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The Nigeria Labour
Congress has warned Goodluck Jonathan against the implementation of
what it called “the ill-advised policy to increase electricity
tariffs”, saying that any attempt to do so would only add to the burden
of the citizens.

The NLC, in a
statement released on Thursday and signed by John Odah, its General
Secretary, said, “Mr President should know that the problem in the
power sector is not that of low or poor tariffs but most visibly that
of corruption and the overwhelming influence of a cabal of generator
importers who are determined to frustrate any genuine attempt to
correct the situation.” He, therefore, urged Mr Jonathan to restrain
himself from embarking on any policy that will derail him from
achieving his plans for the sector.

“The quickest way to distraction is this policy of increase in electricity tariffs,” the union said.

The Labour
organisation also called on Nigerians to “oppose and protest any move
to implement the policy in its entirety because it will worsen the
situation of the country’s manufacturing sector, as well as further
impoverish Nigerians and increase the country’s labour and employment
crisis.”

The statement
added: “While we have up to now restrained ourselves from responding to
plans and insinuations by government to, through the National
Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), increase electricity tariffs
in the country, the revelation on Tuesday, May 25, 2010, by the
Minister of State for Power, Nuhu Wya, of the Presidential directive to
raise electricity tariffs in order to make the sector more competitive
and attractive to both local and foreign investors, is not only
insensitive but absolutely unacceptable.”

The NLC said it was
convinced that the correct and logical step is to first of all improve
on the country’s power generation and distribution capacity before
considering the question of increase in tariffs.

“The increment, if allowed to be implemented, is certainly a death
sentence to the very few industries still operating in the country,
most fundamentally, our fragile but active small and medium business
enterprises which today form the backbone of our economy,” the group
said

The federal
government yesterday announced a new price regime for gas in the
domestic market to stimulate investments and boost gas supply to the
power sector and industries.

This forms part of
a two-point agenda contained in the Nigerian Gas Master plan which the
federal government hopes will position Nigeria competitively in the
global gas export market and secure the final investment decision for
Brass LNG by the end of the year.

The minister of
Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, said the new arrangement
has received the support of President Goodluck Jonathan who has
directed for its immediate implementation. She also said that the
operators in the oil and gas industry have been very receptive of the
development.

Mrs Alison-Madueke
who gave some details of the new pricing regime said the price of
gas-to-power will grow from the current level of two cents per million
British thermal units (Btu) to $1.50 per million Btu by end of 2011,
and $2 per a million Btu by the end of 2013, while any increment beyond
2014 would be by inflation.

The British thermal
unit or Btu is a traditional unit of energy equal to about 1.06
kilojoules, used in the power, steam generation, heating and air
conditioning industries.

Pointing out that
the new pricing regime would be capped by export parity, Mrs
Alison-Madueke maintained that at no time would the Power Holding
Company of Nigeria (PHCN) be made to pay more than the price export
projects are paying for gas.

“In essence, should
export prices (on a netback basis) fall below the new prices structure
above, the lower of the two would be paid by the power sector,” she
explained, adding that the price review would be attached to growth in
gas supply.

Contractual agreements

On contractual
agreements, the minister said the government has commenced an elaborate
and comprehensive development of gas supply and purchase agreements, as
well as gas transmission agreements for the nation’s domestic market.
Besides, she said the template agreements that would move the country’s
process of gas supply and purchase to the global level have been
finalised, while negotiations are on ongoing between the PHCN and the
supplier companies to resolve all discrepancies. “I expect that within
the next four-six weeks, government would be in a position to execute
these landmark agreements between the power sector and the gas
suppliers as a demonstration of the steady progress being made in the
development of the sector,” she said.

On current gas supply to the power sector, the minister announced
that all critical pipeline repairs that affected the smooth performance
of the industry last year have been completed, while all the country’s
gas plants are currently operating close to full capacity.

The former Minister
of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Adamu Aliero is to appear
before the House of Representatives’ ad-hoc committee probing the
N257.1 billion Abuja Airport Road project, which was awarded during his
tenure.

The chairman of the
8-member committee, Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, who stated this in a
statement yesterday in Abuja, said the current minister, Bala Mohammed
and other officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA)
have already appeared before the committee.

“We have commenced work and we have met with the FCT Minister and FCDA officials,” committee chairman said.

