Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Author: Chike Ozohili

Forge Discharge Certificate go to jail, NYSC warns Nigerians

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said forgers of its discharge or exemption certificates risk jail term, option of fine or both as penalties.

The Director, Legal Services, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, said this on Monday in Abuja during the 2023 Legal Officers’ Capacity Building Training.

The training has “The Role of the Legal Officer in the Defence of the Public Service in Nigeria” as its theme.

According to Ibrahim, the NYSC Act contains all the infractions that people should know about. “The infractions are many, like forging the NYSC certificates.

“Also, persons that are supposed to go for youth service as specified in the Act are not coming for youth service while those that are supposed to come for service will do but will not complete it and abscond.

“Therefore, the Act itself has specified what is to be done in respect to these instances.”

Ibrahim also said some attend the orientation camps with forged documents and when such persons are caught, they are arrested by the police for prosecution.

He said that though such cases abound in court, the exact number could not be determined, adding that they were being followed up.

“The punishment, first of all, is to arrest them, the police will now charge them to court and it is now left for the courts to decide if it is imprisonment or fine.

“It is at the discretion of the court to say this is what we are going to do as the term of imprisonment.

“If you are found guilty by the court, the court can give you two years jail term depending on the type of offence or three years or an option of fine or both jail term and fine.”

Regarding Corps Producing Institutions’ (CPIs) involvement in such infractions, Ibrahim said that those caught in the NYSC engage in the ‘lifting of the veil of corporate personality’ of such institutions.

According to him, if they submit names of unqualified corps members they are also guilty and are sent to court.
He said the punishment to be meted to such institutions was also at the discretion of the court.

He, however, said that such institutions are not delisted but are allowed to still send the names of their intending corps members for mobilization.

He also said that it was worrisome that such infractions were coming up day by day.

On the essence of the training, he said a lot of people were committing a lot of infractions against the NYSC Act.

He said therefore, it deemed it necessary to ensure that members of the public know exactly what the Act contains and what they should and should not do.

The Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed said that the enhancement of capacity building to stimulate efficiency and higher corporate performance was in line with one of the focal areas of his policy thrust to the scheme.

Ahmed, represented by Ibrahim, said the training was organized to enhance the capacity and knowledge of legal officers in the scheme on their professional roles in the defence of the Public Service in Nigeria.

He said that the training was expected to harness the potential of the legal officers in the scheme for improved professional services.

“Over the past 50 years of existence of the scheme, our experience has shown that the decision by management to train and re-train staff of the scheme has proven to be very fruitful.

“This is especially in the training of legal officers, judging from the laudable achievements recorded so far by the Legal Unit and the professional conduct of legal officers in the scheme.

“The unit has kept faith with its mandate of rendering quality legal advice to the NYSC management and has shown due diligence in handling cases involving the scheme in different Courts of Law in Nigeria.

“To further contribute to the achievements of the legal unit, this training is an ideal platform to evaluate the activities of the unit with a view to breaking new grounds towards strengthening the values of the scheme.”

The training is expected to enhance their competence and practical performance/service delivery in the areas of legal drafting and litigation in both civil and criminal matters.

Others are legal education involving corps legal activities and general legal advice.

07/03/2023
Police recover body of drowned UNIBEN student, arrest 2 friends

The Edo Police Command has arrested two students of the University of Benin over the death of their friend, Francis Anuide, who drowned in Ekosodin River, Benin, where the trio had gone swimming.

The arrested students are Samson Kennedy, a 200-level student of Biochemistry, and Wilfred Emmanuel, a 500-level student of Optometry.

The deceased was said to have been invited by the two friends for swimming in the river close to the Ugbowo campus of the University where he allegedly drowned.

Confirming the arrest, the Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Edo, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the duo were apprehended to assist the police in investigating the circumstances leading to the victim’s death.

Nwabuzor explained that after the case was reported at the Ugbowo Police Station, Benin, the Divisional Police Officer and his men led a team of local divers to the scene of the incident.

“Luckily, they were able to recover the body. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations.

“Two persons were arrested because they went together to swim in that river when the ugly incident occurred.

“Arresting them is very important so that we can know what made them leave their hostel and go to that river at that time and what happened right there in the river,” he said.

