The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Register

  • Register me as an importer/exporter

    Journalism is my passion and I have been at it since my secondary school days at Methodist High School in Ibadan. Therefore, I am first and last a journalist, trained to know something about everything.

    I can testify that in my life’s journey, my professional training had stood me the test of time. I didn’t quite realise this until I ran to safety in London in 2001 to begin the life of an exile. Talk of the proverbial General who fights and runs! But the full story of that will be told another day.

    In London, I had to make a choice to live on the state on charity as an exile or brace myself up and get properly integrated to the British society. I chose the latter to prove the point that a well-baked journalist could be as adaptable as you can get.

    I chose to buy into real estate but that was impossible in that society except you were first trained and certificated in estate business. Since I was determined to do something remarkable for myself, I got some training in Southampton and Milton Keynes and consequently bought a franchise in Castle Estate, then the largest residential letting agency in the United Kingdom, with headquarters in Milton Keynes.

    The franchise I bought turned out to have the widest territory among all Castle Estate franchisees, stretching from behind the waters at the Parliament Buildings in London West One to Orpinton in Kent; something akin to a distance between Maryland on Lagos Mainland to Sagamu in Ogun State. It made me become the first black franchisee of that company; a record almost broken within a few months by another Nigerian and a journalist recruited into the Nigerian Army during the civil war to form the military public relations unit, Major Dovi Yebovi, who also signed to buy a franchise of Castle Estate but pulled out for some inexplicable reasons.

    I had an exciting time and a worthwhile business, having blue-chip clients like Hong Kong Banking Corporation (HSBC), Barclays Bank, Somerfield, Safeway and Holland & Barret, the organic pharmaceutical company, as well as private clients which included a British envoy to Bogota in Colombia, a popular top retired Customs comptroller Mrs Kofo Olugbesan and a well-known banker turned politician, Chief (Mrs) Olufemi Adikwu.

    If I knew that importation of almighty American dollar and the British pound was a possibility, perhaps I could have set up a shop as a clearing and forwarding company on my return home from exile in 2007.

    But come, what type of desperation or profit motivation could have driven those who brought huge containers of foreign currency into the country recently? For what purpose? To fight elections? Or set up a bureau de change outlet?

    Whatever the motive, the person or persons behind the massive and incredible importation must be exposed and be made to face the full rigours of the law because the importation is in clear contravention of our extant laws.

  • Salvador urges followers to register with APC as he defects

    Ahead of his formal defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) tomorrow, the immediate past chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Moshood Salvador, has directed his followers to register with the ruling party in their wards across the state.

    Salvador recently dumped the PDP, citing irreconcilable differences with Chief Bode George and an alleged plot to link him with the killing of the party’s chairman in Apapa Local Government Area.

    In a statement, the politician told his followers that having moved to the APC, it was incumbent upon them to immediately register with the party for full integration.

    This, he said, will make them stakeholders and accord them the right and privileges as members of the ruling party.

    Salvador said he was particularly delighted that they were joining the party at a time APC was carrying out membership registration.

    He said this would give them a seamless entry into the party.

    The former PDP chairman, who will be formally received alongside thousands of the party’s members into the APC at Agege Stadium, also said he was happy that the ruling party’s leadership welcomed them with open arms and showed an accommodating spirit.

    He said: “We are experienced politicians and the need to be fully integrated into the APC cannot be overemphasised. This is expedient as the party’s primary is around the corner.

    “This means we came into the party at a very critical period which offers us a very rare privilege of being card-carrying members of the APC.

    “The APC, from what we have seen, is a very focused party which means well for the generality of the people, despite their challenges.

    “Our goal is to join hands with all well-meaning members of the party and other Nigerians towards ensuring a landslide victory for the APC in the 2019 general elections.”

     

  • Board urges pilgrims to register before June 22

    The Bauchi Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board has called on all intending pilgrims in the state to complete their registration before June 22, saying that there would not be room for extension.

    Its Executive Secretary, Alhaji Abdulahi Hardawa, said that the June 22 closing date for the registration of this year’s pilgrimage remained unchanged.

