The Nation Newspaper

Tag: agents

  • Agent banking: Banks, agents get 72 hours to resolve complaints

    Agent banking: Banks, agents get 72 hours to resolve complaints

    Banks and agents have 72 hours to resolve customer-related issues in agent banking, according to a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines.

    CBN said financial institutions will be responsible for setting up dispute resolution mechanisms for their agents to facilitate resolution of customers’ complaints.

    It pegged the minimum shareholder fund for Super Agents in Agent Banking at N50 million.

    In a circular to Deposit Money Banks, Mobile Money Operators (MMOs) and switches, signed by its Director of Banking & Payments Department, ‘Dipo Fatokun, CBN insisted that to be licensed, a Super Agent must be a company with an existing business operational for at least 12 months and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    It said the agent must also have a minimum shareholders’ fund unimpaired by losses of N50 million and obtain a reference letter from a financial institution as part of its documentation for licence request.

    The Super Agent must also have a minimum of 50 agents, while applications for such position shall be accompanied with board approval, certificate of incorporation, shareholding structure of the consortium and feasibility study for the agent network, among other conditions.

    “The Nigeria Interbank Settlement Scheme (NIBSS) shall provide the switching infrastructure at all agent locations. The super-agents’ platform shall be for the management and monitoring of the activities of their agents only and shall not hold electronic money value, whereas, the financial institutions shall provide and operate the Mobile Money platform and hold electronic money value,” the circular said.

    It said all MMOs operators platforms must be up to date (inclusive of mandatory integration to NIBSS), tested and active to ensure interoperability between MMOs. Also, all licensed MMOs shall ensure that their platforms are upgraded as needed, tested and active within 30 days from the release of this document.

    For over-the-counter (OTC) transactions, it said the period for holding funds not withdrawn by a receiving customer shall be 30 days. Thereafter, the fund shall be reversed to the sender even as notifications sent to the receiving customer shall indicate the expiry date for the transaction.

  • Beware of fake football agents

    It’s not news that we have so many young Nigerians with the dream of becoming a professional football players. Most of them are often seen attempting to travel abroad all in the quest for professional football careers and many that have managed to cross the shores of the country have a lot to tell you when you meet them outside the country.

    Let me start by saying that there is nothing wrong for any youth to aspire playing professional football abroad but the way and manner they go about it is what is worrisome to me and this calls for serious concern because lots of youths have lost their freedom and dignity because of ambition to travel abroad.

    Meanwhile, I need to make something very clear and it is that our youths that are interested in becoming professional football players abroad should be weary of false agents who come with the idea that the youths should pay certain amount of money for them to be taken abroad  for trials. Many families have had to go through various harrowing experiences to fund their wards through such processes.

    While it is important that we state here clearly that some very important things should be considered when becoming involved in matters like this. Firstly, make sure that the club you want to attend the trials sends an invitation letter to you to participate in their trials. Ensure that you see the club’s invitation letter and not that of a third party in the name of an agent abroad inviting you to a trial to no specific club.

    Another strategy adopted by fraudsters is to say that they are taking the teams abroad for a mini competition and as such they put up a group of players with the notion that after they play the competition they will be discovered by agents who will eventually sign the players into European clubs.

    While some of the players have been able to secure playing contracts through these strategies others have ended up stranded in foreign lands without anyone to turn to. I have said it before now that we have thousands of Nigerian youth’s abroad that travelled with the expectation of playing football only to be abandoned by their so called agents in those countries.

    Depending on the country they find themselves some have resorted into business others have gone into other areas all in the name of trying to survive. But the truth is that because most of the boys are not educated they hardly find any reasonable job to do in Europe and thus becomes destitute in those countries.

    Youths and parents should be very wary about those who come to take your wards in the name of helping them to secure a football contract abroad. Many of these players have often forgotten that abroad, old players cannot find any club and that is why after they are able to secure one deal they find it difficult to renew their contract because of their age

    We need to be very careful because I have heard several negative stories of which if said a lot of families will be shocked. There was a young man I met in Liberia who claimed to have travelled to the country to play football. Honestly but for his name and ability to speak a Nigerian language you would have mistaken him for an airport tug.

