Bayelsa got N3.5 billion federal allocation in July - Commissioner

ITRealms:

The Bayelsa State government has clarified that it received the sum of N3.5 billion from the federal allocation for the month of July, according to the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, said on Tuesday, ITRealms.

Reacting to what the government described as different figures being peddled by "uninformed persons within and outside Bayelsa State," Obuebite said this clarification become imperative with regards to the allocation received from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the month of July, 2016.

The Commissioner in a Government House statement issued in Yenagoa, said Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, "has directed the payment of June salaries in addition to outstanding January 2016 arrears including that of pensioners."

"The amount being dished out by the mischief-makers which ranges from N10 billion to N19 billion, is all aimed at giving the impression that the government now has a lot of money at its disposal to clear all outstanding salaries and pensions,” he said.

Obuebite pointed that while acknowledging that there has been a sharp increase from the latest allocation as compared to previous months especially for this year, “we want to for the benefit of hindsight make public the authentic details of the amount from the various sources."

            FAAC Allocation to Bayelsa State for July 2016

       SOURCE                                                AMOUNT

1. Statutory Allocation                                N2, 310,274,788.13

2. 13 percent derivation                             N3, 126,869,735.56  

3. Value Added Tax                                    N609, 108,530.22     

4. Exchange Gain                                       N1, 189,970,982.76      

                                                                    

GROSS   TOTAL                                        N7, 236,224,036.67   

  

5. FAAC Deductions                                   N2, 308, 843,297.75

6. Net FAAC Receipt                                 N4, 927,380,738.92

7. Debt Service                                           N1, 424,558,256.26

 NET    TOTAL                                      N3, 502,822,482.66                       

The statement reads further: "Our sincere hope is that this will put to rest the rumours and lies about the issue. We advise Bayelsans  to always be sure of what they hear especially on social media before accepting it hook, line, and sinker as true. The dedicated website www.bayelsawatch.org is also up and running to provide all financial information about Bayelsa State Government.

"Findings show that all these mis-information are being generated and spread out by the opposition and enemies of the state who only show up with tantrums and not solutions or prayers for the well being of the state. 

The government is therefore calling on ASUU to for the sake of our children, call off the strike and resume classes as the government is still committed in giving Bayelsans  the best of education even in the face of the dwindling economic crisis.

"It is on this backdrop that His Excellency, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, has directed the payment of June salaries in addition to outstanding January 2016 arrears including that of pensioners."

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Northeast: Japan grants UNICEF US$4.5m for life saving intervention

ITRealms:

In efforts to improve life-saving emergency interventions in the North-east Nigeria by all stakeholders, the government of Japan has extended a grant of US$4.5 million, about N1.4 billion, to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), reports ITRealms.

Affirming this in a joint press statement by the Chief of Communication, UNICEF Nigeria, Doune Porter, and Ambassador's Special Adviser, Embassy of Japan, Takashi Tamai, made available to ITRealms, said that the grant is for the provision of life-saving emergency work to assist people affected and displaced by the conflict in northeastern Nigeria.

“The grant will cover assistance in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities; health, nutrition and child protection services and education. It will focus primarily on assistance for children, with special attention given to populations trying to return to where they lived before they were forced to flee the violence,” they said.

ITRealms reports that the seven years of conflict in the region, especially in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, have caused massive human suffering, with children and women bearing the brunt of the difficulties.

“The conflict has triggered major population movements, with most recent estimates of people displaced by the conflict in the four most severely-affected states at over 1.7 million – more than half of whom are children,” they said.

They quoted the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough, as saying the people of Japan are strong supporters of UNICEF’s work to help children and women, stressing “This generous grant will help to make a tangible difference in the lives of children who have suffered so much. It will help them to recover physically and psychologically so that they can be children, can go to school and have a brighter future.”

ITRealms recalls that with a similar grant last year from the Government and people of Japan, UNICEF and its partners were able to boost primary health care services for people affected by the conflict in more than 100 health facilities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

“Funding from Japan provided more than 65,000 people with clean water and more than 25,000 people with access to safe sanitation. Education was improved through creating temporary learning spaces for children in camps for the displaced; malnourished children were provided with life-saving treatment. Special support has been given to children who have been separated from their families by the conflict, and traumatised children have been given psychosocial support,” part of the statement read.

For Sadanobu Kusaoke, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Government of Japan believes that primary education, health and nutrition are some of the basic rights of every child anywhere in the world and in this regard, Japan has and will continue to make efforts to ensure that no child is denied these basic rights, no matter the situation,” said.

Since 2000, the government of Japan has been a major donor supporting child survival activities, prevention of infectious diseases in children and emergency assistance in Nigeria, through the UNICEF/Federal Government of Nigeria Programme of Cooperation.

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