Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The ongoing strike by civil servants in Adamawa has paralysed activities at the courts, schools, hospitals and other public institutions in the Mubi Local Government Area for the second day.
The Tide’s source, reports that the civil servants embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday following a disagreement with the state government over wages and improved working conditions.
The source who visited key government offices and schools reports that armed security personnel had been deployed to protect the property there.
At the Mubi North Local Government Secretariat, the main entrance was closed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)officials who were going round to enforce compliance with the strike directive.
Bauchi
Dr Ignatius Kaigama, the Archbishop of Catholic Diocese of Jos, has enjoined priests to serve as models and lead people to Christ.
He made the call in Bauchi during the ordination of five priests at St. John’s Cathedral Church, Bauchi at the weekend.
The cleric told the newly ordained priests that they were called to be like Jesus Christ, hence the need to emulate him in all spheres of life.
The Archbishop also told them to preach the word of God to the poor and those hungry for the word of God.
Kaigama said they were expected to offer sacrifice to God and forgiveness of sins as well as offer bread and wine to Christ.
“You are also to reconcile people who have gone far away from God and bring peace of Christ to the injured families and ethnic groups.
“As priests of God, you are to offer forgiveness of sins on behalf of Jesus Christ, you should be a bridge through which people will pass to God,’’ he said.
Kaigama told them that for them to be able to perform their duties effectively, they must be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Ekiti
Governor Segun Oni of Ekiti State yesterday advised students to study courses which would make them to be self employed.
Oni, who gave the advice at an inaugural lecture at the Ekiti State University of Science and Technology, Ifaki-Ekiti, also admonished the students to shun cultism.
Represented by his deputy, Dr. Sikiru Lawal, the governor charged the students to be employers of labour rather than scramble for white collar jobs.
“The rate of unemployment in the country is a concern to all well-meaning Nigerians, especially those in leadership positions.
“Students should strive to go for courses that will make them self-reliant and employers of labour,” Oni said.
FCT
The NNPC and the PHCN yesterday in Abuja, signed a Gas Supply and Purchase Agreement (GSPA) for gas supply for improved power generation in Nigeria.
The pact is expected to deepen Federal Government’s commitment to rapidly reposition the domestic gas market for sustainability.
Egbin Generating Company Ltd. A subsidiary of the PHCN and NNPC/Pan Ocean Corporation Joint Venture, are joint executors of the gas-to-power agreement.
Speaking at the event, Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Allison-Madueke said the agreement would underpin the supply of 65 million cubic feet of gas per day from Pan Ocean’s Ogharafe Gas Plant to Egbin.
She said the NNPC/SPDC JV and NNPC/Chevron JV would also supply gas to Egbin to boost generation.
Kaduna
The National Blood Transfusion Service NBTS) says it collected 2,989 units of blood from voluntary donors in the past one year.
Dr Abigail Bozegha, the North West Zonal Coo-rdinator of the centre, told newsmen on the occasion of this year’s World Blood Donor Day in Kaduna, that the blood was collected between June 2009 and June this year.
She said 2,516 units of the blood had been distributed to patients in various health institutions in the zone, adding that “the blood went through normal screening and test before being given out to needy people.’’
Bozegha added that the remaining units could not be released for various reasons.
The co-ordinator said the theme for this year’s world blood day campaign was “New Blood for the World’’.
She said blood pressure check, weighing and blood group test services wouldbe provided to walk-in donors free during the week-long event.
Kano
The Kano State Association of Community Pharmacists has urged the management of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to involve its members in the implementation of the programme.
The Chairman of the association, Dr Sadiq Inuwa, made the request in Kano at an interactive session involving NHIS officials, the operators and beneficiaries of the scheme.
“As qualified and registered pharmacists, we request that we be allowed to render our service to the scheme in order to contribute to its success,” Inuwa said.
He said the hospitals and clinics involved in the scheme should not be the only ones to implement it “because we too have a role to play as professionals”.
The chairman suggested that patients should be made to purchase the drugs prescribed for them by the clinics from pharmacists, especially where such hospitals did not have standard pharmacies.
He said the same gesture should be extended to the laboratories and X-ray centres outside the hospitals.
Inuwa explained that the measure would boost the patronage of pharmacies.
Katsina
In a bid to promote self reliance and encourage poultry farming, Kankara Local Government in Katsina State has distributed 1,000 chickens to less privileged persons.
Alhaji Ibrahim Kasko, the Council’s Supervisory Councillor of Education and Social Services Department, told on Saturday that the effort was part of its poverty alleviation programme.
Kasko explained that the beneficiaries, mostly women, were selected from the 11 political wards of the council, adding that each of them got four to five chickens.
He noted that 300 goats were also distributed to orphans and other vulnerable families to empower them economically.
The councillor commended Governor Ibrahim Shema and Kankara Local Government chairman, Alhaji Mamman Sani, for their policies aimed at uplifting peoples living condition.
He pointed out that construction and expansion of schools, roads, hospitals as well as provision of water and electricity across the state had proven their distinctive leadership styles.
Lagos
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday in Lagos said it arrested 2,883 suspected drug traffickers between January and May 2010.
A statement issued by Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, Head of Public Affairs of the NDLEA said that the suspects included 2,780 males and 103 females.
According to the statement, 77,796.12kg of narcotic drugs were seized from the suspects.
The statement said that cannabis, popularly called Indian hemp, formed the biggest chunk at 77,267.04 kg.
It said psychotropic substances accounted for 419.59 kg of the seizures, while cocaine and heroin of 82.281 kg and 27.21 kg respectfully, made up the balance.
The statement also disclosed that 674 offenders were convicted by the law courts within the period.
Ogun
The Ijebu-Ode Local Government Council in Ogun has engaged the services of town criers to educate the people on the dangers of dumping of refuse in the drainage system.
Mr Rotimi Ojuyiingbo, Chief Environmental Officer of the council, said that the measure was part of the council’s public enlightenment campaign against dumping of refuse in public drains.
Ojuyiingbo told newsmen in Ijebu-Ode in Ogun yesterday that the dumping of refuse in drains had caused flooding in the town.
He said that the campaign would take the town criers to all the markets and houses in the town on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays of each week.
Oyo
An Ibadan Grade ‘C’ Customary Court yesterday dissolved the five-year-old marriage between Azeez Musibau and Kafilat Musibau on the grounds of jealousy and stubbornness.
Musibau, an Islamic cleric, told the court that his wife was stubborn and had not given him peace of mind to carry out his duties in the mosque.
He also said that Kafilat did not trust him and was always accusing him of having extra-marital affairs with women during Islamic meetings.
The man added that he never understood why his wife thought he was unfaithful, as he had done his best not to let her down.
He told the court that before he became an Islamic cleric, he lost the two children he had from Kafilat.
But Kafilat accused her husband of infidelity by bringing different women into their matrimonial home.
Plateau
The Plateau Government says it has concluded arrangements to “flood” Jos and Bukuru towns with taxi cabs following the ban on commercial motorcycle operation in the two towns.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Gregory Yenlong, disclosed the plan in Jos yesterday.
Yenlong said that the state government was only waiting for the statistics of the commercial motorcyclists, popularly, especially in Jos, as they would be the prime beneficiaries of the cabs.
The commissioner also said that government would assist interested civil servants and some of the former commercial motorcyclists with loans to enable them buy their own cabs.
He, however, said that government was not considering the option of tricycles for now.
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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