NERC Is The Mess

EXCLUSIVE: While Nigerians lament increased electricity tariff, regulatory  agency's officials share billions as perks
I ruminate on many occasions to decipher why do we have such mess in the power sector, particularly, in the distribution end of Nigerian Electricity supply industry (NESI) why so much loopholes to the extent that consumers and distribution companies, staffers engaged in fist cuff and exchange in dangerous fight that led to death and maiming each other. Why has all remedies provided to make supply increase from the value chains of industry never bring the desire results?
Why are we still where we are in 1999 in supply, distribution and generation despite privatization and attendant money pumping policies for meter and loans yet we still grope between 3,000 and 5,000 megawatts generation to power over 200m Nigerians?
Regulatory Body As  A Catalyst For Service Providers Impunity
NERC Areas of Mess: Connection disconnection schedule
 It took our April 2019 Road show tagged illegal Disconnection is a criminal offence to sensitized the people of their rights on disconnection before few of the discos recourse to it and start given disconnection notice and observed partially the ten days grace offered by Subsection {5}{1)(a) of the above quoted law before disconnection of power can take place, even at that no disconnection notice will be dispatch but disconnection order. The law stipulates that a disconnection notice which will explain the debt, the time expected to pay and due dates disconnection notice was to be served and expired.
Section 32 of electric power sector reform act 2005 empowered the regulatory body in this wise Nigerian Electricity regulatory Commission to among other things
To maximize access to electricity services, by promoting and facilitating consumer connections in distributions system.
To ensure adequate supply of electricity is available to consumers.
To ensure that the prices charged by licenses are fair to consumers.
To ensure regulation for licenses, consumers, investor and other stake holders.
The approach of regulatory commission in the implementation of the above stated monitoring power are meant to be evenly applied if not more tends towards consumers satisfaction and protection but in practice and experience so far, the reverse is the case.
Compensate any customers for illegally disconnection while I can’t count how many consumers, they have issued loss of revenue receipt for illegal connection
by passing and energy theft. In all these advantages to the consumers, the regulator looks the other way hence the service provider’s impunity in this practice waxes strong.
Capping Method
Prior to the issuing of order 197/2020 of February 20,2020 there was so much frustration on the side of consumers over humongous monthly bill on estimation given and receiving from discos nationwide. My coordinated group all electricity consumers protection forum embarked on massive advocacy and protests with other consumers association against the. estimated billing regime which characterized in many consumers having ridiculous outstanding debts profile with discos especially in Lagos franchise area. We engaged NERC, and with our 2019 power sector and presence of those mentioned before the message was clear.
The NERC sent correspondence to us, asking for our input on their intention to capped billing and we made suggestion among others to the extent that it was adopted to arrive at the template that formed the capping order directive to the discos nationwide. According to the order 197/2020, paragraph A of NERC directive order it was stated that “ESTIMATED billing is hereby repealed and to be replaced with capping method.
If was obvious from the body language of the discos especially in Lagos franchised areas that as usual such order is a nullity and like before the letter head paper of NERC that contain the order remain servette papers and it’s meant for waste bins. We tasked ourselves as consumers advocacy group to monitored implementation and true to our suspicions, they did not implement it in March, April bills that supposed to show in the consumers consumption charges rather the estimated billing believe to have been repealed took a new dimension with astronomical increase to non-metered consumers.
I wrote to NEPC through the consumers affairs commissioner office and pronto a letter was issued in May 2020 to intimate the discos of their intention to sanction them for non-implementation of capping method and in the notice, NERC listed only four discos that have implemented to date. Thees discos that have implemented to date: are, Ibadan Electricity distribution company, Abuja Electricity distribution company, Yobe Electricity distribution company which as at then was under force majeure and another one. To our chagrin not even this notice letter moved the rest to obey and implement hence, the remaining “Obedience” discos joined the bandwagon and as at this time, no sanction was given to them except the new increase in tariff approved last year September to compensate their impunity. it’s this obscurity that make our advocacy group approached the court in Lagos to challenge their proprieties for such disobedience of capping order based on section 63. of EPSRA 2005 (Electric power sector reform Act) which mandated all licenses to obey and carried out directives and order of NERC without exception but due to mess called NERC has become, they rather use nose mask to cover the stench from the mess and moved on.
Meter Asset Provider(Schedule 2019)
In a bid to further stem the tide of consumers paying for what they did not used in supply yet got charged by the discos, all electricity consumers protection forum embarked on another sensitisation program through radio and fliers with road show that without prepaid meter to clearly measure the judicious usage of supplies and paid accordingly by the consumers are at receiving end hence if they will failed to meter consumers they should henceforth not pay.