The statement also
said that apart from Mr Aliero, others who are expected to appear
within the next few days are all contractors handling the projects and
those who submitted quotation for the contract, agencies of government
involved in the award and execution of the projects as well as other
individuals that can assist the committee in carrying the investigation.

The House had at
its plenary session on May 18 constituted the committee to investigate
ONEX and Abuja Airport Road project at the sum of N257.1 billion. This
followed a motion brought by Dino Melaye (PDP, Kogi).

The committee is to re-evaluate the project, re-measure the distance
of the road, determine a more realistic market driven price, and
determine the rate charged in comparison with other roads. It will also
recommend prosecution of any one found guilty in the award of the
construction and such other recommendation it may deem fit.

President Goodluck
Jonathan has advised mothers to adopt good feeding practices to ensure
the optimal growth of their children. He gave the advice on Thursday in
Abuja at the 2010 National Children’s Day celebration.

Represented by the
FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, the President also urged mothers to imbibe
good maternal eating habits to boost their health and the well being of
their babies.

He said Nigeria is
burdened by a large army of orphans and vulnerable children estimated
at 17.5 million, out of which 7.3 million are orphans.

“Children orphaned
as a result of HIV/AIDS pandemic are especially vulnerable as the
disease primarily affects adults of child bearing age,” he said. “This
development has greatly affected the parenting abilities of the
population, thereby impacting negatively on the survival, development
and protection rights of the children in the country.”

Mr Jonathan said
the theme, ‘Partnering to Improve the Nutrition of our Mothers and
Children,’ was apt, and promised that his administration would reduce
to the barest minimum the high maternal and child mortality.

Safeguarding the rights of the child

In a related
development, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, yesterday called
on government at all levels to work collectively towards safeguarding
the rights of children.

Mr Mimiko, who was
speaking at this year’s Children Day Celebration held at the Akure
Township Stadium, said his administration was working towards the
implementation of child right act to protect the rights of children.

The governor also
promised that maternal mortality rate in the state will reduce by 50
percent before the end of next year, adding that the implementation of
the child right act would improve the quality of lives of children and
make them part of the society.

His Anambra State
counterpart, Peter Obi, also assured the children of the state that he
would continue to provide infrastructure and promote policies that
guarantees the future of the state, especially children whom he
described as the future of every society.

He said events such
as the Children’s Day offered adults, especially those governing
states, the opportunity to reflect on the type of society they would
bequeath to the children, including the generations unborn. He lamented
the increase of vices in society and called on different families to
inculcate right values on the children.

Mr. Obi promised he
would not relent in his programme of rebuilding dilapidated schools,
supply of computers and laboratory equipment to schools and other
actions that would contribute in making Anambra children fit for
competition with their peers anywhere.

Protecting mother and child

Mr Mimiko also
stressed that the predicament of children in the face of the onerous
challenges to their survival and well being gives cause for concern,
and expressed worry at “the socio-economic disempowerment of women,
which has been a major factor in the increasing rate of maternal
mortality and morbidity, especially in a developing country as ours.”

The governor said
the improved health of mother and child must consequently be accorded
the needed priority, if the millennium development goals must be
achieved.

According to him, some of the efforts made by his government at
reducing the maternal and mortality rate included the safe motherhood
initiative, establishment of paediatric anti-retroviral therapy centre,
and prevention of mother to child transmission sites. He also added
that his administration had initiated a comprehensive infant feeding
programme through the provision of free baby formula to all children
born to HIV-infected mothers to boost their nutritional requirements
and forestall post-natal transmission of the virus to the children.

Inauguration of
Nigeria’s future presidents and their deputies may henceforth be held
in the premises of the National Assembly, if a bill before the House of
Representatives is passed into law.

The “A Bill for An
Act to Provide for the Presidential Transition and for Matters
Connected Therewith,” and sponsored by Abubakar Maifata (ANPP, Kano),
which also provides for certain rights and privileges that a
president-elect and his deputy should enjoy before their swearing-in,
scaled second reading on Thursday and has been committed to the
Committee on Special Duties of the House.

Mr Maifata, while
leading debate on the bill slated for second reading, said the bill
will ensure smooth transition of power in the country and urged his
colleagues to pass it, especially now that the National Assembly is
amending the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2006.

