Some commercial banks have released more names of forex defaulters in compliance with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to publish the names of individuals looking to trick the system.
Information available on the websites of 10 commercial banks show that as of Friday, February 18, 2022, over 1,226 names were published.
On its website, Zenith Bank listed 990 foreign exchange (FX) offenders, while Polaris Bank and Sterling Bank listed 40 and 53, respectively.
Access Bank on its website has 29, Fidelity Bank reported 83, First City Monument Bank had nine, Stanbic IBTC Bank reported 15, Standard Chartered Bank had four, United Bank for Africa had three, and Wema Bank has so far published just one name.
Polaris Bank on its website noted that the 54 customers cancelled their trips and failed to refund the Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) sold to them despite follow-ups with them.
Sterling Bank also revealed that its customers cancelled their trip but failed to return the PTA availed to them despite reaching out to them through phone calls and messages.
The bank also showed that six of its customers presented fake visas or documents to apply for PTA.
The Central Bank of Nigeria had in July last year instructed Deposit Money Banks (DMB) to publish names and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) of customers who violated the rules.
Leading telecommunications giant, MTN, has revealed reason behind its rebranding journey which has led to the floating of a new logo adding that, the step is aimed at indicating the company’s evolution from a telecoms company to a technology company.
The company’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Nompilo Morafo, in a statement, said the brand would be unveiling a refreshed brand identity and campaign, as from February 27, to demonstrate its commitment and focus on accelerating Africa’s progress.
According to him, the rebrand, which will be group-wide, would see MTN’s logo refreshed and simplified with its “Everywhere You Go” tagline changed to ‘Yello’.
The new logo, which has since been submitted to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) for approval, would also have ‘MTN’ written in normal block letters and in blue with an oval of the same colour around it, while the yellow background seems to be a lighter shade of yellow, compared with the older logo.
Two students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, UNIZIK, have been found dead in a room at a private hostel.
Report has it that, the bodies of the deceased students were discovered on Sunday, February 20, after Room One of the hostel, located at the William’s Lodge, was forced open following a report to the police by parents of the deceased.
According to a source, who spoke to Punch , the two students, a male, and a female, might have died some days ago, due to the level of decay on their corpses.
The parents of the dead female, identified as Adaeze, had been calling her phone line for some days without any response.
The source said when several calls were not responded to, the parents, in the process, became bothered and reported to the Police.
The parents in company with the security operatives stormed the hostel to check on her, but they met her door tightly locked.
On forcing the door open, they found the two students lying dead in the room.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, who confirmed the incident said the student died from carbon monoxide poisoning from generator fumes but the result of an autopsy will confirm the cause of death.
“There was no stench. The girl was not answering calls which got parents worried. They reported to the Police who forced the door open. No mark of violence on the bodies,” he stated.
“They died apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning from generator fumes. The generator was found in a closed place facing the room. The cause of death will be ascertained after autopsy.”
Two Nigerian universities, the University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT, and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) have emerged as the winners of the just concluded debate and quiz categories respectively.
The events took place from the 13th to 19th of February 2022 where students from 23 universities in Nigeria competed at three major events namely quiz, debate and public speaking.
The host institution, the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) came second in the debate as Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture came third in the debate contest. In the quiz contest, Bowen University and the University of Lagos came second and third respectively.
Additionally, in the public speaking contest, Bowen University, University of Calabar and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka took 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.
The convener of the tournament, Lawal Ahmed in his remark appreciated the schools that attended the competitions as he seeks more institutions participation at events like this.
He further emphasized the significant sponsorship and promotion for the All Nigerian Universities debate and quiz competitions by mega organisations and institutions in the country.
The award ceremony which was held on Friday 18th February 2022 saw the presentations of awards, trophies and medals to deserving individuals and winning institutions.
The Local organizing committee chairman, Dr A. A. Owoade declared his appreciation to the University management and members of the committee for a successful hosting as he emphasised the need for sponsors for the event going forward.
