The Nation Newspaper

Tag: deputy director

  • 100 houses razed, many feared killed in Kaduna

    •El-Rufai condemns attack, visits President

    Barely two weeks after a violent crisis that claimed lives of many citizens in Kajuru Local Government area of Kaduna State, there were reports of fresh attacks in some villages in the Kajuru and Kachia local government areas.

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai was at the State House yesterday. He held talks with President Muhammadu Buhari.

    El-Rufai declined to state his mission at the Presidential Villa but it was believed that the governor may have used the opportunity to brief the president on the fresh violent attacks in his domain.

    The attacks, The Nation learnt, occurred in the early hours of yesterday. Bandits were said to have stormed Karamai village in Maro District of the council area, leaving in their trail more than 100 houses and vehicles razed.

    An eye witness said: “The renewed attacks on the villages came as armed bandits, numbering about 100, stormed our village, Karamai community with dangerous weapons, including guns and machetes. As at now, we have counted many dead bodies.

    “As I am speaking with you now, many people have fled the villages, many people have entered bush, running for their lives. There are no security agents in sight to stop the attackers.”

    The military said that troops have already been deployed to restore peace to the affected communities.

    Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Muhammed Dole, told reporter that, security agents, have been dispatched Kasuwan Magani to restore peace.

    The Army spokesman, however, warned communities to desist from giving wrong statistics to avoid misconception and distortion of facts and figure before investigation.

    The Kaduna State government condemned the renewed attacks, urging residents to support the security agencies in their efforts to protect the communities.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, Governor Nasir El-Rufai expressed sadness over the renewed attacks at a time efforts were being intensified to restore security in areas where scores reportedly killed a few days ago.

    The statement reads: “Kaduna State Government has today received the sad news of renewed attacks in Kajuru and Kachia local government areas. The government condemns this recourse to violence, and calls on all communities to support the efforts to restore calm in the area.

    “Today, the Kaduna State Government was briefed by security agencies of renewed attacks in Kajuru local government area, and in parts of neighboring Kachia Local Government Area.

    “The Kaduna State government has been assured that the security agencies are working assiduously to contain the situation.

    “The government is saddened by these attacks, condemns the perpetrators and urges all residents of the area to support the security agencies in their efforts to protect communities.”

  • Army kills 2 Boko Haram food suppliers in Borno

    Army kills 2 Boko Haram food suppliers in Borno

    The army said Friday that its men have killed two suspected Boko Haram food and logistics suppliers.

    The suspects were ambushed and killed at Malamti village in Guzamala Local Government Council of Borno State, according to the  Deputy Director, Army Publication Relations, 8 Division,Col. Timothy Antigha.

    Antigha said in a statement in Maiduguri that food items, consumables and animals were recovered from the scene

    He said troops of the 242 Battalion of 8 Task Force Division had intensified campaign to deny the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin freedom of action and access to logistics within its area of responsibility.

    His words:“At about 3.00 a.m. on Thursday, troops responding to a distress call, intercepted terrorists mounted on 14 horses in Malamti village, Guzamala Local Government Area of Bornu State. “The troops killed two terrorists; recovered two AK-47 riffles, three magazines, 26 rounds of 7.26 mm ammunition and one hand grenade from the insurgents.

    “Other items include 18 mobile phones, three mini solar panels, soaps, detergents, bundles of assorted clothes and 8 horses. “Unfortunately, two soldiers who sustained injuries during the engagement are currently receiving medical attention.”

  • FG begins online registration of unemployed Nigerians tomorrow

    The Federal Government is to register unemployed Nigerians online as from Wednesday April 5.

    The Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations of  the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Edmund Onwuliri, announced this in a statement given to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Monday.

    Onwuliri said the registration was aimed at collecting up to date data of the unemployed Nigerians.

    He said the registration was in compliance with NDE’s mandate “to obtain and maintain a data bank on unemployment and vacancies in the country.”

    The deputy director said the exercise would enable the directorate to serve as a clearing house linking job seekers with existing vacancies in government agencies and the private sector.

    “The online portal which goes live on Wednesday April 5, 2017, is designed to capture the relevant details of any unemployed person. It will equally serve as a job exchange portal that will link job seekers and employers.

    “There will be a practical demonstration of the workings of the portal at the NDE stands at the ongoing 28th edition of the Enugu International Trade on Thursday”, he said.

    He gave the portal’s address as: www.jobsforall.ng.

    “The directorate sees this initiative as a bold step toward deepening the effectiveness of its employment creation strategies and a critical input into the process of designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programmes and schemes.”

    Onwuliri explained that the online portal would henceforth serve as a meeting point for job seekers and their prospective employers, adding that the initiative would go a long way to eliminate the cumbersome process of recruitment by employers of skilled labour in private and public sectors. (NAN).

     

  • FG bans PTAs from collecting levies in Unity colleges

    FG bans PTAs from collecting levies in Unity colleges

    The Federal Government has banned the collection of development levies by Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) in the 104 unity colleges across the country, the Federal Ministry of Education says.

