Economy
Nigeria Loses $30bn Yearly to Forex Racketeering—Reps
By Dipo Olowookere
The House of Representatives on Thursday raised an alarm over the huge amount of money lost annually by Nigeria to financial leakages.
A member of the lower chamber of the National Assembly, Mr James Faleke, in a motion moved today and seconded by Mr Rurum Nasir, said about $30 billion is lost through fictitious and misappropriated means.
According to him, some highly influential persons and companies engage in foreign exchange racketeering by obtaining forex at cheap rates from the government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for businesses in the country at less than N310/$1, but abandon what they got the FX for to resell at higher rates like N360/$1.
He said this was a sabotage to the economy especially at a time when the nation still grapples with funds to carry out capital projects, especially when considering how various revenue-generating, levying and taxing agencies fall short of their annual financial targets.
Mr Faleke, therefore, called on the House Committee on Finance, as well as that on Banking and Currency to conduct public hearings to unravel these misappropriations and other such schemes and make a formal report that would advise the House on the appropriate course of sanctioning to those found culpable, to serve as a deterrent for those who would intend to continue doing this.
In his contribution, Mr Toby Okechukwu stated that the motion addresses critical loopholes and infractions aimed at defrauding Nigeria. He called for a more holistic investigation to find out if there is collusion by insiders who should be protecting the national financial interest.
Mr Okechukwu stated that Nigeria cannot afford to lose such amount annually and all measures to block such financial leakages should be employed.
On his part, Mr Mohammed Tahir Monguno stated that the motion was in tandem with the constitutional role of legislators to expose corruption and investigate all financial infractions. He stated that if these leakages are blocked, the nation can capture more capital projects in the budget.
Another contributor to the debate, Mr Henry Nwawuba, stated that the motion was investigative and the window for such corruption has been permitted by certain factors such as a non-stringent means of acquiring foreign exchange and slack oversight.
He called for a robust public hearing to shed more light on the matter to expose and sanction those directly involved, while Mr Alhassan Ado-Doguwa stated that it was sad when Nigeria was making financial sacrifices and was even contemplating dropping its benchmark and propose a downward review of the budget expectations due to lack of funds; that some unpatriotic elements would exploit well-intended schemes of government to ensure ease of doing business to short-change the nation.
He also called for thorough investigations during the public hearing and for the highest sanctions to be applied on those found culpable.
The lawmaker called for the enforcement of the sanctions that will come from the hearing and ensure the outcome serves as a deterrent for all in such practices.
Also, Mr Leke Abejide stated that the motion speaks to a critical area of financial rascality that has been going on for long in defrauding Nigeria. This, he stated, is just one of the forms it takes, noting that such sharp practices also exist in the importing and exporting sector and has been ongoing for years, calling for a wholistic investigation into all such financial rascality.
Speaker of the House of Representative, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that the motion was highly critical, especially as world revenue is expected to further decline due to the coronavirus, noting that all financial leakages must be blocked.
According to him, there are two types of leakages; one is the negligence-based leakages, and the more grievous one is the calculated one, where there is the intention to defraud, which he said the House frowns heavily upon.
However, Mr Gbajabiamila clarified that it should be an investigative hearing and not a public hearing as the prayer of the motion called for.
This resulted in the motion being amended to make the hearing investigative and not just public. It was then voted on and adopted as amended.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Seplat Energy Plc will revive hundreds of Nigerian oil wells laying fallow after completing the acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) from ExxonMobil.
The company said it aims to lift oil output to about 200,000 barrels a day, a move that will help boost Nigeria’s oil production levels, as it aims to reach 2 million barrels per day next year.
The transaction, according to Seplat, “is transformative for Seplat Energy, more than doubling production and positioning the company to drive growth and profitability, whilst contributing significantly to Nigeria’s future prosperity.”
The completion of the Seplat-ExxonMobil deal has created Nigeria’s leading independent energy company, with the enlarged company having equity in 11 blocks (onshore and shallow water Nigeria); 48 producing oil and gas fields; 5 gas processing facilities; and 3 export terminals.
Recall that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in October approved the deal as part of a series of approvals, while it blocked Shell’s asset sale of up to $2.4 billion to the Renaissance consortium.
The acquisition of the entire issued share capital of MPNU adds the following assets to the Seplat Group: 40 per cent operated interest in OML 67, 68, 70 and 104; 40 per cent operated interest in the Qua Iboe export terminal and the Yoho FSO; 51 per cent operated interest in the Bonny River Terminal (‘BRT’) NGL recovery plant; 9.6 per cent participating interest in the Aneman-Kpono field; and approximately 1,000 staff and 500 contractors will transition to the Seplat Group.
MPNU adds substantial reserves and production to Seplat Energy; 409 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe) 2P reserves and 670 MMboe 2P + 2C reserves and resources as at 30 June 2024 and 6M 2024 average daily production of 71.4 kboepd (thousand barrels of oil equivalent).
