Day: May 22, 2024

The House of Representatives Committee on Finance has placed the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF ) on special probe scrutinising its documents from 2018 till date.

Rep. James Faleke, the chairman of the committee said this at the ongoing probe of revenue leakages in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Faleke said the committee noticed discrepancies in the submissions by NSITF and resolved to place it on status enquiry.

‘In view of the various submissions available to us as a committee and the discrepancy noticeable in all of your submissions, I hereby move that a status enquiry be set to know the workings of your agency.

‘The status inquiry is from 2018 to date, which means NSITF should get a comprehensive analysis of all its records.

‘We are coming and can request for any documents anytime and we would not be giving you notice. Reconcile all your records,’ he said

The Managing Director of NSITF, Mrs Maureen Allagoa, who appeared before the committee,
delegated the responsibility to make their submission to the Director, Finance and Administration, Mr Adedeji Adegoke.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government is partnering with Unique Talent Export Limited (UTEL Ltd.) to connect Nigerians to foreign jobs in Kuwait, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and Scandinavian countries, among others.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, said this at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ministry and the UTEL ltd on Tuesday in Abuja.

Anite assured the partners of Nigeria’s commitment to upskilling its talent pool to power the Federal Government’s industrial revitalisation plan and provide skilled citizens with global talent opportunities.

She expressed the country’s delight at exporting its culture and heritage to the outside world while reiterating that Nigeria was filled with talents.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), coordinated by Dr Femi Adeluyi, would execute the project.

According to the minister, the signing of the MoU marks another milestone in the Federal Government’s ef
forts to ensure that Nigerians have access to quality employment opportunities.

‘These employment opportunities can be direct employment and emigration of our talents or utilisation of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) model for gainful and meaningful employment for those based in Nigeria.

‘Through NATEP, Nigeria can honourably export her talents in a mutually beneficial and reputation-preserving way, ending illegal migration and the country’s embarrassment.

‘The MoU was signed with UTEL Ltd, a Nigerian subsidiary of Unique Agency Kuwait – a leading provider of expatriate employees for the government agencies and departments in the State of Kuwait,’ she said.

Anite said the partnership with UTEL would aggregate foreign jobs for Nigerians from Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

According to her, this aligns with the Federal Government’s aim to forge mutually beneficial partnerships with nations and global institutions to facilitate the provision of jobs for Nigerians.

Anite w
elcomed the pronouncement from the partners for openings of about two hundred and fifty foreign jobs for Nigerians.

She said Nigerians in the diaspora were known to rise like cream to the top of their professions, and data validated this notion.

‘For example, research from the Migration Policy Institute Washington-DC indicates that more than half of Nigerian immigrants (54 per cent) are likely to occupy management positions.

‘This is compared with 32 per cent of other immigrants and 39 per cent of the U. S. -born population.

‘Similarly, the 2021 Office for National Statistics Report from the United Kingdom (UK) showed that 44 per cent of adult residents born outside the UK have some form of qualification.

‘ Compared to 31 per cent of UK-born residents, while 66 per cent of Nigerian immigrants have received one form of qualification or another,’ she said.

According to Anite, this shows the quality that Nigerians can bring.

She said: ‘In efforts to promote talents, services exports and managed migration,
the MoU specified a `1+2’ approach for the partnership.

‘With this approach, for every Nigerian selected for a foreign job through NATEP, the partners will commit to helping connect an outsourced role to the Nigerian BPO ecosystem.

‘And also support in training the selected Nigerians to refresh the local workforce.’

The minister then expressed optimism for similar partnerships and collaborations with other countries.

NAN reports that dignitaries such as Mr Athbi Al-Awadi from Kuwait, Mr Tahir Hashim from Oman, and Advokat Knutsen from Norway, among others, attended the event.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said that the commission cannot not choose projects for benefiting communities.

Ogbuku stated this at the 13th Extraordinary General Assembly of Forum of Traditional rulers in the South South on Tuesday in Asaba.

The theme of the meeting is ‘ Strengthening Collaboration for Development in the South South Region: the Role of the Traditional Institution.

He said that communities have the right to dictate to the commission what they wanted and not the commission to dictate to them.

Ogbuku said that the traditional institution remained a revered, and the highest decision making body in every community in the country.

He said that collaboration with the traditional institution would help to deepen development in the region by addressing the needs of the people.

Ogbuku said that every appointee and elected representative from the region, should present account of their stewardship to the traditional institution.

