Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB) has trained 750 teachers in Michika Local Government Area of the state.
The Local Government Council’s Education Secretary, Mr Isaac Sanda, told newsmen in Michika last Thursday that the teachers were trained in the last three years.
Sanda said that the beneficiaries were exposed to modern teaching techniques on core subjects like English, Mathematics, Physical Education and Science.
He said that the training was conducted in collaboration with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office.
“The measure is to enhance teachers’ capacity in delivering quality education,’’ Sanda said.
Borno
The Borno State Government has attributed the slow take-off of its municipal tricycle scheme to “due process.”
Gov. Kashim Shettima had on August 5, launched the first phase of the scheme involving 1,500 tricycles to be distributed to unemployed youths.
He said the scheme was to tackle transportation problems in the state capital.
But Alhaji Babakaka Garbai, the Chairman of the distribution committee told newsmen in Maiduguri, that government was not in a haste to release the tricycles.
“It is true that the governor launched the scheme several days ago, but we do not want to release them without proper documentation.
FCT
President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerian women to rise up to the task of achieving their dreams, saying his administration will be a catalyst for their progress.
In a post on his Facebook page last Thursday, the president said it was his desire to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders in the nation, irrespective of sex, religion or ethnic background.
Jonathan said, “I promised women a 35 per cent slot in my cabinet.
“And I fulfilled that vow because it is my desire to ensure a level playing field in Nigeria by heading an administration where ethnicity, gender and religion do not hinder qualified persons from fulfilling their potentials.’’
He said it was for the same reason that he ordered the admission of women into the Nigerian Defence Academy, the first from a sitting president in the country.
Kano
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kano State has warned commercial drivers against violation violating traffic rules and regulations in the area.
He said the sector found it necessary to issue the warning in view of the increase in number of vehicles, especially commercial ones coming into the state due to the approaching Sallah.
He said the FRSC would soon embark on special patrol along the highways in the state to check the excesses of commercial drivers.
According to him, plans are underway to embark on massive public enlightenment on the proposed new number plate and driver’s licence.
He said the exercise would take place at motor parks and major points in the state aimed at sensitising the public on the importance of the new items .
Katsina
Wife of Katsina State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Shema, has urged mothers to watch out for contaminated food items likely to be consumed by children during the Ramadam fasting.
Shema, who was represented by wife of the Deputy Governor, Hajiya Lubabatu Garba, made the call at the annual Tafsir organised by a coalition of Muslim women associations in Kafur Local Government Area .She said that fruits especially could be contaminated, while mothers should also watch out for expired food items during this period.
The governor’s wife also called on women to keep a clean environment which is a prerequisite to good health, as well as to respect their husbands.
Kogi
Over 7,000 applicants turned up for enlistment into the Police as Cadet Assistant uperintendent of Police (ASPs) and Inspectors.
The Kogi Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ajayi Okasanmi told journalists in Lokoja that the applicants came from the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
He said that of the number, 4,000 applied for enlistment as ASPs while 3,000 applied for Inspectors’ cadre.
Okasanmi said the screening of the applicants began last Monday with the State Police Commissioner, Mr John Abakasanga as Chairman of the team.
He said the police would strictly adhere to all the guidelines for the exercise.
Kwara
The Kwara State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission last hursday embarked on road walk, as part of efforts to reduce road crashes in the state.
The walk, which started from the FRSC office along Fate Road, Ilorin at about 8.30 a.m. passed through Tanke Road to Maraba Garage, where the Sector Commander, Mr Yusuf Salami, addressed motorists and commuters.
Salami said that the command embarked on the road show awareness along some major street and roads in Ilorin to sensitise the general public on the dangers of overloading.
He told newmen later that the road show awareness embarked upon by the command involving the regular, special marshal and NYSC Road Safety Club.
The sector commander said that it was aimed at drawing the attention of road users on the need to inculcate road safety measures during the ember months.
Nasarawa
The National President of the NUJ, Mohammed Garba has said that the union would picket media organisations which do not pay the salaries of their staff.
Garba said at an interactive session with newsmen in Lafia, as part of the nationwide tour by the National Executive of the union, that the picketing would start with defaulting media organisations in Lagos State.
He expressed concern over non payment of staff salaries by media organisations.
Garba also said that the union would closely monitor media organisations to ensure that their staff were paid regularly.
The president called for improved funding for media organisations across the country to be able to meet the 2012 deadline for migrating from the analogue to digital transmission.