    The ministry in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday said the ban, aimed at alleviating the sufferings of parents, would take effect immediately.

    The statement was signed by Mr Bem Goong, Deputy Director, Press, in the ministry.

    “No PTA of any unity college is allowed to initiate any development project in any of the unity colleges without the express or written authorisation of the Federal Ministry of Education.

    “The new measures are aimed at arresting the shocking trend where development levies imposed on parents by PTAs are becoming higher than the school fees charged by government which established the unity schools,’’ the ministry said.

    The ministry said that the Minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, had noted excessive PTA levies in Kings College, Lagos, and Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos.

    It said that in the two schools, fees charged for JSS1 in the first term was N69, 400 while the PTA collection was N70, 000 at Kings and N74, 000 at Yaba.

    “This brings the total paid by parents in these two schools to N139, 400 and N143, 400 respectively.

    “With the reduction on development levies and ban on charges for new projects as well as pegging of the development levy to a maximum of N5, 000, parents of JSS1 in these two schools will now pay N88, 000.

    “I acknowledge the complementary roles played by parents and the support provided by the PTA to the colleges but I will not allow the PTAs to constitute themselves into a government within a government at the level of unity schools and at the expense of parents,’’ the ministry quoted Adamu as saying.

    It said that Adamu expressed concern that PTAs in unity colleges had formed themselves into national associations and said that running additional organisations, such as National Parents and Teachers Association of Federal Government Colleges (NAPTAFEGC), increased the burden on parents.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NAPTAFEGC recently rejected an alleged 300 per cent increase in school fees of unity schools.

    Dr Gabriel Nnaji, National President of NAPTAFEGC, had told newsmen that the alleged increase from N20, 000 to N75, 000, was unacceptable to parents.

    He said that an average parent with more than a child in unity schools would not be able to afford the cost.

    However, Adamu on Tuesday denied knowledge of the increment in fees.

  • Action health graduates 120 out of school girls

    Action health graduates 120 out of school girls

    Action Health Incorporated on Wednesday graduated about 120 out-of-school adolescent girls who are beneficiaries of its Project tagged; ‘Expanding Access of Marginalized Out-of-School Girls to Services in Ilaje Community’.

    The graduates, drawn from Ilaje Community out of the 42 slum areas of Lagos State, were empowered with intensive livelihood skills and sexual and reproductive health programme with the support of United Nations Population Funds.

    Delivering her welcome speech, Mrs Adenike Esiet, Executive Director, Action Health Incorporated, noted that the girls will be given start up kits worth N10,000 adding: “This is in addition to being registered with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the opening  of a bank account to aid financial accountability in their businesses.
    “It is important to note that the lack of schooling has implications far beyond access to basic education: being out-of-school substantially increases the threats to these adolescent girls’ health, pressure to engage in risky sexual relations, pressure to marry early, as well as exposure to exploitative labour conditions,” she noted.

    In his remarks, Mr Koffi Kouame, UNFPA, Deputy Director observed that the programme could not have come at a more auspicious time for Nigeria as globally, countries are currently setting in place actions that will ensure the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    “In this regards, it is important to note that the ability of the Out Of School Girls (OOSG) to fulfil her potential is a major contributor to the attainment of the SDGs and therefore is a corresponding critical development in Nigeria.

    Some of the 120 graduating girls in a group photograph after the celebration in Lagos
    Some of the 120 graduating girls in a group photograph after the celebration in Lagos

    “As a result, landmark occasion represents a call to action to all Nigerians (policy makers, legislators, other development partners and NGOs) to work in ensuring that the OOSG is empowered in terms of accessing formal or informal education as well as the acquisition of skills and knowledge about her sexual and reproductive health, which will enable her reach maximum potential and contribute to the development of Nigeria,” Kouame stressed.

    Speaking further, he noted that Lagos, with over 2million young girls aged 10 to 19, has the highest number of young girls in Nigeria. “Even though, Lagos state has been a pacesetter in the promotion of girls’ education and women empowerment, a significant  proportion of these girls are still out-of-school.

    “Therefore, if significant progress towards the empowerment of the OOSG is achieved in Lagos, the impact will be felt nationally and indeed on a global scale as well. It is well acknowledged that the OOSG is one of the most vulnerable individuals in our society as they are well accustomed to living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, exposed to gender based violence, coerced sexual encounters or forced marriages, early pregnancy/child bearing and exploitative labour conditions,” Kouame noted.

    During their testimonies, elated Godonu Gloria narrated how she dropped out of school at primary 5 only to help her parents sell pap (koko) as a means to sustain the family. According to Gloria, she later went to stay with her grandma, who told her to join the other girls in selling fish as a tradition for all the children living with her.

    She went further to explain how she had always wanted to bake and how she got to know about the opportunity on a Sunday at church. She harped on it and is now an empowered graduate of the Action Health Incorporated Programme. According to her, she made N4000 during her first baking business.

