Bankole Defects To SDP, We're Unmoved - PDP

The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday said it is not bothered by the defection of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), saying the defection poses no threat to the electoral fortune of the party in the forthcoming elections.

PDP added that Bankole who boycotted the governorship primaries conducted by the party in the state no longer commands electoral values that could ensure victory for anybody or political party at the poll.

The state Chairman of the PDP, Bayo Dayo, who made this known in Abeokuta, the state capital, while fielding questions from reporters during the inauguration of the state’s 35-man Governorship Campaign Committee at the party secretariat, dismissed Bankole as a paper weight politician.

He said: “I always say the truth. I heard it (Bankole’s defection) last night and I can tell you as I have said earlier, it’s a free world, everybody has the right to be associated with any group that he wishes. But if that is done, you will then know and the people in Abuja will know who is on the ground.

“Bankole contested the position of House of Representatives in one local government when he was in office as the Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and lost.

“Let him now contest in 20 local government areas and let us see the outcome. I challenge them to the fact that come February 14, you will all see the result of whatever arrangement that is going on.
”

“Some people, when they live in glass houses, they will not know that there are other people looking at them.

“Let him contest under any platform and people in Abuja will know whether he is actually on ground or not. That is all I have to say. We cannot force everybody to stay in PDP. Our prayer is that the more people that are going out, more people that are more than them should be coming to the party. And with that, we are going to win the election come February 14 by the grace of God.”http://www.nairaland.com/2079574/bankole-defects-sdp-unmoved-pdp

JOHESU Strike Claims Nigeria’s Only Neuropathologist

The strike by the health workers union, JOHESU has claimed the nation’s only neuropathologist, Professor EU Akang. He died of a heart condition on December 30, 2014 on his way to a private hospital to seek medical assistance.

The 52-year old Professor Akang, who had become ill and was experiencing some symptoms, put a call on the day to a cardiologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, seeking assistance.

Already assured that he could come to the hospital’s accident and emergency department, the professor was driven down to be met at the hospital’s emergency department by a senior registrar in cardiologist, who claimed not much could be done for him, but subsequently referred him to a private hospital.

The professor, who already had challenges breathing and really sick, however, was not fortunate to get to the private hospital because he died on the way.

Chief Medical Director, UCH, Professor Temitope Alonge, in a reaction to his death that spread through the hospital and his professional colleagues, described the incident as unfortunate.

The CMD, while stating that all the various machinery at the emergency department should have been deployed maximally to attend to him, declared “I want to believe that the strike action and the fact that the facilities available at the emergency department not been fully utilised contributed to his death.”http://www.nairaland.com/2078643

SECURITY CHIEFS MEET WITH GEJ

 

http://www.nairaland.com/2079685/security-chiefs-meet-president-jonathan

F.G TO REGULATE FEES CHARGED BY TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Nigeria - According to Nigeria's minister of education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Federal Government will ensure that public tertiary institutions in the country comply with regulatory guidelines on charges of fees.

Speaking at a meeting with executive secretaries and major stakeholders in public tertiary institutions on Tuesday in Abuja, Shekarau said FG will not interfere with operations of governing councils of such institutions but will play its oversight role.

``The essence of the meeting is to look at the various charges of fees in public tertiary institutions and regulate them.

``Our role in the ministry is to oversee the institutions and make sure they operate according to guidelines to protect the interest of beneficiaries who are our students.

``The government has the moral responsibility to make sure all public higher institutions operate within the guidelines even though they have their internal peculiarities,’’ he said.

Shekarau said that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the institutions would be looked into in their deliberations.

National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), among others, were represented at the meeting
.http://www.nairaland.com/2080307/fg-moves-regulate-fees-charged

Our National Debt Rises by 30.3% (N10.8 Trillion) In 12 Months!

The total debt of the Federal Government,   the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory rose from N8.32tn on September 30, 2013 to N10.84tn on September 30, 2014. 

This means that the nation’s total debt stock rose by N2.52tn or   30.29 per cent within one year period.

Statistics obtained from the website of the Debt Management Office in Abuja on Monday indicated that the N8.32tn did not include the domestic debt of the states in 2013. 

Details of the current debt status of the country showed that the external debts of both the federal and state governments stood at $9.52bn or N1.48tn.

As of September 30, the domestic debt stock of the Federal Government alone stood at $49.12bn or N7.65tn. The domestic debt of states, on the other hand, stood at $10.97bn or N1.71tn.

In comparison, the external debt of both the federal and state governments stood at N1.28tn (or $8.26bn) as of September 30, 2013. Also, the domestic debt of the Federal Government a year ago stood at N7.03tn.

Dissecting the Federal Government’s current domestic debt of N7.65tn by instruments, the Federal Government Bond contributed N4.6tn or 60.12 per cent to the profile; the Nigerian Treasury Bills contributed N2.74tn or 35.76 per cent while Treasury Bonds contributed N315.39bn or 4.12 per cent.

As of June 2014, out of a total external debt of $3.01bn owed by the states, the Lagos State Government owed $1.02bn.

Other major holders of the country’s external sub-national debts include Kaduna State which owes $245.51m and Cross River State, $120.21m. Others are Ogun   $116.69m; Bauchi, $111.61m; and Oyo,   $80.11m.

The states least exposed to foreign debts are Borno, $16.07m; Plateau, $22.99m; Taraba, $24.06m; Delta, $24.7m; and Benue, $28.79m.

However, in comparison to the nation’s total external indebtedness, the states owed 32.13 per cent; leaving the Federal Government with 67.87 per cent.

Loans from China Export Import Bank and monies raised from Eurobond accounted for $2.54bn of the Federal Government’s $6.36bn external debt while multilateral sources accounted for $3.82bn.

As of June 2013, the nation’s total external loan stood at $6.92bn. This means that over a period of one year, the country’s external debt rose by $2.46bn, showing 35.51 per cent increase.

The growth of the nation’s debt stock can be seen in the budget for debt servicing. The Federal Government plans to spend N2.08tn servicing the country’s debt within the next three years.

The figures for debt servicing as well as the county’s debt stock are contained in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper of the Federal Government.