The lawmaker said
the constitution does not provide for entitlement or privileges to be
accorded a president-elect and vice president-elect, saying that the
bill, if passed into law, will address those issues.

According to Mr
Maifata, the bill provides for the setting up of an inauguration
committee, whose members will be drawn from various arms of government,
including the National Assembly. He said both the Senate and the House
will contribute 10 members each to the committee, adding that this will
ensure the effective participation of the federal legislature in the
transition program.

The bill, he added,
seeks to appoint “a Secretary who shall be a permanent secretary in the
Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and be
subject to the general control of the Committee.” The bill also seeks
to include in the committee a representative each of the Nigerian
Police, not below the rank of a DIG of Police; Nigerian Army, not below
the rank of a Major-General; National Security Adviser; Nigerian
Immigration, not below the rank of Deputy Comptroller, Director-General
SSS, a representative of the Ministry of foreign affairs not below the
rank of permanent secretary; and a representative from the office of
the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not below the rank
of a permanent secretary.” The Bill seeks, in addition, to establish a
special fund for inauguration purposes, the reimbursement of the
President and Vice-President-elect, “all reasonable expenses incurred
by them in relation to the affairs of the state and prior to the
presidential inauguration.”

Reasons for bill

Mr Maifata
explained that he put forward the bill because presidents-elect and
their deputies are usually at the mercy of the incumbent or out-going
president before they take oath of office.

Speaking in support
of the bill, Halims Agoda (PDP, Delta) said it should be “regarded as
part of the evolutionary growth of democratic experiment in the
country.” Mr Agoda said it is important to swear in new presidents at
the premises of the National Assembly because, according to him, the
legislature is the symbol of democracy and its members the custodian of
the people’s power.

Joseph Ajatta (AC,
Lagos), Dino Melaye (PDP Kogi) and Ike Chinwo (PDP, Rivers) also
supported the bill. Mr Chinwo argued that the bill will strengthen the
nation’s democracy.

But former Speaker,
Patricia Etteh, spoke against the bill, warning that the House might
find itself legislating on issues outside its jurisdiction.

According to her,
the bill is meaningless since the country is not practicing
parliamentary system of government but a presidential system of
government.

Also speaking
against the bill, Emmanuel Jime (PDP, Benue) who noted that the
inauguration of a new president is basically an executive function,
wondered what the life-span of the inauguration committee will be,
while Aliyu Wadada (PDP, Nasarawa) also opposed the bill, saying the
proposed law is capable of causing conflict between an outgoing
president and the in-coming one.

The House of
Representatives has mandated the Federal Ministry of Education and the
National Universities Commission, to promptly discontinue the
post-University Matriculation Examination conducted annually in
Nigerian universities.

In a sweeping
decision yesterday, lawmakers voted to support a resolution put forward
by a member, Samson Positive, who argued that tertiary schools have
abused the post- screening tests, applying it rather as a fund raiser.

“The problems of
prospective candidates for university admissions have been further
compounded with the introduction of this test and rather than good, our
educational system has been worsened by it,” said Mr. Positive, who
represents Kogi state.

The lawmakers also
faulted the incoherent organization of the examinations which have had
candidates placed for tests the same day at separate schools they
listed as first and second choices during application.

The decision had
been expected after the House Rules Committee, listed the matter for
discussion earlier the week but failed short of adopting a position
after repeated rescheduling.

In the days
building up to Thursday sitting, many lawmakers have spoken in similar
vein against the admission test which has run in the institutions for
more than five years.

Cash cow

They argued
yesterday that institutions in the country have converted the test,
earlier introduced as a supplement to the conventional UME, to a quick
source of raising funds from students and parents alike.

“This has become a
very worrisome issue today- serving as an avenue for extortion and
exploitation,” said three-term member Farouk Lawan, who heads the House
committee on Education.

After its
introduction in 2006, subscriptions for the test in universities and
polytechnics across the country have been independently decided by
different institutions with some charging prospective students as much
as N10, 000 for the one-day aptitude.

The charges continued after the NUC directed in 2009 that such payments not exceed N1000, if they should be made.

The decision, the
representatives said is to be enforced immediately, and have mandated
the House Legislative Compliance Committee to ensure the education
ministry and the NUC, carry out the directives without delay.