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Tag: Agency

  • Agency seeks end to sexual violence

    Agency seeks end to sexual violence

    Activities to mark the International Domestic Violence Awareness Month kicked off last Thursday in Lagos State, with a call by Hon. Adedamola Kasunmu of the Lagos State House of Assembly, for increased effort to combat sexual and domestic violence in the state.

    Kasunmu, a member representing Ikeja II Constituency, made the call during a Domestic Walk and Street Campaign organised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) in partnership with the Lagos State House of Assembly and Ikeja Local Government, to commemorate the month.

    He told The Nation that the Lagos State House of Assembly and Ikeja Local Government are interested in the Domestic Walk and Street Campaign because “it’s a campaign against violence, against rape and all forms of sexual abuse, and it affects everyone; women, men, and children.”

    Kasunmu, who studied law at the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom (UK), added: “Personally, I also feel that the protection of life is the constitutional duty of a legislator, as well as a public office holder, and, as stipulated in the 1999 constitution as amended, we must make sure that the rights of the Nigerian person are protected.”

    The commemoration was flagged off by street campaigns on Thursday morning that took place simultaneously in Ikeja, Lagos Island, Mushin and Alimosho. It featured participants from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Union of Teachers, Civil Society Groups, and members of the public.

    The lawmaker also commended the office of the Lagos State Attorney-General on the issue of domestic violence.

    He said: “Since September 2014, we acknowledge that through this prestigious ministry, the facilitation of the ratifying of the executive order that established the sex offenders’ register and mandated reports policy came into existence.

    “Furthermore, over 2000 school students have been trained on rape prevention, self-defense and preserving evidence attached to this issue. Also trained are mandated reporters ranging from health officials to teachers, school administrators and social counselors dealing with child abuse and violence complaints.”

    Other events for the commemoration include training of Divisional Police Officers (DPO), which will hold on Friday, and will be facilitated by experts on the field on how to make use of the relevant laws and assist in improving capacity, as well as a visit to Shelter and Transit homes to interact with survivors.

    The training of the DPOs will be focused on increasing the level of awareness among users of the Prevention Against Domestic Violence Law, 2007, the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), as well as the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    It will also seek to prepare users of the relevant laws for the full implementation of the Laws by the Lagos State Judiciary and Ministry of Justice, while assistance will also be provided in improving the capacity of users of the Laws to implement the Law.

    Resource persons at the workshop are Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Rule of Law, Professor Ayo Atsenuwa, Professor of Law, University of Lagos and Dr. Princess Oluyede.

    They will focus on topics such as, Process of obtaining Protection Orders under the Prevention Against Domestic Violence Law and Corroboration and Best practices for investigating Sexual and Gender Based Violence Cases.

    The commemoration of the International Domestic Violence Awareness Month will be rounded off with a Dinner/Endorsement to be hosted by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, with members of the DSVRT and relevant stakeholders including traditional rulers, Judges of the Family Court, the Police, the media and market women in attendance.

    Stakeholders that have distinguished themselves in the fight against Domestic Violence will also be recognised.

     

  • Agency, bank educates customers

    Amoye Microfinance Bank Limited, in collaboration with Partnership for Economic Policy, Canada (PEP) and Initiative for Evidence Based Development and Empowerment, Nigeria (IEBDEM) has educated staff and customers on the importance of microcredit for women empowerment. It also advised them on the inherent risk in loans disbursement.

    This topped the agenda at a workshop on poverty alleviation and women empowerment held at at Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State at the weekend.

    Chairman of the bank, Mr. Feyi Ogoji, represented by the Managing Director, Mr. Akanle Lateef Oluwole, said the workshop was to sensitise the customers on the various products available in the bank to drive SME through funding with microcredit and microfinance.

  • ‘What clients want from PR agency’

    ‘What clients want from PR agency’

    The President, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), David Okeme, has said clients are always looking out for the public relations (PR) agency that can change perception and societal behaviour with just one image.