The NDDC boss sai
d the commission has adopted the triple ‘T’ policy, ‘Transiting from Transaction to Transformation’ which is borne out of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

‘The traditional institution is the best institution to collaborate with when it comes to development.

‘ This is because when it come to governance, the traditional institution is the original foundation of governance.

He said that for the traditional rulers to have called all the stakeholders to a meeting to collaborate to develop the region, was in good faith.

‘For us in NDDC, we believe in such collaborations, if it was not there before, right now, we are trying to implement collaboration for sustainable development.

‘ We started with our 2024 budget, we thought we had to start with Partnership for Sustainable Development (PSD) conference which took place in Uyo in 2023.

‘Every strata including the traditional rulers were represented to discuss the budget.

‘We felt that was the right way to go instead of us detecting what to do fo
r the people, the people should rather dictate what we should do for them.

‘This forum is a very important to ensure that every public office holder comes here to present his account of stewardship. whatever positions we are holding, we are holding in trust for you,’ he said.

Ogbuku said that it was time for all stakeholders in the region to come together to ‘weave the basket’ of development for the region irrespective of position or party affiliation.

According to him, NDDC has been repositioned to address the ills of the past by building a corporate governance structure, and a database to curb challenges of selection.

He said that the commission has engaged the KPMG to develop a corporate structure, to ensure transparency and effective service delivery going forward.

He said that the commission would build a database for youths, women, traditional rulers and all its activities to ensure development in the region.

Also speaking, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Sen. George Akume, r
epresented by Sen. Jack Tilley-Gyado, lauded the traditional rulers for their revered role in the communities.

He said that if given a constitutional role, the traditional institution could bring to an end the security challenges the country was facing.

He urged them to guide against further degradation of the region’s environment due to oil pollution and its attendant consequences.

Akume tasked the lawmakers to ensure the assigning of roles to the traditional rulers in the constitution.

On his part, Sen. Ede Dafinone, Representing Delta Central, pledged to ensure that the traditional institution was strengthened and assign a role in the constitution.

Also speaking, Sen. Joel Onowakpo-Thomas, Representing Delta South, lamented the poor turnout of stakeholders from the region at the event.

He called on elected and appointed politicians to account for their stewardship, and advised traditional rulers to create liaison offices for greater collaboration and unity.

According to him, the contributions of the
South-South to national economy is not commensurate with the development in the area.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says the establishment of a database for private security guards will enhance national security.

The minister stated this at the Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on Nigeria Private Guards Industry, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that all over the world, the private security guards played a critical role in development as well as in national security architecture in their various countries.

He added that therefore, Nigeria as a country, should not be an exemption in the global trend and happenings, bearing in mind the security situation of the country.

‘And looking at the industry as at today, we think their potential are under tapped, the effect of the industry in terms of our national security architecture, over the years, has been inactivated due to lack of standardisation.

‘Basically, in terms of policy formulation and adherence to global best practices, in terms of coming up with a database for productivity and efficiency.’

Tunji-Ojo explained that the
development would, no doubt, lead to creation of more jobs, better security for the country, both the formal and informal sector as well as individuals.

The minister explained further that with the right database, the issue of some private guards’ misconduct in their duty posts without being tracked down would be a thing of the past.

‘It is difficult for me to leave my family with a guard that perhaps is a rapist, it is difficult to leave my home to somebody I don’t know is a burglar. So, with a reliable data base, it will take off these fears in Nigerians.’

He explained that the meeting would enable the stakeholders to come up with a database that would make guards friends to the people and make them people of integrity.

‘It will also enable us to be sure that once somebody comes in as a guard, we are sure their biodata is intact, and in case there is any issue.

‘It will enable us to track the person and ensure justice is done,’ he added.

This, he said, would go a long way to give Nigerians the much-ne
eded confidence, knowing that they were not just bringing strangers to their homes in the name of guards.

He said that with reliable data, every guard would be well known to Nigerians, because it would give opportunity to people for background checks before engagement.

Earlier, the National President of Association of Private Security Guard, Dr Chris Adigwu, said that with the right database, some Nigerians would no longer have the fear of being manipulated by engaging private security guards.

‘In every sector of our national life, there are always best practices, and I believe what we are activating today is a game changer for us. As an industry, we can’t keep on doing the same thing.

‘This is an opportunity for us to engage our regulator, in as much as this policy is coming from them and we need it to enhance our operations.

‘We want to compete with our counterparts globally. And this is the right step in the right direction. Over the years, we have had issues with verifiable and credible database of o
ur guards.