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has backed the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on its rejection of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS, adding that, the government adopted payment platform is not suitable for for the university system.
Oloyede, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, therefore said the necessary pressure must be put on the Federal Government to jettison the payment platform.
The professor of Arabic spoke while delivering a lecture to mark the 71st birthday of Distinguished Professor, Peter Okebukola a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, which held via Zoom.
The lecture was titled “Synchronising cacophony: Interrogating some issues of concepts and perception in the Nigerian higher education topology.”
“I am not a fan of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, but they have a point here. IPPIS is unsuitable for the university system. Let me cite an instance, when I was the VC at the University of Ilorin, I went to Australia on an official assignment and there I met a Nigerian with PhD in an area of Botany where we lacked the manpower.
“I spoke with the man and convinced him of the need to work with us and he agreed. Immediately, I put a call to the Dean of the Faculty of Science and told him about the development and that was how we secured the services of the man. He is now a professor in one of the nation’s universities.
“Also, we must be careful of the number of universities we are having, especially the ones being set up by government agencies and the military. We already have the Nigerian Defence Academy which trains officers for all the arms of the military. We also have the Police Academy that trains police officers, it can also help in training para-military men too.
“In that regards, we don’t need more than one or two. If care is not taken, we will soon have university of road safety or university of civil defence. Adequately funding existing universities should be our focus,’ he said.
ASUU, that is currently on a four week strike, is also complaining about IPPIS and the indiscriminate establishment of universities by federal and state governments among other issues.
Oloyede who also spoke on the issue of cut off marks for candidates seeking admission into higher institutions, said he had been asked in a number of international fora whether anybody whose score falls into that category would be automatically admitted.
He explained that in some situations, candidates might score high marks in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Education, UTME, and fail to do well in post-UTME exams and screening and vice versa.
He therefore suggested that cut off marks could be replaced with minimum acceptable score.
On some of the changes needed in the education sector, he called for the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Higher Education Research and Innovation to take care of research institutes now under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
On the supervisory roles of agencies like the NUC, the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE and the National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, Oloyede called for a change in the current arrangements.
He opined that the NUC could be renamed the National Research and Universities Commission that would have the responsibility of research coordination and regulatory powers.
Oloyede also noted that teachers in the country are poorly paid, adding that only proper compensation would bring out the best in them.
One of the participants, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo, said a committee should be set up to look into the suggestions by Oloyede.
He described Okebukola and Oloyede as great minds who have made indelible marks in academic circles.
The Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, described Okebukola as a visionary with uncommon ability to imagine the future.
Okebukola, who said he was humbled by the encomiums poured on him, thanked Prof. Banjo and others for positive impact on his life.
The event was tagged “Global icon Prof. Peter Okebukola @71 and was moderated by Prof. Sola Akinrinade and had Professors Eyitope Ogunbodede, Mike Faborede, Abiodun Adeleye, A.O.Badejo, Elisabeth Smaranda Olarinde, Nimi Briggs among others as participants.
More trouble appears to be looming for the suspended Commander of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), ACP, Abba Kyari, as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) launches into the probe of the seizure of a large consignment of Tramadol, an illegal drug, in Lagos.
The alleged seizure, it was learnt, was not disclosed to the agency.
According to Vanguard, NDLEA during the weekend commenced the probe as those close to Kyari in the police were believed to be worried that more alleged illegalities linked to the team led by the police officer may be uncovered.
The once-celebrated officer was arrested last week after the NDLEA busted a drug ring operating the Brazil – Ethiopia – Nigeria route.
The agency alleged that he was a member of the syndicate and went ahead to ask a court to extend his detention to facilitate investigation into the activities of his team.
Sources close to the NDLEA said that the Kyari-led team had been linked to the alleged seizure of a large consignment of Tramadol in a warehouse at the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos.
It was gathered that the consignment, was worth N3billion and it was imported into Nigeria by an individual who claimed to be a pharmacist.
