions Bill seeks to provide a legal and regulatory framework for conducting transactions using electronic or related media, the protection of the rights of consumers, parties and their personal data as well as the facilitation of electronic commerce in Nigeria.

ITRealms equally reported that the Bill tend to give validity to “online contracts, electronic signature and records, admissibility of electronic evidence, and security of parties to an online transaction.”

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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NFIU Act: MIIVOC warns, danger not yet averted, lauds Buhari, NASS - ITREALMS Online

ITREALMS:

A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the Media Initiative Against Injustice, Violence and Corruption-(MIIVOC) has warned that despite assenting to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit Bill by President, Muhammadu Buhari, danger is yet to be averted for the country, reports ITRealms.

MIIVOC Executive Director, Dr. Walter Duru who gave the warning while addressing newsmen in Calabar, weekend however commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Bill, even as he praised the National Assembly for passing same.

Speaking on what needs to be done urgently, Duru stressed that “assenting to the NFIU Bill is a good development, but, that is not enough. Sending the name of a fit and proper person as head of the Unit to the National Assembly for consideration requires extreme urgency. 

The National Assembly may be going on recess in the last week of July and the President needs to act fast in the interest of the country. Setting up of a befitting office, with all structures, staffing and paraphernalia must be done without delay. Having a law in place without effective implementation does not do the country any good.”

Speaking on the implications of the new law, Duru described the development as amounting to rekindling of hope for Nigeria’s escape from looming international sanctions, while strengthening the country’s Anti-money Laundering and Counter financing of terrorism regime.

According to him, “the NFIU Act establishes a legal framework for a national center that will be responsible for the receipt of information from financial institutions and designated non-financial institutions, analysis of the financial information for the purpose of turning the information into financial intelligence and dissemination of the financial intelligence to all law enforcement agencies and other competent persons. The Act ensures that the NFIU is not tied to any agency but will have adequate measures to build an independent financial intelligence system.”

Continuing, Duru called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the Proceeds of Crime, Mutual Assistance in criminal matters and Whistle Blowers/Witness Protection Bills, as well as an updated/amended version of the Money Laundering and Terrorism Prevention Acts, to brighten the country’s chances of escaping the hammer of the international community.

“Remember, Nigeria remains suspended from the Egmont Group of FIUs, meaning that the country has not been receiving external financial intelligence since July, 2017 and this will remain in force until the suspension is lifted. The above steps are the surest way out of the country’s present difficult situation,” he stressed.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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MRA charges NASS on effective FOI implementation, marks 1-year of ‘FOI Hall of Shame’ - ITREALMS Online

ITREALMS:

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the National Assembly to institute measures to enforce compliance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in its capacity as the ultimate oversight body in the implementation of the Law, as the organization marked the first year anniversary of the launch of the “FOI Hall of Shame” reports ITRealms.

In a statement issued in Lagos in commemoration of the first anniversary of the Hall of Shame launched by MRA on July 3, 2017, MRA Executive Director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, said they believe that the National Assembly has a crucial role to play in ensuring the effective implementation of the FOI Act.

“The National Assembly itself apparently recognized this role, which was why in making the Law, it included Section 29 (7) and (8), requiring the Attorney-General of the Federation to report to the National Assembly annually details regarding the implementation of the Act during the preceding year.”

According to him, “We consider these provisions to be consistent with international best practice in the implementation of FOI Laws as they can give the National Assembly a good picture of the status of compliance by the relevant public institutions with the FOI Act and enable it to determine whether additional measures are required to improve the implementation of the Law.”

Section 29(7) of the Act provides that “The Attorney-General shall submit to the National Assembly an annual report on or before April 1 of each calendar year which shall include for the prior calendar year a listing of the number of cases arising under this Act, the exemption involved in each case, the disposition of such cases, and the cost, fees, and penalties assessed” while Section 29(8) stipulates that "Such report shall also include detailed description of the efforts taken by the Ministry of Justice to encourage all government or public institutions to comply with this Act.”

Mr. Ojo noted that “Although the two Attorneys-General of the Federation who have held the position since the FOI Act was enacted in 2011 have religiously submitted their annual reports to the National Assembly without fail, members of the National Assembly have not acted on any of these reports over the last seven years and there is no indication that the reports are even being read by them.”

He explained that widespread violation of the Act led to the initiation of the FOI Hall of Shame in July 2017 to shine the spotlight on public officials and institutions that are undermining the effectiveness of the FOI Act through their actions, inactions, utterances and decisions, noting that 49 inductees have so far been named into the Hall of Shame from all the three arms of government, namely the Legislature, the Judiciary, and the Executive.