    His story was that he was supposed to go to Libya from where he will move on to Spain but unfortunately for him by the time he got to Liberia he had exhausted all the monies that he came with and as such became stuck in Liberia. He was begging us to please give him some money for him to return to Nigeria. We tried the little we could but I don’t know If he eventually used the money to come back home or better still if he decided to stay put in Liberia

    Also in South Africa we have lots of youths that are roaming around the streets. Further investigation will reveal that some of them came to the country to play football but unfortunately today they are unable to play any football. You find them around most Nigerian restaurants begging for food and as I said earlier they have two major problems firstly they don’t have good papers and some don’t have any educational certificates.

    I wish to honestly advise any youth that loves to play football to be very careful and not fall into the trap of fraudsters. You need to know that if you are 25 or 30 years it will be difficult to make a team in Europe and because most players lie about their true age it is very difficult to get those young ones that will want to travel abroad.

    If truly you are good then try playing in one of the various clubs in Nigeria and don’t travel to Sudan, South Africa, Libya and other countries in the name of wanting to play professional football. I wish you all good luck.

    Merry Christmas to all.

  • 200 register as Glo Xchange agents in Abeokuta

    200 register as Glo Xchange agents in Abeokuta

    Over 200 Nigerians at the weekend thronged the Town Hall meeting and training organised for prospective sales agents for Nigeria’s first super mobile money network, the Glo Xchange at the Spices Event Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    Addressing participants, Globacom’s Mobile Money Expert, Mr. Tim Mukata, described the Glo Xchange agentship as a veritable avenue for business minded Nigerians to make money on every transaction without losing their initial deposits.

    “Being a Glo Xchange agent is a win-win situation for agents as the floating capital remains the same at any point in time. The agents will get commissions on every transaction, attract clients to purchase other merchandising items in their shops and carry out transfer of money anytime of the day, seven days a week. It is very safe and easy and I implore Nigerians from all parts of the country to join the train,” Mr. Mukata said.

    He informed the participants that a Glo Xchange agent can make up to a monthly profit of fifty thousand naira initially and increase it as more people transfer money through the platform. He said the agent can graduate to the level of recruiting agents, sub dealers and dealers.

    Mr Mukata who said Globacom was facilitating the network in partnership with Ecobank, Stanbic IBTC, Firstmonie and Zenith Bank, noted that the Glo Xchange network would form the foundation for agency banking in Nigeria in the nearest future.

    Since Glo Xchange was launched three weeks ago, thousands of Nigerians have registered as agents of the country’s first super mobile money agent network.

    Commenting on the training, the representative of the Ogun State League of Cooperative Thrift and Credit Societies which has over one hundred thousand branches, Mr. Kunle Akingbogun commended the initiative and urged Globacom to extend the partnership to Skye Bank for their members to benefit from the scheme.

    In a related development, a prospective sales agent Prince Jaiye Adeleke who recently retired from Union Bank said the agentship would be a continuation of his relationship with people in the last thirty years of his banking experience.

    He praised the Management of Globacom for always coming up with innovative products and services, describing the Glo Xchange platform as a means of empowering people and combating the unemployment scourge in the country. He said he had always been a Globacom customer and would always be a Glo subscriber.

  • Youths urged to be change agents

    The General Superintendent of Christ Holy Church International, His Grace Daniel Okoh has urged Nigerian youths to rise to the current challenge and become agents of transformation which God has called them to be.

    Okoh spoke at this year’s International Youth Conference of the church in Asaba, Delta State. The theme of the conference was “Your Vision, Your Mission.”

    He further urged youths to summon the courage to resist overtures from politicians who would want to use them for evil doings.

    He said: “Their (politicians) children are overseas studying and they want to destroy other people’s children.

    “I told parents and communities in Ghana that if anyone wants to use the youth as thugs or agents of destruction, they should summon courage to challenge those politicians and ask them to get their own children.

    “Some of their children are not here. They should not take advantage of the poor.”

    On the state of insecurity in Nigeria, the bishop prophesied that the siege in the Northeast will soon end, adding “the church is praying for God to touch the hearts of those the enemy is using to kill innocent citizens.

    “We have been urged to watch and pray. We are also encouraging our people not to lose hope or be panicky as all these things must surely come to an end. We pray that God will give those in authority the strategy to put a stop to all the security challenges in the country.

    “One day, God will touch the hearts of the insurgents to drop their arms and follow Christ. It was God that changed the heart of Saul who later became Paul and an apostle. He was the persecutor of the Church before he was transformed. We pray for the transformation of those the enemy is using now,” he said.

    Okoh said the essence of the conference was to bring the youth together and mold them into becoming transformation agents that God will use to restore peace in the country.