    Okeme, who is also the Brand Building Director, Unilever Nigeria, spoke at this month’s Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) Breakfast Meeting in Lagos.

    He said at the heart of clients’ expectations from any campaign is the public relations strategy that connects with the people and delivers values.

    He explained that Unilever became the most competitive company in the world because it had developed three pillars strategy in creating brands namely, putting people first, building brand love and unlocking the magic.

    According to him, “In putting people first, Unilever sees people as the reason for its existence and, therefore, creates brands that offer real value and provides solutions to everyday lives. Secondly, in terms of building brand love, we create a purpose that becomes a high level anchor that consumers buy into and thus enhance business growth. Thirdly, to unlock the magic, the consumer must find the logic to believe in the superiority of the brand.”

    On how the company puts those pillars into use, Okeme shared video case studies of campaigns that were created to offer real value to the society, including one that led to the provision of safe water for a community.

    Since brand align ideas that both affect societal change and drive business, Okeme said the challenge was for PR to create a point of convergence that connects with the society to remain relevant.

    He said: “PR needs to get the point of convergence right in a way that is creative and strategic to elevate PR from being a transactional activity – which is how we have handled PR for quite some time – to a creative and strategic partner that brings about change in the society and growth in the business.”

    He advised PR experts to explore the potential of using word-of-mouth to achieve consumer conversion in brand use. He added that in some parts of the world, powerful PR tools yield positive results because it is more believable.

    “For clients, growth happens not with the loyal consumers but when there is a conversion as a result of a top-of-the-mind awareness that is brought about by creative story-telling,” Okeme said.

    He said PR is integral to helping the brand create social impact that would, ultimately, unlock growth and therefore, practitioners needed to elevate themselves to the position of strategic partners with organisations to become indispensable in all the discussions on brand building.

    Meanwhile, PRCAN President, John Ehiguese, said practitioners should change their strategies and embrace creative and strategic story telling that creates convergence with society.

    “The learning from this session, for me, is the clarion call to practitioners to be more creative in their story-telling approach that would ensure that people start talking about the brand and not necessarily the organisation,” Ehiguese said.

    The event was sponsored by CMC Connect Burston-Masteller, a member-firm of PRCAN.

  • Agency busts human trafficking syndicate

    Agency busts human trafficking syndicate

    •Dubai-based traffickers paraded

    THE National Agency for the Prohibition Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has bust an human trafficking syndicate.

    Five members of the gang were paraded in Lagos yesterday by NAPTIP officials.

    They are Homuere Terry Smooth, Priscilla Effiong Bassey, Precious Ejiro Owoh, Blessing Gabriel and Rose Gabriel.

    The agency said the syndicate specialised in luring young ladies into prostitution overseas. Two girls were lured into prostitution in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE), it claimed.

    NAPTIP Head of Press and Public Relations Mr Josiah Emerole said the suspects were arrested in collaboration with local and international law enforcement agencies after videos, which showed the naked victims swearing to an oath, went viral on the social media.

    One of the victims, identified as Ann, was rescued by the agency and brought back home to re-unite with her family. Emerole said the other victim whose name was given as Chisom was out of the traffickers’ reach adding that efforts were on to track other members of the syndicate still at large.

    Ann was allegedly recruited into prostitution in Dubai by Precious, a Lagos-based make-up artist.

    Emerole said: “The process of preparing Ann for the Dubai trip was coordinated by Rose, an elder sister to the UAE-based Blessing. The suspects attempted to force the victim to a shrine for oath of secrecy. On arrival in Dubai, the oath of secrecy, which could not be administered in Nigeria, was forcefully administered on Ann and recorded.

    “The recording was later released on YouTube, a video-sharing website, after Ann escaped from her exploiters in Dubai, where she was forced into prostitution contrary to the initial promise of being given a job at a hairdressing saloon.”

    Terry, the agency said, rented a seven-bedroom duplex house in Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos, where she harboured young girls for prostitution. Emerole said the girls paid N10,500 weekly to Terry as commission for fixing them up in sex work.”