IRT, it was learnt, allegedly got wind of the consignment and stormed the warehouse where the illegal drug was stocked, leading to the seizure.
Multiple sources at the NDLEA said the agency ordinarily should have been told of the alleged seizure which was said to have taken place last year, saying the Abba Kyari team did not inform the agency of the development.
“What this means is that the IRT may have sold the consignment of Tramadol to a cartel after storming the Amuwo Odofin warehouse and seizing the Tramadol,” one of the sources said.
“We have launched a probe into the case with a view to getting to the root of the matter,” the source added.
An auto crash involving a pregnant woman and eight persons which included unspecified number of the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, students was reported to have claimed no fewer than nine lives on Sunday morning in Ilorin metropolis, the Kwara State capital.
Report has it that, the multiple accident occurred along the Ilorin International Airport road at about 8:00 am, involved a commercial passenger bus and a private vehicle.
Vreporters reliably gathered that, some students of the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, who just finished their examination were also involved the fatal accident.
Reacting to the development, the Students’ union President, Taofeek Waliu Opeyemi in a phone chat with Vreporters on Sunday confirmed the involvement of a couple of the better by far students in the accident.
Taofeek however couldn’t confirmed the exact number of the students who lost their lives, as he stated clearly that, some of the occupants of the vehicle who sustained degrees of injuries have been taken to the university of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, and are being promptly treated.
He said, joint efforts are ongoing to identify the students involved in the fatal accident.
One of the vehicles involved in the crash was said to have carried petrol-filled kegs.
It was also gathered that eight persons, however, survived in the accident with degrees of injuries.
The sources in the state command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said that the Lagos-bound passenger bus had loaded at the Gerin Alimi motor park, heading outwards the metropolis, when it rammed into the private vehicle.
The private vehicle, said to be coming out of the airport, failed to wait for the oncoming passenger bus to pass, while the crash, said to have occured as a result of over-speeding.
It was gathered that the vehicles involved somersaulted and had tyre burst.
Speaking on the incident, the state sector commander of the FRSC, Jonathan Owoade, confirmed the development and described the crash as unfortunate.
“A car coming out of the airport ran across the road, thinking it could have crossed the road before the bus gets to it. Incidentally, it was said that it was carrying fuel. I would surely get back to you with details, including registration numbers of the vehicles”, he said.
A first class graduate of Information and Media Studies from the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University Kano, BUK, Mr Sule Mathew, has been reportedly killed by unknown gunmen in Anambra.
The deceased was killed along with some passengers he was travelling with in Ekwulobia, a town in Anambra.
A news medium, PR Nigeria, where he once interned, made the tragic announcement.
According to a fellow ex-intern at PR Nigeria, Silas Manager, Mathew had planned to go for the mandatory youth service corps before his death.
“Mathew was among the first set of students to intern with PRNigeria Centre in Kano in 2019.
He lost his father in June, few months to his final examination, and graduated as the overall best student of our Department in August 2021 and was due to enrol for mandatory NYSC programme next week,” Salis said.
“He was on a 6-month non-residential fellowship program that trains, and mentors young citizen activists to push for democratic reforms – Gidan Yanci.
He was on his way to Anambra from Abuja when the gunmen attacked their vehicle” a tear-filled Mr Gambo Ibrahim, a bosom “After waylaying them, the gunmen opened fire on them killing all of them except the driver who escaped. So, when we couldn’t reach him and hear of the incidence, we sent Sule’s picture to the mortuary to confirm if he was among those killed and we got feedback that he was identified among those killed,” she narrated.
“Prior to this sad news, I kept calling him on phone but couldn’t reach him then suddenly we heard this sad news. I am so shocked,” Binta Musawa, Mr Sule’s coursemate stated
There are strong indications that the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) might postpone its national convention scheduled for February 26.
According to THISDAY, the convention will be postponed by two weeks.
Efforts to speak to the Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party, who is also the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, on this latest development proved abortive, THISDAY reports.