‘So, it is a welcome development, and no doubt, it will spur us to keep on improving on the way and manner we have been operating as private guards.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Network Against Corruption and Trafficking Initiative (NACAT) has called on the two anti-graft agencies to investigate the former governor of Delta, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, over alleged misappropriation of state funds.

The Executive Director Investigation of the anti-corruption group,Tega Oghenedoro, made the call at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Oghenedoro alleged that billions of naira were misappropriated, diverted and laundered during the administration of the former governor, which needed to be investigated by anti-corruption bodies.

He said that petition had been submitted to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC) requesting them to commence investigation into the activities the former governor while in office.

‘We are at loss at why the EFCC and ICPC have not started investigating and prosecuting him, in spite of looting over N500 billions of his state money.

‘We have submitted petitions to such effect for
months.

‘A statesman from Delta has also submitted a petition.

‘As a leading anti-corruption group in Nigeria, we will be failing in our duties and responsibilities if we turn a blind eye to the wanton corruption and embezzlement of public funds orchestrated by former governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and not bring it to the public domain

‘We have painstakingly investigated and audited many of the financial records of the state available to us and detailed our findings here as part of our press briefing today,’ he said.

Oghenedoro also alleged that in spite of the over N3 trillion that came into the state coffers under the Okowa, a staggering sum of N600 billion that cannot be accounted for was borrowed by him.

According to him, the former governor also left a debt profile of N480 billion and unpaid ongoing projects worth over N150 billion.

Reacting to the allegation, Mr Olise Ifeajika, the spokesperson for Okowa said the allegations were not new and commended the group for being whistleblowers.

Ifeajika
said the group had done well by submitting petition to the anti graft agencies, urging them to allow the agencies to investigate the allegations.

He said his principal ruled the state with almost transparency and observed due process in all his dealings as governor.

According to him, most of the allegations were frivolous and unfounded.

‘The thing is not new, we have seen such allegations before, but they have done well to have sent petitions to ICPC and EFCC.

That is okay. They are whistleblowers but they should allow these authorities to do the investigations.

‘They can’t be judges in their, in their own case. They are the accusers and they want to be judges at the same time,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Lagos State Ministry of Women and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) says it received a total of 662 domestic violence cases in the last one year.

The state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Bolaji Dada, disclosed this at the 2024 Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the first year anniversary of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.

Dada said that WAPA received direct reports of domestic violence from 247 women and 27 men, while it received 324 reports of domestic violence from women and 43 cases from men through WAPA 767 toll free line for domestic violence victims.

According to her, 592 cases out of the total cases reported were dealt with while 88 were referred to the Office of the State Public Defender (OPD) for persecution.

She reiterated the commitment of the state government to empowering and engaging more indigent and vulnerable women in skills acquisition through WAPA.

‘Women who are not empowered are more vulnerable to domestic violence and that is why the stat
e government has put in place empowerment programmes to engage women in various skills for financial dependency,’ she said.

Dada said the ministry had aligned its programmes with the T.H.E.M.E.S.+ Agenda of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to promote social inclusion by ensuring that no one is left out in the economic cold.

She noted that the state government, through WAPA, trained 13,500 women and men, through its Short Term Skills Acquisition Programme.

‘The four-week programme is an empowerment scheme with the goal of alleviating the challenges faced by indigent residents through skills acquisition and sundry vocational trainings.

‘In order to promote women focused programmes through our various initiatives as well as delivering on our mandates on intervention programmes, citizens are trained and supported with startup packs in different skills of their choice.

‘There are 19 Skills Acquisition Centres across three Senatorial Districts of the state with 20 vocation taught-courses ranging from hai
r and wig making, barbing, soap, pomade, insecticide production, tie and dye, cake, snacks and beverages production.

‘The locations of the centres are in Ibike – Isheri Olowora, Badagry Division, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe-Division and you can walk in and make inquiries on all our programmes/vocations which are tuition free,’ she said.

Dada commended the state government for providing prompt resources and support to WAPA.

The commissioner said the ministry would continue to collaborate with both local and international bodies to empower more women in Lagos.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Lagos, May 21, 2024 (NAN) Wema Bank says it is rewarding its customers with N10 million cash prize in the grand finale of season three of its 5 for 5 Promo in Lagos on May 31.

Ms Mabel Adeteye, Head of Brands and Marketing Communications at Wema Bank, stated on Tuesday that the event aims to appreciate and reward customer loyalty.

Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo, which will end later this month, is a reward initiative introduced by the bank in 2019 to reward its customers for their active loyalty to the brand and its products.

