October 2020 Nigeria Office Nigeria Press Review 16.10. – 23.10.2020 Welcome to Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Nigeria Weekly Press Review The weekly press review seeks to explore and keep you informed on selected issues relating to politics, business and economy, insecurity, infrastructure and development, health related issues, new trends and matters bother- ing on COVID-19 and the situation in Nigeria. Content SERAP Sues NASS, Buhari over Electricity and Fuel Hike, FG Set to Implement Measures for the Electricity Sector Senate Reveal Plans for the Petroleum Industry Bill, Minster Reiterates the Importance of the Water Resources Bill, Governor Ortom Kicks Accounts Frozen by CBN to be Investigated by Reps as CBN Reports of about 2,000 Fraud Related Complaints in 6 Months, FG Sets to Improve Local Content Bill PDP Faults APC for Onochie’s Nomination, APC Suspends Members over Refusal to Adhere to the National Executive Committees Directive Insecurity: FG to Intensify Efforts in Combating Security Crisis, End SARS Nationwide Protest Continues as Reports Reveal Gruesome Killings Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. N igeria Office October 2020 2 2 SERAP Sues NASS, Buhari over Electricity and Fuel The Senate has stated that it has given 3 committees Hike, FG Set to Implement Measures for the Elec- in the Senate the responsibility to “make required leg- tricity Sector islative input into the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)”. The mandate was given to the Petroleum Down- The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project stream, Petroleum Upstream and Gas. The PIB which (SERAP), and 302 citizens have filed a lawsuit against seeks to improve the regulatory framework of the Pe- President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi troleum Industry among others, has passed the sec- Osinbajo, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of ond reading. The Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the gave further insights on the bill and the Senate Presi- Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commis- dent, Ahmed Lawan charged the Senate Committees sion (RMAFC). SERAP is asking the court to “declare saddled with the responsibility of making the input to illegal, unconstitutional and unfair the recent hike in “make more legislative inputs and be thorough in electricity tariff and fuel price because top level public their work”. Deji Elumoye, This Day News (21st Octo- officers cannot continue to receive the same salaries ber) details. and allowances and spend public money to finance a life of luxury for themselves while asking poor Nigeri- Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum Re- ans to make sacrifices”. According to SERAP, the hike sources, Timipre Sylva, had said that the provisions of in electricity tariff and fuel price as the country battles the PIB also propose the privatization of the Nigerian the novel Corona Virus is against public interest. They National Petroleum Company (NNPC). Speaking on called for a review of salaries and allowances of public this, a Professor of Petroleum Economics, Wumi officials among others. Vanguard News (18th October) Iledare stated that the “new national oil company in reports. the PIB seemed more of a rebranding of the existing one”. Guardian News (22nd October) reports. Meanwhile, the federal government has revealed plans to inject N198.27bn on various capital projects On another note, the Minister of Water Resources, Su- in the power sector across Nigeria in 2021. This was leiman Adamu, has stated that the Water Resources contained in the 2021 Appropriation Bill presented to Bill (WRB), “will boost irrigation farming system and the National Assembly by President Buhari 2 weeks enhance food security in the country”. Guardian News ago. Abiola Odutola, Nairametrics (18th October) ex- (22nd October) explains. Still on the WRB, the Gover- plains. On another note, the Central Bank of Nigeria nor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has faulted the (CBN), has introduced a framework for the financial WRB and threated to lead a protest march against the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) that will WRB despite the backlash that trailed the bill. Ortom cover 10 million households. There are speculations who described the bill as “evil” called on the federal that the electricity hike would generate bank credit government to explain to citizens why it plans to im- inflows. According to the CBN, the framework will plement the WRB which was rejected by the people. support Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and local Peter Duru, Vanguard News (21st October) explains. meter manufacturers among others. Vanguard News (20th October) writes. Accounts Frozen by CBN to be Investigated by On the same note, the Meter Assets Finance and Man- Reps as CBN Reports of about 2,000 Fraud Related agement Company (MAPCO) has said that it would Complaints in 6 Months, FG Sets to Improve Local raise N480bn to assist in the operations of the Distri- Content Bill bution Companies (DISCOs) and also, help in the me- tering programme. Speaking on