Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Adamawa-German Medical Centre (AGMC) in Yola says
it has treated about 14,000 patients since inception in 2012.
The Administrator of the centre, Mrs Fadimatu Yakubu, made this known in an interview with newsmen.
Yakubu said the centre had at December 2015 handled 13,284 out-patients and 673 in-patients.
“Within the period under review, this centre which is rendering world class service carried out 220 surgeries, 107 mammography, 309 CT scan and 88 MRI, among others.
“A total of 8,345 patients had undergone various tests from March 2012 to December 2015. Our laboratory is fully equipped to carry out all kinds of medical test,” Yakubu said.
Borno
The Borno State Government, has awarded a N660 million
contract to three indigenous firms for the supply of medical equipment to public hospitals in the state.
The indigenous companies are Trans Sahara International Ltd, Kabiru Muhammad and Co Ltd and Kime International Ltd.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Haruna Mishelia, signed the contract on behalf of the State government, while representatives of the firms signed on behalf of their companies.
Mishelia said that the contract would include the provision of medical equipment, beds and beddings, as well as additional wards at Maimusari Healthcare Clinic in Maiduguri.
The commissioner said that the contacts were awarded after approval of the state Executive Council.
FCT
National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has
called on government to improve existing response mechanism to ensure rapid response in cases of disease outbreaks in the country.
President of the association, Dr Muhammad Askira, made the call at a news conference in Abuja on the recent outbreak of Lassa fever.
Askira said the disease had so far claimed 43 lives in 10 states and the FCT Abuja.
He decried the emergency response arrangement set up by the government to tackle outbreak of any epidemic of this nature.
Jigawa
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria
(MACBAN) has urged nomads to desist from grazing their livestock at night as the practice can raise suspicion among members of the community concerned.
The National President of the association, Alhaji Muhammad Kirowa, gave the warning in Dutse while speaking with newsmen.
According to Kirowa, the warning has become necessary in view of the current security challenges the country is facing.
He said that it had become necessary to warn the nomads against grazing at night because they had been accused of committing all sorts of crime during the night.
The president of the association also urged parents to desist from sending their under-aged children out to graze at night.
Kaduna
The Chairman, Southern Kaduna Christian Leader’s Council,
Bishop Joseph Bagobiri, has urged the people of the area to hold on to their faith and trust in God for deliverance.
Bagobiri gave the advice in a sermon delivered at the 15th Annual Southern Kaduna National Prayer Summit held at the Catholic Cathedral, Kafanchan.
The Bishop said that the message was against the backdrop of attacks witnessed in the area between 2012 and 2015 that led to wanton destruction of lives and property.
According to him, the Summit provides the platform and a rallying point for the people of the area to consolidate on the spirit of unity.
Kano
Kano State Government will host the forthcoming
conference on National Council on Agriculture scheduled to hold between February 8 and February 12.
The State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, made this known in Kano in an interview with newsmen recently.
According to him, the local organising committee has been set up by the government to ensure the success of the event.
He said stakeholders from the 36 states and FCT as well as participants from outside the country are expected to attend the conference.
Katsina
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in
Katsina State has intercepted a lorry loaded with cannabis sativa, psychotropic substances and cough syrups concealed in paint containers.
The NDLEA State Commandant, Hajiya Maryam Sani, who disclosed this to newsmen in Katsina, said that the vehicle was intercepted in Katsina on Friday, following a tip-off.
‘’The suspects placed real paints on top, whereas the others were below to deceive people into believing it was all paints that were being transported.
“When the vehicle was stopped by our men on duty, the some of the occupants of the vehicle took to their heels while two persons were arrested,’’ she said.
The commandant added that the items concealed inside the paint containers included cannabis sativa wrapped with polythene materials, hundreds of bottles of cough syrups, different types of psychotropic substances and other prohibited drugs.
Lagos
Alaguntan Community Development Association (CDA)
in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State has commended Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode for approving the reconstruction of 114 inner roads across the state.
Our correspondent reports that the reconstruction of 114 inner roads, two in each of the 57 council areas, is an initiative of the Ambode administration.
The project, which is being fully funded by the State Government, is slated for completion in six months at a cost of N17.5 billion.
The General Secretary of the Alaguntan CDA, Mr Bada Saubana, said that the inclusion of Shotunde Street in the community among roads slated for reconstruction was a welcome development.
According to him, the reconstruction of the community roads will open up the areas for more socio- economic activities and improve the welfare of the people.
Nasarawa
The Karshi Development Area Council in Nasarawa State
has warned workers against truancy, absenteeism and other sharp practices for improved productivity.
The Director of Personnel Management (DPM) Mr Musa Adamu, of the council, gave the warning in an interview with newsmen in Karshi.
He advised the workers to buckle up to record optimal productivity in the council and justify the huge investment of government at the grass roots.
“I want to appeal to the staff of the council to be punctual, dedicated, diligent and be more committed to their duty and to contribute their quota to national development.
“I am also calling on the workers to shun non-chalant attitude to work and other sharp practices.
“Doing that, will not only move the council forward, it will also enable the public have trust in the council administration for grassroots development and the country at large,’’ he said.
Niger
The Coordinator of Fadama III project in Niger, Mr Aliyu
Kutigi, said that the state had acquired farm inputs worth N28.2 million for ten production clusters.
Kutigi made this known in Minna when he presented the report of project implementation to the Team Leader of the World Bank assisted Fadama III Additional Financing Project, Dr Adetunji Oredipe.
According to him, the agricultural inputs are of 30 metric tonnes of improved rice seeds, 2,300 litres of herbicides and 150 metric tonnes of fertilisers to farmers under Fadama project.
“I will like to inform you that the state has gone far in the implementation of Fadama III Additional Financing (AF) as one of core states.
“The state has 970 hectares of rice, comprising 700 hectares in 2015 rainy season and 270 hectares for dry season,’’ Kutigi said.
He said the state government was committed to the Fadama III Additional Financing Project, adding that benefitting communities were also cooperating.
Oredipe commended Niger Government for the success it had so far recorded in the project, but stressed the need to add value to the project.
Plateau
The Plateau State Commissioner for Housing and Urban
Development, Mr Samuel Gahe has urged contractors to step up effort and perform creditably.
Galadima, who gave the assurance wile interacting with contractors executing government projects in the state, said the current administration would also complete projects embarked upon by the previous administration.
The Commissioner said since the contractors had been fully mobilized financially, any excuse for non-performance would not be accepted.
“This government is very determined not to leave any project uncompleted.
“That is why it has given finances to the contractors handling various projects to ensure completion within the time frame”, he said.
Sokoto
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, said that the
government would undertake a verification of all workers on the payroll of the state and local governments.
Tambuwal announced this when he received the National President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE, Mr Ibrahim Khalil, in Sokoto.
The governor was quoted in a statement by his media aide, Imam Imam, as saying that the exercise was “to reposition the civil service.”
“We will carry out full verification to ascertain the number of workers we have at the state and local government levels.”
The governor said that the exercise would also end “the culture of truancy especially at LGAs where workers go to work late and in some instances, they don’t go at all.”
Tambuwal restated his support for full autonomy of local councils and urged NULGE to sustain its campaign to ensure amendment to the relevant sections of the Constitution.”
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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