The Nation Newspaper

Tag: urges

  • Group urges new police chief

    Group urges new police chief

    The new Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, has been urged to be a team player by carrying along all stakeholders to tackle security challenges in the country.

    The Police Assistance Committee (PAC), which gave the advice while hailing the emergence of the police chief, also assured him of its total support.

    The committee’s Director General, Dr. Martins Oni, said the Abba is a tested officer who has distinguished himself in various capacities in the force, adding: “We are confident that Abba will bring to the fore, the wealth of experience he has garnered over the years, to build on the achievements of his predecessor and thus improve the fortunes of the force by injecting new ideas at confronting the plethora of security challenges threatening the corporate existence of the nation”

    The group expressed the hope that his tenure would ensure robust relationship with the members of other security agencies, the public and the corporate bodies to fight the festering insurgency in the country.

  • NITDA urges creation of SITDA

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has urged the 36 states to establish the equivalent of the agency to fast-track the penetration of information communications technology (ICT) in the country.

    Its Deputy Director, Corporate Strategy and Research, Dr Vincent Olatunji, who spoke on the sideline at an Information Communication Technology (ICT) forum said if the states embraced the initiative and create State Information Technology Development Agency (SITDA), it would speed up the deployment and use of ICT across the country.

    He said after two major global conference on ICT, it was agreed that each country went back home and unveiled a road map on ICT.

    According to him, policies don’t work unless strategies are put in place to ensure seamless implementation, adding that the agency had done a lot in the area of providing infrastructure, manpower development and strategy for ICT growth.

    He said NITDA has done so well in providing the roadmap at the federal level, adding that agency is encouraging the states to set up SITDA to help harmonise the needs of the various government agencies, departments and ministries with a view to streamlining policy implementation for overall national development.

    “We believe that is the way to drive ICT development and deployment across the country. Sixty per cent of our people live in the rural areas. With SITDA or a bureau directly under the office of the state governor, ICT deployment will be all inclusive. It will go down into the rural areas,” he said.

    He lamented that when the agency wrote all governors on the need to position the country as an ICT nation on the global space, only Osun, Enugu and Lagos states responded, adding that the pilot project with the states had been  successful.

    He said the second phase of the project would capture Yobe, Sokoto, Ebonyi and about seven others. According to him, the modus operandi of the scheme is that states would first identify their ICT needs and brought them to the attention of NITDA, which would in turn work with them through its resources persons on how to evolve a workable framework for policy formulation and consequently, implementation.

    Dr Olatunji said the agency was interested in both software and hardware and had created an ICT local content board while guidelines had been launched.

    He added that what was needed was a multi-stakeholders’ approach. He identified cloud computing, e-strategies, big data as new areas of global attention, adding that NITDA had inaugurated report on bid data and digital strategies.

  • NCC urges Customs to stop substandard phones’ import

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged men of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to tackle the influx of fake and substandard mobile phones into the country.

    Speaking in Lagos, its Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Eugene Juwah said the duties of the regulator do not extend to monitoring the importation of mobile phones, but type-approving and placing the list of the type-approved mobile phones on its website and availing the NCS of a copy too.

    According to him, the issue of fake/substandard mobile phones is complex as the phones find their ways into the country through the various entry points.

    Experts have argued that aside factors, such as base transmission station (BTS) and metropolitan optic fibre cable (OFC) vandalism, the quality of service (QoS) problem in the country has been associated with interference arising from low and substandard mobile phones.

    He said: “Well, on the issue of phones, it is very difficult. We don’t control the import of phones. All sorts of phones come into the country.

    “NCC has always been in talks, discussion and information sharing with the Customs Service and it is really their duty (to stop unbridled importation of mobile phones). They have our list of approved phones but phones come through smuggling and other means. You have to bear that in mind. A lot of the cheaper phones come through smuggling. The bigger phones such as Apple phones come through specific distributors and they come to the customs too. The small phones can contribute to the issue of QoS because they are not approved, they are not well manufactured and they come from the grey markets into Nigeria

    “We have on our website, a set of approved phones and I think the NCS has them too. So the entry point in Nigeria should control phones. NCC cannot go from individual to individuals asking them: ‘Which phone are you using?’ and confiscating them (if they are discovered to be fake/substandard). So that is the issue of interference that comes from the quality of phones.”

    Juwah said the QoS issue is a complex web of issues ranging from multiple taxation/regulation to criminal invasion of BTS by unscrupulous elements and even agencies of government to shut them.

    Arguing that the QoS in the country is not the worst, he said the NCC  sanctions the operators to keep them on their feet, insisting that if the telcos meet the minimum key performance indicators (KPIs), the experience on the network will be better than it is.

    He urged the telcos to plough substantial part of their earnings into expanding the network so that the problem of congestion will become a thing of the past.

    Juwah said the QoS of telcos is far better than that of both the banking industry and the power sector.

    He said: “Telecoms sector QoS is better than that of the power sector. Can you talk about power? We want an improvement in service. That is why we sanction operators. We want an improvement in service, so we have mandated minimum standard. If they achieve this minimum standard, everybody will be happy. When the fail to achieve this, we penalise them.”

