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  • Akwa Ibom moves to combat flood

    Akwa Ibom State government has held a pre-bid meeting with contractors to build surface and underground drainages to combat flood and erosion on the IBB Way in Uyo, the capital

    Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources Ekong Sampson, who addressed prospective contractors on the premises of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), said the World Bank and the Federal Government were partnering the state, through NEWMAP, to salvage the situation.

    Sampson was confident in NEWMAP, saying the partnership was important as it would address pressing infrastructure challenges in the state.

    Read Also: Agency alerts Kwara, Edo, Delta, Rivers, nine others to increased flooding

    He said: “In Akwa Ibom State, we face major problems with flood and erosion. As at the last count, we had close to a thousand sites in the state. That is to say we are under pressure. Engagements like this will help us implement our policies and our commitment to addressing the flooding and erosion.”

    According to Sampson, the award process would be transparent, stressing that the government would not compromise speed and efficiency.

    Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Petroleum Resources Mbuk Inyang reiterated the government’s committment to transparency and accountability.

  • Oshiomhole can’t stop Obaseki, says ex-aide

    Charles Idahosa, a former political aide to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has said Governor Godwin Obaseki will be re-elected in 2020 without Oshiomhole’s support.

    Idahosa, who spoke in an interview to mark his 66th birthday, was reacting to Oshiomhole’s statement that it would take a miracle for Obaseki to win the 2020 election even if he got the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.

    He said Obaseki had won the people’s heart through infrastructural projects, as well as sanitising governance.

    He said: “We know they are busy working underground to stop Obaseki, but nobody can stop Obaseki from having his eight years. Obaseki’s record is so intimidating. The people are with Obaseki.

    Read Also: ‘Obaseki’ll win re-election without Oshiomhole’

    “Obaseki and Oshiomhole, as far as I am concerned, are one. Obaseki is a creation of Oshiomhole. Nobody can stop Obaseki from doing his two terms. We are behind him.”

    But a former commissioner and member-elect of the House of Assembly, Washington Osa Osifo, carpeted Idahosa’s assertions about Oshiomhole.

    He said: “I am not surprised that Idahosa has said what he said. That he has even judged Oshiomhole that way is a sign of his own failure because he was Oshiomhole’s adviser for eight years and as an adviser he was supposed to bring the best from his student, even these his assertions are not true.”

    Osifo said Idahosa had not done enough for his people despite his close relationship with government over the years.

  • Assembly hails governor on 100 days performance

    Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday at plenary hailed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his achievements in the area of infrastructural development during his 100 days in office.

    Majority Leader Sanai Agunbiade representing Ikorodu Constituency 02, raised the matter during plenary.

    He said Governor Sanwo-Olu had done well in tackling infrastructural and environmental challenges within 100 days and had solved the problem, though not completely, but better than what he met.

    “He has carried out palliative measures on the roads, he has also visited some projects, which would have been abandoned, not minding that these projects were not initiated by him, such as the Imota rice mill.

    “He did not rush to the Assembly for budget re-ordering or supplementary budget, which shows he knows what he is doing.

    Read Also: Thumbs up for Sanwo-Olu’s 100 days of quality service

    “The House needs to commend and encourage him for what he has done,” Agunbiade said.

    Hon. Rotimi Olowo praised the governor for setting up an inter-ministerial committee to ensure projects completion and avert abandonment.

    He commended the governor for his initiative in overhauling the state security trust fund, saying much needed to be done on streetlights.

    Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said it is not out of place for the parliament to recognise and praise somebody who started well.

    “We don’t base our judgment on artificial or physical structure being put in place, but the expenditure invested in projects. Governance is about listening to people and that is good governance.

    “This is an avenue to encourage the governor on his 100 days in office. We are watching and appreciating all he has done. We assure him of our support. We, however, urge him to do more as Lagosians are waiting on him,” he added.

    Obasa directed the Clerk, Mr. Azeez Sanni, to communicate the governor on the commendation from the legislature.

