Over 500 Benefit From Rotary Medical Outreach In Abuja

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June 2, 2024

WhatsApp Image 2024-06-02 at 7.26.34 PM — A medical personnel attending to a child in Kabusa village, FCT Abuja, during Rotary Club of Abuja-Maitama, medical outreach recently, led by the club's President, Barr. Ijeoma Joyce Agwu (standing).

By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel

Over 500 residents of Kabusa village, a suburb of Abuja, benefited from a medical outreach organised by Rotary Club of Abuja-Maitama.

The club, which is under District 9125, was led by its President, Ijeoma Agwu, to the medical outreach.

Agwu, who is also the President of Presidents in Abuja, said the outreach was in carried out in line with the second phase of “Rotary Family Health Day 2024” in collaboration with Rotary Action Group for Family Health and AIDS Prevention with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Health.

She noted that all Rotary Clubs and Districts in Nigeria participated in the outreach for three days.

The outreach kicked off at about 8am and lasted for eight hours, a medical team provided diverse free services to the people.

The services include: malaria screening, tests and dispensing of anti-malaria medication to members of the community starting from its head, Chief Samuel Kpowu and his household, as well as his cabinet members.

The club also administered polio immunisation, HIV tests, counselling, hypertension screening, deworming of children and distribution of sanitary towels to young girls.

They also distributed insecticide treated mosquito nets to pregnant women and nursing mothers, and provided them with drinking water.

The president of the club sensitised members of the community on the need to keep their environment clean with a good source of drinkable water.

She also told them that Rotary International is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-religious and non-tribal organisation whose mandate is to serve humanity and touch lives by making individual contributions.

She said Rotarians the world over, fill in the gaps where government support cannot reach the masses, especially in local communities.

The State Coordinator, Rotarian Dupe Abosede, was commended for making tremendous impact in the success of the outreach.

The chief of Kabusa appreciated Rotary’s gesture to his community and appealed for more outreaches.

At the end of the outreach, the club donated undistributed drugs to the community health centre for the free treatment of residents, according to the Club’s Project Committee Chair 2023-2024 Rotary Year, Chibuzo Andrews

Vacate Your Homes Or Risk Death, ISWAP Threatens Borno Residents

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ALJAZIRAH

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June 2, 2024

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From HASSAN JIRGI Maiduguri

Islamic State-West Africa Province, ISWAP, has given a notice to residents of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State to vacate their home town.

One of the residents told AljazirahNigeria that most of the residents have fled their homes in Kakuwa as ISWAP threatened that failure to adhere to their ultimatum and vacate their homes by weekend would mean facing the terror of death.

Another resident said the terrorists gathered residents of various communities in the early hours of yesterday and commanded them to leave their homes before today or risk being killed.

Credible source said community of the area were gathered this morning by the terrorist group and received the warning. They said the deadline is Saturday, starting from today.

“If we don’t leave the area by Saturday, we will face the consequences. Many have left for Monguno and we are leaving tomorrow before the deadline.”

One of the residents who does not want mentioned his name in print saying they were not going anywhere. They said it is better to be under terrorists than to go back to starvation in the IDP camps,” he said.

Bukar Modu noted that immediately after they received the threat from the terrorists, communities started vacating their communities, some to Kross Kauwa while others left for Monguno Local government area of the state.

“They claimed they wanted to preach to us, and we were deceived. Instead, they gathered us, and their commander ordered our execution. They accused us of betrayal, saying some among us were spying for enemies.

According to sources, ISWAP opened fire on us. Over 40 people were killed, and at least 35 were escape. One of the terrorists was punished by their commander for allowing some of us to flee.

The source added that some of the people have returned home, so more than 30 persons are still missing. We don’t know if they are alive or dead,” he said.

The residents had lived together with ISWAP terrorists for over a year now until the conflict that led to Sunday’s killings, source said.

Manyan people had urged security agencies to take action to protect the community and prevent further attacks., Modu said there has not been official response to the request.

AlhazirahNigeria learnt that this notice came barely a week after ISWAP terrorists killed 35 fishermen in Tubum Rogo community, leaving 25 other people injured and 30 others still missing.

DisCos To Lose Billions As Manufacturers Insist On Old Tariffs

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ALJAZIRAH

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June 2, 2024

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By Yahaya Umar

Following the surge in electricity tariffs for Band A customers in the nation from N66/kWh to N208/kWh, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria ,MAN, lodged a petition with NERC, urging a reversal of the new electricity rates for its members.

