The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Registrars

  • FJSC overrules Supreme Court on Chief Registrar’s reinstatement

    The Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) has overridden the judgment of the Supreme Court ordering the Court of Appeal to, among others, reinstate its Chief Registrar, Bode Thomas.

    In the judgment delivered on February 16, the Supreme Court ordered Thomas’ immediate reinstatement, payment of his outstanding salaries and allowances, among others.

    Rather than obey, the FJSC directed Thomas to proceed on 300 days accumulated compulsory leave.

    The Nation, last Friday, sighted a copy of the March 9 letter,  which was copied the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.

    Justice Bulkachuwa minuted on the copy sighted by The Nation. She directed the head of the Court of Appeal’s Accounts Department to act on the letter.

    The letter, which also directed Thomas to resume duties on January 2, 2019, few weeks to his retirement, acknowledged the Supreme Court’s judgment.

    It says while he is reinstated, Thomas should proceed on his accumulated leave.

    Although Thomas, his lawyers and officials of the Court of Appeal and FJSC refused to comment on the legality of FJSC’s decision, The Nation found that the directive that Thomas proceeds on an accumulated leave offends both the Public Service Rules and the FJSC Regulations.

  • Registrars in trouble for issuing production warrant without court order

    Two court registrars attached to an Igbosere High Court may have landed in trouble for issuing production warrant for a suspect without the order of a court.

    The registrars simply called Tayo and Oluwole, issued the production warrant in respect of one Tunde Adewale, for hearing of his bail application, despite that the substantive matter is not before the court.

    The trial judge, Justice Sybil Nwaka, before whom the case of Adewale came up, was livid with anger that the registrars issued production warrant without her knowledge and an order of the court.

    The judge threatened to send the duo away from the court.

    He queried the registrars for bringing the defendant  before her on their own without an order of the court.

    “It is only the judge that has the right to order a production warrant, the substantive matter is not in this court” She said.

    “The two of you are up to something, my hands are clean, everyday is for the thief but one day is for the owner”, she said.

    The judge declined to hear the bail application of Adewale. Instead, she struck out the application, insisting that she didn’t order the production of the defendant.

    She noted that the substantive matter was not even before her and that she did not know the charge preferred against the defendant.

    “I don’t even know the charge against him, it’s only the bail application that is brought before me, you signed a reproduction warrant on your own without my knowledge. I am going to send the two of you away from this court” Justice Nwaka said.

    The judge  ordered that the defendant be returned to Kirikiri Medium Prison custody from where he was brought before the court.

    “The motion for bail is hereby struck out; take him back to the medium prison, I never ordered for his production”, she instructed.

  • Fed Govt stops registrars from referring patients for overseas treatment

    •N1b West African Surgeons college secretariat opened

    The Federal Government has stopped registrars from referring patients for treatment abroad.It has given the job to consultants.

    It accused the registrars of conniving with patients to ask for foreign exchange (forex) for overseas treatment of cases that could easily be handled in the country, adding that this has led to a loss of about $1 billion yearly to medical tourism.

    Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole stated this at the inauguration of the West African College of Surgeons permanent secretariat in Lagos.

    To stop these indiscriminate referrals by registrars, Adewole said: “Only consultants now are authorised to refer patients for foreign treatments. No registrar can do that again.”

    Adewole said Nigeria has many experts who can rise up to any medical challenge.

    He praised ‘’the marvelous job’’ of Prof M.T. Shokunbi and his team at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, which handled a fibroid case successfully, thereby saving huge bills.

    He also praised the National Hospital, Abuja team, which treated a young girl with a large jaw tumour. The team operated for eight hours with various surgical teams. ‘’Nigerian medics know their onions indeed,” Adewole said.

    He said the Federal Government was committed to reversing medical tourism and had documented that the causes of medical tourism abroad are cancer, chronic renal problem (renal transplant) and heart diseases.

    Adewole said already the government was upgrading seven tertiary health facilities for cancer care, and focusing on the upgrade of radiotherapy, adding that his ministry was discussing with two big vendors to provide machines, training and maintenance opportunities.

    “Corporate organisations, such as Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), are planning to support various centres aside the Federal Government interventions.

    “We are also repaying outstanding bills for trainees in South Africa, in International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-supported training,” Adewole said.

    He said the Federal Government was ready to partner the the college on any area to improve the quality of care, training and service delivery. He commended the college’s members for building the six-floor edifice which cost N1 billion.

    He appealed to the college’s authorities to reduce the training period of residents to five years.