  • Sanwo-Olu’s wife launches free surgeries for 150 residents

    Lagos State governor’s wife Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday launched a free surgical intervention programme for residents as part of activities to commemorate the 100 days in office of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.

    The free health mission, which is being organised by the government, in partnership with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation, features free surgeries for residents suffering from lipoma, hernia, fibroid and breast lumps, as well as free dental and general health screening.

    Speaking at the ceremony held at the General Hospital, Ijede, Ikorodu, Mrs. Sanwo-Olu said the development further signposts the commitment of the present administration towards revamping, rejuvenating and repositioning the health sector for quality service delivery to the people.

    She said the development was instructive, considering that a considerable level of commitment to revamp the health sector had been demonstrated since May 29.

    “The second pillar of the developmental agenda for a greater Lagos promised by this administration, as espoused in T.H.E.M.E.S., speaks of provision of affordable, qualitative and accessible health care, as well as implementation of initiatives to rev up health care delivery and ensure healthy, livable and sustainable environment.

    Read Also: Restructuring will help states tackle climate change, say Anyaoku, Sanwo-Olu

    “In furtherance of this, the 110-bed Maternal and Child Centre (MCC) in Eti-Osa was completed and inaugurated; while work is nearing completion on two others in Badagry and Epe, with more to follow.

    “Also, the government launched Free Medical Mission for 21,000 children and adults in partnership with the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu/Kadri Obafemi Hamzat (BOSKOH) Lagos Health Care Mission International, as part of efforts t play up the health of residents, especially children.

    “Through this, over 21, 000 people were screened at seven centres for six days, while 1417 free surgeries were conducted for residents. These include paediatric eye surgery, adult eye surgery, paediatric surgery, dental surgery, orthopaedic surgery and ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) surgery,” Dr. Sanwo-Olu said.

    She said in view of available statistics, which revealed that about 50 per cent of the female population aged 15 to 44 lived with fibroids; any medical intervention to address it and other diseases was most commendable.

    The governor’s wife hailed the Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation (BOF) for coming up with the initiative to partner the government, urging other organisations to emulate such laudable gesture to improve the health indices of the state.

    “As a government, our goal is to ensure Universal Health Coverage as much as possible, and as well improve the quality of health care delivery to our people. With God on our side, the present administration shall not fail the people,” she said.

    Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Dr. Titilayo Goncalves said the free surgery was in furtherance of the premium placed on health care by the government, especially in reaching out to people at the grassroots, including the elderly, the very young and people living with disabilities.

    “Our objective for Lagos, one of the largest mega cities in the world, is to institutionalise accessible, efficient and qualitative health care that is affordable to  our residents irrespective of class or status, and we are here again today to demonstrate our commitment to these values,” she said.

    The Executive Director of the foundation, Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu, said since the initiative began, 1405 residents have been screened, adding that of the 150 planned surgeries, 51 life transforming surgeries have been performed, including five for fibroids, 33 for lipomas and 13 breast lumps.

    One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Lola Lukman, said he was grateful to the government and the NGO for the initiative, noting that no money was collected from him for the lipoma surgery performed on him.

  • 26 years old, others tip as commissioners in Kwara

    Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has sent the names of four women to the House of Assembly as commissioner-nominees.

    They include 26-year-old Joana Nnazua Kolo from Edu Local Government.

    AbdulRazaq has also nominated a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FBN Mortgages Ltd, a subsidiary of First Bank PLC, Mrs. Folashade Omoniyi, as the new chairperson of Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS).

    She will succeed Prof. Murtala Awodun, whose tenure expires at the end of this month.

    Read Also: Kwara, Saraki trade blames over distribution of school materials

    Mrs. Omoniyi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Ilorin and Masters of Business Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    She has years of leadership experience in the banking sector, marketing, information communication technology and business management.

    Mrs. Omoniyi has executive education in positive leadership from Michigan Ross Executive Education (USA); Market Driving Strategies from London Business School (UK); Strategic Uses of Information Technology from Stanford Business School (USA) and Senior Management Programme (SMP18) from the Lagos Business School (Nigeria).