Sources told newsmen that the two students were arrested as a result of the discovery of blood on the lips of the deceased and peeled skin around his neck region.

These, the sources said, raised suspicion amongst the victim’s family members and relatives who are demanding an autopsy.

“After the deceased got drowned, the duo ran back to the Ekosodin community to seek help from the community and vigilante members but the deceased died before help could come his way,” one of the sources said.

07/03/2023
Roads Rehabilitation/Erosion: AfDB approves $115m loan to Abia

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved the sum of $115 million as loan to support a major road rehabilitation project in Abia State.

The project will see the rehabilitation of roads, erosion control infrastructure and preparation of solid waste management facilities in the state capital, Umuahia, and the commercial hub, Aba.

Financing for the project, estimated at a total cost of $263.80 million, will come through an African Development Bank loan of $100 million; a Canada–African Development Bank Climate Fund (CACF) loan of $15 million; and a $125 million co-financing loan from the Islamic Development Bank.

The Abia State government is expected to provide $23.80 million in counterpart funding for compensation to people affected by the project and implementation of a Resettlement Action Plan.

Under the project, which is expected to be completed in 2029, a total of 248.46 km of road – 58.03 km of roads in Umuahia and 190.43 km of roads in Aba – will be rehabilitated to asphaltic concrete standards at varying cross sections. Erosion sites in Umuahia and Aba will be reinstated as well as preparatory studies undertaken for private sector participation in solid waste management for the two cities. The project will also include capacity building, project management and development of social infrastructure such as the rehabilitation of schools and the provision of sanitation facilities in schools, community markets and hospitals.

With an estimated population of 553,000 and 814,000 respectively (2022 estimates), Umuahia, capital of Abia State, and Aba, the commercial hub, are currently facing serious infrastructure challenges arising from decades of underinvestment amidst rapid urbanisation. The situation is aggravated by gully erosion and the emergence of huge piles of solid waste on the roads.

When completed, the 1.37 million people in these two cities will benefit from reduced travel time, reduced vehicle operating costs and lower transport cost. The project will also create 3,000 temporary jobs (30% for women) at the construction phase and about 1,000 permanent jobs during the operational phase. The permanent jobs will particularly benefit the youth, who will make up 50% of the project. They will be trained in contract management by the State Youth Road Maintenance Corps for road maintenance, a body of young Abia engineers drawn from the 17 Local Government Areas of the State.

Director General of AfDB’s Nigeria Country Department Lamin Barrow, said the project will build resilience by providing the towns access to urban infrastructure services, including economic and social amenities.

Barrow said, “The results from implementation of the project will help expand access to economic and social amenities in the two cities, and thereby contribute to building sustainable and liveable cities.”

The African Development Bank’s portfolio in Nigeria comprises 48 operations worth $4.2 billion. The national (Federal and States) operations account for 90% of the portfolio, for 41 projects amounting to $3.79 billion, while multinational operations constitute 10%, for 7 projects amounting to $0.41 billion. There are 24 Sovereign Operations ($2.36 billion or 56% of total commitments) and 24 Non-Sovereign Operations ($1.84 billion or 44%).

07/02/2023
Real Sector Facility: CBN disburses N25.6bn intervention

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disbursed the sum of N25.6 billion to eight new real sector projects in manufacturing packaging, pharmaceuticals, plastic, and cosmetic products under its N1.0 trillion Real Sector Facility (RST).

The apex regulator said that the cumulative disbursements under the RSF currently stand at N2.56 trillion allocated to 462 projects across the country, comprising 257 manufacturing, 95 agriculture, 97 services, and 13 mining sector projects.

The recent data from CBN also showed that under the 100 for 100 Policy on Production and Productivity (PPP), the Bank
distributed a total of N13.81 billion to three projects in the manufacturing sector.

This brings the cumulative disbursement under the facility to N173.31 billion, disbursing to 81 projects comprising 45 manufacturing, 23 agriculture, 5 healthcare, and 8 services sector projects with an estimated 23,343 direct jobs created.