This because slogans of many communities with banners at their gate to show compliance. We also engaged NERC and other stakeholders even the discos to intimate them of their neglect and reminded them of the clause signed in their performance agreement in 2013 while privatization ongoing that within 18 months gestation period, all consumers shall be metered which as at then, the metering gaps was 8:3m consumers. All these agitations put together compelled the them NERC lad by professor James Momoh to come up with Meter Assets Provider programme.
The scheme primarily was to help procure meters in a seamless manner to the consumers at their cost with fainted idea on how they are to recoup their money. Less I forgot consumer have actually become puns in their mess in that Feb 2016 the then minister of power thus the NEPC lad them in capacity by Anthony Akah after the exist of Dr. Sam Amadi that midwifed the hocus focus monopolistic privatization a scheme to also produced meter was introduced, called CAMPI (credit Assets Meter Provider Initiative. Good as the idea was intended, NERC messed it up.
The program was piloted to allowed customers paid for meter (N 64,000) the discos installed and later repaid the consumer thru recharge point till the whole N64,000 got deflated.
But, alas, customers in their desperation paid for meter to escape the menace estimated billings, while few were metered but not reimbursed, others paid but till date neither metered nor reimbursed back their money, and guess what, the NERC look the other way and the consumers continues to bear the brunt of the foul odors of the unwholesome practice of the discos.
The introduction of  MAP just like the capping method was meant to help the discos on one hands who with all the shrewd business practice and under hand dealing with consumers still claimed they don’t generate much hence failure to remit receivable to NBTE, the intermediary between  the discos and Gencos for the transmission of generated megawatts; and to relief consumers of her age long whitlow of scrupulous estimated bill because  not even with the introduction of customers categorization Into band A,B,C,D and E makes them fair better. Meter assets provider schedule have some provision, majority are,
1) A registered matter asset producing company solely approved by the NERC (mess).
2) Consumers felling KYC (know your customers) form with discos in their franchise area, get ARN (assets registered Number) be inspected for suitability of other the materials and then make payment which was N38,000 for single phase and N 69,000 for three phases.
3) Within ten days of inspection and payment, consumer must be meter.
As usual, we admonished consumers to move into the scheme at least another fight won and let’s not throw the baby away with bath water with the available of objections and won provision of how their money paid will be recovered since the law is clear on who ought to provide meter and other line materials the cost of which already inputted in the tariff charged.
From my end, I noticed that NERC has created another mess in the provision that says 10 days after payment, Consumers must be metered. What happen if they are not metered after 10 days as stipulated, the schedule or order was silent on it. I raised this with the, then consumers affairs commissioner and he told me that it will be looked into. Also, the issue or repayment, he said “Sam that`s how he addressed usually once we have discussion to engaged in, let the schedule begin, it will surely be addressed” that since, no matter how small the cost is already in the tariff paid by the consumers”. With this assurance form him because I knew him to be man of his words, I encourage those that are seeking my classification to go ahead.
Surprisingly as other mess created in the past the NERC live thru to type and never raised a hand to defend the consumers when reports from the field shows that those that have paid, inspected and approved for three months, six months even one year now that are still not metered. All we got from NERC in my engagement with them was that the approved meter provider companies not enough, and they are trying to approves more to help in more provision and metering. My reaction was that of a flabbergasted fool in mixed streets addres,. because I cannot understand why a pilot scheme won’t take into consideration such scenario before whimsically put a provision that 10 days after all process done, a consumer must be metered. This situation persists even with federal government intervention of national Mass Metering scheme, no respite in sight as its common knowledge that while this scheme ongoing, those on MAP were suspended, yet according to the statistics we obtained from NERC in our office at All Electricity Consumer Protection Forum; as at 2021, the total numbers of Meter Asset Provider issued out was 581,000 for 2 years while that of National Meter Asset Scheme was 508,000 for period of six months. Let me leave the discrepancy lacuna to your imagination. It’s obviously obvious the discuss are not to blame truly save the mess called NERC.
Increase In Tariff
The response of NERC and Speed at which they accede to such request and approved such at a lightning speed baffled me until I look deeper and found out that its due to enlighten self-interest of the regulatory body due to sharing formular. Without bothering you much with legal semantics of electric power reform sector act 2005, its imperative for you to be inform a little about process involved in arriving at approval for tariff increase especially major review and see the mess often created by NERC to satisfy their wimps.