    She is from Irepodun Local Government.

    Miss Kolo, the youngest commissioner-nominee in the state’s history, is a 2018 graduate of Library Science from Kwara State University (KWASU). A grassroots mobiliser, Kolo is an ardent advocate of community development.

  • Fixing infrastructure to end agony

    A road upgrade in Ondo State puts communities out of years of agony, writes DAMISI OJO

    Famous for its rich rainforest, mangrove-swamp, and wooded savanna running down the hills, it is little wonder that Ondo State teems with people who live off the soil. That is why cocoa, rubber, cotton, timber and other hardwood are a common sight. But what good are your resources if it is a tough task getting what you produce to the city centre markets because of impassable roads?

    That is the plight of residents of Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state. Their roads have woeful for over a decade.

    Now they can smile. The state governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his Works team have deployed graders, bulldozers and other earth-moving equipment to Akoko North-West to build a 29km road linking Oke-Agbe, the council headquarters, to Irun, Afin, Ese and Ogbagi. There are several other smaller communities that will benefit from the 29km stretch.

    In pre-election days, Akeredolu told the people he would build the road if he won. Seeing the governor and the heavy construction equipment in their area on flag-off day brought a lot of joy to them.

    Led by virtually all the traditional rulers in the council, they trooped out to receive the governor. The Owa of Ogbagi was there, as were the Zaki of Arigidi, Eleriti of Eriti and Olubaram of Ibaram. In unison, they said Governor Akeredolu’s road plan would end “an era of backwardness’ and “give hope of new life” to their people.

    A community leader in Oke-Ogba Akoko, Alhaji Lateef Ibrahim, and Mr. Babatunde Ajayi from Ogbagi recalled the terrible state of the road, saying it has done incalculable damage to the economic life and activities of the locals.

    Read Also: We inherited decay in infrastructure, says AbdulRazaq

    The residents who are predominantly farmers and traders, have lost farm produce and goods worth several millions of Naira due to the poor state of the road, they said.

    With the mobilisation of equipment now, Alhajit Ibrahim is optimistic that the construction of the road will guarantee economic growth and alleviation of poverty.

    The state Commissioner for Works, Hon. Saka Yusuf Ogunleye had other assurances, saying, “Our road construction is not going to be limited to highways alone. Township roads will also be fixed, as the department handling such matters will take care of failed portions and potholes within the towns.

    “Akoko is a strategic part of the state, which deserves good roads as other areas. Our road infrastructure programme covers the entire state. No area will be left untouched.”

    Also, residents of Oda town, Ilekun, Emiloro and other neighbouring communities in Akure South Local Government Area in the Central Senatorial District of Ondo State on Monday, August 15, 2019, woke up to the reality that their long dream of having access to good road is after all achievable. For years, the people of the communities have longed for a good road that would lead to drastic reduction in the auto crashes and cut delays in travel time that have become daily occurrences on the ever-busy Akure-Oda Road.

    Besides the poor state of the road that the residents, especially accident victims, have named death trap, the communities also shared many things in common. First, they are fast-growing communities because intending landlords now prefer to own houses of various types thus sporadically increasing the population of the communities. Secondly, the communities have the potential to expand fast because of their vast and plain land. Public institutions such as Ondo State Law Commission office, Ondo State College of Health Technology, the state chapter of the National Union of Teachers Guest House, the Federal Government Silos,  the Federal Government Library, and the Akure South office of the Independent  National Electoral Commission, among others, were established along the major road that link the communities.

    Also, not a few hundreds of the Federal and the Ondo State public servants prefer to reside in the communities because of the peace and serenity of the environment. Above all, like the people destined to suffer together, the residents of the communities have one or two devastating stories to tell over the poor state of the long road.

    “Accidents involving cars, motorcycles and sometimes lorries usually happen on the busy Akure-Oda Road. We cannot deny the fact the poor state of the road contributed significantly to the crashes. The road is terribly bad. Aside the frequent crashes occurring on the road which sometimes resulted in loss of lives, the recent burglary that occurred in one of the neighbouring communities can be attributed to the poor state of the road. The summary of it all is that the road has caused a lot of damage to many families in Oda and its environs.