The CBN in a recent report stated that under the Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility (NEMSF-2) for capital,
and operational expenditure of distribution companies (Discos), the Bank has disbursed N11.82 billion to ease liquidity constraints and support the recovery of legacy debt. Under the scheme so far, the Bank has disbursed a cumulative sum of N254.39 billion.
Meanwhile, available data and forecasts for key macroeconomic indicators in the Nigerian economy, suggest that the economy will continue on a moderate recovery path through 2023 as legacy headwinds linger. These include insecurity in food-producing areas; the high cost of energy and the rising cost of debt servicing.

07/02/2023
Hold Shell accountable for Rivers’ oil spills, Oilwatch tells HYPREP

Oilwatch Africa has called on the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to hold Shell Petroleum Company for recent oil spills in Rivers State.

Oilwatch Africa is a civil society organization with a focus on the environment.

According to a statement recently in Abuja by the CSO’s, Media and Communication Lead, Miss Kome Odhomor, two major oil spills within a week in Rivers State, is an indication that oil companies are yet to show seriousness about ensuring maintaining their facilities.

“It is quite alarming that rather than remediating the harms, more investments are being made to expand the areas of threat. New investments in the fossil fuels sector and incessant new oil spills threaten to push the world into climate catastrophe and expose the wrongheaded pathway taken by nations when they gather at COPs for climate negotiations.

“One oil spill was reported from a pipeline owned by Shell in Eteo community on June 13, 2023, while another occurred at Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday, June 18, 2023, in Oke-Olebo stream which is the only source of fresh water for the community,” the statement reads.

A member of the Oilwatch steering committee, Nnimmo Bassey, reacting to the spill said “We have always advocated for a cleaner environment and we charge the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to take into account the new oil spills that threaten to derail the ongoing cleanup process. Steps should be taken to ensure accountability by offending parties”.

Oilwatch Africa Coordinator Salome Nduta expressed dissatisfaction over the action of oil companies in Nigeria and across Africa.

He said, “Recently at the just concluded Africa Energy Summit held in the UK, it showed that Africa is not just a geographical location but it is also a cow that should be milked dry for the gains of her captors. Polluters should be held accountable for loss and damage inflicted on communities in Africa”.

Oilwatch Africa called on the Nigerian government to take charge and ensure the proper clean-up of polluted sites as well as payment of compensation for damages suffered. “As a group, we further charge all African governments to invest in renewable energy taking into consideration the true cost of extraction which is causing more harm than good to her peoples,” the group said.

07/02/2023
Social Media Directive: NDPC, SERAP tackle CBN

Many stakeholders have described as illegal the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN)’s directive to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to scrutinise the social media presence of their customers.

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), said that the directive was against the law.

According to the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji, the directive by the CBN is illegal and against the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA) recently signed by President Bola Tinubu.

Olatunji, who said this in a statement issued by NDPC’s spokesperson, Itunu Dosekun, said that the commission was already engaging the CBN on the issue.

“The whole idea of this law is to protect the rights, the interests of Nigerians who are data subjects.

“We are already engaging with the CBN to let them know that what they have done is against the law because there are basic principles you must meet when you want to collect citizens’ data.

“There is data minimisation, meaning you do not collect data beyond the purpose for which it was intended,” he said.

Also, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), an NGO, described the directive as unlawful and a violation of Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression and privacy.

In a statement issued by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP called on the CBN Acting Governor, Folashodun Shonubi, to remove the social media directive from the regulations.

He said that the mandatory requirement of social media handles or addresses of customers did not serve any legitimate aim.

According to him, such information can be used to unjustifiably or arbitrarily restrict the customers’ rights to freedom of expression and privacy.

The directive was contained in a recent Customer Due Diligence Regulations, 2023 signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulations Department of the CBN, Chibuzo Efobi.

The CBN had directed all DMBs to obtain comprehensive information about their customers, including their social media handles.

According to the directive, commercial banks must henceforth obtain social media handles and digital identification of customers as a mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) policy in the financial services sector.

The apex bank said that the directive was targeted at strengthening the fight against financial crimes as contained in its Customer Due Diligence Regulations 2023 report.

It said that financial institutions operating under the regulatory purview of the CBN were now obligated to collect and verify customers’ social media handles as part of their KYC process.

It said that the requirement applied to both individuals and legal entities, and sought to enhance the accuracy and depth of customer identification.

