Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Focal Point Officer, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) in Adamawa State Mr Marcus Kwaghe, has commended Governor Murtala Nyako for his commitment to ensure accountability in governance.
Kwaghe made the commendation Tuesday in Yola at a news conference while assessing the implementation of United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) in the state.
Kwaghe also spoke the contributions of UNDAF in facilitating the recent passage of Bureau for Public Procurement and Fiscal Responsibility Bills.
Benue
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Benue chapter,
has commenced the verification of its members.
Chairman of the union in the state, Mr Godwin Anya, said in Makurdi that the exercise was to enable the union to know the exact number of teachers.
Anya said the staff audit was a pre-requisite for the inclusion of teachers in the new minimum wage being enjoyed by other workers in the state.
According to him, it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of primary school teachers in the state due to the sharp practices inherent in the recruitment of teachers.
“Teachers are supposed to be recruited by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), but what happens is that the Local Government Education Authorities also recruit teachers’’, he said.
Borno
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
said on Tuesday that it would hold a grassroots emergency training for youth volunteers in Maiduguri, Borno.
Malam AbdulKadir Ibrahim, NEMA North East Information Officer, said in Maiduguri that NEMA was organising the programme in pursuit of its mandate on advocacy and in line with the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiative of the agency.
He said that the object was to train youth volunteers on emergency evacuation drill, adding that the programme would be flagged off by NEMA North East Coordinator, Alhaji Muhammad Kanar.
Ekiti
The crisis rocking the PDP in Ekiti worsened on
Tuesday as the party announced the suspension of Mr Ayo Fayose, a former governor in the state.
The Chairman of the party, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, who announced the suspension in Ado-Ekiti said Fayose’s suspension followed the roles he allegedly played in the invasion of the state secretariat by hoodlums last week.
Also suspended with Fayose, he said, were the state Secretary of the party, Dr Tope Aluko, state Women Leader, Mrs Busola Oyebode as well as state Public Relations Officer, Kola Oluwole.
Ogundipe said investigations conducted by the party indicated that the suspended persons were connected to the crisis in the party.
FCT
A 29-year old Ibrahim Rashid of Gwarimpa Village, Abuja,
on Tuesday appeared before an Abuja High Court for alleged kidnap and raping a four-year-old minor.
At the resumed hearing of the case, prosecution witness, Mr Francis Joe-Okpa, being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr Obeka Chris, told the court that the case was reported by one Mr Bello.
Joe-Okpa said that the complainant reported the matter at the Civil Defence office in Ushafa, Bwari, on March 14.
In his testimony, Joe-Okpa said that after receiving the report “I went to the scene of the incident and I saw a large crowd of people beating up the accused, which I rescued him.”
Kaduna
A man, Zaiyanu Muhammad of Ibadan Street in Kaduna,
has urged the Magajin Gari Sharia Court to recover the N80,000 bride and other expenses he paid in Saliha Abdulsalam as wife.
He told the court that the request became necessary because Saliha left the matrimonial home two days after marrying him.
According to him, when he married Saliha, her parents pleaded with him to give them time to prepare dowry for her before moving into the matrimonial home, adding that he had not seen Saliha since then until they met in the court on July 22.
“Since she is not interested in the marriage, she should return my bride price. I used every possible means to see her back but to no avail.’’
Kano
The Kano State Government on Monday shutdown a health
facility, Green World Centre in Zakirai town, Gabasawa Local Government Area, for illegal operation.
A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Health, Malam Isma’il Gwammaja, in Kano, noted that the facility belonging to a Cameroonians national, who had no permission or registration when he began operation in the area.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Private Health Institution, Dr Salisu Ibrahim, said that the government would not condom negative attitudes that could affect the lives of the people.
Katsina
The Katsina Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil
defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested two persons for allegedly stealing a cow.
The State Commander, Alhaji Ibrahim Mai’Zabura, said this while briefing newsmen in Katsina on Tuesday.
The commander also said that the suspects allegedly conspired and stole the cow in Charanchi town of the state, and attempted to take it to Kafur town to sale.
He said that the duo was arrested by the corps on their way to Kafur on Sunday, adding that the suspects would be charged to court to serve as deterrent to others.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government said on Tuesday it
had constructed 20 nomadic primary schools aimed at promoting the educational pursuits of the children of nomads.
The Senior Special Assistance to the Governor on Fulani Matters, Alhaji Nasiru Masama, told news in Birnin Kebbi, that five schools were sited in each of the four emirates of Argungu,Gwandu,Yauri and Zuru.
He said that support would be provided for the educational pursuit of the children of the Nomads as the children also deserved equal opportunities in education and other social services, adding that 35 bore holes had been drilled at various nomadic communities as part of social services provided in the rural areas.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Government is to establish fire ser
vice stations in all local government headquarters and other strategic towns for quick responses to fire disasters in the state.
Commissioner for Works, Transport and Housing, Mr Mohammed Wada, said in an interview Tuesday in Lafia that five computerised fire fighting vehicles had already been procured for the project.
Wada said that two of the new fire fighting vehicles had computerised monitors that could detect and quench fire from a distance while the other three had fire resistant Dunlop that could handle intense fire outbreaks.
Ogun
The Executive Secretary, Border Communities Develop
ment Agency (BCDA), Mr Numoipre Wills, has called for increased funding of institutions concerned with developing border communities.
Wills made the call on Tuesday in Abeokuta at a one-day sensitisation workshop on “ Border Security and Challenges for Integration and Development,’’ organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speaking on the theme: “ Mechanisms for Harnessing the Strategic Potentials of Border Communities for National Development,’’ Wills said that being the gateways into the country, border communities were of strategic importance, adding that international markets could also thrive in border communities.
Osun
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has vowed to
continue the demolition exercise in Osogbo in order to give it a befitting status.
Speaking at a forum to break the fast with journalists, politicians and government functionaries at Government House, the governor said no distraction would deter him from executing the state’s beautification programme to which he was irrevocably committed.
The governor was responding to a suggestion by a journalist that the demolition exercise should have a human face.
Aregbesola, who dismissed the speculations that discontent in certain quarters might deny him a second term, said he was more concerned with development.”Leave election to God and let’s face the assignment I am here to do,” he said.
Sokoto
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC) in Sokoto State has warned members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) against lifting suspicious products.
The Commandant, Mr Muhammad Yusha’u, who gave the warning at a meeting with IPMAN members in Sokoto Stateon Monday, said the command was committed to fighting the menace of oil bunkering as some products emanated from oil thieves or illegal refineries.
“We are aware that there is a great concern about loss of revenue in the federation which is occasioned by what oil theft. And when you talk about oil theft, it concerns both the crude and refined petroleum products,: he said.
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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