    “But our longtime prayers for God’s intervention have been answered. The last week’s flag-off of the construction of the road by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is the real answer we have been waiting for. We in Oda and the neighbouring communities can confidently say that our long suffering would evaporate and there would be drastic  reduction in auto crashes in a matter of few months after the completion of the road,” said the Regent of Oda, Princess Adeyinka Akosile, who sought the support of every interest group in Ondo State for Akeredolu’s administration.

    The joy of Mr. Abiodun Akingbayi, a resident of Ilekun, said: “I have been plying the Akure-Oda Road for the past 15 years. The 15 years can best be described as agonising because of the heavy traffic that is always building up on the dilapidated road. The constant breakdown of vehicles plying this road and crashes involving the road users are the nasty experiences we wish never happened. In short, there is no time of the day that one would not find one or two ghastly accidents occurring on the road,” Akingbayi said, who attributed the pressure on the poor road to the fast rise in the population of Oda town and its neighbours.

    He said, “There has been increase in the population of the people living in all the communities. The increase may have been brought about by the relative peace that we are enjoying here. We observed that intending landlords prefer this axis of Akure South Local Government Area to build their houses and as a result contributed to the rise in the population. So, one cannot dismiss the belief that the construction of this ever-busy road would alleviate the suffering of the people living and working in this area.”

    Their suffering may have come to an end. On August 15, Akeredolu started the construction of the 8km dual carriageway.

    Akeredolu, while addressing the crowd at the flag-off ceremony, said he was aware of the nasty experience the people faced daily on the road and his administration was prepared to bring the discomfort to a thing of the past by delivering “a new asset, a new lifestyle and a new era of property appreciation and bequeathing an enduring legacy to the incoming generation.”

    He said: “But it does not end here, it is only a precursor to an unending positive multiplier effects on the economy and social life of the people.

    “While the road is being constructed, we will have more than a sizeable number of our people working and earning their living on a daily basis, and by the time you factor in those who supply construction materials, you can imagine the multiplier effect of this project and of course, the advantages it portends to the people, such as decrease in travel time, increase in the lifespan of vehicles, increased interconnectivity with other roads, such as the Oba Osupa-Hospital-Ijoka Road via Ijigba Road.”

    To the admiration of the crowd that gathered to witness the flag-off ceremony, the 8km road was designed to consist the following features: 2.7km dual carriageway and 5.3km single carriageway and would have standard facilities such as 1.5m walkway on both sides, 1m width median fitted with street light, 600mm x 750mm drains, 200mm lateritic sub-base course, 200mm stone base course, 50mm asphaltic binder course, 40mm asphaltic wearing course, among others.

    Stakeholders including the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi; the Regent of Oda, Princess Adeyinka Akosile; the Bishop of Akure Anglican Diocese, represented by Venerable Emmanuel Akosile; the Chief Imam of Akure, Alhaji Abdul Hakeem Yayi-Akorede, applauded the intervention on the road to engender the development of other sectors of the state economy.

    To the Bishop of Akure Anglican Diocese, the decision to build the road is “a pleasant surprise to everyone and an initiative worth applauding.”

    The Oda town youth leader, Mr. Ayodele Julius Obareke, promised maximum support for the contractor handling the project to enable the state government to deliver it in record time.

  • Army begins Court Martial of Former GOC over missing N400m

    Former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division, Sokoto, Maj.-Gen. Hakeem Otiki is being tried over alleged disappearance of N400 million.

    The Court Martial inaugurated by the Army on Tuesday to trial him, commenced sitting at the Army Headquarters Officers Mess, Asokoro, Abuja.

    It was presided over by Lt. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun,  the Chief of Policy and Plans, Army Headquarters.

    Gen. Otiki was brought into the Court in a white Military Ambulance. He was on a Wheel Chair.

    The former GOC and some soldiers involved in the matter had been interrogated by the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police.