Business Post reports that Seplat will be part of the payment this year, and will defer some to next year,
Speaking on the transaction, the Chairman of Seplat Energy, Mr Udoma Udo Udoma commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting this transaction and appreciated the support and diligence of the various ministries and regulators for all the work to reach a successful conclusion.
“We are delighted to welcome the MPNU employees to Seplat Energy. We are excited to begin our journey in a new region of the country, and we look forward to replicating the positive impacts we have achieved within our communities in our current areas of operations.
“Seplat’s mission is to deliver value to all our stakeholders, and we treasure the good relationships we have developed with the government, regulators, communities and our staff.”
On his part, the chief executive of Seplat Energy, Mr Roger Brown, described the acquisition as a major milestone, adding, “I extend my thanks to the entire Seplat team for their hard work and perseverance to complete this transaction.
“MPNU’s employees and contractors have a strong reputation for safety and operational excellence, and I welcome them to the Seplat Energy Group.
“We have acquired a company with one of the best portfolios of assets and related infrastructure in a world-class basin, providing enormous potential for the Seplat Group. Our commitment is to invest to increase oil and gas production while reducing costs and emissions, maximising value for all our stakeholders.
“MPNU is a perfect fit with our strategy to build a sustainable business that can deliver affordable, accessible and reliable energy for Nigeria alongside attractive returns to our shareholders”.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) is projected to close the year with over N22 trillion in pension assets impacted by challenges like inflation and monetary policies.
This is according to PenCom Director-General, Mrs Omolola Oloworaran, at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
She said as of October 2024, the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) had 10.53 million registered contributors and pension fund assets worth N21.92 trillion.
Speaking at the conference-themed Tech-driven Transformation Shaping the Pension Landscape, which showcased PenCom’s strategic commitment to innovation, she said that the numbers reflected the agency’s unwavering commitment to fund safety, prudent management, and sustainable growth.
She explained that the pension environment was impacted by the wider economic challenges facing the country, noting that the sector battled multi-year high inflation, Naira devaluation, and the lingering effects of unorthodox monetary policies by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Business Post reports that the apex bank hiked interest rates by 875 basis points this year alone to tackle persistent inflation which peaked at 33.8 per cent as of October.
She said that these challenges eroded the real value of pension funds and impacted contributors’ purchasing power.
“To address these issues, the commission has initiated a comprehensive review of its investment regulations.
“It is focusing on diversifying pension fund investments into inflation-protected instruments, alternative assets, and foreign currency-denominated investments.
“The goal is to safeguard contributor savings and ensure resilience against future economic volatility,” she said.
She restated the commission’s commitment to expanding pension coverage, particularly through the advanced micro-pension plan designed to encourage participation from the informal sector using technology.
“This initiative will make it easier for everyday Nigerians to save for retirement, aligning with our vision of inclusive growth and financial stability for all.
“The backlog in retirement benefits for retirees of the Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) will soon be settled.
“The federal government recently disbursed N44 billion under the 2024 budget to settle approved pension rights.
“We are collaborating with the Federal Government to institutionalise a sustainable solution to ensure retirees receive their benefits promptly, eliminating delays,” Mrs Oloworaran said.
She said that PenCom’s technology-driven transformation aimed to make the CPS more accessible, reliable, and sustainable.
“From data management to seamless contributions and regulatory supervision, we are paving the way for a future where the pension industry serves all Nigerians effectively,” she said,
Mrs Oloworaran also said that the e-application portal for pension clearance certificates has replaced the manual processes and enhanced the ease of doing business in the sector.
“Since its deployment, 38,528 pension clearance certificates have been issued. This initiative ensures compliance and secures the future of Nigerians working in organisations that interact with the government,” she said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange closed flat on Thursday, December 12 after it ended the trading session with no single price gainer or loser.
As a result, the market capitalisation remained unchanged at N1.055 trillion as the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) followed the same route, remaining at 3,012.50 points like the previous trading session.
However, the activity chart witnessed changes as the volume of securities traded at the bourse went down by 92.5 per cent to 447,905 units from the 5.9 million units transacted a day earlier.
In the same vein, the value of securities bought and sold by investors declined by 86.6 per cent to N3.02 million from the N22.5 million recorded in the preceding trading day.
But the number of deals carried out during the session remained unchanged at 21 deals, according to data obtained by Business Post.
When trading activities ended for the day, Geo-Fluids Plc remained the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 1.7 billion units sold for N3.9 billion, Okitipupa Plc came next with 752.2 million units valued at N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc was in third place with 297.5 million units worth N5.3 million.
Also, Aradel Holdings Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 108.7 million units worth N89.2 billion, followed by Okitipupa Plc with 752.2 million units valued at N7.8 billion, and Afriland Properties Plc with 297.5 million units sold for N5.3 billion.
-
Feature/OPED5 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism8 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz2 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking6 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy2 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking2 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports2 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn
-
Technology4 years agoHow To Link Your MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile Lines to NIN