    WAC’s President, Prof Akinyinka Omigbodun said the institution would provide quality training for surgeons across the West African region.

    “The construction of our permanent secretariat is the single largest project the college has ever embarked upon and the successful completion of the building is a testament to the strong support of Fellows have given our College. It will continue to serve for the training of postgraduate specialist training for physicians and surgeons, as well as other health care professionals in Nigeria and across other parts of West Africa. We pledge to work closely with Ministry of Health to improve surgical care for the teeming population of the nation,” Omigbodun said.

    He said the secretariat would serve as a clinical skill centre where trainees would have a simulator-experience to practise the act of surgery before the experts handle patients. ‘’Digital library will be available as well. That will enhance their skill. He identified finance as the main challenge WACS is facing.

    The institution’s Secretary-General, Dr Olutola Olatosin, said members were happy to build a befitting headquarters for the college, noting that the West African College of Surgeons started off in Ibadan in December 1960 as Association of Surgeons of West Africa (ASWA).

    ‘’It is the professional body in the sub-region and comprised specialists in surgical specialties. Its first President was Sir Samuel Manuwa of blessed memory. West Africa, in this context, includes all countries within 20ºW and 20ºE of longitude and 20º North and 20º South of the equator i.e. from Mauritania to Democratic Republic of Congo. In order to achieve one of its cardinal objectives, i.e. to train surgical specialists in the sub-region, it resolved and became the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) in January 1973 and inherited all the assets and liabilities of ASWA.

    “After over 40 years, WACS has trained about 5000 specialists in various surgical discipline, including surgery, anaesthesia, dental surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology,ophthalmology, ENT, and radiology. It has also trained about 800 diplomates in anaesthesia, ophthalmology and ENT. It has over 5, 000 Fellows across all fields of surgery and also diplomates. In the beginning, the College Secretariat was located in the office of whoever was elected the Secretary-General of the college.

    ‘’It was only 1989 that it moved to the present Secretariat in the headquarters of the now defunct West African Health Community. It shares the building with three other postgraduate colleges. So, this edifice is playing a big brother among other country members,” he added.

  • Africa Prudential Registrars wins PEARL Awards

    Africa Prudential Registrars (APR) Plc received double honour as it won Best Profit Margin Ratio and Best Corporate Governance awards at 20th Pearl Awards Dinner in Lagos.

    In the market excellence category, APR Plc won the award for Best Profit Margin Ratio, beating every other listed company in Nigeria. In 2014, it led the entire group of listed companies by profit margin with a distance at 54 per cent, the closest rival being 40.7 per cent.

    APR also won the Best Corporate Governance in the Special Recognition category, making her awards two on the night. Other nominees in this category were Total Nigeria Plc and Custodian and Allied Plc.

    Managing director, Africa Prudential Registrars (APR), Mr. Peter Ashade, said the company would continue to strive to improve on its performance year-on-year, particularly when it comes to ability to convert revenue into profit.

    Chairman, Africa Prudential Registrars (APR) Plc, Chief Eniola Fadayomi noted that the “Best Corporate Governance Award” highlighted that the board and management of the company have been working in harmony.

    She assured stakeholders that the company will continue to protect their interests, while ensuring international best practices in corporate governance.

    Organisers of the Pearl Awards noted that it was established to reward corporate excellence and  thereby challenge and spur quoted companies to explore innovative and competitive approaches towards achieving outstanding performance and growth. Therefore, nominees and eventual winners were selected through a verifiable and objective award selection process.

     

  • NECO workers fault Registrar’s appointment

    The Academic Staff Union of Research and Allied Institute (ASURI) has faulted the appointment of Prof Monday Tommy Joshua as the new Registrar and Chief Executive Officer for National Examination Council (NECO).

    The protest of NECO chapter of the union was contained in a letter signed by its chairman, Comrade Agwu Arisa, and addressed to the Minister of Education, a copy which was made available to journalists in Minna.

    The letter reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, may we remind you that since the inception of our institution (hereinafter refereed to simply as “NECO”), there has been two Registrars/Chief Executive Officers to wit: Prof Dibu Ojerinde who was the pioneering Registrar, from the Southwest region of Nigeria, and after serving out full his full term the out-going Registrar, Prof Promise Okpala, from the Southeast region of Nigeria was thereafter appointed, who has now not only served out his term, but enjoyed a period of extension of tenure without due process being complied with.

    “In the present circumstances, and bearing the principle of federal character, it would only be fair and reasonable to expect that the next appointed to the office of registrar should come from the northern zone of the country.

