Statistics bureau plans census to fully capture Nigeria’s GDP

The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics will do a census of businesses, industries and agricultural farmlands next year to help capture the country’s comprehensive gross domestic product.

The Statistician General of the Federation, Yemi Kale, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja.

The exercise would be a follow up to the rebasing of the Nigerian economy conducted in 2014, he said.

The 2014 rebasing exercise put Nigeria’s economy as the largest in Africa with total GDP of over $510 billion, against South Africa’s $384.3 billion. But it did not capture small businesses and industries that constitute about 20 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

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Last August, Nigeria was reported to have lost its position as Africa’s biggest economy to South Africa, following the recalculation of the country’s GDP.

But, the International Monetary Fund in its World Economic Outlook for October put Nigeria’s GDP at $415.08 billion, from $493.83 billion in 2015, while South Africa’s was put at $280.36 billion, from $314.73 billion in 2015.

Regardless, Mr. Kale who said he expected Nigeria’s GDP to be slightly more than South Africa’s, disclosed that the census of businesses and industries would enable the statistics agency to capture the small businesses.

“I don’t think Nigeria’s GDP is comprehensive enough. We will conduct a formal sector study of small businesses, industries and agricultural farmlands, crops, fisheries and their locations,” he said. “The census has not been conducted over the last 30 years. It would enable the Bureau capture about 20 per cent of the country’s GDP left out during the 2014 rebasing of the Nigerian economy.

“I think we are still missing some few trillions of Naira here and there. The only way we can capture them is to expand our household survey. Many of these hawkers and small businesses are usually family businesses. The way we capture them is to go to their houses.

“With the census of business and industries, we want to go round the country to map out every business, from ‘mama put’ to printing and every business that has a physical location.

“The objective is to ensure that government knows where every single business is located, such that if government wants to support vulcanizers, it would know where they are.

“We will also conduct agricultural census. We want to go round all farmlands in Nigeria, whether it is for crops or fisheries, to have them properly mapped, with their locations and everything.”

He said there was limited information about what has been produced from every farmland in the country, pointing out that the census would help the Bureau develop a map to show locations where certain crops could grow.

Such information, he explained, would enable government advise those growing certain crops in certain locations know the particular locations that are good to boost yield.

“The census map will help government in the allocation of farm inputs like fertilizer. It would help know easily where fertilizer was required.

“With the census, we will be able to capture these small businesses, which constitute about 10-20 per cent of the country’s GDP, which we could not capture during the rebasing exercise in 2014.”

Mr. Kale lamented the negative impact of poor funding on data collection, production and usage, but said the situation has improved significantly in recent times.

He said his ambition is to build a professionalised statistics agency with the capacity to provide proper data driven analysis of the cost-benefit of every government policies before they were approved.

Besides, Mr. Kale said his dream is to leave behind a world class electronically driven statistics office where at least 80 per cent of Nigeria’s data needs were provided at the touch of a button, with all the MDAs inter-connected electronically to its system.

“No bad blood between 5 Star Music and I” – Harrysong

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In this exclusive chat with PREMIUM TIMES, singer songwriter, Harrysong, opens up on his latest move and why he quit Five Star Music From singing in his local church in Warri, Delta State, this fisherman turned singer-songwriter, now charges as much as N1 million to write a song. The muscular artiste found fame in 2013 when his track titled, ‘Tribute to Mandela’ recorded one million downloads in one day.

At the time, it was the most downloaded caller tune in Nigeria and Africa. He also raked as much as N50 million as proceeds from the Mandela Caller tunes on MTN. Until recently, Harrison Tare Okiri, who is popularly known as Harrysong, was signed on with Five Star Music. Now the head honcho of his own label, ALTERPLATE, he is quick to explain the reason behind his exit from the label that made him a star.

“My contract expired and that was why I left Five Star music to set up ALTERPLATE. I am thankful to 5 Star Music Group and everyone who have put in an effort to make the Harrysong brand what it is today.”

