The Nation Newspaper

Tag: laments

  • OPERATION CRUSH TANZANIA: Oliseh laments Enyeama’s absence

    OPERATION CRUSH TANZANIA: Oliseh laments Enyeama’s absence

    Super Eagles’ Chief Coach Sunday Oliseh has ruled out team Captain Sunday Oliseh out of Saturday’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying match against host Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

    “I have to say it clearly here that Vincent Enyema is out of the Tanzania game. That is how it is for now”, Oliseh disclosed.

    Oliseh was particularly not happy with the late withdrawal of the team captain who is also the first choice goalkeeper of the team. He would be relying on Wolves England goalkeeper Karl Ikeme to be in action in the match against Tanzania.

    “Like I promised you from the onset it’s going to be clarity and no hiding anything from you guys (sports journalists). The player  asked to be withdrawn from this game. That is he asked to be excused from this game for the reasons whatever I don’t know. Maybe you will have to ask him personally what the reasons were.

    “But what I can take on this is that the late withdrawal (from the game by Vincent Enyeama) has put me in a very tight situation. I must confess that, like I made it clear from the onset the task ahead of us is a very difficult one. We are practically starting the team from  scratch. It is not really pleasant but that is life and we have to move on.

    “With all due respect Vincent  Enyeama is very classy goalkeeper, but as I said he has put us in a complicated situation but then again let me ask a question what happens if our best players fall sick the night before the match should Nigeria withdraw from the match? Also it is not a sign of respect to my other players because one person is not there then the team will fumble. So, we have to move on we have to respect the decision of the player, he withdrew himself not to come so we have to cope with it”, Oliseh said.

  • Enugu disco laments meter by-pass

    The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has lamented the high incidence of meter by-pass and tampering by consumers in the five states of the  Southeast.

    This is as consumers have lamented estimated bills, absence of meters, delay in repairing faulty transformers, prolonged power outages and fixed charges. They called on the company to improve its services before considering tariff review.

    Addressing customers as part of consultations for applying the tariff review, EEDC’s Managing Director, Mr. Robertson Dickerman, said the new meters would check incessant by-pass and tampering.

    The consultative meeting, he said, was a requirement of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and had taken the company to all state in the Southeast.

    He said EEDC had begun procurement and installation of pre-paid single-phase and three-phase meters.

    Dickerman said EEDC was poised to provide effective services to consumers. According to him, the company had earmarked N25 billion for investment in Geographic Information System (GIS) and enumeration of customers and assets, adding that the investment would cover transformers, construction of relief substations and network expansion.

    He explained that fixed charges was a necessary component of electricity tariffs as it would support capacity charges for the generation companies as well as capital, maintenance and fixed costs of other electricity market participants.

    “Since electricity generation companies and Transmission Company of Nigeria do not charge customers directly, the tariffs charged by every distribution company must support the effective operations of the distribution company, the transmission company and generation company”, he said.

    He said on the average, 60 per cent of the amount billed to each customer was for generation companies, 15 per cent for the transmission and other service providers, while 25 per cent was for the operation of the distribution company.

    “Support the increases in generation and transmission to allow appropriate tariffs and pay the bills in full.

    “This will enable EEDC pay the generation and transmission companies to enable them make required investments or raise the capital needed to do so. The absence of cost-reflective tariffs and non-payment of bills by some customers prevents Nigeria from receiving the additional generation and transmission capacity that we all need”, Dickerman said.

    The Managing Director explained that the proposed tariff review will be for ten years, between 2015 and 2025, adding that the company would avoid tariff shock by deferring some of its allowable revenue in the early years to later years.

  • ITF laments reduced enrolment into technical colleges

    ITF laments reduced enrolment into technical colleges

    Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaikon has decried the declining percentage of enrollment into technical colleges.

    She spoke with reporters at the Centre for Excellence in Bukuru, Jos, Plateau State yesterday.

    ITF is the federal establishment responsible for man-power training and development for industries in the country.

    Chukkas-Onaikon said: “Our findings have proven that the enrollment into technical colleges especially polytechnics has dropped as low as 20% while enrollment into universities has taken 80%.

    “Nigerian youths are more interested in obtaining degrees that will fetch them white collar jobs and not certificates that will give the skills.”

    The DG, who described the trend as negative for the industrial development plan of the federal government, said ITF would strive hard to close the widening gap.

    This, she said, becomes imperative for Nigeria to succeed in its industrial revolution plan.

    “We have embarked on holistic gap survey to identify the skill gaps in the country. We are going to follow this up with a national skill summit to chart a way forward for skill development to empower the unemployed youths and create jobs for them.

    “Unless we do that, foreign expatriate will always come to take the opportunity and fill up our skill requirement in this country at the detriment of our youths,” the DG further stated.