    The names of the soldiers who allegedly ran away with the said cash while on escort duty are: Corporal Gabriel Oluwaniyi, Corporal Mohammed Aminu, Corporal Haruna, Olusoji Joshua and Hayatudeen.

    Read Also: GOC charges army officers to always exhibit high professional competence

    The soldiers who were said to be on Escort Duty with a Very Important Person (VIP) allegedly absconded with the cash while travelling from Sokoto to Kaduna.

    However, there was a mild drama inside the Hall where the Court Martial was holding as the lawyer representing Gen. Otiki raised objection on the leadership/Chairman of the Court, saying his client would not get justice, if Lt. Gen Adeosun sits as the chairman.

    Raising the objection on behalf of Gen. Otiki, his counsel Okechukwu Adinu, said Lt. Gen. Adeosun should recuse himself because “we have strong feelings that he (Gen. Otiki) may not get good trial, and fair trial under your leadership in this court here”.

    Adinu explained that Gen. Otiki would not get fair trial because some of the soldiers involved in the matter were security escorts he inherited from Lt. Gen. Adeosun when he (Otiki) took over as Core Commander of the Army Infantry Corps.

    Adinu also told the Court that Gen. Otiki entered the Nigerian Defence Academy ahead of Lt. Gen Adeosun and at a particular time, he, Gen. Otiki, drilled Gen. Adeosun in the military tradition when he Adeosun committed an infraction. He alleged that Adeosun was yet bearing the grudge against Gen. Otiki.

    Adinu explained that, from the relationship between the duo from the beginning, it was clear that there was animosity which Gen. Adeosun had been nursing against Gen. Otiki as Gen. Adeosun refused to acknowledge or reply the text message Gen Otiki sent to him recently when he was promoted to the rank of Lt. General.

    Giving reasons  Gen Adeosun should recuse himself from presiding over the court, Adinu said: “The reasons are as follows sir:  It is a known fact that Gen. Otiki got into Nigerian Defense Academy on 10th January 1983, while you got in on 4th july 1983. So, he got in there before you.

    “Sir and it’s a fact Sir, that Gen. Otiki here actually drilled you, he punished and drilled you, so. we have this feeling that the grudge then is still there, more so Sir, what is a known fact Sir that Gen. Otiki took over from you sir as the Core Commander Infantry last year and with due respect Sir, by the time we go to the proper trial certain issues will still come up.”

    “By the time the issues are put on the front burner before the court, it is certain that Lt. Gen. Adeosun would be mentioned or that reference would be made to him as some the issues had to do the functions of the offices he held previously.”

    Reporters were asked to leave the Hall where the Court Martial was taking place. However, as at the time of filing this report, details of the turn of events were yet unfolding.igeria’s economy is projected to grow by 2.4 per cent next year if the country’s economic development and recovery programmes are well implemented, the African Development Bank (AfDB) said on Tuesday.

    One of the  initiatives of the Federal Government, Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), is anchored on industrialisation and agriculture, the two key sectors which would enable the government to set up industrial clusters and build staple crop processing zones across the country.

    This  development would enable them to be competitive in the areas of skilled labour, technology and materials.

  • State governments in race to put 10.5 million kids in schools

    States, such as Kano, Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Oyo, Benue, Jigawa and Ebonyi, top the chart of those with the highest number of out-of-school kids. MARTINS ODEH examines governments’ strategies to reverse the trend

     

    Neglect of many years started it all. Now, 10.5 million kids are out of school in Nigeria, according to the United Nations estimates. Sixty per cent of the out-of- school are in the North. Available statistics listed the states with the most out-of-school children as: Kano, Akwa Ibom, Katsina, Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Oyo, Benue, Jigawa and Ebonyi.

    This neglect of basic education resulted in unimaginable decay of infrastructure and systems failure in the sector.

    However, almost all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are assiduously deploying resources to improve the situation.

    The various interventions were to address the problems of out-of-school children; improve infrastructure; enhance interests in the teaching profession, among others.

    The Federal Government was not oblivious of the infrastructural decay, low school enrolment and importance of basic education, as it established the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in 1999.

