“I requested for a BVN name change since 15th July till date it hasn’t been effected. You guys have cost me a lot. Your services are appalling.”
@OnohUzo
Don Seeks Review Of Policies To Guarantee Better Living Conditions For Nigerians
By Ayodele Oni
The Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, has observed that Nigerians are poor due to lack of coordinated policies to guide them.
According to him, there is the need for review of some existing policies to engender better living conditions for Nigerians.
Prof. Ige spoke in Akure, while delivering a lecture on “Better Policies, Better Living Conditions”.
He pointed out that public policies exist in form of law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of governments and their institutions or agencies.
“Since public policies (by their nature) are subject to change, there is the need to look into the possibilities of reviewing some of our existing policies or regulations towards securing better living for the people.
“A review of some of Nigeria’s national development policies is proposed as a body of philosophy to be targeted at providing better living conditions for its citizens such as in the critical sectors.
“Such sectors include education, health, transportation system, agriculture, labour and productivity, wages, youth engagement, national security, sustainable energy, foreign exchange, trade, taxation, environment, and cost of governance.”
He added that the responsibility of public policy formulation rest on public authorities at all levels of governance, including traditional rulers, Councillors, Local Government Chairmen, Members of House of Assembly, the Governor, the National Assembly, and the Presidency or agencies of government.
The university don stressed that public policies were to be legally-formulated framework for government actions towards providing the enabling environment for citizens to have conducive living conditions.
Prof Ige expressed concerns that despite numerous brilliant policies that were initiated by successive governments in the country, Nigerians have not benefitted from those that adequately addressed the challenges in the nation’s education, economic, health and political sectors, even after over two decades into uninterrupted democratic rule.
He linked policy failure in Nigeria to lack of a clearly defined policy framework, political instability, political interference, policy and macro-economic dislocations; lack of continuity by different regimes, both military and civilian.
Others are poor governance leading to abandonment of projects; lack of involvement of beneficiaries/relevant stakeholders in project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; and ineffective targeting of real beneficiaries.
Prof. Ige, however, acknowledged the robust policies being initiated by the Ondo Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, especially on security of lives and property of the people.
The VC said, “In the face of the current security challenges rocking Nigeria, another giant stride has been taken by the amiable Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, to ensure the safety and security of lives in the State through the government policy that brought about the Ondo State Security Network Agency, the Amotekun Corps. “Going by the successes recorded by this Corps among a host of other important interventions within the last two years, you will agree with me that the initiative has formidably strengthened the state’s security architecture and translated into “better sleep” for the people of the State.” He charged all public
Notorious Kidnapper, Evans, Sentenced To 21-Years Imprisonment
By Akinwale Kasali
Notorious Kidnap Kigpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, and his co-defendant, Victor Aduba, have been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment, each, for kidnapping one Sylvanus Hafia.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday sentenced Evans and his accomplice to Prison. They were accused of conspiring and kidnapping Sylvanus Ahanonu Hafia at about 5:30 pm on June 23, 2014, at Kara Street, Amuwo Odofin in Lagos. They detained Hafia and demanded a ransom of $2m.
They both pleaded not guilty to the four charges.
The Judge held that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to other aspiring kidnappers.
Details Later….
Prosecute Terrorism Suspects Without Delay – Catholic Bishops Urge Federal Government
By Ayodele Oni
Catholic Bishops in Nigeria, (CBCN) have decried unnecessary delay in the prosecution of suspects arrested in connection with terrorism.
The Bishops, who rose from their meeting in Orlu, Imo State, also decried the worsening cases of killings and kidnapping in Nigeria, saying it was sad that armed robbery and cybercrimes had also continued unabated.
“Attacks on travellers and worshippers in Churches and other places of worship have become too frequent. An instance is the recent mass shooting and bombing attacks on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, in which 41 worshippers were killed and 70 grievously injured.
“Regrettably, the government has not lived up to its duties with regard to security. We observe that even when suspects have been arrested, there was no even diligent prosecution of the culprits of these nefarious acts, thereby leaving the citizenry helpless and despairing.”
These were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of Second Plenary Meeting of the Sacred Heart Pastoral/Retreat Centre, Orlu, Imo State and signed by President, Most Rev Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, and Secretary, Most Rev. Donatus Aihmiosion Ogun.
The Clergymen also advised the federal government against taking the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to to court saying “We believe that a resort to courts may not be the best and fastest way to solve the problem.”
On 2023 poll, the clerics stated that “Elections are fast approaching. We commend the National Assembly and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for enacting and signing into law, the Electoral Bill 2022.
“We acknowledge the President’s commitment to ensuring a level playing ground for all candidates in the elections. Furthermore, we commend the INEC for its innovations, especially, in the area of technology, to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
“We, however, enjoin the commission to ensure that this technology is transparently deployed, in order to increase the confidence of the people in the electoral process. Politics is a noble vocation.
