A UN expert committee has announced that four countries could soon “graduate” from the ranks of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations.

The four countries are: Bhutan, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe and the Solomon Islands, according to Jose Ocampo, chair of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP).

Mr. Ocampo said the countries had increased national earning power and improved access to health care and education, making them eligible to exit the group of least developed countries (LDCs).

“This is an historic occasion,” Ocampo, said, noting that only five countries had graduated since the UN established the LDC category in 1971.

LDCs are assessed using three criteria: health and education targets; economic vulnerability; and gross national income per capita.

Countries must meet two of the three criteria at two consecutive triennial reviews of the CDP to be considered for graduation.

The Committee would send its recommendations to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for endorsement, which would then refer its decision to the UN General Assembly.

A member of CDP, Diane Elson, a professor at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom, said the announcement was good news for millions of women in rural areas.

Elson pointed out that the latest session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), currently under way in New York, was discussing the challenges facing this population.

“The success of the countries that are graduating reflects things like the improvement of the health and the education of the population, which extends to rural women, and the increase in incomes in the country, which extends to rural women,” she said.

However, Elson stressed that the countries would need continued international support because they remained vulnerable to external shocks, including the impact of climate change, currently evident in Pacific Island states such as Kiribati.

Globally, there are 47 LDCs, according to the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

The majority, 33, are in Africa, while 13 can be found in the Asia-Pacific region, and one is in Latin America.

In the 47 years of the LDC category’s existence, only five countries – Botswana, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Maldives and Samoa – had graduated.

The CDP said two more countries, Vanuatu and Angola, were scheduled for graduation over the next three years.

Nepal and Timor-Leste also met the criteria but were not recommended for graduation at this time, due to economic and political challenges.

That decision would be deferred to the next CDP triennial review in 2021, according to Ocampo.

NAN

The police in Bayelsa State, on Wednesday, arraigned a pastor before a magistrate in Yenagoa for allegedly obtaining an SUV under false pretence from a churchgoer.

Kingsley Abiekunogho, said to be an apostle and founder of God Is Able Mega Fire Ministry, at Opolo, Yenagoa, is accused of tricking one Jones Seiyefa to hand over to him, a Toyota SUV and N20, 000 in exchange for “spiritual breakthrough”.

During a church programme at God Is Able Mega Fire Ministry, in September 2017, a visiting pastor was said to have called out Mr. Seiyefa from the congregation and prodded him to donate his car and the money to the accused, with the assurance that God had wonderful gift for him.

Mr. Seiyefa, who is the complainant in the case, was told by the pastor that within a month God was going to double the car and money collected from him.

He was subsequently invited to the church on a later day where he was made to drink a “special” honey to quicken the expected “breakthrough”.

Several days after, instead of things improving, life became more difficult for Mr. Seiyefa who then demanded his car back. But the pastor refused.

A relative of Mr. Seiyefa said he initially pledged to give only N20,000 to the church because that was all he had left in his bank account, but the pastor allegedly told him it was too small for a man of his status.

The relative said she tried to stop him from transferring the ownership of the car to the pastor but he refused.

“By the grace of God, days after he did the change of ownership he came back to his senses and revealed that he did all he did because he was under some kind of influence,” she said.

The police prosecutor in the case, I. Amakiri, read out a three-count charge against the pastor who pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate, Eke Spiff, granted the pastor bail and asked him to produce the guest pastor in court during the next hearing.

The case was adjourned to April 4, 2018.

 

PT

Despite the announcement Wednesday by the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, that a tweaked version of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill will be retransmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent, the leadership of the National Assembly has said that it will go ahead with plans to override the president’s veto.

This is just as the Senate thursday protested the injunction granted by a Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining it from overriding the president’s veto on the bill. 

However, in an unexpected turn of events, Namdas on Wednesday said the National Assembly would expunge two amendments to the bill, but would retain the amended section that altered the sequence of elections, and retransmit the bill to the president for his asset.

Although THISDAY had tried to ascertain from the Senate if the House’s position had the concurrence of the upper legislative chamber, the Senate remained mum on the announcement all through Wednesday.

However, it emerged yesterday that there was some miscommunication between the Senate and House, as the leadership of the National Assembly has now agreed to go ahead and override the president’s veto on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill.

Sources among the leadership of both chambers confirmed to THISDAY yesterday that the announcement made by Namdas arose from lack of communication, as the House did not consult with the Senate before rushing to speak to the media on the issue.

They added that contrary to Namdas’ statement on the bill, it will not be resent to the president for his asset, nor would any of the amended sections be expunged, stressing that lobbying had entered high gear to either defeat the planned vote to override the veto or ensure it passes. 

Namdas, during his briefing, said the lawmakers had agreed with two of the reasons tendered by the president in rejecting the amendments to bill.

The first was Section 138, which the Buhari had said would limit the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process.

The second was Section 152(3)-(5), which the president objected to on the grounds that it might raise constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections.

The two sections would therefore be expunged, Namdas had said, adding however that the legislature did not agree with Buhari’s contention that the amendment to Section 25 of the Electoral Act, might infringe on the powers of INEC to organise and supervise elections. 

The lawmakers had changed the sequencing of elections in the country for the National Assembly elections to be held first, before elections into the state Houses of Assembly and governorship on a separate day, while the presidential election would be conducted last, to complete the general election cycle.

Section 25 of the Principal Act was amended and substituted with a new Section 25(1) which provides that the elections shall be held in the following order: (a) National Assembly elections (b) State Houses of Assembly and Governorship elections (c) Presidential election.

The amendment is expected to whittle down the bandwagon effect of presidential elections on other elections.

THISDAY, however, gathered that the legal department of the National Assembly has proffered a position different from the announcement made by Namdas, contending that the reasons proffered by the president for vetoing the bill were faulty. 