When asked if his exit didn’t lead to some form of friction between himself and his former label bosses, Kingsley Okonkwo aka KCee and Emeka Okonkwo aka E-Money, he said, “When the contract expired I aspired to grow and express myself in another light and that’s why I put together ALTERPLATE. This is my vision and this is a dream that I have nursed for so many years. There is no friction between 5 Star Music and I.

“There is also no bad blood brewing between my record label and I. I will always respect my former labels, Questionmark Records, and Five Star Music, because I learnt a lot from them. I will always respect them any day and anytime; there are my bosses.”

So is the feeling mutual? To this he responds, “I don’t know about how they feel but I know how I feel. I had their blessings to move on.”

When asked if Five Star Music offered to renew his contract, he said, “I don’t want to talk about that. Other record labels have approached me but I can’t leave Five Star Music for any other record label. My dream has always been to put together a new platform having learnt a lot from other platforms.”

On the inspiration behind ALTERPLATE, the Gala sausage brand ambassador says, “I started playing music as a music director and choir master in a church. So ALTERPLATE simply encapsulates the various ways I express my music. It also reflects all the effort that I have put into my works and how it has satisfied my clients and my fans over the years. I needed to put this label together to meet the expectations that people have for my brand.”

The 35-year-old artiste also sheds more light on the direction of his label.

“My label mates and I will perform with a live band at any event or concert where we are billed to perform. The ALTERPLATE band is set up to back me up on stage whenever I am performing.

“Having grown in my career, I also have to improve on my craft. ALTERPLATE is also a stand-alone band that will perform without me at events because it is a complete music team. This is a business I have been meaning to do full time for a long time,” he reveals.

Speaking further, Harrysong, who is the only child of his parents also reveals the reason why he has chosen to go solo at this stage in his career.

“I didn’t go solo two years ago because perhaps I wasn’t strong enough to stand on my own. But it’s been a long time coming. I am a strong believer in the popular saying, which says, ‘ A child who doesn’t know how to walk but decides to run will fall down.’ This saying pretty much sums up my situation,” he says.

Although Harrysong appears ready to stand alone, the artiste who moved to Lagos in 2007 where he met KCee who signed him on with Five Star Music is confident in his team’s capabilities.

“I have a team that is assigned to different offices and this will allow me focus on my own music. I will release my own album next year. Writing seminars, live band sessions, vocal sessions.

“I have missed performing live music all these years and this is what I intend to do henceforth. I have no regrets so far because it is all a learning curve for me. For now, there is no bad blood between Five Star Music and I,” he concludes.

Senate committee supports Ebonyi’s ban on imported rice

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Abdullahi Adamu, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, has drummed support for Ebonyi State government over the ban on the sale of foreign rice. Mr. Adamu disclosed this in an interview at the end of the Nigeria’s Zero Hunger Initiative meeting in Abuja on Monday.

The chairman was reacting to the ban by Governor David Umahi of the sale of foreign rice in markets and other outlets of Ebonyi State.

Mr. Adamu described the campaign against the local production and consumption of rice as a conspiracy between rice importers and some elite in the country.

He also called for prompt arrest of rice smugglers.

“I believe that the campaign against local production of rice is a campaign spearheaded by rice importers.

“I do not believe we cannot produce enough rice for ourselves. We may not at this point in time be having enough for everybody but the campaign on rice is an elitist campaign.

“There is collaboration between importers and elites in the country. “We have rice. We should eat our rice. There is no where our local rice has harmed anybody and the more we eat our rice, the more we put our farmers on business.

“I support the ban on sale of foreign rice in Ebonyi. We have to start somewhere. What we know is that local production is not enough but we should consume it and that is not an excuse for importing rice.

“We cannot afford the luxury of importation particularly in this period of recession.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Ebonyi government had on November 21 announced the ban on the sale of foreign rice in markets and other outlets in the state.