“While it is not our responsibility as religious leaders to dictate to political parties the choices of their presidential, vice presidential and other candidates, we have the duty to advise the citizenry to bear in mind the implications of these choices while electing the next set of leaders.
“We, therefore, renew our call on all our faithful, laity and clergy alike, to come out en masse to vote for people of unassailable integrity, who have the good character, capacity and track record to lead our nation out of the present socio-political and economic doldrums, irrespective of party, religious and ethnic affiliations.”
They emphasized that Nigerians deserve credible and reliable leaderships at all levels to redirect the nation to the path of greatness, saying flawless elections would be a good remedial step to combating some of the challenges shaking the nation.
Akeredolu Returns To Akure, Appreciates Sympathizers Over Mother’s Death
By Ayodele Oni
Ondo state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Monday returned to Akure from Ibadan, Oyo state where he relocated few days ago after his mother’s death.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde who announced Akeredolu’s back to duty said “The last few days have been most phenomenal for the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN.
“The grief associated with the loss of his mother, Lady Evangelist Grace B. Akeredolu JP, notwithstanding, the Governor appreciates the flurry of messages and visits, especially those who visited the Kopindogba residence of his late mother in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
“The outpour of love wrapped in kind words, cheering messages, assured support as well as countless display of varied forms of solidarities during this period are heart-lifting.
“Governor Akeredolu, and his adorable wife, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu express their gratitude on behalf of the entire Akeredolu’s Family.
“Governor Akeredolu however returns to Akure, the Ondo State capital today. He will be available to receive more sympathisers, friends and associates, who may wish to pay condolence visit at the Presidential Lodge, Government House Alagbaka , Akure.
“Kindly note that the Governor will be available to receive visitors from Tuesday, September 20, 2022 between 12pm and 3pm. “Once again, Governor Akeredolu expresses his huge appreciation and depth of gratitude to all.”
Falana Says Policemen Who Slap Civilians Risk 25yrs Imprisonment
Human rights lawyer/activist Femi Falana has disclosed that any policeman who slaps or assaults civilians could be jailed for at least 25 years.
Falana, a senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN spoke on the back of a statement by Muyiwa Adejobi, the Nigerian Police Force spokesperson that Nigerians have no right to retaliate against a slap from a policeman.
Adejobi said, “if a policeman on uniform slaps a civilian, the civilian has no right to retaliate. More so, if he’s on uniform, it’s an act of disrespect to Nigeria to beat an officer on uniform. The disrespect is not to the policeman but to our nation and it’s a crime as enshrined in our criminal laws.
“So it’s not a case of what the policeman did that led to it, but the reaction of the civilians who actually assaulted the police. If police assault a civilian, you report and actions will be taken to rebuke him, not to take the law into your hands.”
The comment has attracted public outrage as many insist that such could worsen police brutality in the country.
in October 2020 many Nigerians, majorly youths embarked on a violent protest against police brutality in the country that eventually led to the ban of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SAR, an elite unit of the Nigerian Police Force,
Responding on Sunday, Falana said in a statement that slapping civilians amount to assault capable of earning the policeman who commits such an act a long jail term.
The rights lawyer said every Nigerian is entitled to human dignity, noting that law enforcement agents are prevented by the constitution from assaulting citizens.
Falana said, “Civilians are required to respect police officers who are discharging their lawful duties. The penalty for assaulting or slapping a police officer is 3 years’ imprisonment under the Criminal Code,” the statement reads.
“In the same vein, police officers are equally mandated to respect civilians. Indeed, section (2)(b) of the Anti Torture Act, 2017 states that torture is deemed committed when an act by which pain and suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person to punish him for an act he or a third person has committed or suspected of having committed.
“The penalty for assaulting a civilian is 25 years under the Anti Torture Act of 2017. In addition, the victim may sue for monetary compensation under the Anti Torture Act and the Constitution.”
He said the Force PRO should immediately withdraw the provocative statement, which according to him “has given the misleading impression that the Nigeria Police Force has authorised its officers to slap citizens and subject them to other forms of torture without any challenge whatsoever”.
“If the statement is not withdrawn within the next 24 hours, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, should not hesitate to replace Mr. Adejobi with another police officer who has unqualified respect for the fundamental rights of the Nigerian people.”
Anambra Killings: Igbo Are Responsible, Says Soludo
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State says gunmen terrorizing the state are Igbo. The governor spoke on the heels of the terror being unleashed on the state by criminals.
Many people including the husband of late Dorah Akunyili the NAFDAC Director General, Chike Akunyili had been killed in a most gruesome manner by the assailants.