  • ANLCA urges Assembly to pass Railway Bill

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents  (ANLCA) has urged the National Assembly to pass the Railway Bill.

    Its National President, Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu said this would facilitate the transformation of the sector and help evolve a functional rail system that would answer the yearnings of Nigerians.

    “With the gridlock on Oshidi-Apapa Expressway, it is not too much if we ask the National Assembly to pass the Railway Bill. “The rail system is still epileptic because the National Assembly has failed to pass the Railway Bill into law, which could have wooed lots of investors into it. The passage is going to mark the beginning of making rail respond to the needs of the society and Nigerians. We want the government and the law makers to focus on it and we have no iota of doubt that it can be achieved,” he said.

    Shittu further said the Federal Government had done the right thing by concession of the ports, which, according to him, has increased cargo and vessel throughput; improved their efficiency and created jobs for Nigerians.

    But he bemoaned the dependence on trucks to ferry cargoes out of the ports.

    He also said the ports regulatory policy had made a huge difference in operations, urging the lawmakers to facilitate the passage of the Bill to reposition the sector and boost the economy.

  • ‘Be change agents’

    The Emir of Argungu in Kebbi State, Alhaji Ismaila Mohammadu Mera has said journalists can be agents of change if they imbibe the ethics of their profession and the fear of God.

    The monarch spoke in Kebbi while receiving reporters who visited him in Argungu.

    He said journalists throughout the world are considered to be agents of peace and development because of their role in reporting events in the society as well as government’s policies and programmes. This, he said, they could achieve through their commitment to unbiased and balanced reportage of events as they unfold in the society.

    The Emir also advised that they should propagate peace and shun the temptation of being used by selfish politicians to rob the country of the much-desired peace and development.

    “You can make or mar the country depending on how you go about disseminating information. This is because journalists are noble people in the society. Based on this understanding, you should use the power of your profession to preach peace as the society depends on you for information, more so as the 2015 general elections are around the corner,” he said.

    The Emir further urged journalists to help douse the current political tension in the country through their reportage.

    On security, the Emir said the insecurity in some parts of the north was unfortunate, warning that those perpetuating it should be responsible for the countless loss of lives of innocent people, pointing out that Islam does not give anybody the legal authority to kill his fellow mankind no matter his religious or cultural leaning.

  • Drive insurance, NIA chief urges agents

    To deepen insurance penetration in the country, agents have been advised to drive retail business.

    The Director-General, Nigeria Insurers Association (NIA), Mr Sunday Thomas gave the advice during during a visit by the executives of the Association of Registered Insurance Agents (ARIAN) to him in Lagos.

    He said emphasis is more on corporate clients at the expense of individuals. He added that the success of micro-insurance lies with agencies hence the need for agents to gain capacity by developing themselves.

    He said: “The more individual lines we have, the better the insurance penetration in Nigeria. ARIAN is an important section of the insurance industry in Nigeria and agents registered under the association should restrict themselves to the individual lines.

    “Agency is a career structure where you don’t retire depending on how the agency is structured. That is why someone at 70 years old would have so much income coming in for him even when he is not stepping a foot out.

    “Corporate market is a broker’s market, which is already saturated. The agents are in place to drive the personal lines because statistics shows that there are over 12 million cars in Nigeria but only 1.5 million of these cars are insured. Agents are the ones to get the remaining over 10 million cars uninsured by meeting the individual owners.’’

    The NIA chief said there is no other body in the sector that has a large membership like ARIAN, noting that agents are the foot soldiers of the industry.

    He urged ARIAN to create an environment that encourages agency operation by building credibility while it develops a good distributing system.

    He warned that no agent should be allowed to operate without registration, noting that in the past, unregistered agents were sanctioned by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

    He encouraged the association to open offices at the local, state and regional levels to boost its membership and attract more money to execute its projects.

    He also said it should recruit agents retention which has been an age-long problem.

  • Be change agents, lawmaker urges

    A lawmaker representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Abike Dabiri-erewa, has urged the outgoing pupils of Kith and Kin International College (KKIC) Ibeshe-Ikorodu to be agents of change in the society.

    The legislator gave this charge at the school’s valedictory/prize-giving day held at the school’s excellence hall.

    Dabiri, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, also advised the graduating students to be focused, hardworking and add value to anything they do.