Though there is no formal announcement yet, a very reliable party source informed THISDAY last night that the (CECPC) and the APC governors would meet President Muhammadu Buhari today to propose a new date, which is likely to be March 12.
The source who preferred anonymity said, “The convention has been postponed by two weeks but it is not official yet. The Caretaker Committee and the governors will meet with the President on Saturday (today) to propose the new date.”
Also, a former member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, who pleaded for anonymity, said it was already clear that the convention would not hold, “because there are some things that needed to be done for the convention to hold as scheduled on February 26 and most of them had not been done, with few days to February 26.”
The source stressed that, for instance, one of the things that ought to have been done was zoning of party offices.
He continued: “People have not bought forms and people cannot buy form if the zoning is not done; and forms cannot come out until the zoning is done. That is when aspirants will know what kind of forms they are buying. If you don’t know the zoning, you can’t buy a form.
“There are no committees; all the sub-committees have not been set up as we speak. I remember that at the last convention, there were over 20 committees beside the main convention committee.”
Reacting to the purported plans by some governors and a principal officer in the Senate to foist Senator Abdulahi Adamu on the party, he said “while individuals or groups can have preference, President Muhammadu Buhari has the final say on who becomes the next Chairman of the party.
“Whatever you are hearing now are mere speculations because nobody can push anybody. All of them are waiting for the president. Everybody is waiting for the president and that is why until the president says this is the chairman before they can now zone other positions around where he comes from.
“So, they have to know whom; they have to know which zone he is from before they can now zone the remaining offices based on that. But that is not to say that individual governors or some group will not have their preferences. But those cannot mean anything, except such individuals or groups are able to convince the president to now adopt their own.”
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it may be forced to postpone the 2023 elections if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to assent to the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill by Tuesday.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this in an interview with Sunday Vanguard.
According to him, there are some fundamental timelines in the new electoral bill that will fundamentally affect the electoral legal framework.
Sunday Vanguard recalls that on November 23, 2021, Buhari declined assent to the bill, citing insecurity, cost of conducting direct primaries and infringement on the rights of Nigerians as his reasons.
The rejection was conveyed in letters written to the National Assembly.
He also said the decision was based on informed advice by relevant ministries, departments and agencies of government, and a careful review of the bill in light of the current realities in Nigeria.
The bill was thereafter reworked by the National Assembly and passed on January 25, 2022, for presidential assent.
Specifically, the lawmakers amended controversial Clause 84 of the bill, which deals with the mode of primary election to be used by political parties.
In the previous version, lawmakers had prescribed that political parties use only the direct mode of primary. But it was made optional in the reworked bill sent to the President for assent.
However, the bill, which was forwarded on January 31, 2022, is yet to receive presidential assent, raising concerns over the likely consequences should Buhari reject it again.
Speaking on the matter, Okoye said: “We understand that on January 31, 2022, the reworked Electoral Act Amendment Bill was forwarded to the President. Under Section 58 of the Constitution, the President has been given the right to assent to bills within 30 days. The 30 days have not elapsed.
“As an electoral management body, we have done our part and it is now left for the National Assembly and the executive to do their part so that the country can have a new legal regime to operate on.
“The tenure of the President and that of the Governors (except Anambra, Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states) will expire on the 28th day of May 2023 while members of the national and state assemblies will stand dissolved on the 8th day of June 2023.
Elections
“By Sections 132(1) and 178(1) of the Constitution, the Commission is empowered to appoint a date for the holding of presidential, governorship, national and state assembly elections.
“INEC had already fixed February 18, 2023, as the date for the presidential election in Nigeria. Now, if you calculate that particular date from today ( last Thursday), it gives you 365 days to that particular election.
“The worrying aspect in this whole impasse is the fact that the new bill before the President contains very far-reaching timelines that will fundamentally affect the date for the election.
“Under Section 28 of the new bill, the Commission is mandated and under a constitutional and legal obligation to issue the notice for the election within 360 days and that is remaining just five days from today.