Last week Senator Ifeanyi Uba escaped death by the whiskers after he was attacked by some gunmen who killed at least seven policemen in his convoy.
Apart from civilians, the criminals have also targeted security operatives.
Until now, some people have blamed foreigners for unleashing terror on the state. Others blamed members of the IPOB for the violence.
Speaking on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels Television yesterday Governor Soludo said those that have been arrested by security agents so far are from the state.
Soludo described the perpetrators of violence as “plain criminals, nothing else.”
The governor said his administration will do all in its capacity to restore peace to the troubled state by adopting the carrot and stick approach.
He said, “Anambra is, without a doubt, the richest state in the south-east. So, this is the place where kidnapping has the highest value. So, you have the highest concentration here.
“They are not unknown gunmen. They are unknown to the extent that maybe they are not caught immediately in the act, but I can tell you that we have been catching quite a lot of them and they know that something is happening and that Anambra is not safe for them. Never again.
“Let me be clear about this. 100 percent of all the people that we have caught are Igbos. There is no one who has somebody invading from somewhere. It is 100 percent Igbos on Igbos.
“The first set of people we caught were 100 percent Igbos from other south-east states and none from Anambra.
“But as we went on, we then discovered that a whole lot of the youths who have been taken to these bushes that got indoctrinated and initiated into all these kinds of things also happen to be citizens of Anambra state or indigenes of Anambra.”
“Their camps are being decimated. It won’t be too long before we pin them down,” he said.
“Anambra has been quite relatively peaceful. We are pursuing this agenda. Compared to many other places in Nigeria, I’ll dare to say — if we are to have the statistics for the past three months — I think Anambra will compete favourably as one of the safest comparatively.”
FBNInsurance To Employ 2,000 Agents, Targets 1m Policyholders
The managing director of First Bank Nigeria, FBNInsurance Tunde Mimiko has disclosed that the company is poised to raise the number of its policyholders to one million within a year.
The plan, the insurance firm’s chief executive said is in line with the ongoing effort to deepen insurance penetration in the country.
As part of the plan, Mimiko stated that the company will employ the number of its insurance agents to 5,000 from 3,000 by the end of 2022.
A herculean task indeed, considering the number of competing insurance companies in the country, and the attitude of many Nigerians toward insurance.
The company has in its kitty close to 400,000 policy holders according to checks by the magazine.
But considering its track record as one of Nigeria’s frontline insurance companies, the company’s plan to penetrate the sector more, analysts in the sector say is achievable.
Mimiko said, “This is not about promises, we have the personnel to achieve this. We are going to use agency system to penetrate the nooks and crannies of the country while we will rely heavily on technology to capture the millennia.”
“We are expanding our Frontiers to quite a number of cities and towns that we are not presently, we believe that this will engender more penetration than what we have done.”
“As you already know that we are one of the foremost if not the top retail life insurance provider, we want to remain foremost and we will continue to drive that ambition to be number one in the Nigeria insurance market not just in revenue but in profitability.”
“We will do this with the customers in mind which include our current and prospective customers to continue to live in confidence by creating more wealth for them and protecting their financial assets.”
“We have over 400,000 clients in our book today and our intention is to grow it to over a million in the next one year from now.”
His management, Mimimo said will improve staff welfare and be customers’ focused.
“Since I resumed as the MD/CEO, on the 1st of September which is 14 days before now, I have been engaging with different business leaders even majority of the stuff just to understand the areas we need to improve upon, one thing that is critical for us is to improve the customer experience of our clients out there, so we will be investing on technology to ensure that we improve in our services significantly so that our customers can have better experience.
“We have projects in our digital transformation plan that we will also believe will expand our net towards bringing in those that are not in our customer’s profile right now,” he said.
Okonjo-Iweala Leads Dangote, Zuckerberg To Nigeria’s Economic Confab
The Buhari administration has named the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala among keynote speakers at the second edition of the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum, NIEPF in New York, the United States, USA.
The event which will also host Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and Facebook chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft CEO, amongst others, is scheduled for Thursday this week.
Other attendees are Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Pres of the African Development Bank & Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and many others.
According to Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, the event will hold alongside the 77th United Nations General Assembly taking place in the American city.
President Muhammadu Buhari, according to the presidency will also address the Assembly.
Participants at the epochal event are expected to discuss among other things the Growing Nigeria’s Agriculture for Food Security & Access to Export Market, Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector Reforms.
Shehu stated in a statement that the focus of the summit is to attract foreign direct investment, FDI into the nation’s economy.
The summit, the presidential aide said is “Holding alongside the annual global gathering, the NIEPF is expected to draw the presence of world leaders in politics, economy, media as well as Civil Society Oganisations and international media to focus on the vast economic potentials of Nigeria and Africa’s leading economy,
“Growing Nigeria’s Agriculture for Food Security & Access to Export Market with special focus on Impact of the Russia-Ukraine. War which presents opportunities for G7/G20-Nigeria Partnerships in Agriculture.