According to the legal advise of the department, which was obtained by THISDAY, the president’s position that the amendment to Section 25 of the Electoral Act might infringe on INEC powers was unjustified when considering that Section 76 of the Constitution had been amended in 2010 to provide that INEC will conduct elections in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. 

The legal department further explained that the president was not explicit as to what aspects or in what manner the powers of INEC would be infringed upon if the amendment is passed.

The president’s position was therefore deemed too general, the advise from the legal department held. 

The department further counselled that the grounds for rejecting the new Sub-section 3 of Section 138 on the grounds that it might limit the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process, was also misplaced. 

Proffering reasons, the legal department said the new sub-section clarifies the ambiguity contained in Sub-section 1 of the Electoral Act and reinforces the standards in Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the Constitution. This is also because it provides that no person shall be qualified to contest elections in breach of Sections 66, 107, 137 and 182 of the Constitution. 

The advisory also noted that the president’s rejection of the amendments to Section 152(3)-(5) was not right, as it was within the competence of the federal legislative body to make laws in respect of the procedures regulating elections into the local government areas in the country.

“The matter has also been decided by the Supreme Court in the case of Attorney General of Abia State & Ors v Attorney General of the Federation,” the legal department held. 

ThisDay

 

After the sustained campaigns against the state’s new Land Use Charge (LUC) by different interest groups, the Lagos State Government thursday eventually succumbed to pressure, announcing a review of the charges payable by all property owners across the state.

Specifically, the state government reduced the commercial charge by 50 per cent; properties occupied by owners and third parties in the same premises used for manufacturing purposes, and properties used for industrial and manufacturing purposes by 25 per cent; and owner-occupier properties by 15 per cent.

The state government equally introduced an instalmental payment plan for property owners across all categories, and completely waived penalties for late payments of the LUC, thereby providing additional relief to property owners.

The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade reeled out the concession on the Land Use Charge Law at a news conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, saying the exercise was received with mixed feelings by various interest groups who expressed serious concerns.

Ashade addressed the news conference alongside the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, and the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, among others.

Ashade noted that the state government reviewed the LUC payable by all property owners across the state in its desire “to build world-class infrastructure and improve the well-being of its citizens”.

He added that the state government made the concession in line with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s tradition of inclusive governance and civic engagement, noting that the government was committed to the welfare of its citizens and understands the importance of continuous engagement with the populace.

The commissioner said: “We undertook extensive dialogue with various stakeholders on the Land Use Charge revised Law and its implementation.

“Consequently, we received a wide range of responses from our dialogue with various stakeholders on the amended Land Use Charge Law, 2018.”

He explained that the various interactions formed the subject of extensive deliberations at the meeting of the Lagos State Executive Council on March 14.

“The Lagos State Executive Council chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode resolved to make some concessions in line with stakeholders’ demands,” he added.

He said commercial property owners, who were undoubtedly the stakeholders most impacted by this amended law will be granted a 50 per cent discount, explaining that a commercial property valued at say N20 million, which was earlier billed N91,200, would now pay N45,600 per annum.

He also explained that properties occupied by the owner and third parties in the same premises but used for industrial and manufacturing purposes will now enjoy a 25 per cent discount.

“This means that a N20 million property expected to pay N30,720 will now pay N23, 040 per annum.”

He added that owner-occupier property will get a 15 per cent discount, “so for a N20 million property, this used to be N9,120. Now, it is N7,752 per annum”.

Aside from the reduction across all categories, Ashade disclosed that the state government waived the penalties for late payments of the LUC, noting that property owners, who have received their bills, would no longer be penalised for late payments issued in 2018.

He said the removal of the penalties would provide additional relief to all property owners, noting that other rates and reliefs, apart from the ones stated above, will remain unchanged and will be implemented as stipulated by the law.

“The rates and reliefs include 40 per cent general relief, 10 per cent for 70 years and above, 10 per cent for properties owned by persons living with disability, and 10 per cent for properties that are 25 years old, and so on and so forth.

“Owners of properties across all categories will now be allowed to make payments in instalments. This will help to reduce the burden of taxation on our citizens,” he said.

He commended property owners in all categories who had performed their civic duties faithfully by paying the LUC, assuring those who had paid before the downward review that they would be awarded tax credits to the extent of the excess amount paid and carried forward to next year.

In his remarks, the state attorney general said the State Executive Council “shall forward to the Lagos State House of Assembly for review and passage the following regulations: a review of applicable rates and the regime of reliefs on categories of properties pursuant to the Land Use Charge Law, and regulation for a framework for self-assessment”.

He implored all stakeholders to participate effectively in the legislative proceedings and conveyed his appreciation to them for trusting the current administration with the responsibility of investing the revenue from the LUC in infrastructure renewal and overall development of the state.

Kazeem said under the amended law, there is a provision for establishment of five tribunals, of which one has been established in Ikeja and is now operational, adding that the remaining four would be established in other administrative divisions of the state in Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu and Lagos Island.

He said the law also makes provisions for aggrieved taxpayers to ventilate their grievances within 45 days through a mediation process, adding that so far over 80 cases had been resolved through mediation.

Lauding the review, the Executive Director of Centre for Public Accountability (CPA), Mr. Femi Lawson, thanked the administration for its empathy with the people of the state.

“This review shows a government that shares in the pain and concerns of the citizens of this state. Not only did they listen to our agitations but also the Lagos government took action to allay our fears and worries by bringing the LUC rates down and introducing some other tax relief measures. This is surely a pro-people’s government,” he said.

Similarly, Mr. Thomas Aderinola, a real estate investor in Lagos, said the downward review of the amended LUC Law was a reassuring indication that state government listens to its citizens.

ThisDay