Nigerian Judge charged with corruption gets bail

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Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, were on Monday arraigned at an Ikeja High Court over alleged corruption. Mr. Obla, and Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, a serving judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr. Obla is also a prosecutor for the EFCC.

The duo were jointly charged with a two-count charge of perverting the course of justice by the anti-graft agency.

However, they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Mr. Obla was charged with an additional two counts of offering gratification in the sum of N5 million to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public official during her service as a judge.

He also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge of unlawful enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption by a public officer, forgery and giving false information to an official of the EFCC.

But she also denied the charges.

According to the EFCC, Mr. Obla, on May 21, 2015, intentionally transferred N5 million to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia via his Obla and Co United Bank of Africa (UBA) account with number: 1015319084 in order to refrain her from acting in her official duties.

The anti-graft agency alleges that Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, while serving as a Justice of the Federal High Court, on June 5, 2012, unlawfully received N18 million through her Access Bank Plc account, which she could not give a reasonable account of.

The EFCC said between 2012 and 2015 Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia also received a total of $788,000 from various sources into her Diamond Bank Account with number: 0032091183.

Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia allegedly received N51.1 million in her Diamond Bank account from various sources which did not reflect her source of income as a judge.

The EFCC also alleged that between July 5 and Dec. 30, 2010, Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia forged a deed of assignment between County City Bricks Development Co Limited and Nigel and Clove Limited.

The forged deed dated July 5, 2010 was purportedly prepared and signed by Charles Musa and Co.

The anti-graft agency said that on October 19, the judge made a false statement through a phone call to Lawal Abdullahi, an officer of the EFCC, in which she claimed she was on admission at the Goldcross Hospital, Ikoyi.

The EFCC said the offences were in contravention of Section 39 (2)(a) of the EFCC Act, Sections 64 (1), 82 (a), 97(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State and Section 467 of the Criminal Code.

After the charges were read, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, requested an immediate trial.

“My Lord we hereby apply for an immediate, accelerated trial,” Mr. Oyedepo said.

Lawyer to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, Olawole Akoni, in his application for bail, pleaded with the court to release his client who had been in the custody of the EFCC.

“My Lord, the charge against the first defendant are bailable offences according to Sec 115 (2) (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

“The defendant does not pose a threat, she’s a responsible member of society, a judge of the Federal High Court and she will certainly stand trial to clear her name. “On the claims by the EFCC that she has interfered with the investigations of this matter, I refer to paragraph eight of our affidavit which stated that she has not and will not interfere with the investigations.

“In summary, I urge your Lordship to admit the defendant to bail in her own recognition and in the unlikely event that my Lord would give conditions, I request that the conditions be very liberal,” Mr. Akoni said.

Mr. Oyedepo, however, countered Mr. Akoni’s claims that Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia will not interfere with the trial.

“Your Lordship can look at the proof of evidence before the court, there’s overwhelming evidence against Ofili-Ajumogobia of interference.

“In paragraph six, we gave details about how the defendant interfered with our investigations and tried to influence witnesses who were Ademola Oshodi and Ogor Okafor.

“The statement of Oshodi on Nov. 1 says and I quote ‘Justice Rita called me to meet her at the Church of the Assumption, Falomo, to tell me how I should answer the EFCC questions.’

“I urge your Lordship to refuse this application and grant accelerated hearing,” Oyedepo prayed.

Lawyer to Mr. Obla, Ifedayo Adedipe, noted that Mr. Obla, who is a prosecutor for the EFCC, poised no flight risk.

“The second defendant has been going and coming to the EFCC for some sister cases and he has deposited his passport with them.

“The applicant is not a flight risk, he went to the USA with the knowledge of the EFCC and he returned his passport to them, he is not a flight risk. “There is no instance where he has interfered with the investigations of the EFCC. He is one of them; instead of paying him for the cases he has won for them, they charge him to court.

“I plead with your Lordship, Obla is a respectable member of the bar, a prosecutor for the EFCC and I urge your Lordship to grant him bail.’’