According to her, the promo is executed through a monthly draw per season, has a total of 1,177 customers who received cash rewards of up to N63.3 million in the first 2 seasons of the promo.

She expressed gratitude to customers for their support throughout Wema Bank’s 79-year journey.

‘At Wema Bank, our world revolves around our people and customers. Their support has brought us this far, so it’s only natural that we seize every opportunity to give back and provide optimum value for every
stakeholder.

‘The 5 for 5 Promo was born out of gratitude and a commitment to empowering our customers. With each season, we have simplified the requirements and amplified the rewards to ensure everyone can benefit from the Promo.

‘Season 3 has been remarkable, and as we close our 79th anniversary with one more 5 for 5 Promo draw, we are honored to be the bank of choice for our diverse customer base.

‘To the 1,000+ customers who have won over the past nine months and the 120 who will win in the grand finale, I say a huge congratulations. Thank you for choosing Wema Bank,’ she said.

Adeteye urged Nigerians to take advantage of the last draw of the 5 for 5 Promo Season 3.

‘The requirements are simple: fund your account with at least N5,000 and make up to 5 transactions using the ALAT App, *945#, or your ALAT/Wema Card, maintaining a N5,000 minimum average account balance.

‘It doesn’t matter where you are, what you do, or when you started banking with us; you can be a winner.

‘NYSC members, business owner
s, undergraduate students, working professionals, everyone from Gen Z to baby boomers; there’s room for all in the Wema Bank family and the 5 for 5 Promo.

‘A simple download of the ALAT App could be the first step for potential winners. I look forward to May 31st, as we put the final bow on this exceptional journey that has made the 5 for 5 Promo Season 3 a success.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Sen. George Akume, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), says President Bola Tinubu’s administration is supportive of autonomy for Local Government Areas in the country.

Akume said this during the Ministerial Press Briefing on Wednesday in Abuja to mark Tinubu’s one year anniversary in office.

The SGF said that Tinubu was commitment to rules of law and constitution of the country and had also shown good faith towards true fiscal federalism since he assumed office.

Akume gave the assurance that the administration would continue from where previous government stopped on autonomy of the local governments.

‘On the need for national dialogue for local government autonomy, I think that the National Assembly has done quite a lot on that issue.

‘I remember the last administration also came up with some executive orders to enhance independence of the local governments and the national assembly is very supportive of that.

‘The present government is also supportive of that, we believe and strongly too,
that we will continue to improve on the questions of autonomy for the local government areas in Nigeria.’

According to him, the present administration has recognised the fact that local government areas are the closest tier of government to the people at the grassroots in particular.

‘In a typical federal set up, you have tiers of governments and these tiers of governments are also independent.

‘One of them have access to the federation account which goes to each state and it is under the control of the governors of those states and the legislators of that state.

‘The money going to the state was supposed to be applied prudently, efficiently for the benefit of the people. It is true that the bulk of people live in the state and local government levels,’ he said.

According to him, the purpose of sharing the nation’s wealth is to ensure that the welfare of the people is enhanced.

The SGF, however, commended some state governors for their efforts at ensuring that people at the grassroots feel the impacts
of government through ‘People Oriented Projects’.

‘I want to state here that many of the states are also doing their best for the people and therefore, we will continue to give governors the chance to do their best for their people.

‘I am aware that people feel they are not doing their best, the legislators are also there to ensure that people feel impacts of governance at the local government levels,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has faulted the recent disciplinary measures meted out to three judges by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Odinkalu alleged that the NJC, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, ‘has destroyed its own credibility.’

He spoke in an interview on Channels TV programme: ‘Politics Today,’ monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

NAN reports that the NJC, at its 105th meeting dated May 16 but made available to newsmen on Monday, issued warning letters to three judges and barred two of them from elevation to higher bench for a period.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja was barred from being elevated to a higher Bench for a period of two years ‘for abuse of discretionary power of a judge by wrongly granting an ex-parte order in suit number: FHC/ABJ/C/626/2023 Juliet Ebere Nwadi Gbaka and 2 Ors V Seplat Energy Plc and 12 Ors.’

Justice G. B. Briki
ns-Okolosi of Delta State High Court was also barred from being elevated to a higher Bench for a period of three years ‘for failure to deliver judgement within stipulated period in Joseph Anene Okafor Vs Skye Bank, suit number: A/94/2010 after parties had filed and adopted their final written addresses.’