07/02/2023
No plans to increase petrol price to N700/litre – IPMAN

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said they have no intention of further increasing the pump price of petrol.

According to the Chairman of IPMAN Southwest Zone, Alhaji Dele Tajudeen, Nigerians should disregard reports making the rounds that the Association plans to increase the price of petrol to N700 per litre.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on May 29, told Nigerians that the era of subsidy was gone.

Speaking Friday in Ibadan, Tajudeen urged Nigerians to disregard the reports and stop engaging in panic buying insisting that there is no plan to increase the price above the price it is being sold at the moment.

“Even in the PIA, it has been clearly stated that the subsidy must be removed, so, I want to commend him for removing the subsidy and I want to say that we are in total support totally. This is because the subsidy was a scam.”

He said the slight increase in pump price was because of the transportation cost and that Nigerians should be at rest as the commodity will not be out of reach for the masses.

“I want to disabuse the mind of the people that they should not panic about it, there is no cause for alarm, we are in control and there is nothing like that.

“So, people should be rest assured that there is no way they can buy petrol more than the price it is being sold now.

“If we look at the price from NNPC retail limited, which is an integral part of NNPC limited, they have more advantages than independent marketers and major marketers.

”So, it was the retail price that they announced they had never given a specific price to the independent marketers.

“However, I have read what somebody put into the paper, it is just speculation, it is not a reality. Nothing like that I want to assure the masses.

“There is no way the price can go to N700 as we speak, because even if the FX is N700 or N800 that has not nothing to take the price of petroleum from N500 to N700,” Tajudeen said.

He noted that the product had been deregulated, hence the differential in prices was due to transportation as it is related to location.

”If you are moving products within Lagos the price may not be more than N300,000 but if you are moving up to Ibadan or there about it could be as much as N500,000.

”And if you are going to Ilorin, it could be as high as N700,000 that would account for the difference in prices.

“I want to say with all sense of authority that as of today within Lagos metropolis nobody should sell more than N515 to N520 per litre.

”Though NNPC has given us the price, the reality of it is that what we buy from the market; because NNPC limited is not the only source for our product, we get it from private depots.

“So, whatever we buy is what we put on our own margin and sell.

”But as of today, the highest you can get anywhere should be around N550; Lagos N510 per litre; Ogun State between N500 and N520,” Tajudeen said.

07/01/2023
Google’s first West Africa Director Ehimuan bows out

One of the most prominent women in African tech — and Google’s pioneering West Africa Director, Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, has left the company after 12 years.

Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, one of the most prominent African women in tech and an instrumental leader in Google’s regional growth, has announced her departure from the company via LinkedIn, stating her intent to take on a broader role within the regional tech landscape.

A respected figure in the tech industry and key player in Google’s African initiatives, Ehimuan unveiled plans to collaborate with corporate executives, global investors, African governments and start-up founders to drive growth, excellence and digital transformation within the African tech ecosystem and the broader business landscape.

Africa’s tech ecosystem has seen significant interest from global leaders recently – this month alone, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Bill Gates and tech investor Erik Moore were all in Lagos, where they each convened the local tech ecosystem – projecting their interest and positioning themselves as players in Africa.

These high-profile engagements underscore the global tech community’s recognition of the wealth of innovation and potential on the continent, the fact of Africa’s place as a destination for investment up and down the tech value chain, and their desire to connect and engage with it.

07/01/2023
Premiere Academy: Court affirms FCCCPC’s powers to investigate Keren’s death

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the suit by Premiere Academy challenging the powers of the Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Commission to investigate the incident that led to the death of one of its students, Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher.

FCCPC stated that on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, the Federal High Court; CORAM: Justice N. E. Maha in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/26/2022 – Premiere Academy Limited (Premiere) v Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (Commission) and 2 Ors dismissed a claim by Premiere and upheld the inherent powers, jurisdiction and mandate of the Commission under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 (FCCPA) to investigate the broadest range of consumer protection issues irrespective of whether other components (such as criminal) of the legal process is implicated by the conduct that is subject of consumer dissatisfaction.