Section 96 of the Electric Power Sector reform act 2005, empowered the regulatory body to formulate schedule how tariff regime will be guided, while section 76 provided the process to be followed at arriving the approval end.
In exercising this power, the NERC came out with a schedule called MYTO which stipulated that at approval end, such increase will be done every 5 years MYTO mean (Multi Year Tariff Order).
It will interest you that, the provision in section 76 (1) (a) and 76 (2) (a, b) is unambiguous so also is (7) as provided in Electric power sector reform Act 2005. The Mess was created in 2016, when the NERC led by Anthony Akah in interim power approved increase in tariff to 21.30k  for residential and N27. 80k for commercial customers respectively. This move was challenged in Court by our Friend Mr. Yemi Toluwani at Federal High Court, Ikoyi before Justice Idris Mohammed as he then was our advocacy group later joined him and at the end the judgement was in favour of the masses that the increase was criminal, uncharitable, Null and void was set aside. The judgement was never obeyed by NERC, not even the injunction obtained by may 28th 2015 to prevent announcement of the increase on Feb 3rd, 2016 was adhered to. Fast forward to 2020, in the midst of pandemic, the NERC created another mass by announcing increase in tariff with hocus pocus categiorisation of consumers  into band A B C D. That categorization was a systematic fraud and re-introduction of estimated billing which was repealed in the capping order 197/2020 paragraph A as stated earlier on.
The process of section 76 (1) (a) (2) (a, b) was not followed same to paragraph (7) of that same subsection (2) all the provision was flagrantly ignored by the regulatory body just   to see an increase in her sharing formular of generated revenue from discos which is 5% to run the affairs of their secretariat according to the stipulated allocation directive.  Section 76 (1) (a) allows the discos to ask for increase based on the investment they have expended in the sector with verifiable evidences and according to performance efficiency witnessed in the sector. To an active regulatory body that provision in paragraph 2 of subsection 1 is enough to knock down the request but not mess called NERC. It must be done because the more money accrued to discos the merrier for them. Section 76 (2)(b) also emphasis performance and improved service delivery before discos request can be entertained.
It’s also glaring to the blind and audible to the deaf and with common knowledge that a nation groping between 3500 and 5000 megawatts to service over 200m population can’t possibly by indices measured performance but NERC ignored it. Paragraph 7 of same section 76 was about wide consultation with consumers, labour union and other stakeholders, results of which will determine their position couple with adequate metering of consumers but none of this move NERC, the Mess must be created, the consumers keep bearing the stench and they will keep organizing consumers complain resolution forum which will also ends in fiasco and stalemated while roller coaster remain the order of the day at the expense or tax payment funds.
 NERC mess covers that makes me believe that discos are not to  blame as a business going concern, every capitalist is about profits and such profits can come through many means as long as they have willing and compromised regulatory body like NERC who created mess by looking the other  way over flagrant disobedience to her order, directive and  extant  act of business practice in the power sector.
How Can We Clear The Mess?
Scrap NERC and put their functions under FCCPC especially the area that has to do with consumers affairs, tariff and implementation. The ministry of power. In the last interview of Mr. Buhari, I heard the president lamentation and unhappiness over performance in the power sector. I was surprised to hear that from him being the alpha and Omega at helm of affairs in whose table all bulks stopped? What type of brief did he receive from the power minister at the weekly EXCO meetings? The law mandated the NERC to submits report of activities to NASS monthly, what type of feedback do they received. What has president done to it? Only when the time allotted to work almost ended. He was saying who are those who acquired it, are they engineers, they don`t have money bla bla.
Who is Mr. President deceiving? It was the caliber of the people that took over the power sector thru that caricature privatization that made him not to act decisively on it They are partly friends and known faces to Mr president so, he should stop crying when the head is off Jare. My reaction to his comment was like seriously Mr. President? Mr. president does not know who are the people in charge but he can request for their papers from CAC.
He does know they are not engineer and have no money but he failed to activate review on contract performance agreement as stipulated that after five years they can be done?  One of the reasons I said discos are not to blame. Discos knew in the agreement, the provision allows them to ask for grace or one more year before review due to extraordinary variable, and the discos gladly did and was approved for them but even after the expiration of the one year extension, did Mr. President activate their own power to review? The answer is No.
Mr. President crocodile shows of regret in power sector performed can be like to a dog who bite his own ear with razor blade (Yoruba will say Ateyin kogbon aja ti abe ge leti, ti owa nfi abe pamo.
