The Nation Newspaper

Category: Uncategorized

  • Cyber fraud endangers CBN’s ‘cashless policy’, says CDS

    Cyber fraud endangers CBN’s ‘cashless policy’, says CDS

    •‘Defence Headquarters’ website hacked’

    The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshall Uluseyi Petinrin, has s said the rise in cyber fraud endangers Nigeria’s ‘cashless policy.’

    Speaking at the ‘World Cyber Security Conference’ yesterday in Abuja, the CDS also said unknown persons have accessed the computer systems of the Defence Headquarters and Nigerian Navy.

    Air Chief Marshall Petinrin wasrepresented at the conference by the Chief of Research and Development, Major-General M. K. Amao.

    He noted that there is an upsurge in high profile hacking against top corporations and institutions around the world.

    According to the CDS, most systems are being infiltrated and confidential information stolen.

    He said: “Here in Nigeria, our defence and security institutions have not been left out. My defence headquarters’ website, for example, was hacked not too long ago. One of the services, the Navy, also had its website hacked.

    ‘’We are also aware of similar experiences with other security agencies in the country.

    “Furthermore, the threat posed by the Boko Haram sect through online reports of their activities needs to be effectively checked.’’

    The CDS said the Defence Headquarters has sucessfully deployed Information Communication Technology (ICT), surveillance and tracking equipment to locate criminals and Boko Haram insurgents.

    But he said more would be achieved ‘’if we apply cyber technology and space researches to tackle the country’s contemporary security challenges.”

    Air Chief Marshall Petinrin said criminals have attacked cloud-based servers in a global fraud campaign affecting about 60 banks worldwide, stealing billions of dollars.

  • How best to run the bailout fund, by Amaka Igwe

    How best to run the bailout fund, by Amaka Igwe

     Mrs. Amaka Igwe is one of Nollywood’s most respected directors. She spoke with VICTOR AKANDE on how the Federal Government should administer the intervention fund for the entertainment industry. Excerpts: 

    What is your opinion on the $200m Federal Government intervention fund?

    It’s a brilliant initiative. Film making is a business, and I am glad the government recognises this fact. So, the intervention fund is a welcome development in the same way that they did for the agricultural sector, the textile industry and others. Film-making is not just a trade; it’s an industry.

     

    But people like Ola Balogun are of the opinion that grant or film fund is more realistic than a loan…

     

    Ola Balogun comes from a culture where funding for film is a way of life for the industry. But here in Nigeria, filmmaking is more commercial oriented. Funding of film projects is more for students or other film makers who make specialised films that address social and environment issues like ecology and what have you. But that is not to say grants are not good. Both are good. At least, such is also supposed to generate and increase activities in the film industry. But what we are doing right now in Nigeria is majorly commercial. The way the Nigerian film industry is structured is commercial. With time, grant issues will happen.

     

    How realistic is return on investment under the present circumstances?

     

    That’s where I have problem with intervention fund. Making a film that will guarantee return right now is difficult, because distribution is largely unorganised in a country where we have 82 per cent piracy. We are not distributing formally. Somebody makes a film in a country of about 168 million people and manages to sell just 20, 000; that’s not distribution. In American, for example, films are sold online for about 19 dollars. Even Ghanaian films sell better than our own films. I think the intervention fund should be geared more towards distribution of films. Censors Board has told us that onle 25, 000 of the video clubs in the country are registered. If truly they regulated these outlets and a film maker is able to make just N2, 000 from each outlet., multiply what he gets and see what we mean… If this happens, then a film maker does not even have to wait for intervention fund. All he needs is to go to the bank, show them the sales record, and get s a loan to do his next movie. How can 40 filmmakers make money from the few cinemas that we have in this country? Nothing can be done until we look at distribution. I am of the opinion that every state should identify the video clubs and regulate them. The issue of video clubs is on concurrent list.

     

    What is your reaction to criticism trailing Tony Abulu as the first beneficiary of the NEXIM Bank loan, in view of the fact that he lives abroad?

     

    I have a different opinion to that. He is a Nigerian. The only reservation I have with that arrangement is that it may not put money back into our economy as envisaged. This is because 70 per cent of that film is shot in New York. But come to think of it again, the money Tony Abulu got was not a grant; it’s a loan, and he is going to pay it back.

     

    Gab Okoye is also pursuing the intervention fund loan to set up distribution outlets…

     

    Fantastic! Those are the people thinking positively for this industry. This is not the question of whether the people who didn’t go to the university can’t make a film.

     

     

  • Seme Command decorates newly promoted officers

    Seme Command decorates newly promoted officers

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Seme Border Command, has decorated 23 of the 29 officers, who were promoted nationwide.