According to a statement by Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of FCPPC, Babatunde Irukera, at the weekend in Abuja, the court specifically dismissed Premiere Academy’s argument that the police investigation of conduct necessarily preempts a regulatory investigation of the same conduct from the standpoint of consumer rights.

The Court rejected the school’s argument that a criminal investigation into an allegation of rape or molestation of a student while under the care of Premiere constitutes a bar and prevents the Commission from investigating any failure(s) in the duty of care owed to a student as a consumer of services provided by the school.

On June 22, 2021, Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher (Keren) a student of Premiere died after having taken ill in the boarding facilities of the school. The circumstances leading to her death have become disputed including allegations of lack of sufficient care by Premiere in managing and escalating her medical condition and clinical status, as well as an allegation that Keren may have been subjected to sexual molestation which conduct or aftermath may have contributed to her medical/clinical condition and eventual death.

“The Commission commenced an investigation by issuing a Notice of Commencement of Investigation pursuant to Sections 17, 18, 32, 33, 113, 157 and 159 of the FCCPA, in order to determine any infringements of the FCCPA that might have occurred with respect to the duty of care owed to Keren and her family, and for the purpose of ensuring Premiere as an institution and facility are sufficiently equipped, safe and secure to continue to render boarding or other custodial services to existing and prospective students. Premiere in response and continuation of a resistance to fully comply with the Commission’s request for evidence filed this action at the Federal High Court, seeking to restrain the Commission from discharging a vital statutory responsibility to consumers.

“The clear unequivocal decision of the Court in characterizing the suit by Premiere as “frivolous and lacking in merit”; as well as judicially affirming the responsibility and powers of the Commission to investigate occurrences in the circumstances as not inconsistent with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Nigeria Police Act, 2020 is a further demonstration, strengthening and institutionalization of an important national priority and constitutional imperative which is consumer protection and holding service providers accountable to their customers or persons/entitieswho act on their behalf.

“The Court’s further declaration that courts lack powers to stop a statutory body from carrying out its duties as doing that will negate the doctrine of separation of powers is though a repeated judicial declaration but, a timely emphasis that is crucial for an accountability framework that promotes and ensures the appropriate duty and standard of care that businesses and service providers must embrace in delivering what they sell or provide to consumers and their interactions with Regulators.

“The Commission welcomes this well-thought-out decision and commends the Premiere, other institutions and undertakings that provide goods or services to consumers. In the absence of any legitimate or legal restraint in the circumstances, the Commission will accordingly and assiduously progress this long pending and outstanding investigation; and invites Premiere to recognize and comply with its obligations under the law,” Irukera said.

07/01/2023
NIMASA warns public of fake recruitment agency, website

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has warned Nigerians against dealing with any person claiming to act on behalf of the Agency, saying it is not recruiting.

According to a statement by the Agency’s management, anybody that does business with any purported representative is at their own risk.

“For the avoidance of doubt, any party that puts itself forward as acting on behalf of NIMASA for the purpose of recruitment is completely false and NIMASA disclaims and bears no responsibility whatsoever for their action,” the statement said.

The management stated that its “attention has been drawn to a fraudulent employment scheme currently making the rounds online, and especially on various social media platforms that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will soon commence ‘massive recruitment’ exercise.

“These fraudulent persons have also been known to contact innocent people through e-mail, social media and other forms of internet publication soliciting for payment, inducement, advance fees or other favours in exchange for employment. Victims stand the risk of extortion, hence, members of the public are warned not to make any payment whatsoever to unscrupulous persons parading themselves as employment agents.

“For the avoidance of doubt, any party that puts itself forward as acting on behalf of NIMASA for the purpose of recruitment is completely false and NIMASA disclaims and bears no responsibility whatsoever for their action. NIMASA does not communicate employment vacancies through third-party online channels, emails or social media platforms. NIMASA hereby expressly disassociates itself from such fraudulent online publications and posts and warns the unsuspecting public not to fall victim to such baseless and false schemes in the guise of employment opportunity.

NIMASA urged members of the public to treat with suspicion any such offerings and verify their claims in order not to fall prey to these scammers, as the Agency has not designated any entity or persons to act on its behalf.

The Agency said it would not be held liable for any losses incurred by any person(s) as a result of reliance on such fraudulent e-mails/online publications.

07/01/2023