Ogun
A don, Prof. Babatunde Salako, says chronic kidney disease accounts for the death of six per cent of the country’s population every year.
Salako, a professor of nephrology at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan said in a lecture on “Nephrology Practice In Nigeria: The Journey So Far,” at the Federal Medical Centre,
The lecture was part of the send forth programme in honour of Dr Julius Osinfade, the Head of Dialysis Centre of the hospital.
Osun
Three members of the Osun State House of Assembly, have appealed to the leadership of the Osun Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to call off their ongoing strike.
The Leader of the House, Timothy Owoeye, the House Whip, Ipoola Binuyo and Babatunde Komolafe, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen, on the ongoing industrial action in the state.
Owoeye, representing Ilesa East State Constituency, said the workers should put the interest of the masses at heart, adding that the present administration was committed to the welfare of workers.
He noted that the strike had paralysed government’s activities, saying that it would pose a challenge to the rapid development of the state which the current administration was tackling.
Sokoto
Gov. Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State said the Sokoto State Government has spent N280 million on the rehabilitation of two water tanks and the construction of a new one at Arkilla in the state.
Gov. Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, who gave the figure in Sokoto, said that the tank under construction would have the capacity to store one million gallons of water.
Wamakko, said after inspecting the projects, that his administration had also commenced the construction of a new water treatment plant in Asara village in Wamakko Local Government Area of the state.
He said that when completed, the projects would improve water supply to Sokoto City and its environs.
“I must commend the state task force on water supply as well as the contracting firm for a job well done,’’ the governor said.
Taraba
The Taraba State Muslim Pilgrims Board has registered 1693 people as intending pilgrims for the 2011 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Abba Tukur, told journalists in Jalingo that the pilgrims were registered in all the three categories based on fare differentials.
He said the maximum fare was N626,000, the medium N555,000 and minimum fare N525,000.
Tukur said the maximum fare would attract Basic Travelers Allowance (BTA) of N201,600; the medium fare would receive N135,000 while N108,000 would be given to those on the minimum fare.
He revealed that the board had secured accommodation for the pilgrims very close to the Kaaba, with arrangements concluded on feeding them free in Mina, Arafat and Mustalifat.
Nation
SIM-NIN: Subscribers Kick Against Today’s Deadline, Demand Extension
The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers has requested that the Nigerian Communications Commission extend the deadline scheduled for the disconnection of telephone lines not linked to National Identification Numbers beyond Friday, March 29, 2024.
The subscribers’ body argued that telco agents were failing to capture all necessary information needed for verification, just as it also cited difficulties in uploading the captured data on the National Identity Management Commission’s server.
The President of NATCOMS, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, told The Tide’s source last Wednesday that NCC needed to order telcos not to disconnect telephone lines, considering the ongoing difficulties faced by subscribers.
The telecom regulator had insisted that there would be no changes to the deadline for the next phase of disconnection
The disconnection process was rolled out in stages, with the second phase scheduled for March 29, 2024, following the initial phase that occurred on February 28, 2024.
The third phase is slated to commence on April 15, 2024, as previously announced.
Earlier, the Director of Public Publicity at the NCC, Reuben Mouka, told The PUNCH, “We issued a publication that you can refer to. We specified certain deadlines and stipulated that subscribers who do not comply with the directive would be barred. And that has not changed.”
The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers has requested that the Nigerian Communications Commission extend the deadline scheduled for the disconnection of telephone lines not linked to National Identification Numbers beyond Friday, March 29, 2024.
The subscribers’ body argued that telco agents were failing to capture all necessary information needed for verification, just as it also cited difficulties in uploading the captured data on the National Identity Management Commission’s server.
The President of NATCOMS, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, told the source on Wednesday that the NCC needed to order telcos not to disconnect telephone lines, considering the ongoing difficulties faced by subscribers.
The telecom regulator had insisted that there would be no changes to the deadline for the next phase of disconnection
The disconnection process was rolled out in stages, with the second phase scheduled for March 29, 2024, following the initial phase that occurred on February 28, 2024.
The third phase is slated to commence on April 15, 2024, as previously announced.
Earlier, the Director of Public Publicity at the NCC, Reuben Mouka, told the source, “We issued a publication that you can refer to. We specified certain deadlines and stipulated that subscribers who do not comply with the directive would be barred. And that has not changed.”
At the last deadline on February 28, 2024, about 40 million lines that were not linked to NIN were barred.
The NATCOM president said before the first deadline, subscribers had appealed to the NCC for a one-month extension.