    He added: “Terry used the building, where she paid N3.2 million yearly, to harbour all kinds of girls from within and outside Nigeria and charges them N10,500 each weekly. It was in the house that Chisom met Priscilla Bassey Effiong, who claimed to be a businesswoman. Priscilla recruited Chisom for a Dubai-based Ebony Fegor, who has been in trafficking business since 2011.”

    In an interview with reporters, the suspects gave contradictory accounts of their roles in the syndicate. But, Priscilla, an indigene of Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, confessed to the crime.

    Terry, who hails from Bayelsa State, maintained that she helped the girls to get jobs in Dubai.

    Eromole said the suspects’ activities violated the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

    He added: “The suspects would be arraigned in court soon, while efforts are being intensified at the diplomatic level to track all other members of this syndicate who are still in Dubai.”

     

  • NNPC, agency in talks on delivery of crude to refineries

    NNPC, agency in talks on delivery of crude to refineries

    The National Inland Waterways Authority ( NIWA) has initiated discussion with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) on how to deliver crude to the refineries through the waterways.

    The Acting Managing Director of NIWA, Mr Danaladi Ibrahim, told reporters in Lokoja yesterday that formal discussions with the management of the NNPC on the proposal would begin this week.

    Danaladi said NIWA was encouraged to initiate the proposal following the decision to stop the delivery of crude by trucks to the refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.

    He said the NIWA could deliver crude through barges to the refineries, describing the option as cheaper, safe and environment-friendly.

    Ibrahim said NIWA also had the capacity to deliver refined products through inland waterways to all states, except Katsina and Kano.

    He said the organisation had procured enough tugboats to drive the barges, which were of varying capacities from 300 to 800 tonnes.

    The NIWA chief said the organisation had also procured 17 gunboats to guarantee the security of the facilities and personnel involved in the operation.

    Ibrahim hoped the proposal would be considered by the NNPC, saying the organisation had taken steps to protect the banks of River Niger.

    This is to prevent the dredged channel which was undertaken at a cost of N36 billion from being blocked.

    The NIWA chief said the country would reap the benefits of the dredging, saying more companies were ready to use barges to move their products.

    Ibrahim suggested the establishment of an inland waterways trust fund.

    He said the fund would make it compulsory for stakeholders in the maritime sector to pay a certain percentage of their earnings for the development of inland waterways infrastructure.

    Ibrahim said his vision was to unlock the potential of the sector in line with efforts of the government to diversify the economy.

    “Our prayer is that the Federal Government should muster the necessary political will to finance it while we provide adequate manpower,” he said.

    He also spoke of plans to maintain waterways and develop the waterfront in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Asaba and Warri through a public-private partnership arrangement.

  • EFCC moves in as $4.5b tax scandal hits agency

    EFCC moves in as $4.5b tax scandal hits agency

    Commission grills NIPC officials

    Three ex-ministers, Customs chiefs for questioning

    How did 20 oil companies get $4.5 million tax holidays to which they are not entitled?

    This is the puzzle the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is battling to resolve.

    Helping the EFCC are some officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

    The Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Solid Minerals and the Nigerian Customs Service may also be probed for questionable tax waivers, it was learnt yesterday.

    A former Special Assistant to an ex-minister has been interrogated by the anti-graft agency.

    Besides, three former ministers and some officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) are likely to be interrogated by the anti-graft agency.

    The tax holidays were given to the oil firms during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    It was gathered that about 20 local oil companies benefited from the bonanza after buying over marginal fields from some International Oil Companies (IOCs).

    A source at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment said: “The EFCC is investigating the ministry and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission [NIPC] for tax holidays to about 20 oil companies.

    “We actually got a letter of invitation which was dated 28th of July, 2015 and it was received by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry.

    “The EFCC letter requested for the appearance of the director (Industrial Inspectorate Division) for interaction.”

    Two directors of NIPC, who were allegedly responsible for granting these tax holidays, have also been grilled by the EFCC.