    At Seme, an officer was promoted to Comptroller.

    Five others were promoted to Assistant Comptroller.

    Also, others were elevated to Chief Superintendent, Superintendent, Dep. Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent 1 and Assistant Superintendent 11.

    Many more were promoted to Deputy Chief Inspector, Assistant Chief Inspector, Principal Inspector and Senior Inspector.

    Speaking during the ceremony at the Officers’ Mess at Seme, Area Comptroller Julius Ogbu, urged the officers to see themselves as lucky.

    He said: “The officers being decorated for the recent promotion in the command should see it as a rare privilege because not everybody who wrote the examination were promoted”.

    Ogbu said those promoted to Comptroller and Assistant Comptroller were not decorated at Seme, as they have to wait for a similar ceremony at Immigration Office in Ikeja.

    The Area Comptroller said an officer could pass the promotion examination, and yet may not be elevated because of lack of vacancy.

    Among the elevated officers are Etim Emah, Comptroller, Border Patrol; Adekunle Adewale (CSI); Kashim Ahmed (CSI); Sowumi Olaniyi (Superintendent) Ochapa Anatu (PII); Adekeye Joseph (DSI); and Osunkunle Olumide (DCII).

    Others include Ishola Fatai (PII); Hussein Salamatu (Superintendent); Solomon John (ACII); Dashe Albert (AC II); and Babana Shaba (ACII).

    Speaking on behalf of others, newly promoted superintendent Sowumi Olaniyi said the “honour would propel us to better performance. I thank the management for doing us good.”

  • PPA backs Tinubu’s call on scrapping of Senate

    The National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Chief Sam Nkire, yesterday threw his weight behind the call by the former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, that the Senate should be scrapped .

    Asiwaju Tinubu, speaking at the Leadership Group of Newspapers’ award ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, had advocated a unicameral legislature to reduce the cost of governance and improve the lives of the people.

    The PPA chair, speaking in Abuja, said the PDP-controlled Federal Government would be deceiving Nigerians if it says it has no knowledge of how to reduce the cost of governance.

    Nkiru said government must be willing to reduce costs, not only in the Legislature, but also in the Executive and Judiciary, to provide the people with basic security, food and shelter.

    He said the government must not wait for more Nigerians to die of hunger or be killed or displaced before realising the need to cut down on its excesses.

    The PPA chair said the government must also take a look at the size and structure of government at the state and local government levels to reduce wastages, which prevent the people from being protected and taken care of.

  • Adamawa: ACN worried over ‘ploy to frustrate’ it right to appeal

    Adamawa: ACN worried over ‘ploy to frustrate’ it right to appeal

    •Party urges NJC to intervene

     

    The Action Congress of Nigeria has (ACN) yesterday expressed concern over what it sees as a deliberate ploy to deny it right to justice and frustrate its right of appeal in the Adamawa Governorship Election Tribunal by the Court of Appeal.

    In a statement in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party described as curious and worrisome, the fact that as of today the 19th of September (yesterday) a mere three days before the appeal becomes statute barred, the Court of Appeal has neither constituted a panel nor fixed a date for the hearing of the appeal.

    Mindful of Section 285(7) of the Constitution as amended, which says that an appeal from a decision of an Election tribunal or court shall be heard and disposed of within 60 days from the date of the delivery of the judgement of the Tribunal, the party filed and served all processes within the time stipulated by law and by the 5th of September 2012, that is 14 days ago, the Appeal was ripe for hearing.

    Concerned by the silence from the Court of Appeal despite this, two separate letters of reminder were addressed to the Acting President of the Court of Appeal , all to no avail, the party explained.

    In the opinion of the party, the only logical conclusion for this bizarre conduct of the Court of Appeal in this matter is that it deliberately wants to deny the party and its candidate the right to be heard, as it is the law now that once an election petition appeal even without any fault of the Petitioner/ Appellant cannot be heard and determined within 60 days from the date of the delivery of the Tribunal’s judgement -in this case by the 22nd of September 2012- such a petition has ceased to exist and by implication becomes statute barred.

    Nerves are already severely frayed in the country today and the Court of Appeal is advised not to use the excuse of the expiration of 60 days to deny the party and its candidate the right to justice as this will be an invitation to chaos and further erosion of the confidence of the people in Judiciary, which at the moment is not enjoying any rave review, the party warned.

    The party, therefore, calls on the National Judicial Council to prevail on the Court of Appeal not to lend itself to an act of electoral injustice by the forcible imposition of a contrived time lapse on its appeal and proceed immediately to constitute a panel and fix a date for the hearing of the appeal before the expiration of the 60 days allowed by law.

