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Tag: rural dwellers

  • Ugwuanyi procures 10,000 set top boxes for poor rural dwellers

    Ugwuanyi procures 10,000 set top boxes for poor rural dwellers

    Following the Federal Government’s launch of the Digital Switch-Over (DSO) from analogue to digital television broadcasting in Enugu, the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration has procured 10,000 set top boxes for free distribution to some low income households.

    Speaking at a ceremony at the zonal headquarters of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Enugu, Ugwuanyi stated that the procurement was to enable less endowed families access more channels in line with innovation in the broadcasting industry.

    The governor  added that his administration also took the decision because of the significant cost of digital cut-over on the consumer, who will have to source set top boxes to enable their analogue televisions receive digital signals.

    Ugwuanyi said that the government was delighted to “fully” support the digitisation process, which he said “will increase the channels available to Enugu TV viewers, expand and deepen educational content, reduce the cost of deploying and managing costly state television infrastructure, and ultimately improve the IGR of local governments”.  “As a state, we are fully conscious of possible discomfort that economically challenged families will face when they experience disruption in accessing free-to-air television. This, in our judgment, is the major reason the federal government has committed to produce and subsidize 10-million set top boxes for distribution to poor households in Nigeria.

    Ugwuanyi expressed delight that Enugu is the No. 5 in the country to cutover to digital television broadcasting after Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Plateau, Kwara and Kaduna states, adding that the state also has the distinction of being the first in the Southsouth

     

    The governor  praised the Federal Government, especially the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the resolute manner they have pursued the Digital Switch-Over agenda despite the daunting challenges, stressing that “there is every reason to support the switchover from analogue to digital television broadcasting”.

    Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed thanked the governor for his presence at the event, noting that Enugu is the third state the Federal Government has launched the Digital Switch-Over in the last two months.

    Also speaking, Director General of NBC, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, stated that the Federal Government was making the transition from analogue to digital a reality, stressing that the benefits are enormous as viewers will gradually appreciate the vision behind the initiative.

  • BVN: More time sought for rural dwellers

    BVN: More time sought for rural dwellers

    Bank customers in the rural areas should be given more time to link their accounts to the Bank Verification Number (BVN) network since they are not looters, stakeholders have advised the Federal Government.

    The appeal came on the heels of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruling granting a temporary forfeiture order on accounts not linked to BVN. The court ruled that funds in such accounts should be forfeited to the government within the next two weeks unless the owners can justify their ownership of such accounts.

    To Cowry Assets Limited Managing Director Johnson Chukwu, the two-week notice is too short. He urged the government to apply to the court to review the deadline because many people, especially at the grassroots, were probably unaware of the BVN directive.

    He said the government should set a N5 million and above forfeiture threshold to ensure that only suspicious accounts are targeted and tracked.

    Chukwu explained that families trying to access funds from accounts of dead relatives and are yet to perfect letter of administration will need more time for the process. He said not extending the deadline would have adverse effect on such families.

    Director-General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM) Prof. Akpan Ekpo said any genuine bank customer should not shy away from BVN adding that those not complying might have things to hide.

    He however, agreed with Chukwu that the government should ensure that rural dwellers were properly informed. He also advised the government to ensure that Nigerians in the diaspora had enough time and information to have their accounts at home linked to their BVN.

    Head, Nigeria Office, Inter- Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) Timothy Melaye said the court order could be legally challenged and that the government should approach the National Assembly to make it a law for funds in unlinked accounts to be forfeited.

    He said bank customers should be uniquely identified with their Know Your Customer (KYC) taken as it is in international banking practice.

    Melaye said such practice would help to reduce fraud, adding that many countries were trying to copy Nigeria on the BVN achievement.

    “The BVN remains a good project but the procedures for forfeiture of funds can be challenged in court if it is not made constitutional, or backed by law,” he said.

    An economist and Managing Director/CEO of Economic Associates (EA), Mr. Ayodele Teriba, said the BVN had made the banking sector safe, and implementation of the directive would make the sector safer. “If you do not have BVN, it means you do not exist. In a fraud-prone environment, no account should not be linked to BVN. Why will people want to run accounts and not comply with the BVN directive? It has to end someday and deadline should not be forever,” he said.

