Nation
THE STATES
Benue
Many victims of last year’s flood disaster in Benue State have returned to the flood-affected areas, in spite of the State Government’s warning for people to stay away from the areas.
The victims, who are yet to benefit from the N500 million approved by the Federal Government for the flood victims, said they had no alternative than to return to the flood-affected areas.
One of the victims, Mr Dennis Igbana, said that the victims had no other option than to return to the areas affected by floods.
“Our situation is that of the abandoned child, we are treated as if we do not belong to this state or country, we are being abandoned as if we choose to be affected by flood. We cannot question God why we are citizens of Benue State, other states in the country such as Edo State, had released additional funds and shared to the victims, but government officials have decided to take away even the little, Mr President had given us,” he lamented.
Another victim, Mr Tyoyame Torkula, said that he had already completed planting his yam along the banks of the River Benue.
FCT
Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE), last Sunday urged opposition political parties involved in merger talks to evolve a new political ideology that would satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.
The General-Secretary of AEC, Mr Emma Ezeazu, made the call at a news conference in Abuja.
He said that Nigerians expected the emerging All Progressives Congress (APC) to use its manifesto to address the challenges facing the country such as distribution of national resources, poverty and unemployment.
“ It is important that the APC demonstrates convincingly to Nigerians that it is not just interested in grabbing power but in effecting real transformation in the quality of lives of ordinary Nigerians. “The APC must, therefore, show that it is not only offering superior value but that its idea of progressive politics unambiguously cuts an image distinct from the current dysfunction in Nigeria’s political arena,’’ he said.
Ezeazu also stressed the need for the APC to draft a constitution that would be issue-based with ideological orientation, and also strive to accommodate the concerns of vulnerable people, including women, youths and persons living with disabilities.
Gombe
The Parish Priest of St. James Catholic Church in Gombe State, Rev. Fr John Keane, has enjoined women to show love and care to their families and those outside their homes.
Speaking on Sunday, Keane also urged women to support their husbands to ensure a good upbringing of their children.
According to the cleric, they should also play their roles as mothers, as defined by the church and their traditions, so that society would develop.
Also speaking, President of the church’s Catholic Women Organisation (CWO), Mrs Eunice George, said the day was a unique one in the lives of women in the Christian faith.
George said mothers played significant roles in the church, and that was why the day was set aside to celebrate them as mothers of the society.
Kano
The Kano State Government plans to immunize about 6 million children against polio in the current round of the exercise.
The Public Relations Officer of the state’s Ministry of Health, Alhaji Isma’il Gwammaja, disclosed this last Sunday in Kano.
He stressed that the exercise had so far been successful, as it did not record any form of resistance in any part of the state.
Gwammaja also said that a state monitoring team, headed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, had visited Ungogo and Minjibir Local Government Areas to monitor the exercise.
He conveyed the team’s satisfaction with the conduct of the immunisation in the two local government areas that were toured since the onset of the exercise on Saturday.
The Information Officer of Fagge Local Government Council, Malam Salisu Kassim, also commended the manner in which the exercise was being handled in the area.
Kebbi
The Kebbi Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (KARDA), has cautioned farmers on the application of insecticides and chemicals, to prevent environmental degradation and human health hazards.
The Programme Manager in the agency, Alhaji Yahaya Haruna, gave the caution while speaking in Kalgo, Kebbi, recently.
Haruna observed that farmers engaged in the application of insecticides and chemicals without consulting extension workers from the agency.
He observed that some farmers had failed to realise the disparity between herbicides and insecticides to apply on the farmland, stressing that the extension workers would properly guide the farmers.
He, therefore, urged farmers to seek support and guidance from the agency, especially as collaborative efforts were being made with seed firms for the supply of sundry seeds, to ensure maximum yield.
Kogi
The National President, Old Boys Association, Our Lady of Apostles (OLS), Anyingba, Fidel Ogwuche, has commended a House of Representatives’ member, Tom Zakari, for donating educational materials to the school.
Egwuche made the commendation while receiving the items on behalf of the school last Sunday in Anyigba, Kogi State.
The items include, 20 computer sets, desks and chairs, a photocopy machine and two printers. Other items are two sets of split air conditioners, an internet dish, a 5 KV gasoline generator, a scanning machine, one spiral binding system, two standing fans and solar energy facilities.
He said with the digitisation of educational system in the country, the aid would immensely assist the students in updating their knowledge through research and e-learning.
Lagos
The Information Officer, South-West Zone of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, on Sunday advised motorists to be more cautious while driving.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, he stressed that every driver on the highway had a responsibility to protect the road, the environment and his or her own life.
“There are traffic laws to be obeyed on the roads but it will interest you to know that many people still violate these laws to their own detriment,’’ he said.
Farinloye underscored the need for road users to obey all the traffic laws, as part of efforts to reduce accidents on the roads.
“We still have cases of people driving at night without headlight and people driving without the driver’s licence, such acts are not right,’’ he said.
He also urged all motorists and other road users to ensure that their vehicles were roadworthy and in good condition, particularly as the rainy season was fast approaching.
Niger
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Global Foundation, says it has expended N150 million in collaboration with the Niger Government to procure NECO exams scratch cards for extra-mural students.
The Secretary-General of the foundation, Alhaji Ibrahim Hussaini said in Minna that the amount was expended in the last five years.
He said the state government procured the scratch cards while the foundation distributed them to its committed extra-mural students attending lectures and tutorials in 53 lesson centres spread across the state.
According to the secretary-general, the programme would also enable the state meet its manpower requirement for growth and development.
He said the foundation started operating its lesson centres in 1997 through donations and the goodwill of wealthy individuals in the state, and disclosed that the foundation was also collaborating with individuals at the lesson centres which are named after them.
Ogun
The Ogun State Police Command says no student was killed by its men during a protest by students of Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu on April 10.
The Command’s spokesperson, Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, said in Abeokuta last Friday that the protest took place and ended with no life lost.
Leaders of the institution’s students union had on Friday alleged at the state’s House of Assembly that police killed five of their colleagues during the protest.
Adejobi however said “the Command was taken aback to hear such a disgusting rumour.
“We hereby reiterate that no single student was killed by the police during the protest.
“The allegations by the students at the House of Assembly were just to appeal to sentiment and for other reasons known to them.’’
Plateau
The Plateau State Government has resolved to cushion the effects of the ongoing biometric capturing of workers by shelving the issue of variation in the interim and making blanket payment.
The state’s Head of Service, Mr Ezekiel Dalyop said in Jos last Friday that the issue of variation would still be tackled while officials found to have played a role in the delays would be penalised.
He said that the government had also given 15th of every month as deadline to all government MDAs to submit their variations and vouchers to the ICT unit of the supervising ministry, for timely payment of salaries.
The Head of Service said that more than 11,000 workers had been cleared and paid their salaries after undergoing the recent biometric exercise and that an additional 2,000 workers cleared by the Appeal Panel, would soon be paid.
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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