  • NDIC urges banks to enhance consumer protection

    NDIC urges banks to enhance consumer protection

    Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim has advised Deposit > Money Banks (DMBs) to give priority attention to the issue of consumer protection to promote better service delivery and increase confidence in the financial system.

    Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim gave the advice in his remarks during a courtesy visit by the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc., Nnamdi Okonkwo to the NDIC.

    The NDIC boss maintained that as a deposit insurer and bank supervisor, the NDIC placed great premium on consumer protection, adding that the NDIC had taken many steps to promote consumer protection through the establishment of a dedicated 24-hour toll-free Help Desk in the Corporation to enable depositors and other bank customers lodge their enquiries and or complaints for prompt investigation.

    He also informed the meeting that a Complaints Unit had been established in the Bank Examination and Special Insured Institutions Departments of the Corporation to cater for the customers of Deposit Money Banks and Microfinance/Primary Mortgage Banks (MFBs/PMBs). While advocating for conscious and concerted efforts to improve consumer protection, Ibrahim advised all the insured banks to establish consumer complaints desks at their Head Office and branches to facilitate and promote prompt response to consumer protection issues.

    He also tasked the insured banks, as members of the Bankers Committee, to show more commitment towards the adoption and promotion of initiatives such as Financial Literacy, Financial Inclusion and Sustainable Banking to engender confidence in the entire financial sector.

  • Emefiele urges education on GDP rebasing gains

    Emefiele urges education on GDP rebasing gains

    The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, has urged media practitioners to educate the people on the gains of the nation’s rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Emefiele made the call at the opening of the 19th seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors yesterday in Kaduna.

    The theme of the seminar is “Rebasing of Nigeria’s Economy and Implication for Financial System Strategy 2020″.

    He said: “I urge our business editors and financial correspondents to inform and educate the various economic agents and stakeholders on the gains of rebasing the economy.

    “This is our chance to tell our story by ourselves and let the world hear about the Nigerian resurgent economy.”

    Emefiele, who was represented by the Director, Research Department of CBN, Mr Charles Mordi, said that 19 years gap before the economy was rebased posed a challenge in recording Nigeria’s accurate economic reality.

    According to him, sectors like telecommunications, information technology and distributive trade of our economy recorded tremendous growth within the gap of 19 years.

    He said: “It would be unrealistic to stick to the 1999 base year figures given such structural changes, in addition to changes in the price structure over these years.

    “Given these dynamics, GDP rebasing becomes inevitable in order to ascertain more accurate estimates of the size and structure of the economy.”

    He explained that the new GDP would help economic planners to gauge whether government was realising its goal of achieving the Vision 20-20-20 target.

     

     

  • Ex-NITDA chief urges early completion of key project

    Former Director-General, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Prof Cleopas Angaye has urged his successor to expedite action on the completion of the Public Key Infrastructure for Digital Signature Encryption (PKIDSE), adding that it will do the nation good.

    Angaye told The Nation in Lagos,  that when he left the agency, about 75 per cent of the project had been completed.

    He also urged the National Assembly to pass the cyber crime bills to complement the efforts of NITDA to flush out criminals in the country.

    He said: “We have not completed the project. I guess they have done about 75 per cent, 25 per cent is yet to be done. This is a very good project. It is a security initiative and we hope the current administration handling the agency will complete it.

    “Nigeria has a very high potential; we trade online and many a time when goods are delivered online, there could be problem. The PKI Digital Signature System will now stand as evidence that you have received it and you cannot deny it and it is of high integrity. And a digital signature is more like giving you physical receipt but this is digital. So, it is one of the initiatives which the country has achieved. It is high in the digital agenda and it is very essential that this thing has to be completed.”

    He added: “It will also play a major role in national security especially cyber security. It will make an input some of the problems we have in cyber space. So the PKI is in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and all the banks, it is very relevant that we have to complete that.”

    He said contrary to insinuations that the government had not done enough in deploying ICT tools in tackling Boko Haram, the government had done a lot.

    “We have deployed a lot of ICT tools but what is missing are the cyber security bills which have not been passed into law. If you are transmitting something online, and it gets missing for instance, and don’t get to its destination, there is no cyber security law that covers it, there is no law that will make somebody to pay for it and you will start arguing with the retailer., so there are certain things which cyber criminals can run away with,” he said.

  • Standard Chartered urges auditors on value creation

    Standard Chartered urges auditors on value creation

    Standard Chartered Bank has called on auditors to take steps that will add value to their organisations. The lender said such a role would enable them improve  their business in new ways.

    Its Executive Director, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Nigeria & West Africa, Mrs Yemi Owolabi, said internal auditors have started to rethink their fundamental value propositions by shifting from an internal audit model focused only on controls assurance, to a risk-centric model.

    Speaking at the 27th quarterly general meeting of the Committee of Chief Internal Auditor of Banks in Nigeria (CCIABN) in Lagos, she said risk and control assurance are based on the effectiveness of risk management processes as developed by management.

    She said it is imperative that in a changing regulatory and business environment, internal audit as a function needs to find new ways of deploying its risk and controls based skills. These in turn will create value and assist in achieving strategic business objectives.