“The implication is that if the bill is not signed into law thereafter, the Commission has to shift the date for the presidential election to accommodate the 360 days given on the new bill for issuing the notice of the election.”
The INEC Chief, however, assured that the Commission is permitted by law to orbit around Sections 132(2) and 178(2) of the Constitution in fixing the date for elections so long as the dates remain within the 150 days and 30 days provided in the Constitution.
Executive positions
Okoye said: “In other words, the earliest date for the holding of election into executive positions is 30th of December 2022 while the last date is 29th of April 2023.
“For legislative elections, the earliest date is January 10, 2023, and the last date is 10th of May 2023.
“The Commission takes into consideration the possibility of a second election or runoff election in fixing dates for the conduct of elections. Section 58(4) of the Constitution gives the President 30 days to signify that he assents to or that he withholds his assent to a bill.
“The Commission is in good standing in relation to the dates for the holding of the 2023 general elections but is in support of expeditious resolution of the issues surrounding the Bill.”
Meanwhile, outrage trailed the development as eminent Nigerians and groups urged Buhari to sign the amended electoral bill to avoid a political crisis.
Outrage
A former Second Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Monday Ubani, described the 2010 Electoral Act as outdated but cautioned against postponing the 2023 elections.
His words:”It will be very disastrous if the elections are postponed because our Constitution has a tenure of four years for every elective office. So, it will be improper to elongate the tenure of any officer. Therefore, the President must not create a crisis for the country unless he has an agenda he is pursuing. I agree with INEC on the non-workability of the 2010 Electoral Act, which is outdated.
“The President should sign the bill into law so that the country can utilize the new provisions added in the bill. I think the right thing to do is for the President to sign that bill into law.”
On his part, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, described the possibility of postponing the polls as “dangerous, foreboding and constitutional conundrum.”
Provisions
Also reacting, Secretary-General, Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide, said: “Whatever INEC does has to align with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and I am sure there are specific dates and period the elections have to be held, nobody or institution has the right to extend the life of any administration. So, the postponement will still be within the period allowed by the Constitution. INEC does not have the power to extend the tenure of the present administration or any administration for that matter.
“Nigerians want Mr. President to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill for obvious reasons.’’
Altered
Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, warned that the time-table for the next elections should not be altered.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi, said: “The Electoral Act Amendment Bill being delayed by the executive is indicative of the slow pace with which government treats issues that have to do with Nigerians.
“The Electoral Act Bill has been on the table for a long time. Why is the President delaying it?
Under no circumstances should the election time-table be altered.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the bill and ensure that INEC has the necessary support to ensure that we have – free, fair and credible elections”
President of the African Bar Association, AfBA, Hannibal Uwaifo, said: “If the President fails to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill, he has no excuse for doing so. Whether the President signs it or not, whether INEC postpones the election or not, the President has until May 29 to vacate office. I believe the President has the responsibility to sign the Electoral Act Amdendment Bill. If he fails, the National Assembly has the prerogative and constitutional right to override him.’’
President of Association of South East Town Unions, ASETU, Emeka Diwe, on his part, said:”It is a dubious, deliberate and dangerous step to scuttle Nigeria’s democracy. That is the summary.”
Protest
Meanwhile, 26 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, yesterday, declared February 22, 2022, a national day of protest following the delay in granting assent to the bill.
The CSOs include Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa, Partners for Electoral Reform, PER, International Press Centre, Institute for Media and Society, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, The Albino Foundation, Centre for Citizens with Disability, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, PTCIJ, Labour Civil Society Coalition, LASCO, Transition Monitoring Group and CLEEN Foundation.
Others are Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre ,CISLAC, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organizations ,NNNGO, Inclusive Friends Association , IFA, Enough is Enough, The Electoral Hub, Centre for Liberty, Take Back Nigeria Movement, International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre, IPCRC, 100 Women Lobby Group, Women in Politics Forum, Raising New Voices, Millennials Active Citizenship Advocacy Africa and Ready To Lead Africa.
This was disclosed in a statement they jointly signed.