    Hardawa also said the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) had announced a reduction in this year’s Hajj fare, adding that intending pilgrims from the state would pay N1,476,000, as against the N1,523,000 paid in 2017.

    He assured those that had deposited N1.5m would be refunded their balance.

    “If you recall, we started collecting deposits from intending pilgrims from December last year, with the minimum deposit of N300,000.

    “But for those that have paid N1.5m, they are to receive a refund of N23,671. I therefore advised those who have paid up to that amount, to go to their respective registration points from next week, Tuesday, and collect their refunds accordingly,” Hardawa said.

    The executive secretary also said that the 2016/17 pilgrims from the state had refunds to collect from the board.

    “We made general refunds for the 2016 and 2017 pilgrimage; still, there are people who are yet to come and collect their refunds.

    “For 2016 Hajj, we have about 443 people who are yet to collect their refunds and 57 people for the 2017 Hajj,” he said.

  • Register for national ID card, governor tells Lagos residents

    Register for national ID card, governor tells Lagos residents

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged residents to register for the national identity card.

    The governor said it was important for residents to register for the scheme because it would scale up data planning and financial planning as well as boost delivery of democratic dividends to the people.

    Ambode spoke yesterday at Lagos House in Ikeja, the capital, after registering for the scheme.

    He said: “I have just finished registering myself as a very proud Nigerian. I am very proud to hold this identity card. I also urge all Lagosians to do the same. We are proudly Lagosians and we are very proud Nigerians.

    “I urge every Lagosian to come out and get their national identity cards. It is in our best interest; it is also good for data planning and financial planning for all the things that we are trying to deliver to our people.

    “So, I urge everyone to come out and register.”

    NIMC’s Regional Coordinator for Lagos, Mr Kayode Adegoke, hailed Ambode for leading the registration and for his administration’s massive infrastructural development across the state.

    Adegoke, who presented the transaction slip confirming the governor’s enrolment into the national identity database, said the NIMC was proud to be associated with the state government to deliver on the scheme.

     

  • 322 Ikoyi, Kirikiri prisons’ inmates register for WASSCE

    322 Ikoyi, Kirikiri prisons’ inmates register for WASSCE

    Three hundred and twenty-two inmates in Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons in Lagos State registered for the West African Senior Secondary Examination (WASSCE) in the past three years, an official has said.

    The Controller of Prisons, Lagos State Command, Mr Tunde Ladipo, gave the figure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    The controller said inmates only sat for WASSCE for private candidates for ordinary level certificate.

    Ladipo said 206 of the inmates were from Ikoyi Prison; the others were from the Kirikiri Prison, Apapa.

    According to the controller, 75 inmates of Ikoyi Prison registered for the 2017 WASSCE for private candidates.

    He said 66 Ikoyi Prison inmates sat for the examination in 2016 and 65 inmates in 2015.

    Ladipo said 20 inmates of the Maximum Security Prison, Kirikiri, sat for the examination in 2015; 25 sat for it in 2016.

    He said 21 inmates of the Medium Security Prison, Kirikiri, sat for the examination in 2016; 17 took the examination in 2015.

    The controller said 14 inmates of the Female Prison, Kirikiri, took the examination in 2015; 19 sat for it in 2016.

    He said no inmate of the Kirikiri Prison registered for the examination in 2017 due to lack of sponsorship.

    Fifty-nine inmates of the Ikoyi Prison, he added, sat for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME); 32 took the examination in 2016.

    According to Ladipo, Kirikiri Prison inmates do not sit for UTME but secure admission directly into the National Open University of Nigeria, if they pass WASCCE.

    According to him, registration of inmates for the examinations depends on sponsorship by well-meaning individuals and groups including churches and non-governmental organisations.

    “Assisting inmates to have access to education opportunities was one outstanding way of keeping alive their hope of a successful return to the larger society.

    The Nigeria Prisons Service, he said, was designed as a correction and reformation centre.

    “We are trying to transform the lives of inmates through reading that could teach them morals after serving their jail terms.

    “With these measures, they will easily get integrated into the society at the expiration of their jail terms, ’’ Ladipo said.