    According to her, for the internal audit function to be viable and effective, auditors need to partner with the core business of financial institutions.

    Chairman, CCIABN and Chief Internal Auditor of Zenith Bank Plc, Joseph Esenwa, enjoined his colleagues to take up the challenge to exceed the expectations of stakeholders and the industry at large.

  • Institute urges CBN to upgrade technology

    Institute urges CBN to upgrade technology

    The Surveillance Auditor of the British Standards Institute (BSI), Vikas Mulkutkar has called on the Management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to consider upgrading the certification of its technology.

    He said the apex bank should upgrade from the ISO 27001: 2005 to the current version (ISO27001:2013) of the standard and also engage other system certifications like the Business Continuity Management (BCM) standard and Service Management Standard to ensure an all-round certification for the bank.

    Mulkutkar, who spoke during the closing ceremony of the ISO 27001 surveillance audit at the CBN’s headquarters in Abuja, said that 11 CBN departments audited showed high knowledge of information systems security controls and had complied with the ISO 27001 standard exhibiting minimal deviation.

    He however, commended the staff of the CBN for their work culture and commitment to the Information Security Management System, noting that the auditors checked all of the information security controls and found them to be in strict compliance and handled by very committed staff.

    In his response the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, represented by the Deputy Governor (Operations), Dr. Kingsley Moghalu said the first surveillance audit, which was conducted in the between June 5 and 10, was to review the CBN Information Security Management System (ISMS) processes, procedures, documents and records.

    Continuing, he said sample departments were selected from the five directorates of the bank, where departmental processes and business areas were checked for compliance with the standard, including improvements to the CBN’s ISMS since the certification of CBN in July, 2013.

    Emefiele, urged CBN staff to work harder in order to achieve zero non-conformity standards.

  • Lawmaker urges pupils on entrepreneurship

    A Member of the House of Representatives, Moruf Akinderu Fatai, has counseled secondary pupils to embrace entrepreneurship.

    ‘MAF’, as he is fondly called, exposed pupils of Oshodi Comprehensive and Unity Senior High Schools, both in Oshodi, to the rudiments of Basic Economics, Entrepreneurship and Governance last week.

    During the programme sponsored by the Foundation for Economic Initiative and Development (FEID), founded by MAF in collaboration with Kids4biz’s Project for Africa, the participants were given a book titled: ”Johnny Profit.”

    They will also be eligible for scholarships and other prizes if they excel in an essay competition to be organised at the end of the project.

    Addressing the pupils, MAF advised them to start thinking of their future careers now.

    “You all should begin to think as an entrepreneur at this level. Think of how to start small, it is not compulsory you earn big before investing, but rather you should think on how to invest whatever little capital you have now, so that you can make it big,” he said.

    Some of the pupils asked questions about how MAF has aided the search for the abducted Chibok girls.

    Responding, the lawmaker said he has donated some money to the cause, which he hoped would not be mismanaged. He also prayed for God to assist the military in executing their duties.

    One of the pupils from Oshodi Comprehensive High School, Oseni Arafat, said the programme has inspired her to improve in her academics and also start a business.

    “What the lawmaker said has motivated me more since my dream has always been to set up a profitable business, train and inspire others,” she said.

    Another pupil, Eiuh Maximillian, vowed to start exploiting his talents.

    He said: ”It (the programme) has enlightened me on entrepreneurship that even as a student, I don’t need to wait until I finish school before making use of my talents.”

  • Subsidise power, PENGASSAN urges govt

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged labour unions to mount pressure on the Federal Government to subsidise power, rail transportation, healthcare and education.

    Its President, Comrade Babatunde Ogun, said in Lagos that subsidising these key sectors would engender real growth.

    He said: “Power is the bedrock of any country’s development and with regular power supply, the small and medium scale and the informal sector of the economy can grow.

    “Instead of erratic and epileptic power supply and the irrational hike in electricity charges, labour should channel their protest and struggles to ensure that this important sector that can jumpstart and grow the economy is subsidised.

    “Also, rail transportation can alleviate the suffering of the masses and reduce congestion on our roads. Rail is a veritable means of mass transportation in the developed countries. The nation’s healthcare and educational system are in sorry state and the government can subsidize these all important sectors to the benefit of the Nigerian masses.”

    Ogun advised other trade unions to stop supporting payment of subsidy on petroleum products.

    The payment of subsidy on petroleum products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, he said was not to the advantage of the masses.

    According to him, subsidy only benefits few individuals who have constituted themselves into a cabal.

    “It is high time labour stopped saying no to the removal of subsidy and look beyond ordinary reasoning to support the government against a policy and process that has been bleeding the country’s revenue as well as stunting the growth of the nation’s downstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

    “The money being used in payment of subsidy to these few individuals who are enriching themselves at the expense of the entire Nigerians can be channelled towards other developmental projects, especially the nation’s ailing and dilapidated infrastructures,” he said.

    He urged the government to encourage the establishment of refineries to be run in partnership or as a Joint Venture (JV) with private investors so that Nigeria can be producing to meet its local demand and create employment.