Mr. Ojo said “most of the  inductees bagged the ‘FOI Hall of Shame’ Award owing to their obvious disregard for their duties and obligations under the FOI Act, including their failure to submit their annual FOI implementation reports to the Attorney-General of the Federation on or before  February 1 of each year, and failing to publish such reports proactively either on their websites or anywhere else; their failure to respond to requests for information made by members of the public; their failure to train their officials on the public’s right of access to information and equipping them with relevant skills to ensure the effective implementation of the Act; as well as their failure to designate appropriate officers and to publish the titles and addresses of such officer to whom applications for information by members of the public can be sent.”

He expressed concern that even one year after the launch of the Hall of Shame, the 2017 Annual Report on the Implementation of the FOI Act, submitted to the National Assembly on March 27, 2018 by the Attorney-General of the Federation still indicated that 90 per cent of public institutions are not complying with their reporting obligations.

Mr. Ojo called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to explore administrative sanctions to ensure that public institutions to which the FOI Act applies take their duties and obligations under the Act seriously and respect the rights of Nigerians to information, which is also a fundamental right of citizens of all countries as established under international law.

By so doing, he said, the Attorney-General of the Federation will be giving effect to the provisions of Section 29(6) of the FOI Act which stipulates that “the Attorney General shall in his oversight responsibility under this Act ensure that all institutions to which this Act applies comply with the provisions of the Act.”

Mr. Ojo urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to solicit the assistance of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the National Assembly in applying appropriate pressure on all public institutions to fully implement the Act.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Pix: Saraki, Senate President

PMB: Why I signed 2018 budget despite NASS padding - ITREALM Online

ForTheRecords@ITREALMS: 

• ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE SIGNING INTO LAW, THE 2018 APPROPRIATION BILL, PRESIDENTIAL VILLA, ABUJA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20^TH 2018.

I would like to thank the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as all the Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members, for passing the 2018 Appropriation Bill, after seven months.

2. When I submitted the 2018 Budget proposals to the National Assembly on 7^th November 2017, I had hoped that the usual legislative review process would be quick, so as to move Nigeria towards a predictable January-December financial year.  The importance of this predictability cannot be overemphasized.  

3. While the Federal Government’s budget represents less than 10% of aggregate yearly expenditures in the economy, it has a very significant accelerator effect on the financial plans of other tiers of government, and even more importantly, the private sector, which mostly operates on a January-December financial year.  

4. Notwithstanding the delay this year, I am determined to continue to work with the National Assembly towards improving the budgeting process and restoring our country to the January-December fiscal cycle.

5. I note, with pleasure, that the National Assembly is working on the enactment of an Organic Budget Law, so as to improve the efficiency of the nation’s budgetary process.

6. As I mentioned during the presentation of the 2018 Appropriation Bill, we intend to use the 2018 Budget to consolidate the achievements of previous budgets and deliver on Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020.  

7. It is in this regard that I am concerned about some of the changes that the National Assembly has made to the budget proposals that I presented.  The logic behind the Constitutional direction that budgets should be proposed by the Executive is that, it is the Executive that knows and defines its policies and projects.  

8. Unfortunately, that has not been given much regard in what has been sent to me.  The National Assembly made cuts amounting to 347 billion Naira in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to 578 billion Naira.

9. Many of the projects cut are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation.  Some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualized, designed and costed and will therefore be difficult to execute.  

10. Furthermore, many of these new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.  

11. As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of the States and Local Governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened.

12. Such examples of projects from which cuts were made are as follows:

·  a. The provisions for some nationally/regionally strategic infrastructure projects such as Counter-part funding for the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, the East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project were cut by an aggregate of 11.5 billion Naira.

·  b. Similarly, provisions for some ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the FCT, Abuja especially major arterial roads and the mass transit rail project, were cut by a total of 7.5 billion Naira.

·  c. The provision for Rehabilitation and Additional Security Measures for the United Nations Building by the FCT, Abuja was cut by 3.9 billion Naira from 4 billion Naira to 100 million Naira; this will make it impossible for the Federal Government of Nigeria to fulfill its commitment to the United Nations on this project.

·  d. The provisions for various Strategic Interventions in the health sector such as the upgrade of some tertiary health institutions, transport and storage of vaccines through the cold chain supply system, provision of anti-retroviral drugs for persons on treatment, establishment of chemotherapy centres and procurement of dialysis consumables were cut by an aggregate amount of 7.45 billion Naira.

·  e. The provision for security infrastructure in the 104 Unity Schools across the country were cut by 3 billion Naira at a time when securing our students against acts of terrorism ought to be a major concern of government.

·  f. The provision for the Federal Government’s National Housing Programme was cut by 8.7 billion Naira.

·  g. At a time when we are working with Labour to address compensation-related issues, a total of 5 billion Naira was cut from the provisions for Pension Redemption Fund and Public Service Wage Adjustment.

·  h. The provisions for Export Expansion Grant (EEG) and Special Economic Zones/Industrial Parks, which are key industrialization initiatives of this Administration, were cut by a total of 14.5 billion Naira.