    The controller praised well-meaning individuals, groups and non-governmental organisations for assisting in improving the inmates’ lives.

    He landed the Controller-General of Nigeria Prisons Service, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed, for giving priority to reform and inmates’ welfare.

    Ladipo also hailed Lagos State Government for supporting the command with utility vehicles to facilitate its operations.

    “The controller-general recorded a remarkable achievement in the last two years with improvement in the welfare and reformation of inmates.

    “Inmates are trained in different vocations such as barbing, tailoring, art and design as well as bead making to empower them to be self-employed after their jail terms.

    “We thank the state government and NGOs that have been supporting our operations,’’ Ladipo said.

     

  • A register of ghosts

    It is the document on which candidates’ fate hangs. Known as the voter’s register, it contains the names of all eligible voters in the land. Eligibility is determined by age, which the constitution fixes at 18. Anyone under 18 cannot register as a voter. Where an underage registers, he is deemed to have committed an offence and he is liable to prosecution. Over the years, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the register’s custodian, has come under fire for filling it with fictitious names and ineligible voters.

    We have seen voter’s list with names like Nelson Mandela, Mike Tyson, Kofi Annan, who are not Nigerians. While those who registered in one part of the country found their names in other states; yet others did not find their names on the register at all. Our voter’s list is just that in name. It is nothing more than a sheet of paper stitched together by some people to fool us. INEC or whatever name it was called in the past, never got the voter’s list right. The electoral umpire seemed to take delight in filling the document with names of people supplied to it by those in power, who are bent on winning elections.

    If this was not the case, many who trooped out to register under the scorching sun or cold weather will not end up not finding their names on the list during its display. As much as the electoral commission tries to vouch for the voter’s list, evidence has time and again shown that there is something untidy about it. It is either the commission is colluding with some people to mess up the register or it is outright incapable of discharging a simple task. By this submission, I am not indicting the Prof Mahmoud Yakubu-led INEC, but a general castigation of the commission over the years.  The problem with our voter’s list did not start today, so the prof and his men should not take the whole blame for it.

    But, can we trust him to restore our faith in the voter’s list? The register is crucial in the discharge of INEC’s job. Without a clean register, the commission may have failed in its first task of ensuring free and fair elections in 2019, which is just two years away. Painfully, the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) does not give cause for cheer giving what we are hearing about what transpired in Government House, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. INEC is accusing Governor Yahaya Bello of double registration. The governor is denying the claim. He added for good measure that perhaps it was  his  ghost that was registered since he was out of the country last May 23.

    Ghosts have always found their way into the register long before Bello made that allusion and it is all the commission’s fault. The voter’s list will continue to be filled with ghosts as long as the commission is peopled by greedy officials. Registration for an election, which is a civic duty to be performed by a citizen, has been turned to a money making venture. It is where the big money is that INEC officials will go to register and re-register people, if need be,  under fictitious names. Little wonder some people today have as many as 100 or more voter’s cards, which become their meal tickets during elections.

    But, INEC can change things with the Yahaya Bello case. The governor, who registered in Abuja on January 30, 2011, was said to have re-registered in Lokoja on May 23, 2017, contrary to the electoral law. The law frowns at double registration, but allows a voter to transfer his registration from one state to another to ensure a sane process. Since the governor has denied the allegation, it behoves INEC to come out with its proof. But isn’t there a contradiction in Bello’s claim and his spokesman’s statement that “the governor’s effort to transfer his card from Abuja to Kogi State has not been successful, hence the need to get registered in Kogi State”?

    The likes of Fanwo should know that there is no excuse for breaking the law, no matter how highly-placed a person may be. The question is how could the governor be in Dubai on May 23 as he told reporters in Abuja last Friday and at the same time be in Lokoja ‘’to get registered in Kogi State’’, as contained in Fanwo’s statement. The onus is on INEC to clear the fog. Can it do that? Yes, it can if it has the photograph of the governor’s registration. How then did his name disappear from the list? That is a question for the registration officials to answer.

     

    Haba, NJC! 