However, the NCC explained that there was no issue as the process was designed to occur in phases.
According to the president, the Operator’s Consumer Centre stands as the primary location for consumers to complete their registration fully, with data provided there being verifiable.
However, the president noted that telecom agents were bypassing crucial information during the registration process, resulting in incomplete registrations of subscribers.
“For example, during interactions with telecom representatives, some agents fail to collect all required the information from subscribers.
“If a subscriber cannot provide certain details, agents often leave the registration incomplete. Consequently, these incomplete registrations are deemed unverifiable,” he said.
Further, Ogunbanjo noted that NIMC also shares responsibility in this process.
He said the challenges often arise when telecom companies attempt to upload collected data on NIMC’s server, owing to network issues.
“These network difficulties, beyond the control of subscribers, hinder the timely completion of the registration process,” he said.
“NIMC’s inadequate network infrastructure exacerbates the problem. While they intend to accept data uploads, technical issues prevent them from doing so effectively.
“We urge the NCC to address NIMC’s shortcomings, improve their services, and acknowledge that meeting the deadline will be challenging given the current issues,” the president added.
NIMC is a statutory Nigerian organisation that operates the country’s national identity management systems.
NIMC’s enrollment figures as of December 31, 2023, stand at over 104.16 million unique records.
About 530,345 Nigerians in Diaspora have gotten NINs. 59.12 million male and 45.04 million female Nigerians have NINs.
When The PUNCH reached out to NIMC for comments on technical glitches, the Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, clarifies that the commission’s server has consistently remained operational, debunking reports suggesting otherwise.
He emphasizes that the NIMC’s services are fully functional and accessible to all users
“Our server has never been down. You can go to the various NIN centres and confirm.
Adegoke further explained the process for subscribers to link their NIN to their SIM cards,
“These individuals only need to submit their NIN and complete the verification process through their respective telcos providers.
He encouraged those who have not yet obtained their NIN to visit any NIMC centre for enrollment.
Adegoke assured Nigerians that upon enrollment, individuals can expect their NIN to be available within three hours.
However, for those requiring corrections, such as rectifying date of birth errors, the process may take up to 72 hours.
Last week, the National Identity Management Commission and the NCC issued a joint statement unveiling a strategic partnership aimed at simplifying the NIN-SIM linkage procedures for telecommunications subscribers nationwide.
Both agencies reaffirmed their dedication to enhancing the processes involved and improving efficiency regarding the NIN and SIM card linkage initiative.
They acknowledge the importance of this initiative in bolstering security measures and enhancing service delivery across the country.
The SIM-NIN linkage initiative is a crucial step towards improving the integrity of subscriber data and enhancing security measures within the telecommunications industry.
The NIN-SIM linkage policy was initially introduced by the Nigerian government in December 2020. This directive requires all telephone line users in Nigeria to associate their SIM cards with their NIN.
In December of the previous year, the NCC issued a directive stipulating that all telecommunications operators in Nigeria, including major providers like MTN, Airtel, and Globacom, among others, must enforce complete network barring on all phone lines for which subscribers have not provided their NINs by February 28, 2024.
Barely two weeks ago, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project issued a warning to take legal action against the NCC if it does not revoke the directive instructing network providers to block the phone lines of individuals who have not linked their SIM cards to their NINs.
Nation
Reps Query N15bn Payment To Remita
The House of Representatives’ Public Accounts Committee has queried the N15billion payment made to Remita from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for two years.
This is just as the committee accused the Central Bank of Nigeria and commercial banks of complicity in the sharing of the N15billion remittance.
The committee’s Chairman, Bamidele Salam, made the allegation at the resumed investigative hearing on revenue leakages in Abuja yesterday.
Remita is a payment solution that helps individuals and businesses make and receive payments, pay bills, and manage their finances.
The round table: Delta Bloodbath: Senate Meets Service Chiefs As Troops Comb Creeks.
Salam said that the Remita payment from the OAGF from 2016 to 2018 was questionable, adding that the OAGF paid the money without agreement or contract.
“The money is an illegal payment. There was no budget provision. So, where did they source the money from?” the chairman queried.
“If someone pays N150,000 as a Remita, you will pay 7.5 per cent Value-Added Tax in addition to it.
Salam said that the Remita payment from the OAGF from 2016 to 2018 was questionable, adding that the OAGF paid the money without agreement or contract.
“Ordinarily, that whole sum of VAT ought to go to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, but what they are doing in this transaction is that they will now add that VAT to the N150.000.