    A former Executive Secretary and Chief Executive of NIPC when the tax holidays were given has also been questioned, The Nation learnt.”

    Another source confirmed the invitation of no fewer than six top officials of the ministry and the NIPC.

    The source added: “The Special Assistant to a former Minister was invited and also quizzed over the issue and other cases involving some unrefunded monies paid in 2013 by the NIPC to the former minister.”

    The former aide reportedly made “some useful statements and offered to make some refunds.”

    When our correspondent sought clarification from the EFCC, a source said: “We are looking into some allegations on tax holidays involving some top officials of NIPC and the Ministry of Trade.”

    But the source refused to disclose the list of those grilled and the 20 oil firms involved because “investigation is still ongoing”.

    NIPC is the agency, which approves tax holidays under the Industrial Development Act for companies that are taxable under the Company Income Tax Act.

    NIPC was in the news a few months ago for granting illegal waivers to oil companies taxable under the Petroleum Profit Tax Act between 2010 and 2014.

    A former Executive Secretary of NIPC, Mrs Saratu Umar, was sacked at the twilight of the Jonathan administration for allegedly “refusing to grant tax holidays to some oil companies.”

    Until the Tax Waivers were stopped last year, the nation lost huge revenue to the Federation Account running into billions of dollars.

    On May 10, the former Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, raised the alarm that the Federal Government had lost over $20b to tax holidays fraudulently granted companies by NIPC officials.

    She said: “Pioneer status (tax holidays) was granted to companies whose products do not meet the requirements of the list of industries or products specified in the schedule to the Act.

    “NIPC officials granted tax holidays for a straight five-year period, contrary to the provision of Section 10 of the Act, which states that the tax relief period for a pioneer company shall commence from the production date of the company and shall continue for a period of three years in the first instance, and may be extended for a period of one year and thereafter for another one year, or for a period of two years, subject to the satisfaction of Mr. President that certain requirements, such as rate of expansion, standard of efficiency, level of development of company, among others, are met.”

  • Five dead in Bauchi flood, says agency

    Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said yesterday that the heavy rain from last Friday and Monday claimed five lives.

    Two of the victims were from Dambam Local Government in Bauchi Central and three from Tafawa Balewa Council in Bauchi South.

    A SEMA official, Abubakar Umar, said: “In Dambam Local Government on August 16, following a downpour, which caused the washing away of houses and farm land, the daughters of Hamisu Saleh, Salamatu, 7, and Halima, 4, were carried away by flood when their house collapsed.

    “Their mother, Hamisu, sustained injuries. She also fainted, but was revived in hospital.”

    SEMA’s interim report said 600 houses were washed away.

    Relief materials, such as rice, corn, guinea corn, clothes, mattresses among others, have been sent to the victims.

  • Agency okays 74 meters for NERC licence

    • ‘Fed Govt pays 80% of people on electricity right of way’

    Of the 93 meters tested by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), only 19 failed, it was learnt at the weekend.

    Its Managing Director, Peter Ewesor, who spoke to The Nation in Abuja, said the  meters that passed the test were being sent to the  Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for licencing.

    According to him, the agency had also tested over 170,000 electricity meters from which only about 1000 failed.

    He explained that the meters that failed the accuracy test have been returned to the manufacturers for a rework before they can be used in Nigeria.

    Ewesor said NEMSA and the commission were resolving some of the issues on the metering code to ensure there are better meters in Nigeria.

    His words: “We have tested well over 17,000 meters and few of them have failed may be about 1000 plus have failed. Then, you find out that we have tested about 93 types of meters for which we gave certificate with which they are going to Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission for their licence.

    “So, those 93 meter types, I think 19 of them have failed. What that means is that if those 19 that failed didn’t go through the meter test, we shouldn’t have been able to discover them. That means that types can bring about several thousands of meters to Nigeria because they will be bringing the meters that are not good to the country.”

    He also said the Federal Government has compensated over 80 per cent of the people that built their houses on electricity right of way (under high tension).

    “I can tell you to that more than 80 per cent of the people you see build their houses under the lines, especially when the line meets them have been paid compensation,” said Ewesor.