    The National Judicial Council (NJC) is at it again. After its 82nd meeting which ended on June 1, it recalled six judges who were suspended in the wake of allegations against them. It noted that since their suspension, there has been a backlog of cases in their courts. Those recalled are Justices Inyang Okoro (Supreme Court), Uwani Aba Ali (Appeal Court), Adeniyi Ademola, Hydiazara Nganyiwa, Musa Kurya, all of the Federal High Court and Agbadu James Fishim (National Industrial Court). Of all the judges, only Justice Ademola has been discharged and acquitted by Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has appealed the verdict. The others are yet to be charged to court. So, many are wondering what informed NJC’s recall of these judges. Is it proper to recall a judge whose case is yet to be determined by the appeal court? A case that may even get to the Supreme Court. On what basis did it recall the others who have not even faced trial? Since it is an eminent body of judges, has the NJC tried and found them not guilty? Well, it should remember that it cannot sit as a court in that capacity.  The judges’ recall is hasty. It would have been better for the council to  await the appellate courts’ decisions on Justice Ademola’s case and also allow time for the others’ trial.  

  • Troops recover militants’ pictures, register in Arepo creeks

    Troops recover militants’ pictures, register in Arepo creeks

    •Ground forces destroy 97 camps

    The military at the weekend made major recoveries in its ongoing operations to flush out militants from Lagos and Ogun Creeks from where communities are being attacked.

    The ground forces which moved into the creeks after the Air Force bombardments, have recovered pictures and a register containing names of suspected militants.

    It was gathered that the ground forces also destroyed about 97 camps in the enclave.

    A source close to the operation, who didn’t want to be quoted because he is not authorised to speak to the media, said stench of decomposing bodies filled some of the camps, although no bodies were found.  He described this as an indication that many of the militants might have been killed from the air strikes, noting that the fleeing militants might have taken the bodies of their men.

    Other items found there are three laptops, expended magazines, an AK47 rifle and police and military uniforms.

    “The recovered items will aid the investigation by the DSS and enable them to go after and apprehend the suspects,” said the source who added that the recovery of the pictures and names of the suspects in a register; shows that they are organised and that they usually signed in and out. “In one of the registers there are about 450 names on it.”

    He added that “the police and army uniforms found had no names on them. We saw a lot of personal effects and I can tell you that the militants suffered casualties because of the stench coming out of the camps.”

    it was also learnt that the profiling of the arrested 11 suspects is ongoing. One of the revelations is that four of them have been identified as Ilaje, a development that corroborates claims from certain quarters that the gunmen were not from any particular ethnic group.

  • PDP alleges plan by APC to register IDPs

    PDP alleges plan by APC to register IDPs

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an alarm over an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to register northerners in the Internally Displaced Persons camp during the voter registration.

    It said others would be transported from Kano and Kogi states to participate in the September 10 governorship election.

    The Publicity Secretary, PDP, Chris Nehikhare, said there was no truth in the allegation by the Edo State Government that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has recruited thugs to destabilise the election.

    Nehikhare said the statement against Okowa was unsubstantiated and a wild allegation.

    He said: “Whenever Governor Adams is up to something sinister, he employs diversionary tactics. Edo people will not fall for his deceit and lies as they are prepared to vote his party out in the September election.

    “There is no truth in the allegation of Governor Adams Oshiomhole  and it actually tells more of the apprehension APC and Governor Adams is feeling as their inevitable rejection and defeat stares them in the face.”

  • NCAA to register aviation fuel marketers

    NCAA to register aviation fuel marketers

    Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)  said it would commence the registration of all  Aviation Fuel Marketers very soon.

    As part of preparations for the registration , the Aviation Regulatory authority said said it has initialled all modalities and prerequisites concerning the exercise with aviation fuel marketers .

    Disclosing this at the weekend, its Director General, Captain Mukthar   Usman, said  all existing aviation fuel suppliers would be required to register and regularise their operations with the NCAA .

    He said new entrants would file fresh application with the same requirements.

    This action is not unconnected with the recent controversy and cross allegations concerning the Jet A1 supply and usage by the airline operators.