     

    She added: “ITF will also expose Nigerians to special training to acquire knowledge in modern technological know-how.”

  • Bell Oil chief laments jobs’ export

    The Managing Director of Bell Oil & Gas, Mr. Kayode Thomas, has regretted that some firms still take  jobs abroad even when such could be done at home.

    He said it had become imperative for such firms to change or be compelled to do so to promote indigenous firms and create jobs.

    Thomas spoke when his firm’s  spool yard for Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) pipes was inaugurated in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Denzil Kentebe.

    NCDMB’s spokesman, Obinna Ezeobi, in a statement, said the spool yard manufactures pipes with diverse bends and angles, delivering liquids to various outlets at different temperatures and pressures, hence cannot be manufactured in conventional pipe mills.

    Ezeobi said the NCDMB chief praised Bell Oil and Gas for the investment, which came on the back of the Board’s Nigerian Content Equipment Component Manufacturing and Certification (NCEC) programme commenced under the leadership of the pioneer Executive Secretary, Dr. Ernest Nwapa.

    He described the NCEC’s initiative as laudable, pledging that the Board  would continue to implement the framework and other programmes geared towards encouraging investments and establishment of facilities in Nigeria.

    Kentebe noted that such facilities contribute to the Board’s vision to use the Nigerian Content as a vehicle for industrialisation and creation of employment and training for qualified Nigerians.

    He said the focus of the Board is to create shop floors that would train and empower Nigerians in all sectors of the industry, adding that NCDMB would continue to promote hands-on training in manufacturing, engineering, fabrication, marine, subsea, drilling and well services and all other activities.

  • CBN laments rise in e-fraud in int’l transactions

    CBN laments rise in e-fraud in int’l transactions

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has traced rising cases of e-fraud in international card to increased insider abuse mainly through theft and abuse of authorisation.

    CBN Director, Banking and Payments System Department, ‘Dipo Fatokun, said increased use of automation in most banking payment processes has further escalated insider abuse in banks with weak authentication procedures.

    Fatokun said the fraud cases are rampant when International hybrid cards issued by Nigerian banks are used in non-EMV environments, like the USA.

    He therefore, advised banks to collate all their card frauds abroad and send same to CBN not later than January 30,. Also, all data on card fraud occurring abroad should be rendered on the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) fraud portal.

    He advised banks to implement a maker/checker control structure for all payment platforms, including account and database system maintenances on core banking systems.

    The lenders, he said, are to implement two factor authentication at login points for applications driving transfers, withdrawal, deposit, standing order, account maintenance and system maintenance processes, adding that an an implementation plan should be submitted to the Central Bank by January 30, and that all banks are expected to fully comply by December 31, failing which defaulting banks would incur a penalty of N50,000 daily,” he said.

    Banks, he said, are to ensure that from February 01, only customers that expressly indicated their intension of travelling to non-EMV jurisdictions, would have their cards default to the magnetic stripe and for the period indicated by the cardholder only. To this end, banks should ensure that their customers are adequately educated.

    Meanwhile, the naira recovered from a record intraday low after two commercial lenders and an energy company sold dollars on the interbank market ahead of a CBN interest rate meeting, dealers said.

     

     

     

  • Nembe City laments home draw

    Nembe City laments home draw

    Nembe City media  officer, Gbenga Adeleye has rued his side’s goalless draw against Akwa United at the Krisdera Hotel Stadium, Omoku near Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The Kala – Eku lema side’s chance of survival was brightened after securing a point away from FC Taraba on Matchday 24.

    But the team’s camp was thrown into a quiet mood when they failed to get pass the Uyo-based side which proved to be a spoiler in yesterday’s game.

    Adeleye in a telephone chat with Sportinglife said his players played below expectation.

    He also admitted that the team missed the services of their attacking winger, Egesi Emmanuel who missed the game due to two yellow cards offence.

    “It was not a good result for us and this is not what we wanted. Our boys didn’t do well enough to pick three points. I am not happy considering our position on the table.

    “Emmanuel’s absence was felt in the team I must confess. We have to put this behind us and focus on the next game against our neighbours Bayelsa United in Benin,” Adeleye told SportingLife.

  • APC chieftain laments son’s death

    National Publicity Secretary of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), and South-East spokesman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu stated on Friday that medical doctors’s strike partly contributed to the death of his son.

    He spoke at the burial of his son, Matthias Koso Okechukwu at the weekend in his hometown, Eke, Enugu State.

    Matthias died on 10th August, as Consultant Pediatricians, were absent when  he was rushed to National Hospital Abuja.

  • Union laments non-payment of ex-PHCN workers’ entitlements

    The President-General of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Comrade Bede Opara, has lamented the non-payment of the entitlements of some workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) 10 months after the company was privatised by the Federal Government.