    Her words: “I thank the administration of KKIC for producing these wonderful, lovely and disciplined children. Wherever you (students) find yourself, be focused, hardworking and add value to anything you do. Be determined to change your country. Be the change Nigeria needs and let integrity be your watchword.”

    Also at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University Imota Lagos State, Prof Ayodeji Olukoju who was the chairman of the occasion enumerated great individuals who had distinguished themselves in their various societies by doing something remarkable.

    “I challenge our graduands who are going to the next phase of their lives to see the opportunity in every challenge, to devise new methods of solving old problems, to innovate and create, and determine to make a mark in their various professions,” he said.

    The principal, Mrs Ale Mebel said the school recorded 100 per cent success in the SSCE WAEC and 90 per cent success in NECO examination last year. One of the graduands, Miss Akpederi Rachael said: “Today, I feel fulfilled and happy even though, I am going to miss my friends, teachers and principal. KKIC is the best school in terms of inculcating moral values and academic knowledge in students.”

     

  • Service provider, agents bicker

    • Operator slumps at terminal

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Onne Chapter has accused one of the service providers engaged by the Federal Government to work with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on destination inspection of imports of extorting their members.

    The Chairman of the chapter, Prince Prestige Ossy, told The Nation that “SGS extorts and exploits importers and licensed customs agents at Onne Port.”

    He alleged that the company charged importers and Customs agents high freight and clearing charges without corresponding services to justify their claims.

    “With the newly acquired space provided for them at Onne with a view to improving on the number of containers to be scanned, the company still scanned 30 to 40 containers in a day, while over 70 containers are lined up for scanning without adequate scanners, which has resulted to artificial demurrage created by SGS on importers. Most of this demurrage costs several millions of Naira,” he alleged.

    But speaking on behalf of the company, Mr Lanre Badmus, denied the allegation.

    He said SGS had been carrying out its services at the port diligently, without extorting anybody.

    “The allegations are fabricated lies. We are doing our work as directed by the government and we have our equipment on ground to carry out our responsibility,” he said.

    Meanwhile, two licensed Customs agents slumped last week on the premises of the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML). This was allegedly as a result of suffocation at the overcrowded and poorly ventilated hall where gate passes are being issued to the agents to effect the final release of their consignments from the Customs.

    The Chairman of the PTML chapter of the ANLCA, Prince Bola Adeniran, told reporters that a member of his association has died of suffocation in the same hall after  he slumped and was rushed to the hospital.

    He gave the identity of the deceased ANLCA member as Adesina Olatunji.

    He alleged that the hall in which agents are being attended to has no air conditioner and proper ventilation. He said ANLCA had applied for the hall to be made conducive. But that their request was not granted.

    Also, there was a protest by clearing agents at Tin Can Island port over alleged high handedness of two Customs officers at the command.

    They called on the command’s Area Controller, Mr Zakari Jubril, to remove the two officers because of their alleged highhandedness.

     

  • Importers, agents condemn use of obsolete cargo equipment

    Importers, exporters and customs licensed agents have condemned the continued use of obsolete handling equipment at Lagos ports.

    They lamented that this is affecting their business efficiency.

    They blamed the Federal Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for the issue.

    There is acute shortage of cargo handlers in some Lagos terminals. Also, at Apapa and Tin Can ports, there is a disturbing deterioration in port services and port. As a result, port users are dissatisfacted with the terminal operators’ mode of operation.

    Speaking on behalf of importers at Tin Can Port, Mr Olasunkanmi Solomon, said the essence of concessioning the ports by the government under its economic reform agenda, was to incorporate private sector efficiency, independence and discipline into the loading and off-loading of cargoes and to make the ports system efficient, cost-effective, and internationally competitive.

    These objectives, Solomon said, had been defeated by inadequate cargo handlers.

    According to him, stakeholders are reeling under the burden of heavy demurrage and charges foisted on them by concessionaires.

    He said the terminal operators were exploiting the absence of a commercial regulator to introduce various arbitrary charges to extort importers.

    He said his colleagues were going through hell to do their business in the port because the concessionaires were not meeting up with their obligations of providing efficient services.

    “The way they are running some of the terminals is not in the best interest of the country and its people,” Solomon said.

    The President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, said the challenges facing importers, exporters and clearing agents included port congestion, block stacking, high cost of demurrage and increased rents on port facilities.

    But the spokesman of the APM terminals, Apapa, Mr Bolaji Akinola, denied the allegation. He said the terminals have modern and sufficient equipment.