    Teriba said not having BVN is like getting a mobile phone without registering it. Such phone can easily be put to dubious uses that are not in the interest of the society.

    Former Executive Director, Keystone Bank, Richard Obire said the court’s directive was in order, provided it is in public interest.

    He said the government should set a five-year timeline during which it would sensitise people on the dangers of not linking their accounts to BVN. He also advised the government to establish a law that will make it legal for owners of accounts not linked to BVN to forfeit the funds.

    “We are always in a hurry. Government should set a five-year timeline during which all accounts must be linked to BVN or their balances forfeited and put in a specialised account. What the forfeited funds will be used for should also be spelt out,” he said.

    According to the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), there are nearly 80 million bank accounts in Nigeria; only 30 million unique individuals can be identified with BVN.

    The CBN in 2014, through the Bankers’ Committee, Deposit Money Banks and NIBSS,  introduced the centralised biometric identification system, tagged BVN. The BVN became imperative following the increasing incidence of compromise on conventional security systems, such as password and Personal Identification Number (PIN) of customers.

    The BVN involves identifying an individual based on physiological or behavioural attributes, such as fingerprint, signature and others. A customer’s unique BVN is accepted as a means of identification across all the banks.

     

  • Skills for Abia rural dwellers

    Skills for Abia rural dwellers

    The wife of Abia State Governor Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu has lifted the spirits of grassroots dwellers in the state through her skill acquisition programme.

    The village of Umuobiakwa came alive when her convoy drove into the local primary school which is a stone’s throw from Mrs Ikpeazu’s country home. The villagers had been waiting for her. On the home call, she launched the skill acquisition programme.

    Speaking at the event, Governor Ikpeazu expressed his desire for a highly skilled and productive populace in Abia as one of the ways to ensure that the economy of the state sustained to stand the test of time.

    Ikpeazu said that when the people of the state are well trained in different skills by the by the different skill acquisition centers in different parts of the state that it as a sure way of guaranteeing genuine economic growth.

    The governor noted that when the people are imbued with skills of their choice that they will be too busy to remember embarking on violent crimes like kidnapping and armed robbery, stressing that with the scheme that crime rate will be reduced in the state.

    Ikpeazu said that skill acquisition is the back bone of economic growth, “When the people especially the youths in our society are equipped with different skills that will make them self sustaining the issue of crime will be a thing of the past”.

    Represented by the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Uche Ihediwa, Ikpeazu said the trainees will benefit from an export promotion programme that will enable their goods to be sold outside the country, and urged them to learn the skills adequately so their products would

    meet international standards.

    In her speech at the event, the Wife of the Governor Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu disclosed that 100 participants who are benefitting from the first phase of the programme will be given equipment and startup capital  to enable them become small scale entrepreneurs.

    Mrs. Ikpeazu described the program as a welcome development looking at the economic conditions of the country and revealed that her husband is sponsoring the program in Umuobiakwa as a way of bettering their lot.

    In her remarks the State coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment Lady Buchi Ojei urged the trainees to properly utilize the opportunity of becoming self-reliant.

    Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Mrs. Eberechukwu Nwaubani thanked Dr. Ikpeazu for giving them the opportunity of turning their lives around, adding that the programme will have a multiplier effect on the community.

    In their contributions a traditional ruler, Eze John Ikpeaba, and Chief Roland Njoku prayed that God will bless the family of the governor for attracting the programme and urged the beneficiaries to ensure the effort of the governor will not be in vain.

  • Better days ahead for Akwa Ibom rural dwellers?

    Despite the widely celebrated uncommon transformation in Akwa Ibom State, about 80 per cent of the people still live in the rural areas. And in abject poverty. They lack infrastructure and other good things of life.

    The roads in the urban centre are smooth, but coarse in the rural areas.

    The Ministry of Rural Development says it is interested in making life more meaningful for the rural dwellers.

    During an inspection tour of the rural areas by the ministry, the first point of call was the Ikot Abia-Enyie in Nsit Atai Local Government Area  where a bridge measuring about 20 meters had been abandoned due to shortage of funds.