    Speaking with reporters in Lagos, he said the development was a manifestation of the government’s insincerity towards the plight of workers.

    He said a review of the payments showed that the processing was tasking.\

    According to him, the Director- General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) is aware that the sub-committee has been starved of funds.

    He said at its last meeting of May 6, this year, the sub-committee reviewed the assignment and confirmed that of 47, 913 ex-staff, 46,308 had been verified, while theose paid severance/cash component of benefits were 43,342.

    The report also showed that the  staff paid severance payments were 2,966, those awaiting verification 1, 605, while those paid pension were 43,228.

    Also, staff yet to be pension were 3,080, those retired/dead staff awaiting benefits before April 30,  last year were 4,146, while verified retirees/next of kin billed for payment by May 6, were 3, 233, and those awaiting verification were 913.

    He said the summary of the above data by May 6, 2,966 staff were not paid the severance/cash benefits, while 3,233 verified retired and relatives of dead staff were yet to receive their benefits.

    Opara further said there were still 1,605 unverified staff and 913 retirees/dead staff next of kin who had waited for 10 years.

    Director-General of BPE, Benjamin Dikki at a briefing in Lagos said it was not true that his agency was delaying the payment of the PHCN workers.

  • CBN laments skills gap of Compliance Officers

    CBN laments skills gap of Compliance Officers

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is worried over poor qualification of Compliance Officers in some banks and discount houses.

    In a circular to banks released yesterday and endorsed by K.O. Balogun for Director, Banking Supervision, the apex bank said information availabl to it revealed that the qualifications of Chief Compliance Officers of some banks and Discount Houses, are below the grade of General Manager, required by the CBN.

    Equally worrisome, the apex bank said, is the fact that most of them do not report directly to the Board of Directors, stating that “this is a flagrant disregard to the extant laws and regulations on the subject.”

    Balogun said the CBN circular ref BSD/2/2002 dated 8th August, 2002 and FPR/DIR/GEN/001/022, dated 18th July 2013, directed that banks and discount houses should designate Chief Compliance Officers, not below the grade of a General Manager to, among other things, apply the provisions of the relevant Acts and circulars on money laundering at various levels of their institutions.

    According to the circular,  Section 9(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011(as amended) also requires them to designate, at management level, Chief Compliance Officers in their Head Offices and branches, who have the relevant competence, authority and independence to implement their institutions AML/CFT Compliance Programme.

    It said that section 7(2) of Central Bank of Nigeria (AML/CFT in Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria) Regulations, 2013, stipulates that the Chief Compliance Officer shall be appointed at management level and shall report directly to the Board on all matters under the Regulations.

    The regulator therefore directed that no Chief Compliance Officer in any institution should be rated below the grade of General Manager without the CBN prior approval.

  • FIRS laments dip in non-oil tax

    FIRS laments dip in non-oil tax

    The Acting Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Kabir Mashi has decried the  drop in taxes from the non-oil sector , warning that the trend  portends grave danger for the economy if it is not checked.

    He spoke at a two-day regional management meeting of the agency in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    He said the agency has not met the expected targets for the first quarter of the year.

    He said: “For the first quarter of this year, the FIRS had a total non-oil tax collection of N418biilion as against a target of N558billion, indicating a shortfall of N140 billion at this stage of the year.

    “In addition, our non-oil tax collection has dropped from N155 billion in January to N133 billion in February and further to N130 billion in March. These results are not impressive and we must do everything possible to ensure that we reverse this negative collection trend.”

    He said the emphasis on non-oil tax collection was due to government’s intention to raise non-oil revenue as a means of making up for any shortfall from oil revenue, adding that salaries, budget, projects are also funded with non–oil revenue.

    The FIRS chief urged  field operations group to refocus on the core function of tax collection. He reminded about the significant support received from the highest levels of government must be justified by meeting and surpassing the set targets, especially the N700 billion for May.

    He commended the Minister of Finance for assisting the FIRS in seeking technical support by engaging the Mckinsey and Co to assist in the implementation of non-oil tax revenue capacity enhancement programme.

    The programme, he said, was based on eight key initiatives, namely audit, arrears and debt enforcement, tax exemption, evasion of rented taxes, taxing high net worth transactions, registration, filing and utilising communication as a means of enhancing compliance.

    In addition to the Mckinsey project, Marshi said FIRS  conducted the Value Added Tax (VAT) and withholding tax audit with positive result and implored the workers to put in  efforts to ensure that the FIRS discharged its mandate and build a world-class institution that would become a point of reference in Africa.

    Earlier, the Coordinating Director, Field Operations Group (FOG), Mr. Bamidele Ajayi, said the inability of the FIRS to meet its non-oil revenue target by March was a negative variance of 27 per cent, which is a reflection of its yearly collection trend performance and which is also expected to improve from the second quarter of the year.