    “The union has been reliably informed that one Prof Monday Tommy Joshua who is now being considered for appointment as the next Registrar, is not only not from the northern zone of Nigeria, he was never recommended by the Honourable Minister to the President for such appointment”.

  • Shareholders approve Africa Prudential Registrars’ N700m dividends

    Shareholders approve Africa Prudential Registrars’ N700m dividends

    Africa Prudential Registrars (APR) Plc would today distribute N700 million as cash dividends to shareholders following the approval of the dividend recommendation at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the company.

    APR, Nigeria’s first and only share registration company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), would pay a dividend per share of 35 kobo to all shareholders. The payment of the dividend will be made tomorrow to all shareholders on the register of members of the company as at the qualifying date of March 17 this year.

    Addressing shareholders at the meeting, its chairman, Chief  Eniola Fadayomi said APR’s dividend policy is aimed at rewarding shareholders by increasing their wealth and consistency.

    She said though market performance in the first half of the year showed momentary positive runs, the second half was far less impressive, pointing out that in spite of the inclement operating environment, the company recorded significant gains when compared to the previous year.

    Its Managing Director, Mr. Peter Ashade, reassured that the company remains true to its goal of becoming the leading and dominant provider of share registration services in Africa.

    “As a result, our focus for the year will be to continue to profitably grow our businesses while providing our clients and stakeholders with appropriate alternative solutions. We will strive to manage our operating costs by optimising our processes while concurrently improving the level of service delivery to our clients,” Ashade said.

    Key extracts of the audited report and accounts of the company showed steady growths in all key performance indicators. Gross earnings rose from N1.85 billion in 2013 to N2.11 billion in 2014. Profit before tax also rose from N1.21 billion to N1.30 billion. After taxes, net profit stood at N1.22 billion in 2014 as against N914.46 million in 2013. Earnings per share showed corresponding increase from 46 kobo in 2013 to 61 kobo in 2014.

    The balance sheet of the company also showed appreciable improvement. Total assets closed 2014 at N18.91 billion compared with N16.42 billion in 2013. Total liabilities meanwhile rose from N12.09 billion to N14.38 billion. Shareholders’ funds increased marginally from N4.33 billion to N4.53 billion.

    It would be recalled that APR equally paid a dividend per share of 35 Kobo to shareholders for the 2013 financial year, its first year as a listed company on the NSE.

  • Registrars urged to solve problems

    Registrars urged to solve problems

    REGISTRARS of polytechnics and colleges of technology have been charged to reflect on the state of tertiary education in Nigeria and proffer useful solutions to the lingering crisis rocking the sector.

    Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Dr. Mufutau Olatinwo, made this call at the 62nd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Registrars of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria (COREG), held at the 1,000-seater lecture theatre of the polytechnic.

    Olatinwo, in his keynote address, commended COREG for providing a platform for registrars to rub minds on issues in administration, record management and policy implementation as it has enhanced productivity among registry staff in the polytechnic.

    “I must commend the efforts of COREG at providing a platform for registrars of polytechnics and colleges of technology in the country, to rub minds and discuss issues in the administration and record management and policy implementation. Your efforts over the years, I must say, have improved productivity and brought about high efficiency in the polytechnic system. The Federal Polytechnic, Offa, is a vivid example.”

    Worried by the increasing cases of indiscipline among workers, admission and certificates racketeering, forgery and incessant strikes, Olatinwo tasked COREG to initiate measures against the vices.

    The Kwara State Governor Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary and Acting Commissioner, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mr J. A. B. Haruna, also urged the registrars to find lasting solutions to academic disruptions.

    In his welcome address, FEDPOFFA Registrar, Alhaji Abdulhamid Raji, thanked the management for being supportive. He said the registry and technical workers, like their academic counterparts, enjoy capacity building programmes within and outside the country.

    In his goodwill message, the Ojomu of Offa Chief Bayo Akinola who represented Olofa of Offa called on the Federal Government and leaderships of ASUU and ASUP to find common ground towards resolving the insudtrial strikes embarked upon by the unions.

     

  • African Prudential Registrars seeks N1.2b new equity funds

    African Prudential Registrars (APR) Plc plans to raise about N1.2 billion new equity funds from existing shareholders of the share-registration company to finance its growth plan.

    A source in the know of the new issue said APR is concluding pre-offer processes for a rights issue 1.0 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N1.20. The shares would be pre-allotted to shareholders on the register of the company as at the close of business on August 23, this year.