  • ‘Good Governance Tour begins today’

    To showcase projects executed in the country, the Federal Government has begun what it describes as ‘Good Governance Tour’ today with visits to projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Minister of Information Mr. Labaran Maku said at a Media Interactive Forum organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja, that the tour would cut across projects executed by the three tiers of government.

    Noting that two years are not enough to assess a government that has a four-year mandate, he said the tour would expose Nigerians to the achievements recorded within the period.

    While stressing that the tour would be on non-partisan, he called on the media to be fair in their reports.

    After the tour of projects in each state, he said that a Town Hall meeting would be held to meet minds with the people and offer them the opportunity to comment on the projects in their areas.

  • Nigeria seeks stronger ties with Czechs

    The Nigerian Ambassador to Czech Republic, Mrs Catherine Okon, has stressed the need for a stronger relationship between Nigeria and the Czech Republic.

    Mrs Okon spoke with The Nation on phone after presenting her letter of credence to the Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, at the Presidential Castle in Prague.

    She said the two countries should seek closer ties in technology, security and economic development.

    “ With a population of over 140 million people, Nigeria has the largest market in the West African sub-region,” she said.

    Mrs Okon told Klaus that Nigerian is making progress in the electricity sector and is revamping its decaying infrastructure.

  • NIREC to hold inter-faith confab

    The Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC) is planning to hold a youth summit on mutual co-existence, religious harmony and inter-faith dialogue.

    The summit is aimed at charting a way forward and seeking prayers for the country’s progress ahead of its 52nd independence anniversary.

    NIREC’s National Coordinator/Executive Secretary Professor Is-haq Oloyede urged Christians and Muslims to set aside September 28 and 30 to pray for Nigeria.

    He said: “We… call on Muslims and Christians to organise special prayers on September 28 and 30.

    “Let our Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters dedicate the two days for supplications and earnest prayers for God to liberate Nigeria from the evil pervading the land.”

  • Cleric urges religious leaders on peace

    The Presiding Pastor of Mantle Prayer Ministry, Pastor Isaac Olaomo, has called on religious leaders to promote peace and love in their community.

    Olaomo spoke in an interview with The Nation yesterday as the ministry holds its Special Monthly Prayer Programme on September 19-21 at Ewu-oliwo, Oke-Isimi, Sagamu, Ogun State.

    Olaomo spoke against the recent violent attacks in parts of Africa on the film which some Muslims have claimed insulted Prophet Mohammed.

    Olaomo said: “We may have our differences as a people, but we can live together in an atmosphere of peace and shun all forms of violence that may hinder the much anticipated growth and development within the continent”.

  • ‘Rule of law about to be subverted’

    The Adamawa State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has raised the alarm that hearing in its governorship election petition appeal at the Court of Appeal, Yola, was being delayed.

    The party said the statutory time allowed for the appeal may elapse, if the case is not slated for hearing in time.

    It alleged in a statement that the rule of law was about to be subverted, adding that certain forces are blocking the resumption of the case in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The statement reads: “We consider it imperative to quickly alert the whole world about the tactical delay being imposed on us in our election petition appeal pending at the Court of Appeal, Yola.

    “It is on record that the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivered its judgment on the 25th day of July, 2012 wherein the Tribunal dismissed the Petition of the Petitioners (Markus Natina Gundiri, Alhaji Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas and Action Congress of Nigeria) against the election of Rear Admiral Murtala H. Nyako and Bala James Ngilari, who contested on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party.

    “Dissatisfied with the Tribunal’s judgment, our candidates and the party, Action Congress of Nigeria, filed our respective Notices of Appeal on the 13th day of August, 2012 which initiated the process of compilation of the Record of Appeal and same was entered within the required time in the Registry of the Court of Appeal, Yola Division.

    “In line with the requirement of the law, we filed our respective Briefs of Argument on the 24th day of August, 2012 which were served on all the Respondents. The Respondents, who had five days from the date of service of the Appellants’ briefs, filed their respective reply briefs as follows on the 30th and the 31st days of August, 2012 while we filed our Joint Reply on the 5th day of September, 2012 by which date the appeal was due for hearing.

    It is worthy of note that by virtue of the Provision of Section 285(7) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended):

    “An appeal from a decision of an election tribunal or court shall be heard and disposed of within 60 days from the date of the delivery of the judgment of the Tribunal.

    “We hereby call on all conscionable Nigerians to kindly act now to avoid any form of technicalities aimed at depriving the freely given mandate to the duo of Markus Natina Gundiri and Alhaji Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas on the platform of our great party by the good people of Adamawa state on the 4th day of February, 2012, a mandate which was brazenly stolen in the full glare of the whole world”.