However, the NJC cautioned Justice Amina Shehu of Yobe State High Court for issuing writ of possession conferring title on the defendant in suit number: YBS/HC/NNR/1cv/2020 when there was no subsisting judgement of any court to enable His Lordship issue the writ.’

Reacting in the interview, Odinkalu said the measures had destroyed the system of discipline and accountability in the judiciary.

‘One of the so-called disciplinary measures announced by the NJC last Friday was against a judge of the Yobe State High Court who issued a warrant of possession without an underlined judgment.

‘That really is burglary; it is at the minimum, a theft. So a judge decides to issue a warrant to collect somebody else’s prop
erty with no judgment underlying it.

‘That is a crime! Do you know what the NJC did? They said ‘they are going to write a love letter to this woman to warn her not to do it again.’

‘If you did that kind of thing (pointing to the journalist), you will be in jail, either as a pretrial detainee or a convict,’ he said.

Odinkalu, who is also a lawyer, said even though the judge was found to have done this, the NJC resolved to write to caution her.

He described the NJC’s act as ‘a slap on the wrist.’

Citing another instance, he said: ‘Another of the cases they announced was a judge in Delta State who wasted seven years after address without issuing a judgment.

‘They also said they were going to issue a warning and he will not be promoted for another three years.’

According to Odinkalu, that is destroying the system of discipline and accountability in the judiciary.

‘You cannot tell me and you cannot tell any reasonable Nigerian that a judge who abuses their power for the purpose of stealing other people’s p
roperty under colouration of the rule of law, manifestly, should be written and be cautioned.

‘The person does not have any business being a judge, but because this chief justice has wasted the authority of the judiciary, he cannot run a disciplinary system that works. That is the problem.

‘So all of those announcements on discipline they made last Friday, absolutely made my point that this current chief justice lacks the authority to say anything credible on discipline and accountability in the judiciary,’ he concluded.

The human rights activist, who condemned the recommendation of Ariwoola’s family members as judges in the latest list of 86 judicial officers, advised President Bola Tinubu not to single out judges for salary increase.

He said increasing the salaries of judges without commensurate increase in the judiciary workers’ salaries would be counter-productive because the output of judges depends on the wellbeing of the judiciary staff members.

‘You cannot just single out judges because they are
not the only people in the system.

‘By singling out judges will ensure that this will not be sustainable,’ he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says it is partnering the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to develop a Roadmap for mainstreaming gender policy for the country.

Ms Inviolata Chinyangara, ILO Workers Specialist, said this at a two-day workshop on ‘Defining a Roadmap for Reviewing the NLC Gender Policy’ on Wednesday in Abuja.

The programme was organised by the ILO in collaboration with NLC and Fredrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

Chinyangara said that the review of the gender policy was imperative as the existing policy was developed in 2003 and long overdue.

According to her, gender issues have evolved over time and it is becoming the heart of sustainable development globally all over the world.

‘We cannot do any programme or any activity or any developmental intervention without mainstreaming gender.

‘So, that is why the ILO and FES are collaborating with the NLC to see how we can develop a roadmap for updating the NLC gender policy,’she said.

According to her, our role is to provide the technical s
upport and the information about which standards are supposed to be mainstreamed.

‘We are also supporting them financially to ensure that what we discuss here can support the development of the gender policy that is being updated, ‘she said.

Chinyangara said that the ILO had congratulated the government of Nigeria and NLC for adopting gender conventions on equality, non-discrimination, and ending violence and harassment in the world of work.

According to her, what we now want to see is to ensure that these conventions are also cascaded and mainstreamed in the gender policy of the NLC.

‘The 2003 policy only talks about sexual harassment, but convention number 190, recommendation 206, has given us more information on how to integrate issues of gender-based violence.

‘This also includes the definitions and the scope of coverage,’ she added.

Mrs Salamata Aliu, Chairperson of the NLC Women Commission, noted that the review of the congress gender policy was long overdue.

According to her, the one we are loo
king at right now came about in 2003.

‘So, is a thing of joy that we have partners that believe in the same cause and that is to update the policy.

‘It is important for us to finalise the new document that the younger generation will be proud of as what we have now, is just 30 per cent gender parity and we have not even been able to achieve it.

‘Meanwhile, the world has gone to 50-50 representation. So it’s an issue that the congress should not look or sweep under the carpet anymore. We have had a lot of arguments on why it should not be.

‘But what is in vogue is that 50-50 representation and is what should be aimed at, so that the younger generation will have a foundation to build on,’she said.

Aliu said that if the policy was updated, it would afford women the opportunities for their voices to be heard.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria