Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The member representing Mubi South
Constituency in Adamawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Usman Lamorde, has
executed seven projects in areas of health, education and water supply.
Briefing newsmen in Yola on the projects
executed in his constituency, Lamorde said the projects which included
maternity ward in Mujara, earth dam in Gella, classrooms in Gude and industrial
borehole in Lamorde were executed with savings from his salary and allowances.
“The projects were executed from the
savings from my salary and allowances and not money for constituency projects
as many people are thinking,’’ Lamorde said.
The lawmaker also said that he secured
government job for about 50 people in his constituency within the past 10
months.
Lamorde tasked individuals and groups in
his constituency to always forward their genuine complaints to his constituency
office at Mubi where he said there were officials employed to attend to them.
Bauchi
The Bauchi State chapter of the CPC has
obtained an interim order restraining the Bauchi State Government and two
others from spending the local councils’ funds apart from payments of salaries.
The order, signed by Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Ibrahim
Zango, was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Bauchi.
The order listed the state government, the
Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and the Accountant-General as
respondents.
It restrained them from releasing,
approving or in any manner allowing the 20 caretaker chairmen and their
councillors from spending any fund belonging to the local councils.
It also restrained the respondents from
tampering with the funds whether in joint account with the first respondent or
any other account and in whatever manner pending the hearing and determination
of the original summons.
Similarly, the order restrained the
respondents from awarding any contract or executing any project or programme
using the funds of the councils in whatever manner possible.
Benue
The Benue State Government has placed an
order for 400 trucks of fertiliser to be distributed to farmers, the Special Adviser to the Governor on
Agriculture, Mr Emmanuel Atser, said.
Atser said in Makurdi on Monday that the
consignment would arrive in the state before Friday for the distribution to
start next week.
He said the fertiliser distribution would
be devoid of corruption.
“A committee has been set up to ensure
that, only genuine farmers are given the product and any committee member who
violates the rule by selling to businessmen, will be sanctioned,” he said.
The adviser appealed to farmers that were
not selected as beneficiaries of the N1 billion agriculture loan that was
disbursed to some farmers on April 27 to be patient with the government.
He said the government was working out
strategies where all farmers in the state irrespective of their status would
benefit from agricultural loans in record time.
Borno
The Borno Commissioner for Women Affairs,
Hajiya Inna Galadima, has denied claims that the state government had neglected
the Fatima Ali Sheriff Motherless Babies Home, Maiduguri.
The motherless babies home is the brain
child of the wife of the immediate-past governor of the state, Mrs Fatima Ali
Modu Sheriff.
Galadima said that the ministry had devoted
much attention to the upkeep of the home since the inception of the
administration.
She said, “The ministry has always lived up
to expectations, especially in the area of taking proper care of the less
privileged in the society.
“We cannot abandon the home in anyway,
because of its benefits to the under privileged in the society.”
She urged Journalists to always verify
their facts before going to press.
Kaduna
The Chief Medical Director of Ahmadu Bello
University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Dr Lawal Khalid, has urged
Nigerians to imbibe the culture of hand washing to curtail spread of diseases.
Khalid made the call at the commemoration
of the “World Hygiene Day” in ABUTH in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Monday.
He said hand washing after every activity
would keep people fit and tidy and reduce the rate of infections.
Khalid pledged the readiness of the
hospital management to ensure the success of the hygiene programme and
commended the hospital committee for organising the enlightenment programme.
In her speech, Chairman, Infection Control and Prevention of
the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Adibola Olayinka, said about 15, 000 health
centres had been inaugurated nationwide to support hand washing campaign.
Kebbi
The Executive Director of National Cereals
Research Institute, Baddegi, Niger, Dr Monday Ukungwu, has solicited
collaboration with the Kebbi Government to boost agricultural production.
Ukungwu was represented by Mr Theo Isah
during a courtesy call by the management staff of the institute on the Deputy
Governor of Kebbi, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, in Birnin kebbi, on Monday.
He said the institute had played a vital
role in cereal production, especially in the area of research and capacity
building.
Ukungwu appealed to the state government to
support the institute with project vehicles, tractors and research grants.
Responding, the deputy governor said
modalities would be worked out for a closer relationship between the state and
the institute, especially considering that agriculture was a priority sector in
the state.
Kwara
Director of Labour and Management Relations,
Michael Imodu National Institute of Labour Studies, Ilorin, Mrs Omolara
Folorunsho, on Tuesday identified time management as crucial in the development
aspirations of any country.
Folorunsho spoke in Ilorin while declaring
open a three-day capacity building workshop organised by the Radio Kwara
chapter of Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU).
The Director said there may not be positive
progress in developing countries unless citizens were determined to respect as
well as be conscious of time.
Folorunsho, who spoke on “Work Ethics and
Attitudinal Change for Organisational Effectiveness, ’’ claimed that ethics and
work attitude were non-negotiable in organisational efficacy.
“Unarguably, the issue of ethics is
explicitly critical to every strategic decision maker and employee in
organisations in successfully addressing the issue of effectiveness,’’ she
said.
Ogun
The former Minister for Commerce and
Industry, Sen. Jubril Marthins-Kuye, said on Tuesday that every effort was
being made to resolve the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in
Ogun State.
Marthins-Kuye who made this known in an
interview in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun said the party had now realised that there was
need for all the members to be united.
It would be recalled that the National
Working Committee of the party had on April 18 dissolved the Ogun State PDP
Executive and directed the South-West National Vice Chairman of the Party, Mr
Segun On,i to take over the party structure.
Martins-Kuye said that though the crisis
has yet to be resolved, all hands were on deck to put the party together for a
strong electoral fight against the ACN.
“Every effort is being made to resolve the
crisis in the party in the state. I will not say that the crisis has been
resolved but I think all hands are on deck.
“Most of us now appreciate sincerely that
in unity we achieve success and in disunity we achieve failure.
We are trying our best to put PDP together
in the state so that we can give a good electoral fight to the ACN“.
Marthins-Kuye, a one-time Minister of State
for Finance and a Third Republic Senator, is one of the prominent leaders of
the party in the state.
Osun
The Osun Government has approved the
disbursement of relief materials worth N15 million to victims of a windstorm in
seven local government areas of the state.
The General Manager of Osun Emergency
Management Agency (OSEMA), Mr Segun Ajayi,
disclosed this in Osogbo on Tuesday.
He said no fewer than 285 houses were affected by the
windstorm which blew off their roofs and destroyed other valuables between
February and April.
“The affected areas are Ogunwo town in Iwo,
Moro,Yakoyo and Ipetumodu in Ife North, Ede North and South, Ikeyinwa town in
Obokun, Ejigbo and Osogbo Local Government Areas.
“We have visited the affected areas and
evaluated the degree of damage which is put at N15 million worth of materials
and the governor graciously approved it.
“The items to be disbursed included bundles
of roofing sheets, pieces of mattresses and cartons of roofing nails,’’ he said.
He said the approval was a demonstration of
Gov. Rauf Aregbesola’s commitment toward ameliorating the plight of victims of
natural disasters in the state.
Ajayi also assured that the distribution of
the relief materials would be carried out equitably among the victims.
According to him, the victims of five cases
of fire incidents that occurred between January and April will also benefit
from the gesture.
Ajayi added that the agency would soon
embark on a public enlightenment campaign to sensitise Osun residents on ways
of preventing flooding and other natural disasters.
He called on landlords and shop owners
across the state to examine the roofs of their houses and carry out necessary
maintenance.
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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