Nation
THE STATES
Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has vowed to flush out
ghost workers from the state civil service and put in place strategies at providing quality service and prudence.
State Head of Service, HoS, Mr. Abdon Dalla Gin, spoke while declaring open a five-day capacity building training on Human Resources Management for civil servants organised by the Public Sector Governance Reform and Development Project in collaboration with Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, ASCON.
According to him, the administration was determined to ensure that only genuine civil servants were in its payroll through proper documentation.
He said: “The state government was able to surmount the ghost workers syndrome in the state through the provision of Data Bank for all civil servants in the state including pensioners. This training is aimed at equipping the officers with requisite knowledge that will not only enhance their skills but also assist them in ensuring effective service delivery and it will also expose them to information technology system.
Borno
No fewer than 200 members of the Boko Haram Is
lamic sect, were reportedly killed, yesterday, in a battle with soldiers of 7 Division, Nigerian Army when the sect members in their hundreds attempted to launch attack on Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
Also, more than six vehicles including an armoured tank with Arabic inscription; Rocket-Propelled Launchers, anti-aircraft guns, assorted number of AK-47 rifles with ammunition were recovered from the terrorists by the troops.
Konduga is South-East and about 42 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital which had witnessed series of deadly attacks in the past. Last Friday, more than 100 insurgents, who attempted to invade the town, were killed by the troops in a gun battle before seizing many of their vehicles, arms and ammunition.
A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye said: “In an attempt to regain the momentum they lost in Konduga last week, Boko Haram terrorists again attacked Konduga last Tuesday night. However, the terrorists were denied their objective by vigilant and gallant Nigerian Army troops. During the fight, several terrorists were killed and those fleeing Konduga with gunshot wounds were being pursued.
FCT
The Federal Government, last Monday, said it has “con
tained” the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.
This is even as the government has described as ill-conceived, the recent strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), especially when the nation’s health sector was under threat.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute, spoke in Abuja, recently while briefing directors, deputy directors at a meeting with the Head of Service of the Federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi.
Kifasi had asked Awute to enlighten the top echelon of the Federal Civil Service on the Ebola outbreak and precautionary measures to take, in order to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.
Jigawa
Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, says the state
will not support President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid until promises made to the state in 2011 are kept by the president.
He said all the four promises made before the 2011 elections by the president have not been fulfilled by the Federal Government.
The governor, in an interview with BBC Hausa radio on Tuesday said that the state expected to be compensated for its support to Jonathan in 2011.
He mentioned the unfulfilled promises as “the cargo airport, which the president stated there would be six of them in the whole country, and promised us that one would be in Dutse.”
Kaduna
Chairman, Board of Nigerian Railway Corporation
(NRC), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has assured Nigerians that transforming railway system was President Goodluk Jonathan’s topmost priority.
Tukur said this in an interview with journalists shortly after inspecting railway facilities during a familiarisation tour to the Railway Northern District in Kaduna recently.
He said: “President Goodluck Jonathan had intensified efforts toward transforming the railway system to give it a new and dynamic face.
“With the determination of Mr President, board, management and the entire staff we will rebuild an enviable railway system in Nigeria.”
Kaduna
A former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim
Coomassie, has urged Northern leaders to tackle the security challenges facing the North.
Coomassie, who is the chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), gave the advice at the emergency meeting of the ACF with Northern non-governmental organisation leaders in Kaduna recently.
“We must salvage the North and by extension the whole nation, our success will usher vista of hope, respect, unity and cooperation in the North,’’ he said.
According to him, if we fail to save the north, all of us will go down in history as those crops of leaders who have mortgaged the future of their progeny.
The former police boss called on the northern leaders to speak with one voice, adding: “we must all speak not as members of our individual groups but as members of the Arewa family’’.
Kwara
Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman,
National Planning Commission, Dr. Suleiman Olanrewaju, has advised members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Kwara State to bury their differences and unite to be able to win the 2015 general elections.
He spoke at the palace of Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Sulu Gambari, where he went to pay homage to the traditional ruler ahead of a PDP reception in his honour in Ilorin.
He said: “This is the first time Kwara State, as a government, will be in the opposition to the political party at the centre in the last 20 years, and we should take advantage of this golden opportunity.
“We all know that there is nothing as good as being with the party at the centre. We should, therefore, not miss 2015; we should, therefore, put our house in order and win Kwara State for PDP in the coming elections.”
Olanrewaju also cautioned that no member of PDP in the state should engage in politics of bitterness capable of causing breach of peace in any part of the state and also solicited for prayers of the royal father for peace in the state.
Lagos
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA),
last Monday, blamed the Lagos State Government for blocking the median drain while constructing a diversion to Alimosho Road on Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway.
Mr Kehinde Afolabi, the FERMA engineer in charge of Lagos West, said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Afolabi said though the state government obtained permission to create the diversion while rehabilitating bridges on the axis, it was expected to restate the road to its original position.
According to him, lined drain that is supposed to discharge water from the road median was tampered with by the state government.
He said a drain channel on the road median, which connected the one that discharged water to the road shoulders, was blocked with crushed stone materials.
Nasarawa
Police in Nasarawa State are investigating a group of
male students of the state polytechnic, after they allegedly gang-raped a 200-Level student. The students are suspected to be members of a cult group.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred shortly after the victim returned from a trip.
Sources said the student returned to school with a lot of money and that she stayed out with the suspected rapists at a drinking joint, where “they all had a good time”.
She was said to have left the group after a quarrel ensued among them. She was, however, unable to gain access to her room as her roommate refused to open the door because she returned late.
Plateau
No fewer than 1,274 intending pilgrims from Plateau
State for this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, have been declared free of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, as well as other deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS.
State Executive Secretary, Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Salisu Musa, disclosed this yesterday in Jos during the farewell address for the 2014 intending Pilgrims.
Addressing the intending pilgrims, Alhaji Musa said the state government in conjunction with the board had put in place all basic requirements that would guarantee smooth pilgrimage in the holy land.
According to him, “Out of the 1,274 intending pilgrims, 924 are self sponsored while the State and local governments sponsored 350. Adequate arrangements have been made in the areas of transportation, accommodation and medical facilities. Not only did the governor approve the sponsorship of some medical personnel but sufficient drugs have been purchased to be used in our clinic while in the holy land. The airlift of pilgrims is expected to start today (Wednesday) and the movement will be in three batches.”
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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