Citing numerous economic challenges confronting manufacturers and business owners in the country, the association argued that the escalated electricity tariffs would further exacerbate the hardships of conducting business in the nation.

Meanwhile, Power Distribution Companies ,DisCos, are reportedly contemplating widespread disconnections of several companies and factories, fearing substantial losses estimated in billions of naira.

Power distribution companies ,DisCos, in Nigeria face billions in collection losses as manufacturers decide to pay the old tariff rates instead of the new rates approved by industry regulators.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria ,MAN, has instructed its members across the country to persist in paying the previous rate of N66/kWh to the distribution companies ,DisCos, pending a resolution of the petition filed by the association to the National Electricity Regulatory Commission ,NERC,

NERC approved the new tariff due to financial illiquidity and mounting losses incurred by the DisCos stemming from the lack of a cost-reflective tariff within the power sector.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had earlier said that the federal government was subsidizing about 67% of the power sector, expected to amount to N2.9 trillion by the end of 2024.

The report also showed that about 52% of electricity costs would not be subsidized monthly as the government has halted a significant portion of the electricity subsidy.

With the refusal of MAN to pay the tariff, DisCos is expected to bear more losses in the coming months.

According to the latest report by NERC, DisCos, revenue collections stood at N294.95 billion out of the N399.69 billion billed to customers in the fourth quarter of 2023, indicating a N105.1 billion loss in total.

AljazirahNigeria learned that manufacturers believe they are being unfairly targeted with high electricity tariffs.

This appears to be part of a government strategy to shift the burden of electricity cross-subsidies onto them, a responsibility previously borne by the government before it ceased subsidizing the sector. The aim is to impose cost-reflective rates on these companies.

Electricity cross-subsidy is a process where tariffs are adjusted so that customers with high demand and more reliable power supply pay higher rates.

This is done to compensate for customers who receive limited power and face affordability challenges.

In a letter dated May 9, 2024, and addressed to its members, MAN instructed them to adhere to the previous tariff rates and urged them not to be deterred by NERC’s actions, emphasizing the association’s commitment to escalating discussions with the DisCos and the federal government.

“In the face of this stark reality and in order to ensure that members’ businesses are not disrupted and the DisCos are not starved of needed revenue, you are advised to pay the old rate on account, whilst we intensify our engagement with NERC/DisCos with a view to ensuring that due process is followed in tariff setting and that our members are only required to pay a fair price for power supplied.

“We have since instructed our Expert/Solicitor to stand ready to take further necessary action to ensure that our members are not intimidated or compelled to pay the rate in dispute”, the letter read in part.

To secure payment of the revised tariff, sources said DisCos are threatening widespread disconnection targeted at companies and factories that have refused to pay the new rate implemented by NERC.

An official who chose to remain anonymous told this newspaper that the power distribution companies would have no choice but to disconnect some of these companies from their services as the old rate remains unsustainable for the electricity providers.

“I think DisCos have no choice but to embark on widespread disconnection to avoid carrying over these losses.

“Meanwhile, we also understand some of the companies are seeking alternatives such as gas and ‘eligible’ customers to reduce their electricity cost”, the source said.

Furthermore, Mr. Ajayi Kadiri, the Director-General of MAN, stated in his correspondence that members have received bills indicating the tariff hike, with some being notified of impending electricity supply disconnections to their factories.

“Our members have been served bills reflecting the increase and some have been informed that electricity supply to their factories will be cut off.

This is rather unfortunate and does not demonstrate the willingness to engage manufacturers with a view to arriving at a mutually beneficial outcome”, Kadri said.

Last Thursday, a panel of NERC adjourned its verdict on the petition by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, indefinitely.

The Vice-Chairman of NERC, who doubles as chairman of the panel, Dr Musiliu Oseni, said that the commission would take some time to review the petition and come up with a fair verdict.

On their part, however, the counsel to MAN, Tola Oshodi, urged the electricity regulator to reverse the recently hiked tariff for Band A consumers, as it was inimical to the manufacturing sector.

“We are here to appeal. MAN was not given an opportunity to make representation before the new tariff was fixed.

“MAN is recognized in the guidelines as a stakeholder that must be engaged before such decisions, but it never happened. The provision for stakeholders’ engagement was not complied with.

“We appeal that the new tariff should be suspended as we go through the process of engagement”, he said.

Otedola, Zenith Bank At Daggers Drawn

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ALJAZIRAH

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June 2, 2024

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* Fraudulent deductions running into billions at the core

* Unlawful withdrawals spanning several years

By David Maxwell

As Nigerians groan continually over fraudulent deductions, unlawful withdrawals and other illicit activities on their bank accounts, many have expressed an array of opinions over the sudden discovery that even the bank accounts of the supposed high and mighty are not spared.