    The bridge is instrumental and strategic to the wellbeing and the development of the people because if completed it will connect several villages together with the help of a nearby river.

    The river, popularly called “Atang River”, is also useful. It is the main source of water to the people but not without its demerits. For instance, in the last one year, the river had claimed the lives of eight pupils.

    The chairman of the village council, Chief Etop Umanah, said the pupils drowned in the water following the downpour which led to the river overflowing its bank while returning from school.

    Atang River divides Ikot Abia-Enyie village into two; with all the facilities in the area – a health centre, a primary and a secondary school, located at the other side of the river.

    Umanah stated that it was the custom of the village to wait for the pupils and women at the bank of the river during the schools’ closing hours whenever there was downpour.

    He explained that it was unfortunate that before the men from the village could get to the river to rescue the pupils, the water had already carried them away.

    According to Umanah, the bodies of the pupils were recovered three days after.

    He revealed that in the preceding year three pupils and a pregnant woman died in the same river, noting that as the pupils tried to come back from school, the pregnant woman was trying to make her way back from the health centre.

    His words: “This village, Abia-Enyie lost eight children to Atang River this year as they were returning from school following a downpour which aided the river to overflow its bank. Last year, we lost three pupils and a pregnant woman in the same manner.

    “The village is one village; it is split by this river. All the facilities of this village – a health centre, a primary and a secondary school are all sited at the other side of the river. We cannot stop the children from going to school.”

    But speaking during the inspection of some facilities in the rural area, the State’s Commissioner of Rural Development, Mr. Ekong Sampson, told reporters that the Akwa Ibom State government was ready to end not only the pupils’ death, but all the deaths associated with Atang River.

    According to him, it pained the government to see Akwa Ibom children perishing in river as he assured the people that government would embark on remedial measures to end the carnage before work on the bridge was started and completed.

    He words: “That is why I have chosen to come here by myself. I am really touched by what I have seen. We will make every effort to ensure that infrastructure is brought to this community and to every other rural space in the state. And our approach is to go there and see things by ourselves in order to have a first-hand purview of their problems.

    “The state government is committed to transforming our rural space because we all come from villages. The state government is committed to recreating the villages; we are committed to making lives better for those who live in our villages. We shall give government an update about what we have seen here.”

    The representative of the company handling the bridge project, MT & G International Services Limited, Mrs. Tukubor Okpoyo, said the project has been running for three years.

    Even when there is still so much work to be done at the project site, Mrs. Okpoyo said the company had received 50 per cent funding and 90 per cent of work already completed.

    Her words: “I can only tell you we have the will and the expertise to complete this project. The issue of why it has not been completed is strictly an issue of funding. Unfortunately funding has been interrupted. We hope and we are looking forward to resuming project here as soon as we are funded.”

    To enhance the living condition of the people living in the rural area, the Ministry of rural development, according to Commissioner Sampson, has put forward a Rural Development Master Plan (RDMP) which if adopted would serve as a compass for sustainable rural development.

    The RDMP embodies five critical components, namely: rural electrification; rural water supply; rural security; rural road network and bailey bridges; and special rural development interventions.

    Part of the rural security network will be the rehabilitation of some collapsed police stations in the rural areas particularly police stations in Ikot Umiang in Mkpat Enin and the one in Ikot Okoro in Oruk Anam local government area.

    Also the Anwa Urua market in Oruk Anam is part of the initiative. The government plan to give it a face-lift so as to serve the rural dwellers better.

    The commissioner noted that the government was committed to rebuilding the market so that it can serve as a source of employment for the teeming youths.

    Are the good times here? Time will tell.

     

  • Better days ahead for Akwa Ibom rural dwellers?

    Despite the widely celebrated uncommon transformation in Akwa Ibom State, about 80 per cent of the people still live in the rural areas. And in abject poverty. They lack infrastructure and other good things of life.

    The roads in the urban centre are smooth, but coarse in the rural areas.

    The Ministry of Rural Development says it is interested in making life more meaningful for the rural dwellers.