    Similarly, Olawale Aminat, another beneficiary recounted her ordeal in the polygamous family being the last child of the third wife. Aminat dropped out of school at the Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 because her mother could no longer meet up with the incessant demands of the science department she belonged to in school to carry out various projects.

    On her part, she learned makeup artistry and headgear (gele) tying and has succeeded in practising her new trade at a public event where she made N1500 on the first day. Aminat thanked the AHI and UNFPA, observing that both organisations have done well for many girls, including her.

    Present at the graduation ceremony include the Honourable Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Women of Affairs, Mrs Lola Akande, represented by Mrs Folasade S. Adesoye, Permanent Secretary, Lagos state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; Mr Coffin Kouame, Deputy Representative, UNFPA; Mr S.A Bamgbade, Ilaje Community Leader; Mrs Oluwasoromidayo George, Corporate Affairs Director, Unilever, to mention a few.

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  • CBN maintains BVN deadline

    CBN maintains BVN deadline

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Thursday called on all bank customers, who are yet to register for their Bank Verification Number (BVN) to do so before the expiration of the deadline.
    With just  six days to the October deadline set by the apex bank, it said it will no longer extend the deadline after the October date.

    The BVN exercise which had been on for over six months initially ended on July 30th, 2015 but was extended by an additional three months following calls from many bank customers who could not register within the period.

    Appealing to those not yet captured under the scheme to ensure they don’t miss out on the re-scheduled deadline, the apex bank said there is no need for people to wait until the last day before they go for the registration.

    Hajia Khadija Kasim, Deputy Director, Consumer Protection Department, while addressing stakeholders at a one-day CBN sensitisation fair in Ibadan, said the BVN coupled with the cashless policy will go a long way to help the apex bank and other banks in the country tackle the issue of money laundering in the country.

    “The initial deadline was June 30th before we extended it to end of October. By now we expect all Nigerians to go before the expiration date and get their Bank Verification Number. Please Nigerians, come out and ensure that within the few days left for the registration, you are registered for the exercise, she said.

    Explaining how the cashless policy and biometric registration will help check money laundering and fraudulent transactions in the banking sector, the deputy director assures that the two policies which goes hand-in-hand will help make the identity of money launders  and or fraud perpetrators easier to nab.

    “You will see some interrelationship between our cashless policy and the need for us to have our bio-metrics. When you are now registered as a bank customer and your details are there, it will be very difficult for somebody to use that account for any fraudulent activities.
    “So, if any fraudulent activities take place there, we will be able to trace the owner of the account. The situation where we have faceless people carrying out money laundering or fraudulent transactions will be reduced to the barest minimal”, the deputy director explained.

    Commending the cashless policy which has gone full scale all over the country, the deputy director, said people are now getting well enlightened on the need not to carry cash about, but using electronic platforms to do their business transactions anywhere within and around the country.
    She said: “we started the cashless policy in areas that have a large volume of money transaction, but now it has been extended to all over the country and our people are now getting better enlightened by the day” adding that the CBN fair organised for the stakeholders is part of the efforts of the apex bank to educate and enlighten members of the public on the activities of the apex bank.

    The event which held at the Jogor centre Ibadan had in attendance farmers, government officials, representatives and members of different cooperative societies, deposit money bankers, micro-finance operators, physically challenged people who are willing to start Small and Medium Scales business, SMEs operators, representatives of the student community and the general public.
    Policy issues bothering payment system vision (PSV 2020), mobile payments, agent banking, E-payment incentive schemes, BVN and cashless Nigeria were discussed among by resource persons from the different department of the apex bank while the attendees also had their questions answered.

    In a presentation entitled “Payments System: Cashless Nigeria and Consumer Protection”, another official of the CBN, Mr. Caleb Orji disclosed that the apex Bank would soon come up with initiatives for the visibly impaired persons to enable them operate their bank accounts effectively.
    In another presentation on Rights and Duties of Bank Customers, another CBN official, Mr. Damola Atanda warned Nigerians to be safety conscious in the handling of their bank documents, including the ATM cards since, according to him, “unscrupulous people have started using other peoples accounts to perpetrate fraudulent activities”.

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  • Alleged oil fraud: NIPC deputy director on suspension

    Alleged oil fraud: NIPC deputy director on suspension

    The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) said it has suspended a Deputy Director, Mr. Vincent Usiahon, for his alleged oil fraud.

    The commission said he has been under interdiction to allow the law to take its course since he was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Usiahon is facing a 29-count charge of intent to defraud and obtaining about N15.8 million under false pretences from the complainant, Mr. Sonny Atumah.

    He allegedly collected the monies in installments over 16 months by deceiving Atumah, his friend of over 25 years’ that he would invest them in oil allocation business.

    The alleged offence is contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

    A statement by the NIPC Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Joel Attah, said the clarification became necessary due to zero tolerance of the agency for corruption and to prove its Chief Executive Officer had no link to the allegations.

    “The alleged fraud was committed outside the activities of the commission and no other member of staff is an accomplice. The commission therefore wishes to distant itself from the criminal activities of the said staff and had placed the staff on suspension since June 2012, to allow the law to take its course”.