this, the Chief Execu- The House of Representatives has said that it would tive Officer of the New Hampshire Capital, Onion probe the allegation that “the Central Bank of Nigeria Omonforma, stated that the contribution of the (CBN), has flagged over 5,000 private and corporate MAPCO would help to end the estimated billing policy. accounts in Deposit Money Banks”. This is coming fol- Chike Olisah detail in Nairametrics (19th October). lowing a motion moved at a plenary sitting in the House. The House directed the CBN, to review all fro- zen accounts which violated the 1999 and the section Senate Reveal Plans for the Petroleum Industry 608 of BOFIA 2004. In addition, the house also asked Bill, Minster Reiterates the Importance of the Wa- the Committee on Banking and Currency to com- ter Resources Bill, Governor Ortom Kicks mence investigation into the issue. Leki Baiyewu, Punch News (21st October) writes. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. N igeria Office October 2020 3 3 On another note, the CBN has stated that about 2,051 Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State House of Assembly fraud related complaints were submitted between (ESHA), has given the PDP, a 7 day ultimatum to zone January and June 2020. Disclosing this at the work- its 2023 presidential ticket to the South-East. Disclos- shop for Finance Correspondents Association of Nige- ing this, the speaker of the ESHA, Francis Nwifuru also ria (FICAN), Haruna Mustapha from the CBN while cautioned the PDP against removing its National calling for a thorough screening process for staff, Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus from office. Nwifuru added that most fraudulent activities were allegedly called on the National Executive Committee (NEC) of executed by the employees. Guardian News (21st Oc- the PDP, to act swiftly as the INEC has announced the tober) explains. date of the presidential election. Chijoke Agwu, Daily Sun News (20th October) explains. Nwifuru also gave Meanwhile, the federal government has revealed that recommendations for selection as the presidential it would no longer award contracts above N5bn to candidate for the election. James Eze, Premium Times foreign firms operating in the country. According to (19th October) details. the Minister of State, Works and Housing, Abubakar Aliyu, this would help support local firms and On another note, the APC has suspended some mem- strengthen the local content laws. Aliyu stated this at bers of its Enugu State chapter for flouting the di- the public hearing organized by the National Assem- rective of the National Executive Committee (NEC) bly Joint Committee on local content. Speaking on this, which ordered party members to withdraw all litiga- the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Teslim tions against the party. Contained in a letter signed by Folarin added that the new policy would affect firms the APC Head of Legal Service, Dare Okepade, the sus- like the Julius Berger Plc. Folarin mentioned some rec- pension was within the provision of the party consti- ommendations for the Local Content Bill and other tution. Adedyo Akinwale, All Africa News (20th Octo- bills which would contribute to the development of ber) reports. the oil and gas sector. Sunday Aborisade, Punch News (21st October) explains. Insecurity: FG to Intensify Efforts in Combating Se- On the oil and gas sector, the Nigerian National Petro- curity Crisis, End SARS Nationwide Protest Contin- leum Corporation (NNPC) has revealed a decline of ues as Reports Reveal Gruesome Killings 2.16% in the volume of oil deposits between 2018 and 2019. This was contained in the NNPC Annual Statisti- Following the prevalent security situation in the coun- cal Bulletin. It however recorded an increase in the try and across West Africa, the federal government natural gas reserve. Chineme Okafor, This Day News has expressed commitment to intensify its fight (21st October) explains.. against insurgency, cybercrime and other forms of criminality. The spokesperson of the Nigerian Army (NA), Sagir Musa stated that the operation named PDP Faults APC for Onochie’s Nomination, APC “Crocodile smile” set to launch from 0ctober 20 – De- Suspends Members over Refusal to Adhere to the cember 31 “will target all areas plagued by insecurity, National Executive Committees Directive including cyber warfare exercises designed to iden- tify, track, and counter negative propaganda in the so- Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomina- cial media and across cyberspace”. Xinhua, CGNTN Af- tion of his aide Lauretta Onochie as an official of the rica News (18th October) reports. There were initial Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), speculations that the operation is targeted at the on- the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the going Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)protest. All Progressives Congress (APC), for justifying the Musa also clarified that the operation is not connected nomination alleging the APC as the mastermind in to the protest. Chike Olisah, Nairametrics (19th Octo- several “constitutional violations, abuse of human ber) writes.