    During an inspection tour of the rural areas by the ministry, the first point of call was the Ikot Abia-Enyie in Nsit Atai Local Government Area  where a bridge measuring about 20 meters had been abandoned due to shortage of funds.

    The bridge is instrumental and strategic to the wellbeing and the development of the people because if completed it will connect several villages together with the help of a nearby river.

    The river, popularly called “Atang River”, is also useful. It is the main source of water to the people but not without its demerits. For instance, in the last one year, the river had claimed the lives of eight pupils.

    The chairman of the village council, Chief Etop Umanah, said the pupils drowned in the water following the downpour which led to the river overflowing its bank while returning from school.

    Atang River divides Ikot Abia-Enyie village into two; with all the facilities in the area – a health centre, a primary and a secondary school, located at the other side of the river.

    Umanah stated that it was the custom of the village to wait for the pupils and women at the bank of the river during the schools’ closing hours whenever there was downpour.

    He explained that it was unfortunate that before the men from the village could get to the river to rescue the pupils, the water had already carried them away.

    According to Umanah, the bodies of the pupils were recovered three days after.

    He revealed that in the preceding year three pupils and a pregnant woman died in the same river, noting that as the pupils tried to come back from school, the pregnant woman was trying to make her way back from the health centre.

    His words: “This village, Abia-Enyie lost eight children to Atang River this year as they were returning from school following a downpour which aided the river to overflow its bank. Last year, we lost three pupils and a pregnant woman in the same manner.

    “The village is one village; it is split by this river. All the facilities of this village – a health centre, a primary and a secondary school are all sited at the other side of the river. We cannot stop the children from going to school.”

    But speaking during the inspection of some facilities in the rural area, the State’s Commissioner of Rural Development, Mr. Ekong Sampson, told reporters that the Akwa Ibom State government was ready to end not only the pupils’ death, but all the deaths associated with Atang River.

    According to him, it pained the government to see Akwa Ibom children perishing in river as he assured the people that government would embark on remedial measures to end the carnage before work on the bridge was started and completed.

    He words: “That is why I have chosen to come here by myself. I am really touched by what I have seen. We will make every effort to ensure that infrastructure is brought to this community and to every other rural space in the state. And our approach is to go there and see things by ourselves in order to have a first-hand purview of their problems.

    “The state government is committed to transforming our rural space because we all come from villages. The state government is committed to recreating the villages; we are committed to making lives better for those who live in our villages. We shall give government an update about what we have seen here.”

    The representative of the company handling the bridge project, MT & G International Services Limited, Mrs. Tukubor Okpoyo, said the project has been running for three years.

    Even when there is still so much work to be done at the project site, Mrs. Okpoyo said the company had received 50 per cent funding and 90 per cent of work already completed.

    Her words: “I can only tell you we have the will and the expertise to complete this project. The issue of why it has not been completed is strictly an issue of funding. Unfortunately funding has been interrupted. We hope and we are looking forward to resuming project here as soon as we are funded.”

    To enhance the living condition of the people living in the rural area, the Ministry of rural development, according to Commissioner Sampson, has put forward a Rural Development Master Plan (RDMP) which if adopted would serve as a compass for sustainable rural development.

    The RDMP embodies five critical components, namely: rural electrification; rural water supply; rural security; rural road network and bailey bridges; and special rural development interventions.

    Part of the rural security network will be the rehabilitation of some collapsed police stations in the rural areas particularly police stations in Ikot Umiang in Mkpat Enin and the one in Ikot Okoro in Oruk Anam local government area.

    Also the Anwa Urua market in Oruk Anam is part of the initiative. The government plan to give it a face-lift so as to serve the rural dwellers better.

    The commissioner noted that the government was committed to rebuilding the market so that it can serve as a source of employment for the teeming youths.

    Are the good times here? Time will tell.

  • Jang seeks better life for rural dwellers

    Jang seeks better life for rural dwellers

    Plateau State Governor Jonah David Jang has advised local government chairmen to concentrate on programmes that will make life better for the people.

