Nation
THE STATES
Gombe
The Gombe State Government has approved N900.8 million as compensation to people affected by the expansion of four township roads in the metropolis.
The Deputy Governor, Mr Tha’anda Rubainu, disclosed this while flagging-off the payment of the money to the beneficiaries in Gombe on Sunday.
Rubainu said that the money might not be enough to compensate for the social and psychological sacrifices that would be borne by the affected persons.
He, however, enjoined them to consider it as their personal contribution to the development of the state.
Also speaking, Mr. Shehu Hadi, the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, said that the decision by the government to convert the roads into dual carriageways would decongest traffic within the metropolis.
Kaduna
The Kano State Government said it generated about N1 billion revenue internally in the last 12 months.
Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso disclosed this, while celebrating “Kano Day” at the ongoing 33rd edition of the Kaduna International Trade Fair, on Saturday in Kaduna.
Kwankwaso, who was represented by Danburam Nuhu, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism, said the revenue was 100 per cent higher than that of 2010.
Kwankwaso said the state would surpass the present revenue next year.
He said that about N440 million was distributed to women across the 44 local government areas to reduce the rate of poverty among women.
He said that a committee had been set up to ensure that taxes were harmonised to encourage investors in the state.
“Multiple taxation were no doubt discouraging business in Kano, but the government has resolved to introduce what it called shared taxes, where local, state and federal governments will take part of the responsibility,” he said.
Kano
The Kano State Government has procured 1,000 taxi cabs and 500 buses to boost transport services in Kano metropolis.
The state Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Alhaji Abba Yusuf, told said in Kano on Saturday that the gesture was part of the government’s efforts to provide employment in the state.
He said the vehicles which would soon be launched by Gov. Rabi’u Kwankwaso, would alleviate the transportation problem being faced by commuters in the state capital.
“This is part of government’s effort to provide subsidised and cheap public transport services for the public,’’ he said.
According to him, the state government has also provided 15 additional buses to the state transport company, to enhance its operations.
“With government approval, the company has initiated the first passenger Health Insurance Scheme, in partnership with Zuma Health Insurance.
“A passenger will pay only N50 per trip and receive the sum of N190, 000 medical care in the event of an accident and N200, 000 in case of death.”
Katsina
The former NYSC Director General, Brig-Gen. Maharazu Tsiga has said that Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020 could be realised through proper guidance, education and orientation of youths.
Tsiga gave the advice on Saturday in Katsina at the swearing-in ceremony of the executives of National Association of Katsina State Students.
The former NYSC chief spoke on: “The role of Nigerian Students and Youth Development in nation building.
“The symbolic thing about the Vision 20:2020 is that today’s youths are leaders of tomorrow, hence the need to orientate, inform and educate them toward realising the vision.”
“The vision cannot be realised in an environment where the youths are not properly informed, hence the need for concerted efforts to guide the youths in that direction.
“There is the need for special attention to youth development as they are the bedrock upon which the society will move to the next level,” he added.
He charged the youth to always stay focused and to remember that they had a bright future, which could only be achieved through hard work, loyalty and respect for constituted authorities.
Tsiga also advised them not to allow themselves to be used by anybody to perpetrate evil acts.
He commended the Katsina State Government for its free education from primary to secondary levels and for its support to the state’s students in tertiary institutions.
Kogi
Kogi Gov.Idris Wada has said that he constituted two major committees on assumption of office to ensure good governance and meet the yearnings of the people.
Wada stated this in a broadcast in Lokoja on Saturday as part of activities marking his 100 days in office.
He said the government constituted a ‘Think-Tank’ shortly after his inauguration “to ensure
that we institute a well guided, inclusive, sound and cohesive government’’.
The committee, he said, was charged it with the responsibility of outlining strategic development policies and programmes for implementation within four years.
“I also constituted a transition committee to document the state of affairs in the state to provide us with a bearing for smooth implementation of our development programmes,’’ he said, adding that the two committees had since submitted their reports.
“I promised in my inaugural address to run your affairs by subjecting ourselves to the highest ideals of good governance and I did say that hard work, integrity, discipline, transparency and accountability would be our watchword.
“That is exactly what we have pursued with all the vigour and resources at our disposal since the day we assumed office.”
Wada said his assumption of office three months ahead of time prepared him adequately for the task of governing.
Lagos
Acting Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Razak Fadipe, says the service has acquired 30 new fire-fighting vehicles to effectively combat fire outbreaks in the state.
Fadipe said this in Lagos last Friday on the 2012 International Fire-Fighting Day Anniversary.
He expressed the resolve of the service to better its operations, commending the state governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, for revamping the establishment.
“Gov. Fashola has been very supportive of the Fire Service since he assumed office. As we speak, 30 new fire-fighting vehicles have been purchased to boost our operations.
“The vehicles are still in the U.S, but we are going to take delivery of the first batch before the end of the year.
“They are modern fire-fighting vehicles containing foam, air and water, which would better our rescue operations,’’ Fadipe said.
He said that two additional aerial ladders to combat fire outbreaks in high-rise buildings would accompany the vehicles to Nigeria.
“These aerial ladders are very important in a mega-city like Lagos, where we have many high-rise buildings“, the Fire Service chief said.
The Acting Director said the service had introduced two “three-digit toll-free emergency numbers’’ for members of the public in case of fire outbreaks.
“A resident can just dial 767 or 112 from his or her phone, even without airtime, and his or her message will get to the Command Centre for prompt attention,’’ he said.
Osun
Pupils in Osun would be fed with cocoyam-based nutrition in the state government’s schools feeding programme tagged “O Meal’’, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola has announced.
He made the disclosure in Osogbo on Friday while distributing instructional materials to pupils, saying research had confirmed the nutritional value of cocoyam.
The governor said the cocoyam-based feeding formula would make the pupils strong and sound, as it is rich in minerals and vitamins, and is low in starch.
The Tides Source recalls that the programme was inaugurated on April 30 with the employment of 3,000 women as food vendors.
The governor said findings had revealed that cocoyam remains an indispensable but yet neglected food crop, especially for predominantly malnourished households in the country.
“It is not just to provide the usual meal, meant to fill the bellies of our school children, but the ‘O Meal’ is rich in high protein,” he said.
Aregbesola said that the menu includes a very rich diet in chicken, beef, fish, eggs, and fruits to be served with other regular staple foods.
“Interestingly, and contrary to popular but uninformed belief, we found out through research that cocoyam is one of the most nutritious tubers for human consumption.
“Our policy therefore is based on sound advice by nutritionists that such food enhances the physical growth and mental development of kids in their formative years,” he said.
Aregbesola said the programme has also opened a window of opportunity for economic empowerment as no fewer than 3,000 women have been appointed food vendors.
He said the women had been adequately equipped with modern cooking utensils and provided with two pairs of chef uniforms each to enhance their service delivery.
Plateau
Motorcyclists have continued their operations in Jos and Bukuru metropolis of Plateau in spite of the ban by the State Government on May 4.
The State Government on May 4 banned commercial motorcyclists from operating in Jos and Bukuru.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Abraham Yiljap, who announced the ban at a news conference, cited the security situation in the state capital as reason for the action.
Yiljap said: “the order is with immediate effect and that means the law enforcement agencies will be expected to comply with this law by checking those who might want to disregard it in any way’’.
He said the government had embarked on the purchase of additional 300 cabs and 500 tricycles for distribution to citizens of the state to ease the transportation problems.
The motorcyclists had appealed to the State Government to rescind its decision in order to save them and some of their passengers, who live in remote areas of the town.
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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