    At N1.20 per share, the rights issue’s price represents a discount of 35 per cent to the company’s opening share price of N1.85 yesterday.

    The largest chunk of the new equity funds is expected to be provided by Tony Elumelu’s Heirs Holdings, the pan-African investment company that holds the largest individual stake in APR.

    APR, the only listed share registration company, recently concluded the acquisition of UAC Registrars, the oldest non-bank affiliated registrar in the Nigerian capital markets.

    The company plans to integrate and absorb UAC Registrars to enhance its competitive scale, reduce operating expenses and increase overall profitability.

    Managing Director, African Prudential Registrars, Mr Peter Ashade, said the company was at the vanguard of the consolidation of the country’s share registration industry.

    He noted that APR would consolidate its leading position as a pacesetter in the introduction of technology to the conventional share registration market and the first company to launch an online real-time share registration portal in Nigeria.

    According to him, the company has succeeded in making registration quicker and easier through the use of innovative interactive systems that enable shareholders, stockbrokers and client companies to monitor their portfolio remotely.

     

  • Registrars seek review of tenure law

    The Committee of Registrars of Nigerian Universities, (CORNU) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to amend the law reducing the tenure of Registrars of federal universities to a single term of five years.

    Their stand is contained in a communiqué issued after the committee’s 54th business meeting held from April 24 to 26 at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti.

    They claimed that it would disrupt continuity.

    “This unfortunate scenario is better appreciated if viewed in the reality of the new federal universities where the Vice-Chancellors and Registrars were appointed the same day and would leave on the same date. The law will disrupt the continuity and stability in the university system which university Registrars epitomise as institutional repository,” the statement reads.

    Expressing concern over the declining quality of service delivery in universities, the committee appealed to members and all stakeholders to, as a matter of urgency, address the decline through training, capacity building as well as mentoring younger administrators, if Nigerian universities are to take giant strides in the 21st Century.

    They also expressed concern over the declining quality of facilitators in the university system and called for an urgent review of recruitment processes by ensuring that well qualified staff are attracted and retained in the system. CORNU also urged universities to embrace International best practices if they want to remain globally competitive.

    CORNU members praised the Federal Government for inaugurating the Governing Councils for some of the federal universities adding that the newly established universities do not yet have councils.

    It was also stated that there is a need to explore areas of collaboration with similar bodies the world over like the Association of Heads of Administration in the United Kingdom (UK) and synergise with them to enable members share experiences that will enhance their productivity and performance. “Such collaboration would not only leverage on members competences but would also internationalise their operations,” it stated.

    The meeting which was attended by 63 registrars from federal, states and private universities from all the six geo-political zones of the country, elected the registrar of theEkiti State University Ado-Ekiti Dr Omojola Awosusi as its new chairman to take over from Mr Ayorinde Ogunruku.

     

  • First Registrars deploys electronic voting for general meetings

    Shareholders at their general meetings can now ensure seamless and more accurate voting as First Registrars Nigeria Limited broke new ground in innovation in the share registration industry with the operational launch of its electronic voting (e-voting) system.

    First Registrars showcased the trail-blazing e-voting device at the extra-ordinary general meeting of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc. The devices could be used for all voting at any general meeting including approval of resolutions, election of audit committee, board members election and other opinion polls.

    Several shareholders, shareholders’ associations and corporate executives have commended First Registrars for the innovation.

    Speaking on the initiative, managing director, First Registrars Nigeria Limited, Mr. Bayo Olugbemi, said the company was innovation driven and it would continue to pioneer market-based solutions that will give shareholders and client companies unparalleled advantages in the share registration industry.

    According to him, world-class technology and excellent customer services are the differentiating factors that position First Registrars as the leading capital market registrars company in the Nigerian capital market.

    He noted that against the previous constraints of manual voting, the advent of e-voting and telephone devices voting and poll processes at corporate meetings are now done seamlessly in a jiffy with the election results being projected live at such meetings.

    “We benchmark only the international best practices while setting the pace for others to follow in the Nigerian capital market – we are indeed the leader but will never be complacent,” Olugbemi said.

    The e-voting devices not only capture the head counts of voters, they also capture the number of units owned by them and in the case of shareholders with multiple share accounts; they can be linked to a single voting device. Poll results are displayed on the screen instantly after every poll for transparency while accurate reports are also available for audit purposes.

    Chairman, Honeywell Flourmills Plc, Dr. Ayoola Oba Otudeko commended the efforts of First Registrars in transforming the share registration industry through ground breaking innovations.