In his ruling, Justice Oshodi noted that though the offences the duo were charged with were serious, the offences were bailable and as a result of their status in society, they poised no flight risk.

“The defendants are hereby granted N20 million bail on self recognition and they shall forfeit their international passports,” the judge ordered.

World AIDS Day: 600,000 Nigerians receiving HIV treatment – U.S. Consul-General

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About 600,000 Nigerian men, women, and children (90 per cent of the people living with HIV/AIDs) are currently on HIV treatment, with more than 55,000 pregnant women being provided anti-retroviral drugs for the prevention of mother-to- child transmission of HIV, the U.S. Consul-General has said.

John Bray, who spoke during a 2016 World AIDS Day programme in Lagos on Monday, said 8.7 million people have received HIV counselling and testing, while 750,000 adults and children living with the HIV/AIDs have received care and support.

“I want to assure you of the U.S. government’s unwavering commitment in supporting partner countries to control their epidemics, and our focus on ensuring every dollar invested has the greatest impact for those in need,” Mr. Bray said.

The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is ‘Leadership. Commitment. Impact.’

Mr. Bray said since its inception in 2004, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has disbursed more than 3.4 billion dollars to support Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS response.

“As some of you may know, last week the Nigerian federal government launched a simplified version of its HIV Anti-discrimination Act to strengthen the Nigerian HIV response system which is geared towards stopping HIV related stigma by 2020 and eliminating the disease by 2030,” he said.

U.S. Consul-General to Nigeria, John Bray

“The United States government’s commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic cannot be overstated. We invest with our voices, our capacity, and our dollars. PEPFAR is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history.

“Through PEPFAR, we are maximizing our impact by making smart investments to reach those most at risk and in need – preventing millions of new HIV infections and saving millions of lives. PEPFAR is using data to invest in evidence-based interventions in the geographic areas and populations with the greatest HIV/AIDS burden and accelerating country progress toward achieving epidemic control.”

The U.S. government agencies working in Nigeria as part of PEPFAR include the United States Agency for International Agency for Development; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Department of Disease; and U.S. Embassy and Consulate, Public Affairs Sections.

Mr. Bray said the U.S. Department of Defense HIV Program in Nigeria is working to increase the capacity of the Nigerian military medical system to treat and prevent HIV infection among members of the military, their families, and their surrounding communities.

“Uniformed officers from the U.S. military forces work side by side with their colleagues from the Nigerian military to provide services,” he said.

“This partnership has become a model for the implementation of a coordinated approach throughout the world.”

The Consul-General said with the contributions of the U.S. and Nigerian governments, the United Nations, Global Fund, private sector, faith-based community, civil society, and other partners, the AIDS epidemic could be ended by 2030.

“We have the tools and the data to deliver on this promise, but it will not happen automatically or easily,” said Mr. Bray.

“We must not only drive toward controlling the AIDS epidemic but also ensure the long-term sustainability of national HIV/AIDS programs. PEPFAR is using our Sustainability Index and Dashboard (SID) to track, assess, and improve our investments toward strengthening sustainability.

“We must come together as a global community – with urgency, focus, and transparency – to achieve an AIDS-free generation where no one is left behind. One key aspect of transparency is making granular data available. PEPFAR is helping lead the way in this area by making our quarterly program results available for everyone to see and use.”

How I moved dollars for Nigerian judge accused of corruption – Diamond Bank staff

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The Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos on Monday heard a witness describe how foreign currency was moved from Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia chambers and deposited into her account in Diamond Bank. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Ademola Oshodi was testifying at the ongoing trial of Ofili-Ajumogobia, a serving judge of the Federal High Court, who is being tried alongside Godwin Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The duo, who are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for alleged corruption, have been jointly charged with two counts of perverting the course of justice.

Mr. Obla was charged with additional two-counts of offering gratification in the sum of N5million to Mrs, Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public official while carrying out her duties as a judge.

Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, however, faces a 26-count charge of unlawful enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption by a public officer, forgery and giving false information to an official of the EFCC.

The accused persons both denied all the charges.

The EFCC alleges that between 2012 and 2015, Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia received a total of $788,000 from various sources into her Diamond Bank Account with number 0032091183.

While being led in evidence by counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr. Oshodi told the court that he met Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia at her chambers at the Federal High Court when he opened an account for her with the bank. Mr. Oshodi, a Branch Manager with Diamond Bank Plc, is the account officer for Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia.

The banker alleged that he often visited the justice’s chambers and also her home whenever she needed his services to make such deposits which was mostly in dollars.

“I used to meet the judge in her chambers and sometimes in her home, where I’d receive the foreign currency, which was U.S. dollars to deposit into her bank account.

“I introduced one Abba Said, a Bureau de Change operative to her when there was a need to change the dollars to naira.

“This mostly happens when she was not comfortable with a particular transaction.

“There were instances where the deposits exceeded the maximum amount for an individual account, when such instances occur, I pay the maximum amount into her account.

“I then deposit the remaining cash into my account which is paid into her account in subsequent days,” Mr. Oshodi told the packed courtroom.

The counsel to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, Olawole Akoni, however, raised objections when EFCC attempted to tender his client’s account statements as evidence on the grounds that he had not reviewed the bank statements.

“The first defendant has been in incarceration since November 10. She needs adequate time and facility to defend herself. I humbly seek an adjournment,” Mr. Akoni said.

Supporting his request for adjournment, lawyer to Mr. Obla, Ifedayo Adedipe, also said the second defendant had been in incarceration since November 8.

“Given the circumstances in which we had our meetings, it was not even possible to prepare adequately for trial.

“I will like to request for an adjournment so that we can make judicious use of the time to prepare adequately for trial,” Mr. Adedipe said.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi in granting an adjournment said, “for the purpose of fair hearing, the court will accede to the request for adjournment of this trial.

“The case is adjourned to January 9, 2017 for continuation of trial,” Mr. Oshodi said.

To get international passports, Nigerians to show evidence of tax payment

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The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, on Monday said soon, Nigerians might begin to show evidence of tax payment before obtaining their passports. Tunde Fowler said this at the 136th meeting of the Joint Tax Board which had the theme: “Increased Inter-Agency Co-operation to Enhance Tax Compliance and Optimise Revenue Collection” in Abuja.

“We did take a position and I believe it would be implemented in the very near future that before you get any services from the immigration department: renewal of passports etc, you’d have to show that you are a tax payer.

“These things are normal all over the world, In an effort to serve Nigerians and Nigeria better.

“People believe that payment of tax is a burden and I’ll repeat that you only pay tax on income and profits.

“So if you reside in Nigeria and you are benefiting from being a Nigerian resident, it is only fair that you contribute to the system that makes you enjoy that standard of living.”

He said the FIRS set a target to increase the individual taxpayer data base by 10 million by December 31.

“I’m glad with our co-operation; we’ve been able to attain 30 per cent of that. We’ve been able to get three million individual taxpayers across the nation. “I’d like to congratulate Kano State for leading the pack by increasing the database by 944,000 followed by Lagos with 306,000 then Kaduna and Plateau,’’ he said.

The Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, lamented that the FRSC was being owed N700 million for number plates production.

He also decried the high rate of fake documentation at ports, saying “if we can strengthen inter-agency collaboration, we’ll get more results now that the focus is on IGR.”

The Chairman of the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue, Udochukwu Ogbonna, urged the revenue generating agencies to co-operate digitally to ensure success and curb corruption.

Also, the Chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service, Oseni Elamah, said “the FIRS should have a digital one-stop-shop accessible to all partners’’.

Some revenue generating agencies on Monday met in Abuja to curtail loss, stop corruption and increase proceeds to government coffers in 2017.

The event brought together all states internal revenue service chairmen and the bosses of the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

(NAN)