My Humble Suggestions
1) Scrap NERC they are not useful and their usefulness are at best good at collecting revenue for discos
2) Beginning now the process of reviewing the privatization performance agreement which was put at 10 years. 2013 – 2023
3) Let the national assembly hasten the review on electric power sector reform Act going on, let it be pass with new regulating body to be inserted or put it under FCCPC head by Babatunde Irukeira. He has shown that an once moribund agency can be revived and become actively responsible. And they should not remove the provision that criminalise estimated billing provided there
Resourceful,
Above all in future engagement, let the privatization be done with the mind that we all will enjoy the mess while it last.
Its my humble opinion on power sector activities in the last 9 years and I can say it with boldness I was not wrong with the title DisCos Are Not To Blame, NERC Is The Mess
Comrade Adeola Samuel -Ilori
National Coordinator,
All Electricity Consumers Protection Forum.
Buhari  Seeks Passage Of Bills  To Stop Corruption 

 President Muhammadu Buhari  has written the Senate,urging it to expedite action on  three critical bills needed to effectively fight corruption in the country.
The bills are: Proceeds of Crime Bill, Whistle-Blower Bill and Witness Protection Bill.
His request was contained in a letter dated 14th January, 2022, and read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, during plenary.
It  reads: “I write to inform you that the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria participated in the 9th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) held from 13th – 17th December, 2021 at the International Congress Center, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
“At the session the International Community expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s effort in the fight against corruption re-affirming Nigeria’s rating as a leader in Africa in the areas of developing structures for recovery, repatriation, and disposal of proceeds of crime.
“In light of this and the need to continue to increase Nigeria’s Global profile, I hereby request that the National Assembly kindly consider and eventually pass the best possible version of the following bills: Proceeds of Crime Bill; Whistle-Blower Bill; and Witness Protection Bill.
“While anticipating the senate’s expeditious consideration of these submissions, please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.”

 

Lawmakers  Adopt Direct/Indirect Primary In Electoral Bill

Why I support direct primaries — Gbajabiamila | Premium Times Nigeria
The House of Representatives has  re-amended clause 84(2) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 to include an option for both direct and indirect primaries in the nomination of candidates by political parties.
The development  follows the representation of the Bill recently rejected by the President, on the floor of the House and reconsidered at the committee of the whole.
The House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila had earlier informed the House noting that the “bill was committee of the whole on Wednesday 19, 2022. we move for the consideration of the observation made by the president in his letter.”
“A letter was written by Mr President after declining assent to the bill and the relevant portion of the letter, paragraph 5.
The Speaker had before commencing the proceedings cited relevant rules of the House guiding the process, noting that the House was constrained by the rules to only consider the item which formed the basis of the President’s refusal to grant assent.
“It is this letter that has brought us where we are, and in line with the provision of our rules, we are in order to recommit and reconsider based on the observation officially communicated to us as a House. The relevant rule here is Order 12 Rule 20 which the sub head is reconsideration of Bills.
“And it says “any bill referred to the House of by the president with holding assent may be reconsidered through a substantive motion by the House which has been. The motion shall include all the clauses objected to by the president which shall be reconsidered in the committee of the whole,” which is what we are about to do. And I believe there is only one clause objected to by Mr President.
“Sub three, “if necessary, the House may rescind its decision on this affected clause and reconsider the bill in the committee of the whole.
“So basically our rules have tied our hands. We cannot even go outside that clause to inject any other thing even if we so desire.
“We would go straight to Clause 84, which reads, “a political party seeking to nominate candidates for election under this Act shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions
“That establishes that primaries would be held and it goes on in subsection (2), “the procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for the various elective positions shall be by direct or indirect primaries,”. this is the original copy that came to the House, Gbajabiamila stated.
The re-amended was voted and carried by the House.
An opposition lawmaker, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante (PDP, Rivers) raised a point of order demanding that all the clauses be taken one after the other and allow members to make inputs.
According to him, there are still clauses left in the Bill requiring that every presidential candidate must hold a special convention at state levels including the FCT.
He said: “I read. A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidates shall adopt the procedure outlined below:
“A. In the case of nomination for the position of presidential candidates, a political party shall hold special conventions in each of the 36 states of the federation and FCT, where delegates shall vote for each of the aspirants at designated centers in each state capital on specified dates.
