NEWS
Constitutional Review: Groups Seek Stronger, Autonomous NBC
The civil society organisation, community, media and professional groups in Lagos are seeking a more effective and stronger National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
The groups made the appeal in a memorandum jointly submitted to the National Assembly during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on the 1999 Constitutional Review in Lagos on Thursday.
The memorandum was signed Mr Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director, International Press Centre (IPC) Lagos, on behalf of the over 30 groups.
Arogundade said the need to guarantee media freedom to ensure that the mandate given to the media to monitor the governance and uphold the accountability of the government to the people as enshrined in Section 22 of the Constitution, was enforced.
He recommended the abolishment of presidential involvement in licensing of broadcasting stations, saying amendment should vest the power to authorise licences in the regulatory body, NBC.
Arogundade said that the regulatory body in charge of broadcasting, should be made one of the federal executive bodies recognised in Section 153 and listed in the 3rd Schedule of the 1999 Constitution to enhance independence.
He said the confirmation of the appointment and removal of the board members and director general of the regulatory agency should involve the participation of the National Assembly to make the process more transparent.
According to him, the provision in Section 22 (under Chapter 2) be moved to Chapter 4 which will enable journalists and the media to enforce rights.
“The mandate given to the media in section 22 is not justiciable because it is currently housed in Chapter 2 of the Constitution which deals with socio-economic rights.
“As things stand, journalists and media cannot approach the courts to enforce rights emanating from the provision, especially when they are violated.
“Section 39 (2) of the Constitution currently vests the power of approval of broadcasting licences in the president.
“The consequence of this is that the regulatory body in charge of broadcasting has been denied its full regulatory powers and there is political interference in regulatory functions,” Arogundade said.
He said that the 4th Schedule of the Constitution vests the power to collect radio and television set ownership fees in Local Governments.
“This issue was addressed in 1999 in the NBC (Amendment) Act which vests this power in the NBC.
“However, the military government which enacted the amendment forgot to do a corresponding amendment in the 4th Schedule of the Constitution.
“Since constitutional provisions override those statutes, the collection and management of those resources (which long to the broadcasting industry) remain in the hands of local governments,” he said.
Arogundade said that section 1(b) of the 4th Schedule of the Constitution, which empowers local government to collect radio and television licence fees should be repealed and re-worded to give the power to the regulatory body.
He said that government budgetary appropriation to the regulatory body should be from the first line charge directly from the consolidated fund and not subsumed under the funding of any agency.
“There is the need to guarantee financial independence of the broadcast regulatory body,” he said.
Reports said that several other groups at the two-day public hearing advocated electoral reforms, gender equality and opportunity for women and vulnerable groups.
The Public Hearing was held nationwide to amend Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. (NAN)
Niger Government has established the state Price Control and Monitoring Board, approved by Gov. Umaru Bago to ensure fair pricing and consumer protection.
Alh. Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger Government (SSG), inaugurated members of the board on Thursday in Minna.
The eight-member board has Alh.
Hussaini Ahmed, a former Permanent Secretary as the chairman.Usman noted that the inauguration of the board marked a significant step in the state’s commitment to ensuring fair pricing and consumer protection.
He said that the board was expected to control and stabilise prices of essential commodities and eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum, hoarding of essential commodities across the state.
He said that board would also handle issues that may arise as a result of enforcement and penalty for contravention of guidelines among several others.
“The board will be responsible for the distribution, monitoring and evaluation of essential commodities and keep price under continuous surveillance.
“They will also interpret price movement and relate them to other development in the State’s economy,” Usman said.
He said the board was expected to interface with relevant stakeholders such as local government chairmen, traditional institutions and councilors and well as market organisations to ensure the success of their mandate.
The SSG enjoined members of board to bring their wealth of experience and expertise in economics, consumer affairs and market dynamics to bear in their assignment.
He said that their appointment underscored the government’s dedication to maintaining economic stability and safeguarding the interests of both consumers and businesses in the state.
In his remarks, the board chairman, Ahmed, assured that the board would interface with relevant stakeholders within and outside the state in order to bring succour to the populace.
Other members of the board include Hamza Bello, Permanent Secretary, Investment, Aliyu Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Garba Abdullahi, from Ministry of Basic Education.
Also on the board are Adamu Maikasuwa, Ministry of Agriculture, DCP Aminu Garba, Nigeria Police, Niger Command, Aminu Ladan, Chairman, Chanchaga Local Government Area and Usman Liman, retired Statistician-General as Secretary of the Board. (NAN)
The Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared N1.298 trillion among the Federal Government, states, and the Local Government Councils (LGCs) for September.
This is according to a communique issued at the end of FAAC meeting for October held on Thursday in Abuja.
The communiqué was made available to newsmen by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAGF).
According to the communiqué, N1.
298 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N124.716 billion, and distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N543.518 billion.It also comprised Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N18.
445 billion, Exchange Difference revenue of N462.191 billion and Augmentation of N150.000 billion.It said that a total revenue of N2.258 trillion was available in the month of September.
“Total deduction for cost of collection was N80.993 billion, while total transfers, interventions and refunds was N878.946 billion,” it said.
According to the communiqué, gross statutory revenue of N1.043 trillion was received in September 2024, which was lower than the sum of N1.221 trillion received in August by N177.426 billion.
It said that gross revenue of N583.675 billion was available from VAT in September, higher than the N573.341 billion available in the month of August by N10.334 billion.
“From the N1.298 trillion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received a total sum of N424.867 billion, and the state governments received a total sum of N453.724 billion.
“The LGCs received a total sum of N329.864 billion and a total sum of N90.415 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue,” it said.
On the N124.716 billion statutory revenue, the communiqué said that the Federal Government received N43.037 billion and the state governments received N21.829 billion, while the LGCs received N16.829 billion.
It said that the sum of N43.021 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.
“From the N543.518 billion VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N81.528 billion, the state governments received N271.759 billion and the LGCs received N190.231 billion,” it said.
It said that in September, Oil and Gas Royalty, Excise Duty, EMTL and CET Levies increased considerably while VAT and Import Duty increased marginally.
It added that Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT) and others recorded significant decreases. (NAN)
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has reiterated the importance of strict adherence to traffic laws, emphasising the prohibition of commercial motorcycles on highways and other restricted routes.
Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager, said this in a statement on Thursday, signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.
Bakare-Oki said that non-compliance with the regulations not only jeopardised the safety of the riders but also endangered the lives of other road users.
The statement came following the death of a motorcycle rider going against traffic on Carter Bridge, due to a collision with a fast-moving vehicle.
Bakare-Oki noted that the deceased, reportedly traveling from Ebute Ero, collided head-on with a fast-moving vehicle as it ascended Carter Bridge from Ilubirin.
“The forceful impact of the collision led to the immediate death of the motorcyclist while the vehicle driver ran away.
“Personnel from the LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene of the accident and swiftly alerted officers from the Central Police Station at Adeniji Adele and Shemo.
“Together, they coordinated efforts to retrieve the lifeless body of the rider, while LASTMA officials handed over the motorcycle to security authorities for further investigation,” he said.
The LASTMA boss extended his heartfelt sympathy to the family of the deceased.
“LASTMA remains committed to upholding public safety and is intensifying its efforts to minimise the occurrence of such tragic incidents on Lagos roads,” he said. (NAN)
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