    The programme is a nine-year basic education strategy to eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and poverty.

    Though funding of basic education is the responsibility of the state and local governments, the Federal Government still funds basic education with two per cent of its consolidated revenue fund.

    The support from the Federal Government was meant to spur the states to improve the standard of basic education, in order to meet the goals of the defunct Millennium Development Goals (MDG) now replaced with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

    Kano State is desirous to upgrade infrastructure and boost enrolment. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, during a working visit to Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu in Abuja, promised to harmonise the Almajiri education system into modern academic curriculum

    The governor said education should be made free from basic to secondary levels in the interest of the Nigerian child.

    Read Also: Out of school children hits 16 million

    “As a government, we have said that basic education and secondary education will be free, we have also make it compulsory to ensure sustainability,’’ he said.

    In Kaduna State, the state’s Universal Basic Education Board, on Augugust 22 mobilised 2,000 education stakeholders as part of activities to kick start the 2019 enrolment campaign.

    The board’s acting Director, Social Mobilisation, Malam Ibrahim Aminu, said the campaign targeted the enrolment of 727,764 out-of-school children in the state in five years.

    Aminu explained that the campaign, which targeted the enrolment of 145,000 pupils in 2019, would be carried out under the World Bank assisted Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA).

    He said the 2,000 stakeholders, who would serve as enrolment influencers, would be trained to carry out community-based and house-to-house sensitisation campaign on the need to send children to school.

    According to him, the programme is to support Universal Basic Education Commission in addressing Pillar One of the Ministerial Strategic Plan that seeks to address the problem of out-of-school children in the country.

    The Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) on August 21, distributed instructional materials worth N1.4 billion to over 1,000 primary and junior secondary schools in the state.

    The Executive Chairman of the board, Chief Ikeje Asogwa, disclosed this when the State House of Assembly Committee on Education visited the board on an oversight function.

    Asogwa said the educational materials were distributed to the schools to improve teaching and learning.

    He said the board was also renovating dilapidated buildings and providing desks and sports equipment to schools across the state.

    The Oyo State government has also promised to educate over 170,000 almajiri. The state government said it would utilise the  three million US dollars World Bank Assisted Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) take-off grant to educate 170, 536 out-of-school children in the 23 local government areas of the state.

    The Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Adeniran, said the state was committed to boosting enrolment.

    The SUBEB chairman reiterated the state government’s resolve to effectively take off the streets, all out-of-school children and put them in public schools.

    Also, Benue Commissioner for Education Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, said the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) had set aside N6.5 billion for the execution of projects under its first and third quarter intervention funds.

    Ityavyar spoke in Makurdi, during the launching of the SUBEB’s financial bids opening ceremony for the utilisation of its first and third quarter intervention funds.

    The Nasarawa State government said over 8, 000 out-of-school children had been re-organised and returned to almajiri schools in Keffi Local Government Area.

    He also said the state conducted headcount of the almajiri, adding that 13,000 were registered.

    The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said it was currently executing 581 projects in public primary schools across the 17 local government areas of the state.

    The Executive Chairman of the board, Prof. Matthew Sule, disclosed this in Shendam, at the inauguration of the Social Mobilisation Intervention Campaign for communities benefitting from projects executed by the board.

    It is no gainsaying that basic education is sine qua non to the survival and growth of both secondary and tertiary education and by extension the nation.

    A former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, acknowledged this when he spoke recently at the Lagos State University Faculty of Education, 2019 Distinguished Lecture series.

    He said the authorities must show greater attention to teachers’ preparation, happiness and welfare.

    Okebukola also advised the government at various levels to improve funding and close up the huge infrastructure deficit in the sector.

    According to him, proper funding of education would ultimately translate to good quality education in the country.

    Stakeholders noted that there is always the tendency for older folks to be nostalgic when commentaries are made on the falling standard of education in the country.

    They forgot to realise that high standards were maintained yester years because of sustained investment in the education sector.

    They said it was regrettable that a country with its first primary school established in 1843 had allowed this magnitude of rot in the system.