    He spoke in Jos, the state capital, while signing into law the 2014 appropriation bill and swearing-in of newly elected local government chairmen.

    He said: “These two events signify a beginning, a beginning for the tenure of local government chairmen and for the budget, beginning of a new financial year 2014”

    Addressing residents of the state who converged on Government House for both events, Governor Jang said: “My dear compatriots, I have just signed into law the 2014 Appropriation Bill of N225, 058,026,306.00. The driving force behind this budget is our administration’s conviction that service delivery and the honour of our covenant with the people is the ultimate, while time is of the essence. We are resolved on working on our projects till the last minute of the administration. We remain committed towards completing the numerous projects. That is our focus.

    Speaking on the challenges of government in its effort to meet the needs of the people ,the governor said: “While we strive to better the lot of our people, we are challenged by resources. We have had to reorganise all our revenue generating agencies towards mobilising sufficient funds to finance our projects. As we intensify internal revenue generation initiatives, we equally appeal to our citizens to cooperate and pay all taxes such as land levies and water rates among others.   In addition, we are exploring all avenues for revenue including the Federal Government and the private sector.

    The governor urged ministries,departments and agencies to strictly comply with budgetary provision as poor monitoring remains the bane of the budget implementation . He said: “A major bane of budget implementation is poor monitoring. I, therefore, wish to direct the State Planning Commission to ensure MDAs strictly comply with budgetary provision. In line with this, I charge all ministries, departments and agencies to immediately commence the process of budget implementation so as to avoid last minute rush”.

    Sustaining his government’s fight against corruption, Governor Jang said: ‘’All expenditures should be carried out based on budget approval. It equally means financial prudence should be upheld in all government dealings.This is because we will not relent in our fight against corruption. I wish to caution MDA Heads to ensure this implementation is not only on paper, but is carried out to the later. MDA’s are therefore advised to strengthen their internal monitoring machinery.

    “At this point, I wish to appreciate the State House of Assembly for the deep interest they have shown in the budget proposal and the value they have added to it. I count it a worthy partnership.

    The governor said the event opened another chapter in the entrenchment of democracy at the third tier of government as newly elected chairmen were sworn in. He congratulated the chairmen on their victory at the polls.

     

     

     

     

     

    He noted that a large portion of the population resides in the councils and they are yearning for improved governance and service delivery. He urged them to perform creditably, “ As part of our desire to propel development at the local government areas, we have made some savings from the Value Added Tax which will be released to the council chairmen for the implementation of capital projects.  We also look forward to a synergy with the Three Pillar Policy at the state level as both tier of government are to complement each other. We are all partners in the development of our dear state’’.

    The governor said that a strategic plan for the local governments has been designed by the state government and GIZ to fast tract development at the local government while appreciating the peculiarity of rural development.  He promised to organise a retreat for the new council chairmen to realign their visions with the Redemption Agenda.

    Explaining his expectations from the chairmen, the governor said: ‘’Under your leadership, I envisage a local government administration where service and development will be your motivation, where corruption will be tackled, where primary health care centres will be manned by qualified personnel with required medicaments, where communities will have access to clean water, where children will seat on chairs to receive lessons, where communities will not be separated by mere lack of a culvert or a box culvert, where workers will not be owed salaries for months, where chairmen will not go into hiding running away from the people!

    ”Indeed, I dream of local governments where the leadership will truly wake up to their constitutional roles in the overall interest of our people; leaders that can stand tall at the end of it all and give account of their steward.

    The governor added that the state government had undertaken a biometric exercise to ascertain the actual strength of its workforce both at state and local government levels. The effort is aimed at sanitising the local government system especially regarding workforce and wage bill.

    Equally as part of human capital development and empowerment, a financial literacy training aimed at establishing micro finance banks has been carried out in the local government targeted at mainly women across the state.

    He said the government is not unmindful of the strategic role of the traditional institution is playing in society and the need to have an enabling environment for them to operate.

    “In this vein, we have captured the building of palaces for our first class rulers and vehicles in the 2014 Budget which I have just signed into law.  The long-awaited creation of new chiefdoms and districts, where desirable, will soon be done ‘’.