Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The North-East Entrepreneurship Development
Centre (EDC), of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has distributed 50 knitting machines to 50 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), trained under its Economic Empowerment Initiative Alhaji Idris Bawa.
The EDC Director of Programme, distributed the machines in Maiduguri.
He said the objective of the programme was to provide means of livelihood to the IDPs who had lost some of their worldly possessions.
He said the 50 women were part of the 2, 127 Borno IDPs so far trained in different skills by the centre under the programme.
“The programme started in March with 747 IDPs in Yola out of which 434 IDPs were Borno indigenes.
FCT
A strong political will and adequate funding are
critical elements required to develop Nigeria’s defence industry, says Prof. David Alabi of the Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna.
Alabi, a Professor of Political Science and Defence Studies, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
The don expressed regret that the 51-year-old Defence Industries Corporation (DICON), established in 1964, was producing only bullets, dicon salt and furniture.
According to him, its counterparts in Brazil and India are producing aircraft and Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).
Alabi described the condition of DICON as “unfortunate’’ and “pitiable’’.
Kano
Chairman, Task Force on Distribution of Petro
leum Products in Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Bako, has warned fuel marketers against diversion of the commodity.
Bako, who is also the Commissioner for Commerce gave the warning while briefing newsmen in Kano.
He said that any marketer found diverting petroleum products in the state would be sanctioned and risked forfeiting the products.
He said that the warning was necessary in order to ensure that all products reached their designated filling stations across the state.
The commissioner said that the state government deemed it necessary to set up the committee so as to ensure that the lingering fuel scarcity in the state was halted.
Katsina
Katsina State has fewer than 150 medical doc
tors to man its facilities, Governor Aminu Masari has said.
Masari made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
He decried the deplorable state of health facilities in the state, saying that more than 90 per cent of them were in bad condition when he assumed office.
“Over 90 per cent of health facilities that we met, if you go there, you cannot know that they are hospitals.’’
He said that the government would embark on a four-year development plan of the health sector, starting with the rehabilitation of the three premier hospitals in the state.
He said the rehabilitation programme would be extended to seven other hospitals in Malumfashi and Dutsinma, among others.
“I think health is number three item on our priority list.
Kwara
National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA),
says Kwara State is one of the states with lowest rate of HIV infection in the country.
NACA Chief Program Officer, Mr Tajudeen Arowolo stated this at the opening of a four-day free medical outreach organised by the agency at Oja Tuntun, Boboko in Ilorin recently.
Arowolo said that North Central geo political zone of the country was reputed to be the most endemic with the highest number of recorded cases of HIV.
“This is because of the high cases recorded in Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Out of the states in North Central, Kwara has the lowest rate of HIV cases and one of the lowest in the entire country”, Arowolo said.
Jigawa
No fewer than 370,000 members of the Peoples Demo
cratic Party (PDP) in Jigawa State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The National Chairman of APC and eight governors on the party’s platform, received the defectors in Dutse recently, amid jubilation
Our correspondent reports that the governors present at the occasion were Alhaji Bindo Jibrila, Adamawa, Alhaji Abubakar Bello of Niger, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, and Alhaji Bello Masari of Katsina.
Others were Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar, Bauchi, Alhaji Kasim Shetima, Borno, Alhaji Abdulazeez Yari, Zamfara, and Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, Deputy Governor of Kano State.
Receiving the defectors, the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun, said the calibre of the defectors was an indication that APC was on the right track.
Oyegun said that anyone who truly loved Nigeria and believed in the leadership of President Muhammad Buhari to lead the country to path of greatness was always welcome to the party.
Lagos
The Vice-Chairman, Kastina State Indigenes’ Associa
tion (South-West), Alhaji Musa Mua’zu, has commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State for his dedication to confront security challenges in the state.
Mua’zu spoke against the backdrop of the state recent procurement of security equipment worth N4.8 billion which it donated to the Nigeria Police and the allocation earmarked for security in the state’s 2016 budget.
He told newsmen in Lagos that security was the most important need of the residents of the state.
“We must join others to commend Gov. Ambode for his efforts at improving security in the state because security of life and property of citizen is the primary responsibility of the government.
Nasarawa
Alhaji Murtala Sodangi (APC), representing Nasarawa
Central in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has distributed items worth N5.7 million to some unemployed youths and women in his constituency.
Sodangi, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Urban Development, said his effort was geared toward empowering those concerned for them to be self-reliant.
He also expressed optimism that the gesture would enable the beneficiaries contribute their quotas to the development of the state.
Our correspondent reports that the items distributed include: 200 grinding engines, 150 sewing machines, 50 Knapsack sprayers, 40 gasoline engines, building materials and others.
The legislator also donated a KIA car to vigilante group in the area to its service there.
Ogun
The Grassroots Initiative for Poverty Eradication and
Liberation of the Poor (GIPELP), an NGO, has donated a utility-van worth N3.8 million to the Abeokuta Prisons, Oba, Ogun State.
The President of the NGO, Mr Aliu Kayode, expressed the hope that more inmates awaiting trial would have access to justice with the collaboration of all stakeholders.
Kayode advocated public-private partnership toward improving the welfare of inmates and vulnerable members of the society.
He said that the era of pointing accusing fingers at the government for the deplorable state of the nation was gone.
Individuals and groups should begin the process of contributing to the society as a way of complementing government’s efforts, he said.
“If we love our neighbours as ourselves, nobody will suffer in this country because we are blessed with so many wealthy citizens.
“We have realised that poverty is the root of crime in this country and our organisation is looking at how to contribute its quota toward reducing it,” he said.
Ondo
A total of 4,310 students of the Ondo State-owned
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) graduated from the institution during its sixth convocation ceremony.
The convocation was held at the university’s campus at Akungba-Akoko in Ikare Local Government Area of the state.
Presenting the students for awards, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said 4,053 earned First Degrees, 107 obtained Diplomas, 130 took Master’s Degrees while 20 earned PhD degrees.
According to Ajibefun, 18 of the 4,053 in the First Degree category graduated with First Class; 787 earned Second Class Upper Division, 2,500 obtained Second Class lower Division; 702 made Third Class and 46 had pass.
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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