Breaking

Export Rejects: NEPC, other Inter-Agencies on a fact-finding mission to UK

Published

2 years ago

September 13, 2022

In a bid to curb the incidences of export rejects, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is leading an Inter-Agency team to the United Kingdom (UK) as part of strategic effort to address the issue which constitute a major constraint to the growth of the non-oil export sector.

The National Food, Drug and Administration Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), National Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) Federal Produce inspection Service (FPIS) and Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) are among the Agencies participating on the fact-finding mission.

The Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Dr. Ezra Yakusak who led the team lamented that these cases of rejection had resulted in stricter inspection regime on Nigerian exports in the importing countries and in some cases led to the suspension or ban of some products.

According to him “It also attracts unfavourable international media attention, gives the country a negative image as well as constitutes financial burden to the exporters who have to bear the cost of either reshipping the banned product to Nigeria or destroying the product.”

A statement by Ndubueze Okeke, the Head Cooperate Communication of the NEPC, the objective of the 5-day visit is to provide Nigerian export-regulatory and facilitating agencies the opportunity of observing the processes of agricultural commodities import procedures and interface with Port Health and Food Import Regulatory Agencies at the Border Control Points (BCPs) in the UK.

Other areas to be visited by the team are, Southampton Port (the second busiest port in UK), Spitafield Market – a one-stop aggregation and distribution centre for imported food in the UK as well as the Food Standards Agency (FDA), the parliament among others.

The team also held an interactive session with some Nigerian food importers in UK as part of effort to address the challenges encountered in importing food items from Nigeria to UK. It will be recalled that the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) Otunba Niyi Adebayo recently inaugurated a Technical Committee to address the incidences of export rejects with view to proffer solutions to the problem.

Breaking

Court Sacks APC Governorship Candidate In Bayelsa

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2023

News Editor

Timipre Sylva

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has disqualified the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, from contesting the November 11 Guber election in Bayelsa state.

The suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 was filed on June 13, 2023, by Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC.

Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

The judge also declared that Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor

Citing the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, Okorowo noted that the drafters of the country’s constitution stated that nobody should be voted for as governor more than two times and that the parties to the suit agreed that Sylva was voted into office two times.

He further stated that the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Marwa vs Nyako that nobody can expand the constitution or its scope, stressing that if Sylva was allowed to contest the next election, a person could compete as many times as he wanted.

Breaking

Senate stops El-Rufai, 2 Others Confirms Wike, Keyamo, Oyetola, Others As Ministers

Published

1 year ago

August 7, 2023

News Editor

Cross Section of Ministerial Designates

The Senate has put the confirmation of former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai on hold and confirmed 45 ministerial nominees presented to it for screening and confirmation by President Bola Tinubu.

Two others affected are Stella Okotete (Delta State), and Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State). The Senate said the trio were still undergoing security clearance.

The Senate had spent a week in screening all the ministerial nominees presented to it by the president.

Those confirmed are:

Abubakar Kyari (Borno)

Abubakar Momoh (Edo)

Nyesom Wike – Rivers

Engr Joseph Utserv (Benue)

Senator John Owan Enoh (Cross River)

Hon Bello Mohammad (Sokoto)

Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa)

Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi)

Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra)

Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Ondo)

Nkieruka Onyejeocha (Abia)

Dr Betta Edu (Cross River State)

imaan Sulieman Ibrahim (Nasarawa)

David Umahi (Ebonyi)

Adebayo Olawale Edun (Ogun)

Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (Katsina)

Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji (Enugu)

Mr Dele Alake (Ekiti)

Waheed Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo)

Mohammed Idris (Niger)

Prof Ali Pate (Bauchi)

Dr Doris Anite Uzoka (Imo)

Lateef Fabemi SAN (Kwara)

Rt Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom)

Hannatu Musawa (Katsina)

Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe)

Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger)

Hieneken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)

Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe)

Dr Tanko Sununu (Kebbi)

Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)

Bello Matawalle (Zamfara)

Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun)

Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau)

Abdullahi Tijani Muhammad Gwarzo (Kano)

Bosun Tijani (Ogun)

Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure (Kano)

Dr Iziaq Salako (Ogun)

Dr Tunji Alausa (Lagos)

Lola Ade-John (Lagos)

Prof Tahir Mamman SAN (Adamawa)

Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT)

Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba)

Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi)

Festus Keyamo SAN (Delta)

Africa News

INFLATION: Strike Action Imminent in Nigeria Office of ICRC Over Poor Staff Remuneration.

Published

1 year ago

August 2, 2023

News Editor

There are indications that workers of International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) will down tools for the first time since coming to Nigeria over the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which has brought inflation and economic hardship to medium income earners in Nigeria and neighboring countries. The Authority Newspapers Reports.

This is as Nigeria’s current cost of living is on the increase and the failure of the management of ICRC Nigeria to address the situation.

Findings showed that the trouble started earlier this year, when the organization announced a global funding gap that led to the downsizing of its operations.

Investigation revealed that the situation resulted in a significant reduction of staff and the scaling back of ICRC’s operations.

In March, the Nigeria management made a controversial decision to suddenly remove the Cost of Living Allowance, intended to help the staff cope with the country’s soaring inflation.

“Shockingly, the allowance was canceled for Nigerian staff but was retained for expatriate employees” a source in the intervention agency hinted.

The source who does not want her name mentioned said the situation ignited outraged by the Nigerian staff, which voiced their concerns, eventually leading to the restoration of the allowance. But the divide between expatriate and Nigerian salaries remained a significant point of contention.

According to the source, “Recently, following the unification of the exchange rate and removal of fuel subsidies, Nigerian staff raised a compelling argument. They pointed out that the value of their salaries’ had eroded significantly (up to -76%), while expatriate counterparts enjoyed a substantial increase (+76%) when converted to the local currency.

“To break this down further, the ICRC mission in Nigeria receives the funds for its operations in CHF (Swiss Francs). Expat staff in Nigeria are paid in CHF but the Nigerian staff are paid in NGN. CHF used to convert to Naira at 1CHF to 509NGN as of June 1, 2023. As of Tuesday 25 July 2023, 1CHF exchanged for 913NGN.

“What this means for ICRC’s expatriate staff in Nigeria who get their salaries in CHF is that the value of their salaries in NGN has almost doubled.

“The value of the salaries of the Nigerian staff has been halved because their salaries are pegged at the numerical value of the NGN, independent of the exchange rate. This also means that as of today, when the salaries for Nigerian staff are converted to Naira, the ICRC is making a significant savings on their salaries.

“How are staff of a global humanitarian organisation expected to selflessly carry out their duties if they can barely pay their bills?”