Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa Police Command has confirmed the death of a police inspector who was killed by suspected armed robbers while on duty.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba, made this known at a news conference in Yola.
“Our men from Dumne District under Song Local Government Area, while on patrol on Sunday on Waldi- Suktu Road, had an encounter with armed robbers.
“On sighting our men, the robbers opened fire and killed the team leader, Insp Emmanuel Yarius, and one passenger in one of the vehicles already stopped by the robbers,” Shinaba said.
Shinaba further said that one of the robbers was killed during the encounter.
He explained, however, that the command, through its men in Girei LGA and the support of C.I.D, was able to arrest a syndicate which specialised in trans-border car-snatching and armed robbery.
FCT
The Federal Government is making effort to manage migration through capacity building, advisory services and technical assistance on migration matters, says a top official.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, said this on Thursday in Abuja at a “Validation Seminar for Findings of Institutional Needs Assessments for Migration Agencies in Nigeria.’’
The theme of the seminar was “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria’’
Anyim, who was represented by Hajiya Jimeta Rabi, the Permanent Secretary on Special Duties in the SGF’s office, said the government had established strong collaborations with national and migration stakeholders to enhance border management.
“Strong collaborations have been established with migration stakeholders to fight trafficking in persons, reduce irregular migration and mainstream migration in the country’s development agenda,’’ the SGF said.
Gombe
Sen. Joshua Lidani (PDP, Gombe-South) has spent N6.5 million on extra-mural classes organised for 1,500 school drop-outs in his constituency.
The Senior Legislative Aide to Lidani, Mr Caleb Ubale, told tnewsmen in Gombe on Tuesday that of the amount, N5 million was spent on salary of staff members employed to teach the students, while N1.5 million was spent on registeration of the students for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).
He said the extra-mural classes were to prepare the students for the SSCE to enable them to secure entry requirements for admission into universities and other tertiary institutions.
Ubale said the students were drawn from Balanga, Billiri, Kaltungo and Shongom Local Government Areas in Gombe-South Constituency.
He said Lidani introduced the progrmme when he was the Deputy Governor of the state between 1999 and 2003, adding that it was a permanent scheme.
Kano
The Kano State Government has awarded N2 billion contract for the construction of six faculties at its proposed North-West University.
The state governor, Alhaji Rabi’u Kwankwaso, disclosed this on Wednesday while distributing 30 Toyota Hilux and five BMW motorcycles to some agencies.
“We have set aside money in the 2012 budget for the establishment of the new university, North-West University in Kano.’’
“I want to assure you that by the end this month, the contractors will be mobilised to site so that by the end of September this year, lectures will commence in the six faculties.”
He said the state government had also earmarked undisclosed sum of money to establish another university in the state in collaboration with Texas AM University in United States.
Kebbi
The Jega Local Government Area (LGA) in Kebbi would adopt measures to ensure total immunisation of all children against polio in line with the newly launched free-Torch campaign.
The UNICEF had adjudged the area was among the most critical areas where 19.2 per cent had missed immunisation against the disease.
The Chairman of the LGA, Alhaji Yahaya Bawa, told newsmen in Jega on Thursday that with 100 per cent increase in the allowances paid to vaccinators, additional efforts would be made to ensure that all children polio was eradicated.
He said the council area had approved that vaccinators be paid N5,000 as against the N2,500 paid to them by the UNICEF while the financial allocation for the entire area had been increased from N800,000 to between N1.6 million and N2.2 million.
“The amount would be determined by how densely populated the location of children to be immunised and we would not be left behind in total eradication of the disease.
Lagos
President of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Mr Bede Opara, has said that liberalisation of the electricity sector rather than outright privatisation will boost the nation’s power supply.
Opara said this in Lagos, while addressing members of the union and those of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) at a meeting.
He said that if the enabling environment was created and the sector liberalised, it would provide an opportunity for interested investors to increase the available megawatts.
“We believe that the government can see reason and appreciate other ways of carrying out the reform in the power sector.
“We have said that liberalisation is what will solve the power sector problem in this country; outright privatisation may not be the best for the sector, ” he said.
Niger
Suspected armed robbers on Wednesday night raided Maje police outpost in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, killed a corporal and stole a rifle.
The Niger State, Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Maishanu, confirmed the incident to newsmen in a telephone interview on Thursday in Minna.
According to him, ‘’some armed men attacked Maje outpost on the Dikko-Abuja Road, killed a corporal and stole a rifle.
“The army and the police are at present combining the area in search of the fleeing suspects but, I can assure that we will track down and arrest them, so that they can face the full wrath of the law.
“Similarly, the police have arrested some armed suspects in Lapai and recovered two AK-47 rifles from them,’’ he said.
Ondo
The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, on Thursday urged residents of the state to assist internally displaced persons returning home from other parts of the country.
Olanusi, who made the plea in Akure when he received some internally displaced persons in his office, pledged that government would continue to assist such categories of people.
The deputy governor, who expressed happiness at the safe arrival of the returnees, said being alive was an indication of divine intervention.
The leader of the delegation, Chief Anthony Mirayegun, expressed gratitude to the state government for the efforts made to ensure the safe arrival of the returnees.
Oyo
The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has called for appropriate legislation on blood donation activities in the country.
Speaking during a parley with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, the South-West Zonal Coordinator of NBTS, Dr Wale Egbewunmi, decried the lack of legislation on such activities.
Egbewunmi called for strict laws on setting up of blood transfusion centres and their management as well as on blood collection, storage, testing and transfusion.
“Appropriate legislation will go a long way in preventing unauthorised practices as is the case at present,’’ he said.
Plateau
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has appealed to the Plateau Government to establish a functional state emergency management agency for prompt disaster management.
The Assistant Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, North Central Zone, Mr Abdulsalam Mohammed, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
He said the appeal was necessary in view of the current challenges in disaster management in the state.
Mohammed said Plateau was the only state in the North Central Zone that had yet to make a law for the establishment of an emergency management agency.
Sokoto
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, on Thursday in Sokoto reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Army towards defending the nation’s nascent democracy.
Ihejirika was speaking during a courtesy visit to the Acting Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Lawali Zaiyanu.
He said that the military would continue to complement the efforts of the nation’s security outfits towards promoting internal democracy in the country.
Ihejirika said that welfare, decent accommodation as well as retraining of the Nigeria Army officers, would continue to receive special attention, so as to ensure productivity among the serving personnel.
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.
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