“They will add it up, gather the money together, and take it to the CBN,” he claimed.
He said, “System Spec and Remitta, both collecting revenue for the Federal Government, will share 50 per cent, while the banks and the CBN will also have their share.”
He said that by the time the committee finished its reconciliation, “I am very sure that hundreds of billions of naira will be the VAT component that was not remitted to FIRS.”
Salam stated that each bank ought to take the money and directly remit it to FIRS.
“Now, Remita is saying that each of those collecting the money will come and calculate the money that has been shared into shreds. Now, how do we track this kind of money? “he asked.
The Director, Banking Services, CBN, Mr.Ahmed Abdullahi, said it was necessary to source for an alternative way of remitting revenue, adding that Remita and System Spec were selected because they had been rendering similar services to banks.
The Chief Accountant, Treasury Single Account Department, Oyewole Adewale, representing the Accountant-General of the Federation, accused the CBN of not honouring its letters to reconcile the revenue accrued to the country through the Treasury Single Account.
He noted that the OAGF had developed a system where all revenue generated by the Ministries of Departments and Agencies of Government could now be monitored with little or no interference.
The Director, Remita Payment Services Ltd, Aderemi Atanda, while reading the summary of the TSA collection record, maintained that 10, 20, and 50 per cent were shared among CBN, commercial banks, and Remitta respectively.
Collections, he noted, often vary, saying, “In 2015.
Nation
Nigeria Needs Community-Driven Police, Not State Police -Shekarau
Former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said that the country needs to adopt community-driven police rather than establish state police.
Shekarau noted that it would be more effective in addressing the current security challenges in the country.
The former minister of education spoke in Akure at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) during the launch of a book titled ‘The Psychology of Growing Old: A Personal Experience for both Young and Old,’ written by Sehinde Arogbafa.
Shekarau argued that community police would be better controlled than state police as well as devoid of political and religious leaders’ influence.
He the involvement of communities in state policing would enhance trust, cooperation, and collaboration between the police and the citizens.
Shekarau argued that community police would be better controlled than state police as well as devoid of political and religious leaders’ influence.
He the involvement of communities in state policing would enhance trust, cooperation, and collaboration between the police and the citizens.
“I’ve been an advocate of community policing. It is different from what is being paraded as state police. Community policing means community watch.
“There is hardly any community in Nigeria that does not have what we call the vigilante group. All we need to do is the government should organise them, the government should own is up, and the government should promulgate a law.
“If I may give you an example of Kano, I’m sure you must have had experience with the Hisbah Guards; that is community watch. We set up a committee of 12 elders in every ward to do the selection of 20 responsible and respected young men for the Hisbah Guards. And we recruited them and mandated that the local government take charge of them. We’re paying them allowances. And they know everybody in the community.
“Within one to two years in Kano State, ask anybody; we don’t have any vices, no drugs, nothing in all the communities because that is community watch.
“We have over 10,000 Hisbah Guards in Kano; I did not nominate a single one; not a single party leader nominated one. It was all the elders in the community. The government created a law; we didn’t leave it in a vacuum. The number one assignment of the Hisbah Guards was to support and complement the work of all the Nigerian armed forces and the police. And they were working with them peacefully.
“Ask anybody in Kano today, and they will tell you that people prefer to report their cases to the Hisbah Guards office rather than even the police stations or even going to court. What we need in Nigeria is community watch, not just when you ask a state to create 2000 to 3000 state police bombarded by party thugs, and you will find out that you are going back to the same intimidation. There will be abuses by political leaders.
“But if you allow the communities to select with the backing of the government, the government will pay them all their allowances, provide vehicles for them, and support them, and there is a chain of command from the state to the local governments, to the wards, and even to the villages.
-
Oil & Energy4 days ago
Nigeria Hosts Global Confab On Oilfield Sustainability, Hydrocarbon Accounting
-
Sports4 days ago
Iheanacho, Dessers Applaud Finidi’s Tactics
-
Rivers4 days ago
Group Begins Massive Support Drive For Fubara
-
News2 days ago
Reps Member Pledges Support, Loyalty To Fubara, Joins SIMplified Movement
-
Women15 hours ago
What Women Want In Yet-To -Be Husbands
-
News10 hours ago
Tinubu Leads 31-Team To Revive Nigeria’s Economy
-
Sports9 hours ago
‘I’m Not Under Pressure To Coach Eagles’
-
Maritime4 days ago
Illegal Migration: NIS, NIWA Move To Strengthen Partnership