·  i. The provision for Construction of the Terminal Building at Enugu Airport was cut from 2 billion Naira to 500 million Naira which will further delay the completion of this critical project.

·  j. The Take-off Grant for the Maritime University in Delta State, a key strategic initiative of the Federal Government, was cut from 5 billion Naira to 3.4 billion Naira.

·  k. About seventy (70) new road projects have been inserted into the budget of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.  In doing so, the National Assembly applied some of the additional funds expected from the upward review of the oil price benchmark to the Ministry’s vote.  Regrettably, however, in order to make provision for some of the new roads, the amounts allocated to some strategic major roads have been cut by the National Assembly.

13. Another area of concern is the increase by the National Assembly of the provisions for Statutory Transfers by an aggregate of 73.96 billion Naira.  Most of these increases are for recurrent expenditure at a time we are trying to keep down the cost of governance.  

14. An example of this increase is the budget of the National Assembly itself which has increased by 14.5 billion Naira, from 125 billion Naira to 139.5 billion Naira without any discussion with the Executive.

15. Notwithstanding the above stated observations, I have decided to sign the 2018 Budget in order not to further slowdown the pace of recovery of our economy, which has doubtlessly been affected by the delay in passing the budget.

 16. However, it is my intention to seek to remedy some of the most critical of these issues through a supplementary and/or amendment budget which I hope the National Assembly will be able to expeditiously consider.

17. I am pleased with the success recorded in the implementation of the 2017 Budget.  A total sum of 1.5 trillion Naira has been released for the implementation of capital projects during the 2017 fiscal year.  In response to this and other policy measures implemented, we have observed significant improvement in the performance of the Nigerian economy.

18. To achieve the laudable objectives of the 2018 Budget, we will work very hard to generate the revenues required to finance our projects and programmes.  The positive global oil market outlook, as well as continuing improvement in non-oil revenues, make us optimistic about our ability to finance the budget.

19. However, being a deficit budget, the Borrowing Plan will be forwarded to the National Assembly shortly.  I crave the indulgence of the National Assembly for a speedy consideration and approval of the Plan.

20. The 2018 Budget I have just signed into law provides for aggregate expenditures of 9.12 trillion Naira, which is 22.6% higher than the 2017 Appropriation.  Further details of the approved budget will be provided by the Minister of Budget and National Planning.

21. I thank the Ministers of Budget and National Planning, the Budget Office of the Federation, and everyone who worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much to bring us to this day.  However, the job is only partly done.  

22. I am sure you will remain committed to advancing our Change Agenda, not only in the preparation of the national budget, but also in ensuring its effective implementation.

I thank you and may God bless Nigeria.

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*PMB during the signing of 2018 Appropriation bill into law

Buhari blames NASS over cut on second Niger bridge, other strategic infrastructure - ITREALMS Online

ITREALMS:

President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed the National Assembly (NASS) for some strategic cuts in the 2018 appropriation bill for the provision of national and regional infrastructure projects like the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, the East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project, reports ITRealms.

Revealing this Wednesday during the signing of the 2018 appropriation bill, Buhari lamented that an aggregated N11.5 billion was cut off the strategic infrastructure vote, just as the bill for provisions of some ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the FCT, Abuja especially major arterial roads and the mass transit rail project, were cut by a total of N7.5 billion.

Although he expressed thanks to the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as all the distinguished Senators and Honourable Members, for passing the 2018 Appropriation Bill, after seven months.

“When I submitted the 2018 budget proposals to the National Assembly on 7^th November 2017, I had hoped that the usual legislative review process would be quick, so as to move Nigeria towards a predictable January-December financial year.  The importance of this predictability cannot be overemphasized,” he said.

Also, he noted that while the Federal Government’s budget represents less than 10 per cent of aggregate yearly expenditures in the economy, it has a very significant accelerator effect on the financial plans of other tiers of government, and even more importantly, the private sector, which mostly operates on a January-December financial year.  

For Mr. President, NASS is working towards improving the budgeting process and restoring our country to the January-December fiscal cycle, stressing that the National Assembly is working on the enactment of an Organic Budget Law, so as to improve the efficiency of the nation’s budgetary process.

“As I mentioned during the presentation of the 2018 Appropriation Bill, we intend to use the 2018 Budget to consolidate the achievements of previous budgets and deliver on Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020,” President Buhari said.  

He further expressed concern over some of the changes that the National Assembly made to the budget proposals that was presented, insisting that the logic behind the Constitutional direction that budgets should be proposed by the Executive is that, it is the Executive that knows and defines its policies and projects.  

Buhari described as “Unfortunately, that has not been given much regard in what has been sent to me.  The National Assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion.

Lamenting that many of the projects cut were critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation as some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualized, designed, costed and will therefore be difficult to execute.

Furthermore, he pointed out that many of these new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.  

“As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of the States and Local Governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened,” he maintained.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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