This shocking discovery came to the fore with the revelation of one of Nigeria s wealthiest billionaires and oil magnate, Femi Otedola, is currently involved in a legal war with Zenith Bank Plc, one of the country’s biggest commercial banks.

Efforts to settle the differences have proved futile even after a series of meetings between the technical teams of Zenith Bank and Zenon Oil, including a notable one one one meeting held on May 20, failed to yield any favourable resolution. The frustration was palpable, with insiders lamenting Zenith Bank’s lack of sincerity and signaling a pivot to a full-blown legal assault.

At the heart of the matter are letters of credit that Zenon claims deteriorated into a problematic loan acquired by AMCON. Zenon alleges that these were improperly opened after AMCON had already assumed control, a move considered highly unprofessional. Documents reviewed by various media outlets reveal that Zenon’s debt, pegged at N39 billion during AMCON’s intervention, was allegedly inflated to N49 billion by Zenith Bank, though a final negotiation saw AMCON settle the matter at N44.1 billion.

Adding to the turmoil, Mr. Otedola, along with several of his companies—Zenon, Seaforce Shipping, Luzon Oil & Gas, and Garment Care Limited—secured interim injunctions against Zenith Bank and its affiliates, preventing the bank from trading their shares or distributing dividends pending further court rulings. These legal actions thus exposed the profound mistrust and high stakes involved.

Seaforce Shipping’s scrutiny of Zenith Bank’s statements revealed what they described as “blatant fabrications.” They alleged that the bank falsely claimed Seaforce owed N5.9 billion as of February 2024, only to backtrack when confronted with evidence showing a credit balance dating back to 2018. This revelation fuels the broader narrative of alleged deceit and fraud perpetuated by the bank.

In a dramatic turn, responding to Mr. Otedola’s petition detailing unauthorised debits from Zenon’s account, the Police has summoned the Managing Director, MD, of Zenith.Bank. The letter from the police lays bare the core of the dispute: an unauthorised withdrawal of over N205 million in 2011, compounded by illicit letters of credit opened post-AMCON takeover.

This summons adds another layer of intensity to the ongoing saga.

The unfolding drama shows that this is not just a mere financial disagreement, but a high-stakes battle suggestive of the power dynamics within Nigeria’s corporate and financial sectors. The resolution, whether through the courts, regulatory bodies, or public opinion, will undoubtedly shape the landscape of Nigerian banking and corporate governance for years to come.

For many ordinary Nigerians, this not only confirm their growing lack of trust in the country’s banking sector, but that it has exposed the fraudulent activities of Nigeria’s commercial banks.

Speaking to our correspondent, Abdulazeez Adejo, a prominent gold dealer at the Lokoja International Market, decried his repeated experiences with Nigerian banks: “When my nephew brought the legal tussle between Otedola and Zenith Bank to my notice, All I said was ‘so these things happen to the high and mighty too?’

“You see, if you talk to about ten traders in this market, at least seven of them will tell you how the various banks have been debiting their accounts without their knowledge. This has made me close my account with three of my banks because theirs is worse. Even the two I now operate, it’s only because they are not as bad as the other three, plus it is now very very risky to either carry or keep cash at home. Otherwise a vast majority of Nigerians would have stopped operating bank accounts.

“The situation is very discouraging but maybe for the big names like Otedola and his his big-time players like Zenon Oil, Seaforce Shipping, Luzon Oil & Gas, and Garment Care Limited now in battle with Zenith Bank, it would. exoose the rot in the banking sector and reduce the unilateral deductions from the accounts of the struggling customers.”

To many, Otedola remaining fixed on vindication would make many heave a sigh of relief from indiscriminate deductions from meagre and feable bank accounts and their holders.

“I think the outcome of this epic battle would mean justice for many ordinary Nigerians who do not have the means of even speaking up against the injustices metted out to them by the very banks they entrust their monies with,” Mama Oche, a trans border trader said.

For Hadiza Lukman, an unemployed graduate of Biochemistry from the Kogi State University, “this will bring to the frontburner the silent suffering of countless individuals who have been deprived of their dignity, respect and their source of living by a system that preys on the vulnerable and the oppressed.”

60 Abuja Widows Benefits From NGO’s Empowerment Programme

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ALJAZIRAH

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June 2, 2024

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By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja

No fewer than sixty widows in the Federal Capital Territory has benefitted from training on self sustaining skills organised by the Rasaq Okulaja Initiative in partnership with Helpline Social Support Initiative.