“Mr Chairman if you go further, a national convention shall be held for the ratification, so you don’t elect at the national convention. The election of the presidential candidate would remain at the various state levels. That is what this English says sir. And it is not the way the primaries have been held. This is not the intent of the electoral act that has been passed that was referred back to us to continue to consider the inclusion, to give Nigerians the option of direct or indirect. This thing still negates the principles of what we have always done here. And it is my suspicion, Mr Chairman, that it is intended for this Electoral Act not to be signed. These are all obstacles that have been put on the way of Nigerians to actually determine who governs them so they can provide effective leadership.
“Mr Chairman we have to take all these clauses one after the other and allow members to make inputs,” Abiante said.
Gbajabiamila, in his response said:
 “As a seasoned legislator I have read the rules of the House to you and you know that we are confined to the observations made by Mr President. We have a near perfect document. It may not be perfect, but we have a near perfect document. We adjourn to plenary.”
Also briefing the Press after the plenary, the House Spokesman, Benjamin Kalu, stated that the safety and advancement of democracy was prioritised in the decision to toe the line of the president in the amendment, adding that sticking to the guns would have been counterproductive.
Kalu noted that though the concept of direct primaries was a laudable one that should be considered by the country in its journey to electoral and political maturity, it was however important that such an ideal step is not used as a stumbling block to the attainment of other important reforms already embedded in the amendment which the president also agrees with.
Former Lagos Council Chairmen Mobilise For Tinubu’s Presidential Ambition

16 APC Govs backing Tinubu for 2023 presidency - Adeyeye -
Former council chairmen in Lagos State has commenced mobilisation for the presidential aspiration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The former council bosses  under the aegis of ‘Grassroots Network for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (GNAT),’ described the eminent politician as a great benefactor, who has built many actors, including Governor Kayode Fayemi, Muiz Banire(SAN), Lai Mohammed, Rauf Aregbesola and Babatunde Fashola.
Speaking at the launch,leader of the group, Abiodun Mafe, said they cannot afford to be ingrates to the former Lagos governor, who played a great role in their rise to prominence.
He justified Tinubu’s  presidential ambition, saying that he is  a credible, reliable, tested, trusted and accomplished Nigerian.
 He said he will consolidate on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari.
 He described Tinubu as a true defender of the right of states as component units of the  federation to perform their constitutional obligations as enshrined in the constitution without interference, oppressive subjugation and autocratic garrulity of a president that violates the spirit and letters of the constitution.
He recalled that Tinubu tried to unlock the gridlock by creating additional 37 additional local governments in 2003.
He said:”We would be ingrate to forget so soon that Asiwaju courageously and innovatively kept the local governments running for years while the federal government seized the legitimate earnings of Lagos State.
“Asiwaju sacrificed and flogged himself night and day to keep the 37 babies that were born from dying. He refused to commit their abortion.
For that demonstration of sacrifice and courage, the entire political appointees and civil servants in the local government system in Lagos State and our comrades and allies across Nigeria believe the occasion of Asiwaju’s declaration to run for the presidency of Nigeria is payback time for the local government operatives in Nigeria.”
“We are happy to announce that there now exists a nationwide grassroots movement of local government operatives determined to ensure that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu pick the ticket of the All Progressives Congress and proceeds to win the February 18 2023 presidential election.”
Former Bariga Council chairman Omoyele Suleiman Oris, said:”We will travel round the nooks and cranies of Nigeria to mobilise for Asiwaju to realise his dream of a greater Nigeria that works.”
A party chieftain from Kano State, Abdullahi Tanko Yakassai, said Tinubu is the answer to the myriad of problems confronting the country.
He advised members of the group to go back to the grassroots to mobilise and secure the commitment of the people towards Tinubu’s bid for the presidency.
Former All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)  governorship aspirant in Anambra State Rommy Okoli described Tinubu as a gift to Nigeria, whose benevolence cuts across the six geo-political zones.
He praised the presidential aspirant for his courage, investment in pro-democracy crusade, achievements in Lagos as governor, political mentoring and belief in national unity, assuring that he will bring development to Nigeria, if elected.
Commending Tinubu for entering the race, party chieftain Queen Ajagbe said the former governor who made Lagos a model will also make Nigeria a reference point in the comity of nations.
Nigeria To Save $2bn Annually From Rice Import

The Senate has passed   a bill seeking to establish the National Rice Development Council that would save Nigeria about $2 billion Dollars on rice importation and to improve the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
According to a report by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Chaired by Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), the bill seeks to establish a Council that would lead to a comprehensive development of the rice sector and the organisation of rice stakeholders to enhance local production of the commodity in Nigeria.