    The general neglect of the sector has continually given credence to the series of lamentations on the general falling standard of education in the country.

    Consequently, it would not be out of place if the various authorities go beyond rhetoric and the seasonal interventions and declare a state of emergency in the sector, in order to address the challenges without further delay.

     

    • Odeh is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

  • CBN’s charges on cash deposit in banks begin

    Bank customers making cash deposits or withdrawals will pay charges from today in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new policy.

    The objective of the “transaction fees” is to give vent to the Central Bank’s policy designed to reduce cash in use.

    CBN Payments System Management Department Director Sam Okojere on Tuesday announced the take-off of the charges

    The transactions will attract three per cent processing fees for withdrawals and two per cent processing fees for lodgments above N500, 000 for individual accounts.

    Corporate accounts will attract five per cent processing fees for withdrawals and three per cent processing fee for lodgments above N3 million.

    Read Also: CBN to sanction banks for e-payment breach

    The charges will, however, only apply in Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Okojere said the implementation of the cash-less policy nationwide would take effect from March 31, 2020.

    Also to further promote the cash-less economy and to enhance the collection of applicable government revenues, the CBN announced a review of the process for merchant settlement.

    The regulator has, effective today, approved for banks to unbundle merchant settlement amounts and charge applicable taxes and duties on individual transactions as stipulated by regulations.

    Okojere announced a downward review of the Merchant Service Charge (MSC) from 0.75 per cent capped at N1,200 to 0.50 per cent capped at N1,000.

    The cash-less policy provides safe and efficient mechanisms for making and receiving payments with minimum risks to the CBN, payment service providers and end-users.

    The cash-less payment is catching on to the extent that even the lowly members of the society now do transactions online.

    Without this policy, Nigeria cannot be integrated into the world’s financial system.

    Pushing for the full use of the online payment system, the apex bank said for Nigeria to actively play at the world stage, “our payment system must be successfully benchmarked against the global best practices, as in most developed nations of the world.”

  • Osinbajo’s task team gets kudos on Apapa gridlock ease

    Stakeholders comprising truckers, residents, business owners and commuters in  Apapa, Lagos Sate have showered praise on the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo-led presidential task team on evacuation of trucks and restoration of law and order in the area.

    They said with the intervention of committed Nigerians and diligent law enforcement agents, which constitute the taskteam, life is gradually returning to the axis as businesses are springing up.

    Prior to the intervention of the presidential task team, most residents had abandoned the axis while most businesses were shut down due to perennial traffic gridlock which sometimes lasted for days.

    The hitherto bubbling community and its environs were deserted due to indiscriminate parking of trucks on the roads leading to Apapa port. Transportation along Ikorodu Road, Ijora, Apapa, Costain was hindered as a result of the heavy-duty trucks stationed on the roads.

    Read Also: Apapa gridlock: End of nightmare in sight

    But with the inauguration of the task team set up by President Muhammadu Buhari and headed by the Vice President Osinbajo, the narrative is  changing. Movement in and out of Apapa is becoming easier.

    The Chairman of Amalgamation of Container Trucks Owners, Chief Olalaye Thompson said the  Osinbajo-led team has been able to eradicate the sufferings of the commuters and business owners on the axis. He said that the successful eradication of corruption in the system was responsible for the free flow of traffic in Apapa.

    Also speaking, Mrs Augustine Chukwuemeka, who runs a shopping mall in the area, said that since enforcement of the Osinbajo-led presidential taskteam, she has been recording remarkable improvement on her sales. She said that the population of  Apapa is rapidly increasing.

    speaking on relative restoration of orderliness in the area, Gbade Amodu, a truck owner, said the manual call up being worked on by the taskteam would bring about an electronic call up that will finally put an end to the human interference which breeds corruption.  “For me, old glory of Apapa is being restored. Many of our colleagues who left the business now wanted to come back.

    “So far so good, we are impressed with the progress made so far. The current task team met a system that was not transparent and they adopted better strategies after listening to our plights” he said.