President of Helpline Social Support Initiative, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, said during the training and exhibition, that the empowerment was part of a two-year memorial of late Rev. Rasaq Okulaja.

The widows were trained on tie and dye, soap, turban and Snacks making among other skills, during a second memorial empowerment and exhibition programme, in Abuja.

Dr. Ahmadu explained that the training was designed to eradicate poverty among widows, as well as keep the memory of late Okulaja alive.

She explained that the empowerment was also to give the widows and young girls an opportunity to be a better version of themselves.

She advised the beneficiaries not to be ashamed of what they were doing to support themselves financially.

To get the full benefits of the acquired skills, Ahmadu advised the widows to group themselves into clusters to share facilities, access financial support and organise step down training to other vulnerable groups.

She also encouraged the widows on good packaging and marketing for their products to gain acceptability among the targeted consumers.

“You also need to register your businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Helpline will assist intending participants who have adequately packaged themselves with the registration.

“Try to be a better version of yourself and improve yourself at all times and form clusters among yourself so that you can work as a team and easily connect with customers.

“I promised that next year, we will expand this exhibition and take it to the Old Parade Ground, Garki to accommodate more participants, ” she added.

Extolling her late husband, Mrs Toyin Okulaja, described the late reverend as a man that loves impacting on the lives of people.

“After he died, we decided to establish an empowerment initiative after his name to keep his legacy alive, and continue to impact and transform the lives of the poor and vulnerable in our communities.

“We empowered 50 women and young girls in 2023 with different skills and today they are exhibiting their products.

“This year, we decided to support only widows with self-sustaining skills, food items and a little cash to support their lives because they are going through a lot,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries of the first edition of the empowerment, Judith Ogbosi, a single mother of three, said that the support helped to expand her salon business and currently employed five staff.

Another beneficiary, Victoria Itodo, a 300 level student of Federal University of Technology, Mina, said she learned to make snacks.

Itodo, an orphan, said her snacks business was currently sustaining her in school and appealed for more support to enable her to expand.

Gov Fubara Cancels Wike’s 10,000 Jobs

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June 2, 2024

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Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has cancelled the 10, 000 jobs in the State Civil Service approved by his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, saying a fresh recruitment process would be carried out.

Before leaving office, Governor Wike approved the immediate employment of a significant number of youths to fill existing vacancies in the state’s workforce, effective

immediately.

However, Fubara during an interactive session with stakeholders in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said he cancelled the recruitment because the process was flawed and compromised by those entrusted to handle it.

He stated that a more transparent process would commence soon, expressing sadness that when the names of those selected from the 23 local government areas were scrutinized, they were people smuggled in for political patronage.

Responding to a question, the governor stated, “I know that is the first question, the ten thousand jobs, When we came on board we already had details that were submitted to us from the 23 local government areas.

“You will agree with me that when we subjected those names to proper scrutiny, most of those names, in fact, 60% of those names were over-aged. They were names that people brought for political patronage.

“But what we are talking about today is employment for the future. I, personally after the analysis of those things, said ‘How will you employ somebody who is 52 years old as a civil servant?’

“How many years is the person going to work before retirement?”

Meanwhile, Fubara has said the social contract between his administration and the Rivers people will remain an unbroken bond to drive governance on a healthy footing.

The Governor, therefore, challenged service providers for the Rivers State Waste Management Agency to redouble their efforts and make sure that refuse dumps are cleared off the streets promptly to have a cleaner city always.

Fubara, who was represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, gave the charge when he received a delegation of leaders and members of the RIWAMA Service Providers Association, on a Solidarity Walk to Government House Gate in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Maida: NCC Is Committed To supporting Nigeria’s Digital Economy, Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda

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June 2, 2024

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is committed to driving the country’s digital economy and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda forward by integrating its Key Strategic Focus Areas into its regulatory framework, ultimately aiming to propel the growth and development of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Reuben Muoka, to commemorate President Tinubu’s one year anniversary

Dr. Maida according to the statement, identified 3 Strategic Focus Areas: Consumers, Industry and Licensees, and Government, which are aimed at balancing the needs of various stakeholders and supporting Nigeria’s digital economy and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The statement entitled: “NCC: A Digital Enabler of the Renewed Hope Agenda“, reads in parts: “In Nigeria, a young tech-savvy and upwardly mobile population is teeming, and exploring derivable benefits of digital technologies. They are propelled by rapidly expanding internet access and steady broadband penetration, currently about 43 per cent. Our digital economy is poised for significant growth, positively impacting various sectors and benefiting the nation through enhanced connectivity and digital skills.

