Daily Watch – ₦8.91tn budget passed for 2019, IGP gives crime stats

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has said that 1,071 persons lost their lives in crime-related cases across the country in the first quarter of 2019. Speaking at a meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council in Kaduna, Adamu also said that between January and April, at least 685 persons were kidnapped across the country. He said 767 of the persons killed were from the North. The North-West topped the death list with 436; North-Central came second with 250; while the South-South geopolitical zone recorded 130 deaths during the period under review. He added that Zamfara State with 203 murder cases topped the national prevalence rate, Kaduna State followed closely with 112 reported cases while 90 people were killed in Benue State. Most of the murder cases recorded in the North are linked to banditry and communal violence. In relation to banditry, he said, a total of 175 deaths were reported between January and April this year with Zamfara State topping the list with 104 reported cases, followed by Katsina State with 21 killed by bandits and Sokoto State with 19 cases. On kidnappings, the IGP said 546 or 79.8 per cent of the national total were recorded in the three northern geopolitical zones. There were a total of 212 major armed robbery cases were reported nationally within the period under review, with the North having 130 major robbery cases, or 59.43 percent of the national total incident rate.

The recently declared force majeure by Shell and Total on the exports of Nigeria’s Bonny Light and Amenam grades of crude oil has disrupted exports of over 200,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters. The force majeure was declared on 25 April, following the closure of one of two export pipelines the Nembe Creek Trunk Line. It was earlier reported that the Bonny Light-exporting Nembe Creek Trunk Line was shut down by the Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company on 21 April, as a result of a fire outbreak, which led to the decrease of Nigeria’s daily output of crude oil to 150,000 barrels per day. This is not the first time a force majeure has been declared on Bonny light as its initial contract was to supply about 222,000 barrels of crude oil per day in June and 184,000 bpd in May. On 14 August, 2017, the crude was also affected due to issues over a leak on the Nembe Creek Trunk pipeline. Bonny Light and Amenam grades of crude are light and sweet, typically suitable for petrol production.

The Senate has passed a ₦8.91 trillion ($29.3 billion) budget for 2019 after it increased the spending plan from the amount President Muhammadu Buhari presented to lawmakers last year. Buhari presented a spending plan of ₦8.83 trillion for this year, a smaller figure compared with the ₦9.12 trillion naira budget for 2018. The difference between the passed amount and the proposed figure represents an increase of ₦86 billion in the budget. The passage of the budget came two weeks later than the original date that the Senate fixed to pass the budget. Senate President Bukola Saraki had on 2 April said the Senate would pass the budget on 16 April. Despite the fact that the budget report was laid on the floor of the Senate about two weeks ago, its consideration and passage were delayed due to non-availability of details. The budget is expected to receive Buhari’s assent before it becomes law.

Transcorp Power Consortium has emerged the bid winner for Afam Power. The consortium submitted a bid of ₦105.3 billion to beat two other companies that wanted to acquire the electricity generation company. Transcorp has 100 percent equity in Afam. Another consortium, Diamond Stripes Consortium, was declared the reserve bidder for the power company with a bid of ₦102.39 billion, while Unicorn Power Generation Consortium came third with a bid of ₦101.05 billion. The bidding for Afam closed in the second round. The winners will pay a BPE Management Fee of five percent of the total bid value. Quest Electricity won the bid for 60 percent equity in Yola Electricity Distribution Plc with a bid of ₦19 billion. The Vice-Chairman, Technical Committee of NCP, Dr Ayo Teriba, who chaired the ceremony, said the winning and reserve bids were subject to the approval of the NCP chaired by the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.