    NEMSA, he revealed will embark on a sensitisation tour to meet the concerned local government chairmen and state governors on the danger of living under a high tension.

    He said: “What we intend to do is to do a lot of sensitisation, awareness campaign for people to know the danger people are posed to when living under the lines. You are exposed to constant radiation from the transmission line, the voltage and what that means is overtime is that it will affect the health of people living in the place.

    “And we are going to do this overtime, meet state governors, meet local government chairmen give them advise, enlighten them on the consequences there. We can actually solve those problems because if a state governor knows that his people are living under risk, living under high tension line.”

     

  • Tension in Anambra as govt agency, business owners clash

    There was tension on the streets of Awka, capital of Anambra State yesterday, following a clash between operatives of the Anambra Traffic Management Agency (ATMA) and members of Aroma Traders Owners Association (ATOA).

    The government Agency officials defied the Federal Government public holidays to extort money from motorists.

    Some motorists who refused to play ball by refusing bribe the traffic officers had their vehicles towed away by the traffic officers.

    The action of the traffic officers angered some motorists and business owners, who protested the agency’s action.

    Following the resistance, the ATMA officials called for reinforcements, leading to exchange of blows by the parties.

    The traffic officers operated in an all yellow Hilux jeep, with the inscription: Anambra Traffic Management Agency 003.

    One of the agency’s official, who pleaded anonymity, accused members of the business owners association of breaking into the office of the traffic agency to retrieve a vehicle seized by the agency, describing such action as an offence.

    Spokesperson of the traders union told the The Nation that the traffic officials were fond of disrupting business activities in the area.

    The Agency was set up by former Governor Peter Obi as part of the efforts to decongest roads in towns in the state.

    As at the time of filling this report, the business owners, numbering over 150, had moved to the B- Division Police office in Awka to register their protest.

    The business owners are appealing to Governor Willie Obiano to provide a parking lot for their customers in order to end what they describes the continued harassments of the agency officials.

  • Agency directs Discos to comply with standards

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Peter Ewezor, has directed Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOS) and Construction Companies to comply with Sector Specific Minimum Standards and Global Best Practices on Safety to avoid being sanctioned  by the body.

    Speaking while on an inspection of project sites of  the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company(ABUJA DISCO) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Ewezor said there are pronounced cases of impunity and technical gaps in the power and construction projects in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria .

    He said NEMSA is carrying out nationwide enforcement /advocacy visitations to sites where there are faults in power lines, railway/ roads and building constructions.

    Ewezor, who identified some areas in the FCT with some constructions defects, said the companies would be sanctioned, unless they rectify the defects.

    He said with the coming into effect of the NEMSA ACT, 2015,  the era of impunity is over, and that it would no longer be business as usual.

    The honey moon is over, Nigerians and Stakeholders in Construction & Electricity sector must imbibe the culture of change in all facets of life and do the needful to avoid sanctions, he said.

    He listed the defaulting companies in the FCT to include Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, which has many of its feeder pillars dangerously exposed, as well as  its high tension cables too low that it could be touched.

    He also listed the CCECC which built its railway line in Kubwa, near the 33KV power tension.

    The NEMSA chief said letters had been written to these companies about the dangers these projects posed to human lives, adding that they would still be reminded to rectify these projects.

    He streesed the need for  the affected companies to comply and rectify the defects projects, failure NEMSA would visit them with the full weight of the law.

    Ewezor called on the companies concerned to provide what he called, cradle guards, or armod cables to protect the exposed high tension cables .

    He enjoined the Electricity Distribution Companies and Construction Companies operating in Nigeria to institutionalise the ideals of Projects Monitoring & Evaluation its Governance structure in order to ensure effective monitoring of Projects.

    The unscheduled NEMSA site visitation had in attendance, the full compliments of the Media (Electronics & Prints), senior officials/Management Team of NEMSA and Consumer Rights Advocate, Kunle Kola Olubiyo (President, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network), among others.