“Scaling up International Resources for Financing Education in Africa with emphasis on Making facilities to Link Government, Deal Sponsors and International Pools of Capital in Education.
“Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector: Reforms, Results and the Road focusing on Scaling Up Investment into the Gas Market—Plants, Parks, Cylinders, Reinjection.
“Scaling Up International Resources for Healthcare in Africa bordering on: Upgrading and expanding Nigeria’s Healthcare Infrastructure towards making Nigeria the “healthcare hub” for Africa.
“Climate Change and Paths to Clean Environment with emphasis on Paths to Clean Economy, Clean Energy and Clean Development; and Financing Nigeria’s Infrastructure with emphasis on Developing infrastructures such as Farm to market corridor, Farm to ports corridor, Export transport corridor, Railway network Road network upgrade and expansion, Airport upgrade, including dedicated airports for exports, Power generation, transmission and distribution.”
Lagos 2023: APC Kicks Against Visit Of PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Jandor, Deputy, To Owners Of Auctioned Cars
By Akinwale Kasali
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State, has faulted the move by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship Candidate, Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor and his Deputy, Funke Akindele, also known as Jenifa, to the owners of vehicles auctioned by the Lagos State Government for traffic offences.
On Thursday, 15th September, 2022, they auctioned 134 vehicles that have been impounded at the Lagos State Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja, for various traffic offences.
Jandor and his deputy visited two of the owners of the auctioned vehicles, Lateef Kolapo, and Osinachi Ndukwe, during which he condemned the penalty as harsh and promised that the traffic law would be repealed by his Government.
Though the PDP Governorship Candidate blamed the duo for falling on the wrong side of the law, he faulted the APC led Lagos State Government for taking away the livelihood of the offenders.
In a video that went viral, Jandor during the visit, said, “When you are on the wrong side of the law, yes there should be a penalty, but there shouldn’t be a penalty that would take our means of livelihood. That is what we are speaking against. So my coming here is to see Mr Lateef and say there is hope.
“As we speak, that is the law of the state, unfortunately. But the coming government by his grace will repeal this law to ensure that irrespective of what you have done wrong on our road, we won’t take your means of livelihood. We will make sure we penalise but not to the point of taking what you use in catering for your family away from you.”
In another video, showing the visit of the PDP Candidate and his Actress turned-Politician Deputy Governorship candidate, Ndukwe stated that he was sentenced to three months imprisonment for driving against the traffic, and his vehicle was impounded. During his jail term, he lost his three-year-old daughter and after he served the jail term, his bus was auctioned.
Adediran and Akindele commiserated with Osinachi for his loss but reiterated that despite his stance against violation of traffic laws, the State should not take away the offender’s means of livelihood.
“The purpose of the Government in power is to see to our welfare and that is not to say that if we have done anything wrong or go on the wrong side of the law, we won’t be penalised, but what we are standing against is that we don’t want a penalty that would take people’s means of livelihood away from them.
“If they have taken that away from you, how do they expect you to survive or feed your family? If you are serving your jail term and your car probably was released to somebody to watch for you, I am sure your daughter would still be alive. I apologise and I am so sorry for that. But we have come here, myself and my running mate, Funke, we’ve come to see how we can assist you by providing succour to your plight,” he said.
But the APC Publicity Secretary in Lagos State, Seye Oladejo, in a statement on Sunday, described the visit by the PDP Governorship candidate and his deputy as a blatant encouragement of the breakdown of law and order.
He said, “Our attention has been drawn to the recent characteristic charade of the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos state, Jide Adediran.
“It’s saddening that Jandor and his deputy, Funke Akindele, have graduated from playing politics with human lives to blatantly encouraging the breakdown of law and order in our dear state.
“The visit to citizens who paid the price for violating state traffic laws, compensating, inducing, and encouraging them is an act that is totally unacceptable in any decent society. The move of Jandor amounts to turning compassion and charity on their head.
“It was pathetic that he simply interpreted the loss of his hosts as having their means of livelihood taken away from them when in actual fact, people have lost their lives to accidents as a result of driving against traffic.
“However, we are not surprised by the promotion of lawlessness by the opposition party as it remains consistent with their desperation as we count down to the next elections.
“Their role in the spread of COVID-19 with the promotion and sponsorship of needless mass gatherings – #EndSARS – during the pandemic and the social events hosted by his deputy, Funke Akindele are pointers to the lawlessness of the duo and their party.
“We expect Funke to be eternally grateful to the State Governor for receiving less than a slap on her wrist for a life-threatening crime against the State.”