He explained that the establishment of the Council would transform the activities of rice farmers, rice processors, millers, researchers, marketers and other important stakeholders across the entire rice value chain, particularly the clusters of smallholder rice farmers and small scale millers spread all over the country.
He added that: “Our natural comparative advantage in the area of rice production as a country, Nigeria should consider the need to put in place a National Rice Development Council and a comprehensive national rice development roadmap that will guide us not only into a regime of self-sufficiency in production, but also for export purposes, employment generation for our teaming youth and growth of our economy.
“The Nigerian rice industry exists in abstract as there appears to be no form of coordination in the absence of a properly structured rallying point.
“Today, we have Paddy Rice Dealers Association of Nigeria (PRIDAN), Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) and many more. This Bill seeks to establish that rallying point and a comprehensive National operational and governance structure for a complete rice value chain process.”
He added that the legislation also seeks to enhance government’s efforts for efficient policy and regulatory framework for the Nigerian Rice Industry; promote enabling business and investment environments for rice stakeholders; support the growth of the rice industry in Nigeria and in the sub-region as well as promote the sustainability of foreign exchange earnings put at about 2 billion dollars annually for rice related importation to the country.
“The framework created by this Bill will pull investment into rice production, provide the missing link between rice production and industrialization, provide employment, reduce migration from rural to urban cities and enhance socio-economic activities all over the country.
 Export Of Donkey Hide Still Prohibited,FG Warns

Dr. Vincent Isegbe Archives – The Sun Nigeria
The Federal Government through has restated its ban on the export  of donkey hide or skin from Nigeria.
Dr. Vincent Isegbe, Director General of NAQS,
Agricultural Quarantine Service(NAQS),who  stated this in Abuja at a media briefing, said donkey hide still remains on the Export Prohibition List.
According to him,some Chinese who engaged in export of the donkey hide have been arrested, adding that the police have begun investigations into the illicit trade.
He noted that the population of donkey has reduced greatly in the country due to the slaughter of donkeys and their export.
He said: “The slaughtering of donkeys is banned. The law is against slaughter, storage and transportation of donkeys.The law is against the trade of donkey hide. In the same manner, you cannot import any wet, dry, or blue hides or livestock into Nigeria.
“So people need necessary clearance from government, if they are going to do otherwise. And  government will not give such permission.
“No Nigerian or foreigner is allowed to engage in this illegal trade. Donkey slaughter, trade, export is illegal in Nigeria.”
He noted that government is aware of slaughtering camps in some places in the country, adding that the personnel of NAQS had raided such camps,  confiscated and destroyed donkey hide accordingly.
The Director General of NAQS urged Nigerians to rather open donkey ranches and breeding centres or farms in the country.
He further explained that Agency met with all the relevant associations in September 2021 to chart a course toward restocking the donkeys through breeding and ranching in order to put the animals beyond the threat of extinction.
Isegbe added that the government would consider delisting Donkey Hide from the contraband category only after the scale has tilted in favour of the recovery of the Nigerian donkeys.
FG  Disburses N90 billion To Pensioners  Annually

PTAD Executive Secretary, Dr. Chioma N. Ejikeme receives Nigerian Union of  Pensioners (NUP) National leadership - PTAD - Pension Transitional  Arrangement Directorate
The  Executive Secretary of Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, (PTAD), Dr. Chioma Ejikeme ,says Federal government pays over N90b to Pensioners in the country  annually
She spoke in Enugu at the launch of I Am Alive App  aimed at easing the stress of verification exercise for pensioners.
She said” Pensioners  have never find it easy in Nigeria like during this administration because Federal Government under President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration  pays over over 90 billion as pension every year.This is only  monthly pension and not arrears because monthly pension waybill is about over N9b so when you add arrears and wages is huge amount”
She justified the launch of the app.
 She said:”This  Is the only solution to confirm aliveness of our pensioners. When a pensioner is deceased he or she is no longer suppose to be on our pay roll and we don’t want to continue to pool them out on field verification exercise to confirm if they are alive because that would have been an alternative but it stressful for them and expensive for them and the government.
“So  with this solution of I Am alive app, they can confirm their aliveness from their home using technology within their community by using a smart phone or computer system.  We don’t want a situation where some pensioners that are deceased will  still be collecting pension but with this new app, it will be easy to detect such even if we don’t get information from their next of kin or pension union,” she said