    Usman charged relevant departments and officials of the Authority to quickly hold a meeting with the marketers and stakeholders to sensitise them on the guidelines and requirements for registration prior to the exercise.

    He said :” To register as an aviation fuel supplier, an application should be written and addressed to the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    The application shall be signed by the lead promoter or Chief Operating/Executive Officer of the company and the airports/terminals where it intends to operate.

  • Voters’ register: Court fixes November 25 for judgment

    Voters’ register: Court fixes November 25 for judgment

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 25 for judgment in a suit seeking to void the voters’ register produced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in preparation for the coming elections.

    Justice Ibrahim Auta chose the date last Thursday after listening to the parties.

    The suit filed by a firm, Bedding Holdings Ltd (BHL), has as defendants, INEC, its Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

    Plaintiff’s lawyer, John Okoriko, argued that INEC and its agents were in breach of sections 2, 3 (3), 19, 25 and 26 of the Patent and Designs Act and an earlier judgment of the court delivered on January 28 by conducting voters’ registration, using his client’s patented process, without its prior consent.

    The court in the judgment declared BHL as the owner of patent rights No: RP16642 and copyrights designs No: RD13841 over Electronic Collapsible Transparent Ballot Boxes (ECTBB) and patent rights No: RP NG/P/2010/202 – Proof of Address System/Scheme (PASS) – embedded with the concept of the coded mental plate – and their application for the process of producing voters’ register.

    BHL in the suit argued that INEC infringed on its patent rights by consistently utilising its patented inventions for the process of producing voters’ register, using the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines without its prior consent, an argument the court upheld.

    The court awarded N17.3billion damages against INEC, Jega and AGF for the infringement and ordered them to always seek prior consent of the patentee -BHL – before using the invention, failing which any act for which it was deployed would be rendered a nullity.

    The plaintiff stated in a supporting affidavit that rather than first obtain its consent, as ordered in the January 28 judgment, the defendants proceeded to engage in voters’ registration for the last elections in Ekiti and Osun states and the 2015 general elections, in breach of its rights.

    BHL’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Sylvester Odigie, said in the supporting affidavit that it has become a pattern with INEC and Jega to disregard court judgments.

    He cited a judgment given in his company’s favour on the ownership of the patent right over the transparent ballot boxes being used for elections by INEC, which the electoral body has refused to obey.

    Odigie urged the court to grant the prayers as contained in the suit, as a way of protecting its integrity, halting arbitrary conduct on the part of the defendants and in the interest of justice.

    BHL is seeking an order nullifying the voters’ register produced by INEC for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states and other future elections, using the plaintiff’s patented process without its consent.

    It also seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from further infringing on the patented rights as confirmed in the January 28 judgment, by utilising the patented process for voters’ registration without first obtaining its consent.

    The plaintiff wants a declaration that by virtue of the provisions of sections 2, 3 (3), 19, 25 and 26 of the Patent and Designs Act, and the subsisting judgment of the court delivered on January 28, INEC cannot use its (plaintiff’s) patented process for voters’ registration.

    It also seeks a declaration that the continuous voters’ registration exercise being carried out by INEC towards future elections, without seeking the plaintiff’s prior consent, is an infringement on its patented rights as confirmed by the January 28 judgment.

    The defendants have denied infringing on the plaintiff’s rights and violating any subsisting judgment. They urged the court to refuse the plaintiff’s prayers and dismiss the suit.

    Arguing the counter-affidavit filed by INEC and Jega, their lawyer, Ebuka Nwaeze, said the judgment on which the plaintiff relied in filing the suit is on appeal.

    INEC and Jega argued that issues raised in the suit have “been litigated upon and are subject of appeal  before the Court of Appeal.

    “There is no statute, agreement or enforceable instruments by which the claimant (plaintiff) is entitled to be consulted, its consent obtained before using ballot boxes now being used at elections in the country.”

    They said the Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, on March 17 granted them “the right to use the patent being claimed by the claimant.”

    INEC and Jega argued that the suit “brought in bad faith” is an attempt to harass and intimidate them.