“Digital transformation is happening globally at a record pace. During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, remote work and virtual collaboration tools took centre stage; platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet became—and still are—essential for meetings, conferences and team collaboration. E-commerce and online retail have transformed how consumers seamlessly order and receive goods and services. Even traditionally brick-and-mortar businesses are changing the ways they engage with their customers through introduction of digital solutions to improve the customer experience. It is a no-brainer that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are revolutionising our lives for the better, whether in education, healthcare delivery, living, public services, energy management, and much more.

“Suffice to say, that underpinning this global digital transformation is the indispensable role of telecommunications infrastructure. Universal, affordable, reliable and fast telecom services are becoming social rights, as mobile networks and data-centres form the backbone for digital transformation by enabling the storage and processing of large amounts of data as well as the integration of digital technologies into numerous use cases.

“For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Renewed Hope Agenda draws us all to a more promising outlook. Inherent in his agenda is the pledge to embolden and support the youth and women by harnessing emerging sectors such as the digital economy. In delivering this vision, the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani unveiled a blueprint appropriately titled – “Accelerating our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency” with the goal of supporting Nigeria’s economic growth by enhancing productivity, facilitated by digital innovation.

“Acknowledging the criticality of resilient telecommunications infrastructure to a robust digital economy, Dr. Tijani’s Strategic Agenda 2023 — 2027 sets targets to achieve a 50 per cent improvement in Quality of Service (QoS) by the end of 2024; to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 70 per cent by the end of 2025; to deliver data download speed of 25Mbps in urban areas and 10Mbps in rural areas by the end of 2025; to provide coverage for, at least, 80 per cent of the country’s population, especially the underserved and unserved populations by the end of 2026; to reduce the gap of unconnected Nigerians in rural areas from 61 per cent to less than 20 per cent by 2027; and to secure between 300 per cent to 500 per cent increase in broadband investment by the end of 2027.

“Drawing from the Strategic Agenda of the Ministry, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) has emplaced three Strategic Focus Areas for the Commission: The Consumers, the Industry and Licensees; and the Government.

“Dr. Maida’s approach to delivering on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda comes from the recognition that each of these stakeholders has a unique perspective and different, occasionally-paradoxical expectations of the Commission. His goal is to forge a path that carefully balances each stakeholder’s needs while meeting their expectations.

“Consider the Consumers—who are central to Dr. Maida’s focus—for example. His approach focuses on ensuring that they receive an enhanced Quality of Experience, beyond the narrow and very technically-evaluated Quality of Service. Quality of experience takes into account all touch points along the consumers journey in using telecom services from selection, through on boarding, usage, support and even off-boarding. This means that, consumers are empowered to make the right network selection, enjoy a seamless onboarding into the network of their choice, enjoy quality service at fair costs, receive responsive customer service and enjoy protected off-boarding where they chose to leave the network. To address consumer complaints on data depletion, the Commission has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to conduct an independent audit of their billing systems and is concluding a consultation process to simplify tariff plans. These initiatives would provide enhanced transparency to the consumer.

“The Commission, under Dr. Maida, rather than taking a national outlook on data collection for Quality-of-Service delivery, has adopted an approach where more granular data is collected from operators and analysed to determine quality of service at very small, local levels, to allow the deployment of optimised solutions or regulatory actions where needed.

“On the side of the Industry and Licensees of the Commission, Dr. Maida’s focus is aimed at forging a resilient industry and enhancing the delivery of regulatory services. Since he came on board, the Commission has shown commitment to tackling industry debt issues more seriously. It has also embarked on critical advocacy initiatives to address long-term challenges in the sector, including advocacy for designating telecom infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, as well as successfully persuading over six states to waive Right of Way (RoW) fees, even as he initiates discussions with more states. The Commission, under Dr. Maida’s leadership, is equally engaging with the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms towards addressing multiple taxation issues in the telecoms sector.

“In order to ensure that the industry is in line with current realities, the Commission is also undertaking a review of its extant Regulatory Instruments and Licensing Frameworks. For instance, Quality of Service Regulations have been reviewed to incorporate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for 5G and other participants that are critical to the Quality of Service.

“By achieving expected QoS KPIs, high-speed internet connectivity, and forging a resilient and innovative telecommunications industry, the Commission is actively supporting the Ministry’s vision of boosting economic growth and productivity through technological innovation, delivering on the promise of Renewed Hope for all Nigerians.”